Queenwood School for Girls
Encyclopedia
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), the Junior School Heads Association of Australia
(JSHAA), the Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia, and is a member of the Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools
(AHIGS).
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.
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.
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.
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.
Queenwood School for Girls is now no longer a boarding school.
es, 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. This campus caters for the Senior School
(Years 7 to 12), and houses most of the academic activities of the School, including classroom
s, integrated technology
, a 600 seat tiered Auditorium
, an underground car park, library
, and music
and drama
facilities. In 2009/10 the Lawrence Campus at 44 Mandalong Road was completely redeveloped and opened for use in term three 2010. The building has a 25m lap pool, a learn to swim pool, a 110 seat lecture theatre and numerous class rooms and science labs.
for all years.
, 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.
, 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.
through which students may participate in intra-school competitions and activities. The school currently has three houses:
, the Queenwood Old Girls' Association (QOGA). Some notable 'Old Girls' of Queenwood 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...
, non-denominational, Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
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 the suburb of Mosman
Mosman, New South Wales
Mosman is a suburb on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Mosman is located 8 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the Municipality of Mosman.-Localities:In February...
, on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, 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 1925 by Miss Grace Lawrance and named after the Queenwood Ladies' College
Queenwood Ladies' College
Queenwood Ladies' College was a private school for girls, opened on a hill overlooking the sea in Eastbourne, East Sussex, England. It was opened in 1871 by a Mrs Lawrance, the mother of Miss Grace Lawrance, founder of Queenwood School for Girls, Sydney...
in East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
, Queenwood has a non-selective enrolment policy and currently caters for approximately 800 students from Kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
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...
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), the Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia, 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
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...
, independent, day 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...
for girls, on 21 September 1925.
The two women had met in 1918, at the Glennie Memorial School in Toowoomba
Toowoomba, Queensland
Toowoomba is a city in Southern Queensland, Australia. It is located west of Queensland's capital city, Brisbane. With an estimated district population of 128,600, Toowoomba is Australia's second largest inland city and its largest non-capital inland city...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, where Lawrance was Principal, and Rennie first assistant-mistress. They travelled to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
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.
The school was named "Queenwood" after the now defunct Queenwood Ladies' College
Queenwood Ladies' College
Queenwood Ladies' College was a private school for girls, opened on a hill overlooking the sea in Eastbourne, East Sussex, England. It was opened in 1871 by a Mrs Lawrance, the mother of Miss Grace Lawrance, founder of Queenwood School for Girls, Sydney...
at Eastbourne
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
, in East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
, 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
Hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills...
overlooking the sea
Sea
A sea generally refers to a large body of salt water, but the term is used in other contexts as well. Most commonly, it means a large expanse of saline water connected with an ocean, and is commonly used as a synonym for ocean...
. 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.
By 1926, Queenwood was a registered secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
, 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
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, 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
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....
. The school phased out its boarding
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...
program in the 1950s.
In 1962, Rennie retired as co-Principal, but the school remained her home as she worked in the library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
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
Junior school
A junior school is a type of school which caters for children, often between the ages of 7 and 11.-Australia:In Australia, a junior school is usually a part of a private school that educates children between the ages of 5 and 12....
moved to the Medway Centre at Queen Street, Mosman in 1990, and later the Visual Arts
Visual arts
The visual arts are art forms that create works which are primarily visual in nature, such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, and often modern visual arts and architecture...
Department moved to a separate site on The Esplanade at Balmoral Beach.
Queenwood School for Girls is now no longer a boarding school.
Principals
| 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 has four campusCampus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
es, 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
Academic term
An academic term is a division of an academic year, the time during which a school, college or university holds classes. These divisions may be called terms...
four of 2003. This campus caters for the Senior School
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
(Years 7 to 12), and houses most of the academic activities of the School, including classroom
Classroom
A classroom is a room in which teaching or learning activities can take place. Classrooms are found in educational institutions of all kinds, including public and private schools, corporations, and religious and humanitarian organizations...
s, integrated technology
Technology Integration
Technology Integration is the use of technology tools in general content areas in education in order to allow students to apply computer and technology skills to learning and problem-solving...
, a 600 seat tiered Auditorium
Auditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
, an underground car park, library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, and 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 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...
facilities. In 2009/10 the Lawrence Campus at 44 Mandalong Road was completely redeveloped and opened for use in term three 2010. The building has a 25m lap pool, a learn to swim pool, a 110 seat lecture theatre and numerous class rooms and science labs.
Curriculum
Queenwood School for Girls is registered and accredited with the New South Wales Board of Studies, and therefore follows the mandated 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...
for all years.
Junior school
In the Junior School, the curriculum is based on the six primary Key Learning Areas of EnglishEnglish studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
, Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, Human Society and its Environment, including language's other than English, Science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
and Technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
, Creative
Creative Arts
Creative arts is the term used to describe different types of art. Specifically, to introduce fine art ideas, techniques, skills and media. It is generally used as an umbrella for Dramaturgy, Music , Graphic Arts/Cartooning, Performing Arts, Film and Publishing, Galleries and Museums and the Visual...
and Practical Arts, and Physical Education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
, Personal Development and Health.
Middle school
Years 7 to 10 are known as Middle SchoolMiddle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
, 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
School Certificate
The School Certificate was a qualification issued by the Board of Studies, New South Wales, typically at the end of Year 10. The successful completion of the School Certificate is a requirement for completion of the Higher 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.
Senior 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 ten 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.House system
As with most Australian schools, Queenwood 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...
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 associationAlumni 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 Queenwood Old Girls' Association (QOGA). Some notable 'Old Girls' of Queenwood include:
- Shirley HazzardShirley HazzardShirley Hazzard is an Australian author of fiction and nonfiction. She was born in Australia, but holds citizenship in Great Britain and the United States...
– Writer - Jane Nicholls – Editor of Who Weekly magazine
- Dorothy PorterDorothy PorterDorothy Featherstone Porter was an Australian poet.-Early life:Porter was born in Sydney. Her father was barrister Chester Porter and her mother, Jean, was a high school chemistry teacher. Porter attended the Queenwood School for Girls...
– Writer - Madeleine St JohnMadeleine St JohnMadeleine St John was an Australian writer, the first Australian woman to be shortlisted for the Booker Prize for Fiction .-Biography:...
– Writer - Phoebe TonkinPhoebe TonkinPhoebe Jane Elizabeth Tonkin is an Australian actress and model. She is best known for portraying Cleo Sertori in H2O: Just Add Water and Fiona Maxwell in Tomorrow, When the War Began...
– Actress - Adelaide ClemensAdelaide ClemensAdelaide Clemens is an Australian actress. She was nominated for a Logie Award in 2008 for her role in the television series Love My Way. Clemens has appeared in X-Men Origins: Wolverine and will portray Heather Mason in the upcoming horror film Silent Hill: Revelation 3D.-Career:Clemens began...
– Actress - Anna VolskaAnna VolskaAnna Volska is an Australian television actress. She arrived in Australia when she was young and has acted from a young age.-Television work:...
– Actress
Politics, public service and the law
- Anna McPhee – Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity for Women in the WorkplaceEqual Opportunity for Women in the Workplace AgencyThe Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency is an Australian government agency. It is statutory authority located within the portfolio of the Australian Commonwealth Department of Families Housing Community Servcies and Indigenous Affairs .EOWA’s role is to administer the Equal...
- Suzanne Sharon Vardon AOOrder of AustraliaThe Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
– Chief Executive of the Department for Families and Communities, South AustraliaGovernment of South AustraliaThe form of the Government of South Australia is prescribed in its constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then...
; Inaugural CEOChief executive officerA chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of CentrelinkCentrelinkCentrelink is the trading name of the Commonwealth Service Delivery Agency , a statutory authority responsible for delivering human services on behalf of agencies of the Commonwealth Government of Australia. The majority of Centrelink's services are the disbursement of social security payments...
(1997–2004), Chief Executive of the Department of Correctional Services (SA) (1994–97); TelstraTelstraTelstra Corporation Limited is an Australian telecommunications and media company, building and operating telecommunications networks and marketing voice, mobile, internet access and pay television products and services....
SA Businesswoman of the Year 2005; Recipient of the Centenary MedalCentenary MedalThe Centenary Medal is an award created by the Australian Government in 2001. It was established to commemorate the Centenary of Federation of Australia and to honour people who have made a contribution to Australian society or government...
2003
Sport
- Zali SteggallZali SteggallZali Steggall is Australia's most internationally successful alpine skier, winning a bronze medal in slalom at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, and a World Championship gold medal in 1999. Steggall's long Olympic career extended from Albertville in 1992 to Salt Lake City in 2002...
– Olympic skier