St Ursula’s College,
Toowoomba
A Catholic secondary day and boarding
school for girls in the Diocese of Toowoomba
Annual report 2023
Address

38 Taylor Street, Toowoomba

Phone numberemail

principal@st-ursula.qld.edu.auPrincipal

Year levels

Years 7-12

yesOutside hours
school care

Bernadette Witham (ActingTerm 4)
girls only

Co-educational or single sexBoarders

07 4632 7611
Tanya Appleby (Terms 1 to 3)

noVacation carenoContact person for information about the school
Deidre Youngand school policies

Characteristics of the student body

St Ursula’s College is a Catholic secondary day and boarding school for girls from Years 7-12, withan enrolment of approximately 430 students.
We are proudly Ursuline, founded by the Ursuline Sisters in 1931 and guided by the charism of St Angela
Merici – a contemplative love of God and a resulting openness and eagerness to serve the needs of others.
We are committed to teaching and living the Ursuline core values of academic excellence, service, spirituality,community, social justice, openness to change and leadership.
Our Catholic identity is founded in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and dedicated to building community andoffering an education that affirms and enhances the dignity of all individuals. Our inclusive culture, articulated
in our touchstone, Every face has a place, enables all students and staff to develop and thrive by being theirtrue selves.
Unique to our way of being is the educational model expressed as part of The Ursuline way. It consists ofthree distinct features that relate and affirm our Culture Statement and positions our young women to respondto signs of our times.
•••

A way of learning in the world
A model for living in the world.
A manner of contributing to the world.

A way of learning…
Learning and Teaching at St Ursula’s College is framed by the FLAIR model.
Focussed – Ensures a sharp focus on the intention for the learning and measures of success.
Learner Centred – The students are at the heart of our work, across engagement and wellbeing.

St Ursula’s College, Toowoomba
2023 Annual report
Page 1 of 5
Please note: A hardcopy of this annual report is available from the Principal by request.

Authentic – Incorporate real world context and experiences to enhance the learning.
Inspiring – Through student agency, to enable transformation and empowerment, andResponsive – To recognise the diverse learning needs of each individual student.
Our team of experienced staff work tirelessly to provide opportunities both in and out of the classroom toenhance the delivery of the Australian Curriculum in Years 7 to 10, and in Years 11 and 12, guided by theQCAA General and Applied syllabuses, as well as extensive opportunities to engage in School-based
Apprenticeships and Traineeships, and work experience.
A model for living in the world…
Merici CARE is the model that is enlivened at St Ursula’s College to develop student capabilities so that they
can live in our world.
C is CONNECT. Making connections and building community.
Building a sense of community among our students is essential for creating a positive and inclusive school
environment. It fosters a sense of belonging, reduces feelings of isolation, and improves academic and social
outcomes.
A is ACT: Develop awareness of self and commit to action
Self-awareness is the ability to recognize and understand emotions, thoughts, and behaviours. It allows ourstudents to identify their strengths and weaknesses, which in turn helps them to make better decisions andimprove their relationships with others.
R is Respond. Grow in respect and responsibility.
At St Ursula’s College we believe that it is important to not only teach academic subjects but also to help ourstudents grow as individuals. Two important values that we strive to instil in our students are respect andresponsibility.
E is Empower. Live empowering and enriching lives
At St Ursula’s College, we believe that many aspects assist our students to become confident empoweredyoung women ready to make a positive impact on our world. Teachers and parents play a vital role indeveloping the capabilities of students. We empower students to take charge of their learning, develop
essential skills, and live empowered and enriched lives both inside and outside the classroom.
A manner of contributing to the world...
One of the ways that we visibly express our charism and our school motto – Serviam (which means I willserve) is through our Service-Learning program. These groups are student led and offer opportunities forstudents every year to participate and support the following service groups:
Care for Cambodia, Interact, Lifeline Afterschool Club, Our Country Heart, Pink Ladies, Protea Place,
Rising Daughters, Share the Dignity, Ursie Animals, Ursies for Change and Ursie Insider
We also have a Cultural Group and offer support to other local charitable organisations such as Rosies andTony's Kitchen.
Boarding Life…
The College offers a personalised boarding experience in our residential house, Brescia. A small, family styleenvironment that provides a warm and inviting atmosphere to create home like surrounds. Our boarding
numbers of 40 students is approximately 10% of our student population. The girls are supported by caring
and qualified boarding staff, who endeavour to accommodate for each individual student and their needs,
from supporting part time work to elite sporting endeavours.
In 2023, the Boarding House was named the Boarding House of the Year in the Australian Education Awards.
This was in recognition of many aspects of our program and facility, including “Our Country Hearts”
entrepreneurial initiative where our boarders engaged in making products to sell at the markets, and savefunds to improve their House, as well as support a charity of their choice.
St Ursula’s College, Toowoomba
2023 Annual report
Page 2 of 5
Please note: A hardcopy of this annual report is available from the Principal by request.

Our student demographics include:
First Nations – 8.8%
Students with a disability – 12.7 %ESL – 6%

Workforce information
Workforce composition
Total
teaching staff

Total
non-teaching staff

Headcount38

37

Full-time equivalents

36.4

31

Indigenousstaff
2

Teacher qualifications
Qualification% of teaching

Doctoral / Post-Doctoral0%

Masters32%

Bachelor Degree97%

Diploma42%

Certificate

21%

Funding information
School income reported by the financial year accounting cycle using standardised national methodologies
and broken down by funding source is available via the MySchool website at www.myschool.edu.au.

Social climate
Survey conducted in 2022 indicated the following.
Satisfaction Rating (out of 5)
Survey Sample
Your Result
Staff
3.90
Students
3.78
Parents
4

Comparable Schools
3.95
3.70
3.93

All Schools
3.94
3.68
4.03

Student outcomesStudent attendance for each year level (expressed as %)Year 7

Year 8Year 9Year 10

Year 11

Year 1291.81%

90.86%

89.84%

90.34%

88%

88.43%St Ursula’s College, Toowoomba
2023 Annual report
Page 3 of 5
Please note: A hardcopy of this annual report is available from the Principal by request.

Description of how non-attendance of students is managed by the school
At St Ursula’s College, parents report student absences and reasons through email, phone message andparent dashboard. Pastoral Care teachers mark rolls at the beginning of the school day (Pastoral Care 8.40am). Office staff, using parent contact numbers, contact parents using SMS/message software seeking
a response explanation of the student’s absence for those students who are marked absent without
explanation. Students who arrive after Pastoral Care must sign in through student reception. Pastoral Careteachers contact parents when a student has been absent for more than three (3) days and follow up withstudents for notes explaining absences. Students at risk are identified by Pastoral Care teachers and Headsof House (Pastoral Leader) are notified. The Heads of House, Assistant Principal - Pastoral Care and theDeputy Principal work with students and families to implement strategies for improved attendance.
During the school day, rolls are marked at the beginning of every lesson. The office monitors lesson by lesson
attendance. The office identifies any student who is marked absent without reason and a member of thePastoral team and or College Leadership team are advised of the potential missing student. Measures aretaken to locate the student and the parent is notified. Continual absenteeism is addressed by the Deputy
Principal and Principal of the College. A letter is sent to the student and family requesting an interview andshow cause for continued enrolment.
Parents of students who take their students on planned extended leave during a school term must notify theCollege Principal beforehand. This notification is acknowledged by the Principal and a Special Leave form iscompleted by the student’s teachers before the planned absence occurs.

National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) results
Year 7 test results

Focus

Our school averageState average

National average

Reading

545.3

525.9

536.3

Writing

538.5

519.2

533.7

Spelling

546.7

531.0

539.4

Grammar andPunctuation

554.2

533.7

538.9

Numeracy

530.8

528.6

538.4

Year 9 test results

Focus

Our school averageState average

National average

Reading

589

553.6

564.4

Writing

614.7

554.3

566.6

Spelling

581.9

562.1

567.7

Grammar andPunctuation

597.6

548.2

556.7

Numeracy

566.6

554.0

567.7

St Ursula’s College, Toowoomba
2023 Annual report
Page 4 of 5
Please note: A hardcopy of this annual report is available from the Principal by request.

Year 12 outcomes
Number of students awarded a Senior Education Profile (SEP)

69

Number of students awarded a Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE)

66

Number of students awarded a Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement (QCIA)

0

Number of students awarded one or more Vocational Education and Training (VET)
qualifications

40

Number of students who are completing or have completed a School-based
Apprenticeship or Traineeship (SAT)31

Number of students who received an ATAR

47

Number of students awarded an International Baccalaureate Diploma (IBD)

0

Number of students who completed Year 12 and received a statement of results (SeniorStatement) only

3

Percentage of students who were awarded at least one of the following: QCE, VET(including students who participated in a SAT), IBD
Year 12 post-school destination
This information is published by 30 September each year.

St Ursula’s College, Toowoomba
2023 Annual report
Page 5 of 5
Please note: A hardcopy of this annual report is available from the Principal by request.

98.6%