St Paul’s is dedicated to equipping its students to become people of discernment who value the Christian faith, and behave with integrity and excellence in all of life.
St Paul’s is the first school in NSW to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) from Pre-Kindergarten to Year 12, in conjunction with NSW Board courses.
Facilities: 450 computers in laboratories or as laptops, modern and well-equipped library, large multi-purpose indoor centre that can seat up to 2000 people for special occasions and provide for a wide range of indoor sports, performing arts block, incorporating specialist room for music, dance and drama, music technology lab, recording studio and conservatorium tutorial rooms, specialist classrooms for art, multimedia technology lab. Industrial, food technology and science labs are complemented with the school farm, extensive outdoor playing fields, and tennis, basketball and netball courts. All classrooms are air-conditioned for student comfort.
Electives Years 7 to 10: Agriculture, Chinese, Christian Living, Commerce, Computing Studies, Dance, Design and Technology, Drama, Food Technology, French, Geography, History, Information Software and Technology, Latin, Music, Technics (Wood), Textiles and Design, Visual Arts. Religious Education is compulsory.
Higher School Certificate program: Agriculture, Ancient History, Biology, Business Studies, Chemistry, Christian Studies, Dance, Design and Technology, Drama, Earth and Environmental Science, Economics, English, Food Technology, Geography, Industrial Technology (Automotive), Information Processes and Technology, Languages (Chinese, French, Spanish), Legal Studies, Mathematics, Modern History, Music, PD/Health/PE, Physics, Software Design and Development, Sport Lifestyle and Recreation, Studies of Religion, Textiles and Design, VET Hospitality, Visual Arts. There is also a large range of VET courses available off-site.
International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma: Biology, Business and Management, Chemistry, Computing Science, Design Technology, Economics, Eco Systems and Societies, English, Geography, History, Languages (Chinese, French, Spanish), Mathematics, Music, Physics, Psychology, Theatre Arts, Theory of Knowledge, VisArts, CAS (Creativity/Action/Service).
Sport: Students do recreational and competitive sport during school hours or interschool Saturday competitive sport (ISA). Sports offered include athletics, basketball (girls and boys), cricket, hockey, indoor soccer, netball, rowing, rugby union, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, touch football, volleyball, water polo and whitewater sports.
Extracurricular activities: The school has a high standard in performance and music, with annual school musicals, regular drama productions, a string ensemble, concert bands, a jazz band, a wind orchestra, Senior and Junior Secondary choirs and vocal groups, a percussion group and other bands. Junior School productions include verse speaking, bands, choirs and drama. Other voluntary activities include chess, debating, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme, a rural fire cadet brigade with its own fire station and tanker, weekly Christian fellowship groups, and Bible study groups. All Years from Year 3 to Year 11 participate in an annual school camp.
Welfare and personal development: Student welfare has a high priority. There is a full-time careers adviser to give individualised advice and to provide liaison with employers and tertiary institutions. There is also a full-time professionally qualified personal counsellor. A school pastor deals with specifically spiritual needs. A full-time gifted education co-ordinator is responsible for the acceleration and provision of programs for the more academically able students from Pre-Kindergarten to Year 12. There are also full-time learning support teachers for students with learning difficulties in both the junior school and the high school. Individual programs, the implementation of special provisions, and peer reading give valuable assistance to students with specific needs. House and tutor-group structures provide for ongoing care of students.
Special features: The school offers the choice between the International Baccalaureate (IB) and the HSC in Years 11 and 12. This diploma gives a broad curriculum with a global perspective and develops learning skills required for university, providing entrance to universities around the world.
The final IB result is automatically converted to an ATAR score by the NSW University Admissions Centre. The ATAR conversions from IB grades typically are advantageous for students. All universities in Australia and most overseas universities give recognition to the academic rigour associated with the IB. St Paul’s is currently the largest IB school in NSW, offering the IB from Pre-Kindergarten to Year 12. There are international links with Asia, and Chinese language is taught to all students from Pre-Kindergarten to Year 7. Latin and French are also compulsory in Year 7. Students in Year 7 are taught in core classes with the same teacher for the main subjects. In 2009, 10 students achieved ATARs over 99 with the Dux achieving 99.95.