Living in Melbourne | Caulfield Grammar School

For overseas students coming to Australia to attend Caulfield Grammar School, there are three main choices for living arrangements:

1. Boarding School for Caulfield Campus students (from Year 9)
2. Homestay and Caregivers
3. Living with a parent or family

Boarding school at Caulfield Campus

At Caulfield Campus, co-educational boarding is offered from Year 9 for approximately 90 students from regional Victoria, interstate and overseas. Boys and girls have separate accommodation and share common recreation and dining facilities.

The boarding facilities are located at the heart of the campus, giving students the opportunity to immerse themselves in school life and co-curricular activities, close to the city and beaches.

Our Head of Boarding, Deputy Head of Boarding and residential staff help boarders feel secure in a supportive and caring environment. Staff ensure proper supervision of all living arrangements, including meals, social activities and study times. There is also a dedicated Health Centre providing 24/7 support, with a supervising registered nurse on-campus during the week and qualified first-aid practitioners on weekends.

Boarding Life at Caulfield Grammar

Homestay and Caregivers

Caulfield Grammar School has an obligation under the ESOS Act and National Code of Practice 2018 to ensure all overseas students have appropriate accommodation and welfare arrangements in place for the entire period the student is enrolled at the school.

Students must have acceptable arrangements for their accommodation, support and general welfare for the duration of their student visa.
Students have three options:

Live in Australia with their parent or legal custodian.
Live in Australia with a Department of Home Affairs approved relative over 21 years of age who is nominated by their parent or legal custodian.
Live in Australia under a welfare arrangement that has been approved by Caulfield Grammar School.

Option 1 – Living with a parent or legal custodian

If the student’s parent or legal custodian is providing welfare for the student during the student’s stay in Australia, this should be indicated on the School Application for Enrolment form and the visa application form. A parent, legal custodian or relative who will be the student’s guardian may apply for a Student Guardian Visa and stay in Australia as the student’s primary carer.

In this instance, the School does not issue a Confirmation of Appropriate Accommodation and Welfare (CAAW) letter and is not responsible for approving the student’s accommodation, support and welfare arrangements for the duration of the student’s visa.

Option 2 – Living with a relative

If a Department of Home Affairs approved relative is providing the welfare and accommodation for the student during their stay in Australia, the student’s parents and/or legal custodians will need to give their permission for this arrangement and the relative must be nominated on the School Application for Enrolment form and the visa application form and be one of the following: brother or sister, step-brother or step-sister, step-parent, grandparent, step-grandparent, aunt or uncle, step-aunt or step-uncle, niece or nephew, step-niece or step-nephew, spouse. They must also be aged over 21 years of age and be eligible to remain in Australia until the student’s visa expires and be of good character.

Option 3 – Living under a welfare arrangement

If the School is responsible for approving the student’s welfare and accommodation arrangements, the School issues a CAAW letter, which gives an undertaking to approve appropriate accommodation, support and welfare arrangements for the student for the duration of the student’s visa.

Approved appropriate accommodation is:

1. Caulfield Grammar School Boarding House

2. Homestay arranged by Caulfield Grammar School through its community of carefully screened homestay providers or arranged by the School through its contracted homestay accommodation agency Australian Homestay Network (AHN).

3. Approved welfare and support of the student is arranged by Caulfield Grammar School through its nominated caregivers or arranged by the School through its contracted student support and counselling agency, International Student Advocates (ISA) Guardian & Welfare Services, which provides paid additional support, counselling and translation services to assist with communication to students, school staff, parents and legal guardians.

Please note: With Option 3, the School is ultimately responsible for the student’s welfare and accommodation if the student has entered Australia on a student visa under a Caulfield Grammar School CAAW document.

Living with family

If the student’s parent, legal custodian or relative is providing welfare for the student during the student’s stay in Australia, this should be indicated on the School Application for Enrolment form and the Visa Application form. This person may apply for a Student Guardian Visa and stay in Australia as the student’s primary carer. A relative or legal custodian must be over 21 years of age and approved by the Department of Home Affairs.