Hester Hornbrook Academy is a flexible learning school operated by Melbourne City Mission, with a campus based in South Melbourne alongside other locations across greater Melbourne. The academy is designed for young people who have disengaged from mainstream schooling and need a smaller, more personalised environment to complete their education. At the South Melbourne campus, students work through accredited curriculum options while receiving wellbeing and welfare support as part of the Academy's HOPE framework, which centres student safety, connection and engagement alongside academic learning. Class sizes are kept small, and staff work closely with each student's individual circumstances and goals. Hester Hornbrook Academy describes itself as "school, only different," reflecting its focus on restorative practice and individualised support rather than a standard mainstream classroom model. The South Melbourne campus is one of several sites the Academy operates across Melbourne, including Werribee, Sunshine and the CBD, giving students multiple locations to access the same style of flexible learning support. The Academy is not a general visitor destination, but its presence adds to South Melbourne's mix of education and community-focused organisations supporting local young people.