Our School - Canterbury Girls Secondary College

Welcome from the Principal

Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College has built and maintained a reputation for excellence in the provision of education for girls. Students learn in an environment that encourages high achievement in all endeavours and which values effort and diligence.

The College places great emphasis on students working to achieve their very best, on students challenging themselves and on seizing all opportunities open to them. As a learning community, we set high expectations for staff and students alike and provide a learning environment which facilitates the best possible outcome for all students.

The College offers a broad dynamic curriculum which provides all students with the opportunity to develop academic, practical, creative and sporting skills. In addition, Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College offers an extensive co-curricular program which includes instrumental music, associated bands, ensembles and choirs, community service programs, peer support, camps and excursions.

The school has a strong commitment to promoting leadership skills in students based on co-operation, tolerance, self-discipline and concern for others. The well established House system fosters the development of initiative, leadership skills, teamwork and active participation in sport, dance, music, debating, drama and chorals.

Involvement in House activities enables students to develop relationships with students across a variety of year levels and encourages a sense of community. Students are encouraged to be actively involved in decision making. The College Student Leadership team, the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) and the House Captains are important participants in this process.

Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College facilitates a strong relationship between all members of the College community. The School Council provides an opportunity for parents, teachers, students and community members to participate in whole school decisions and programs. The Parents’ Association is an active group within the College, organising social and fund raising activities.

The Mangarra Society, the former students’ association, contributes to the life of the College by providing tangible links with our past, by keeping and articulating the history of the College, and by providing funds for College programs. It is a focal point for past students who wish to retain a link with the school. Relationships with the broader school community develop a sense of tradition and continuity for students. Such links ensure a strong sense of identity for the College provide a tangible framework through which we can focus on students learning and student outcomes.

One of the State’s few government all girls’ schools, Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College offers an environment where girls can be themselves and can have a strong voice in the classroom and through the College’s co-curricular activities.

At Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College we invite all students on an educational journey where they can develop their potential in a supportive environment, and challenge themselves to do and be the best they can while fostering resilience and social awareness.

Dr Mary Cannon
Principal

Welcome from the Principal

Dr Mary Cannon
Principal

A Government Girls’ School

The educational research has shown the benefits of attending a government school. At Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College, we are very proud of the fact that we are a government school offering a quality education for girls. The strengths of government schools have been shown through a number of studies:

In 2014 a study found that Australian private schools produce no better results than public schools, when students’ socio-economic backgrounds are taken into account. (http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/fourth-study-this-year-confirms-private-schools-no-better-than-public-20141109-11jlgn.html).
Paying private school fees does not guarantee a better job after university, with new research showing there is no long-term employment advantage as public school graduates earn as much in equally prestigious jobs. A research fellow at Canberra University, Jenny Chesters, analysed data from the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia project and found private school students were no more likely to get a full-time job than public school students. (http://www.smh.com.au/national/private-schooling-no-better-than-public-in-jobs-market-20140816-104do1.html)
State school graduates do better at university than private school graduates with the same end-of-school tertiary entrance score.(http://theconversation.com/state-school-kids-do-better-at-uni-29155)

Educational research has has also shown that the benefits of attending a girls’ only school include:

Girls who attend a single-sex school are more likely to stay in education.
Students at girls’ only schools make more progress than those in co-ed schools.
Students who are struggling make greater progress if they are in a single sex school.

Further, the research has found that single sex schools create an environment in which students can express themselves freely and frequently and develop higher order thinking skills.

At Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College, we believe that the opportunities available to students maximise their academic achievements, maximise their social and emotional growth and well being, and provide a strong basis as they move beyond school.

Through constant monitoring and evaluation of our programs, we work to ensure that the educational and co-curricular programs enable all students at the College to develop their self-esteem and leadership skills, enhance their understanding of the world around them and undertake an academic program which is rigorous, demanding and reflects the different learning needs of individual students.

A Government Girls’ School

In 2014 a study found that Australian private schools produce no better results than public schools, when students’ socio-economic backgrounds are taken into account. (http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/fourth-study-this-year-confirms-private-schools-no-better-than-public-20141109-11jlgn.html).
Paying private school fees does not guarantee a better job after university, with new research showing there is no long-term employment advantage as public school graduates earn as much in equally prestigious jobs. A research fellow at Canberra University, Jenny Chesters, analysed data from the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia project and found private school students were no more likely to get a full-time job than public school students. (http://www.smh.com.au/national/private-schooling-no-better-than-public-in-jobs-market-20140816-104do1.html)
State school graduates do better at university than private school graduates with the same end-of-school tertiary entrance score.(http://theconversation.com/state-school-kids-do-better-at-uni-29155)

Educational research has has also shown that the benefits of attending a girls’ only school include:

Girls who attend a single-sex school are more likely to stay in education.
Students at girls’ only schools make more progress than those in co-ed schools.
Students who are struggling make greater progress if they are in a single sex school.

Further, the research has found that single sex schools create an environment in which students can express themselves freely and frequently and develop higher order thinking skills.

Achievements

VCE Class of 2022

The Year 12 class of 2022 at Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College students achieved outstanding results in Year 12 subjects. Together as a community we celebrate these achievements.

In addition to those students completing Year 12, a large number of Year 11 students undertook a Unit 3 and 4 subject and they also achieved outstanding results. All students are to be congratulated for their commitment to their studies. Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College achieved a median study score of 32. The median study score is the middle score when all the study scores obtained by students of the school are ranked from highest to lowest. The final results were the culmination of much effort and commitment across a number of years, and reflect the contribution of staff, parents and guardians into the learning of the students.

The VCE results are one measure of the school. They are a measure that is valued as high results provide students with many options for the future. What makes such results even more impressive is that they were achieved by students studying remotely for much of the year. We can be very proud of the students who graduated from Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College in 2022.

One of the characteristics of an effective school is school wide recognition of academic success. We take pride in the results of our students and celebrate their
achievements. We celebrate their time at the College and we celebrate the way in which they have left the College. They enter the wider world as resilient young
humans ready to achieve whatever they set their sights on. On behalf of the whole school community, I wish all students in the class of 2022 all the best for the future, and congratulate and thank them for their contribution to the life of the College.

Dr Mary Cannon
Principal

ATAR Scores

Congratulations to Ophelia Guo, the 2022 DUX, who achieved an ATAR score of 99.4.

The students’ ATAR scores showed that:

56 students (34%) achieved ATAR scores above 90 placing them in the top 10% of students across the State
91 students (55%) achieved ATAR scores above 80 placing them in the top 20% of students across the State

STUDY SCORES

Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College had 14.3% of all study scores above 40.
The median study score was 32.

5 students achieved a perfect score of 50. Congratulations to the following students whose results have been published in the media:

Amelia Fethers (who achieved 50 in Business Management)
Chelsea Wrightson (who achieved 50 in Business Management)
Arnavi Roy (who achieved 50 in Business Management)
Gwyneth Peng (who achieved 50 in Further Mathematics)
Lucy Liu (who achieved 50 in Chinese Second Language Advanced)

Achievements

VCE Class of 2022

The Year 12 class of 2022 at Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College students achieved outstanding results in Year 12 subjects. Together as a community we celebrate these achievements.

Dr Mary Cannon
Principal

ATAR Scores

Congratulations to Ophelia Guo, the 2022 DUX, who achieved an ATAR score of 99.4.

The students’ ATAR scores showed that:

56 students (34%) achieved ATAR scores above 90 placing them in the top 10% of students across the State
91 students (55%) achieved ATAR scores above 80 placing them in the top 20% of students across the State

STUDY SCORES

Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College had 14.3% of all study scores above 40.
The median study score was 32.

5 students achieved a perfect score of 50. Congratulations to the following students whose results have been published in the media:

Amelia Fethers (who achieved 50 in Business Management)
Chelsea Wrightson (who achieved 50 in Business Management)
Arnavi Roy (who achieved 50 in Business Management)
Gwyneth Peng (who achieved 50 in Further Mathematics)
Lucy Liu (who achieved 50 in Chinese Second Language Advanced)

Planning Documents

School Strategic Plan

Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woi-Wurrung people as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of this land on which we gather. We pay our respects to their Elders, both past and present and we recognise, acknowledge and respect the history, culture, diversity and value of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islands people.

Canterbury Girls' Secondary College is accredited under the Department of Education and Training’s CRICOS registration (CRICOS provider code: 00861K). For further information refer to www.study.vic.gov.au.