Two Sunshine Coast schools are in the running for national education awards, for outstanding achievements and transformative work.
Sunshine Coast Grammar has been selected as a finalist for a Regional School of the Year award, while Matthew Flinders Anglican College is a finalist for Non-Government Primary School of the Year award.
Finalists will be recognised and winners crowned at the Australian Education Awards gala dinner in Sydney on August 11.
Students from Forest Glen-based Grammar – a faith-based co-educational school for Prep to Year 12 – consistently achieve in the top national percentile.
Principal Anna Owen said the school championed regional education opportunities.
“Our learning community at Grammar is designed to deliver a personalised education by providing a wide range of opportunities to identify, ignite and support students’ individual passions,” she said via a press release.
The school boasts a vibrant sporting culture and comprehensive co-curricular programs.
It hosts competitive chess, mathematics and debating, and was recently selected as the first regional school to host the da Vinci Decathlon.
“Providing these opportunities in a regional setting is a significant milestone towards equity in education for children and highlights the importance of a rich, varied, broad and inclusive co-curricular program,” Mrs Owen said.
Students are encouraged to serve the community, through the Grammar Helping Hands servant leadership program, and students have helped to remove more than a tonne of rubbish from local beaches, through a partnership with Clean Up Australia.
“Schools are about more than what happens in the classroom and where the school is located and we are proud to be championing regional education opportunities for our students,” Mrs Owen said.
“It is a priority for our students to contribute to, and remain connected to, the world around them by immersing themselves in and celebrating community at all stages of life, as the Grammar journey does not stop once our students leave the school gates.”
Meanwhile, Flinders principal Stuart Meade was thrilled the college was among the finalists.
“Matthew Flinders Anglican College Primary School is honoured to be recognised as one of the most rigorous and robust schools in the nation,” he said via a media release.
“The Australian Education Awards celebrate the most innovative schools and individuals making a profound difference to teaching and learning across the nation, so it’s wonderful to be in such outstanding company.
“We know that any school is only as good as its people, and this award recognises the efforts and dedication of our Flinders Primary team of more than 70 staff.
“We believe that one of the keys to our team’s success is the commitment, as individuals and collectively, to growing through ongoing, rigorous and expert professional development.”
Flinders head of primary Trudi Edwards said learning “is at the heart of all we do”.
“We are committed to educating our students so they are of good mind and good heart, and grow into capable, open-minded, compassionate and adaptable young people,” she said.
“As a community, we immerse students in a values-rich, high-aspiration environment where kindness and curiosity, expectations and support, responsibility and accountability, enquiry and mastery, encouragement and challenge, and rigour and engagement work together to provide a robust foundation for our students.”
Flinders Primary delivers bespoke curriculum and co-curricular programs that are innovative, rigorous, personalised and evidence-based.
“We take great pride in being recognised as a leading school in human-centred design thinking with our I-care and i-Impact curriculum programs, and providing a strong academic focus with specialist teaching in maths and literacy through our Ready For… approach,” Mrs Edwards said.
“Students are also encouraged to be insatiably curious and to develop creativity through our signature Wonderations curriculum in the Wonderarium learning centre.
“And our Flinders Find My Spark co-curricular program enables students to explore diverse creative and sporting pursuits, delivered by our staff who share their passions and skills.”
The Buderim-based college provides education and co-curricular opportunities for 1380 students from Prep to Year 12.
The primary school supports students from Prep to Year 6 across small class sizes with programs delivered through authentic, real-world learning.
