International Grammar School
Encyclopedia
International Grammar School (IGS) is an independent
, coeducational, secular
, day school
, located in Ultimo
, an inner city of Sydney
, New South Wales
, Australia
.
Established in Randwick
in 1984, International Grammar focuses its curriculum
on languages, and to a lesser extent music, and currently caters for approximately 1,100 students from preschool to Year 12. The school
provides an alternative to a 'traditional private school
' education.
International Grammar School is affiliated with the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the Junior School Heads Association of Australia
(JSHAA), and the Association of Independent Schools of New South Wales (AIS NSW).
, formerly the premises of the Little Sisters of the Poor
. At its foundation the school's educational objective was to provide bilingual education from preschool onwards, and to promote internationalism
, music
and racial tolerance.
By 1985 the school had an enrolment of around 120 students, however by the following year the school's future was in doubt due to its failure to gain government
recognition, thus making its students ineligible to sit Year 10 and Higher School Certificate (HSC) examinations, IGS was subsequently forced to battle through eight court cases. The school was also facing crippling losses of money and enrolments had fallen by 60 per cent to around 40 students. In May 1986, the school won its registration appeal, and by the end of the school year of 1988 enrolments and grown to 130.
As student numbers continued to increase and the need for specialised High School teaching facilities was identified, it was determined that an additional site was required for the school. From 1990 to 1994, a new premises in Balmain
was utilised as a Senior High School, accommodating Years 11 and 12.
In 1994, leasing arrangements were negotiated with South Sydney Council in terms of which the school was to move progressively to a new site in Ultimo. During this time, temporary accommodation was provided for years 7 to 12 in a refurbished woolstore. This arrangement with Council was for a new school to be constructed on the historical site of the Dalgety Woolstore in Kelly Street, Ultimo. The school was officially established on this, its current site, in July 1997.
to its overseas sister school
s in Italy
, France
, Germany
and Japan
, as well as exchanges to Spain
and China
provided for Years 8 and 9. The creative arts, including music
, design
and drama
, also play an important role in the school's curriculum
.
The school has recently purchased a new building in nearby Macarthur St that is planned to be turned into a building specifically for primary school students.
Due to increasing demand for space, the roofs of the main campus are opened for playing; one as a basketball court the other with primary school equipment.
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...
, coeducational, secular
Secularity
Secularity is the state of being separate from religion.For instance, eating and bathing may be regarded as examples of secular activities, because there may not be anything inherently religious about them...
, day school
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...
, located in Ultimo
Ultimo, New South Wales
Ultimo is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Ultimo is located 2 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Sydney....
, an inner city of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, 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...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Established in Randwick
Randwick, New South Wales
Randwick is a suburb in south-eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Randwick is located 6 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Randwick...
in 1984, International Grammar focuses its curriculum
Curriculum
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...
on languages, and to a lesser extent music, and currently caters for approximately 1,100 students from preschool to Year 12. The school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
provides an alternative to a 'traditional private school
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
' education.
International Grammar School is affiliated with the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the Junior School Heads Association of Australia
Junior School Heads Association of Australia
The Independent Primary School Heads of Australia formerly Junior School Heads Association of Australia , is an incorporated body representing the heads of independent primary schools in Australia....
(JSHAA), and the Association of Independent Schools of New South Wales (AIS NSW).
History
International Grammar School was established on February 3, 1984 at Stanley Street, RandwickRandwick, New South Wales
Randwick is a suburb in south-eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Randwick is located 6 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Randwick...
, formerly the premises of the Little Sisters of the Poor
Little Sisters of the Poor
The Little Sisters of the Poor is a Roman Catholic religious order for women. It was founded in the 19th century by Saint Jeanne Jugan near Rennes, France. Jugan felt the need to care for the many impoverished elderly who lined the streets of French towns and cities.This led her to welcome an...
. At its foundation the school's educational objective was to provide bilingual education from preschool onwards, and to promote internationalism
Internationalism (politics)
Internationalism is a political movement which advocates a greater economic and political cooperation among nations for the theoretical benefit of all...
, music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
and racial tolerance.
By 1985 the school had an enrolment of around 120 students, however by the following year the school's future was in doubt due to its failure to gain government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
recognition, thus making its students ineligible to sit Year 10 and Higher School Certificate (HSC) examinations, IGS was subsequently forced to battle through eight court cases. The school was also facing crippling losses of money and enrolments had fallen by 60 per cent to around 40 students. In May 1986, the school won its registration appeal, and by the end of the school year of 1988 enrolments and grown to 130.
As student numbers continued to increase and the need for specialised High School teaching facilities was identified, it was determined that an additional site was required for the school. From 1990 to 1994, a new premises in Balmain
Balmain, New South Wales
Balmain is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Balmain is located slightly west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Leichhardt....
was utilised as a Senior High School, accommodating Years 11 and 12.
In 1994, leasing arrangements were negotiated with South Sydney Council in terms of which the school was to move progressively to a new site in Ultimo. During this time, temporary accommodation was provided for years 7 to 12 in a refurbished woolstore. This arrangement with Council was for a new school to be constructed on the historical site of the Dalgety Woolstore in Kelly Street, Ultimo. The school was officially established on this, its current site, in July 1997.
Curriculum
The school's main emphasis is on languages and it offers a wide range of language courses for study from Preschool through to the HSC. Students are required to learn a second language from when they start at the school until the end of Year 10, and in Years 7 and 8 are required to learn a third language. Either of these may be continued to HSC level. The school also offers to students in Years 10 and 11 an exchange programStudent exchange program
A student exchange program generally could be defined as a program where students from secondary school or university choose to study abroad in partner institutions...
to its overseas sister school
Sister school
The term sister school has several meanings:*a definite financial commerce between two colleges or universities*two schools that have a strong historical connection...
s in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, as well as exchanges to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
provided for Years 8 and 9. The creative arts, including music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, design
Design
Design as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
and drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
, also play an important role in the school's curriculum
Curriculum
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...
.
Campus
International Grammar School is situated on two main campus in Ultimo – one on Kelly St and another nearby on Mountain St.The school has recently purchased a new building in nearby Macarthur St that is planned to be turned into a building specifically for primary school students.
Due to increasing demand for space, the roofs of the main campus are opened for playing; one as a basketball court the other with primary school equipment.
Notable alumni
- Basia A'hernBasia A'HernBasia A'Hern is an Australian actress. She is well known for her roles on television shows, including, The Sleepover Club, McLeod's Daughters, Out of the Blue, Don't Blame the Koalas, and Double Trouble....
— Actor in movies and television, appearing in FarscapeFarscapeFarscape is an Australian-American science fiction television series filmed in Australia and produced originally for the Nine Network. The series was conceived by Rockne S. O'Bannon and produced by Jim Henson Productions and Hallmark Entertainment...
, The Sleepover ClubThe Sleepover ClubThe Sleepover Club is a series children's books by authors Rose Impey, Fiona Cummings, Narinder Dhami, Sue Mongredien, Jana Hunter and Angie Bates and a children's television programme based on the series. While the books are set in Cuddington, Leicester, England, the television show is set in the...
and McLeod's DaughtersMcLeod's DaughtersMcLeod's Daughters is a Logie award-winning Australian drama series that aired on the Nine Network from 2001 to 2009. It tells the story of two sisters, Claire and Tess McLeod, who are reunited after they inherit the family farm...
(Class of 2007) - Bertie BlackmanBertie BlackmanBertie Blackman is an Independent Australian singer, songwriter and guitarist. She rose to fame with her debut album in 2004, entitled 'Headway' which came after years of prolific performances around Sydney's Inner city venues, where she developed a dedicated following.-Early life and...
— Indie Singer Songwriter based in Sydney, NSW. - Rowan Witt — Actor in movies and television, most famously as 'spoon-boy' in The MatrixThe MatrixThe Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
(Class of 2006) - Steven Wuppy — DJ on independent radio station 'R3' based in tawoomba.
Notable staff
- Eddie Jones — Former teacher and Acting Principal 1992 to 1994; WallabiesAustralia national rugby union teamThe Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
Coach