I acknowledge the Wonnarua people, the traditional Custodians of this land and pay my respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging, who hold the memories, traditions, cultures and hopes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
Welcome to Hunter Valley Grammar School
I am proud to say that our goals at HVGS are to ensure:
- Every child feels valued
- Every child feels like they belong
- Every child’s unique potential is understood and nurtured
- Every child experiences equity in their learning journey
- Every child can find their unique pathway to success.
At its heart, HVGS is a values-driven organisation that places students at the centre of all we do. We live and breathe our values (compassion, integrity, courage, citizenship, responsibility, gratitude, optimism, and respect). From the minute you walk through the gates you see it in the greetings from students and staff, and the pride we take in our connection to land and the Australian bush. Gum trees tower over our buildings and grounds and our students share their campus with a plethora of bird life.
Our campus extends beyond the school gates to Duckenfield Berry Park on the banks of the Hunter River where we have our rowing complex, and to our working farm in South Maitland where students can spend the early mornings tending cattle and sheep. We have a working agricultural plot, vegie garden and free-range chickens on campus, as well as three full-size ovals.
Learning at HVGS is about striving for excellence in all that we do. As an inclusive school, HVGS supports a multifaceted approach to success and strives to meet all students where they are in their learning journeys. This has led to multiple learning pathways in Years 11 and 12, a team of psychologists on site, and a well-resourced student support services team that includes gifted and talent enrichment as well as support for students with complex learning profiles.
“Success through Endeavour” is our motto because we know that no matter who you are or how you learn, success comes through hard work and determination in a supportive and nurturing environment.
We also honour the diversity of HVGS and seek to provide a learning environment which values that diversity and builds on it to help our students be compassionate and engaged young people. Each student and staff member at HVGS feels connected to each other, has autonomy in their work and learning, and is supported to achieve mastery. By doing this, we help each member of the community thrive.
As an International Baccalaureate (IB) world school, HVGS fosters critical and creative thinking and nurtures in our students care and compassion. We recognise that differences of thought and ways of being make for a rich and dynamic learning environment. Likewise, we foster in our students global citizenship so that they think beyond their regional and national context to understand our place in the world and the responsibilities we have to ensure a sustainable future for all.
HVGS is proudly a part of Maitland and the Hunter Region and seeks to foster our connections to community and land. We look forward to welcoming visitors to our bush-style campus in the heart of Maitland!
– Rebecca Butterworth, Principal
About Rebecca (she/her)
Rebecca is an experienced educator with a proven leadership record in diverse schools in Europe, Asia and Australia. She graduated from the University of Tasmania, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts with First Class Honours and a double major in English, with minors in History and Psychology. She Rebecca completed her master’s dissertation “Analysis of the IB’s commitment to altruistic education”. Her commitment to lifelong study, values-based leadership, service to education and pathways for all students is richly entrenched in her DNA.
With over 20 years’ experience, Rebecca has taught in Australia, Singapore, China and Switzerland. Having taught overseas since 2003, Rebecca returned to Australia in 2022 with a wealth of knowledge and understands a global perspective on education. She is a vibrant and passionate Principal who is collaborative in approach, with high regard for integrity, humility and building capacity.