Toorak College, Mount Eliza

"Toorak College in Mount Eliza is an independent, inter-denominational school for girls from Early Learning through Year 12, with a co-educational Early Learning Centre and junior school serving students from Kindergarten through Year 6."

Situated on the Mornington Peninsula above Port Phillip Bay, the school occupies a setting approximately forty kilometres south of Melbourne in the leafy coastal town of Mount Eliza — a location that offers families a degree of natural beauty and community character that is difficult to find in a purely urban school environment. Founded in 1874, Toorak College carries with it a long tradition of girls' education in Victoria, making it one of the more established independent schools in the region. That depth of history is complemented by a forward-looking academic approach, particularly in the junior years, where the school holds accreditation as an IB World School and delivers the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme. The PYP is well regarded internationally for its inquiry-based, student-centred approach to learning, and its presence here makes Toorak College a meaningful option for expat families who may have encountered the IB framework at schools elsewhere in the world. The school operates as both a day school and a boarding school, with boarding available for girls in Years 7 through 12. With approximately 70 boarders enrolled as of 2005, the boarding community represents a smaller, close-knit dimension of school life rather than a dominant feature, which may suit families seeking a school with a strong day-school culture that also offers residential options for flexibility. The broader student body has historically numbered around 925 students across all year levels, giving the school a scale that supports a wide range of programs and co-curricular activities while remaining personal enough for students to be genuinely known by their teachers and peers. One of the school's more distinctive characteristics is the co-educational nature of its Early Learning Centre and junior school within an otherwise girls' school environment. This structure allows younger boys and girls to learn together during their foundational years before the school transitions to a girls-only model from the secondary years onward — an arrangement some families find thoughtfully balanced. Instruction is in English, and the school's use of the IB Primary Years Programme in its junior school ensures that younger students are engaged in internationally minded, conceptually rich learning from the outset. For relocating professionals and expat families in particular, the IB framework provides a degree of academic continuity that can ease the transition from schools overseas. Mount Eliza itself is a relaxed, residential community, and the school's Mornington Peninsula location offers a campus environment that feels distinctly connected to the natural landscape of coastal Victoria. For families moving to Melbourne who are open to living south of the city, or who are based on the Peninsula, Toorak College presents a well-established, values-driven option with genuine historical roots and an internationally recognised academic programme at its junior level.