2026-02-20
The Illawarra Grammar School（伊拉瓦拉文法学校）Australia Study Guide: Programs, Entry Requirements, Costs and Student Life
An Australia study guide to The Illawarra Grammar School (TIGS) in Wollongong, New South Wales: the Anglican co-educational school founded in 1959, the Pre-Kindergarten to Year 12 program structure, AEAS-based English requirements for international students, the published 2026 international fee schedule with tuition by year level, homestay costs managed through UOW College Homestay, the five-step application process, term dates, and what student life looks like in Wollongong. Facts checked against the official website on August 5, 2026.
The Illawarra Grammar School (TIGS) is an Anglican, co-educational school in Wollongong, New South Wales, about an hour south of the Sydney CBD and international airport. Established on 3 February 1959 in West Wollongong, it runs a Pre-Kindergarten program for children aged 4 to 5, a Junior School from Kindergarten to Year 6, and a Senior School from Year 7 to Year 12, with a stated maximum class size of 24. This guide covers programs, entry requirements, costs and student life for international families, based on the school’s official website and its 2026 fee documents, checked on 5 August 2026. The school’s own claims are reported as the school’s claims, not independent facts.
The Illawarra Grammar School: Programs on Offer
The Illawarra Grammar School’s curriculum runs from Pre-Kindergarten to the New South Wales Higher School Certificate (HSC) at the end of Year 12. The Junior School (Kindergarten to Year 6) describes its approach as a knowledge-rich curriculum with strong foundations in literacy and numeracy, taught by specialist teachers for music, physical education, Japanese, library, Biblical Studies and STEM. Students have one-to-one device access from Kindergarten, and the school groups students in reduced-ratio “Ready to Learn Next” classes to target instruction at each child’s level.
In the Senior School, The Illawarra Grammar School begins subject electives in Year 7, so students shape their own course combination from early in secondary school. The school states it offers 4 languages, plus invitation-only Cambridge University extension courses in Science and Geography for Years 9 and 10, an Extra English elective for students who need targeted literacy support in Years 8 to 10, and Saturday tuition for Years 10 to 12. The school’s graduating qualification is the HSC, and the website is explicit that students who want to complete their HSC at The Illawarra Grammar School must start at the school by the beginning of Year 10, when places are limited. Beyond the classroom, the school lists music, sport, outdoor education, service programs and an annual school production, all counted as part of the cocurricular program.
Entry Requirements for International Students
International applications to The Illawarra Grammar School are open from Pre-Kindergarten to Year 10. The school’s main entry points are Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, Year 5, Year 7 and Year 10; other year levels are accepted when places allow. For Year 10 entry, the school says places are awarded on strong academic performance shown in recent school reports, plus evidence of punctuality, attendance and effort.
English proficiency is set out by year level. There are no English requirements for Kindergarten to Year 3. From Year 4, applicants for whom English is a second language must meet AEAS scores published on the international students page: Year 4 at least 30, Year 5 at least 35, Year 6 at least 40, Years 7 and 8 at least 61, Year 9 at least 71 and Year 10 at least 81. Applicants to Years 4 to 10 who do not have English as their first language are required to sit the AEAS assessment, which can be taken in Australia or in the student’s home country. Students entering Years 4 to 6 who fall below the required level must attend the Targeted English Program, offered termly, at a cost equivalent to a full term’s tuition, paid before the program begins.
The application process has five steps. First, submit an online application with the two most recent school reports, a birth certificate or passport, English test results, a letter of recommendation from the principal of the current school, and recent references. Second, attend an online or in-person interview with executive staff. Third, receive an Offer of Enrolment. Fourth, accept by paying the fees requested on the offer and returning a signed Acceptance of Offer; the school then issues an electronic Confirmation of Enrolment (eCoE) to support a student visa application. Fifth, receive commencement details. The school recommends applying as early as possible because of demand.
Costs: The 2026 International Fee Schedule
The Illawarra Grammar School publishes a dedicated International Student Program fee schedule (2026), all figures in Australian dollars. One-off costs are an application fee of 250 AUD (non-refundable), an enrolment fee of 3,000 AUD (non-refundable) and a capital deposit of 2,000 AUD, whose treatment is set out in clause 4 of the international fees terms and conditions. Annual tuition for 2026 is 25,720 AUD in Kindergarten, 27,470 AUD in Years 1 and 2, 28,390 AUD in Years 3 and 4, 30,260 AUD in Years 5 and 6, 34,650 AUD in Years 7 and 8, 36,010 AUD in Year 9 and 37,590 AUD in Years 10 to 12. An annual activity fee applies by level (410 AUD in Kindergarten up to 2,310 AUD in Years 7 to 12) and a facility fee of 1,650 AUD per student per year. Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) and the Year 12 HSC examination fee are both marked “TBA” on the 2026 schedule.
On the 2026年 rates, homestay is managed by UOW College Homestay and costs 434 AUD per week, including breakfast and dinner daily plus weekend lunches, with a non-refundable placement fee of 350 AUD, a management fee of 200 AUD per term, a one-off under-18 welfare set-up fee of 300 AUD and an airport transfer of 250 AUD. Families are interviewed and inspected in their homes and undergo regular insurance and police checks. The school notes other reference costs: uniform approximately 950 AUD, textbooks and stationery approximately 400 AUD, a bring-your-own-device laptop approximately 1,000 AUD, private bus from 740 AUD per term, music tuition 110 AUD per hour, trips from 2,500 to 10,000 AUD, and cocurricular activities around 80 AUD per term. Indicative living costs given on the 2026 schedule are 5 to 15 AUD per day for lunch, 20 to 50 AUD per week for public transport and 50 to 80 AUD per week for entertainment.
Application Timing and Term Dates
The Illawarra Grammar School does not publish a single application deadline; enrolment is offered when places are available, and the school asks families to apply as early as possible. Because HSC-bound students must enter by the start of Year 10, planning backwards from that entry point matters more than chasing a cutoff. Term dates for 2026 are Term I 29 January to 2 April, Term II 20 April to 26 June, Term III 21 July to 25 September and Term IV 12 October to 9 December; the 2027 year begins 28 January. International families should leave time for the AEAS test, the interview, fee payment and the eCoE before applying for a student visa, and book travel against the relevant term start.
Student Life in Wollongong
The Illawarra Grammar School is set in the coastal city of Wollongong, which the school describes as New South Wales’ third-largest city, in the Illawarra region with a population of over 300,000, known for beaches, the escarpment and the University of Wollongong. International students in Years 7 to 12 may live with homestay families, and guardianship can be arranged for students under 18 who are not living in Australia with a parent or custodian. The school says 26 percent of its international graduates choose to study at the University of Wollongong. Sports carnivals, snow camps, excursions and art trips feature in the school’s own accounts of international student life, and transport to school is available from all homestay locations.
Official Sources and Currency
All information in this guide comes from The Illawarra Grammar School’s official website — the home page, founding vision, international students, how to enrol, schedule of fees, Junior School and Senior School pages, term dates, and the 2026 fee, international fee and homestay rate PDFs — all accessed on 5 August 2026. Fee figures correspond to the 2026 international schedule; the website is updated regularly, so tuition, availability and English requirements should be rechecked against the current version before applying. Visa and statutory eligibility sit with the Australian Government. For a family-specific assessment of your child’s situation, you can consult this site’s own advisers.