St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School, located in the Brisbane suburb of Ascot, has been recognised as one of Queensland’s leading educators of girls and young women since 1895. A student-focused academic program and an extensive selection of extra-curricular activities within a supportive and nurturing environment, combine to provide opportunities for students to excel.
Facilities: St Margaret’s historic school and grounds include a state-of-the-art drama and visual arts centre, the indoor Philip Harris Sports Centre and Gymnastics Complex, Olympic and 25-metre swimming pools and a boarding house to accommodate 170 boarding students. In addition, a new $8 million Science and Resource Centre is currently under construction. St Margaret’s also has a rowing and sailing facility at Breakfast Creek and an outdoor sports facility at nearby Windsor Park.
Curriculum Years 6 to 9: St Margaret’s has an extensive transition program that ensures student learning and emotional development continues as they transfer from primary to secondary school. The school recognises the significance of an appropriate interface between the primary and secondary curriculums. The eight Key Learning
Areas of the core curriculum are English, Mathematics, Science, Modern Languages, The Arts, Technology, Health & Physical Education and Studies of Society & Environment (SOSE). Religious and Values Education, and Critical Thinking are also studied. This curriculum is fast-tracked to be completed to Level 6 by the end of Year 9.
Curriculum Year 10: St Margaret’s offers an innovative Year 10 curriculum that allows students to trial subjects that they may wish to include in their senior studies. Students complete the compulsory subjects of English, Mathematics, Science, History, and The Arts, plus one class each week of Health & Physical Education, Religious and Values Education, and Critical Thinking. Four elective units are chosen for study in each of the Year 10 semesters from a wide-ranging selection including introductions to Accounting and Legal Studies, Tourism, Graphic Design, Animation and Multimedia and Computer Game Programming, as well as more conventional subject choices in the Science and SOSE fields. Students may also apply to participate in the school’s International Exchange Program, whereby students travel overseas to study for one term at one of seven participating school’s in Germany, United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand.
Electives Years 11 and 12: All students study English, Mathematics, Queensland Core Skills Preparation, and Religious and Values Education. In addition, students choose electives from subject areas ranging from Commerce, Science, SOSE, Languages, IT, Hospitality, Health, to Music, Drama and the Arts. Chinese International Students may also study Chinese. TAFE studies may also be incorporated into the curriculum.
Sport: Swimming, softball, hockey, netball, volleyball, basketball, badminton, tennis, artistic and rhythmic gymnastics, athletics and cross-country, cricket, sailing, rowing, water polo, life-saving, touch football and soccer.
Co-curricular activities: St Margaret’s offers more than 20 arts and cultural activities including Amnesty International, charity fundraising, Christian groups, debating, drama (musicals, performance and theatre sports), Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme, music (rock and stage bands, Choral Excellence Program — Encorah, voice and instrument choirs, percussion, string, saxophone and wind ensembles and orchestras), public speaking and other interest clubs and camps.
Welfare and personal development: Students benefit from the extensive pastoral care program delivered to each Year level and form class. Students are closely monitored and supported by experienced and caring staff. The pastoral care program, based on the school’s six core values of spirit, faith, integrity, courage, respect and passion, includes extra-curricular activities for senior students with brother school, the Anglican Church Grammar School.
Special features: Primary — Under 8s Week, Colonial Day and Opti-MINDS. Secondary — Curriculum in Context, Opti-MINDS, Future Problem Solving, Tournament of Minds, music and drama competitions and Years 8 to 12 development programs.
Famous ex-students: Kerri Craig (dress designer), Daphne Mayo (sculptor), Geraldine Turner (singer/actress), Una Prentice (nee Bic, first person to graduate with a law degree from Queensland University), Betty Beath (composer), Adair Ferguson (Olympic rower), Alison Mabb (Commonwealth Games swimmer), Sybilla Goode (Sydney Olympic swimmer), Sally Kehoe (Beijing Olympic rower), Bronte Barratt (Commonwealth Games swimmer).