WOODLEIGH SCHOOL - MORNINGTON PENINSULA VICTORIA
Woodleigh is now an authorised IB World School, offering the Primary Years Programme (PYP) and Middle Years Programme (MYP) across our campuses.
An International Baccalaureate World School
Minimbah Campus – 3yo ECC - Y6
3 Minimbah Court
Frankston South Victoria 3199
Ph: 03 9788 6488
Penbank Campus – 3yo ECC - Y6
460 Mornington-Tyabb Road
Moorooduc Victoria 3933
Ph: 03 5978 8425
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The School for Adventurous MindsÂ
- Early Learning
- Primary School
- Secondary School
- Primary - Year 12 School
- Multiple School Locations
- Early Childhood Centre
- Primary Campus
- Secondary Campus
- Independent
- Non-denominational
Co-ed
Yes
Yes
Additional Needs Program- Academic Achievement
- Agriculture
- Business & Legal Studies
- Co-curricular Activities
- Community
- Creative Arts
- Culture / Tradition
- Digital Technologies
- Economics
- Educational Support
- Employment Pathways
- Food Technology
- Gifted and Talented
- Information Technology
- Languages
- Media & Film Studies
- Music
- Numeracy / Literacy
- Pastoral Care / Guidance
- Performing Arts
- Personal Values
- Robotics
- Science/Technology
- Social & Emotional Learning
- Sport
- Tertiary Pathways
- Visual Art
- Welfare
- French
- Indonesian
- Athletics (Track & Field)
- Aerobics
- Australian Rules Football
- Alpine Sports
- Basketball
- Chess
- Cricket
- Cross Country Running
- Debating
- Diving
- Equestrian
- Football (Soccer)
- Golf
- Indoor Cricket
- Lawn Bowls
- Netball
- Sailing
- Swimming
- Table Tennis
- Tennis
- Triathlon
- Volleyball
Thirteen short years. That's how long we spend at school. It's where we grow into ourselves, develop friendships and character and begin to find our place in the world.
The experiences we have, and relationships we develop over this time, are some of the most influential of our lives. At Woodleigh, we do everything we can to encourage students to be adventurous learners.
Woodleigh’s Founding Principal, Michael Norman, put it best when he said…
"We ought never to do for young people what they, with a struggle, could be expected to be doing for themselves."
From Early Childhood to the first years of Primary School, to the final days of Senior School and beyond, Woodleigh students have the space and agency to evolve. The Woodleigh experience is deeply interconnected and all students are encouraged to be adventurous in their learning.
At Woodleigh, students are known. We embrace the diversity of skills each individual brings to our community. Much more than success at school, education at Woodleigh focuses on young people having fulfilling lives in their every day, as well as preparing them for a full life in a future we can't easily anticipate. How do we do something like that? We plan, very strategically, a rigorous academic and experiential curriculum of purposefully designed learning. We ensure that when the joys and challenges come along, students will have the complex capabilities to work through them.Â
Welcome to Woodleigh; the School for Adventurous Minds.Â
Woodleigh questions the status quo, challenges conventional thinking, and makes courageous choices about how best to engage young minds. We have always pioneered the concept of holistic education and have the courage to imagine a better world for all of us.
David Baker - Principal.
Woodleigh School is a place that affirms openness, independence, creativity, self-motivation and initiative, elements which you can sense as soon as you enter the school. Woodleigh School is entirely coeducational and committed to believing that this is the only suitable setting to educate both boys and girls for adult life.
We are the hub of a dynamic learning community. We are a forward-thinking, creative, contemporary school with academically rigorous programs and challenge in every part of the curriculum. At Woodleigh, students discover and follow passions, grow in a culture of mutual respect, cultural freedom and inclusion.
A Woodleigh education provides more than just an excellent academic preparation for the future. It offers a journey of experiential learning and discovery that prepares each individual for life's challenges beyond school. Today, students need more than just a solid academic base – they need transferable skills – adaptability, self-motivation and confidence. They need the ability to build strong relationships and work collaboratively, solve problems creatively, integrate and navigate new media literacies, and think critically about issues locally and globally.
Early Childhood
Located on the Mornington Peninsula's natural surroundings, Woodleigh's Early Learning Centres offer co-educational programs designed to nurture and inspire young learners.
Our progressive approach to education begins for 3-year-old children in our purpose-built Early Childhood Centres at the Minimbah Campus in Frankston and the Penbank Campus in Moorooduc.
With a focus on creating a supportive and enriching environment, we are dedicated to fostering your child's growth and development during these crucial early years. Both campuses operate between 9am and 3pm.
Minimbah Campus
- 3-Year-Old Program, 2 days per week:
Thursday and Friday, 9:00am - 3:00pm - 4-Year-Old Program, 4 days per week:
Monday to Thursday, 9:00am - 3:00pm
Penbank Campus
- 3-Year-Old Program, 2 days per week:
 Monday and Tuesday, 9:00am - 3:00pm - 4-Year-Old Program, 3 days per week:
Wednesday to Friday, 9:00am - 3:00pm
Junior Campuses
More than an education, our Junior Schools engage children in learning that is purposeful, relevant and promotes the development of the whole child.
Foundation to Year 2
Learning in the early years is filled with curiosity, play, a broadening of their safe world, and a healthy appetite for learning. At Woodleigh, PYP education aims to uncover and develop the best in every child as an inquirer, both inside the classroom and out in the world.Â
The foundations of literacy are developed in the early years of schooling with a strong emphasis on phonemic awareness and language development. In numeracy, children are exposed to real-life experiences that help them make sense of the world of mathematics through problem-solving and numeracy development.Â
In these very exciting and crucial years, teachers work alongside their young students, meet with small groups and individuals as needed, monitor learning and collate thorough feedback.
Years 3 & 4
Teaching and learning during these years focus heavily on increasing student voice and agency, acquiring essential skills for research, critical and creative thinking, and exploring big ideas that matter. Our commitment to the holistic development of every student means that alongside academic rigour, there is a maturing of independent young people with developing skills of self-management and collaboration. Overall, students are better prepared to take sound ownership of their learning and move confidently through the following stages of their education.
Years 5 & 6
As our students progress through their International Baccalaureate junior school years, they accumulate skills and knowledge to fortify their future learning. By Year 5, they are ready for more significant challenges with new energy. It is when they open up to the possibilities their learning journey can offer, take on greater responsibilities and harness their sense of self.Â
Senior Campus
Years 7 to 9 - MYP
Confidence, independence and determination. The Years 7 to 9 curriculum at Woodleigh's Senior Campus follows the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP). The acquisition of knowledge and the development of personal growth are core during this significant and transitional time.
We educate our students for the long term. Leadership, responsibility and independence are significant components of senior years at Woodleigh.
Year 10 - RFP
Woodleigh School proudly presents the Year 10 Regenerative Futures Program, a bespoke initiative intricately woven with the Victorian Curriculum. This innovative program is designed to equip our students with essential skills for a sustainable future. Through the Regenerative Futures Program, students will develop critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, design capability, and intellectual growth. Emphasising collaboration, communication, and resilience, the program prepares our Year 10 students to navigate and lead in a rapidly changing world.
Years 11 and 12 - VCE
Our academically rigorous and high-achieving culture values excellence and success beyond academic pursuits. The Years 11 and 12 curriculum at Woodleigh represents a pivotal stage, where increasing leadership, responsibility, and independence equip students for success in their VCE studies and life beyond school. Every student is empowered to succeed in their learning and graduate with the skills and confidence to thrive in their chosen paths.
Years 7-9: International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme
Year 10: Regenerative Futures Program
Years 11 and 12: Victorian Certificate of Education VCE
Our facilities and learning environments support learning which is connected, collaborative, personalised, environmental and diverse.
MINIMBAH CAMPUS
Woodleigh School’s Minimbah Campus in Frankston South features a Music House, Gymnasium, Sports Oval, School Hall, and Art Classroom The Year 5/6 Homestead and library building was specifically designed to promote student engagement and rich learning. The flexible interior spaces support a range of activities and more specialised lessons such as Science, Technology and Film Production.
Minimbah’s dedicated learning support and extension centre is known as ‘Learning Enhancement’. It comprises a large classroom space and several adjoining withdrawal spaces for individual or group remediation work, reading recovery and extension activities.
iPads and Interactive Whiteboards are used in all classrooms. Woodleigh School uses Apple Mac equipment. Minimbah has its own student-run radio station and audio production suite.
Year 3 and 4 students and teachers maintain a kitchen garden, using the produce for cooking and learning about plant propagation and care.
There are three adventure playgrounds at the Minimbah Campus. Foundation (Prep) – Year 2 students, Year 3–4 students and Years 5–6 students each have their own space.
The Sweetwater Creek runs just behind the campus, where the ECC–Year 2 Nature Program is run.
A separate and fully-equipped Early Childhood Centre is located at the campus, set in the beautiful natural surrounds. The ECC is designed to encourage outdoor play and exploration, and learning in nature is a key focus of the early learning program.
PENBANK CAMPUS
Penbank Campus is situated on a delightful 35-acre rural property in Moorooduc on the Mornington Peninsula.
It features a Year 5/6 Homestead adjacent to the school’s kitchen garden that includes an orchard, veggie garden and chook pen, a purpose-built Music and Gymnasium Centre, extensive sporting facilities including a full-size oval and cross-country tracks with the ability to host cross-campus events, and outdoor multi-purpose courts (tennis and basketball). Its spacious, naturally-lit classrooms and multi-purpose halls comprise natural-timbered walls and structures. Open fireplaces are a feature, and a minimum of corridors provide an open and welcoming feel. Students enjoy a fully-equipped library, art classroom and numerous multi-purpose learning spaces.
Penbank’s dedicated learning support and extension centre is known as ‘Learning Enhancement’. It comprises a large classroom space and several adjoining withdrawal spaces for individual or group remediation work, reading recovery and extension activities.
Interactive Whiteboards are used in all classrooms. Year 3–6 students use individual MacBooks and audio-visual equipment is shared throughout the school.
A Corroboree Area, called Ngargee Ground (meaning a meeting or performance space in Boon Wurrung language), reflects our value of Indigenous partnerships and understanding, significantly the Wugubank Partnership initiated by the Penbank Campus.
Students and staff maintain a vegetable garden, orchard and propagation shed, using the produce for cooking and learning about plant propagation and care. Students care for farm animals at the campus farm, The Springs, and enjoy the school's rural programs.
There are various playground areas including a lovely wetland area and ‘convict ship’ and ‘Diggings’ constructed by parents for an outdoor school production.
A separate and fully-equipped Early Childhood Centre is located at the campus, set in the beautiful natural surrounds. The ECC is designed to encourage outdoor play and exploration, and learning in nature is a key focus of the early learning program.
SENIOR CAMPUS
The Woodleigh Campus is situated on 55 acres of peaceful native surroundings in Langwarrin South. Care has been taken in the development of all Woodleigh Campuses to ensure that the built environment does not overwhelm the surrounding natural environment, which is unique and special to our school.
Senior Campus has an impressive list of specialised facilities. These include a fully fitted School Hall with and extensive lighting and sound rig. The Jago Centre for Performing Arts features multiple music performance/study spaces, dance/drama studio, film studio and a post-production area. The Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Gallery is the centrepiece of the school’s Visual Arts facilities, which include a Computer Aided Design Studio as well as Junior and Senior art classrooms.
Woodleigh’s award-winning Science Centre includes Marine Biology facilities and dedicated Chemistry, Physics and Biology classrooms for senior students. The campus also boasts a fully-resourced library, careers centre, sustainability and agriculture/horticulture centre, multi-purpose courts, sports oval and gymnasium.
Woodleigh's redeveloped Homestead spaces have received multiple awards from The Association for Learning Environments, and Architizer. The school's VCE Centre incorporates classrooms, a dedicated exam space and a student common room.
The Futures Studio is Woodleigh's most recent major development. It is home to our Year 10 students and the Regenerative Futures Program. The building has been described as 'the greenest building in the world', and features a green roof, solar and battery power and is carbon positive.
Information Technology facilities include networked classrooms, dedicated computer labs and Interactive Whiteboards, which are used throughout the school. All Woodleigh Campus students are supplied with Apple MacBooks.
The responsibility of Pastoral Care at Woodleigh is of all staff but primarily of the classroom teacher who spends the most time with individual students. Support services within the area of pastoral care are the wider staff, administration team and the School counsellor.
We offer counselling, specific therapeutic approaches, group and individualised programs as well as referral information for students and families. Referrals can also be made to our School Psychologist and Creative Arts Therapist.
Our approach to student welfare is proactive and solution focused. It is our belief that, with guidance, students can increasingly take responsibility for all aspects of their lives.
Through our academic, outdoor, pastoral, co-curricular and sports programs, we strive to develop in our students self-confidence, enthusiasm and independent thinking as assets for life.
Young people need to develop these skills gradually and it is therefore necessary to maintain a balance between the degrees of authority and freedom appropriate to the student’s age. At all times we conceive of education in the widest of terms: as a journey from childhood to adulthood.
Beneath the fun, and the obvious excitement in participation at Woodleigh, lies a toughness and challenge which is exemplified in the principle: ‘We should never do for young people what they, with a struggle, could be expected to be doing for themselves’. Or in other words, ‘There is no growth without struggle’.
This growth occurs with an ethos of care and respect, but also with the belief that as young people grow up, they need to take increasing responsibility for their lives and others’ needs.
A Woodleigh education helps young people to be more human in an increasingly technical world. Interwoven Academic and Pastoral Care programs build respectful and trusting relationships between students and staff – creating an environment where students have the permission to try new theories, to fail, struggle, learn and achieve.
It is critical that we at Woodleigh School continue to evolve so as to best equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in life beyond school.
Woodleigh's curriculum is built around the International Baccalaureate framework from Early Childhood through to Year 9, transitioning to the RFP in Year 10 and VCE in Years 11–12. Alongside academic learning, students take part in a distinctive set of programs – from outdoor expeditions to international exchange opportunities – designed to build independence, resilience and a genuine connection to community and environment.
International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) – ECC to Year 6
International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP) – Years 7–9
Regenerative Futures Program (RFP) – Year 10, Woodleigh's own bespoke program built on the MYP and preparing students for VCE
Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) – Years 11–12, including VET subjects, school-based apprenticeships and accelerated university study
Hattah Expedition – Woodleigh's signature Year 10 outdoor rite of passage
Outward Bound (Year 9)
City Bound (Year 9) – expedition and urban-immersion programs building independence and civic engagement
MYP Community Project (Year 9) – service-and-collaboration based community impact project
Round Square membership – international exchanges, conferences and service projects built around the IDEALS framework
Systemic Wellbeing program – developed in partnership with the Centre for Systems Awareness at MIT
New Metrics program – partnership with the University of Melbourne, assessing skills such as adaptability, collaboration and emotional intelligence alongside academic results
First Nations partnerships – including the Wugubank Partnership and Ngargee Ground at Penbank Campus
Language Acquisition – French and Indonesian, from Year 7
Learning Enhancement (LE) program – individualised learning plans and in-class support and extension for neurodiverse students and those with specific learning needs
Come and see us at Woodleigh
Campus Tours and Private Tours offer an authentic look at our environments and routines, while Information Sessions with our Principal, David Baker, provide an in-depth look at how we approach education. For those who find weekday visits tricky, our Open House events let busy families explore our Campuses outside school hours.
Director of Enrolments, Laura Maasburg, and her team, can be contacted on (03) 5971 6100 or via our Enquiry Form. You can also explore our website and see what a day-in-the-life looks like in Around the Grounds.
Special Programs — Milestones and Rites of Passage
Woodleigh’s focus on a lived education means that as students grow, a series of significant milestones help shape their education and personal growth. Each Rite of Passage marks a unique and transformative moment, building confidence and skills and celebrating students’ achievement.
Students begin with Nature Kinder in ECC4, their first overnight camp in Year 3, and joining the Homestead community in Year 5. Year 6 brings the PYP Exhibition and graduation into Senior Campus, followed by the transition into Year 7. By Year 8, students return to Homestead Camp in a leadership role, mentoring younger students at Minimbah and Penbank.
Year 9 centres on the Outward Bound expedition, City Bound urban immersion and the MYP Community Project — each building service, resilience and civic engagement. Year 10 is anchored by the Futures Studio and Regenerative Futures Program, including the Hattah Expedition, Woodleigh's peak Rite of Passage. Students then move into Senior Homestead in Year 11, before finishing school in Year 12 with a final period of reflection, celebration and anticipation. After years of hard work and focus, we mark the end of one chapter and the beginning of new adventures
Tertiary and Vocational Programs
- Vocational Education and Training (VET) subjects – available alongside standard VCE units
- School-based apprenticeships – for students combining study with paid, structured workplace training
- Accelerated university studies – early access to university-level subjects for eligible students
- Careers Program – helps students clarify career aspirations, investigate tertiary and career pathways, and develop job-readiness skills, with a dedicated focus on interview skills, resumé building and work experience in Years 9 and 10
Feature Story: More Than Your Score
"At Woodleigh, we want our students to achieve academically and to build adventurous, capable minds. Not one or the other – both."
Woodleigh's approach to academic success sits alongside a broader focus on wellbeing, character and lifelong capability — success measured by more than a single number.
Many Woodleigh students use our extensive bus network to travel to and from school, withou buses across the Mornington Peninsula and surrounding suburbs.Â
A direct Myki bus leaves Frankston Station at 8:20am every morning, linking students from Melbourne's South-East suburbs to Woodleigh's Senior Campus.
You can find all times and routes here.
Private Buses
All three campuses are serviced by a contract bus network from all areas of the Mornington Peninsula, including:
- Sorrento
- Boneo
- Flinders
- Merricks
- Mount Martha
- Waterways* (including Chelsea, Patterson Lakes, Sandhurst, Carrum Downs)
- Junior Campus Direct Bus (Junior Campus students only, including Flinders, Shoreham, Balnarring, Red Hill, Dromana, Penbank and Minimbah Campuses)
- Junior Campus Shuttle – connecting Minimbah Campus and the Senior Campus, serving Minimbah Campus Contract Bus travellers.
Driver Bus Lines operates and manages Woodleigh School's contract buses.
Families can pay per term for full or half bus usage through the Driver Coastal online portal prior to the commencement of each term.Â
Alternatively, causal bookings can be made throughout the term.
Public Buses
Free Public transport for all those aged under 18 includes dedicated MYKI school buses servicing Mornington, Mount Eliza, Frankston South and Frankston (including Frankston train station). Students can use these services as needed by tapping on and off with their MYKI card.
Welcome to Woodleigh.Â
Woodleigh is a school born out of the desire to challenge the traditional concept of a ‘true education’. Our Senior Campus was founded in the mid-70s, a time when education was viewed as a means of fulfilling the needs of an industrial-era workforce. Woodleigh questioned the status quo; it challenged conventional thinking, made courageous choices about how best to engage young minds, and pioneered the concept of holistic education. Ours is a school where students sit at the centre of everything we do. We purposefully design learning where students directly experience the world they live in and develop strong relationships with each other, their teachers and members of our community. This focus on delivering experiential, transformative learning lends us to focus on nurturing the creativity, compassion, skillfulness and resilience of the young people in our care. At Woodleigh, we challenge our young people to be the best version of themselves, and our students hold us to being the contemporary, creative school we proclaim ourselves to be. Our 2030 strategic direction, Learning to Thrive, guides us toward the future. Our future continues to challenge the traditional notions of schooling and provides an education that delivers holistic growth and development for all students. True to our ideal of being a home for ‘Adventurous Minds’, we aim to be a school that creates thinking opportunities through rich experiences to develop deep learning – learning which is real, challenging, creative, innovative and transformative.
David Baker, Principal
Engage, Lead, Create and Succeed.
Woodleigh's Adventurous Minds Scholarship Program honours students who build a culture of aspiration and excellence across the areas of academics, the arts, leadership and sustainability.Â
Our scholarships offer meaningful opportunities for students to thrive and contribute to our community. Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate both capability and a strong commitment to Woodleigh’s culture and values.
2028 Woodleigh School Scholarship Program is now OPEN.Â
For the full list of offerings, please see here.
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Triggering the Outrage Machine
Battlefields, Revolutions and Backlashes. Would you be surprised to learn that these are terms used in a recently published article about classroom teaching? Outrage sells, and it's outrageous.
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For further information about Woodleigh’s programs, information evenings and campus tours, please visit our website, call the Enrolments Office on 5971 6100 or complete our Enquiry Form.
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