Tintern Grammar wins Schools that Excel 2026 award

Tintern Grammar has been named The Age’s 2026 Schools that Excel award winner for the eastern Melbourne region. The award recognizes schools that have demonstrated significant advancement in VCE results over the last decade.

Principal Brad Fry attributes much of the school’s academic success to its unique educational model. While the school is co-educational, students are taught in single-gender classes from prep through year 9, before coming together for extracurricular activities and lunch. Fry stated that this parallel system helps instill positive attitudes and prepares students for VCE.

The school has seen a notable upward trend in academic performance. After a median study score of 32 in 2016 and a dip to 30 during the COVID-19 pandemic, Tintern Grammar achieved record median study scores of 34 in both 2024 and 2025. Additionally, the percentage of students achieving study scores of 40 or above reached a 10-year high of 18.6 per cent last year.