St Aidan's Anglican Girls' School, Qld

Schools Guide Home | Private Schools in Queensland |

St Aidan's Anglican Girls' School, Qld Profile Page

Name:

ST AIDAN'S ANGLICAN GIRLS SCHOOL, CORINDA

Address:

11 Ruthven Street

Town/Suburb:

CORINDA

State:

Qld

Post Code:

4075

Telephone:

07 3373 5999

Website:

www.staidans.qld.edu.au

Region:

Brisbane West

Profile

MAIN DETAILS

Religious Affiliation:

Anglican

Year Levels:

Prep - Year 12

Fees:

Starting from $10,226p.a

CRICOS registered?:

Yes

CRICOS Provider Code:

01194K

Main Gender:

Girls

Student Population:

900

Boarding:

Overview:

St Aidan’s is a Prep to Year 12 Anglican day school for girls located in suburban Brisbane. The school’s population of around 900 students reflects our belief that students experience many benefits in a smaller school environment. Our Junior School provides fully air-conditioned classrooms for girls in Prep to Year 6, including a dedicated Junior School Library. Year 7s, while still leaders of the Junior School, enjoy a transition program and their own “precinct” adjacent to senior school facilities. They also enjoy specialist teaching lessons in much of their academic program allowing them a smooth transition to Year Eight studies (see curriculum). There are computers in all junior classrooms. Specialist teachers also work with students from Prep - Year 6. School facilities include: five computer rooms, one of which is a Robotics laboratory and another for Languages other than English; laptops and computers are located in many classrooms (a total of 345 computers for student use); An air-conditioned library; Chapel; Music practice rooms and Performing Arts Complex (PAC); Fitness Centre; 25 metre pool; 16 acres of sporting fields; Arts Precinct and our 2003 built Science and Technology Centre which features a 200 seat auditorium. Choosing a school is often a tough decision. There are so many good Schools; it forces us as parents to decide on what we want for our child. Do we want; single sex or co-ed; independent or state; church based or secular; big (1000) or smaller; suburban or city based? These are all important choices but what is vital, is to find a cultural match between the school culture and personality and your family values and aspirations. St Aidan’s was established in 1929 by the Sisters of the Society of the Sacred Advent (an Anglican religious order) and continues to hold their values and traditions. Our environment is one, which cares for all and seeks to provide a nurturing and supportive school experience where each girl is able to safely grow and evolve her gifts and belief in herself. It is in this environment, we believe girls can study, achieve and succeed. Recent research clearly points to the vital importance of girls making emotional connections; feeling safe and confident in their school environment. In a school where each girl is known and cared for, where she is offered opportunities for leadership; for participation in extra curricula activities; for personal growth and the development of self confidence.

Welcome Message:

Welcome. I hope it provides a glimpse of the exciting and varied opportunities available at our school. To feel the real personality and warmth, please contact our Registrar, to arrange a tour.

This is my eleventh year as principal at St Aidan’s. I really believe I have one of the best “jobs” in the world. Yes – it has its challenges, and I work long hours (but don’t we all in some form or another?).

I have the privilege to lead a team of passionate and talented school leaders and staff who are keen to offer your daughter a safe and nurturing environment where she can fulfil her potential and develop into a grounded, happy and authentic person.

We have around 900 students who are involved in over 34 subjects, play 17 different sports, 350 play an instrument and that’s just the start. What is really exciting is to be part of the education and life journey of the students, staff and their families. We share the ups and downs, the joys and the challenges and are very proud of our graduates – many thousands since 1929.

If you have any queries or feedback please let us know .

I hope we can welcome you to our school family.

Karen Spiller
B.A., B.Ed.St., M.Ed.Admin., MBA, MACE, FAIM, MACEL, FAHRI, FAICD
Principal - St Aidan's Anglican Girls' School

Facilities:

Archer and Templeton Science And Technology Centre
This building was opened in 2003. It offers five science laboratories, preparation rooms, two computer laboratories, a 200 seat auditorium and a meeting room. This building is named after Ron Archer AM and Bob Templeton, who were co-chairman of our School Foundation. Bob passed away in 1999 and Ron in 2008.

Chapel
This is available for students and staff at any time for quiet reflection and prayer.

Computer Rooms
These rooms are open 7.30am to 3.45pm Monday to Friday.

Le Fanu
This block was opened in 1979 to mark the Golden Jubilee of the School. The building was extended in 1985. The tuckshop and P&F Shop are situated underneath this building. It is named after Bishop Le Fanu, who was involved with the original establishment of the School. This building houses administration, classrooms, two computer rooms, senior library and staffroom.

Library
The Senior Library is open from 7.30am to 4.00pm Monday, Wednesday and Friday and 7.30am to 5.00pm on Tuesday and Thursday and is located in the Le Fanu block.

The Christine Hartland Centre (formerly the Performing Arts Complex or PAC)
The Centre was opened in 1989 and is used for many school functions and school assemblies. This building also houses drama, music and sport facilities.

Currently the Centre is undergoing a major redevelopment. Due to be officially opened on 24 August,the new hub of St Aidan’s spiritual, physical and creative activities, will feature an array of "best-in-class"education and co-curricular facilities totalling 4,283 square metres over three levels:

Lower Ground Floor

A doubling of the Ron Archer Fitness Centre;
two double-sized music classrooms; two new classrooms and
upgraded storage and bathroom facilities.
Ground Floor

The existing school assembly hall and stage will be augmented through the addition of new toilets and change rooms;
three new music studios;
a new music classroom;
percussion room and
double-sized music room.
First Floor

Significantly enlarged seating capacity through the addition of 300 new tiered seats enabling the entire school community to comfortably attend key school events in fully airconditioned comfort;
one double sized drama room with retractable seating and a second drama space;
Alumni and Marketing office.

More information on the Centre can be found here.

The $200,000 Swimming pool renovation is on track of completion in mid 2010 and opened on 24 August along with the Christine Hartland Centre.

The renovation includes:

Relining of the pool interior;
Grandstand seating;
Installation of new starting blocks;
Resurfacing of the pool deck;
Installation of solar panels to heat the pool for year-round use;
Shade structures; and
Extensive landscaping.

Ambiwerra
This is now the name of the sporting fields at Erinvale Street, Corinda, owned by the School. Ambiwerra comprises 10 hectares of land surrounded by the Oxley Creek.

Facilities include:
• Two Hockey fields
• Full athletics oval
• Four dedicated Tennis courts
• Four combined Netball and Tennis courts
• Four combined Netball and Basketball Courts.

All courts have full competition lighting, regarded by some professionals as the best in Brisbane. There are also change rooms.

Curriculum:

Curriculum Years 8-10
In Year 8, students undertake a core program of English, Mathematics, Science and History, Geography, Religous and Values Education and Health and Physical Education. They also choose a Language other than English (LOTE - Chinese, German, Japanese and French) to study and three subjects from the following electives:Computer Studies, Drama, Health and Design Technology, Music and Visual Art. In this way, students still maintain significant curriculum time in the mandatory program, and they and their parents are able to choose some of their subjects according to their needs, abilities and interests. Please view our Year 8 2010 Curriculum Handbook for more information.

In Years 9 and 10 students are provided with more choice in their program. They continue to undertake studies in the core areas of English, Mathematics, Science, History/Geography and Religious and Values Education. These studies are combined with choices from a number of Key Learning Areas. Subject units available include Science electives, Visual Art, Health and Design Technology, Graphics, Business, Computer Studies, Digital Productions, Music, LOTE, Drama, Dance and Health and Physical Education.

The curriculum at St Aidan's provides learning opportunities which take into account the latest developments in brain research and learning styles. All Year 8 students are tested so that they are aware of their own learning styles. The use of technology is integrated across the curriculum.

Curriculum Years 11 & 12

In Years 11 and 12 at St Aidan’s, students follow the guidelines for senior studies set by the Queensland Studies Authority. In doing this, students may choose the OP Eligible pathway or the Vocational and Tertiary Pathway. Both pathways may lead to tertiary studies.

St Aidan’s offers a wide variety of subjects. In Years 11 and 12, studies in English and Mathematics (either Mathematics A, Mathematics B or Pre-vocational Mathematics) are compulsory. In addition to these compulsory subjects, students choose four subjects from the following list:

Accounting Home Economics
Ancient History Hospitality Studies
Biological Science Information Processing and Technology (IPT)
Business Communication and Technologies Japanese
Chemistry Mathematics C
Chinese Modern History
Drama Music
Economics Physical Education
French Physics
Geography Study of Religion
German Visual Art
Graphics

English Extension (Literature), Music Extension and German Extension are offered in Year 12.

Co-Curricular Activities:

Sport

Sport at St Aidan's is available for all students as part of their extra curricular activities. Senior school students are able to participate in the sports set out in the table below. St Aidan's participates in a variety of sports associations, the main Association we compete in is the QGSSSA system (Queensland Girls' Secondary Schools Sports Association). However, we also compete in events conducted by QGSSSA (Queensland Secondary Schools Sports Association) which enables athletes to be considered for selection through to national level teams. The training program for each sport is available via the School Newsletter and will vary with the individual sport.

Music
The Music Department at St Aidan's is a vibrant and diverse one that allows students the opportunity to participate in music education at all levels. A wide range of curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities are offered in both the senior and junior schools.

Other Activities
Readers' Cup
Interhouse Readers' Cup Challenge - At the end of first semester, teams representing the different Houses compete in a Readers' Cup Challenge, organised by the Year 11's in conjunction with the Senior School Librarian. Teams consist of six nominees from Years 8, 9 and 10. Team members are expected to answer twenty questions based on young adult literature.

Year 8 Readers' Cup - During Semester One the Year 8s read novels and then compete in Class Readers' Cup. Following this competition, each form fields a team of four in an Inter-Class Readers' Cup.

Interschool Readers' Cup Challenge - In Term four, a team of Year 8s and a team of Year 9s represent St Aidan's in Interschool Readers' Cup Competitions.

The Interact Club
Interact is a Rotary-sponsored service club for secondary school students. All Interact clubs carry out service projects annually - projects that serve the School or the community and another that furthers international understanding. Every Interact club is sponsored by a specific Rotary club, which provides guidance on a continuing basis. Through Interact, young people develop initiative, leadership skills, a sense of self and community. Club members have the opportunity to be involved in number of activities.

Debating
St Aidan's encourages involvement in the "sport" of debating. Debaters learn to listen actively, to see both sides of an argument, to detect irrelevance and bias, to work as part of a team, to rebut and to learn from feedback provided by adjudicators. They also learn to be effective ambassadors for their school.

Global Shield
The Global Shield Group aims to increase awareness and promote action within the school within the fields of Global Peace, Justice and Sustainability. Members of the group are encouraged to work as a team, initiate action, lead by example and promote a sense of self within community on all levels from local to global. The Justice arm of the Global Shield Group consists of members of Amnesty International, a worldwide organisation that campaigns for human rights. The Peace arm strives to promote worldwide peace through our connectedness with others and support those less fortunate than we are. The Sustainability arm aims to promote, support and maintain green practice within the school as our contribution to Global Health. This is a student centred group whose main thrust is to educate our community and engender good practice within our school.

STAGE Dance Troupe
STAGE is a fun and energetic dance/choreography group in which girls at St Aidan's meet twice a week to construct and rehearse a variety of dances. These dances are showcased at significant St Aidan's events throughout the year.

The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme
This scheme enables St Aidan's students to set and achieve personal goals. Bronze candidates attend their first camp in the Mt Crosby area each April. This area is ideal for training as the bushland of the water catchment area provides a safe yet challenging expedition site in pleasant and interesting surroundings. Many St Aidan's students have achieved success in the Bronze, Silver and Gold levels of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards.

Mission Statement:

St Aidan's strives to provide
excellence in education,
in a caring, friendly environment,
where each individual, nurtured and shaped
by the values of the Christian Faith,
has the opportunity to achieve her full potential
and to develop a passion for life and for learning.

Main Campus Map:

Transport Options

Transport Options:

St Aidan's is situated in Corinda in the western suburbs of Brisbane, a quiet residential area.

The School is adjacent to Corinda Railway Station with direct access to the City. A public and private transport network, including bus and train, provides convenient access to the School.

The St Aidan's sports fields, "Ambiwerra", comprises 10 hectares of parkland surrounded by Oxley Creek. These fields are approximately 10 minutes walking distance from St Aidan's.

Transport

St Aidan’s School Buses – Transport students to the Ambiwerra sporting fields, sports training and fixtures, school camps and excursions.

Buses to and from St Aidan’s – Southern Cross Transit bus company provides a service for the students covering the suburbs of Karana Downs, Bellbowrie, Brookfield, Kenmore, Chapel Hill and Indooroopilly.

Train – The school is situated only one minute walk from the Corinda Railway Station. The train provides access to the City and the western suburbs. Shuttle bus services are available through to Yeerongpilly and the South Brisbane train line.

School News

Exceptional results for St Aidan’s students

St Aidan’s students’ performance on 2010 National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) has again been well above the national average in all areas and across all year levels.

The students performed so well, the Year 9 cohort topped in the state in writing, with both Junior and Senior Schools highly ranked across five areas of reading; writing; spelling; numeracy and; grammar and punctuation.

The results of the 2010 NAPLAN test for Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 students have been recently released for schools with individual student results released today.

St Aidan’s is proud of their students’ results and feel they reflect earnest young people committed to achieving their potential according to Acting Principal, Ros Curtis.

“The strong performance of St Aidan’s students highlights the excellent work of teachers and students,” said Ms Curtis.

“We take seriously our students’ academic performance and their learning progress.

“We use all data available to ensure St Aidan’s offers a proactive and, where required, interventionist learning program for our students.

“NAPLAN is designed to be a diagnostic tool for teachers to assist with individual student achievement and this is the way the School uses the data,” Ms Curtis said.

Independent Schools Queensland Executive Director David Robertson said parents and schools should be proud of their overall outcomes.

“However, we stand by the belief that less attention needs to be given to comparisons between states and more to the individual needs of the child,” Mr Robertson said.

Mr Robertson said the public reporting of NAPLAN results has inappropriately equated school performance with student achievement at a point in time.

“Test results will never paint a complete picture of the standard of education and the quality of outcomes being achieved by children in independent schools across the entire state,” he said.

“Simplistic reporting of NAPLAN results does not take into account the many variables that exist between states and as such it does not provide a truly accurate reflection of education standards in Queensland.

“A test result captures just one point in time out of an entire school year and shouldn’t be relied upon to provide a comprehensive picture of a school’s academic performance,” Mr Robertson said.

St Aidan’s students also consistently outperform other female students in the Queensland Core Skills Test. In 2009, more than 30% of our students achieved an A against 13.9% of female students in the state. Between 95-100% of Year 12 students applying for university places receive offers from tertiary institutions. Each year, our students complete university subjects and gain early entry and/or scholarships to the courses of their choice.

St Aidan’s continues to support the principle of transparency, which is the idea behind publishing NAPLAN and other academic results and measures.

The School has always been open and transparent in relation to student results and achievements providing details about student’s results on the school’s website.

“We are continually seeking new ways to ensure our students are provided with excellent education opportunities,” Ms Curtis said.

“St Aidan’s is a strong community and we know our parents are very aware of the extensive curriculum offered and the support and encouragement provided for our girls.

“We know our students and families feel confident about their achievement and success as we know our graduates are university and work ready and successful in those contexts,” Ms Curtis said.

As a non-selective school, St Aidan’s provides opportunities for extension and learning support for students and works tirelessly to encourage all girls to reach above and beyond their learning potential.

The School takes academic achievement seriously, and are committed to the development of the whole child by providing a range of opportunities and experiences in a nurturing and supportive environment.

EMAIL FORM

PLEASE NOTE: This form will only deliver messages to the enrolment contact at this school. Use this form to email the school regarding enrolments or to request a prospectus.Please don't use this form for employment/job enquiries, personal messages or marketing messages. Contact the school via telephone to request the appropriate email address.