Since Wenona was established in 1886 under the motto Ut prosim, that I may serve, the school has sought to support, educate and inspire students to become confident young women who will revel in the challenges ahead of them.
Wenona passionately believe in the effectiveness of girls’ education to empower young women to develop their strengths and talents. All staff are themselves life-long learners, equipped to bring out the best in their students, both pastorally and academically. They believe in the value of each girl, and are committed to their growth, from youngest years, through adolescence to their final examinations, valedictory and life beyond school.
Impressive academic performance is achieved when girls are engaged and supported. Specialist educators cater for the varying needs of students, and Wenona’s Educational Support Services team work with parents, class teachers and specialist teachers to enable all students to achieve their potential and experience a sense of belonging and personal success.
Wenona’s Design Thinking approach to learning develops the capacity for creativity and innovation, drawing from various disciplines and honing critical thinking and collaboration.
Wenona was the first girls’ school in NSW to offer Engineering Studies as an HSC subject, and has its own STEM elective for girls in Years 9 and 10. Student-run interest groups including a Space Science Club, Maker Club, Car Restoration Club and Years 5 and 6 Robotics run regularly.
Wenona’s Evening Study Centre is available to senior students to provide a study and research space that is supported by academic staff four evenings per week.
Subject offerings are wide and include a choice of five languages. Extension options for English, Mathematics, History, Music and some languages are available for Preliminary and HSC courses. The Wenona website offers more detail on the range of subjects in Junior School, Middle School and Senior College.
Wenona also offers a healthy environment, with rich opportunities beyond classrooms. Through involvement in sport, debating, cadets, creative and performing arts, leadership and service, girls discover their creativity, teamwork, work/life balance and other life lessons they will take with them after graduating. A range of co-curricular sports is available and girls participate in IPSHA and IGGSA competitions. There are a number of extra-curricular sport lessons available in Swimming, Gymnastics, Tennis, Diving, Fencing, Pilates and more.
Wenona has a strong sense of community, and aims to instill in students a sense of hope, purpose and service. The school aims to see its ‘renaissance women’ graduating from Wenona as intelligent, gracious, compassionate and capable adults, filled with a sense of humour and a capacity for adventure. Service Learning is embedded in the curriculum from Kindergarten to Year 12, and is always age-appropriate to foster an awareness of the needs of others at home, at school, in Australia and overseas. Wenona’s global service learning adventures are inspiring, with young women from Year 9 to Year 12 able to contribute to communities in remote Australia, Asia, South America, Africa and Europe.
With a series of engaging camps and adventure trails, girls from Year 3 through to Year 12 discover the power of self-reliance and motivation as they step outside their comfort zones in Outdoor Education activities which might include Abseiling, Canoeing, Canyoning, Rock Climbing and Mountain Biking. Wenona supports The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme for girls from Year 9.
The goal is for each Wenona girl to go from strength to strength, develop courage and resilience, and have a strong sense of self, so they can go on to shape their worlds into the future.