Frequently Asked Questions
Location
Where is St Andrew’s Cathedral School located?
Do you have school buses?
Do you have after school care?
Where do you run your sports programmes?
Where do children play in a city school?
How easy is it to drop my child off by car in the mornings?
School Features
What makes St Andrew’s different out from other schools?
What is Gawura?
Why should I choose coeducation?
What are the class sizes at St Andrews?
Does the school have a canteen?
Why is St Andrew’s music programme different from other schools?
What is pastoral care – and how does St Andrew’s provide it?
Enrolment
What are the key intake years?
How old does my child need to be to start in Kindergarten?
How early do I need to send in an enrolment application for my child?
Do you have open days?
Does my child need to be Anglican?
Fees
How much does it cost per year to send my child to St Andrew’s?
What scholarships are available?
Location
Where is St Andrew’s Cathedral School located? #Top
We are located in the heart of Sydney’s CBD, in Sydney Square, just a one minute walk from Town Hall station.
Do you have school buses? #Top
Our location means this is not necessary. St Andrew’s is uniquely placed above one of the city’s main transport hubs, which connects to all parts of the Cityrail network via train. We are also close to many bus routes, particularly from the Eastern Suburbs, Inner West, Hills District, Victoria Rd corridor, Lower North Shore and Northern Beaches. Visit Trip Planner to find out how you can reach us at Town Hall.
Do you have after school care? #Top
Yes. We offer after school care for our Junior School students (K - 6) as well as a holiday programme. We also have after school study groups for secondary students in both the Middle School and Senior College.
Where do you run your sports programmes? #Top
We have a long standing relationship with the University of Sydney and St Andrew’s College. St Andrew’s oval is our home venue for Rugby, Cricket and Softball. We also use other University facilities for Basketball, Tennis and Squash. Individual sports such as fencing are situated at venues close to the School. Football (Soccer) has its home ground and training at Wentworth Stadium, Glebe.
Where do children play in a city school? #Top
For Junior and Middle School students, we have a rooftop playground, sitting above our classrooms, overlooking the cityscape which is complete with play equipment for our youngest students, to basketball and cricket pitch courts, as well as many indoor areas, which are also open to students for recreational periods. Our Senior College has an outdoor recreational space within the campus, and students are afforded the privilege of accessing the city (within a restricted area) during recess and lunch.
How easy is it to drop my child off by car in the mornings? #Top
There is a drop off zone directly outside the school entrance in Kent Street where parents can pull up to drop off or collect their children. In the afternoons, a member of staff remains in attendance with Junior School at the pickup point.
School Features
What makes St Andrew’s different out from other schools? #Top
This is a hard question to answer in a short space! The main differences from other Independent Sydney schools are Coeducation, the unique City experience, a strong pastoral care reputation, outstanding music and outstanding HSC and International Baccalaureate (IB) results.
What is Gawura? #Top
Gawura is St Andrew’s school within a school, a K-6 on-campus learning facility for urban-based Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. The School has a focus on Literacy and Numeracy, as well as the celebration of Indigenous culture, coupled with strong parent and community involvement. Gawura and the Junior School share many of the facilities and resources of the school, and join together for many occasions at school.
Why should I choose coeducation? #Top
We believe coeducation is the best way to prepare students for tertiary education and life after school. From K-12, St Andrew’s is fully coeducational. We believe coeducation is the best way to prepare students for tertiary education and life after school. From K-12, St Andrew’s is fully coeducational. However in Middle School (Years 7-9), we provide a flexible twinning programme. This caters to the developmental needs of students through ‘twinned’ or separate boys and girls classes, in some core subjects, where practicable (depending on appropriate staff and cohort numbers and other factors), and coeducational classes in all other subjects. Although students study the same curriculum, the teaching styles and resources used in our twinned classes are modified to suit the specific developmental needs of students.
What are the class sizes at St Andrews? #Top
In the Junior School we generally have a maximum class size of 20 from Kindergarten to Year 4 and 22 from Year 5 and Year 6. In the Middle and Senior Schools, the classes range from 18 to 24 students, with some smaller.
Does the school have a canteen? #Top
Yes, we have a school canteen situated on the rooftop playground. Orders can be made on the day or through the online canteen.
Why is St Andrew’s music programme different from other schools? #Top
St Andrew’s offers all students the opportunity to play a musical instrument and has an extensive, enjoyable and varied programme of music tutoring and live performance events where students become confident in playing to audiences. We offer exceptional opportunities for gifted students, but our programme is designed to appeal to students of all levels.
What is pastoral care – and how does St Andrew’s provide it? #Top
St Andrew’s is well known for its outstanding and nurturing Pastoral Care programmes, which provide students with support from a number of sources. Our pastoral care programmes help students with a range of challenges faced by young people as they grow up. Each programme is aimed at a different stage of a student’s development, both emotionally and physically.
Enrolment
What are the key intake years? #Top
Our main intake years are Kindergarten, Year 5, Year 7, Year 9 and Year 10. However, there are sometimes spaces available in other Year groups. Please contact our friendly enrolments officers with any enquiries.
How old does my child need to be to start in Kindergarten? #Top
Your child will need to turn five by the 31st of May in the year they start. (e.g. for 2012 Kindergarten they must be born on or before 31st May 2007). We encourage you to contact the Registrar if you need to discuss this.
How early do I need to send in an enrolment application for my child? #Top
As soon as you know you are interested. We offer places on a receipt of application date, so early application is advisable.
Do you have open days? #Top
No. Instead we lead small, intimate Head of School tours which run on normal school days, allowing you to get properly acquainted when our campus comes to life! Tours are usually held on a weekly basis, running from 9.00am to 10.30 am.
Does my child need to be Anglican? #Top
No. St Andrew’s is a school founded on values of the Christian faith, and dedicated to the promotion of the Christian gospel. We are however, a diverse community, and welcome students of all faiths and backgrounds.
Fees
How much does it cost per year to send my child to St Andrew’s? #Top
Please see our fee structure page for information on the yearly costs.
What scholarships are available? #Top
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Junior School Scholarships (Years 3 – 6)
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Year 7 Academic Scholarships (awarded on results of the ACER Scholarship examination and an interview with the Registrar)
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Music Scholarships
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Chorister Scholarships
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Gawura Indigenous Scholarships (Kindergarten entry only)
Still have a question about St Andrew’s? If you can’t find the answer on our website, feel free to send us a quick enquiry and we will get back to you as soon as possible!