Queensland secondary school system | ExpatWoman.com
 

Queensland secondary school system

A Rancher6136
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Latest post on 06 October 2013 - 14:58

Could anyone please give me some info on the Qld secondary school system? More specifically about subject choices in the final years and how the OP is calculated. How many subjects do students do in the final years and how many years study counts for the OP.
I know I can google this but when someone with direct experience gives info it is always more helpful. Thank you

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A Rancher6136
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Latest post on 02 December 2013 - 22:36
Thank you ladies, you are all giving me no end of help and I greatly appreciate it.
Scotchanddiet
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Latest post on 02 December 2013 - 22:24
If I had a choice (ie all had places) then I'd chose: All Hallows' (I'm a 2nd generation old girl ;) Somerville House (excellent reputation) Brisbane Girls Grammar
Anonymous (not verified)
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Latest post on 02 December 2013 - 22:24
I think you will find there is a wide range of backgrounds in all private schools in Brisbane ranging from high income, well known families to those parents who are struggling to send their children to good schools as well as everybody else in between. I always think children will always find friends wherever they are. I wouldn't worry about that aspect of it. GPS stands for "Greater public schools" and was based on the old British system of "public schooling" ie, private schools. There are several GPS schools in Brisbane including the ones listed already plus a few others. They compete against each other in sport, music, etc. Basically, in Queensland, if you have attended a GPS schools you have "one foot in the door" already. Both my sons attended a GPS school in Queensland and both now are doing very well and using the the old school tie" on occasions in their chosen fields, according to them.
A Rancher6136
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Latest post on 02 December 2013 - 20:39
Thanks Mrsb, I hadn't ever heard of the GPS schools so good to know about that. Thank you. I'm a bit worried about the "posh/ snobbish" element in the private schools. Will it matter what car you drive, size of house etc? <em>edited by A Rancher on 02/12/2013</em>
Anonymous (not verified)
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Latest post on 02 December 2013 - 17:52
I would definitely go for Somerville House - no competition. (Of course that I am an old girl has nothing to do with it). It is a great school - not large, well discipline, good academic record, well run, open to all - religions, races etc without question. Overall a great school. If we were living back in Brisbane, that would be the school of my choice. My mother attended Somerville House and so did my sister and I. It is a school full of traditions with a great respect for traditions, family, hard work, and honour - hence the "Honours before Honour" school motto. Definitely I would go for a GPS school in Australia - the system still opens doors. As Scotchanddiet says, the "old school tie" is alive and well - even flourishing in Queensland. Don't underestimate its power and the doors it can open. In Australia, it is what school you attend not what university you attended. The first question someone will ask, even socially, is "what school did you go to". So, if you decide against Somerville House, then go for St Margarets, Girls' Grammar, St Peters, Clayfield College, St Hildas on the Gold Coast etc - all GPS schools. By the way, Somerville House is NOT Anglican but rather run by the Uniting Church, hence allowing any religion to attend. If you decide on the public system and you can get hour DD into it, Brisbane State High school is the only one to attend - in fact, it is also part of the GPS system and competes with the other private GPS schools in sport and swimming. The Private vs. Public school debate is huge in Australia, especially Queensland and you will get three answers to the question, one from privately educated GPS school graduates, one from privately educated non GPS educated, and one from the state school graduates. I cannot stress strongly enough the importance of the GPS group of schools in Australia and the doors they can open throughout life.
A Rancher6136
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Latest post on 02 December 2013 - 16:28
Ladies, I'm back looking at Queensland schools again. I've had a look at the league tables and they are all very close at the top! I liked the look of Brigidine College mainly because it seems a bit smaller than the others. Do any of you know anything about this one and it's primary school Holy Family? If you had the choice between Indooroopilly State High, Somerville House, Brisbane Girls Grammar & Brigidine College which would you go for? I don't know if we'll have that choice, just trying to get some opinions. Thank you very much. ETA All Hallows is full for the next few years! <em>edited by A Rancher on 02/12/2013</em>
A Rancher6136
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Latest post on 07 October 2013 - 21:49
Thanks for all the info, it's all so helpful and greatly appreciated. <em>edited by A Rancher on 07/10/2013</em>
Scotchanddiet
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Latest post on 07 October 2013 - 21:39
Is there a big difference in private and state schools in Brisbane? Oh yes indeedy and boy will people be ready to give you their opinion of the best schools! Or argue that 'they did just fine in state school' ;) It's a very emotive topic in Brisbane. The 'old school tie' is alive and well in Brisbane more than anywhere else, and even nearing the age of 40, whenever I meet someone from Brisbane, one of the first questions I am likely to be asked is 'where did you go to school'. It's a loaded question and is an instant identifier amongst Brisbane folk, giving away your upbringing, your family history and your perceived status all in one answer. Those not educated in a private school (or Catholic- they are considered 'private') will be quick to say that it doesn't matter but it still is [i'>very[/i'> relevant in Brisbane. Law firms, engineering firms- all professional roles- will still heavily recruit based on the secondary school attended and having the 'right' alma mater matters. Now. Onto your orginal question. Yes there are some great state schools- Kelvin Grove, Indooroopilly, Kenmore and The Gap to name a few that consistently do well. And of course Brisbane State High, which competes with the GPS schools and is considered a pseudo private school. Some of these (KG, Indooroopilly) do the IB curriculum as well as the OP. There are private/catholic schools with better reputations that others,and some are perceived to turn out 'ladies over ladettes' or vice versa. Not getting into the nitty gritty of it, should I have daughters, and be living in Brisbane I would enrol them in the following (in no particular order): Somerville House (Anglican) All Hallows' School (Catholic) Brisbane Girls Grammar (non church affiliated) St Margarets (Anglican) Lourdes Hill (Catholic) (if living on the south side - now that's a whole new arguement ;) ) or if wanting to do IB St Peters Luthern, Indooroopilly (Lutheran) Indooroopilly State High (catchment controlled) Kelvin Grove College (state) Or if circumstances meant a state school: Brisbane State High (state but very heavily catchment controlled) Kenmore State High Indooroopilly State High Good luck navigating this potential minefield!!
EmmaRitz83564
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Latest post on 07 October 2013 - 14:43
If she makes a good group of friends, they will be there, too. My younger cousin goes to Grace Lutheran and she is a sporty little thing and her parties are very safe. Boys and girls, drinking for some, but drinking amongst friends. I never felt unsafe growing up. The only times I felt a bit nervous/risky was when I went into the City or down to the Gold Coast for a party. But wines and fancy dress is another style of private party. It is all about her friends. And now with social media you can monitor that so simply.
A Rancher6136
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Latest post on 07 October 2013 - 14:35
Emma, I'm scared!:-) My daughter loves parties but the ones she attends here are pretty tame.
EmmaRitz83564
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Latest post on 07 October 2013 - 14:32
The non academic side, that you get to know, the street reputation. For my area, public schools dealt, private were dealt to. Weekend parties are the norm. Public school parties were rough, drinks, other narcotics and fights. Private school parties were like a scene from Gossip Girl. Money, lots of expensive/high quality drinks/narcotics, in very nice homes, with parents abroad or laughing as they walked out to their own parties. The girls schools had some very naughty girls. Very naughty, very spoilt girls. Do not let this scare you. I mean this is teenagers in EVERY country, breaking away from authority. But just so you have an idea of what teen life offers there. There are many social groups who do not attend these parties, though. My friends who did not are now doctors, lawyers and journalists, so do not worry :) just know the streets :)
A Rancher6136
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Latest post on 07 October 2013 - 14:19
Thanks very much Emma. All the info is very useful. I'm sorry I didn't understand your last line" If you want to social reputations of these let us know, too."
EmmaRitz83564
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Latest post on 07 October 2013 - 14:12
Private, hands down. My cousins went to Clayfield College, other friends went to Moreton Bay Girls, both brilliant academics. My high school was not Catholic, but it was /is one of the top in QLD. Here is the devil in the detail: Students coming from overseas fit in quite easily at private. Most other students had traveled and could compare, others were expats. In the public schools, most did not have a passport and the statement "why would I leave Australia? We have everything here" was very common thinking. The girls schools have a normal girls school reputation. If I took mine back, it would be public for primary only. Not for high. And the people they'll meet at high are great for networking ops later in life. You'll meet the kids of the bigger players therein. Academically, well, it's 4 forms vs 12. It's classes of 22 v 35. It is private attention vs group attention. If you want to social reputations of these let us know, too.
A Rancher6136
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Latest post on 07 October 2013 - 14:07
Thank very much Judy for all the great advice and insight. I really appreciate you taking the time to write.
australiajudy
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Latest post on 07 October 2013 - 13:43
Ah - the good old private vs public debate of Australian schooling. MINEFIELD! There is a huge difference between the bad schools and the good schools in Australia. But not all bad ones are public and not all good ones are private. I got a fantastic OP score having attended a small country school that won't appear near the top in any league table! If you could get your child into Brisbane State High for free I can't imagine why you would send them anywhere else. Kenmore High School and Indooroopilly HIgh School are also great schools and in a nice areas too (they are adjacent to each other sort of). My cousins went to St Peters Lutheran (which appears right at the top) for 5 years as boarders and they got OPs of 20, 21 and 25! that was money well spent now wasn't it??? And they weren't stupid people - in fact after doing bridging TAFE courses 2 of them became engineers eventually. The league tables are an interesting place to start but don't tell the full story of educational outcomes. Obviously private schools are selective in who they take (ie. only those who can afford it) whilst public schools must educate whoever lives in their catchment. Public schools in good catchments across Australia are fantastic but so too are the housing prices in these areas! My children attended a state school in Australia but they were in primary school only. Also schools - private and public receive government funding to some degree. Private schools range across the spectrum too. The low fee paying ones are rarely worth it in my opinion. I don't do Catholic whatsoever so I would never even consider this for my children. Religion will be an integrated part of their education should you choose to send them to a catholic school. Usually the best private schools are the grammar or anglican ones. These are also the most expensive but religion will usually be less a part of the school life. Me personally who detests the mixing of religion and education would steer clear of any catholic, lutheran or school within the 'christian' umbrella which is the schools usually labelled X Christian College. But that is my personal opinion. For example my sister sends her kids to a low fee catholic school - but her husband is catholic. You also need to consider if you want a single gender school. And what sort of other facilities (sporting, music etc) you want. I hate that in some Australian states the best schools are single gender whereas I would prefer a co-educational school. Yes, catholic schools will give priority to catholic children. The other religious schools (anglican, lutheran, grammar etc) usually take anyone regardless of religion but everyone will be expected to do some religious stuff (but not too much compared to catholic schools). I would agree that the top private schools give a lot better value for money than the private schools in Dubai. This is a big part of why we won't be staying here for secondary schooling. I don't know if a private school would do more to settle someone in. You would find that most of the children in all schools private and public, would have been there for many years together by year 11. There are some private schools that do take an extra class for year 11 but not all. If you could find one like this I would definitely explore further. Having thought about what I would do in your position - I would probably try to approach some of the top ranked private schools such as St Margarets or Girls Grammar to see if they could take your daughter. As an international move you would probably have a good chance of getting in TBH, especially if your daughter has done well at school so far. The fees are only for 2 years and I would probably think they would be a gentler environment compared to some of the State Schools (but being all girls she might find it very bitchy with already established friendship circles). That's unless you were living in the Brisbane State High School catchment in which case it would be a no brainer!
A Rancher6136
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Latest post on 07 October 2013 - 08:54
Another question, sorry! I've heard that some of Catholic girls schools in Brisbane are very good and a bit cheaper than other private schools. Is preference given to Catholic applicants? Only fair if it is really. ETA: is there really a big difference between government and private schools in Queensland? I've checked league tables and some state schools in good areas are rated as well as the top private schools. I'm thinking from the point of view of helping someone settle in, the private schools might do a little more. I'm comparing fees too- quite an eye opener even with a strong Aussie dollar, we are paying much more than top private schools in Brisbane but not getting that much extra. Thanks <em>edited by A Rancher on 07/10/2013</em>
A Rancher6136
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Latest post on 06 October 2013 - 18:14
Judy & Emma, thank very, very much. You've given me a lot of useful information.
australiajudy
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Latest post on 06 October 2013 - 18:00
I doubt you need any 'Australian specific knowledge' but obviously almost all the children will have studied within Qld for the past 10 years. The only subject that really would have australian specific stuff at the higher levels would be modern history (which would start from a basis of knowing about australian settlement etc.) I personally would seek to do at least year 10 in Australia from a settling point of view as the curriculum is quite demanding and a bad score even in the first term of year 11 will impact on your outcome. I did year 10 at a different school to the one I did years 11 and 12 at though. My parents had sent me to boarding school in year 10 to settle me in preparation for years 11 and 12 but I hated it and went home for the final years. What you study up to year 10 doesn't really impact on your choices for year 11 and 12 though. for example (back in the dark ages) I did the compulsory core subjects of Science, Maths and English plus History (we chose between history and geography), Art, Home Economics and Drama in year 10. Whereas for years 11 and 12 I did Maths, English, and the 3 core science subjects. If you hadn't done science to year 10 you would struggle with year 11 and 12 science. Same for maths. But I am assuming year 10s do science and maths everywhere. The other issue will be age as the cut off for students. You will have to check which year your child would go into as it might be different. Also obviously the school year in Australia runs January to December. So if for example you move over summer here you would have to repeat at least one term of the already completed year. just a few considerations us aussies have to think about...
EmmaRitz83564
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Latest post on 06 October 2013 - 17:57
Not at all. I didn't need to know anything Ausstralia for my senior years. My only Australia specific subject was legal studies which was begun with the assumption you knew nothing about Australian law. For English, I still remember some assessments, one was to write a paper on the American Dream, as we had read a book about it. Another was to write a research paper using referencing on biotechnology. We read Pride and Prejudice and did a book review of it, also. Ancient History and Geography also required no Aus-centric knowledge. Australians do use A LOT of slang, but not in the classroom. Depending where you're coming from, the only difference would be in things such as organize v organise etc. <em>edited by EmmaRitz on 06/10/2013</em>
A Rancher6136
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Latest post on 06 October 2013 - 17:06
Thanks so much Judy. I appreciate the time you are taking to explain all this. I'll check the Qld Studies Authority website, thanks for that ref. My final question, for now anyway ? is if a student does just their last 2 years in the system could they do just as well as someone who has been there for all their schooling? I know it will depend on how hard the student works, settles in etc but I'm wondering if they need a lot of "general Australian knowledge" to do well and if the OP is decided on the work of the final two years.
australiajudy
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Latest post on 06 October 2013 - 16:16
English is separate to history and geography. Which are studied as separate subjects.
australiajudy
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Latest post on 06 October 2013 - 16:16
In Queensland - when I did it - English is like English Literature but is really what we would call 'literacy' rather than focussed on reading literature only. So - writing of all types and reading and interpretation as such.
australiajudy
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Latest post on 06 October 2013 - 16:14
Queensland is still doing their OP system - yes, over the next few years the subjects will merge from the QSA subjects to the National Curriculum subjects but this hasn't happened as of yet in total. It appears that some subjects have been done under the national curriculum whilst others are still being developed. But at this stage it won't change the way that Qld delivers their OP system. There is a really good fact sheet on the Qld Studies Authority website which also lists all the applicable subjects. Not all schools will offer all subjects. The biggest difference between Qld and lets say NSW and Vic is the way that they examine students. NSW and Vic put most emphasis on standard testing - ie. same test delivered to every student in the state doing the same subject on the same day. While Qld does school based testing which is moderated to ensure similar levels. As far as I can see from the Qld Studies Authority page they are still using the QCS test which is an achievement test rather than an IQ test. Ie. it tests how much you learnt in 12 years but is not an IQ test as such. It includes a mix of short writing, long writing, mathematics and logic kind of stuff. EmmaRitz is correct in that schools will discourage some students to not do the QCS test to ensure they don't drag others down - as this is the way that subjects and schools are levelled as such. At the lower years the national curriculum is more developed and being adopted although some states (like WA) are still resisting somewhat.
A Rancher6136
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Latest post on 06 October 2013 - 16:07
Judy & Emma thank you both so much for explaining the system. It makes everything much clearer.! Is the English "English Literature" or "English Language" and would not having lived in Australia for a while affect the student's ability to do well in English? I'm wondering about idiom, general knowledge of Australian history & places etc Thank you
EmmaRitz83564
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Latest post on 06 October 2013 - 15:54
Australian wide is now single CIRRICULUM,, not QLD VS NSW etc. The QCS is also what the OP is graded off as your schools average 'intelligence' (very IQ questions), as weighted against others. So public schools may give their students the option to not go for an OP (overall position), so opt out of the QCS test, which allows less academic students to not drag down the score for the rest.
australiajudy
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Latest post on 06 October 2013 - 15:43
To add... Some students do 5 subjects (including English) but this means every single subject will count. Other students will do non counting subjects - such as Animal Husbandry (I grew up in the country), outdoor education etc. Students who do 'easy' subjects - lets say like home economics will often do worse in their final score - not because they do poorly - but because as a group students who do home economics do less well on the moderating exam the QCS. So you want to choose subjects with good students!
australiajudy
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Latest post on 06 October 2013 - 15:40
The calculation is very tricky to explain - but in my opinion one of the fairest systems in the World. There is no external assessment and assessment across the full 2 year counts to your outcome. It is very onerous for teachers though in terms of marking and moderation requirements because of this. It is also very transparent because your marks over the 2 years are published for you to see and question if you need to. My understanding (and I did an OP a long time ago now). Qld students choose 6 subjects - one of which much be English. As far as I know students also do at least one maths subject. Maths A is the easiest of the Maths, Maths B next and Maths C is the optional one. To do maths C you must also do Maths B. Students do the same 6 subjects for 2 full years - year 11 and 12. There top 5 subjects count towards the calculation of the OP (ie. you drop your lowest score). The assessment of the subjects is completely school based with extensive external moderation. The only standard testing done is the Core Skills Test (QCS) which gives a score between A and E. The results of this standard test have little bearing on the individual students final OP Score. The QCS is the moderator for schools and subjects. In the eyes of weighting all subjects are equal. But the QCS test provides a way of saying which subjects are harder in reality. Ie. The smartest students do Maths C so as a group across the state and within the school they score highest on the QCS test and therefore the subject will hold out better for the students. Ie. if you do the subjects that other smart students do you will get a better score than if you do subjects that less able students do. However, if you whip the others in your year - ie. you do REALLY well at history whereas the rest of the students do poorly you can still do well even though as a group they will score on average less on the QCS. The scores are bell-curved between 1 and 25 - 25 being the highest. You can do a calculation to convert directly to other states scores though. Only about 1.6% of students get a 1 or a 25, whereas more get 12's for example. I was a nerd student so I did - Maths B, Maths C, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and English! It was a hard 2 years. This combination is considered the best chance to get the highest score because the top students do it. It also allowed me to drop English - which at age 16 was my weakness!
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