The Hills Grammar School

The Hills Grammar School
Location
Kenthurst, New South Wales

Australia

33°41′3″S 151°0′48″E / 33.68417°S 151.01333°E / -33.68417; 151.01333
Information
Other nameHills Grammar
TypeIndependent co-educational early learning, primary and secondary day school
MottoStrive for excellence
DenominationNonsectarian
Established1982 (1982)[1]
FounderRoss Booth
Educational authority
Independent Primary School Heads of Australia
Chairman
Daby To
Principal
Karen Yager[2]
YearsEarly learning and K–12
ColoursRed and green   
SloganStrive for Excellence
Affiliations
Websitewww.hillsgrammar.nsw.edu.au
[3]

The Hills Grammar School (commonly referred to as Hills Grammar) is an independent nonsectarian co-educational early learning, primary and secondary day school, located in Kenthurst, a suburb in the Hills district of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Established in 1982, the school has a non-selective enrolment policy and currently caters for over 1,000 students from early learning, through Kindergarten to Year 12. In 2010, the school opened the Early Childhood Education Centre (ECEC), catering for 3–4 year olds. Main intake years are ECEC, Kindergarten, Year 7, and Year 11; however, if vacancies exist in other years, admissions can be made.

Hills Grammar is affiliated with the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA),[4] the Heads of Independent Co-Educational Schools (HICES) and the Junior School Heads Association of Australia (JSHAA).[5]

History

Conceived in the early eighties, plans quickly began to establish a private school founded based on humanitarian values. In order to establish the school, a founding council was established with Ross Booth leading the project. The school opened on 7 February 1983 to 163 students from Kindergarten to Year Nine with 14 teaching staff.[6][7]

In 2002, an arts and design and technology centre was opened and named after Booth, The Booth Centre. It underwent renovations from 2023 until late 2024.[8][9]

Disability discrimination case

In 1997, the school became the subject of a landmark Australian civil rights case, Finney v The Hills Grammar School [1999] HREOCA 14. [10]


The parents of a five-year-old girl, Scarlett Finney, who had spina bifida, applied to enrol her into the school's kindergarten class. Although Finney used a wheelchair, she had no intellectual learning difficulties and her family had arranged for outside community nursing support. The school rejected her application, stating it did not possess the adequate resources or facilities to accommodate her physical disability and that her enrolment would impose "unjustifiable hardship" on the institution.

Finney's family challenged the decision under the federal Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) through the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC). In July 1999, Disability Discrimination Commissioner Graeme Innes ruled that the school had unlawfully discriminated against Finney. The commission found that the school's rejection was "based on general and often flawed assumptions" about spina bifida rather than an individualized assessment of her actual needs. Furthermore, the decision established a legal requirement that educational providers must actively consult with parents and medical experts before claiming unjustifiable hardship.[11]

The Hills Grammar School appealed the HREOC ruling to the Federal Court of Australia. In 2000, the Federal Court dismissed the school's application with costs (Hills Grammar School v Human Rights & Equal Opportunity Commission [2000] FCA 658), upholding the anti-discrimination decision. The case set a significant legal precedent in Australia regarding the obligations of non-government, independent schools to provide inclusive education and reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. [12]

Notable alumni


See also

References

  1. ↑ "The Hills Grammar School". School Directory. SchoolSeek. Archived from the original on 16 October 2007. Retrieved 16 February 2008.
  2. ↑ "School of Thought: Karen Yager". 29 May 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  3. ↑ The Hills Grammar School – School Uniform Price List
  4. ↑ "New South Wales". School Directory. Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia. 2008. Archived from the original on 19 October 2008. Retrieved 16 February 2008.
  5. ↑ "JSHAA New South Wales Directory of Members". New South Wales Branch. Junior School Heads' Association of Australia. 2007. Archived from the original on 17 January 2008. Retrieved 16 February 2008.
  6. ↑ "Hills Grammar - Australian Schools Directory" (PDF). Australian Schools Directory. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  7. ↑ "The Pennant - 40th Anniversary Edition" (PDF). Retrieved 14 April 2026.
  8. ↑ "Not long now, here's a sneak peek of the Booth Centre in the renovation's final stages. We are excited to see the spectacular Atrium coming together". Facebook. 10 October 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  9. ↑ "Hills Grammar is proud to announce that Prime Build has secured the contract for the renovations to the Booth Centre, creating our new state-of-the-art Innovation Hub. Their winning bid highlighted their commitment to innovation, experience working in a busy operating environment, and adherence to strict timelines. The collaboration between Prime Build and the School exemplifies a shared vision for educational excellence and the promotion of cutting-edge learning environments. We look forward to the grand opening of the revitalised Booth Centre later this year". Facebook. 12 February 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  10. ↑ "Finney v The Hills Grammar School [1999] HREOCA 14". Australian Human Rights Commission.
  11. ↑ "Securing accessible education: Scarlett's story". Justice and Equity Centre.
  12. ↑ "Hills Grammar School v Human Rights & Equal Opportunity Commission [2000] FCA 658". Federal Court of Australia.
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