St Aidan's Anglican Girls' School

Curriculum

In Year 7, students begin their high school academic program with the core subjects of English, Mathematics, Science, Design and Innovation Studies, Geography, History, Religious and Values Education and Physical Education. They also choose a language – Chinese or French and either Art or Drama as an elective subject. Students may also choose to study Music as part of our Every Day Music Program.

In Year 8, students undertake a core program of English, Mathematics, Science, History, Design and Innovation Studies, Geography, Religious and Values Education and Physical Education. They also choose a language – Chinese, French, German or Japanese and two of the following elective subjects: Business Studies, Drama, Elective Science and Visual Art. Students may also choose to study Music as part of our Every Day Music program.

In Years 9 and 10, students are provided with more choice in their program. They continue to undertake studies in the core areas (English, Mathematics, Science, History, Physical Education and Religious and Values Education) and combine these with selections from a number of key learning areas. Subject units available include Business and Finance, Drama, Graphics, Health and Design Technology, Languages (Chinese, French, German, Japanese), Multimedia Productions, Music, Every Day Music, Physical Education, Visual Art and Elective Science.

In Years 11 and 12, 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.

Studies in English or English Communication, Mathematics (either Mathematics A, Mathematics B or Pre-vocational Mathematics), and Religious and Values Education are compulsory for all students completing Years 11 and 12.

In addition to these compulsory subjects, students choose four subjects from the following list:

•Accounting •Ancient History •Biological Science •Certificate II in Workplace Practices •Certificate III in Business •Chemistry •Chinese •Drama •Economics •English Extension – offered in Year 12 •French •German •Graphics •Home Economics •Japanese •Mathematics C •Misha •Modern History •Music •Music Extension – offered in Year 12 •Physical Education •Physics •Visual Art

St Aidan's was the first all-girls school in Brisbane to introduce physics to their curriculum.

St Aidan's consistently performs well on the Queensland Core Skills Test, from which students’ overall positions are determined.

OP results

In 2013 the following results were achieved:

Overall Position Results (2013) - 43 per cent of students achieving an OP between 1 and 5; and - 100 per cent of students achieving an OP between 1 and 15.

Overall Position Results (2013)

An OP score, used for tertiary education admission, is a student’s position in a Queensland-wide ranking order of overall achievement in QSA-approved subjects. There are 25 OP scores, from the highest OP1 to OP25.

Queensland Core Skills Test Results (2013)

- 75.95 per cent achievied an A or B on the test (in comparison with 47.26 per cent for the State).

Queensland Core Skills Test Results (2013)

Sport

St Aidan's has been a member of the Queensland Girls' Secondary Schools Sports Association (QGSSSA) since 1939, and through this association students compete in sporting competitions against other similar-type Queensland girls' schools. Sports offered by the Senior School include artistic gymnastics, athletics, badminton, basketball, cross-country, equestrian, hockey, Football- soccer, netball, softball, rowing, swimming, tennis, touch football, and volleyball. Sports offered by the Junior School include gymnastics, athletics, basketball, cross-country, equestrian, Football- soccer, netball, softball, rowing, swimming, tennis and touch football.

St Aidan's sporting teams successes include the STARS (St Aidan's Rowers) winning the Head of the River in 2005, 2007 and 2008. Past and current students have been selected to represent Queensland, and in some cases Australia, for their sports.

Performing arts

St Aidan's produces state-recognised ensembles and choirs.

Students in Years 9 to 12 participate in musicals with boys from the Brisbane Boys' College (BBC). In 2012, the schools performed Into the Woods, in 2010 Leader of the Pack, in 2008 The Wiz, in 2007 We Will Rock You, and Les Misérables in 2006.

Since 2003, St Aidan's girls have participated in 'STAGE', the St Aidan's dance troupe, an initiative developed by past student, Angelique Clark and Co-ordinated by Ms. Brooke Petro.

Community service

St Aidan's girls participate in compulsory community service as part of the Religious and Values Education program. The Interact Club is a student run organisation with ties to the Rotary Club that raises thousands of dollars each year for charity.

Tradition

St Aidan’s was opened, in Corinda, on 4 February 1929, by the Right Reverend Henry Frewen Le Fanu. Sister Elisabeth was Sister-in-Charge, Mrs Christine Hartland was Headmistress, and the Reverend Canon W.E.C. Barrett was Chaplain.

The initial enrolment, comprising kindergarten, first, third and fourth forms was 17, including one boy. This had risen to 42 by the end of the year, when Miss Sutton had joined the staff with students from her small school at Sherwood. Boys were admitted into SSA schools so that they could have an Anglican education before attending ‘Churchie’.

The depression years affected most church schools negatively but St Aidan's had 65 students by 1930 and 134 by 1934.

St Aidan's thrived under the inaugural Headmistress, Mrs Hartland. As Mrs Hartland said in later years 'the school and I grew together'. She demanded uncompromising standards of behaviour and her sayings, ‘Use your initiative gels’ and ‘A pennyworth of common sense is worth more than a pound of brain’, became legendary.

The Sisters were fifty years ahead of time when they appointed a married woman to the position of Headmistress: at the time, State School teachers were forced to resign as soon as they married.

In 1948 the first Sister-in-Charge, Sister Lois, heralded the beginning of a 32-year period of St Aidan’s having Sisters-in-Charge. For the previous 19 years the Sisters had always come out from the Community House to teach Divinity and to prepare students for confirmation. Overall the sisters’ views of education were farsighted and progressive and they deplored any view which denigrated the value of education for girls. In Sister Lois’ 1951 report, she stated 'Girls must be equally educated as, at the very least, they will need trained, well-informed and keen minds to be capable mothers'.

Sister Moira stressed the importance of parental involvement in student spiritual practices. Under her guidance, support for the Arts had grown, essential Senior School building works were under construction and Science subjects had received a much-needed boost.

Sister Helen Marie, succeeded Sister Moira in 1962 and, in 1964, the school saw a year of extraordinary building and academic change and expansion – plus increased enrolments. Sister Rachel’s years saw much expansion and progress within the school in many aspects. The enrolment had risen to 312 at the start of 1965, which meant that the school needed an urgent building programme to provide further classrooms and she embarked on several projects. Sister Kathleen was supported by Sister Norma and Sister Bridget, and Sister Julian who acted as housekeeper for them at Broads.

A shyer personality with a keen sense of humour and highly organised, Miss Neil led St Aidan's for 12 years from 1980. A testament to her years of hard work and foresight is the Performing Arts Complex. By 1990 Miss Neil had seen the need for a strategic plan 'for the next decade'. This plan would encompass physical, academic and co-curricula development. Her 12 years allowed her the time to implement her vision.

Mrs Patricia (Trish) Evans, came to the school in 1992. Her vision for St Aidan's included formulating and implementing a strategic plan, and enhancing administrative staff and student access to improved technology. Within an educational tradition of 'Girls can do anything' and a strong Christian framework of caring for each other and the wider community, Mrs Evans ably led St Aidan's through change.

Mrs Spiller, a former teacher at St Margaret's, Hillbrook Anglican School, Deputy Principal of St Aidan's and mother of three, Mrs Spiller was a popular choice as the new principal for St Aidan's to herald the new century. 'My vision for St Aidan's is to be the school of choice for the parent and daughter who want an all round education: academic as well as community service, leadership, music, sport, debating, all embedded in a strong Christian context (1999).' Mrs Spiller has guided through the development and enhancement of the Junior School facilities, the creation of the Science and Technology building, and the redevelopment of the Performing Arts Centre (PAC), to be known as The Christine Hartland Centre (completed mid-2010) and extension of the Junior School (completed mid-2010).

House system

As with most Australian schools, St Aidan's utilises a house system. The school has six houses:

Notable alumni