Kew private school Trinity Grammar. Credit:Joe Armao

Melbourne private school Trinity Grammar says it will join the national redress scheme for victims of institutional child sex abuse after it paid $500,000 to a former student who was abused by a teacher in the 1970s.

The scheme was a key recommendation of the Royal Commission into Institutional Child Sexual Abuse and caps payouts to child abuse survivors at $150,000.

The move comes after The Age this week revealed that Trinity had settled with a former student for just over $500,000.

The ex-student, now in his 50s, was abused by senior teacher Christopher Howell twice in 1973.