Wavell State High School

Wavell State High School is a coeducational independent public secondary school based in Wavell Heights, Queensland, Australia, a suburb of Brisbane. The school has a total enrolment of more than 1500 students from years 7-12, with an official count of 1570 students in 2017. Since 2006, the current role of the Principal of the School has been held by Jeff Major.

Wavell State High School
Location
Wavell Heights
,
Queensland

Australia
Coordinates27°23′55.5″S 153°02′15.4″E
Information
TypePublic, secondary
MottoEsse Quam Videri (To be rather than to seem to be)[1]
Established1959
PrincipalJeff Major
Grades7-12
Enrolment1570 (2017)[2]
Colour(s)Maroon     , navy blue      and royal blue     
Websitewavellshs.eq.edu.au

History

Wavell State High School opened on 27 January 1959 under the leadership of the founding Principal, C.E. Anstey. As the suburb of the school, Wavell Heights, which was named in 1942, Wavell State High School was named after Field Marshal Archibald Percival Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell (5 May 1883 – 24 May 1950), a Commander-in-Chief of British and Dominion Forces in the Middle East from July 1939 to July 1941. Many Australians served under his command during the early period of World War II; mostly in North Africa, Greece, Crete and Syria.[3]

In 2018 many of the original buildings received State Government Heritage Listing due to their cultural and historical significance.[4]

Sporting houses

Wavell State High School's four sporting houses, Alamein, Burma, Keren and Tobruk, are named in reference to places and battles associated with Earl Wavell:

  • Alamein commemorates the Second Battle of El Alamein, the turning point of World War II in the Middle East. After two frustrating years of successes followed by reverses, British and Dominion forces led by Lt. General Bernard Montgomery successfully fought this decisive battle from 23 October to 4 November 1942 near El Alamein, in Northern Egypt, not far from Alexandria and Cairo. The Australian Ninth Division had an important role in the battle. The German and Italian Armies subsequently retreated to Tunis where they surrendered in May 1943.
  • Burma, part of Wavell's responsibilities as Commander-in-Chief of the south-West Pacific, was invaded in December 1941 by the Japanese Army who gained control of the country by May 1942. This occupation posed threats for India and Ceylon and severed the Chinese nationalists’ main line of communication with the outside world via the port of Rangoon. Allied policy was that Germany should be defeated before Japan and only limited resources were available to assist Wavell and his successors. However, operations by soldiers known as Chindits were organised behind enemy lines during Wavell's time as Commander-in-Chief. Australian Air Force and Navy personnel were among those Allied forces who retook Burma in 1945.
  • Keren was the location of a decisive and bitter battle from 15 to 26 March 1941 in which British troops defeated Italian troops, paving the way for British control of East Africa and thereby removing some of the threat posed by the Axis powers to British interests in the Mediterranean. British success in March followed an earlier unsuccessful attempt to secure the area in a battle from 3 to 13 February. The town of Keren is located in a mountain area in the north of Eritrea, near the Red Sea. At the time, Eritrea was one of the six provinces of Italian East Africa.
  • Tobruk was the scene of a siege in which allied servicemen defended the town against the German Army from 10 April to 7 December 1941. This siege of 242 days is the longest in British Military history. The defenders, who were outnumbered ten to three, included Australians of the Ninth Division and a Brigade of the Seventh Division, as well as troops from Britain, India and Poland. By holding this strategic port in Libya the Allies were able to thwart the progress of the German Armies in their quest to control Egypt and the Suez Canal. The Rats of Tobruk Association, survivors of the siege, donated a debating trophy which is presented each year at Wavell State High School's Wavell Speech Night.[3]

Curriculum

Schools of Excellence

Wavell State High School includes Schools of Excellence in the fields of Netball, Rugby League, Dance, Drama and Music:

  • Cert II Sport and Recreation (SIS20310) - Netball Excellence strand
  • Cert II Sport and Recreation (SIS20310) - Rugby League Excellence strand
  • Creative Arts - Dance Studies
  • Creative Arts - Drama Studies
  • Music Extension[5]

Junior secondary (Years 7 & 8)

Years 7 and 8 students at Wavell State High School participate in the following subjects:

  • English
    • Extension
    • Core
    • Foundation
  • Mathematics
    • Extension
    • Core
    • Foundation
  • Science
  • Languages
    • French
    • German
    • Japanese
  • Social Science
    • History
    • Geography
  • Technology
    • Business and Computing
    • Home Economics
    • Industrial Technology
    • Media Studies
  • The Arts
    • Visual Arts
    • Media Studies
    • Dance
    • Drama
    • Music
  • Health & Physical Education[1]

Middle secondary (Years 9 & 10)

Years 9 and 10 students at Wavell State High School undertake the following subjects as a part of their curriculum:

  • English
    • Extension
    • Core
    • Foundation
  • Mathematics
    • Extension
    • Core
    • Foundation
  • Health & Physical Education
    • General
    • Health & Movement
    • Rugby League
    • Netball
  • Social Science
    • History
    • Geography
  • Science
  • Wavell Development Program/Assembly
  • Sport[1]

All Year 9 students at Wavell State High School undertake three of the following Elective Subjects:

  • Technology
    • Business Studies
    • Digital Technology
    • Engineering Design
    • Food and Textiles Studies
    • Food Studies
    • Industrial Skills
    • Visual Design Technologies
  • The Arts Program
    • Art
    • Dance (enrolment succeeds by satisfactory audition)
    • Drama
    • Media Studies
    • Music
  • Languages (students choose which one they prefer from best to least)
    • French
    • German
    • Japanese[1]

In Year 10, the three electives plus HPE are condensed into two elective subjects.

Senior secondary (Years 11 & 12)

Wavell State High School offers Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) General Subjects, Applied Subjects and Vocational Education & Training (VET) subjects to Years 11 and 12 students.

QCAA General Subjects

  • Accounting
  • Ancient History
  • Biology
  • Business
  • Chemistry
  • Dance
  • Design
  • Digital Solutions
  • Drama
  • Earth & Environmental Science
  • Economics
  • Engineering
  • English
  • English & Literature Extension (Year 12 only)
  • Film, Television and New Media
  • Food & Nutrition
  • French
  • General Mathematics
  • Geography
  • German
  • Graphics
  • Health
  • Japanese
  • Legal Studies
  • Literature
  • Mathematical Methods
  • Modern History
  • Music
  • Music Extension – Composition (Excellence Program; Year 12 only)
  • Music Extension – Musicology (Excellence Program; Year 12 only)
  • Music Extension – Performance (Excellence Program; Year 12 only)
  • Physical Education
  • Physics
  • Specialist Mathematics
  • Visual Art[1]

Applied Subjects

  • Dance in Practice (Excellence Program)
  • Drama in Practice (Excellence Program)
  • Early Childhood Studies
  • Essential English
  • Essential Mathematics
  • Fashion
  • Furnishing Skills
  • Hospitality Practices
  • Information Technology Skills
  • Information & Community Studies
  • Media Arts in Practice
  • Social and Community Studies
  • Sport & Recreation (Rugby League Excellence Strand)
  • Visual Arts in Practice[1]

VET Subjects

  • Certificate II in Engineering Pathways
  • Certificate II in Horticulture
  • Certificate III in Allied Health Assistance
  • Certificate III in Business
  • Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care
  • Certificate III in Engineering – Technical (CAD)
  • Certificate III in Sport and Recreation – (General Strand)
  • Certificate III in Sport and Recreation – (Netball Excellence Program)
  • Certificate IV in Justice Studies[1]

Notable alumni
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References
  1. "Wavell State High School - Prospectus 2019" (PDF). Wavell State High School. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  2. "Wavell State High School Annual Report 2017" (PDF). Department of Education and Training (Queensland). Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  3. "Wavell State High School - History". Wavell State High School. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  4. "Wavell State High listed in heritage register". The Courier Mail. 13 August 2018. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  5. "Wavell State High School - Excellence Programs". Wavell State High School. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  6. "Hockeyroos captain Madonna Blyth was set to succeed, says those who watched her grow from schoolgirl to superstar". The Courier Mail. 27 June 2012. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
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