St Andrews Christian College 130 Tyner Road, Wantirna South, Victoria 3152

"So this is a review that I didn’t expect I’d ever be writing. It’s uncomfortable… but maybe it’ll be cathartic. I’ll preface this by disclosing that alongside another family member, I personally attended this school for ten years. 1.) Incredibly small school. Some people think it’s a good thing, but I’d honestly argue the reverse Seriously. If you don’t fit in with a tiny number of students, good luck - you’ll need it. 2.) Despite the school being majority ethnically Asian, the school has an incredibly concerning culture of favouring white students - especially when they consider the ‘validity’ of their experience, and also when they assign student leadership roles. I so desperately wish I was making this up This ‘culture’ has trickled down from parents and teachers to the students. It’s such a wild thing to put into words, but I don’t know how else to describe the uncomfortable ‘cliques’ that year levels were sectioned into… 3.) If your child ever has an issue with another student, pretty much guaranteed that they’ll sweep everything under the rug. The issue is only compounded if said abusive student is either a) a teacher’s favourite (I.e. decent-looking white student) and/or b) has older siblings that also attend the school. (The ramifications of this are only compounded by the small school size, as mentioned earlier) So of course, verbal abuse/harassment and malicious social exclusion are often ignored. I know of alumni and former students that to this day suffer from various forms of mental trauma. Myself being one of them, but I dare say that I was… fairly(?) lucky, as I was fortunate enough to change schools before I had to graduate in that horrific environment. Again, I really, really wish that I was making this up. Seriously, if you’re ever in a situation where a child goes to a teacher to confess that another student has been consistently sending them death threats and telling them to engage in self-harm, the appropriate response is NOT to defend the abusive student and dismiss the concern entirely without even looking into it! The fact that this wasn’t a one-off and happened to multiple people I know personally - myself included - just boggles the mind! I haven’t even gotten to the concerning actions of the former principal & her administration, nor have I even had the chance to discuss the incredibly worrying cultish environment the school actively encourages and directly perpetuates, but I sense that I’m going to run out of character spaces for this review. In essence: This school isn’t worth the private school fees - not when they blatantly, openly favour some students for concerning reasons, and not when their inaction has time and time again led to long-lasting trauma. Given the professional counselling some of us have had to receive, it’s also not worth the future therapy bills. Has writing this review been cathartic? I’m ultimately not sure."

"Amazing school! My child absolutely loves it and he's learnt so much. Very thankful for all the care and how protective the principal is over the welfare of the kids. The staff are always so kind and I know my child is in a place where he feels safe."

"Excellent school. Big focus on spiritual and emotional intelligence of our kids. Kids are learning creativity and critical thinking which give us comfort that our kids are in the caring hands of professionals. I recommend st Andrew's and respect its ethos and direction."

"I love this school more and more. All staff and the principal are lovely people and treating families and students like their families."

"Great school! Fantastic principal who has the heart of a pastor and mind of a leading educationist. School gets better each year. Major school musical a great experience for the students."