From the Head of Senior School

It has been another full and productive week in the Senior School. Our Year 11 and Year 12 students had the opportunity to attend the HSC and Careers Expo on Thursday at Randwick Racecourse. If you are interested in attending with your daughter, the Expo continues tomorrow, see the details here: HSC and Careers Expo.

A key development this week has been the introduction of a short-term Study Hub pilot in Kent House. This initiative is designed to support students who are currently working on major works, providing a supervised, structured and purposeful study environment during the school day. Early feedback from students and staff has been very positive, with the space helping students to manage their time effectively, maintain focus, and make sustained progress on their significant pieces of work. We will continue to monitor the impact of this pilot as we are always looking to improve our support of students through peak assessment periods.

Our Year 12 Student Progress Conversations have also been an important focus. These conversations provide a valuable opportunity to reflect on each student’s progress and to reinforce the expectations around engagement, academic culture and rigour in the final year. The tone of these discussions has been both supportive and purposeful, building on the Parent/Teacher Interviews and the Year 11 Student Progress Conversations, with a clear emphasis on students taking ownership of their learning, maintaining consistent effort and striving for personal excellence in the lead-up to their final examinations. We are very grateful to the Year 12 Luminaries, Bridget Kovats, Head of Year 12 and Fiona Pow, Head of Students – Year 10 to Year 12, for their work and support of the students.

Looking ahead, the subject selection process for Year 10 is fast approaching. Students will shortly hear from Director of Studies – Year 7 to Year 10, Elizabeth Gilberthorpe, with an invitation to attend an information session outlining both the HSC and IB Diploma pathways led by Melissa McMahon, Head of Learning and Teaching, David Posker-Hill, Director of Studies Year 11 to Year 12, Marianna Carlino, IB Coordinator, as well as the interviews with subject teachers. This session will take place as a plenary during their Parent/Teacher Interviews on Wednesday 10 June 2026 (Week 8). Year 10 families will soon receive targeted information about this evening. Following this, each student will participate in an individual interview on Monday 22 June or Tuesday 23 June 2026 (Week 10), where they will be guided through their choices using a rich set of data, including their strengths, interests and demonstrated learning patterns. This process is an important step in ensuring that each student is well placed for success in their senior studies.

Our Year 7 students are preparing for their first Senior School camp next week, when they are heading to Katoomba. This first camp is always a fantastic way to build culture and belonging in the year group, and I look forward to hearing all about the adventures!

Over the coming weeks as we are well and truly into the colder months, there will be a renewed focus on uniform standards. As always, we appreciate the support of families in ensuring that students present themselves with pride and attention to detail. This includes wearing blazers correctly, adhering to jewellery guidelines, and ensuring that socks and other elements of the uniform meet expectations. These small details contribute to a shared sense of identity and reinforce the high standards we value as a school community. Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support.

Study Hub Next Week (Senior Centre, 3.30pm to 6pm)

Study Hub Next Week (Kent House, 3.30pm to 4.30pm)