Canberra Girls' Grammar School
Encyclopedia
Canberra Girls' Grammar School (CGGS) is an independent
, Anglican
, day
and boarding school
predominantly for girls, located in Deakin
, a suburb of Canberra, the capital of Australia.
Established in 1926 as St Gabriel's School, by the Church of England
religious order, the Community of the Sisters of the Church
, Canberra Girls' Grammar is the oldest private day and boarding school in Canberra. It has a selective enrolment policy and caters for approximately 1,450 students, with co-education from Early Learning (preschool) to Year 2, and girls only from Years 3 to Year 12. Boarding facilities are available on the Senior Campus for up to 90 students in Years 7 to 12.
Canberra Girls' Grammar is affiliated with the Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia (AGSA), the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the Australian Boarding Schools' Association (ABSA), and is a member of the Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools
(AHIGS).
religious order, the Community of the Sisters of the Church
(the Kilburn Sisters). It catered for the small but growing community in what was designated as the new Federal capital.
From 1926 to early 1928, the Old Rectory
of St John the Baptist Church, Reid
, was leased from the Government by the Kilburn Sisters. The rectory was known as Glebe House
, and was close to the city. In May 1927, the day before the opening of Parliament House
, the foundation stone of the current site on Melbourne Avenue at Deakin, was laid by Dr Radford, Bishop of the then Diocese of Goulburn
. The school officially moved into its new site in 1928. In 1933, the school was renamed Canberra Church of England Girls' Grammar School (CCEGGS).
CCEGGS was nearly closed down during the Great Depression
, and sold some of its land in order to remain solvent. A boom period in the 1970s saw the school expand, with the Junior School moving to a new Campus in Grey Street, Deakin, to cater for a surge in enrolments. Today the junior school remains on a separate campus within the suburb. In 2001, the school name changed again, this time to its current form Canberra Girls' Grammar School (CGGS). In 2004, CGGS opened an Early Learning Centre (preschool) catering for 3 to 5 year olds on its Junior School campus.
Canberra Girls' Grammar School is located over two campuses (Primary and Secondary) in the inner Canberra suburb of Deakin, within view of Australia's Parliament House
. Combined, the campuses are 10 hectares (25 acre) in size, and include an indoor heated swimming centre, gym
nasia, sports courts, playing fields, an aquatic centre on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin
, and buildings catering for the performing arts, art and textiles.
The School's most recent additions include a Music Centre with an adjoining 1,000-seat hall. 2006 saw improvements made to the junior school with the opening of six new classrooms, two music rooms and practice rooms. Currently, a Junior School Hall, an Admin block and a teaching block are under construction, while in the Senior School, a new 'Heart of the School' is under construction, as well as a new maths building with state-of-the-art learning spaces.
is based upon the New South Wales
Department of Education Board of Studies syllabus.
A high percentage of students who graduate with a Year 12 Certificate
also obtain an ATAR
and go on to study at university. In 2007, of the 150 students awarded a Year 12 certificate, 91% were awarded Tertiary Education Statements. Also that year, the median ATAR gained by students was 86 compared with the average of students from all across ACT colleges of 79. Students from Canberra Girls' Grammar had the second highest median ATAR of the ACT colleges that year, and in 2009 they achieved the highest score. 92% of students from the school who were awarded Tertiary Education Statements in 2007 scored over 65 for their ATAR compared with 79% of all ACT students. 11 students were awarded a vocational certificate in 2007 and 4 students were awarded a vocational statement of attainment.
for activities and competitions. The system forms the basis of its pastoral care programme. Students in the senior school are divided into six houses:
Alumnae of Canberra Girls' Grammar School are known as Old Grammarians and can join the schools alumni association
, the Old Grammarian' Association (OGA). The OGA was formed as the Old Girls' Union in 1931 and has branches around Australia and overseas. Some notable Old Grammarians include:
Entertainment, media and the arts
Politics, public service and the law
Sport
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
, Anglican
Anglican Church of Australia
The Anglican Church of Australia is a member church of the Anglican Communion. It was previously officially known as the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania...
, day
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
and boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
predominantly for girls, located in Deakin
Deakin, Australian Capital Territory
Deakin is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Deakin is named after Alfred Deakin, second prime minister of Australia...
, a suburb of Canberra, the capital of Australia.
Established in 1926 as St Gabriel's School, by the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
religious order, the Community of the Sisters of the Church
Community of the Sisters of the Church
The Community of the Sister of the Church is a religious order of women in various Anglican provinces who live the vowed life of poverty, chastity and obedience...
, Canberra Girls' Grammar is the oldest private day and boarding school in Canberra. It has a selective enrolment policy and caters for approximately 1,450 students, with co-education from Early Learning (preschool) to Year 2, and girls only from Years 3 to Year 12. Boarding facilities are available on the Senior Campus for up to 90 students in Years 7 to 12.
Canberra Girls' Grammar is affiliated with the Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia (AGSA), the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the Australian Boarding Schools' Association (ABSA), and is a member of the Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools
Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools
The Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools , is an association for private girls' schools, based in North Ryde, in the Northern Suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
(AHIGS).
History
St Gabriel's School was established with nine students in 1926, as a day and boarding school for girls, by the Church of EnglandChurch of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
religious order, the Community of the Sisters of the Church
Community of the Sisters of the Church
The Community of the Sister of the Church is a religious order of women in various Anglican provinces who live the vowed life of poverty, chastity and obedience...
(the Kilburn Sisters). It catered for the small but growing community in what was designated as the new Federal capital.
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
of St John the Baptist Church, Reid
St John the Baptist Church, Reid
St John the Baptist Church is the oldest church in Canberra, Australia, and also the oldest building within Canberra's city precinct. It is sited at the corner of ANZAC Parade and Constitution Avenue in the suburb of Reid.-Construction:...
, was leased from the Government by the Kilburn Sisters. The rectory was known as Glebe House
Glebe Park, Canberra
Glebe Park is a public park on the eastern side of Civic, Canberra, Australia. The park is bounded by Coranderrk, Ballumbir, Akuna, and Bunda Streets, and to the south, the National Convention Centre.-History:...
, and was close to the city. In May 1927, the day before the opening of Parliament House
Old Parliament House, Canberra
Old Parliament House, known formerly as the Provisional Parliament House, was the house of the Parliament of Australia from 1927 to 1988. The building began operation on 9 May 1927 as a temporary base for the Commonwealth Parliament after its relocation from Melbourne to the new capital, Canberra,...
, the foundation stone of the current site on Melbourne Avenue at Deakin, was laid by Dr Radford, Bishop of the then Diocese of Goulburn
Goulburn, New South Wales
Goulburn is a provincial city in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Goulburn Mulwaree Council Local Government Area. It is located south-west of Sydney on the Hume Highway and above sea-level. On Census night 2006, Goulburn had a population of 20,127 people...
. The school officially moved into its new site in 1928. In 1933, the school was renamed Canberra Church of England Girls' Grammar School (CCEGGS).
CCEGGS was nearly closed down during the Great Depression
Great Depression in Australia
Australia suffered badly during the period of the Great Depression of the 1930s. The Depression began with the Wall Street Crash of October, 1929 and rapidly spread worldwide. As in other nations, Australia suffered years of high unemployment, poverty, low profits, deflation, plunging incomes, and...
, and sold some of its land in order to remain solvent. A boom period in the 1970s saw the school expand, with the Junior School moving to a new Campus in Grey Street, Deakin, to cater for a surge in enrolments. Today the junior school remains on a separate campus within the suburb. In 2001, the school name changed again, this time to its current form Canberra Girls' Grammar School (CGGS). In 2004, CGGS opened an Early Learning Centre (preschool) catering for 3 to 5 year olds on its Junior School campus.
Principals
| Period | Details |
|---|---|
| 1934–1937 | Miss Bessie Tomson Forster |
| May 1937 – 1947 | Miss Una Mitchell May |
| 1947 | Acting Principal – Mrs Doris Laity |
| 1947–1962 | Miss Isabel Masters |
| 1962–1965 | Miss Mavis Prater June |
| 1966–1970 | Miss Evelyn Heath |
| 1971–1973 | Mr Donald V. Selth |
| 1974–1979 | Mrs Jennifer Shaw |
| 1980–1984 | Dr Helen Granowski |
| 1984 | Acting Principal – Mrs Elizabeth McKay |
| 1985–1999 | Mrs Elizabeth McKay |
| 2000–2004 | Mrs Alyson Groom |
| 2003–2004 | Acting Principal – Mrs Elizabeth Gilbert |
| 2004 | Acting Principal – Mrs Jane Pelvin |
| 2005–2008 | Miss Susan Just |
| 2009 | Acting Principal – Mr Bruce Handley |
| 2009–2010 | Miss Susan Just |
| 2010 | Acting Principal – Mr Bruce Handley |
| 2011 – present | Mrs Anne Coutts |
Campus
Parliament House, Canberra
Parliament House is the meeting facility of the Parliament of Australia located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. The building was designed by Mitchell/Giurgola Architects and opened on 1988 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia...
. Combined, the campuses are 10 hectares (25 acre) in size, and include an indoor heated swimming centre, gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasia, sports courts, playing fields, an aquatic centre on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin
Lake Burley Griffin
Lake Burley Griffin is an artificial lake in the centre of Canberra, the capital of Australia. It was completed in 1963 after the Molonglo River—which ran between the city centre and Parliamentary Triangle—was dammed...
, and buildings catering for the performing arts, art and textiles.
The School's most recent additions include a Music Centre with an adjoining 1,000-seat hall. 2006 saw improvements made to the junior school with the opening of six new classrooms, two music rooms and practice rooms. Currently, a Junior School Hall, an Admin block and a teaching block are under construction, while in the Senior School, a new 'Heart of the School' is under construction, as well as a new maths building with state-of-the-art learning spaces.
Junior school
The junior school curriculumCurriculum
See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...
is based upon the New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
Department of Education Board of Studies syllabus.
Senior school
Students in the senior school (Years 7 to 12) are prepared for the ACT Year 12 Certificate, as mandated by the Board of Senior Secondary Studies.A high percentage of students who graduate with a Year 12 Certificate
Education in the Australian Capital Territory
Almost all educational institutions in the Australian Capital Territory are located within Canberra. The ACT public education system schooling is normally split up into Pre-School, Primary School , High School and College followed by studies at university or TAFE...
also obtain an ATAR
Australian Tertiary Admission Rank
The Australian Tertiary Admission Rank is the primary criterion for entry into most undergraduate-entry university programs in Australia, it was gradually introduced during 2009 and 2010 to replace the Universities Admission Index, Equivalent National Tertiary Entrance Rank and Tertiary Entrance...
and go on to study at university. In 2007, of the 150 students awarded a Year 12 certificate, 91% were awarded Tertiary Education Statements. Also that year, the median ATAR gained by students was 86 compared with the average of students from all across ACT colleges of 79. Students from Canberra Girls' Grammar had the second highest median ATAR of the ACT colleges that year, and in 2009 they achieved the highest score. 92% of students from the school who were awarded Tertiary Education Statements in 2007 scored over 65 for their ATAR compared with 79% of all ACT students. 11 students were awarded a vocational certificate in 2007 and 4 students were awarded a vocational statement of attainment.
House system
As with most Australian schools, Canberra Girls' Grammar utilises a house systemHouse system
The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...
for activities and competitions. The system forms the basis of its pastoral care programme. Students in the senior school are divided into six houses:
- Burgmann, named after the Right Reverend E H BurgmannErnest Henry BurgmannErnest Henry Burgmann was a prominent Australian Anglican bishop and social activist. He served as the bishop of Goulburn from 1934, and Canberra and Goulburn from 1950 to 1960....
, bishop of Canberra and Goulburn from 1950 to 1960 - Deakin, named after the suburb in which the school is situated and former prime minister Alfred DeakinAlfred DeakinAlfred Deakin , Australian politician, was a leader of the movement for Australian federation and later the second Prime Minister of Australia. In the last quarter of the 19th century, Deakin was a major contributor to the establishment of liberal reforms in the colony of Victoria, including the...
- Glebe, named after the building in which the school was first established
- Kilburn, named after the suburb in London where the Mother House of the Order of Sisters of the Church was located
- Robertson, named after Archdeacon C W Robertson
- Waverley, named after the Sydney suburb of WaverleyWaverley, New South WalesWaverley is an eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Waverley is located 7 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Waverley Council....
where the Mother House of the Order of Sisters of the Church in Australia was located.
Notable alumnae
| School Prayer |
Almighty God In whom we move and live And have our being Make this School as a field which the Lord has blessed that whatsoever things are True, pure, lovely and of good report May here forever flourish and abound Preserve in it an unblemished name enlarge it with wider usefulness and exalt it in the love and reverence of all its members as an instrument of your Glory for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord Amen. |
Alumnae of Canberra Girls' Grammar School are known as Old Grammarians and can join the schools alumni association
Alumni association
An alumni association is an association of graduates or, more broadly, of former students. In the United Kingdom and the United States, alumni of universities, colleges, schools , fraternities, and sororities often form groups with alumni from the same organisation...
, the Old Grammarian' Association (OGA). The OGA was formed as the Old Girls' Union in 1931 and has branches around Australia and overseas. Some notable Old Grammarians include:
Entertainment, media and the arts
- Sibylla BuddSibylla BuddSibylla Budd is an Australian actress best known for her role in the television series The Secret Life Of Us.-Early life and education:...
– Australian actress - Kate FischerKate FischerKate Fischer, aka Katie Fischer, is an Australian model and actress. She attended the Canberra Girls' Grammar School....
– model, Pru Goward's daughter - Samara WeavingSamara WeavingSamara Weaving is an Australian actress known for her role as Kirsten Mulroney in the Australian-produced BBC TV series Out Of The Blue and also for playing Indigo Walker on soap opera Home and Away.-Family and early life:...
– Australian actress, niece of Australian actor, Hugo WeavingHugo WeavingHugo Wallace Weaving is a Nigerian born, English-Australian film actor and voice artist. He is best known for his roles as Agent Smith in the Matrix trilogy, Elrond in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, "V" in V for Vendetta, and performances in numerous Australian character dramas.-Early...
Politics, public service and the law
- Tupou DraunidaloTupou DraunidaloTupou Draunidalo is a Fijian lawyer. On 9 September 2006, she was elected Vice-President of the Fiji Law Society, defeating Rajesh Gordon. -Political activism and arrest:...
– Fijian lawyer, Vice-President of the Fiji Law SocietyFiji Law SocietyThe Fiji Law Society is the official body that registers and regulates the activity of all lawyers in Fiji. Devanesh Sharma was elected to replace Graeme Leung as President of the Fiji Law Society on 9 September 2006, and as such he holds membership ex officio on the Judicial Service Commission...
and daughter of former Deputy Prime Minister of Fiji, Kuini SpeedKuini SpeedAdi Kuini Teimumu Vuikaba Speed was a Fijian chief and politician, who served as Deputy Prime Minister in 1999 and 2000.... - Rt Hon Patricia HewittPatricia HewittPatricia Hope Hewitt is an Australian-born British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Leicester West from 1997 until 2010. She served in the Cabinet until 2007, most recently as Health Secretary....
– British politician; LabourLabour Party (UK)The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
Member of Parliament (MP) for Leicester West; Former Secretary of State for HealthSecretary of State for HealthSecretary of State for Health is a UK cabinet position responsible for the Department of Health.The first Boards of Health were created by Orders in Council dated 21 June, 14 November, and 21 November 1831. In 1848 a General Board of Health was created with the First Commissioner of Woods and... - Katrina HodgkinsonKatrina HodgkinsonKatrina Ann Hodgkinson MP JP is an Australian politician and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. She has represented the Burrinjuck for the National Party of Australia since 27 March 1999...
– Australian politician and member of the New South Wales Legislative AssemblyNew South Wales Legislative AssemblyThe Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
Sport
- Katherine CalderKatherine CalderKatherine Calder is a cross country skier from New Zealand who has competed since 1999. At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, she finished 47th in the individual sprint event and 63rd in the 10 km events while not starting the 7.5 km + 7.5 km double pursuit events.Calder's best finish at the...
– Winter Olympian
See also
- Anglican Church of AustraliaAnglican Church of AustraliaThe Anglican Church of Australia is a member church of the Anglican Communion. It was previously officially known as the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania...
- List of schools in the Australian Capital Territory
- List of boarding schools
- Head of the River (New South Wales)Head of the River (New South Wales)The Head of the River rowing regatta refers to two New South Wales school rowing competitions, one for boys and one for girls.-NSW Schoolboy Head of the River Regatta:...
- Associated southern collegesAssociated Southern CollegesThe Associated Southern Colleges is an association of private schools in the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales, Australia that share common interests, ethics, educational philosophy and contest sporting events between themselves....