Kambala Archives - Rose Bay Today

Rose Bay Schools Launch Ferry Service

To reduce traffic and embrace sustainability, two of Sydney’s prestigious girls’ private schools, Kincoppal-Rose Bay and Kambala, have introduced a new ferry service that glides through the waters of Sydney Harbour.

Kincoppal-Rose Bay and Kambala have united with Sealink and Captain Cook Cruises to offer a unique transportation option that connects Circular Quay, Cremorne Point, and Watsons Bay.

This initiative aims to provide students and staff with a scenic and efficient alternative to road transport, highlighting a commitment to environmental stewardship and community well-being. It’s also meant to alleviate the congestion on Sydney’s roads by providing a greener, more pleasant commute.

Kambala Rose Bay — Photo Credit: Kambala/Facebook

The ferry’s morning route starts from Circular Quay and goes via Cremorne Point to Watsons Bay. It follows the same path back in the afternoon.

At Watson’s Bay Pier, a shuttle bus awaits to ferry students and staff directly to their schools. This service introduces a novel way to navigate Sydney’s iconic harbour and encourages the schools’ communities to consider sustainable travel options.

The principals of Kincoppal-Rose Bay and Kambala, Erica Thomas and Jane Danvers, respectively, have been pivotal in realising this venture.

The school principals
Photo Credit: Kincoppal-Rose Bay/Facebook

Their foresight and cooperation underscore a commitment to environmental sustainability and the health of the Sydney community. By facilitating this ferry service, they champion the idea that commuting can be enjoyable and eco-friendly.

The introduction of the ferry service has been met with enthusiasm from both school communities, as evidenced by their social media announcements. The service benefits current families and opens up new possibilities for prospective families and staff, particularly those residing on the North Shore or further along the Parramatta River.

The convenience and efficiency of the ferry service are poised to transform the daily commute into a delightful journey across Sydney Harbour, setting a precedent for other institutions to follow.

Published 25-February-2024

Rising Education Costs: Kambala School in Rose Bay Breaks the $50,000 Barrier

Did you know that fees for Kambala School in Rose Bay have surged past the $50,000 mark for the very first time? Its latest fee structure has effectively made Kambala the most expensive school in the entire country

On Wednesday, 10 Jan 2024, Kambala School unveiled its 2024 fee schedule, revealing that parents of students in Years 9 and 10 will now be required to pay a substantial sum of $51,385 for the academic year, consisting of $45,200 in tuition fees and a compulsory levy of $6,185.

This dramatic increase in fees has placed a considerable financial burden on parents who aspire to provide their children with an education at Kambala School. For the parents of kindergarten students, the situation is no less daunting, with fees and levies surging by nearly 20 per cent to $31,400 for the current academic year.

The financial strain on families continues into the later years of schooling, with students in Years 11 and 12 facing a slightly lower annual levy compared to their peers in Years 9 and 10, amounting to $49,825 for each of the final two years of school.

The $6,185 levy imposed in Year 9 is designated to cover the costs associated with attending a cultural immersion camp in Cape York, while in Year 10, the annual fee includes an educational trip to Tasmania. Notably, these levies are inclusive of all activities throughout the year, setting Kambala apart from some other educational institutions.

2024 School Fees

Preparation $30,325
Kindergarten $31,400
Year 1 $32,375
Year 2 $32,375
Year 3 $39,210
Year 4 $39,210
Year 5 $40,925
Year 6 $40,925
Year 7 $49,380
Year 8 $49,380
Year 9 $51,385
Year 10 $51,385
Year 12 $49,825

Total $587,925

The Commonwealth Government and the NSW Government contribute an average of $3,891 per student for Kambala girls in kindergarten through year 12. It’s worth noting that at least 20 independent schools across the nation are set to charge parents over $40,000 for Year 12 tuition, in addition to extra levies, in the year 2024.

Furthermore, several high-fee private schools have experienced a decrease in funding following the implementation of a new national system designed to calculate the amount families can afford to contribute to private school fees.

A spokesperson for Kambala mentioned that the school had increased teacher salaries by 7.5 per cent in alignment with the public teacher wage hike that occurred in 2023, aimed at retaining valuable staff members. The school intends to strike a balance between tuition and boarding fees while striving to provide academic and personal excellence for all students. Efforts have been made to minimise the impact of fee increases on Kambala families.

Following Kambala, The Scots College in Bellevue Hill emerges as the second most expensive school in Sydney, with fees just shy of those at Geelong Grammar, charging $49,720 for tuition in 2024. Other notable institutions with fees exceeding $45,000 for year 12 in 2024 include Cranbrook School in Bellevue Hill, SCEGGS Darlinghurst, Ascham in Edgecliff, Trinity Grammar in Summer Hill, and the King’s School in North Parramatta.

Kambala School is not academically selective. Nevertheless, for the past three years, it has consistently ranked among the top 25 schools in the state for HSC performance and offers the International Baccalaureate program. In NAPLAN testing conducted last year, the school demonstrated performance levels above those of statistically similar schools in almost all categories of literacy and numeracy testing for students in years 3, 5, 7, and 9, positioning it at the 97th percentile on the index of community socio-educational advantage.

Margery Evans, the Chief Executive of the Association of Independent Schools of NSW, pointed out that schools are attuned to parents’ financial circumstances, but the upward trajectory of fees is driven by increasing costs and government reductions in private school funding.

Despite these fee hikes, demand for places at such schools remains robust. Ms Evans added that many independent schools have lengthy waiting lists due to enrollment caps that limit the number of students they can admit.

Rose Cantali, President of the NSW Parents’ Council, an organization representing parents of children attending independent schools, acknowledged that parents across the board are grappling with years of significant fee hikes and higher mortgage repayments. While understanding the schools’ perspective, she highlighted that parents had not anticipated such substantial fee increases when they initially enrolled their children.

Coupled with unforeseen mortgage repayments, these financial pressures are placing parents in a challenging position with limited options. Parents are generally reluctant to withdraw their children from school due to the potential disruptions it could cause to their social circles and educational journeys. Ms Cantali concluded by suggesting that schools consider financial allowances for students who are already enrolled, acknowledging the difficulties many families face.

Published 15-Jan-2024

Kambala Triumphs in NAPLAN: A Tale of Excellence in Rose Bay

The corridors of Kambala School in Rose Bay are abuzz with excitement as the results of this year’s NAPLAN assessments illuminate the academic landscape. The students have showcased exceptional proficiency in literacy and numeracy, achieving scores that place them well among the highest.

With 957 students spanning from Kindergarten to Year 12, Kambala prides itself on its intimate learning environment, boasting a commendable student-to-teacher ratio of 1 to 9.

For the Year 5 NAPLAN results, students from Kambala achieved an average of 562. The rest of the results are as follow:

Reading	567
Writing	555
Spelling	553
Grammar	576
Numeracy	560

At the helm of this journey to academic excellence is Ms. Jane Danvers, the esteemed Principal of Kambala School. With over two decades of dedicated service to the Australian educational community, Ms. Danvers has steered Kambala towards this remarkable achievement. Her unwavering commitment to educational excellence has been a guiding light for the school.

Meanwhile, both private and public schools in New South Wales have left their mark in the recent NAPLAN. Apart from Kambala, institutions like Abbotsleigh in Wahroonga and Newington in Stanmore have consistently outperformed other schools in reading, writing, spelling, grammar, and numeracy. On the public school front, Kellyville Public, Earlwood Public, and Cranebrook High have emerged as top performers in Sydney.

Recent studies have shown that there are only slight differences in NAPLAN scores between private, Catholic, and public schools. These differences largely vanish when considering a student’s family background.

But the school that has rose to the challenge is Fairfield Heights Public School. Approximately 40 per cent of its 740 students have a refugee background, 70 per cent come from the lowest socio-economic backgrounds, and 93 per cent do not speak English at home.

The school’s structured approach, with traditional classrooms and regular assessments, has led to an absence of significant discipline issues. Like the educational system in Singapore, teachers receive a year-long curriculum program and follow a regimented timetable that prioritizes reading and numeracy.

Published 18-Dec-2023

Kambala, Kincoppal-Rose Bay, 7 Other Elite Private Schools to Overhaul Sex Ed Curriculum

A group of headmasters from nine elite single-sex private schools in Sydney, including Kincoppal – Rose Bay on Vaucluse Road and Kambala in New South Head Road, plan to make changes to their sex education classes amidst a spate of abuse and “toxic culture” allegations raised by the students.

In recent weeks, a viral petition created by a former Kambala student, 22-year-old Chanel Contos, emerged online to bring attention to what the female students have been experiencing among their male friends, boyfriends, and older male schoolmates. The petition has gained over 29,000 signatures and nearly 3,000 testimonies of abuse and assault from girls as young as 13 years old.

“There was absolutely no sex education when we were at school, I don’t know why the school decided to give us barely any sex education. By the time I left your school I didn’t have much knowledge at all and into my early 20’s I was pressured into sex by a 2 of boyfriends daily and I didn’t realise that this wasn’t okay, I didn’t understand that this was a form of assault as we weren’t taught anything,” one testimony stated.

“Many boys touched and grabbed all my lady parts “for fun” during my high school experience… if you’re a parent, imagine hearing that happening to your child. Not a good time is it.”

Dr Ian Lambert, the principal at Scots College in Bellevue Hill reached out to the principals and headmasters of Kincoppal-Rose Bay and Kambala, as well as Ascham (Edgecliff), Waverley College, Sydney Grammar School, St Vincent’s College (Potts Points), Cranbrook (Bellevue Hill) and St Catherine’s (Waverley) to discuss how they can address these issues.

The school officials also emailed parents of their commitment to “audit programs” and share their solutions with each of the schools to help the young men and women in relating to each other better during various events.

They also met with Ms Contos via Zoom to hold an insightful dialogue, after she conducted an informal Instagram survey on the culture among elite private schools.

Ms Contos explained that schools must use their position of authority to mitigate the culture that “objectifies women, normalises sexual abuse and assault and shames the victims.”

Meanwhile, Stacey Maloney, the head of NSW’s Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad, said that they have gotten in touch with school officials after discussing Ms Contos’ petition with Chief executive of the Association of Independent Schools NSW, Dr Geoff Newcombe.

Ms Maloney said that they will work together with the schools and the students to ensure that they can “focus on education and empowerment safely without fear” and will likely conduct webinars on sexual violence for school personnel and teachers.

If you or someone you know have been a victim of assault and abuse, phone National Sexual Assault, Family & Domestic Violence Counselling Line: 1800 737 732.