International Students
Mr Brian Smith - Director of International Students
The International Student Support Team from left to right; Mr Brian Smith, Ms In Sun Chang, Ms Gwen Harper, Ms Sylvia Ponnusamy, Mr John Pittendrich, Ms Siew Pyng Lim and Ms Hong-yi Kuhn.
Mentone Grammar, founded in 1923, is a leading independent school situated in the safe and friendly beach-side suburb of Mentone in the City of Melbourne. Expert staff, small class sizes and innovative programs contribute to Mentone’s ongoing success.
Mentone Grammar has welcomed international students for over 50 years. Today students from countries including China, Hong Kong, Japan, Indonesia, Korea, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan comprise approximately 8% of our senior school enrolments.
Outstanding results
The School is well known for outstanding results in the Year 12 (VCE) examinations with 100% pass rate: 30% of students gain results in the top 10% for Australia, 90% in the top 50% and 100% qualify to enter good Australian universities and colleges.
Selected advanced students are able to take first year university courses from Melbourne and Monash Universities while they complete Year 12. Also many students are selected to participate in National Science and Business workshops within Universities in Melbourne and Sydney.
Education of the whole person
Discipline in the School is strong and students are expected to work hard and complete homework each night. Mentone Grammar aims to provide a well-rounded education with a strong emphasis also on sport, music, drama, creative arts, debating and outdoor education.
Optimum time to enrol
Mentone Grammar is registered to enrol International Students at all levels from the start of primary schooling through to Year 12 at the end of secondary schooling. Our experience shows, however, that the best time for an International Student to enrol for optimum success in Year 12 (VCE) examinations is when they have completed Year 9 or Year 10 in their own system and is between 15 & 17 years old. At this age a student generally has sufficient maturity to cope with the challenges of studying in a different culture away from home, while it still allows sufficient time to become adjusted to the new culture and to build the necessary language skills before the all-important senior two years. To enter Mentone Grammar, each student will be required to take an English assessment and achieve a score of 65 to enter Year 10 and 70 to enter Year 11 on completion of an Intensive English course at one of Melbourne’s Intensive English centres.
Accommodation
The School offers Homestay Accommodation, which the School arranges and supervises with carefully selected and monitored, local Australian families. This option provides a good opportunity for international students in Years 9-12 to settle into the Australian lifestyle, practise English and make friends.
Students below the age of 14 must live with a relative or close family friend. Older students may do the same, but the majority of our international students choose to live in accommodation organised by the School.
It is important that each international student must have a Guardian, living in Melbourne, and appointed by and known to the parents, to provide personal and practical support outside the School environment. The Guardian would be expected to take an interest in all aspects of the student’s welfare. The guardian must be able to speak clearly in English and have permanent residency in Australia. The School will not permit a student, regardless of age, to live alone or share a house with other students without the supervision of a mature adult.
Monitoring performance and well-being
A dedicated support team assist each student to transition into the school smoothly and monitor his or her ongoing performance and well-being. All students have daily pastoral care from a Mentor and House Coordinator as well as access to counselling services. The Careers Counsellor guides each student with subject selection and careers advice, and assists with application to universities and other tertiary institutions.
Reporting to parents and guardians
A written report is issued each term and sent to guardians and homestay families. The guardian will then send and communicate the contents of the report to the parents. In addition, parents and guardians of international students may contact the Director of International Students at any time by telephone fax or email for up-to-date information about their child’s progress.
Our New Greenways Campus
Mentone Grammar is a P-12 coeducational school all on one site. Our new, in 2013, Year 9 Campus (called Greenways) is an innovative learning centre. Our vision is to provide a dynamic, relevant and flexible learning culture which engages our modern learners. The Greenways Campus is located on the main campus site to maintain the integral relationship that our Year 9 students have with the whole school community. We incorporate technology and utilise traditional classrooms as well as unique learning spaces, with creative use of furniture, to allow for flexibility and mobility whilst ensuring that academic rigor remains of the highest standard.
Facilities and Resources
Mentone Grammar has many fine facilities. Some of these include the high-tech world-class Science and Environmental Studies Centre; PC & Mac computer laboratories, Library/resource/study centre, Music School, Drama Centre, Careers Centre, Aquatic Centre, two gymnasiums and 17 hectares of playing fields in a beautiful Australian landscape (for major games such as soccer, football, cricket, tennis, hockey and rugby).
For further information or to discuss your enrolment please contact:
The Enrolment Office
Telephone: +61 3 9584 4211
Facsimile: +61 3 9581 3290
Email: internationalstudents@mentonegrammar.net
Enrolment
To apply for enrolment at Mentone Grammar there are a number of procedures that should be followed. These procedures can sometimes be complicated and so it is suggested that an International Registered Education Agent is engaged to assist with this documentation. At the bottom of this page the list of Mentone Grammar’s Registered Education Agents can be found.
These agents are aware that complete application forms are sent to The International Students Office, Mentone Grammar, 63 Venice Street, Mentone Victoria 3194, Australia.