On 2 February 1983, at 8.25am, the bell rung for the very first day of classes at Northholm Grammar School. Ten teachers and 125 students, from Year 6 to Year 11, began the day with a short Chapel Service led by the Deputy Headmaster, the Reverend John Bootle. That day was the culmination of years of work by the founding parents, School Council and the establishing staff – a passionate community who craved a high-quality, educational experience for their children.
Northholm Grammar School was founded under a vision of a small, caring school which would foster the worth of the individual, encourage academic excellence and promote Christian values. The name was a reflection of our remarkable environment: our Founding Headmaster, Mr Ronald Chambers, suggested the School’s name include the word “Holm” (a type of oak and a symbol of prosperity, strength, stability and comfort) and Founding Chairman, His Honour Dr John Lincoln AM, proposed to include “North” to suggest Sydney’s Northern Hills and Hornsby Shires which the School would serve.
It was to be a family-centred school which looked upon its students, parents and staff as part of a welcoming community striving for a common goal. For 40 years, we have remained true to our original charter to provide a comprehensive education for students of all abilities and interests irrespective of faith, culture or family background.
In celebrating our 40th anniversary in 2023, we have reflected across the year, at various events and occasions, on how far we have come. Staff, students and families have strived to build an impressive reputation of academic, pastoral and co-curricular achievement at Northholm Grammar. As we have grown, we have maintained our commitment to deliver a distinctive education that offers a level of care beyond that available at larger independent schools. Northholm is a place where each child is known, respected, cared for and cared about as an individual.
In seeking to understand and communicate who we are at Northholm Grammar, we have refined and developed the Our School values and how they are enacted in everyday life. They are a reflection of our contemporary education experience, with an ongoing focus on best-practice in the modern learning landscape, while remaining true to our heritage and our original mission.
As embodied in our School crest, they are:
Learning through Scholarship: Represented by the open book, we are a school that challenges each student scholastically by encouraging high academic standards and intellectual rigour, providing inspiring teaching committed to personalised learning, and designing and implementing our curriculum purposefully.
Caring for Others and Self: Represented by the rod and staff of the shepherd, we are a school that goes out of its way to support, coach, and fulfil the potential of each student through strong pastoral care that is characterised by our attentiveness to individual growth, social and emotional development, and wellbeing.
Living a Faithful Life: Represented by the compass of the cross, we are a school that develops the character of each student through inclusive Christian values that are enacted through chapel services, chaplaincy and educational programs.
Living a Faithful Life: Represented by the compass of the cross, we are a school that develops the character of each student through inclusive Christian values that are enacted through chapel services, chaplaincy and educational programs.
Contributing to the Community: Represented by our motto: Be Traist (Be True), we are a school that promotes in each student a strong sense of belonging and service to the community through our opportunities for representation, leadership and community engagement.
We believe everyone can achieve at Northholm Grammar and, 40 years from our foundation, we continue to demonstrate to the world that our holistic educational experience develops academic growth and excellence through learning and the development of character and service to the community.
To current and past students, staff, parents, Council members and other members of our extended community, we thank everyone who has contributed to the last four decades of life at our School. We will continue to celebrate this milestone throughout the year, proud in the knowledge that we are, and always have been, challenging minds and creating futures at Northholm Grammar.
Northholm Grammar students leaving their first Assembly (left) and the first teaching staff photo (right).
