Here are some of the schools

St Mary's College is a community of faith and a place of learning with a strong academic focus in a caring, stimulating environment.

That is its key to success.

The school, in Bloomfield Street, Gunnedah, provides an holistic, Catholic education to about 400 students.

Founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1879, the college has educated girls and boys from across the district under the motto “Via Vitae Virtus”, Virtue is the Way of Life.

In 2002, the college transferred from the governance of the Sisters to become a systemic school with the Catholic Schools Office of the Diocese of Armidale.

 “The college continues to grow, enrolling students from as far away as Tambar Springs, Boggabri and Narrabri,” principal Max Quirk said.

“St Mary’s fosters the uniqueness of the individual and encourages the giftedness that each brings to the college.”

There are also 36 teachers and 14 support staff, six of whom are Leaders of Learning, who have responsibility for the learning areas of English, maths, science, creative arts, personal development and health.

Cultural pursuits have always been a part of St Mary’s College and the band and choir prove very popular with students and parents.

There is also a sport co-ordinator and an IT supervisor at the college.

For more information, phone 6742 2124.

“Standing proudly in the tree-lined streets of Toowoomba, Queensland, is a school where once visited, impressions last and conversations are had of the ‘feeling’ you get when exploring the grounds,” The Glennie School Registrar, Karen Morris says.

“This feeling is one of positivity, possibilities, inclusiveness and respect. This is the Glennie difference.

“The best option for your daughter’s education is the one which is right for her.”

Glennie provides a well-rounded education for girls from kindergarten to year 12 and boarding from year 6, grounded by Christian values within the Anglican ethos.

“There is a lot to learn and manage when growing as a young woman, so at Glennie we take seriously our responsibility creating a comfortable and private second home for boarders to be able to feel capable to all there is in and outside of school life, within a vibrant, supportive and dynamic environment,” Ms Morris says.

“Each boarder in Year 6 to 11 has her own living area; a cosy and modern roomette to ensure her privacy, as well as spacious common rooms, lounges and kitchens to encourage social interaction.”

Year 12 boarders have their own semi-independent living with their own room in a dedicated building complemented by shared lounge spaces, and kitchenettes.

“At Glennie your daughter has the opportunity to become a confident, considerate, self-assured, well-skilled young woman, ready to face the ever-changing demands of the adult world,” Ms Morris says.

“We will encourage her to find and develop her unique talents.”

Increasing school fees have an impact on the affordability of high quality independent schooling; Glennie strives to ensure families are supported as much as possible.

The school has limited the annual boarding fee increase to 2.5 per cent per annum for new and continuing boarding enrolments.  

In each subsequent year, this annual fee increase will be capped at this amount for the duration of one’s boarding enrolment.

Casual, weekly and full-time boarding options are available with flexible fee payment options afforded to every Glennie family.  Sibling discounts are also available for tuition and boarding.

For more information or to book a personal tour of the school, contact Ms Morris on 07 4688 8807.

In the Knox Boarding Centre, we encourage boys to tell us and their friends when they’re missing home.

We find keeping new boarders busy helps to keep their mind off home and we ensure there is never a situation where they’re left on their own, feeling miserable.

Until the boys are fully settled, we advise parents to try to refrain from speaking to them too often. 

We try teach the boys to mentally divide up the time until they next see their parents into manageable chunks and encourage them to do plenty of exercise, play music and talk to their friends from home on the phone.

The process of overcoming homesickness is one of the most positive aspects of the boarding school experience. 

The boys realise that they can do things on their own.

The boarding community has been at the heart of St Joseph’s Nudgee College since its founding in 1891.

For more than 125 years, Nudgee College has been providing outstanding care for boarding students from around Australia and beyond.

As one of the oldest continuing Catholic boys’ boarding schools in Australia, boarding is a part of both the college’s legacy and future.

“The Bathersby Boarding Village is a contemporary and inviting home away from home for over 250 boarders from Years 5 to 12,” Principal Peter Fullagar said.

“All boys are provided with an individual room to call their own, while also having access to several common areas.”

Boarders are supported academically by the “Reach for the Stars” tutoring program, during which teachers from many subjects help the boys with homework, assignments and preparation for exams.

As a Catholic school in the Edmund Rice Tradition, the college promotes a holistic approach to education, offering a rich diversity of educational opportunities in the classroom, in co-curricular pursuits, as well as in faith development and social justice activities.

Nudgee College caters for students with a variety of interests, providing boys with opportunities to pursue pathways to university, vocational education and employment after graduation.

For more information, phone (07) 3865 0555.

This is a special year at Tudor House.

Tudor House is celebrating its 120th anniversary, as well as welcoming its first cohort of girls into the school community.

“I’m delighted to be part of a learning community which exemplifies best practice in primary education as advocated and supported by current educational research,” Tudor House head of school Anni Sandwell said.

In 2017 Tudor House became coeducational from pre-kindergarten to year 6 with boarding offered from year 3. The school, on the Illawarra Highway, Moss Vale, provides an holistic education focusing on care, curriculum and communication.

“We offer small class sizes that encourage active and engaging classroom environments and are filled with the latest technology to support students through their learning,” Mrs Sandwell said.

“Our students enjoy specialist lessons in woodwork, music, visual and performing arts, language in addition to English, physical education, sport and our renowned outdoor education program, Kahiba.

The specialist physical education and sport sessions aim to develop health and wellbeing in our young children.”

Next month as part of the 120-year celebrations, Tudorfest will offer guests and families carnival rides, pop-up markets, high tea, musical acts, farmyard animals and festival foods.

It will be held on October 21. For more information, phone 4868 0000.