Backlash at upmarket primary school over class size shock

2 hours ago 2

Parents at one of the state’s most expensive primary schools have reacted angrily to news that grade 5 class sizes would increase by 25 per cent next year.

Families say Christ Church Grammar School, which charged nearly $35,000 for grade 5 tuition fees this year and markets itself on small class sizes, left it to the last minute to tell them their children would be learning next year in class sizes in line with the average at state government schools.

Parents of this year’s South Yarra’s exclusive Christ Church Grammar School grade 4s were told on Monday that their children, who were taught in three classes of 16 to 17 children each this year, would be arranged into two classes of 22 each in 2026.

Christ Church Grammar School describes the addition of specialist coaches as offering the “best of both worlds”.

The school says there are sound educational reasons for its proposed changes, citing research showing that late-primary students developed better within a broader peer cohort.

Principal Kim Wheeler also told parents that additional resources supporting the grade 5 classroom teachers next year would keep the underlying student-to-teacher ratio low.

“The structure of the 2026 year 5 experience is clear from my communication to parents, and I want to reiterate that the addition of highly qualified learning coaches during core literacy and numeracy instruction will ensure that each class will have an average 1:11 teacher-to-student ratio during these times,” Wheeler said.

“On our website we indicate that the average class size is 15 (prep to year 6) and, in fact, in 2026, it will be slightly lower than that.

In an email to parents, Wheeler said the model offered “the best of both worlds”.

But one parent, speaking on condition of anonymity, told this masthead there were “pretty angry” parents after the email went out.

The parent said the timing of the announcement, less than two weeks before the end of the school year, left no chance for families unhappy at having to pay high fees for larger classes to find different schools next year.

There was no indication that the school planned to make changes to class sizes for other grades.

Class sizes have been a controversial topic over the years in Australian education, but Victorian government schools have reduced the average number in a primary school class down to 21.6 this year, from 24 in 2001.

Class size data for private schools is not publicly reported, but on another widely used measure, full-time student to full-time teacher ratio, independent schools and government schools were broadly on par, with about 13 children for each teacher.

Christ Church has not issued its fee schedule for 2026, but with average private school fees across the state rising by 5 per cent next year, grade 5 parents are braced for a substantial increase on the $34,669 the school charged for that year level in 2025.

“If you’re a private school charging that much, and then you’re advertising on the website and in the strategic plan that small class sizes are part of the offer, and then you tell the parents with a week-and-a-half to go in the year, that they are changing for just one class,” the parent told this masthead. “Yeah, you’ve got some pretty angry parents.”

Wheeler told this masthead families had been invited to information sessions and to meet with her in person to discuss the change.

“Many parents have expressed support for the 2026 structure and can see the benefits for their child as they prepare for the transition into secondary school, with wider opportunities for collaboration, friendships and social interactions balanced with targeted small groups for core instruction,” she said.