Queenwood School for Girls

Infobox Aust school private
name = Queenwood School for Girls


motto = " _la. Per Aspera Ad Astra"
(Latin:"Through Struggles to the Stars")
established = 1925
type = Independent, Single-sex, Day school
denomination = Non-denominationalcite web
url = http://www.schoolchoice.com.au/find_a_school?cid=12348&pid=2701636|title = Queenwood School for Girls|accessdate = 2007-10-01|year = 2007|work = New South Wales|publisher = School Choice]
slogan =
key_people = Mr James Harpur (Principal)
Miss Grace Lawrence and Miss Beatrice Rennie (Founders)
Mr Robert Westphal (Chairman)
fees = AU$11,232–18,459 p.acite web |url=http://www.sydneyschild.com.au/index.php?option=com_mtree&task=viewlink&link_id=106&Itemid=38 |title=Queenwood School|accessdate=2007-10-29 |work=Directory |publisher=Sydney's Child]
city = Mosman
state = New South Wales
country = Australia flagicon|Australia
coordinates = coord|33|49|26|S|151|14|55|E|display=inline,title
enrolment = ~800 (K–12)cite web |url=http://www.isd.com.au/schools/n4628.htm |title=Queenwood School for Girls|accessdate=2007-10-29 |work=New South Wales |publisher=Internet Schools Directory]
num_employ = ~81 [http://www.queenwood.nsw.edu.au/ Queenwood School Annual Report 2005] (accessed:25-05-2007)]
revenue =
colours = Red, Grey and White color box|#FF0000color box|#808080color box|#FFFFFF
homepage = [http://www.queenwood.nsw.edu.au www.queenwood.nsw.edu.au]

Queenwood School for Girls is an independent, non-denominational, Christian day school, located in the suburb of Mosman, on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Established in 1925 by Miss Grace Lawrance and named after the Queenwood Ladies' College in East Sussex, Queenwood has a non-selective enrolment policy and currently caters for approximately 800 students from Kindergarten to Year 12.

The school is affiliated with the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA),cite web
url = http://www.ahisa.com.au/Display.aspx?tabid=2230|title = New South Wales|accessdate = 2007-10-01|year = 2007|month = April|work = AHISA Schools|publisher = Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia] the Junior School Heads Association of Australia (JSHAA),cite web
url = http://www.jshaa.asn.au/nsw/directory/index.asp|title = JSHAA New South Wales Directory of Members|accessdate = 2007-10-01|year = 2007|work = New South Wales Branch|publisher = Junior School Heads' Association of Australia] the Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia,cite web|url = http://www.agsa.org.au/members.php?PageID=11&Alpha=Q|title = Member Schools|accessdate = 2007-10-01|last = Butler|first = Jan|year = 2006|work = Members|publisher = The Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia] and is a member of the Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools (AHIGS).cite web
url = http://www.ahigs.nsw.edu.au/DeskTopDefault.aspx?tabid=1|title = Heads of New South Wales Independent Girls' Schools|accessdate = 2007-10-01|year = 2004|work = About AHIGS|publisher = The Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools]

History

Queenwood School for Girls was established by Grace Lawrance, assisted by Beatrice Rennie, as a private, independent, day and boarding school for girls, on 21 September 1925.

The two women had met in 1918, at the Glennie Memorial School in Toowoomba, Queensland, where Lawrance was Principal, and Rennie first assistant-mistress. They travelled to England in 1921, where they visited many of the best girls' schools. Both women resigned from the Glennie in 1925, with the intention of founding a school in Sydney. They chose a large, old house at 47 Mandolong Road, Mosman. Their entrepreneurial courage was remarkable since neither enjoyed perfect health.cite encyclopedia| last = Curnow| first = Jill | encyclopedia =Australian Dictionary of Biography| title = Rennie, Beatrice Lilias (1893 - 1971)| url = http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A160089b.htm?hilite=queenwood| accessdate = 2008-01-17 | edition = Online | year = 2002| publisher = Melbourne University Press| volume =16| location = Melbourne| pages = pp.77-78]

The school was named "Queenwood" after the now defunct Queenwood Ladies' College at Eastbourne, in East Sussex, on the south coast of England, which had been founded by Miss Lawrance's mother in 1871, and which was similarly located on a hill overlooking the sea. The site at Mandolong Road was chosen because of its view over Balmoral Beach, and its northeasterly aspect. As Queenwood grew, the school expanded to a second site at Mandolong Road.cite web|url = http://www.queenwood.nsw.edu.au/about/history/history.html|title = History|accessdate = 2007-10-01|work = About Queenwood|publisher = Queenwood School for Girls]

By 1926, Queenwood was a registered secondary school, and three years later Miss Rennie was teaching, running the school and caring for her ailing co-Principal. In 1932, a combination of the Depression, Lawrance's death in November, and Rennie's illnesses, meant that Violet Maude Medway often assisted in managing the school. The two women became co-Principals in 1942. Queenwood prospered despite the Depression and Second World War, and by 1950, Rennie was president of the New South Wales branch of the Headmistresses' Association of Australia. The school phased out its boarding program in the 1950s.cite web|url = http://www.queenwood.nsw.edu.au/about/history/archives.html|title = Archives|accessdate = 2007-10-01|work = History|publisher = Queenwood School for Girls]

In 1962, Rennie retired as co-Principal, but the school remained her home as she worked in the library and helped with the students, as far as her health permitted. In 1966, the school became a non-profit private company, named Queenwood School for Girls Ltd.

The Junior School moved to the Medway Centre at Queen Street, Mosman in 1990, and later the Visual Arts Department moved to a separate site on The Esplanade at Balmoral Beach.

Principals

{| class="wikitable"
-!Period!Details
-
1925 – 1931
Miss Grace Lawrance, Founder
-
1931 – 1961
Miss Beatrice Rennie, Co-Principal with Miss Violet Medway 1942–1961
-
1942 – 1982
Miss Violet Medway
-
1982 – 1987
Mrs Alison Stalley
-
1987 – 1996
Mrs Judith Wheeldon
-
1996 – 2008
Mrs Kem Bray
-
2008 – present
Mr James Harpur
-

Campus

Queenwood is comprised of four campuses,cite web|url = http://www.queenwood.nsw.edu.au/about/philosophy/aims.html|title = Aims|accessdate = 2007-10-01|work = Philosophy|publisher = Queenwood School for Girls] each located in suburban Mosman. The site at 47 Mandolong Road on which Queenwood was founded, was completely redeveloped in 2002/03 and became operational in term four of 2003.cite web|url = http://www.queenwood.nsw.edu.au/parents/index.html|title = Building for the future|accessdate = 2007-10-01|work = Parents Current|publisher = Queenwood School for Girls] This campus caters for the Senior School (Years 7 to 12), and houses most of the academic activities of the School, including classrooms, integrated technology, a 600 seat tiered Auditorium, an underground car park, library, and music and drama facilities.cite web|url = http://www.queenwood.nsw.edu.au/index.html|title = Curriculum|accessdate = 2007-10-01|publisher = Queenwood School for Girls]

Curriculum

Queenwood School for Girls' is registered and accredited with the New South Wales Board of Studies, and therefore follows the mandated curriculum for all years.

Junior school

In the Junior School, the curriculum is based on the six primary Key Learning Areas of English, Mathematics, Human Society and its Environment, including language's other than English, Science and Technology, Creative and Practical Arts, and Physical Education, Personal Development and Health.cite web|url = http://www.queenwood.nsw.edu.au/parents/index.html |title = Program |accessdate = 2007-10-01|work = Junior |publisher = Queenwood School for Girls]

Middle school

Years 7 to 10 are known as Middle School, and at this stage most students are offered a range of curriculum choices. In Year 7, the school follows a mandatory pattern of subject choices. Year 8 students are introduced to six new subjects from which they select two for further study. In Year 9 students refine their subject choices in order to begin their preparation for the School Certificate of which is examined at the conclusion of Year 10. Whilst the mandated core subjects must be completed, students choose three electives which may include those studied in Year 8 or may consist of new subjects or a combination of both.cite web|url = http://www.queenwood.nsw.edu.au/curriculum/middle/program.html |title = Program |accessdate = 2007-10-01|work = Middle |publisher = Queenwood School for Girls]

enior school

In Year 11, students are prepared for either the Higher School Certificate (HSC) or the International Baccalaureate (IB), depending on their preference. Those choosing to complete the HSC must study at least eleven units including: at least two units of English; at least one unit from the Key Learning Area Group 1 of Science, Mathematics and Technological and Applied Studies; and at least one unit from the Key Learning Area Group 2 of Languages Other Than English, Human Society and its Environment, Creative Arts, Personal Development, Health and Physical Education.cite web|url = http://www.queenwood.nsw.edu.au/curriculum/senior/program.html |title = Program |accessdate = 2007-10-01|work = Senior |publisher = Queenwood School for Girls]

House system

As with most Australian schools, Queenwood utilises a house system through which students may participate in intra-school competitions and activities. The school currently has three houses:
*Queen
*Wood
*School

The Motto

The motto is, 'Per Aspera ad Astra', or 'through struggles to the stars.' (Extended by Miss Rennie to be: 'it is only by struggling to overcome difficulties that we can hope ever to reach our highest ideals.') As taken as an extract from 'Queenwood: The First Sixty Years', Miss Rennie says, '"Per Aspera" precedes "Ad Astra" and so it is that strength and courage are necessary, for the highest and best are not attained without struggle. Self-control, self-disciplineare necessary with strength, to stand up for the right and courage to stick with one's convictions.'

Notable alumnae

Alumni of Queenwood School for Girls' are known as Old Girls and may elect to join the schools alumni association, the Queenwood Old Girls' Association (QOGA).cite web|url = http://www.queenwood.nsw.edu.au/oldgirls/index.html|title = Queenwood Old Girls Association|accessdate = 2007-10-01|work = Old Girls|publisher = Queenwood School for Girls] Some notable 'Old Girls' of Queenwood include:;Academic
* Wendy Catherine Ashley-Cooper (née Green) – Principal of The Glennie School, Toowoomba, Queensland; Deputy Principal of Fraser Coast Anglican College (1997–2001) (also attended Queen Elizabeth School, Harare)cite encyclopedia| editor = Suzannah Pearce| encyclopedia = Who's Who in Australia Live!| title = ASHLEY-COOPER Wendy Catherine| accessdate = 2007-10-01| date = 2006-11-17| year = 2007| publisher = Crown Content Pty Ltd| location = North Melbourne, Vic]
* Gemma Figtree – 1999 Rhodes Scholar [http://www.usyd.edu.au/registrar/rhodes/previous.shtml "NSW Rhodes Scholars"] — University of Sydney list, (retrieved 16 April 2007)]

;Entertainment, media and the arts
* Kristy Warner – Radio Newsreader for "Nova 969"fact|date=April 2008
* Alexandra Agoston-O'Connor – Modelfact|date=April 2008
* Ann Carr Boyd – Musician
* Shirley Hazzard – Writer
* Jane Nicholls – Editor of "Who Weekly" magazinecite encyclopedia| editor = Suzannah Pearce| encyclopedia = Who's Who in Australia Live!| title = NICHOLLS Jane| accessdate = 2007-10-01| date = 2006-11-17| year = 2007| publisher = Crown Content Pty Ltd| location = North Melbourne, Vic]
* Dorothy Porter – Writer
* Madeleine St John – Writer
* Phoebe Tonkin – Actress
* Anna Volska – Actress

;Politics, public service and the law
*Anna McPhee – Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplacecite encyclopedia| editor = Suzannah Pearce| encyclopedia = Who's Who in Australia Live!| title = McPHEE Anna| accessdate = 2007-10-01| date = 2006-11-17| year = 2007| publisher = Crown Content Pty Ltd| location = North Melbourne, Vic]
* Suzanne Sharon Vardon AO – Chief Executive of the Department for Families and Communities, South Australia; Inaugural CEO of Centrelink (1997–2004), Chief Executive of the Department of Correctional Services (SA) (1994–97); Telstra SA Businesswoman of the Year 2005; Recipient of the Centenary Medal 2003cite encyclopedia| editor = Suzannah Pearce| encyclopedia = Who's Who in Australia Live!| title = VARDON (Sue) Suzanne Sharon| accessdate = 2007-10-01| date = 2006-11-17| year = 2007| publisher = Crown Content Pty Ltd| location = North Melbourne, Vic]

;Sport
* Zali Steggall – Olympic skier

References

See also

* List of non-government schools in New South Wales

External links

* [http://www.queenwood.nsw.edu.au/ Queenwood School for Girls website]