Daylesford Dharma Secondary School

In 2030, the Daylesford Dharma School intends to open its Secondary School. Born from a long-held commitment to continuity of care, learning and wellbeing and always held as the initial vision from the school’s inception.

For years, families have asked the same question: What comes next for our children, who have grown up learning in nature, practising mindfulness, and shaping their own learning with confidence and care? The intention has always been held for a secondary education program grown from the same foundation and tailored to the specific needs of young people.

The Dharma Secondary School is being designed around continuity rather than transition. Wellbeing remains at the foundation, nature continues to be a classroom and the student voice guides individual learning pathways.

As an International Baccalaureate (IB) School, part of the global IB school community, the Daylesford Dharma Secondary School will offer rigorous, globally recognised learning while remaining deeply connected to place, purpose and compassion. IB students around the world develop as well rounded, caring and knowledgeable students who are motivated to create a better, more peaceful world (IB, 2026).

The Daylesford Dharma Secondary School will be intentionally human-scaled by design and deeply relational. Eligibility reflects this commitment: students entering the first Year 7 cohort in 2030 must have been enrolled at the Dharma School in 2027 as Foundation to Year 4 students. These children, who are our current Year 4 students, become the founding Year 7 cohort, carrying forward the culture, values and practices they have learned through their primary years.

The Daylesford Dharma Secondary School is a continuation of the Dharma School ethos: it’s a place where young people who have learned to care for themselves, each other, and the world, are supported to navigate their adolescence years with wisdom, curiosity and courage.