Anglican boys' school Claremont, Perth Founded 1910

Christ Church Grammar.

A century-old Anglican boys' school overlooking Freshwater Bay. Strong on rowing and academics in roughly equal measure, with a 99+ ATAR rate that comfortably places it among Perth's top performers.

Inside Christ Church Grammar

Christ Church Grammar School was founded in 1910 by Canon William McClemans, who started the school with ten boys in a private home before its move to the current Claremont site overlooking Freshwater Bay on the Swan River. The campus has since grown into one of Perth's most recognisable schools: chapel-centred, with a 50-metre heated pool, a substantial visual arts and design and technology centre, and direct river frontage that has become inseparable from the school's identity.

The motto, Deus Dux Doctrina Lux (God is our leader, learning is our light), tells you most of what you need to know about the school's character: Anglican by foundation, broadly academic by emphasis, and committed to character formation alongside results. Around 1,750 boys attend across Pre-Kindergarten to Year 12, with day and boarding options, and unlike Perth Modern or Shenton's selective streams, entry is non-selective.

Christ Church has a long-standing brother-sister relationship with Methodist Ladies' College (MLC) across the road in Claremont, and the two schools regularly run shared programs in music, drama and senior academic events. That partnership shapes the social rhythm of senior years for many CCGS boys.

What Christ Church is known for

Top-tier ATAR results

In 2024, 23 boys (13% of the ATAR cohort) scored 99 or above, and 39 (23%) reached 98+. That places CCGS comfortably in the top group of Perth independent schools by raw ATAR rate, year after year.

Rowing dynasty

21 PSA Challenge Cup wins in rowing including 2025, plus three Christopher Wallwork Memorial Cups since 2019. The Swan River frontage isn't decorative; it's the centre of one of the school's strongest sport cultures, with several Old Boys (e.g., Olympic rower Todd Skipworth) coming through the program.

Broad arts and music

Visual arts, drama and music programs run hard, with shared productions across to MLC and a substantial dedicated arts and design centre. Boys with a real arts inclination tend to find a community, not a token program.

Pastoral chapel culture

Anglican rather than evangelical: chapel services are part of the weekly rhythm, the chaplaincy team is visible in pastoral care, and Religion and Ethics is part of the curriculum. For families seeking explicit faith formation, the school is genuinely religious without being narrow.

Things to consider

CCGS isn't the right fit for every student. Here are the genuine tradeoffs to think through, drawn from publicly available information about the school and how independent boys' schools in Perth typically operate.

Fees are substantial

Like other top WA independents, senior-school fees sit at the upper end of Perth schooling. Families generally need to plan for tuition, plus uniform, camps, and the cost of the school's strong co-curricular programs.

All-boys is a real choice

Boys-only environments suit some learners and not others. The brother-sister link with MLC softens the dynamic socially, but the daily classroom is still single-sex, which is worth thinking about honestly for your son.

Anglican foundation

Chapel services, religion as a curriculum subject, and Anglican framing are part of the experience rather than optional. For families of other faiths or none, this can either be welcome or jarring; visit before assuming.

Academic pressure is real

A school where 13% of Year 12 scores 99+ doesn't get there by accident. The expectation density is high, and boys who arrive without strong study habits tend to feel the difference quickly. External tutoring is common rather than exceptional.

The ATAR pathway at CCGS

Christ Church boys typically take a STEM-leaning ATAR plate. The most common combinations we see at our Bentley centre, in line with the school's typical post-school destinations:

Pre-medicine: Methods + Chemistry + Human Biology + English, plus UCAT preparation outside school. Engineering / pure sciences: Methods + Specialist + Physics + Chemistry. Commerce: Methods + Economics + English + a science. Law / arts: English Literature + History + a Language + Methods.

Most CCGS graduates head to UWA, with smaller cohorts moving to Curtin, ECU, and a steady stream interstate to Melbourne, Sydney, and ANU. The school's results are strong enough across the board that whichever pathway a student picks, they're rarely held back by the school itself; the limiting factor is usually personal study consistency.

🚗

From CCGS to our Bentley centre

About 14 km, or roughly 18 minutes via Stirling Highway and Canning Highway off-peak. The Fremantle train line stops a short walk from the school; combining train + bus gets independent students to Bentley without parent transport. Many CCGS families find the after-school weekly slot fits cleanly into existing afternoon routines.

Tutoring built for CCGS students.

Small-group ATAR classes at our Bentley centre or live online. Methods, Specialist, Chemistry, Physics, English Literature, Human Biology, the subjects Christ Church boys are actually sitting. Free trial class, no card required.

Christ Church Grammar School questions

Common questions from Christ Church Grammar School families

How far is Christ Church Grammar from Educatta's centres?

Does Educatta tutor the subjects Christ Church Grammar students typically take?

Yes. Educatta tutors all the major ATAR subjects Christ Church Grammar students are sitting: Mathematics Methods, Mathematics Applications, English, Chemistry, Physics, and Human Biology. Year 11 and 12 students from Christ Church Grammar can attend small-group classes at our Bentley centre, or live online from anywhere in WA.

Can Christ Church Grammar students attend Educatta classes after school?

Yes. Most of our weekly classes run between 4:00pm and 8:30pm on weekdays, with weekend slots also available. Christ Church Grammar's school day finishes in time for students to arrive at our Bentley centre for after-school weekly classes.