Schools in Forest Hill: a public pathway from kinder to VCE
Forest Hill College and Burwood Heights Primary School sit side by side on Mahoneys Road, on the suburb's southern edge. Both were built in the 1960s on part of an old orchard the state bought for public education. Emmaus College offers a Catholic alternative nearby.
Forest Hill College
A co-educational government college with the motto Connect, Explore, Aspire. Small classes, a broad VCE program, and classrooms that have just had the biggest overhaul in the school's history.
- 2026$10.9M modernisation opensFour new science laboratories, two food technology kitchens, a refurbished canteen and modern, accessible toilets across Blocks A, B and D. Blocks K and L are being considered for the next stage.
- 2022Upgrade funded in the State BudgetConstruction ran from 2024 to early 2026.
- 2019–20Southern and middle courtyards relandscaped
- 2018Barak Centre refurbished
- 2017STEAM Centre refurbished
- 2014Administration building refurbished
- 2013Middle Years and Science buildings refurbished
- 2010Soccer field and tennis courts built
What students can study
The college offers a broad VCE program alongside the VCE Vocational Major for students heading into trades and work.
- MathsGeneral Mathematics, Mathematical Methods, Specialist Mathematics
- ScienceBiology, Chemistry, Physics, Psychology
- EnglishEnglish, English (EAL), English Language, Literature
- BusinessAccounting, Business Management, Legal Studies
- ArtsMedia, Visual Communication Design, Music
- TechnologyFood Studies and design technologies
Beyond the classroom
Academies. Students in the STEAM, Performing Arts and Soccer academies train each morning. The college was among the first to offer a STEAM academy.
Wellbeing. A dedicated wellbeing team runs study-skills, mindfulness and stress-management support, with extra help for VCE students, including breakfast programs and a quiet wellbeing room.
Student voice. The Leadership Connect program brings students from every year level together each week to gather feedback and run events such as the annual Basketball Marathon.
Inclusion. The college hosts a Deaf Facility and an International Student Program.
since 2021
Burwood Heights Primary School & Kindergarten
An International Baccalaureate World School, authorised on 11 February 2021 to teach the IB Primary Years Programme. That is uncommon for a free government primary school. Children learn through inquiry-based units that connect subjects to real-world questions, while still being assessed and reported against the Victorian Curriculum.
- Kindergarten on the same site, so younger siblings start at the same gate
- Around 525 students, on the corner of Hawthorn and Mahoneys Roads
- Opened in 1965, one of the area's original public schools
The IB Learner Profile
Every IB school builds its teaching around ten attributes it wants children to grow into.
Next door to each other
Burwood Heights Primary School is on the corner of Hawthorn and Mahoneys Roads, and Forest Hill College is next door on Mahoneys Road. Families with children at both schools can do one drop-off.
- WalkAbout 20 minutes from central Forest Hill
- DriveAbout 5 minutes from central Forest Hill
One road, kinder to VCE. A child can start kindergarten at Burwood Heights, finish the IB Primary Years Programme, then walk next door to Forest Hill College for Years 7 to 12. Enrolment depends on zones, so check your address on the state's Find my school map.
Emmaus College
For families who want a Catholic education, Emmaus College is about 3 km away in neighbouring Vermont South. It's a co-educational Catholic college serving Melbourne's eastern suburbs.
Emmaus College, Vermont South
Founded in 1980 by merging two schools: Chavoin College, started by the Marist Sisters, and St Thomas More's Boys College, started by the Christian Brothers. The motto is To Know Christ. The main campus is in Vermont South, with a separate Year 9 campus in Burwood, and the college has recently added a junior school.
Results and programs
- VCEMedian study score of 31–32 in recent years, with about 1 in 10 study scores at 40 or above
- NAPLAN2024 averages above national: Year 7 560 vs 538, Year 9 577 vs 565
- LanguagesGerman, Indonesian and Italian
- SportEastern Independent Schools of Melbourne (EISM) competition, with recent premierships in boys' football and girls' basketball
- ArtsA school musical every year since 2003
- FeesAround $9,200 a year per student. Check current fees with the college.
Emmaus College figures from SchoolRank, The Good Schools Guide and published college information. NAPLAN averages are across all tested domains.
More public schools and a university
Deakin University's Melbourne Burwood campus is about 5 km west.