Newcastle Grammar School
| Newcastle Grammar School | |
|---|---|
|
Let us be judged by our actions | |
| Location | |
|
Hunter Region Newcastle, New South Wales, 2300 Australia | |
| Coordinates | 32°55′47″S 151°46′50″E / 32.92972°S 151.78056°ECoordinates: 32°55′47″S 151°46′50″E / 32.92972°S 151.78056°E |
| Information | |
| Type | Independent, Co-educational, Day school |
| Established | 1859[1] |
| Status | Open |
| Chairman | Keith Lynch |
| Head of school | Erica Thomas |
| Teaching staff | >90 |
| Years offered | Pre-school – Year 12 |
| Enrolment | >740 |
| Campus |
|
| Campus type | Urban |
| Houses | |
| Colour(s) |
Blue & Burgundy |
| Slogan | "Towards a Brighter Future" |
| Website |
www |
 Entrance to Newcastle Grammar School at Hill Campus | |
 Newcastle Grammar School Hill Campus | |
Newcastle Grammar School is an independent, co-educational, non-selective, non-denominational, Anglican-affiliated day school in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
Established in 1859 as the Newcastle Boys' Grammar School,[1] Newcastle Grammar School is now one of the longest established schools in the region and the leading independent coeducational day school with over 800 students and staff from Pre-school to Year 12. Students attend Newcastle Grammar School from all over the Hunter Region, with a small contingent from country New South Wales and overseas.
Newcastle Grammar is affiliated with the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle,[2] the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA),[3] the Junior School Heads Association of Australia (JSHAA),[4] the Association of Independent Schools of New South Wales (AISNSW)[5] and Hunter Region Independent Schools (HRIS).
Heads of school
| Headmaster/Headmistress | Duration |
|---|---|
| E K Yeatman | 1859–1862 |
| HS Millard | 1865–1896 |
| M E Lawrance | 1918–1932 |
| Z E Martin | 1933–1951 |
| M Roberts | 1952–1959 |
| E Heath | 1960–1964 |
| L Thompson | 1965–1967 |
| K Stewart | 1968–1976 |
| D Lloyd | 1977 |
| R H Morgan (Executive Principal) | 1977–1991 |
| A Coombes | 1978–1985 |
| B L Charlton | 1986–1988 |
| A Green | 1989–2014 |
| E Thomas | 2014–present |
Campuses
Newcastle Grammar School is situated on two campuses.
Park Campus – Cooks Hill (Pre-School – Year 4)
Located 2 km (1.2 mi) from the Hill Campus, this Campus features a Pre-school that caters for children in the year before Kindergarten, library, music room and computer rooms. The Sandi Warren Performance Centre is used for musical and dramatic productions, assemblies, physical education lessons, lectures and dinners.Park Campus is on Union and Corlette street and is across from a national park which has many sports facilities like netball/basketball courts.
Hill Campus – The Hill (Years 5 – 12)
Located on The Hill overlooking the city of Newcastle and the beaches, this campus caters for students from Years 5 to 12 in a mix of historic and modern buildings.
The Holland building hold two lockers rooms, for Tyrell and Shortland, while Parnell holds Macquarie and the canteen area holds Hunters.
In year 5&6, there is a music program where students are allowed to try various Brass and woodwind instruments, including the French horn, trumpet, clarinet, flute and saxophone or can continue the string instruments learned in year 3&4, at the park campus. If students wish to continue these instruments, the can get private lessons in the music basement, during school or after school, by professional music teachers.
Curriculum, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities
Students have the opportunity to participate in a range of subjects including, English, Mathematics, Science, French, Japanese, Geography, History, Visual Art, Music, Technology (Bridge Design, Engineering, Digital Media, Textiles, Food Technology, Wood Design, Robotics), PDH & PE, Dance, Divinity and Drama. HSC electives include English Advanced, Extensions 1 and 2, Mathematics General, Extensions 1 and 2, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Modern History, Ancient History, History Extensions, French Continuers, Japanese Continuers, Drama, Economics, Geography, Visual Arts, Music 1 and 2, PDH & PE, Business Studies, Legal Studies, Studies of Religion, Design and Technology, Hospitality and Information Processes and Technology. Students are required to participate in a variety of co-curricular activities, including Musical Groups, Debating, Drama Productions, Tournament of Minds, Mock Trial, Young Achievers, Lions Youth of the Year Quest, Duke of Edinburgh Scheme, Service and Adventure Training Unit and various team sports. Students are involved in community service and support charities in their work.
Students are expected to participate in a minimum of one co-curricular activity from Years 5 to 12.[6] These activities include sporting activities, such as tennis or touch football, or musical such as Concert Band or symphony orchestra. Students can perform in any sporting event, but for symphony orchestra, the student must audition to show that they are a suitable level to perform in that band.
House system
Upon entry to the School, each student is allocated, according to age and gender, or family tradition, to one of the four houses:
- Hunter (green) – named after John Hunter
- Macquarie (red) – named after Lachlan Macquarie
- Shortland (gold) – named after John Shortland
- Tyrrell (sky blue) – named after Bishop Tyrrell.
On the Hill Campus, each House is divided into two sections – Stewart (Years 5 to 8) and Berkeley (Years 9 to 12) – with each section composed of small, vertically streamed, single sex Mentor Groups. The Mentor, supported by the House Coordinator, monitors students’ overall progress and wellbeing and establishes a long term, caring relationship with them. Mentor groups meet twice each week and also sit together during Chapel and Head of School’s Assemblies.
At Park Campus (Pre-School to Year 4), the roles of the House Coordinator and Mentor are undertaken by the Class Teacher and the Assistant Head of Park Campus.
Recently, the two leading house have appeared to be Hunter (green) and Macquarie (red). This seems to be the larger amount of students in these houses over the other two houses. For four years in a row, Hunter has won the Stewart swimming carnival, the most recent being extremely close to Tyrell, winning by under ten points.
Student wellbeing
The Student Wellbeing programme reflects the overall educational philosophy of Newcastle Grammar School. The programme aims to foster resilience, promote respect for each other and ourselves and cultivate the relationships with one another. Staff strive to ensure that each student is known and valued as an individual, experiences a sense of belonging and feels safe. In this way the social and emotional wellbeing of each student is promoted.
The wellbeing of the students is one of the prime concerns of the School. A focus on the holistic wellbeing and progress of the students is ensured through:
- the explicit integration of the principles of positive education into the School’s curriculum
- the philosophy, structure and practices of the House and Mentor system on the Hill Campus
- the explicit teaching of targeted wellbeing programmes
- the care shown by Staff in their daily interactions with students.
See also
References
- 1 2 "Newcastle Grammar School". School Choice. Archived from the original on 14 September 2009. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
- ↑ "Directory of Anglican Schools & Independent Schools with Anglican Affiliation" (PDF). News South Wales. NSW Provincial Commission on Christian Education. March 2007. p. 16. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
- ↑ "New South Wales". School Directory. Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia. 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
- ↑ "JSHAA New South Wales Directory of Members". New South Wales Branch. Junior School Heads' Association of Australia. 2007. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
- ↑ "Hunter Region". NSW Independent Schools by Region. Association of Independent Schools of New South Wales. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
- ↑ Newcastle Grammar School Co-curricular Activities 2004