From the PDHPE classroom to history, science and beyond, teachers at Queenwood School are working to raise the bar in discipline-specific writing skills – and an instructional framework is paving the way.
Smartphone use is banned within the gates of the Junior School at Queenwood in Mosman. “I don’t think we’ve really had an issue. Girls have brought phones and put them in a box,” says Head of Junior School Anni Sandwell. “But it has meant, after school, we don’t know what they’re doing.” Last year, Sandwell decided to change that.
Outdoor education programs can be life-changing for students, who develop crucial social skills and a newfound relationship with Australia's natural environment. Schools around Australia are creating interesting and innovative ways to help their students become familiar with nature while also developing important personal skills such as confidence, resilience and independence. Queenwood Deputy Principal Mrs Belinda Moore shares how the Queenwood Outdoor Education Program pushes the boundaries of what can be achieved on camp while maintaining attendance levels of over 95% across the school.
Research consistently shows that girls who receive a single-sex education are more confident and emotionally resilient than those who attend co-ed schools. Queenwood School Principal Marise McConaghy discusses how an all-girls education fosters a deep level of self-assurance without restrictive gender norms.
Being “future ready” is a wide-reaching concept, with schools equipping their students with the skills needed to navigate real life. Queenwood's Head of Careers and Pathways, Julie Eggleton, discusses how the girls are encouraged to consider an extensive range of career paths and how they are prepared for life after school.
Co-curricular activities at NSW independent schools are taking students to exciting new places. Students are taking advantage of ways to pursue and develop new skills and interests outside of the classroom. Schools discuss the difference it can make, including Queenwood's Head of Technology and Applied Studies, Mr Greg McArdle and Head of Advanced Technology & Engineering Mr Andrew Draper.
School leaders from across Sydney have shared their hopes for 2024, from vying for class dux to aspiring heart surgeons and talented athletes including our very own Head Prefect Chloe J and Vice Head Prefect Penelope J.
Queenwood Rowing is experiencing its most successful year in its 31st year history with the selection of 5 individual Queenwood rowers who will compete together in the Junior Women’s Coxed Four at the U19 World Championships in Paris.
Like many of her friends, Year 10 student Penny Jin used to love reading when she was in primary school. But a busy schedule and change in priorities meant her love of books slowly waned. That changed over the past two years after her school, Queenwood School for Girls in Mosman, introduced a mandatory 20 minutes of reading for all 900 students at the same time every day, regardless of what class they were in.
Building the QUTE is a hands-on, environmentally friendly exercise where students are supported in turning a vintage 40-year-old ute into a solar-powered electric vehicle that will be used for school deliveries, using reclaimed parts and applying newly acquired skills as they go.
From build-your-own scholarship enthusiasms to broad liberal arts passions, some schools cast a wide net.