St Clare’s College is a dynamic learning community that has been educa ng and empowering young women for nearly 60 years. Our educa onal philosophy is based on the founda onal belief that every student can learn. We offer comprehensive academic, pastoral, and cocurricular programs that provide students with ongoing opportuni es to grow in all dimensions of their lives.
St Clare's example inspires our community to seek wisdom and live out the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our safe and welcoming environment supports students to become confident, informed, and ar culate young women prepared to take their place in the wider community beyond school.
We pride ourselves on developing and delivering an excellent curriculum catering for the diverse learning needs of our students. Students are encouraged to become ac ve learners and take increased responsibility for their own learning. Our teachers are highly skilled educators with exper se across each of the learning areas. They employ best prac ces in contemporary teaching and learning, supported by the Catholic Educa on Catalyst program, which u lises High-Impact Teaching Prac ces and Classroom Mastery.
ParentBodyMessage
This year has seen the return of families to our College campus. It has been wonderful to see families at the College during 2023 for events such as the community breakfasts, school Masses, OnStage and award ceremonies. We cheered on, encouraged and celebrated our children from the audience during the High School Musical produc on and on the sidelines of debates and sports matches. We hope 2023 marks a new beginning of vibrant family involvement at St Clare's.
Your School Board has been involved in the se ng of the 2023 College strategic plan, new op ons for the College uniform and the move to ver cal, House-based pastoral care for 2024. Thank you to our parent representa ves Anna Gilbert, Samantha Losanno, Susan Harris, Alana Scheiffers and Stephanie Males and our staff representa ves Tony Godden and Phil Coe for their exper se and pa ence and their though ul contribu ons to our delibera ons and decisions. There have been several changes to School Boards proposed by Catholic Educa on during 2023. These changes will result in the dissolu on of the Board and the forma on of an advisory Community Council in 2024.
Thank you for suppor ng our College during 2023.
StudentBodyMessage
This year was filled to the brim with school spirit. The Swimming Carnival started us off in the right direc on, where Year 7’s experienced the immense sisterhood during the day, and Year 12’s chanted their war cries for the last me ever. Before we knew it, the Athle cs Carnival rolled around and our school spirit throughout the day was unmatched with each House par cipa ng in every event to climb up that ladder!
Of course, how could we forget St Clare’s Day. The day started with a beau ful, whole school Mass, where we were able to reflect on our Patron Saint – St Clare of Assisi, and how we can demonstrate Her quali es everywhere we go. Not only was our sisterhood thriving, but this year definitely won best and most crea ve costumes. We brought back the DJ for an epic dance party and the day ended with the most iconic Year 12 dance. It was such an amazing day and truly one we’ll cherish.
We had an amazing SRC team this year, who were con nuously seeking out new ideas to improve our school; from organizing talent show acts, to Stress Less Week ac vi es and star ng next year - Integrated PC.
St Clare's College is a Catholic systemic Girls College located in Griffith.
St Clare’s College is a ‘Spirited Learning Community’ that provides excellent educa on for girls: An All Girls School for all girls. The College creates many opportuni es for our students to grow in their knowledge, skills,confidence and faith and develop into confident, courageous, and capable young women equipped with the skills and knowledge to shape their futures. Students experience an exci ng learning environment that caters for a diverse range of abili es and interests. St Clare’s College offers a full and rewarding academic program. Complementary to our focus on students' academic pursuits, Voca onal training programs and a wide range of performing arts and spor ng opportuni es are all part of the suppor ve and challenging learning environment.
There are many opportuni es for students at St Clare’s to par cipate in extra-curricular ac vi es that complement the academic program including deba ng, drama, dance, music, a wide range of sports and leadership development programs. Student leadership has a high profile in the College through the Student Representa ve Council and the strong House system. The Pastoral Care program promotes the spiritual and social /emo onal development of students, as well as suppor ng their learning needs. Our students are well known in the ACT for their efforts in volunteering, suppor ng chari es and social jus ce ini a ves.
The College is fortunate to have excellent staff and modern resources to support the learning and co-curricular programs that are on off er at St Clare’s. Staff members have the opportunity to a end professional development courses to maintain currency with best prac ce in teaching and learning. We are con nuing our learning journey with the Catholic Educa on Catalyst program focussing on explicit teaching and ac ve learning in every classroom, and Classroom Mastery to enhance the learning environment.
Our physical resources are in excep onally good order, with an annual maintenance program that ensures the facili es are clean, invi ng, and conducive to learning. Our faculty staff are experienced and well-qualified to offer best prac ce in contemporary teaching and learning. The San Damiano Learning Commons is our newest build, with excep onal spaces for senior study, independent and class learning. The inclusion of a Makerspace and unique niches provide alterna ve spaces for students to explore their crea vity and social connec ons.
SectionThree:StudentProfile
StudentEnrolment
The School caters for students in Year 7 to Year 12. Students a ending this School come from a variety of backgrounds and na onali es. The following informa on describes the student profile for 2023:
StudentRetention
* Language Background Other than English
Of the students who completed Year 10 in 2021, 69% completed Year 12 in 2023.
Reten on rate is an area of ongoing a en on; current data shows a posi ve trend. Students do take opportuni es for appren ceships or a end CIT/TAFE. The unique system in the ACT means we are in ac ve compe on with government colleges, which may offer subjects not available at St Clare's.
EnrolmentPolicy
The Catholic Educa on Commission has established an Enrolment Policy for Catholic Educa on Canberra Goulburn schools. Catholic Educa on monitors the implementa on of this policy. The policy has been developed in the context of government and system requirements. Addi onal informa on about enrolling in a Catholic school in the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn can be found on the Catholic Educa on website.
StudentAttendanceRates
The average student a endance rate for 2023 was 86%. A endance rates disaggregated by Year group are shown in the following table.
ManagingStudentNon-attendance
Regular a endance at school is essen al for students to maximise their poten al. The school, in partnership with parents, is responsible for promo ng the regular a endance of students. While parents are legally responsible for the regular a endance of their children, school staff as part of their duty of care monitor part or whole day absences.
School staff, under the Principal’s leadership, support the regular a endance of students by: providing a caring teaching and learning environment which fosters students’ sense of wellbeing and belonging to the School community; maintaining accurate records of student a endance; recognising and rewarding excellent and improved student a endance; implemen ng programs and prac ces to address a endance issues when they arise.
The Principal is responsible for suppor ng the regular a endance of students by ensuring that: parents and students are regularly informed of a endance requirements and the consequences of unsa sfactory a endance; all cases of unsa sfactory a endance and part or full day absences from school are inves gated promptly and that appropriate interven on strategies are implemented; documented plans are developed to address the needs of students whose a endance is iden fied as being of concern; the Catholic Educa on Office designated School & Family Services Senior Officer is provided with regular informa on about students for whom chronic non-a endance is an issue and for whom School strategies have failed to restore regular a endance.
StudentPostSchoolDestinations
Each year the College collects des na on data rela ng to the Year 12 student cohort. The table below sets out the percentages of students for the various categories.
2023 Year 12
Des na on Data
SectionFour:StaffingProfile
The following informa on describes the staffing profile for 2023:
* This number includes 73 full- me teachers and 7 part- me teachers.
Percentage of staff who are Indigenous 0%
TeacherQualifications
All teachers are qualified as required by the relevant authori es.
TeacherAccreditation
Levels of Teacher Accredita on are as stated below:
Number of staff with Lead/Highly Accomplished Teacher Accredita on
SectionFive:AcademicProfile
The Na onal Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual assessment for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. NAPLAN assessment results provide valuable informa on about student achievement in literacy and numeracy. An analysis of these results assists school planning and is used to support the development of teaching and learning programs.
The tables below show average scores for each cohort in numeracy and literacy. The school results shown are compared to the na onal average.
ACTStudentCredentialing
ACT Year 10 Cer ficate
All 202 students in Year 10 successfully achieved the Year 10 Cer ficate.
ACT Year 12 Cer ficate
All 132 students qualified for the ACT Senior Secondary Cer ficate. A Ter ary Entrance Statement (repor ng ATAR) was achieved by 87 students:12 students achieved an ATAR above 90 and 31 students achieved an ATAR greater than 80. Students (26) were awarded a Cer ficate II in a Tourism and Hospitality Voca onal Educa on and Training Course and 12 students completed external RTO courses in training packages: Community services; electrotechnology; ICT; Resources Infrastructure; Retail; Tourism Travel Hospitality Students (6) completed H-Courses at either ANU or University of Canberra.
SectionSix:SchoolPolicies
Catholic Educa on Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn (CECG) has developed a suite of Policies which are implemented by all systemic Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Canberra Goulburn.
The full text of policies relevant to the requirements of Annual Repor ng can be found below:
Behavioural Support, Suspension and Expulsion Policy
Bullying and Harassment Policy
Child Safety Policy
Complaints Handling Summary
Complaints Policy
Safe and Suppor ve Schools Policy
Access to addi onal policies related to CECG schools can be found on the Catholic Educa on Canberra Goulburn website
Further informa on about processes specific to this school can be found on the school’s website.
The opinions and ideas of parents, students and school staff in this learning community are sought and valued. Their sugges ons are considered and incorporated into planning for and achieving improved outcomes for students. This year, the school has used a variety of processes to gain informa on about levels of sa sfac on with the school from parents, students and staff
ParentSatisfaction
Tell Them From Me ‘Partners in Learning' Parent Survey responses were collected from 297 respondents; a con nuing increase in engagement in this data collec on ac vity. Parents noted that the facili es and learning environments are wonderful, providing an excellent experience for students. Feedback indicates that the frequency of parent contact with teachers con nues to improve since COVID restric ons. The majority of parents thought that the school is a place of rich learning and experiences. Parents felt that teachers had clarity on the expecta ons in class and that students were clear on the rules for behaviour, however, addi onal work was needed to ensure consistency in calmness in the learning environment and more mely follow up of issues. Most parents indicated their daughters were happy as a result of being connected to their school and that the school community supports and ar culates the importance of the dignity of each person. There is recogni on that the Religious Educa on Curriculum is increasingly being made relevant to all students.
StudentSatisfaction
The Annual Tell Them From Me ‘Student Engagement Secondary Survey’ was conducted in Term 2, 2023. 632 students across Years 7-12 completed the annual survey, demonstra ng con nued growth in engagement in this data collec on ac vity. Students report that lessons are generally engaging and accessible, providing a strong founda on for effec ve learning. It is heartening to note that most measured outcomes are consistent with TTFM norms, which is a testament to the quality of educa on provided and level of student social engagement. Students iden fy some disengagement or disjointed learning due to staffing changes. Students see learning inten ons and success criteria as most relevant to mathema cs, however, they recognise that efforts are being made to implement them across all subject areas. Across all year levels, there is a trend for students from mid to low SES backgrounds to have a lower sense of sa sfac on about belonging and valuing schooling outcomes, but the trend is blurred or reversed for the level of interest and mo va on.
StaffSatisfaction
The staff at St Clare's College par cipated in the Tell Them From Me ‘Focus on Learning’ Teacher Survey in June, 2023. 46 teachers completed the survey, demonstra ng a decrease in engagement with the survey. These teachers highly rated their collabora on with colleagues on student engagement, sharing resources, assessment and discussing strategies for suppor ng student learning. Teachers highly rated their wri en feedback to students and their use of assessments to monitor student progress. They expressed a desire for greater parent involvement and for the leadership team to be more visible. The objec ves, approaches and methods of Catalyst Professional Learning were clear and the majority of teachers felt supported to make instruc onal decisions based on clear curriculum content, access to adequate and appropriate assessment and confidence in rou nely implemen ng HITP in the classroom. Teachers expressed that they were overloaded with their current responsibili es and may not have the capacity to implement new ini a ves.
Commonwealth Recurrent Grants (46.3%) Government Capital Grants (0%)
State Recurrent Grants (10.4%)
and Private Income (43.4%) Other Capital Income (0%)
Capital Expenditure (2%) Salaries and Related Expenses (69.4%) Non-Salary Expenses (28.6%)
1. Commonwealth Recurrent Grants includes recurrent per capita grants and special purpose grants.
2. Government Capital Grants includes all capital grants received from the Commonwealth and State Governments.
3. State Recurrent Grants includes recurrent grants per capita, special purpose grants and interest subsidy grants.
4. Fees and Private Income include Archdiocesan and school based fees, excursions and other private income.
5. Other Capital Income includes building levy fees and capital dona ons used to fund Capital Expenditure.
6. Capital Expenditure includes expenditure on School Buildings, and Furniture and Equipment.
7. Salaries and Related Expenditure includes all salaries, allowances and related expenses such as superannua on and workers compensa on insurance.
8. Non-Salary Expenses include all other Non-Salary Recurrent Expenditure covering resources, administra on, opera onal expenses, u li es, repairs and maintenance.
This school is one of 29 systemic Catholic schools in the ACT under the governance of the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn and overseen by Catholic Educa on Canberra Goulburn (CECG).
The standards for ongoing registra on of ACT Non-Government schools are set out in Schedule 2 of the ACT Non-government Schools Registra on Standards (Educa on Act 2004, Educa on Regula ons 2005). With the support of CECG, as an ACT Non-Government school we ensure we are compliant with the Registra on Standards in the required areas of Governance, Educa onal Programs, Safety and Welfare, and Other Opera onal Requirements.
CECG undertakes a five-year cycle of compliance review of its system of schools, systema cally assessing each school against the Registra on Standards. The review includes: considera on of a comprehensive suite of compliance documenta on provided by the school;
interviews with members of the school community; and, a full audit of the school premises, buildings and facili es.
It is then determined if each school is maintained and conducted in accordance with all requirements and remains compliant with the Registra on Standards.
Addi onally, each school Principal is required to annually a est to compliance with the Standards and provide evidence to prove this compliance.
Concurrent with the five-year cycle, CECG also employs an annual Compliance Assurance Program, with office staff conduc ng random audits of poten al key risk areas in a selec on of schools, providing feedback and ongoing support to improve prac ce where necessary and ensure compliance.
Our school remained compliant with the standards for ongoing registra on in 2023.
