From the Head Girl As a Christ centred and nurturing environment, Tara’s genuine care and dedication encourages each girl to strive for excellence, consistently applying herself both in and out of the classroom. The support of staff and students alike are invaluable towards the learning and growth of each girl, as we constantly celebrate the diversity of talent and interests of Tara women.
Message from key school bodies From the Principal Tara Anglican School for Girls is a school with a great sense of purpose - a Christian learning community, characterised by excellence, which encourages and empowers girls to achieve and serve in a dynamic world. This purpose is supported by four distinctive values: Affirmation, Service for Others, Opportunity and Integrity, which our strong and proud traditions, our Christian beliefs, and our commitment to providing an inspirational learning environment for every Tara girl.
Affirmation Service for Others Opportunity Integrity
In 2019, we have continued our pursuit of providing the best research based learning environment for our students. The Junior School achieved an outstanding rating for our Primary Years Programme with the International Baccalaureate Organisation earlier in the year. We are impressed with the focus on learning which sees girls really understanding the purpose of their learning and the relationships between the different subjects as they learn to understand and solve real world issues. In the Senior School, we have completed the first four years of the Middle Years Programme of the International Baccalaureate and we are pleased and impressed with the standard of achievement of the cohort. Our aim in introducing the framework, was to allow Tara girls to develop the skills to learn how to think, analyse, evaluate, reflect and respond to complex issues to strengthen them as learners for the HSC years. They have done this and in fact, our expectations of them as learners, have been greatly exceeded and we feel that they are very well prepared to tackle the rigour of the HSC. As part of the current strategic plan we have also been investigating the best learning approach for our most senior girls to support them in attaining excellent HSC results and just as importantly, preparing them to be successful tertiary students and for life beyond. We have decided that the best way forward in our context is a Tara developed approach and we will begin trialling this in 2020. Our focus on the way girls learn best has required significant commitment by well qualified and successful teachers who have worked collaboratively to enrich their programs. I am very grateful for their willingness to grow and learn themselves. To not just be satisfied with what they know but to also ask, how can we do this even better for our students? We were once again, thrilled with the HSC results for Tara girls in 2019. The results, summarised in this report, arise from a strong and supportive learning culture and students and staff committed to academic excellence. We congratulate them and wish them well as they move on to life beyond our School gates. Mrs Susan Middlebrook, Principal
The key Tara values of Affirmation, Service for Others, Opportunity and Integrity, aim to embody the actions of all girls. This is applied not only throughout our enriched academic and cocurricular endeavours, but within the ordinary interactions of School life that unite each girl, creating a shared identity as a proud woman of Tara. More than a stepping stone into the next chapter of our lives, the Tara Community fosters strong and confident women, offering each girl friendships, experiences and opportunities that extend beyond the gates! Prisca Lam, Head Girl (2019/2020)
Contextual information about the School About Tara Anglican School for Girls Tara Anglican School for Girls is a specialist in girls’ education. Tara is an independent, Anglican day and boarding school for girls located on 12 hectares of beautiful grounds in North Parramatta. Established in 1897, Tara has a rich heritage of more than 123 years, an active School community, and a bright and exciting future. Under Principal, Mrs Susan Middlebrook, our purpose is to be a Christian learning community, characterised by excellence, which encourages and empowers girls to achieve and serve in a dynamic world. Tara is an inspirational learning environment for students from Pre-Kindergarten to Year 12 for both day girls and boarders. Tara has a strong and proud tradition as a non selective school for girls which nurtures its students academically, as well as provides wonderful opportunities in the cocurricular arenas of the performing and creative arts, sports and the service of others. It is a school filled with energy and vitality and the students enjoy impressive facilities and excellent teaching by passionate and dedicated staff. The Strategic Plan 2016-2020 provides the impetus and direction for the development of the School. Our aim is to build a future that optimises each girl’s ability to learn and develop as a strong, resilient young woman who leaves Tara well prepared to embrace life’s adventures. Our vision in our current plan is that by the end of 2020, Tara will be a leader in girls’ Christian education: research informed teaching and learning with an emphasis on the holistic development of each student, and where every student is cared for, challenged and equipped to live out the distinctive values of the School. Tara will continue to promote excellence in all aspects of School life. The relational aspects of connection and support will continue to be key defining aspects of the School’s culture and the Christian faith will continue to form our foundation. 1