Prince Alfred College

Prince Alfred College is one of Australia’s leading private boys’ colleges and is located in spacious grounds near the centre of Adelaide, South Australia. Established by the Methodist Church in 1869, Prince Alfred College is affiliated with the Uniting Church in Australia and the International Baccalaureate Organisation. We educate over one thousand boys in our Early Learning Centre, Preparatory School, Middle School and Senior School, aged between 2 and 18 every year, including boarding and international students.

We view students as individuals and take them on an educational journey. Our goal is to discover, nurture and develop the unique qualities of each boy, to help him grow into an enterprising, confident and resilient man. We are an accredited International Baccalaureate (IB) World School offering the Primary Years Programme (PYP),  the Australian Curriculum in Years 7-10, and International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) as well as the South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) and an engaging Vocational Education Training (VET) Programme.

Encapsulating a strong academic, Christian, sporting, performing arts, music, outdoor education and exclusive programs such as our Wambana experience, eduKart and eduCook. Prince Alfred College supports an education that is outside the normal boundaries of Schools in Australia. We succeed when boys discover their talent and use it for the good of others. We teach our students to question what lies ahead of them and to think creatively. Our core curriculum is a unique combination of traditional values and progressive thinking.

Welcome to the Prince Alfred College website. Whether you have a long association with Prince Alfred College or whether this is your first contact with our school, we offer you a warm welcome. Prince Alfred College is one of Australia’s best known boys’ schools with a history going back to 1867, when Prince Alfred the Duke of Edinburgh and the second son of Queen Victoria, laid the foundation stone and consented to his name being used for this new school.

Founded by the Methodist Church, and now affiliated with the Uniting Church in Australia, PAC has a tradition of welcoming people of all faiths and backgrounds to receive a broad, high quality, liberal education.As a leading boys’ school for almost 150 years, we have a tradition of innovation in best meeting the needs of boys. At the heart of what we aim to achieve is the concept of the ‘Princes Man’. Focused on achieving excellence in all that he does, the Princes Man is also a kind and compassionate individual, who takes pride in contributing to his community.

We offer a diverse and challenging curriculum, with a dual academic pathway at senior levels. Our sporting and cultural programs are the highest standard and are supported by a team of well-qualified and committed staff.

Whilst there is much commonality in the way girls and boys develop, learn and think, there are also some key differences. Many schools ignore this crucial understanding and teach boys and girls as if they were a uniform group. Research shows that boys and girls not only have distinctive bodies – they have distinctive brains. This means that their development is different in almost every way – socially, intellectually, physically and emotionally.

Boys mature later than girls. They learn at their own pace. They are bursting with energy, funny, creative and risk-taking as well as disorganised! Boys learn by doing. They need to be heard. They are strongly influenced by peers and adult mentors.

Boys can struggle with literacy. Their learning drops off if classroom discipline is not maintained. Yet they respond to the right incentives and teachers have a strong impact. With 150 years of experience in teaching boys, we understand what makes them tick.

We set high expectations – and the boys respond with high achievement. We value every boy’s individuality – and they learn to value each other. We see their leadership potential – and they rise to become leaders. We keep boys active with classes, sports and the arts. We nurture their minds, challenge their bodies and motivate their spirits. We watch them grow with pride.

We are committed to helping all our boys develop into men who have confidence, integrity and compassion. We see their morals and values as being as important as their grades. The boys at PAC learn to be independent, yet interconnected. Their individual pursuits are encouraged alongside a dedication to community service.

We support their striving for excellence as we nourish their understanding of wider social responsibilities. We believe our College offers excellent opportunities for developing a sense of modern masculinity in boys – a manhood that includes ethics as well as achievement, and an ethos that values women. Prince Alfred College is proud to help the next generation of boys go beyond their dreams to achieve their full potential.