St Peter's Collegiate Girls' School
Encyclopedia
St Peter's Girls' School, (officially Saint Peter's Collegiate Girls' School, also commonly known as Saints Girls), is an independent
girls' school located in Adelaide
, South Australia
. Founded in 1894 and originally located in Kermode St, North Adelaide
(at the current site of the Women's and Children's Hospital), the school is currently located moved in Stonyfell, 6 km east of the Adelaide city centre
.
The school places an emphasis on class sizes of no more than 25, and as such keeps a small enrolment of around 660 girls at any one time. The school, though situated solely on one campus, is further subdivided into a Junior School (K–6), Middle School (7–9), and Senior School (10–12).
St Peter's Girls' is a day school
which offers the South Australian Certificate of Education
(SACE). It is funded by student fees, which range from A$
7,000 to A$
14,000, government grants and substantial endowments from Old Scholars. St Peter's Girls' maintains one of the state's best academic records, with more than 50% of Year 12 students gaining TERs in the top 10% since 1997. In 2006, St Peter's Girls' became the first single-sex school in South Australia to achieve International Accreditation from the Council of International Schools.
and was originally established in North Adelaide
(Kermode St). The school moved to its present site at Stonyfell, just 6 km east of the city of Adelaide, in 1957.
The Sisters who opened the School were Englishwomen who had joined the Anglican Sisterhood founded in 1870 by Miss Emily Ayckbowm, with its headquarters in the London suburb of Kilburn. The members of the community were active in educational and social work in England and, because he knew of this, the then Bishop of Adelaide, Bishop Kennion, asked some of them to come and serve the needs of which he was aware. His request was answered by the arrival in Adelaide of the first Sisters in 1892, and the School opened in 1894 with 4 pupils.
The first lay Head was appointed in 1969. In 1985, the Sisters established an incorporated association managed by a Board of Governors and gifted the school and its assets to this association.
The first day of School at the new campus was Ascension Day, 30 May 1957 with the official opening held on St Peter’s Day, 29 June 1957. The main building originally comprised an assembly hall, tuckshop and 24 classrooms.
During the late 1960s, science laboratories were built, and an extension to the eastern end of the building, for a library, was begun. In the 1970s, the oval was further developed, a sports pavilion was erected, the gymnasium was built, and the swimming pool, the Junior library and the art centre were added. The Humzy Theatre was constructed in 1981, and in 1994 a new Information Technology Centre was completed. In 2001 the front office and car park were refurbished, and in 2004 an "Early Learners' Centre" valued at $500,000 was opened. The campus celebrated its 50th Birthday in 2007.
Current facilities on the Stoneyfell campus include:
A Strategic Plan for the next four years has been released and includes a Masterplan which includes the following upgrades and developments
There are currently no plans for boarding facilities, contrary to the original 1949 renovation plan for the campus.
In 2008, 36% of students gained TERs in the top 5% of the state, and 28 Merit Certificates were awarded in 9 different subjects. The Median TER achieved was 88.5, while two perfect scores of 99.95 were recorded. Most St Peter's graduates continue on to tertiary education, with medicine, law, engineering, arts, and health sciences emerging as popular choices in recent years.
St Peter's Girls' offers 29 subjects at Stage 2 level, with an emphasis on traditionally 'academic' courses.
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
girls' school located in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. Founded in 1894 and originally located in Kermode St, North Adelaide
North Adelaide
North Adelaide is a predominantly residential precinct of the City of Adelaide in South Australia, situated north of the River Torrens and within the Adelaide Park Lands.-History:...
(at the current site of the Women's and Children's Hospital), the school is currently located moved in Stonyfell, 6 km east of the Adelaide city centre
Adelaide city centre
The Adelaide city centre is the innermost locality of Greater Adelaide, known by locals simply as "The City" or "Town". The locality is split into two key geographical distinctions: the city "square mile", bordered by North, East, South and West Terraces; and that part of the Adelaide Parklands...
.
The school places an emphasis on class sizes of no more than 25, and as such keeps a small enrolment of around 660 girls at any one time. The school, though situated solely on one campus, is further subdivided into a Junior School (K–6), Middle School (7–9), and Senior School (10–12).
St Peter's Girls' is a day school
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
which offers the South Australian Certificate of Education
South Australian Certificate of Education
The South Australian Certificate of Education is awarded to students who have successfully completed their senior secondary schooling in the state of South Australia....
(SACE). It is funded by student fees, which range from A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
7,000 to A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
14,000, government grants and substantial endowments from Old Scholars. St Peter's Girls' maintains one of the state's best academic records, with more than 50% of Year 12 students gaining TERs in the top 10% since 1997. In 2006, St Peter's Girls' became the first single-sex school in South Australia to achieve International Accreditation from the Council of International Schools.
History
St Peter's Girls' was founded in 1894 by the Community of the Sisters of the ChurchCommunity of the Sisters of the Church
The Community of the Sister of the Church is a religious order of women in various Anglican provinces who live the vowed life of poverty, chastity and obedience...
and was originally established in North Adelaide
North Adelaide
North Adelaide is a predominantly residential precinct of the City of Adelaide in South Australia, situated north of the River Torrens and within the Adelaide Park Lands.-History:...
(Kermode St). The school moved to its present site at Stonyfell, just 6 km east of the city of Adelaide, in 1957.
The Sisters who opened the School were Englishwomen who had joined the Anglican Sisterhood founded in 1870 by Miss Emily Ayckbowm, with its headquarters in the London suburb of Kilburn. The members of the community were active in educational and social work in England and, because he knew of this, the then Bishop of Adelaide, Bishop Kennion, asked some of them to come and serve the needs of which he was aware. His request was answered by the arrival in Adelaide of the first Sisters in 1892, and the School opened in 1894 with 4 pupils.
The first lay Head was appointed in 1969. In 1985, the Sisters established an incorporated association managed by a Board of Governors and gifted the school and its assets to this association.
Campus and Facilities
The school is situated entirely on 9 acres (36,421.7 m²) of landscaped grounds located on Hallett Road, Stonyfell. Purchased at an auction in 1949, the Stonyfell property known as ‘Chiverton’ featured a two storey, 14 room residence and stables with a 2 room cottage.The first day of School at the new campus was Ascension Day, 30 May 1957 with the official opening held on St Peter’s Day, 29 June 1957. The main building originally comprised an assembly hall, tuckshop and 24 classrooms.
During the late 1960s, science laboratories were built, and an extension to the eastern end of the building, for a library, was begun. In the 1970s, the oval was further developed, a sports pavilion was erected, the gymnasium was built, and the swimming pool, the Junior library and the art centre were added. The Humzy Theatre was constructed in 1981, and in 1994 a new Information Technology Centre was completed. In 2001 the front office and car park were refurbished, and in 2004 an "Early Learners' Centre" valued at $500,000 was opened. The campus celebrated its 50th Birthday in 2007.
Current facilities on the Stoneyfell campus include:
- Heated outdoor swimming pool
- Sports oval
- Seven tennis courts which are used for multiple sports, particularly Netball in winter
- Indoor gymnasium
- Fully equipped fitness centre run by EFM
- Tuckshop
- Home economics wing
- Science laboratories (accommodating biology, chemistry, and physics)
- Four computer labs + portable laptop computer trolley (2 students: 1 computer)
- Separate senior and junior libraries
- Audio-visual room
- 140-seat multi-purpose lecture theatre which is used for many functions
- Five sound-proofed music rehearsal rooms
- Senior study centre
- Year 12 common room
- School chapel
- School museum and boardroom
- Health care centre
- Five school buses
A Strategic Plan for the next four years has been released and includes a Masterplan which includes the following upgrades and developments
- An Extension and Re-Development of the front Carpark allowing 30 additional parking spaces
- Relocated maitnance sheds
- Upgraded Swimming Pool
- New Classrooms on First Floor in the Stott Wing providing spectacular views of the grounds
- Resource Centre Re-Development allowing more access to ICT facilities
- A new Arts Centre to allow 600 Seats in the Hall as well as a ramp down to the Hall for the disabled to be completed December 2010
- New Senior Lockers
- Upgraded Gymnasium with Trophy Cabinets, Changes to the roof line and Glass partitioning
- Upgraded Early Learning Centre
There are currently no plans for boarding facilities, contrary to the original 1949 renovation plan for the campus.
House system
Upon enrolling in the school, students are allocated into one of the four school houses, each named for a prominent figure in the school's history: Kennion (pale blue), Kilburn (gold), Patteson (red), or Selwyn (green). Houses meet several times each term under the leadership of their house's co-captains in either the Junior School and Middle School and the Senior School houses are led by the Year 12 House Captains. Additionally, the four houses engage in numerous inter-house competitions every year, including: Athletics Day; Swimming Sports Day; House Music Eisteddfod; inter-house netball, hockey, tennis, badminton, soccer, softball, and debating; and the hotly contested Choral Night, widely regarded as the community highlight on the school's yearly calendar. The houses strongly divide the school, and fiery atmospheres accompany most house competitions.Academic results
St Peter's Girls' maintains one of the state's best academic records, with results sitting well above those for both the state average and 'like schools'. Since the introduction of the Tertiary Entrance Ranking (TER) to South Australia in 1997, more than 50% of the school's Year 12 students have recorded a TER in the top 10% of the State.In 2008, 36% of students gained TERs in the top 5% of the state, and 28 Merit Certificates were awarded in 9 different subjects. The Median TER achieved was 88.5, while two perfect scores of 99.95 were recorded. Most St Peter's graduates continue on to tertiary education, with medicine, law, engineering, arts, and health sciences emerging as popular choices in recent years.
St Peter's Girls' offers 29 subjects at Stage 2 level, with an emphasis on traditionally 'academic' courses.
Alumni
Some of the school's notable alumni include:- Hon Julie BishopJulie BishopJulie Isabel Bishop is an Australian politician and the current Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of Australia. She holds this title as the deputy leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. She is the party's first female Deputy Leader and the third woman in Australian history to...
, former Minister for Science, Education and Training and Federal Deputy Opposition Leader. - Amanda VanstoneAmanda VanstoneAmanda Eloise Vanstone is a former Australian politician and a former Ambassador to Italy. She was a Liberal Senator for South Australia from 1984 to 2007, and held several ministerial portfolios in the Howard Government. After her resignation from the Senate in 2007, she served as the Australian...
, former Minister for Immigration and current Australian Ambassador to Italy. - Therese ReinThérèse ReinThérèse Rein is an Australian entrepreneur and founder of Ingeus, an international employment and business psychology services company. Ingeus operates from more than 150 locations across the UK, Australia, France, Switzerland, Germany, Korea, Sweden, Poland, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and New...
, prominent businesswoman and wife of Australian Prime MinisterPrime ministerA prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Kevin RuddKevin RuddKevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
(note that she moved schools to Firbank Grammar School) - Sarah McLeod, frontwoman of Australian rock band The SuperjesusThe SuperjesusThe Superjesus were an ARIA award–winning rock band from Adelaide, Australia. They are best known for their singles "Shut My Eyes", "Down Again" and "Gravity".-History:...
- Jen Watts, creator of The FairiesThe FairiesThe Fairies is an Australian television show based on two fairies: Harmony and Rhapsody. They also have friends, including Elf, the Fairycake maker, Barnaby, the Bizzy Buzzy Bee and "Wizzy the Wizard"....
, a children's television show.