As long as the journey may seem, school is just the beginning of learning for life.
The joy of working with young people is the atmosphere of growth and possibility, and our shared purpose at Queenwood is to enlarge the possibilities for every girl in our care.
A rigorous academic curriculum within a balanced program of activities has been the hallmark of a Queenwood education for nearly 100 years.
Within a strong learning community, we create space for our girls to engage with big ideas and connect with a diverse range of people and communities. The result is a contemporary liberal education designed to form young women equipped and motivated to make a difference.
Firstly, we are a community that comes together for the purpose of serious study. We strive for outstanding results, but examinations should never overshadow the more important objective of developing flexible, disciplined and creative minds. Our wide offering outside the classroom provides extensive opportunities for each girl to develop the personal qualities essential to her adult life. Whatever her tastes and talents, there should be an arena in which she can forge resilience, tolerance and generosity.
Our examination results are consistently excellent in both the Higher School Certificate (HSC) and the International Baccalaureate (IB) and our graduates go on to world-class universities across Australia and around the globe. Our commitment to the life of the mind, however, reaches far beyond the examination syllabus.
Through participation in Music, Sport, Drama, the Arts, Debating, Technologies and Engineering, Outdoor Education and a multitude of other activities, girls acquire skills and habits that last a lifetime: teamwork, self-discipline, courage, respect, independence, confidence and self-knowledge. Our rich program of activities creates some of the deepest learning and happiest moments. We value our girls not for what they achieve, but for who they are.
In her time at Queenwood, your daughter is likely to change more quickly than at any other time in her life, and being entrusted with her education is a privilege and opportunity that we appreciate at its full value.
“From our beginning with five pupils, our objects have been the same; to give our girls a happy school life, with opportunities for each to learn, to win and to accept defeat gracefully, to do her best work, to play, to develop her manifold and varying interests, to accept responsibility and to find eventually an adult life that is satisfying.”
Queenwood was established in a large Victorian house on the sloping hills of Balmoral in 1925. For nearly 70 years it was guided by three women – Miss Lawrance, Miss Rennie and Miss Medway – who were driven by their conviction that young women were entitled to high-quality education. They built a school in which each girl was encouraged to balance her academic endeavours with a broad program of participation and contribution. They developed a culture of warmth, curiosity and openness. The School was distinctive for its size and strength of community – large enough to provide the full range of opportunities, and small enough for each girl to be known. This has created an enduring legacy that is woven into the fabric of our culture and our community.
With approximately 900 girls in the School, our cocurricular and wellbeing programs are integrated from Kindergarten through to Year 12. These programs are enriched by the interaction between the Junior and Senior School girls and staff. The quality of our offerings are further strengthened by the provision of separate campuses, with specialist staff and facilities able to cater specifically to each age and stage.
“ Every now and then I find a note tucked under my door. ”
Anni Sandwell, Head of Junior School
I am grateful to have been part of a school that has provided me with opportunities to pursue my personal interests, grow in areas I never thought I might succeed in and explore leadership and all it entails. I completed my Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award with support from Queenwood and learned to play guitar and perform music in an ensemble. As Art Captain and Dance Captain I was able to encourage younger girls to foster their love of art and dance whilst also growing my skills and enjoying this creative outlet of my own. Being involved in many aspects of community service has left a lasting impression on me from my time at school, especially spending time getting to know students at Macleay Vocational College, Kempsey and being accepted to volunteer at the homeless service Rough Edges. I will always value the support from teachers who have helped me reach my potential, amplified my abilities and encouraged me to meet and exceed my goals.
Queenwood has imbued me with self-belief. I now feel that I can pursue what I envision for my future with confidence that I was certainly lacking before high school. ”
The young woman who graduates from Year 12 is radically different from the girl who first entered our gates. From the start, girls are welcomed into a strong community of learning where they can engage deeply within a culture of high expectations. Support and extension are offered as our students develop their independence and a strong sense of identity. As the girls grow into responsibility, so their self-confidence and resilience mature, preparing them for their lives beyond school.
Through a rich array of activities and learning environments, girls learn essential skills from their teachers and from each other. As our older girls prepare for adult life, we ensure that our younger girls have the time and space to enjoy the freedoms of childhood.
At each stage there are opportunities for girls to lead their peers and some of the most rewarding moments come as girls make connections across different age groups. The girls themselves provide powerful role modelling, and we delight in seeing them lift each other through their energy, enthusiasm and engagement.
What really matters in a school is the people in it. In this crucial period of development, her relationships and her experiences of challenge, frustration and success will have a lasting impact.
A woman’s ability to develop warm, positive and mutually respectful relationships with men depends more than anything on a strong sense of her own identity, values and worth.
The educational research is clear: girls in single-sex schools achieve stronger examination results, study the full range of subjects and sustain high aspirations for careers and further study.1 Perhaps even more important, are the long-term benefits for girls’ social and personal development.
The gap between the cognitive, social and emotional development of boys and girls is greatest in the primary years. There are significant differences in the development of language, focus, fine motor skills and physicality, impulse control and risk-taking. Our curriculum, lessons and classroom management can be closely targeted towards the needs and capabilities of our girls at every stage.
For older girls, an all-girl environment means fewer inhibitions and the greatest freedom to develop their own identity. In a girls’ school:
every subject, from Physics to Economics, is taken by girls
every sport, from Basketball to Water Polo, is played by girls
every instrument, from the drums to the flute, is played by girls
every leadership position is held by a girl.
1 A good summary of relevant evidence is available from the Alliance of Girls’ Schools Australasia: https://www.agsa.org.au/page/Research/Single-sex_education_for_girls_what_the_research_shows/
We are a relatively small school in which each girl is individually known and has multiple points of contact she can trust. The wellbeing of our students from K-12 operates under the framework of a horizontal yearbased system. In the Junior School, the classroom teacher is pivotal to the ongoing care and delivery of the wellbeing program, while in the Senior School Year 7-12 students are assigned to a tutor group with approximately 14 students and a Tutor. These groups are supported by specialist pastoral care staff including the Classroom Teacher, Tutor, Year Coordinator, School Counsellor and the Director of Wellbeing.
Respect, trust and a sense of belonging are essential for young people to grow, learn and flourish. We have a strong culture which promotes positive relationships amongst staff and students. Girls who are new to Queenwood often comment on the warmth and personal interest shown in them by their teachers and the impact this has on their learning and classroom experience.
Our Wellbeing Program provides a framework from Kindergarten through to Year 12 for learning a range of skills essential to personal development. These include topics such as friendship skills, anti-bullying and cybersafety, sleep and nutrition, study skills and goal-setting, risk-taking behaviours and mental health.
Explicit teaching is accompanied by a variety of peer mentoring and cross-year activities, which are designed to create networks of relationships that support each girl to grow in wisdom, compassion and confidence.
It is important that each girl emerges with an understanding of her physical, emotional and mental health. We work on resilience and flexibility to cope with change and setbacks, understanding that life has periods of challenge along with times of joy and fulfilment.
Relationships are at the heart of a Queenwood education.
At Queenwood our commitment is to a liberal education –an education which, at its core, develops rigorous thinking and the practice of inquiry. We challenge our girls in their personal and intellectual development, encouraging deep reflection and increasing engagement with the wider world.
Our aim is to develop the character, disposition and skills girls need to enjoy the fullness of human experience.
Queenwood provides a well-balanced curriculum that caters to individual differences and reflects our purpose of stimulating a lifelong awakening to the complexity of the world.From Kindergarten through to Year 12, our programs are unusual in their breadth and depth and are delivered by specialist teachers. We believe all students should be exposed to the full range of disciplines and perspectives, from languages to sciences to literature and the arts. In the long progression from infancy to adulthood we can often be surprised by a girl’s evolving interests and talents, and where these can lead her. For this very reason, we offer both the HSC and IB pathways.
Our curriculum and teaching practice are continually reviewed and reshaped according to changing needs and contemporary educational research. We eschew educational fads as we recognise the need to think and plan for the long term. Our facilities are excellent and we emphasise participation in a wide range of opportunities in the classroom and beyond. The essence of Queenwood education, however, is found not in the buildings and grounds but in its people.
Young people learn best in an atmosphere of warmth, openness and trust and the quality of relationship between students and teachers is at the heart of our success. Queenwood girls genuinely enjoy and respect the achievements of their peers and this underpins a culture of mutual encouragement.
Upon entering the sandstone gates at 6 Queen Street, the embodiment of Queenwood’s core values of Truth, Courage, and Service becomes immediately apparent. Unveiled not through signage, but through heartfelt conversations between staff and students, the bold endeavours undertaken during lunchtime play, and the enriching learning experiences observed when walking through the hallways. It is these distinctive elements that set Queenwood apart.
Within these very gates, girls are nurtured to pursue truth in all they encounter, to remain authentic to their own identities, and to recognise the role they play in every interaction. This equips them with a reflective mindset and the necessary skills to confront the ever-evolving world. It is within this nurturing environment that we foster their ability to exhibit courage, inviting them to take risks in their education and to advocate for what is just, preparing them to overcome the challenges that lie ahead.
Both within and beyond these gates is where we seize opportunities to cultivate empathy and foster a sense of community among the girls, encouraging them to support those who are less fortunate. By venturing beyond the confines of our school, we empower them to contribute towards a brighter future, instilling within them a deep understanding of the value of service.
“ Queenwood has been instrumental in nurturing my growth and development, not just within the confines of the classroom, but in the areas of education that I am truly passionate about.”
I taught Mathematics and held school leadership positions for many years before I realised that I was most interested in how students learn.
This led me to Harvard University where I undertook a Master’s degree in Educational Neuroscience. Designed for teachers, the Master’s degree represented the intersection of three subjects: psychology, neuroscience and education. Somewhat unexpectedly, these studies not only enhanced my teaching but equipped me for roles including Data Analytics Manager and Year Coordinator.
An awareness of individual and group psychology underpins the Wellbeing Program at Queenwood. Each week, tutors work with a small group of students to identify each girl’s strengths and capacity for growth. One of the most motivating messages our tutors convey is that sustained, focused practice can lay down new neural pathways and anyone can improve their intelligence through hard work and challenge. At Queenwood we believe that strong intrinsic motivation is fundamental to this process. Knowing each girl and taking the time to work with her one-on-one is something we do really well at Queenwood.
“ We are a school of families rather than just a school of girls.”
To be a foundation for life, an education must inspire enthusiasm for learning and stimulate curiosity about the world. It is unlikely to do so if limited to the narrow bounds prescribed by the authorities or deemed necessary for the workforce.
We take a more expansive view. We encourage lively discussion, wide reading, thoughtful engagement with the best that has been written, thought or said. It all starts in the classroom but this is just the beginning of a strong intellectual culture. We create space for the discussion of big ideas and expect girls to be interested in themand they are.
There are opportunities to:
hear and debate issues with eminent speakers in the Balmoral Lecture series
experience different cultures and perspectives through exchanges and trips
engage with current social and political issues in Australia and around the world
connect closely with young people with radically different life experience and perspectives.
There is no short cut to deep understanding and the role of teachers in providing the right balance of encouragement and challenge is essential. We recognise the expertise and professionalism of teachers as our greatest resource.
In an age of increasingly intrusive regulation, we trust their commitment and skill and accord them genuine autonomy. We reject the idea that all lessons must conform to a single framework and believe that our staff and students can fly when we allow them freedom to explore the world of ideas in their own way.
“A great school pushes beyond the boundaries of curriculum. Our girls need to understand the arc of history, world religions, the impact of major political ideologies and the great intellectual and artistic movements.”
Elizabeth Stone, Principal, 2014-2023
Within a strong learning community, we create space for our girls to engage with big ideas and offer experiences that generate meaningful links with those who have different lives and perspectives.
The range of opportunities at Queenwood is remarkable. We encourage girls to discover what’s possible.
Our extensive cocurricular program is designed to ensure that every girl can find something that appeals to her. By working with others in teams and ensembles, girls develop teamwork, leadership skills and enduring friendships. As they learn about themselves they often light the fires of a lifelong commitment.
All girls in Years 3 to 6 play an instrument of their choice and there are dozens of choirs, orchestras and ensembles tailored to suit the interests of girls of all ages.
Participation in the sports program is voluntary but over 90% of girls choose to play in 18 different sports such as Basketball, Tennis and Rowing. For some, being active with a group of friends is enough; for others, the objective is elite competition at national and international level. The important aspect is that all girls have the opportunity to play.
The drama program begins in our curriculum from Kindergarten upwards and there is a wide range of clubs, productions and opportunities to perform. Additional activities include Chess, Dance, Debating, Public Speaking, Robotics & Engineering along with many others.
Queenwood values the enthusiasm of the novice, the dedication of the elite performer and everything in between. We have outstanding facilities and highly-qualified staff dedicated to getting the best out of every girl. With afternoon sport, weekend fixtures, House activities, clubs, camps, ensembles, trips and excursions, there is something for everyone.
We believe all students should be exposed to a full range of disciplines and perspectives. As such, we have offered both the HSC and IB pathways for more than 20 years and our remarkable results speak for themselves. There are frequent opportunities to learn more about each pathway and we provide girls and families with tailored advice and guidance during the course of Year 10 to assist in choosing the program for their final years.
The Higher School Certificate is the highest academic credential within the NSW school system and allows a particularly flexible choice of subjects. Around 20 subjects are offered at Queenwood, and only English is compulsory.
The International Baccalaureate is a two-year course of study that is offered in over 140 countries and has a distinctive educational philosophy. Students must take one subject from each of six categories (English language and literature, foreign language, humanities, sciences, mathematics, the arts) along with additional activities and courses in research and philosophy.
Queenwood is one of only a few schools in NSW to offer both HSC and IB pathways. Girls can choose a style and pattern of study to suit their interests and preferences.
Ancient History
Aquatics & Swimming
Art Enthusiast Club
Athletics
Basketball
Balmoral Lectures
Biology
Business Studies
Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS)
Cello Ensemble
Chemistry
Chess Club
Choirs
Christian Club
Commerce
Concert Band
Cricket
Cross Country
Da Vinci Decathlon
Dance
Debating
Design & Technology
Digital Art Club
Double Dutch
Drama
Duke of Edinburgh
Economics
Engineering
English
Equestrian
Ethics Olympiad
Fencing
Flute Ensemble
Football
French
Geography
Guitar Building Club
Gymnastics
Hockey
HSC
IB
Language & Literature
Latin
Legacy Day
Lego Robotics
Life Drawing
Maker Club
Mandarin
Mathematics
Mini Sprint
Solar Racing
Minkey
Mock
Mediation
Mock Trial
Model UN
Mooting
Music
Netball
New York Drama Trip
Orchestra
PDHPE
Percussion
Ensemble
Physics
Public Speaking
Red Shield Appeal
QUTE Electric
Vehicle Project
Rowing
Saxophone Ensemble
Sailing
Science
Snow Sports
Soccer
Social Justice
Spanish
Swimming
Swing Band
Symphonic Wind
Tae Kwon Do
Technology
Tennis
Textiles
Theory of Knowledge
Tildesley Shield
Touch Football
VEX Robotics
Violin Ensemble
Visual Arts
Water Polo
World Religions
Write a Book in a Day
Yoga
PLEASE NOTE: ALL COCURRICULAR ACTIVITIES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. PLEASE REFER TO OUR ON OFFER BOOKLET FOR MORE DETAILS.
In the spirit of our founders, who were women of intellect, energy and purpose, we aim to develop young women who know their minds and can navigate their own path, whilst remaining open to alternative views and receptive to nuance.
Our approach rests on the conviction that every student needs to experience both success and frustration to achieve full intellectual, social and emotional development.
As girls move through the School from Kindergarten to Year 12 there are increasing opportunities and expectations for independence. Our curriculum, pastoral care structures and cocurricular programs create a safe but challenging framework within which girls learn to manage their work, their time, their relationships and responsibilities
skills which are essential to a happy and productive life.
We are proud of the contribution that our graduates go on to make in a wide range of fields and regularly invite them back as inspiring mentors and advisors for our students.
We encourage our girls to explore widely as they consider further study and professional pathways. Our Careers Advisor assists them in deciding on courses and applying for scholarships at universities across Australia and around the world.
Within Australia, popular destinations for tertiary study include the University of Sydney, UNSW, University of Melbourne, ANU, UTS and Macquarie. In recent years, our students have won the prestigious Tuckwell Scholarship (ANU), National Scholarship (Melbourne), Chancellor’s Award (Sydney), Coop Scholarship in Engineering (UNSW), Global Leadership (Macquarie) and Elite Athlete Scholarship (Sydney).
Internationally, our graduates enjoy remarkable success and in recent years have been awarded full scholarships to Harvard, Yale and Duke University. They have also received offers from Oxford, Cambridge, Royal College of Music, Imperial College London, Kings College London, London School of Economics, University College London, Bath, St Andrews, Durham, San Francisco and Washington.
Queenwood students have access to a wealth of expertise to help them determine and prepare for the next stage. We regularly hold events and invite speakers, including many Old Girls, from a wide range of areas –from engineering to the arts, medicine to the military, finance to fashion. Our network of recent graduates provides senior students with firsthand advice about studying at Australian and international universities. In this way we support our girls at every stage in the transition from school to university and beyond.
Education is a gift and from those to whom much has been given, much is expected.
We seek to develop an understanding of our place in the world, as the first step to seeking justice, peace and prosperity for all.
We are internationally minded, developing in every student intercultural understanding and an awareness of contemporary social and political issues which complements and deepens understanding of our own cultural and national identity.
We have a strong outward focus, actively engaging students in debates, issues and cultures beyond our boundaries, and offering a range of experiences that generate meaningful links with people who have different lives and perspectives.
This goes beyond our rich language and student exchange programs to cocurricular and service programs that integrate deeper perspectives. Our partnerships locally and globally aim to create sustainable, long-term relationships with mutual engagement and learning as the foundation.
We aim to produce graduates disposed in heart and mind to serve others, and equipped to make a difference.
Professor Dunwoodie is a world-leading researcher whose discoveries are helping prevent birth defects and miscarriages. Her recent work has been described as the most significant breakthrough in pregnancy research this century.
My research covers embryology, genetics, biochemistry and cell biology. My quest is to understand which of the 20,000 genes, present in all our cells, are required to build the heart in a developing embryo, and which of these are altered in babies born with heart defects. I love this research because it is creative, it is fascinating, it is challenging and it is necessary.
When I was growing up we lacked professional female role models. I looked at high achievers and thought they held unobtainable positions. Women were not well-represented in most fields and certainly did not hold the top positions. But they were doing everything at Queenwood. The Principal, every teacher and all the support staff were women.
At Queenwood, women held the power so I believed that I could take control of my destiny and forge my own career.
Inspired by these women, I learnt that high achievement is not the gift of the brilliant few, it comes from consistent effort over a long period. If you work in an area that you love – caring for others, designing buildings, fighting injustice, educating others – then hard work comes more easily and is more rewarding. It is our responsibility to work at what we are good at, for both ourselves and for our community. If you love what you do, you will be happiest and make the greatest contribution.
I am grateful to Queenwood for teaching me to say yes to opportunities as they present themselves.
At Queenwood, women held the power so I believed that I could take control of my destiny and forge my own career.
Gayle Kennedy is a Wongaiibon woman of the Ngiyaampaa nation of South West NSW. Her writing has won multiple awards including the David Unaipon Award. More recently, Oxford University Press published 11 of her children’s books.
As a child, I used to watch the jet trails of planes flying overhead and wonder about the people on those planes and whether I would ever be up there looking down at the land below.
A key turning point in my life was the award of a scholarship to Queenwood where I completed my HSC in 1974. Life in Sydney was completely different from where I had grown up but I was welcomed by the teachers and students. I made great friends and am still in touch with the girls I met when I first arrived. From the very first moment I felt completely and utterly at home. Miss Medway was Principal then and she was all about providing a high standard of education for girls –no domestic science or any of those subjects that used to be taught to girls. I loved English and History but I was a bit of a daydreamer.
Writing is something I just have to do. I can’t stand looking at a blank computer screen. I think a lot and it’s pretty well written in my head. I tell my writing students you just have to let the stories out.
I love connecting with students and humour is very important. It is very much part of what I write, even in the most serious sections. Sharing laughter makes you feel good. Laughter is up there with music in life.
In addition to writing, I am a campaigner for the rights of people with disabilities. I had polio as a child and spent long periods in hospital.
As a wheelchair-user I understand the physical barriers and obstacles that face people with disabilities but too often everyone else gets up to talk for us, which I find very frustrating.
We’ve got voices! I speak out a lot to bring about change because you can’t effect change by staying silent.
I remember the first time I flew back from Europe. I couldn’t concentrate on a movie or book, so I was watching the flight tracking system. I saw the plane fly over my hometown of Hay and I realised: I was up there. I was in the plane that created those jet trails.
“We’ve got voices! I speak out a lot to bring about change because you can’t effect change by staying silent.”
“There is so much that needs reforming in our world today, so many wrongs to be righted, so many poor and sick to be tended, so many weak to be protected. Are not these high adventures, which call for women of strength and courage and purpose?”
Miss Rennie, Principal, 1931-1962Founded by purposeful, independent women who saw beyond their own horizons, commitment to service has always been at the heart of a Queenwood education. We encourage our students at every level to contribute in thought, word and deed: responding to the vulnerable and marginalised with respect and compassion; speaking out with courage; and taking action in their service.
Building this understanding begins with promoting relationships of respect, care and appreciation. From our youngest upwards, our students are actively involved not just in raising funds but learning about the needs and the issues, and taking responsibility to educate and advocate.
In this pursuit, our girls are joined by the wider Queenwood community of Old Girls, parents and friends who actively support a wide range of projects and campaigns. Combining our school community’s expertise and resources to help – from the marginalised Indigenous communities in Australia to homeless services in our local area to schools –Queenwood girls learn that each of us can make a difference.
Truth
In truth we:
– seek knowledge and a deep understanding of the world;
– act with honesty and integrity;
– grow in wisdom and self-knowledge;
– lead upright lives with a strong moral compass.
Courage
With courage we:
– persevere through adversity;
– think and act with independence;
– engage openly and confidently with diverse people and ideas;
– rise to the challenge of the complex and the unfamiliar.
Service
Through service we:
– respect the value of humanity in all its diversity;
– seek justice and peace with humility and compassion;
– stand with the vulnerable and marginalised in our local community and beyond;
– cultivate a generous and joyful spirit.
Children learn more from our actions than our words; we must therefore enact our values every day.
We encourage our girls to build a deep and sustained engagement with issues and communities beyond our School.
For example, through our relationship with Macleay Vocational College, a school offering pathways back for teenagers who have fallen out of education, our girls can meet Indigenous students of vastly different life experience. We exchange regular visits enabling our students to establish meaningful connections with peers whose circumstances could not be more challenging, and whose response is inspiring.
Our girls work actively to fundraise for Macleay’s early childhood centre and other programs to support vulnerable teenage mothers, helping to break the cycle of disadvantage for their children.
By making genuine personal connection, they come to see societal issues through fresh eyes. These initiatives transform girls’ understanding of their own lives and responsibilities. The impact stays with them for a lifetime.
PLEASE NOTE: SPECIFIC TOURS AND IMMERSIONS EVOLVE AND CHANGE. EACH YEAR GIRLS ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN A VARIETY OF TOURS THAT WILL ALLOW THEM TO ENCOUNTER UNIQUE AND OFTEN REMOTE AREAS OF THE WORLD.
