Today the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse’s final report into Knox Grammar School was tabled in the Federal Parliament.
The report was an investigation into the School’s response to incidents occurring between 1970 and 2003. Those incidents had resulted in an investigation in 2009, and the charging and later conviction of one current and four former teachers.
The findings of the report reflect the commentary which has been prevalent since 2009 through the court cases and the public hearings of the Commission. We welcome that commentary and the recommendations, which despite relating to historic matters, have our full support.
In 2009, the School and the Uniting Church issued an unconditional apology to the survivors and we have since been working together on redress. We remain deeply sorry for the pain and suffering inflicted on these men in their childhoods, and commend them once again for their courage in coming forward.
The last few years have been important for survivors of abuse – their stories have been heard and as a community we have been able to support them. They have also been important for us to come to terms with the past and accept responsibility for what was allowed to occur.
Since becoming Headmaster in 2004, a number of initiatives have been introduced at Knox. These range from policies and procedures; to regular training and changed practices for teaching staff; to programmes for young people to know what is acceptable and that they are supported if there is a complaint to be made.
Whilst the tabling of the report represents the end of the Commission’s role, it is not the end of our vigilance and commitment to ensure that the failures of the past are not repeated, and that as a community we work to ensure we never fail our young people again.
Yours sincerely,
Mr John Weeks, Headmaster
05 August 2025
The 2025 Cricket Tour of the United Kingdom was an unforgettable experience. Our students travelled across the UK, with the 1st XI team playing in 11 competitive fixtures. We spoke with Year 10 student Sean about the tour; here are his reflections on the journey.
30 July 2025
“Hello everyone. For those who don’t know me, my name is William. I’m a Year 12 student here at Knox – and I’m also a proud Trawlwoolway man from the northeast of Tasmania. This year’s NAIDOC Week is special. Not just because it’s a celebration, but because this year marks 50 years of NAIDOC. That’s 50 years of truth-telling. 50 years of strength. 50 years of celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s identity and resistance.”
15 July 2025
Each year, we collaborate with Ravenswood School for Girls to deliver the Knox Ravenswood Student-Led Wellbeing Conference. After five months of planning, discussion and development, the students and wellbeing teams brought their vision to life on Thursday 26 June.
