Immanuel; a world-class private school bursting with learning opportunities
Immanuel College is a place to start, to grow, to live, to learn and to discover. We are a leading private school in Adelaide, offering students the opportunity to excel in their secondary education experience.
With our strong Christian values, high academic results and educational innovation, our approach focuses on the whole person and maximises each student’s potential. We challenge our students in a supportive, progressive environment and help them discover who they are and what they’re capable of.
Starting in Middle School, we provide every opportunity for your child to find their passion and their place with age-appropriate facilities that grow as they do.
As they move into Senior School, we offer students the opportunity to excel in their passion with around 54 SACE subjects to choose from and to prepare them for life and pathways beyond school.
Ideally located in Adelaide between the city and the sea, Immanuel College delivers a high-quality co-educational learning experience for all students.
Be part of a place where new ways of learning, are nothing new at all.
So many choices. 54 subjects at last count.
Our Senior School, Years 10–12, is a dynamic learning community housed in innovative facilities providing a rich, relevant & challenging program. We offer the widest range of SACE courses including VET – so many possibilities!
Supporting students to discover who they are.
Our Middle School, Years 7–9, supports students to become active, dynamic and creative learners. Our dedicated and highly trained staff are familiar with the specialised needs of adolescent learners who study the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme.
Respect. Flourish. Serve. Immanuel Primary School.
The Primary years create foundations for life. The Immanuel journey begins at Immanuel Primary School; an Early Learning Centre – Year 6 co-educational school of the Lutheran Church of Australia.
STEM
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) at Immanuel College is built-in, not bolted on. Technology is intertwined with all of our subject areas. STEM is really about blending subjects and disciplines – it’s not a room or a single focus.
We start in Year 7, with academic challenges that require students to combine technology with traditional learning units, and then through the Middle and Senior Schools, we introduce employment and tertiary options in the very latest of technological industries. The future is here, and at Immanuel, it’s a day to day experience for all students.
Innovation and design technology go hand-in-hand at Immanuel, but it’s not just about having access to the latest CAD software or 3D printers, it’s about creating real-life opportunities for students to use them. For example, we partnered with AusOcean in the Network Blue project to help find a low-cost way for citizens to perform ocean science and share data globally. A team of our students successfully designed, built and trialled a floating device that collected ocean water quality data – all on a $500 budget – learnt new team-work skills and extended their STEM, outdoor education, community engagement, and entrepreneurship skills. The project has been so successful we’re working to establish a global network of schools engaged in ocean research.
Image: AAP/Messenger Community News/Roy Vandervegt
Innovation
Immanuel College is leading educational change, with innovative learning at the heart of our culture.
We continue to transform our learning environments, with the recent Middle School development taking inspiration from markets and university spaces for the project. We are always looking at ways to be more innovative, resulting in unique learning spaces that promote creativity and collaboration in learning.
Described as being at the ‘cutting edge of educational thinking’ and ‘a cross between a funky university campus and the swanky offices of a new architecture firm,‘ the new Senior School, the Margaret Ames Centre has set the benchmark for progressive learning environments. It includes studio spaces, an open plan learning hub, Senior School administration, conference facility and a 200 seat lecture theatre. Large walls of glass invite a shared learning experience while customised furniture allows the environment to be varied day to day. Rooms are easily reconfigured so that it is sometimes hard to tell where one ends and the next one begins. Designer furniture abounds, with almost every surface a ‘writable’ wall or desk, and technology is everywhere, yet mostly invisible.
Our Imagination Centre, the first of its kind in Australia, is a place where students can explore a wide range of activities and test out the latest technology. Students use creativity and critical thinking to solve problems through experiential learning. They can use 3D printing, virtual reality cameras and robotics to create new worlds and take mini-courses on special interest subjects. The Imagination Centre is not just about trying out new technology but helping young students find what they’re good at and what they love.
In Music, we continue to innovate with the creation of the music label ‘32 Records,’ a digital space to highlight the work of our highly talented and creative music students. Utilising our ‘Rock Farm’, a space that was transformed from an agricultural science building to a live music venue, for students to hone their experience playing to a live audience; a place designed to foster creativity and originality.
In Sport, we invest in the same state-of-the-art sports technology used by professional sports to give our student-athletes the ability to track their performance and improve their technique.
Immanuel has developed ‘immi,’ a digital hub for students, parents and teachers promoting engagement, collaboration and independence with virtual class pages that enhance student learning.
Our commitment to innovation is driven by finding new and better ways to engage our students. An example of this is our partnership with Network Blue; a groundbreaking project to improve our knowledge of the health of our oceans in partnership with AusOcean, led by former Chief Google Engineer in Australia, Alan Noble. A team of Immanuel students have built and trialled a low-cost floating device to collect ocean data and is being rolled out to other schools, with the help of our students. Our students have been involved in every aspect of the project, including combining not only STEM, but also outdoor education, community engagement, entrepreneurship and more.
A private education centred on innovation and values; Immanuel College is the Adelaide school of choice.
Entrepreneurship
Immanuel is a Centre for Educational Enterprise (CEE) Member School. CEE is a space for enterprising schools to learn with and from each other through the sharing of ideas and research and innovations. CEE Schools are leaders in supporting and educating emerging global citizens, ready to explore opportunities for personal and community growth and development.
The Australian workforce is rapidly changing due to the pace of innovation, automation and globalisation and as a consequence, the need for young people with transferable enterprising skills will be essential to navigate the future work environment. The Foundation for Young Australians (FYA) argues, ‘We need all young Australians to learn the skills to be digitally-literate, financially-savvy, innovative and adaptable and help them navigate complex careers of the future and thrive in every aspect of their lives.’
Immanuel is committed to building a range of partnerships and opportunities that help foster enterprising behaviours and attitudes in our students. This is achieved not just in business subjects, but also in a social context as seen in our Year 9 Community Project, where students address a specific need in the community, and through the AusOcean Network Blue partnership of ocean monitoring.
Learning Support & Extension
No two children are alike: physically, emotionally, socially and intellectually, each child is a unique individual.
Every child has their own special social, emotional, intellectual, and physical qualities. At Immanuel, we recognise this from the very beginning. Before students commence, we build an understanding of their skills, needs and abilities and start putting together a learning plan just for them.
For some students, we will be challenging them to learn more and at a faster rate, while for others we’ll spend time making sure we get the foundations right. For many however, it’s a mixture of the two. There is no single solution, but we think that caring and nurturing the individual student is the solution for all.
We value the differences between individuals within our community and ensure that every student is included, accepted, understood and valued. Our Student Diversity team lifts students to help them become extraordinary, whether they’re gifted and talented, need learning support, or speak English as an additional language.
Indigenous Education
Immanuel College values and respects Kaurna people as the traditional Indigenous custodians and acknowledge that their spiritual beliefs and cultural connections to this country are as important today, as they were in the past.
We foster a whole school focus on Indigenous culture through creating an environment that clearly values Indigenous Australia. We recognise Indigenous events during the year such as Sorry Day and National Reconciliation Week. The Aboriginal flag is flown as a symbol of our commitment, and we ensure recognition of the Indigenous heritage on our site.
Our vision is to achieve reconciliation by demonstrating respect to the special place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, their land, cultures, spirituality and traditions. To achieve this vision, we work to ensure that our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students have equal and equitable opportunities and seek ways to encourage broader engagement with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and non-Indigenous school community.
Immanuel College has a strong history of Indigenous students dating back to the early 1960s. Immanuel College is recognised as a high-performance school and selected as an Indigenous Youth Leadership Program (IYLP) provider. The IYLP provides scholarships and leadership opportunities for young Indigenous Australians across the nation. Many of our Indigenous students are supported at Immanuel College through a range of programs and initiatives.
The Indigenous Youth Leadership Program
Working in partnership with Immanuel College, the IYLP is run by The Smith Family, with funding support through the National Indigenous Australians Agency. The Government-funded program aims to close the gaps in Indigenous educational disadvantage by creating greater access to additional education choices for Indigenous students, particularly those from remote and very remote areas of the country. In addition to helping Indigenous students achieve their educational aspirations, the IYLP supports the development of positive role models and leaders to inspire other Indigenous students.
APPLICATION PROCESS
- Applications for 2023 entry are now open and close on Friday 27 May 2022 at close of business.
- Shortlisted students will be required to attend a personal interview at Immanuel College with the IYLP Manager, Leanne Smith, and a representative of Immanuel College.
- Information, criteria, application forms and other details are available from The Smith Family via the 2023 IYLP Application Kit.
- For more information click here.
If you have any questions, please contact the IYLP Manager, Leanne Smith leanne.smith@thesmithfamily.com.au or 08 8224 1402.
Application for admission to Immanuel College must be made at the same time as the application for an IYLP Scholarship. For further information about Immanuel College please call +61 8 375 1700 or email enrolments@immanuel.sa.edu.au
Vocational Pathways
We offer a comprehensive approach to supporting students in their vocational pathways including:
- Personal Learning Plans where students learn how to use personal learning goals to prepare for their future careers and education.
- Dedicated Pathways Counsellor with real-industry credentials supporting students one-on-one in career planning, subject choices and VET options.
- Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses can be undertaken as part of their secondary studies. In fact, many students not only graduate with their SACE Certificate, but also with a VET qualification across a wide range of fields.
- Career Education Program for Year 10 students is an opportunity to explore a wide range of careers, and job search skills including resume development and mock job interviews with real business people.
- Great Futures is a program for Year 12 students with information sessions that cover topics such as university options, completing SATAC applications, gap year opportunities, post school experiences of Old Scholars, and other topics that help them prepare for life after school.
Student Well-being
Pastoral care, caring for every individual according to their needs, is a crucial part of the school’s culture. We draw from the latest research in sociology, psychology, anthropology, spirituality, education, theology and learning theories to make sure we look after everyone within our community, and expect everyone – students, teachers, parents, staff – to care for each other. Our approach to student well-being is a holistic one, and guided by our Christian values; it is embedded in everything we do.
We nurture the growth and development of students to enable them to reach their potential and take their place in the community as caring, compassionate and responsible young people. We embrace a whole-school approach to student well-being with a coordinated program of content, activities and strategies that includes the following elements:
- Christian focus & service
- Parent & community education
- Student support services
- Professional learning & teaching framework
- Student voice
- Boarding culture & well-being
- Co-curricular activities.
House
House is at the heart of community life at Immanuel College; it assists to develop students’ sense of belonging and fosters school and community spirit.
Every student belongs to a House, and activities of Houses compliment student well-being programs, with the Tutor Group being an integral part of House organisation. Immanuel has ten Houses, each composed of students from all years levels. Each student remains in the same House while at Immanuel, as do other members of the same family. Houses establish a spirit and identity involving sport and cultural activities, academic results, community service and involvement in many other areas of school life.
“House is like a big family, It’s something you belong to.”
Chaplains & Student Counsellors
Our Chaplains and Student Counsellors support student well-being programs, and they assist individual students who seek support or respond to referrals by Tutors or Year Level Coordinators.
Mindfulness
Immanuel incorporates mindfulness across the school. Research and scientific studies show that by incorporating mindfulness into the daily routines of school life, there are clear benefits for the social and emotional development of students and their well-being. The Smiling Mind Curriculum is used to give students the skills they need to care for themselves and build a healthy mind.
Learning Transitions
The secondary years are an extraordinary time of growth, transition and change for young people as they develop from a child entering in Middle School in Year 7, to an adolescent through the Middle School years, and into Senior School emerging as a young adult at the end of Year 12.
We support them at every stage of their development. This is in major ways through our facilities, staff and learning programs aimed at specific stages of adolescence, to more subtle ways, for example, the way we help students to be organised via a locker that is managed differently in different year levels.
In the Senior Years, we place emphasis on preparing students for life beyond school and offer a comprehensive vocational pathways program. But that’s not the whole story; we instil values and skills like integrity, resilience and a sense of social responsibility that they will carry with them for life.
