Residential Life

Transition, Belong, Preparing for Life

Every aspect of Scotch College has been influenced by the developmental needs of boys. Our Residential Life programme is no exception.

Your son will develop a sense of belonging, create lifelong friendships and be part of a local community. From our pastoral care, family values and tutoring system, to our facilities and weekend activities, we've created a safe and caring environment that sets your son up for success emotionally, socially and academically.

To ensure a smooth transition to secondary school and living away from home we have developed the Welcome to Scotch College (WTSC), a programme for incoming boarders that includes a sleepover and orientation in October and online course to nurture confidence and friendships. We also offer the Academic Check Up Programme. Available to regional students in Year 2 and above, it offers boys the opportunity to be assessed annually on their progress in reading, writing and numeracy and provides support with recommended reading lists, websites and software. There is no charge for this programme and is open to all boys, regardless of whether or not they are registered with Scotch College.

We know all boys, particularly those who have grown up in the country, need plenty of space. Our Residential College overlooks 15 hectares of playing fields, so your son will have no shortage of room to kick a ball around with his new mates.

The size of our campus is even more remarkable, given we are in the heart of one of Perth's most sought after locations. Being so close to the Swan River and Indian Ocean, your son will have plenty of opportunities to try activities like surf lifesaving, rowing and sailing. We also organise frequent outdoor activities, including the opportunity to walk the Bibbulmun Track in stages. By Year 12, he will have completed the entire track – and developed resilience and team building skills along the way.

If you also have a daughter boarding, our location is easier for you too - we are within 5km of four of the eight major girls' boarding schools.

We also offer to our existing families the opportunity for their son to reside temporarily within our Residential Community. This can be for any length of time with some families choosing to use the experience to help develop independence, resilience and good study habits. For further information on Temporary Boarding, please click here.

Our Residential College is home to 140 boys, from Years 7 to 12, cared for by a team of resident and academic staff. We invite you to come and visit our community and discover how our safe, caring environment ensures your son thrives while living away from home.

Mr Marcus Wilkinson
Director of Residential Life

Australian Boarding Schools Association

Scotch College is proud to be a member of the Australian Boarding Schools Association.

Most boys enter adolescence and Residential Life at roughly the same time. It is a time in a boy's life when he starts to pull away from his mum and look for strong male role models; a time when friendships mean everything. In our Residential Life programme, your son will find both.

The mateship that grows between boards is unique, as the boys share in each other's highs and lows. Your son will make friendships that last a lifetime. He'll be part of a caring community in which every boy is known and valued.

Living in a community of 160 boys from diverse backgrounds and cultures, he'll develop understanding, tolerance, flexibility, independence and maturity – qualities that will serve him well for a lifetime.

As a member of our Residential College, he'll also enjoy:

a balanced and structured environment
supervised study by academic staff and high-performing Old Scotch Collegians university students
the highest ratio of teachers for extra academic help
more time to concentrate on sports training, musical and cultural pursuits
greater accessibility to the College's facilities
specialised co-curricular and academic programmes.

As a boarder, your son goes through two important rites of passage at once: moving up to secondary school and living away from home. Our Residential Life programme is designed to support him emotionally and academically through this exciting time of growing independence.

It's natural for boys to experience a wobble or two as they settle in. To ensure your son always feels like there is someone he can turn to, we have a very high staff to student ratio in Residential Life. Each of our Residential Houses has a Housemother, whose role is to provide emotional support for your son and act as a link between the college and your family.

The three Houses are grouped by year levels: Years 7 and 8 share one House; Year 9 has their own House; Years 10 to 12 share a House overlooking the playing fields. We know that in Year 7 and 8, when boys are getting used to living away from home, they take comfort from dormitory-style accommodation. As they mature however, they start to need more personal space. In Years 10 and 11 boys share double rooms, in Year 12 everyone has their own room.

Also keeping a close watch on your son's total well-being will be the Head of Year, an academic staff member who lives on-site and is the central point of contact for boarders, teachers and parents. They have a holistic view of how your son is developing and if needed, will draw on the expertise of our registered nurses, School Psychologist, Chaplain and other support staff.

When it comes to homework, your son can get help whenever he needs it – we have an open door tutoring system. Many of our tutors are recent Scotch graduates studying at university. Being close in age to the boys, they become unofficial big brothers and mentors.

A big concern for boys is how will they cope without your cooking? Very nicely indeed! Our kitchen has literally been home to the best chefs in Australia. The boys all eat together in our spacious Dining Hall, allowing them to build lasting friendships with the entire boarding community.

To ensure your son is ready to live independently beyond school we teach valuable life skills along the way, including cooking and how to apply for a job.

Our Residential Head of Student Wellbeing co-ordinates a number of co-curricula activities that aim to fulfil all facets of a boy's development. Most importantly we look to grow and challenge our boys physically, socially, emotionally, academically and spiritually.

Numerous opportunities are provided to enrich the lives and experiences of Scotch boarders. An array of activities are organised for each year group that include, but are not limited to:

Sporting Events
Opportunities exist for our boys to attend all local and international sporting events such as the AFL, Super 15 Rugby, International Hockey, A-League Soccer, NBL Basketball and if possible whatever other events may come to town.

Cultural Events
Movies, ANZAC Day Dawn Service, Melbourne Comedy Festival, Perth International Arts Festival, museum tours, music and drama performances.

Recreation Activities
Go-karting, ten pin bowling, movies, paintballing, Adventure World, ice-skating, dances, etc. These activities are often organised with other boarding schools, with both boys and girls.

Community Service
Assisting at aged care facilities, Surfing for the Disabled, charity ball and Horse Riding for the Disabled.

Community Sport We have links with many local sporting clubs who are always looking for boys to join their teams and play over the weekend. These are fantastic opportunities for boys to meet other families within and outside the Scotch College community.

Part-time Employment
This can be arranged for boys, with local businesses in our area, when boys have proven they can uphold their College commitments.

On-Campus
Boys can also make use of all our College facilities including the gymnasium, weights room, libraries, manual arts and kitchen facilities as well as the acres and acres of oval space.

Bibbulmun Track
The Bibbulmun Track is a unique programme that challenges all boys and presents an exclusive challenge for our Residential Students.

There are also year group programmes run by the Residential Community that are designed to further their growth and development as they travel through Scotch College.

Winner of the 2012 Australian Boarding Schools Association Most Innovative idea in Boarding Award – Bibbulmun Track.

The Bibbulmun Track is a 1003km walk from the Perth Hills to Albany, and has become a key component of the Scotch College Residential Life programme. The aim of the expedition is multi-dimensional.

The challenge of the Bibbulmun Track gives boys real life practical opportunities to implement an array of skills and learning, namely:

Educational
All manner of geographical, scientific, English & mathematical concepts are practically used in preparing for and walking the track.

Social
Expedition members learn to work as a team, communicate with each other, empathise, support and mentor one another and also enforce communal rules and standards that form the unique fabric of each expedition team.

Spiritual/Emotional
Students develop resilience and discipline over time, and learn to commit to a long term goal by applying themselves over an extended period of time. There is plenty of time for introspection and personal reflection during the many hours of walking.

The Track certainly engenders a sense of achievement, pride and in its accomplishment - much laughter, camaraderie and memories to last a lifetime.

Scotch College has an outstanding reputation for its academic programme. The Boarding Residence has academic staff and tutors available to assist boarders with their studies. Staff are rostered during prep time each weekday evening to help boarders with their academic progress. Boarders also have access to the College's library and Academic Support Centre before and after school, where academic help is available from staff and peer tutors.

Our Residential Dean of Academics is charged with developing a Years 7 to 9 'Learning to Learn' programme and Years 10 to 12 'Study Skills' Programme. The role encompasses working with the Residential Heads of Years in monitoring all Residential students' academic performance and helping to obtain assistance for those students who require it.

Academic tutors, most of whom are recent Scotch graduates who excelled in their WACE or IB Diploma results, assist the boys each evening in specialist areas such as Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and English Literature.

Each House has a number of academic staff that tutor boys during their prep time.

The Residential Community runs an 'open door' tutoring system whereby all boys are able to access help whenever they encounter difficulties with their homework, assignment research or study. This has proven to be very beneficial in helping boys overcome any areas of concern as they arise, and in supporting them during examination periods.

All Residential students are asked to reflect on their academic progress and end of semester reports with their parents and Head of Year. This is considered to be a great opportunity for boys to discuss their performance from the last semester and outline their goals for the future. We also believe it is a time when we can affirm the positive contribution the boys have made to Residential Life and within their own year groups.

The Houses The Residential College is spread across the northern part of the Scotch College campus and comprises three separate boarding houses (a Year 7/8 House, a Year 9 House and the Year 10 to 12 House).

This structure reflects the College's commitment to nurturing the physical and emotional development of boys as they progress through the various stages of adolescence. Boys in Years 7 to 9 live in cubicle-style accommodation, which provides a perfect balance to ensure sufficient levels of privacy, but also maximising the opportunities to socialise with others. The boys complete their homework in a supervised setting and have access to academic staff that can assist with their studies. Boys in Year 10 and 11 share double rooms, whilst Year 12 boarders are provided with their own room.

Dining Room
The Scotch College Dining Room is nestled in the middle of the Residential College in close proximity to all three boarding houses. A professional and dedicated staff work tirelessly to ensure that all of the boys are well fed with the freshest ingredients, as well as providing a flexible menu designed to cater for all tastes. The boarders have their breakfast and dinner served in the Dining Room, whilst recess and lunch is served from the Senior School Canteen during the day.

Health Centre
The Health Centre is also located within close proximity to the three boarding houses and is staffed by a team of registered nurses. A member of the nursing staff is on call 24 hours a day for those boys who are ill or injured, and the Health Centre assumes the responsibility of managing medical appointments for the boys and arranging transport to and from the various appointments that are scheduled. The Health Centre caters for the primary healthcare needs of the boarders throughout their time at the College.

The Health Centre staff perform a variety of roles including: emergency nursing management, primary health assessment and referral to relevant health specialists, health education and pastoral care. The Health Centre staff aim to help the boys with the transition to the boarding community and provide a welcoming and friendly environment.

Scotch College Residential Life continues a long and valued tradition of boarding at the School. It provides a structured, supportive and caring educational environment for boys to develop skills and attitudes that will prepare them for the wider world. In boarding we pride ourselves on teaching the social values of trust, cooperation, tolerance, respect, loyalty and pride.

At Scotch, we provide a range of flexible boarding options to meet the needs of our Year 7 to 12 students and their families.

We offer full-time boarding for students from remote areas, international students and local students choosing to live-in seven days a week.

Boarding is also offered on a temporary basis, if you are travelling, or if there is an illness in the family. This option can be as flexible as you need it to be. Temporary boarders will be part of a close knit community and have plenty of opportunities to study, play sports and enjoy recreational activities.

Another option available to Scotch students is weekly boarding, taking the pressure off busy family life. Students live in the boarding house for four nights (Monday to Thursday) then have three nights at home (Friday to Sunday). This is a perfect solution for many families.

If you think your son would benefit from life in boarding, then please contact the Residential Life Administration Office on +61 9460 6655.

Ease the transition to boarding at Scotch College

Available to regional students in Year 2 and above, our Academic Check Up programme offers boys the opportunity to be assessed annually on their progress in reading, writing and numeracy and provides support with recommended reading lists, websites and software. There is no charge for this programme and is open to all boys, regardless of whether or not they are registered with Scotch College.

The Academic Check Up programme gives regional families an insight as to how their son is performing in relation to the boys at Scotch College, their areas of strength and their areas for development. If areas of concern are identified the College supports families with recommended reading lists, websites and software.

Book your Academic Check Up here.