Great Southern Grammar Prospectus

GREAT SOUTHERN GRAMMAR

PROSPECTUS

Welcome to Great Southern Grammar

An Invitation to Join the GSG Community For over 20 years, Great Southern Grammar has played a vital role in the education of children and young people of the Great Southern region of Western Australia, and beyond. The school is renowned for its strong sense of community and its tradition of excellence.

Filled with the sights and sounds of joyfulness, energy and nature, Great Southern Grammar is situated on the pristine waters of Oyster Harbour, in Albany, Western Australia, echoing its historically significant location on Minang land. A rich cultural history imbues the school community with a respect for the past and excitement about the future.

Alive with potential and possibilities, an education at Great Southern Grammar is the opportunity to belong and become in a safe, caring, supportive environment in which exploration and curiosity are at the heart of learning and growing.

WELCOME TO GREAT SOUTHERN GRAMMAR

At GSG, developing character, leadership skills and human qualities to take students through life beyond school is as important as delivering the curriculum.

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Positive relationships make Great Southern Grammar more than just a school; they make us the Great Southern Grammar community. Each child’s journey of discovery is guided and supported by this community, nurturing them from dependence to independence with integrity, respect, compassion and commitment. I delight in seeing children learning, exploring and being challenged by outstanding opportunities and experiences as they strive to grow and develop into the person they want to become.

I encourage you to discover the Great Southern Grammar community in a spirit of partnership, offering your child the gift of learning — the greatest and most valuable gift a child can receive. This partnership will enrich and sustain your child as they journey on their path to success with confidence and purpose.

I invite you to become part of the Great Southern Grammar community; a community that values the education of the whole child. Tour our remarkable Pre-Kindergarten to Year Twelve campus, with its bushland, waterfront, wetlands and agricultural farmland, and learn about the outstanding opportunities available to students of GSG from staff and students.

Please contact the Registrar on 9844 0300 to arrange a tour of the school and our facilities. I look forward to welcoming your child on their journey of discovery.

Mark Sawle | Principal

Our Mission To provide a first-class education built on the principles of the Christian faith and led by a highly committed staff.

Our Vision To be a learning community in which students develop confidence, wellbeing and a sense of belonging, enabling them to achieve their goals and enhance local and global communities.

Our Values Great Southern Grammar’s core values are integrity, respect, commitment and compassion.

Towards 2024

The school’s Strategic Plan 2019-2024 signposts the school’s future, generating stability and improvement, preparing students for the changing world in which we live. The plan consists of five goals and target objectives, each delivering exciting initiatives benefitting students and graduates.

Goal One Student Learning and Engagement. Deliver a range of educational programmes that engage individual students and prepare them for life, further education and careers in a changing world.

Goal Two Student and Community Wellbeing. Provide a safe, healthy environment and a positive culture for students, their families and staff.

Goal Three Collaborative Partnerships. Establish mutually beneficial and sustainable partnerships to enhance student learning and experience.

Goal Four Professional Staff Team. Attract, develop and value a team of highly skilled professional staff.

Goal Five

TOWARDS 2024

Sustainable Governance. Effective school governance and leadership, and sustainable decision-making.

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Belonging and Becoming

Great Southern Grammar focusses on students discovering and developing their interests, confidence and skills as they grow and learn, supported by caring and innovative staff.

Dynamic, engaged and optimised learning is offered to students as part of a balanced education and extensive academic and cocurricular opportunities.

BELONGING AND BECOMING

The school’s learning philosophy is underpinned by a culture of excellence, enabling students to explore a wide range of programmes that engage them and prepare them for life, further education and careers in a changing world.

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What We Value: Caring for Students

The wellbeing of students is at the heart of what we do at Great Southern Grammar, with the goal of emotional, social and spiritual development and maturity guiding the care of students throughout their educational journey.

To know your child is to understand their strengths, interests and talents. At GSG, students are known, encouraged, supported and celebrated, fostering their aspiration to learn.

We value and respect students’ sense of security and enjoyment and take pleasure in acknowledging and celebrating their growth, development and successes.

The school provides a safe, healthy environment and a positive culture for students, their families and staff, building on an enhanced pastoral care programme with an emphasis on personal and social capability, and service learning.

We respect and celebrate the Christian faith that has underpinned the school since its inception in 1998.

A range of transition programmes are in place to support students through their different stages of education, and parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education.

WHAT WE VALUE: CARING FOR STUDENTS

Whether your child is a day or boarding student, there is always a listening ear available in a boarding house parent or classroom or homeroom teacher at the start of each day. Heads of Subschool and Heads of House provide an additional level of care for students, providing specific attention, guidance and support.

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A Personalised Education

GSG is committed to preparing students to be successful citizens in the 21st century. Alongside literacy, numeracy and technology understandings, students develop creativity and critical thinking, intercultural understanding, personal and social capability, and ethical behaviour delivered through high-quality teaching.

Learning experiences are developed in line with the Australian Curriculum, the Western Australian Certificate of Education courses of study, and the Early Years Learning Framework to cater appropriately for students at each stage of development.

One of the key undertakings of our commitment to the school community is to encourage students, through their exposure to Christian teachings, to explore issues of faith, spirituality and values.

The school community also seeks to implement the Nine Values for Australian Schooling: 1. Care and Compassion 2. Doing Your Best 3. Fair Go 4. Freedom 5. Honesty and Trustworthiness 6. Integrity 7. Respect 8. Responsibility 9. Understanding, Tolerance and Inclusion

A PERSONALISED EDUCATION

Enrichment

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Gifted learners have particular cognitive, affective, social, and academic needs. The Gifted Education Coordinator assesses these needs using data from multiple sources, including student test results and a nomination process. Based on the data, provisions are put in place to provide a developmentally appropriate programme.

The goal of the Learning Support Team at GSG is to provide a safe, supportive environment in which students with a range of abilities and needs are actively engaged in meaningful learning experiences. GSG Learning Support staff work with parents, class teachers and students to provide equity of access to the Australian Curriculum in a dignified and engaging way by providing relevant and appropriate curriculum, as well as instructional and environmental adjustments.

One Campus, Three Subschools

Great Southern Grammar’s outstanding facilities are situated on 144-acres of picturesque waterfront land in an idyllic, semi-rural setting.

Students immerse themselves in every facet of the life and learning environment of their subschool. Three subschools are housed on one campus, including Junior (Pre-Kindergarten to Year Six), Middle (Years Seven to Nine) and Senior (Years Ten to Twelve) Schools. Each subschool is located in separate facilities and has its own Head of School and staff.

From extensive sporting grounds and a gymnasium, to dedicated Science and IT laboratories, music recording studios and spacious, modern residential boarding facilities, the school offers all the resources students need to explore their interests.

ONE CAMPUS, THREE SUBSCHOOLS

Your child will benefit from the advantages and opportunities offered at our large, waterfront campus school, while flourishing in their own distinct subschool precinct.

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Residential Boarding

Great Southern Grammar becomes a home away from home, as well as a school, for boarding students.

Nestled in a well-developed precinct on the school’s waterfront campus, five boarding houses and their House Parents welcome students from many different walks of life to a place where lifelong friendships develop, and trust and respect are valued. Learning and life come together for boarding students as they are helped to feel at home by friends, support staff, House Parents, students and mentors.

The four pillars of residential boarding are school, service, spirituality and self.

The school accommodates up to 148 residential students from Years Seven to Twelve. Boarding sees students thrive through being cared for, understood and challenged. Residential boarding provides a unique opportunity to live within and contribute to the school community. Many wonderful friendships are developed, with close bonds serving residential students well into their adult lives.

Boarding houses emulate extended homes, providing a friendly and warm environment. Permanent House Parents live in each residence where they extend genuine family values to boarders. Within each residence, boarders enjoy comfortable and spacious living areas.

At GSG, there is space to think, to contemplate, to walk and talk, and to take time out in a beautiful, calm, semi-rural environment. But if it’s action boarders want, there’s plenty on offer, including an array of recreational and cultural activities from paddle-boarding to fishing, fitness, surfing, mountainbiking, movies, quizzes, shopping and dining out.

RESIDENTIAL BOARDING

Boarding staff appreciate the commitment and sacrifice parents make to send their children to GSG and are thankful that you trust us to take care of your children living away from home. Our aim is to make this life transition as smooth as possible for all involved.

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High Quality Teaching

Our teaching staff bring a wealth of knowledge and passion to your child’s learning. Our focus is on developing the gifts and talents of each student, taking into account their individual needs and interests.

Working in a learning community, teachers at GSG are committed professionals constantly developing their knowledge of the art and science of teaching so that they can apply this to your child’s learning, and work in partnership with families.

Informed by research, professional learning opportunities, mentoring and reflection, our teachers are here to bring out your child’s best.

A Balanced Education A broad and balanced education is our focus for developing children ready for the future. The curriculum is carefully structured to meet the needs of students at each stage of their development, from specialist programmes in the Early Childhood Centre to the wealth of opportunities in both VET and ATAR pathways in Senior School.

HIGH QUALITY TEACHING

We develop learning pathways through Junior, Middle and Senior School to allow your child to discover and develop their passions. Through areas as diverse as the arts, digital technologies, agriculture, literature, mathematics and beyond, we help your child embark on their journey of discovery.

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Discover The Early Childhood Centre

Pre-Kindergarten to Year Two At Great Southern Grammar, we are proud of the broad foundations laid through the vibrant, Early Childhood Centre within Junior School.

We build on this solid base with a rigorous curriculum programme and plenty of laughter and play.

Learning is an adventure at GSG where students are nurtured, supported and encouraged to challenge themselves academically, culturally and spiritually.

Our approach to the education of young students is wildly different.

Early childhood curriculum is brought to life by integrating guided nature play into every day. Wednesdays are spent in the Wild Space – native oncampus bushland and wetlands. It’s a space that encourages children to be wildly curious, wildly creative and wildly independent. These qualities lay the foundation for a love of learning that takes them through school and beyond.

The GSG Early Childhood Centre provides a knowledge and skill emphasis within a stimulating learning environment based on the principle that children learn from playing and doing, while having fun. Their social world expands as they experience play with others.

DISCOVER THE EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTRE

In recent years, the physical environment of the Early Childhood Centre has been transformed into a purposeful nature play centre, with the implementation of nature play into educational programmes. The Wild Space has been developed in the idyllic surrounds of bushland within the school’s waterfront boundary where children can safely play in natural surrounds, under supervision.

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Dedicated, professional staff provide a dynamic learning environment that encourages all children to strive for their personal best. They are supported in this by a pastoral care framework based on Christian values aimed at promoting healthy relationships and a sense of emotional wellbeing.

Language-rich learning experiences provide children with opportunities to develop essential literacy and numeracy skills. Children are encouraged to become thinkers as teachers make the most of their creativity and desire to explore, presenting them with interesting, real-world questions and encouraging them to solve problems. Considerable teaching emphasis is devoted to ensuring that each child receives the best start for further learning.

Discover Junior School

Years Three to Six Middle childhood sees the learning door open wider. The GSG Junior School programme provides hands-on, child-centred learning opportunities to develop both cooperative learning and independent thinking abilities.

An academically rigorous curriculum establishes good study skills, while fostering in each student a personal aspiration to continue learning and seize each day of opportunity GSG provides. Teachers take a genuine interest in each child, helping them to reach their potential and develop the character traits that will support them in their Middle to Senior schooling.

Children’s breadth of learning and interests are developed through the specialist learning areas of Music, Language, Christian Studies, Physical Education, Health, Library and Art. An outdoor education experience includes camps from Years Three to Six. A plethora of excursions and incursions broaden the learning opportunities provided to capture the interest of enthusiastic students.

Student development is supported by taking part in many broad-ranging community and cocurricular activities, from tree-planting to Lego robotics and visual arts. They gain a sense of belonging to a community and the capacity and willingness to be responsible, caring citizens beyond the classroom.

DISCOVER JUNIOR SCHOOL

Inspiration and a thirst for knowledge is what we aspire to instil as students progress from Pre-Kindergarten through to Year Six, before transitioning to Middle School as confident, competent learners.

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Discover Middle School

Years Seven to Nine In Middle School, we navigate students through their early adolescent years, providing a broad range of learning experiences.

Middle School at GSG offers a unique transition programme with many of the best features of primary schooling combined with secondary elements.

Year Seven is characterised by a focus on change, as students are led through a process of transition, with a focus on friendships and being safe online.

In Year Eight, students commence the process of choosing their educational path, selecting elective subjects, building resilience and caring for themselves and others.

Year Nine students are role models for those younger than them, with the challenge being to serve and help others.

Middle School caters for adolescent children by:

Acknowledging that each student is growing and developing at a different rate and should be encouraged to progress in academic work at their own rate.

Recognising emotional and social changes by providing specialised pastoral care to support individuals as they grow into young adults.

Accepting the importance of emerging individuality by offering programmes to develop self-esteem and leadership.

Recognising the importance of social groups by providing programmes that assist students to develop social skills and confidence.

Acknowledging that adolescent students learn more effectively and are more engaged when they are having fun.

DISCOVER MIDDLE SCHOOL

Approachable, friendly teachers build solid partnerships with parents to encourage students’ educational and social development.

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In addition to the school-wide House system, each student has a homeroom teacher who takes responsibility for their pastoral care, overseen by a Head of Year.

Discover Senior School

Years Ten to Twelve Senior School students are on the final leg of their journey towards higher education and the workforce.

GSG Senior School provides a challenging, stimulating and nurturing educational environment for students in Years Ten to Twelve. Every student is encouraged to realise their own individual potential in whatever field of endeavour they pursue. To that end, GSG offers a broad and extensive curriculum, supported by a strong pastoral care system and a wide range of cocurricular activities.

Students take advantage of the many opportunities afforded by GSG to develop into well-rounded, versatile adults who expect high standards of themselves, and who try to do their best.

The core values of the school – integrity, respect, commitment and compassion – are emphasised and demonstrated in Senior School.

Responsible, thoughtful and considered behaviour where the rights of others to feel safe and secure at school are paramount, is encouraged.

As students progress through Senior School, they develop personal and academic confidence and independence. Supporting this growth in students is a caring and dedicated professional teaching staff.

DISCOVER SENIOR SCHOOL

A wide range of ATAR, General and Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses of study are available in Years Eleven and Twelve, promoting excellence. The selection of subjects on offer is comprehensive and caters for diverse interests, abilities and intended pathways beyond Year Twelve.

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Discover Creativity

Participation in the creative arts is proven to have a positive impact on young people’s lives and development. Guiding Arts students’ learning experiences at GSG are dedicated specialist teachers and access to visiting experts.

GSG’s vibrant and comprehensive Music programme offers a wide range of musical opportunities encompassing classical, jazz and contemporary music.

Students have access to outstanding artistic opportunities, enabling them to develop talent and discover new choices. They can learn a wide range of instruments from experienced instrumental teachers, with group lessons offered for beginners. Music features at all formal school occasions and is a regular part of school assemblies and Chapel services.

Performance occasions provide students with the opportunity to learn the importance of presentation and generate a feeling of excitement and pride in their achievements.

There are many ensembles offered to GSG students to cater for all levels of musical development, age and style. Activities for ensembles include annual camps, regular tours within Western Australia and interstate and many performance and learning opportunities throughout the year.

Children communicate through artistic expression. The arts challenge us to reflect upon the human condition and make us think about and process the world in new ways, teaching fine motor skills, language development and problem-solving abilities.

At GSG, student exposure to visiting artists and opportunities to participate in visual art competitions and exhibitions encourages creativity through selfawareness and expression.

DISCOVERY CREATIVITY

The Drama programme at GSG helps develop soft skills and emotional intelligence while promoting teamwork and socialisation. Opportunities to perform in class, year and subschool performances in world-class venues encourage creativity and confidence.

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Discover a Sporting Life

A natural extension of physical education is involvement in sport, which develops confidence in students and the capacity to care for themselves and others. It encourages mental and physical fitness and promotes working together in a team and the setting and achievement of goals.

GSG students enjoy competing in interschool competitions, with the school being well represented in many community sporting associations.

Strong school spirit, along with dedicated and enthusiastic coaching, has resulted in success for teams and extended participation for many students.

Students are involved in Physical Education (curricular) House competitions; regional competitions; Country Week; State championships and community sport (cocurricular).

DISCOVER A SPORTING LIFE

Our focus is on personal wellbeing as part of an active sporting life at GSG and beyond, with students being encouraged to give back to the community through involvement in coaching and umpiring.

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Discover a World of Connections

GSG students are encouraged to be empowered to make connections locally and globally through partnerships and exchanges, while at school.

Exchanges are part of the Great Southern Grammar philosophy and are an exciting component of school life that includes cultural and enrichment programmes such as Outward Bound, Singapore and Malaysia sporting tours, a Canberra trip and SCUBA diving tours.

The language other than English studied at GSG is Japanese, with the programme including well-established cultural activities. Students participate in Japanese classes from Pre-Primary to Year Eight, then progress by taking Japanese language as an elective in Years Nine and Ten, continuing into Year Eleven and Twelve courses.

An exciting Japanese exchange programme for students from Year Nine onwards provides students with opportunities for travel and cultural exchange between Albany and Nichinan City, Japan. Great Southern Grammar hosts students from Nichinan on alternate years. Through this network, families create connections and friendships with families in Albany’s sister port, developing relationships that continue beyond school years.

Learning at GSG takes place not only on the school campus. Theatre trips, excursions and field trips are an important part of learning in all subject areas. We also seek to nurture students’ independent spirits through Outdoor Education, which encourages students to develop their social and leadership skills, build teamwork, develop self-reliance and challenge themselves both physically and mentally.

DISCOVER A WORLD OF CONNECTIONS

Students from Years Three to Ten are involved in a sequential programme of camps, specifically designed for the GSG curriculum.

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Life Beyond GSG

Students, once they graduate, are still a vital part of the school community, and their GSG journey continues.

As alumni, they are role models to students and advocates for the school.

We encourage graduates to stay connected with the school and with one another, wherever their journey of discovery may take them.

LIFE BEYOND GSG

We are proud of the school’s alumni and celebrate their lives, achievements and successes each year with a series of commemorative events, where stories are shared and opportunities to reconnect with each other and the school are discussed.

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Your Child’s Journey of Discovery Begins Now

We invite you and your family to visit Great Southern Grammar’s outstanding learning community for yourselves.

The best way to experience the benefits of a Great Southern Grammar education is to visit the school and see it in action.

GSG is an inclusive, non-selective school, with students placed on the enrolment list in accordance with the date applications are received. Students are enrolled where vacancies exist and an application for enrolment may be lodged at any time.

To find out more about Great Southern Grammar or to book a personal tour, please telephone the Registrar on 9844 0300 or email enrol@gsg.wa.edu.au Visit www.gsg.wa.edu.au for more information.

YOUR CHILD’S JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY BEGINS NOW

Your enquiry is welcome.

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Great Southern Grammar 244 Nanarup Road, Albany, WA PO Box 1151, Albany WA 6331 T: +61 8 9844 0300 | F: +61 8 9844 0380 E: reception@gsg.wa.edu.au gsg.wa.edu.au