University High School, Melbourne
Encyclopedia
The University High School (UHS or Uni High) is a public, co-educational high school
, located in the Melbourne
suburb of Parkville
.
, in 1910, the "University Practising School" was opened in a former primary school on the corner of Lygon and Lyton Streets, Carlton. In 1913, it changed its name to "The University High School" after the closure of the older private school
.
Since 1930, the University High School has occupied a site in Story Street, Parkville, adjacent to the Royal Melbourne Hospital
and in close proximity to the Royal Children's Hospital
, newly built Royal Women's Hospital, University of Melbourne
and the Central Business District
.
During World War II
, the United States Army
set up a camp on the school oval. Additionally, 240 extra students from MacRobertson Girls High School transported to UHS for schooling as their buildings were also seized by the military.
An A$8 million upgrade of the school facilities was completed in 1997. The school experienced major disruption and change during the previous years through dislocation of classes and staff. The completion of the works has given the school modern facilities with appropriate specialist rooms.
In 2001, The Sun-Herald
ranked University High tenth in Australia's top ten schools for the education of girls, based on the number of its female alumni mentioned in the Who's Who in Australia
.
sub-school, consisting of Years 11 and 12. This vertical structure does not extend to the delivery of curriculum which is based on a horizontal year level program.
Years 7 to 10 have three sub-schools, Brookes (Red), Sharman (Blue) and Chapman (Green), named after previous Principals of the school. Students in Year 7 enter a sub-school and stay with this cohort for their management and pastoral care until year 10. Each of these units has a Head of sub-school and three sub-school Co-ordinators, responsible for approximately 250 students. The Sharman sub-school was named after Mr Matthew Stanton Sharman, the Brookes sub-school is named after Mr L. R. Brookes, and the Chapman sub-school is named after Mr R.E. Chapman. The Bryce sub-school is named after Mr P.D.A. Bryce, and consists of over 450 VCE students in years 11 & 12. The Head of the Bryce VCE sub-school works with a team of seven sub-school Co-ordinators and with the Work Education Co-ordinator. The sub-school's colour is yellow.
credentials until they finish Year 12. The school offers a variety of VCE subjects including Specialist Maths, German, French and Latin and a number of Vocational Education and Training (VET) subjects .
The University High School offers a Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development-recognised Select Entry Acceleration Program for willing, academically able students which allows them to potentially complete their high schooling in 5 years (in earlier times students participating in the school's acceleration program could potentially complete their high schooling in 4 years). The curriculum of years 7-10 is completed in 3 years. In reality, different subjects are accelerated different amounts. In particular, almost all students complete the pre-VCE Mathematics curriculum in the first two years (normally completed in four). Acceleration Programme students are also the only students to take three years of Latin. For simplicity, they are considered to have completed years 7, 9, and 10. After their third year at UHS, they graduate into VCE and complete years 11 and 12 as part of the main stream. This intense Programme gives participating students a head start for VCE.
To participate in the Programme, a student must undertake a test in their final year of primary schooling (usually grade 6). The sub-schools chosen to house the Acceleration Programme students is rotated each year between Chapman, Sharman, and Brookes; once VCE is reached all students are housed in Bryce. Acceleration Programme students are better known as 'Taskies', even by the teachers, as the program was formerly called the 'Gifted Children Task Force Acceleration Programme'.
From 2006, the school began to take on two Acceleration Programme classes each year.
The North building was constructed in 1930 during the Great Depression
. Because of this, no additional facilities were constructed and therefore assemblies were held in other venues. The north building has four levels, and contains the rooms numbered 108 through 401. The North building holds the main entrance to the school as well as most administrative facilities. Inside the main foyer one can see a collection of photographs commemorating pupils and teachers from the school who were killed in the First World War.
The South Building is the next largest building containing the Library and VCE centre. The East Building is primarily used for Art and Technology classes and is the third largest of the four buildings. The West Wing is the smallest of the buildings, but is conjoined with the Music Wing.
The Music Wing was developed, planned, constructed and funded by ex-students and ex-teachers, including Mrs. Stella Langford and Mr. J. Economo.
Early in 2004, a new Gene Technology Access Centre (GTAC) was opened for use by staff and students from across the state. This allows students from throughout Victoria to have direct exposure to cutting edge research in the genetics field.
An extension of the canteen was completed in the last quarter of 2006 which connected it with the M.S. Sharman Hall.
A fourth level extension to the South Wing was completed early in 2007 and was named the VCE Centre. The extension was made for VCE students. It has classrooms specifically for VCE students and the Bryce Sub-school Offices are located in the centre.
In late 2009 the school unveiled a new bridge linking the North and South Buildings from the west-end of the 700s corridor (South Building) to the centre of the 300s corridor (North Building).
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, located in the Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
suburb of Parkville
Parkville, Victoria
Parkville is an inner city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne. At the 2006 Census, the population was 4,980....
.
History
Not to be confused with the private boarding school of the same name established by Thomas Palmer (1858–1927) in 1894 in the disused Teacher Training College, situated on the corner of Swanston and Grattan Streets, CarltonCarlton, Victoria
Carlton is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne...
, in 1910, the "University Practising School" was opened in a former primary school on the corner of Lygon and Lyton Streets, Carlton. In 1913, it changed its name to "The University High School" after the closure of the older private school
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
.
Royal Melbourne Hospital
The Royal Melbourne Hospital , located in Parkville, Victoria an inner suburb of Melbourne is one of Australia’s leading public hospitals. It is a major teaching hospital for tertiary health care with a reputation in clinical research...
and in close proximity to the Royal Children's Hospital
Royal Children's Hospital
The Royal Children's Hospital is a major children's hospital in Melbourne, Australia.As the major paediatric hospital in Victoria, the Royal Children's Hospital and offers a full range of clinical services, tertiary care and health promotion and prevention programs for children and adolescents...
, newly built Royal Women's Hospital, University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
and the Central Business District
Melbourne city centre
Melbourne City Centre is an area of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is not to be confused with the larger local government area of the City of Melbourne...
.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
set up a camp on the school oval. Additionally, 240 extra students from MacRobertson Girls High School transported to UHS for schooling as their buildings were also seized by the military.
An A$8 million upgrade of the school facilities was completed in 1997. The school experienced major disruption and change during the previous years through dislocation of classes and staff. The completion of the works has given the school modern facilities with appropriate specialist rooms.
Principals
- Mr. A. Wrigley (1910–1914)
- Mr. M.S. Sharman (1915–1941)
- Mr. L.R. Brookes (1941–1951)
- Mr. E. Harrison (1950–1951)
- Mr. R.E. Chapman (1952–1960)
- Mr. G.S. Ellis (1961–1968)
- Mr. G.R. McRae Williamson (1969)
- Mr. G. Hayter (1970–1971)
- Mr. J.E. Clark (1972–1985)
- Mr. P.D.A. Bryce (1985–1996)
- Ms. Bronwyn Valente (1997–2005)
- Mr. Robert Newton (2006–present)
Enrolment
The University High School caters for 1,187 students, most of whom reside in the local area. A proportion of the school's enrolment comes from further afield, either to participate in special programs like music, the Acceleration Program or as a result of sibling claims. The population is socio-economically, culturally and ethnically diverse.In 2001, The Sun-Herald
The Sun-Herald
The Sun-Herald is an Australian tabloid newspaper published on Sundays in Sydney by Fairfax Media. It is the Sunday counterpart of The Sydney Morning Herald. In the 6 months to September 2005, The Sun-Herald had a circulation of 515,000...
ranked University High tenth in Australia's top ten schools for the education of girls, based on the number of its female alumni mentioned in the Who's Who in Australia
Who's Who in Australia
The Who's Who in Australia is an Australian biographical reference first published by Fred Johns in 1906 as Johns's Notable Australians. It has been used by academics as a resource that identifies Australia's leading individuals, and has been analysed when studying the social backgrounds –...
.
School structure
The school is structured within a 7 to 10 vertical sub-school framework and a VCEVictorian Certificate of Education
The Victorian Certificate of Education or VCE is the credential awarded to secondary school students who successfully complete high school level studies in the state of Victoria, Australia. Study for the VCE is usually completed over two years, but it can be spread over a longer period in some cases...
sub-school, consisting of Years 11 and 12. This vertical structure does not extend to the delivery of curriculum which is based on a horizontal year level program.
Years 7 to 10 have three sub-schools, Brookes (Red), Sharman (Blue) and Chapman (Green), named after previous Principals of the school. Students in Year 7 enter a sub-school and stay with this cohort for their management and pastoral care until year 10. Each of these units has a Head of sub-school and three sub-school Co-ordinators, responsible for approximately 250 students. The Sharman sub-school was named after Mr Matthew Stanton Sharman, the Brookes sub-school is named after Mr L. R. Brookes, and the Chapman sub-school is named after Mr R.E. Chapman. The Bryce sub-school is named after Mr P.D.A. Bryce, and consists of over 450 VCE students in years 11 & 12. The Head of the Bryce VCE sub-school works with a team of seven sub-school Co-ordinators and with the Work Education Co-ordinator. The sub-school's colour is yellow.
Curriculum
Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) is the state standard curriculum framework for students in Year 7 to Year 10 at the school. The School provides sequential curriculum across the eight Key Learning Areas: English, Mathematics, Art, Science, Foreign Languages, Technology Studies, Sociological and Environment studies and Health and Physical Education. After 10th year (and optionally as an elective in 10th year), the school offers classes to gain Victorian Certificate of EducationVictorian Certificate of Education
The Victorian Certificate of Education or VCE is the credential awarded to secondary school students who successfully complete high school level studies in the state of Victoria, Australia. Study for the VCE is usually completed over two years, but it can be spread over a longer period in some cases...
credentials until they finish Year 12. The school offers a variety of VCE subjects including Specialist Maths, German, French and Latin and a number of Vocational Education and Training (VET) subjects .
Galileo Program
The University High School has in place a compulsory program for all year nine students in which one term of regular curriculum is replaced with a rich inquiry and community‐based curriculum. Students are given opportunities to personally and socially develop and are known and encouraged by a team of teachers who provide personalised feedback and support. The expectations within the program are high and students are encouraged to extend themselves as thinkers becoming lifelong learners, as well as confident and responsible global citizens.Acceleration Programme
To participate in the Programme, a student must undertake a test in their final year of primary schooling (usually grade 6). The sub-schools chosen to house the Acceleration Programme students is rotated each year between Chapman, Sharman, and Brookes; once VCE is reached all students are housed in Bryce. Acceleration Programme students are better known as 'Taskies', even by the teachers, as the program was formerly called the 'Gifted Children Task Force Acceleration Programme'.
From 2006, the school began to take on two Acceleration Programme classes each year.
Musicals
The school annually produces school musicals. Each musical usually begins in August of each year. The school chooses from a variety of musicals, as shown below.- 2011: The Boy FriendThe Boy FriendThe Boy Friend is a musical by Sandy Wilson. The musical's original 1954 London production ran for 2,078 performances, making it briefly the third-longest running musical in West End or Broadway history until it was surpassed by Salad Days...
- 2010: Anything GoesAnything GoesAnything Goes is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The original book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse, heavily revised by the team of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The story concerns madcap antics aboard an ocean liner bound from New York to London...
- 2009: Guys and Dolls
- 2008: Oliver!Oliver!Oliver! is a British musical, with script, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens....
- 2007: Jesus Christ SuperstarJesus Christ SuperstarJesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Tim Rice. The musical started off as a rock opera concept recording before its first staging on Broadway in 1971...
- 2006: Les MisérablesLes Misérables (musical)Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
- 2005: Hello, Dolly!Hello, Dolly! (musical)Hello, Dolly! is a musical with lyrics and music by Jerry Herman and a book by Michael Stewart, based on Thornton Wilder's 1938 farce The Merchant of Yonkers, which Wilder revised and retitled The Matchmaker in 1955....
- 2004: Fiddler on the RoofFiddler on the RoofFiddler on the Roof is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905. It is based on Tevye and his Daughters by Sholem Aleichem...
- 2003: Hot MikadoHot MikadoHot Mikado is a musical comedy, based on Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado, adapted by David H. Bell and Rob Bowman...
- 2002: The Pajama GameThe Pajama GameThe Pajama Game is a musical based on the novel 7½ Cents by Richard Bissell. It features a score by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story deals with labor troubles in a pajama factory, where worker demands for a seven-and-a-half cents raise are going unheeded...
- 2001: Guys and Dolls
- 2000: Oklahoma!Oklahoma!Oklahoma! is the first musical written by composer Richard Rodgers and librettist Oscar Hammerstein II. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, Green Grow the Lilacs. Set in Oklahoma Territory outside the town of Claremore in 1906, it tells the story of cowboy Curly McLain and his romance...
- 1999: The Boy FriendThe Boy FriendThe Boy Friend is a musical by Sandy Wilson. The musical's original 1954 London production ran for 2,078 performances, making it briefly the third-longest running musical in West End or Broadway history until it was surpassed by Salad Days...
- 1998: Pirates of Penzance
Buildings
The University High School is divided into 10 sectors: West, North, South, East, Music, Hall, Gymnasium, Quadrangle, Oval, and GTAC.The North building was constructed in 1930 during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. Because of this, no additional facilities were constructed and therefore assemblies were held in other venues. The north building has four levels, and contains the rooms numbered 108 through 401. The North building holds the main entrance to the school as well as most administrative facilities. Inside the main foyer one can see a collection of photographs commemorating pupils and teachers from the school who were killed in the First World War.
The South Building is the next largest building containing the Library and VCE centre. The East Building is primarily used for Art and Technology classes and is the third largest of the four buildings. The West Wing is the smallest of the buildings, but is conjoined with the Music Wing.
The Music Wing was developed, planned, constructed and funded by ex-students and ex-teachers, including Mrs. Stella Langford and Mr. J. Economo.
Early in 2004, a new Gene Technology Access Centre (GTAC) was opened for use by staff and students from across the state. This allows students from throughout Victoria to have direct exposure to cutting edge research in the genetics field.
An extension of the canteen was completed in the last quarter of 2006 which connected it with the M.S. Sharman Hall.
A fourth level extension to the South Wing was completed early in 2007 and was named the VCE Centre. The extension was made for VCE students. It has classrooms specifically for VCE students and the Bryce Sub-school Offices are located in the centre.
In late 2009 the school unveiled a new bridge linking the North and South Buildings from the west-end of the 700s corridor (South Building) to the centre of the 300s corridor (North Building).
Notable alumni
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