Snowy Mountains Grammar School commenced operations in 1996 in response to a direct request from the local community to Sydney Church of England Co-educational Grammar School (S.C.E.C.G.S) Redlands for the inception of independent local secondary education in Jindabyne.
Premises for the School were found in the former Snowy Mountains Authority headquarters on the Kosciuszko Road in Jindabyne, which have been transformed into a well-appointed educational centre, with a unique industrial edge, highlighting the facility’s history.
The school opened on the first day with eleven students, with enrolments up to fifteen by the end of the day. Since then, SMGS has continued to expand and flourish, with enrolments of over 420 students at the beginning of 2024.
As well as offering an affordable independent education to a small but vibrant and growing rural community, SMGS offers a unique alpine boarding experience, with sixty beds available in the boarding house.
The School, although founded by Redlands, has always operated as a separate entity and has created firm foundations in the local community. SMGS finalised its separation from Redlands in 2009 and now operates as a totally independent entity.
SMGS is proud of its history and of the impression it has made on the local community, offering the parents of high school-aged children an alternative to boarding school or the need to move to a new community to complete their children’s education (at the time of inception, there was no high school option for families).
Now, after twenty-seven years of operation and standing tall on the shoulders of our founders, in addition to providing a high quality and rigorous academic program, we offer a K-12 co-curricular program that is widely recognised and attracts students from near and far. We have become school leaders in the delivery of programs such as aviation, equestrian, mountain biking and snowsports, with many other programs worthy of being added to this list.
The forward momentum has continued, as 2022 saw SMGS begin works on Stage 1 and Stage 2 of its Master Plan, with the Stage 2 Sports Precinct opening in 2023 and the new Stage 1 Curiosity Centre due to be completed in 2024. These facilities will perfectly complement our focus on people and programs and further the learning experience for our students now and into the future.