Celebrating over a century of growth Blue Mountains Grammar School stands proudly. Established in 1918 Blue Mountains Grammar School began as Blue Mountains Church of England Boys Grammar School in Springwood. It was a boarding school known as “Homedale”.
Blue Mountains Grammar School’s founding Headmaster was E.K. Deane. The first pastoral House bears his name. It is believed the school was developed to educate boarders from the central west and northwest of the state. Deane built the school into a multi-classroom premises. Throughout the 1920s it saw successes in student numbers and education.
By 1930 Blue Mountains Grammar School faced considerable hurdles. Enrolments declined significantly between 1930 and 1934. Deane lowered boarding fees to a pound a day to stay afloat. He grew his own food. By 1933 enrolments grew again.
During the war years enrolments kept up well. Parents wanted to send their children out of Sydney. This period marked the end of Ken Deane’s tenure. His son John Deane succeeded him in 1945. John faced a burgeoning debt. He revitalized the school grounds with a loan.
The school moved to its current grounds in Wentworth Falls with the purchase of “Coorah” in 1951. About 80 students transferred from Springwood to Wentworth Falls. Blue Mountains Grammar School underwent strategic growth between 1953 and 1960. Albert Pitt-Owen led this period promising sustainable enrolment numbers. Land purchases, building and a rise in student numbers marked the time.
In 1961 Albert Pitt-Owen expanded with a senior school campus. In 1965 the Senior school moved to its current location at Coorah.
Blue Mountains Grammar School values Christian values and academic excellence. Every student has opportunities to grow in learning and leadership. They can experience success and make friends. Students involve themselves in co-curricular and leadership activities. They are nurtured in a safe and caring Christian environment. The school wants students to be themselves at their best.
Blue Mountains Grammar School has an enviable reputation for academic excellence. Results position it as a leading independent school in the region. Passionate teachers encourage enthusiastic responses from students. Blue Mountains Grammar School is proud its HSC honors are equally shared between girls and boys.
BMGS provides a caring holistic education. It equips individuals with personal excellence and Christian integrity. Students make personal meaning from learning. They develop thinking dispositions. They appreciate lifelong learning.
BMGS values are grounded in the Anglican tradition. Students attend Chapel and Religious & Values Education classes weekly. The school has a Preparatory Campus at Valley Heights since 2003 and a Chapel at Wentworth Falls Campus since 2008. Blue Mountains Grammar School also has outdoor education centers.
Blue Mountains Grammar School offers a Performing Arts stream and a Cultural Studies stream. A comprehensive Wilderness Education program operates from Years 2 to 10. There are many co-curricular activities offered. Cultures of Thinking, a project of Harvard University, was implemented in 2011.
Notable alumni include Andrew Denton, Matt Drummond, Ben St Lawrence and Amanda Spratt. Blue Mountains Grammar School continues to provide students with an enjoyable learning environment. It seeks to foster care, respect and tolerance.