Toowoomba Grammar School boarding provides the ideal living environment for our boys while they develop the values that will define their character.
Throughout the course of this year, I have been privileged to visit many of the towns and properties that our TGS boarders call home. When walking around those towns wearing a shirt with a TGS crest, it doesn’t take long to meet an Old Boy or to be asked about one of the boarders currently at the School. Our boarding staff pride themselves on knowing each individual boarder in their House, replicating how each boy is known and valued as an individual in their own hometown.
The demographics of Toowoomba are similar in this regard and provide the School with two unique characteristics. Firstly, as one of the smaller GPS schools, the numbers of dayboys do not overwhelm our boarders, with boarders enrolled at a ratio of nearly one to three in the Senior School. Secondly, most of our teaching staff hail from country areas, which means that our staff know our boarders and truly appreciate their background.
Our TGS campus does a good job of replicating the open spaces of our boarders’ homes, with six ovals for our boys to enjoy. Indeed, facilities such as our aquatic centre, indoor sports centre, weights room and performing arts spaces complement the green expanse of the ovals, giving the boys a great place to engage in all those activities that they love doing, from playing touch and cricket to swimming and shooting some hoops. The drama studios and music rooms allow our boarders to express themselves creatively, providing a different outlet for their energies.
Looking beyond the campus and the outstanding facilities we have, much can be said about the town of Toowoomba itself. As a regional city, the country values which our School creed personifies exist in the everyday interactions of our boarders with the wider community. Whether it is on a trip down to Grand Central or working alongside local tradesmen as part of a School-based apprenticeship, our boarders remain grounded and always give their best. As a hub for agribusiness, Toowoomba has attracted residents from all over regional Australia and the business interests of many of our boarding parents are entwined with those companies in Toowoomba. This results in connections across the city for our boarders and their families, which provides for an incredibly supportive community.
As the School that was built by the community, for the community, Toowoomba Grammar School is at the heart of Toowoomba. Our values mirror those of the city, and we are proud of the connections we have to regional Australia.
- Mr Nick Byron, Director of Boarding
Latest Blog
Gummingurru Excursion - Deep Time History of Australia on our Doorstep
Gummingurru is unique in being the best-preserved initiation site in southeast Queensland, including bora rings and various stone arrangements that have ancient links to the totems and kinship practices of the Jarowair and Giabal people of Toowoomba and the Darling Downs, as well as the broader region within the highly significant cultural landscape of the Bunya Mountains. The boys were welcomed to, and guided through, the site and its learning centre by Mr Shannon Bauwens, a Western Wakka…
Responding to Negative Peer Interactions
As we approach the end of Term 3, we find it is typically a time when boys start to get tired and emotional and are most likely to make poor decisions that can lead to relationship challenges between peers. Comments and humour shared between mates that may have been received without concern in the first week of the term may change as boys start to tire and their tolerance levels decrease. This may lead to boys reacting with heightened and overly emotional responses. This is normal as boys are…
Boarding is who we are
Our boarders make up nearly one third of our student cohort from Years 5 to 12, which enables us to consider the boarding experience in all that we do at the School. Every boarding experience at TGS is about equipping boys with the skills to function as a student and preparing them for their future.
Making a Positive Impact with Homework Assistance
The Anglicare Homework Assistance Program (HAP), run in conjunction with Darling Heights State School, sees many of our boys volunteer their time on Wednesdays after class to help many young refugee and primary school students facing challenging times with their homework, or to chat and play games. Our boys thoroughly enjoy meeting, supporting and learning about the lives of the younger children. This forges community connections and fosters inclusion for the Darling Heights students; it also…
Fresh Faces Guide - TGS Sportsmen into the Fray
With their dedication to excellence and player development, TGS athletes are in good hands as they navigate the challenges and triumphs of competitive sports.
Honouring Tradition, Preparing for the Future
They will invariably be inspired by effective teaching and the satisfaction of personal achievement will always be motivating. At Toowoomba Grammar School, the power of high-quality instructional practices has resulted in the development of a strong academic culture that has endured for nearly 150 years. Preserving core principles provides stability and continuity. However, we must be open to continuously adapting our methods so that our students are well-prepared for the ever-changing world…
We See You - Mitchell Wilkes
That was the heart-wrenching diagnosis for Year 10 student, Mitchell Wilkes, right on Christmas in 2021. Mitchell’s mum noticed he wasn’t reading properly and had a gut feeling that there was something wrong with his eyesight. A trip to the optometrist revealed a thinning in the retina, and further tests showed that Mitchell had a genetic condition called Stargardt Disease, a juvenile macular degeneration illness that results in slow central vision loss.
Correcting our School's official record commemorating World War I and World War II
On the eve of our 150th year, we're calling on the School's alumni, parents, past parents and greater community to aid us in correcting the record of our involvement in two watershed geopolitical events of the 20th century. For the last four years Toowoomba Grammar School Museum Volunteers, Mrs Ann Hallam and Mrs Sue Palmer, have been updating the School records on Old Boys, staff and Trustees for the World War I and World War II theatres of war. Over the years several staff and volunteers have…
A Pioneering Woman of TGS
My late husband was a teacher, and our four children are all teachers, which we encouraged them to do because it is the best job in the world. It’s hard to believe I’ve been here for 36 years, working under four Headmasters: Mr Bill Dent, Mr Hugh Rose, Mr Peter Hauser and now Dr John Kinniburgh. I still drive into the School each day and smile, looking at the beautiful place it is — magnificent ovals, gracious trees and historically significant buildings. It is difficult to express the…
