Global Art Collaboration
In an age when technology effortlessly connects people from different corners of the globe, Newcastle Grammar School embarked on a truly unique artistic journey led by our Artist in Residence students. The White Wall Project, in collaboration with nine Round Square schools across the world, invited students to ponder the concept of perspectivethrough art. The project’s […]
Nurturing Excellence Through Action
In an increasingly dynamic and complex world, there has never been a time when education has been more important. As we all navigate the challenges and opportunities afforded by technological innovation, schools must be agile and responsive to ensure our students are well-placed to participate actively and successfully as citizens of this world. This year, […]
Primary Learning – Exploration and Inquiry
The learning journey for our Primary students this year has been marked by innovation, personalisation, and a commitment to fostering holistic development. Our approach has not only focused on academic excellence but has also emphasised the importance of social-emotional growth, inquiry-based learning, and flexibility. The introduction of the 1:1 iPad program for all students in Kindergarten to Year 6, […]
A good start…
Parents are continually given advice from a range of sources on a range of topics – it can seem relentless. One topic that can rise above the rest is education, particularly on timing of starting school. The current popular view is that the more you hold your child back from school, the more they will succeed […]
Co-Education Versus Single-Sex Schools
Co-Education Versus Single-Sex Schools In 2022, The Sydney Morning Herald had an article about the educational debate between co-educational schools like Newcastle Grammar and single-sex schools, which are predominantly in Sydney. The issue has been in the news, given the work by Chanel Contos on consent and respectful relationships, in which the poor behaviour of […]
What Works? Boys, Year 12 Academic Success, and the HSC
“I needed to pull my head in and give this study thing a crack. Ease up on the skateboarding and set some goals and priorities. I’m going to be here ‘til Year 12. I’m not going to lose anything from trying to do my best in these last two years.” (Joseph) There continues to be […]
A love letter to Newcastle: new century, new vision
Long gone are the steel works, and the coalfields are on notice. Newcastle is a city in transition. Some of you may have already read Matt Dickson’s homage to Newcastle in The Guardian. In it, he offers a historical panorama from the time of Awabakal land, through colonisation to an optimistic glimpse of Newcastle’s future. […]
The Complexity of Teaching
“Teaching and teachers can profoundly change and significantly enhance lives.” Marcia Devlin, CEO of the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership wrote an opinion piece recently about the status and role of the teaching profession. At the end of a complex Term 1 2022, three years into the pandemic, I’d also like to add my […]
Managing Smartphones in Schools
The misuse and impact of digital devices and smartphones by school students has been reported in a series of articles recently in the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. In 2022, a leading independent day and boarding school for boys in Sydney made a policy decision to stop students from bringing their own laptops to school. According to an […]
The Seasons of COVID-19
At the start of 2022, I wrote a blog inspired by Botticelli’s’ stunning fifteenth century artwork, Primavera which not only acts as an allegory for Spring but represents the beauty, innovation, and complexity of a new era. I reflected on the way The Black Death radically disrupted society with many historians suggesting that the social, political, economic, […]
