The College motto “Strive for the Highest” is emblazoned on every Penrhos uniform, aptly sitting just above each girl’s heart. Since the College was founded in 1952, it has guided everything we do.

Penrhos College draws its name from Penrhos College, Colwyn Bay, North Wales, which in 1880 was established by the Methodist Church for the special education of girls. Penrhos is a Welsh word meaning "Peak of the Moor".

Founded in 1952 as Methodist Ladies' College, South Perth, the school moved in 1971 to its present site in Como.

Its elevated location in a former pine plantation provides a spacious eight hectare campus where a peaceful parkland setting forms the backdrop for modern cream brick and terracotta-tiled buildings.