Calrossy Anglican School

Calrossy Anglican School
Location
East Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia
Coordinates	31°4′58″S 150°56′15″E / 31.08278°S 150.93750°E / -31.08278; 150.93750Coordinates: 31°4′58″S 150°56′15″E / 31.08278°S 150.93750°E / -31.08278; 150.93750
Information
Type	Independent, Single-sex, Day and Boarding
Denomination	Anglican[1]
Established	1919[2]
Principal	Elisabeth Jackson
Head of Campuses	Adele Guy - Secondary Girls, Joe Goldsworthy - Secondary Boys, Robert Black - Primary
Chaplain	Rev. Andrew Newman
Staff	180[3]
Enrolment	~1050 (K–12)[4]
Colour(s)	Maroon, Cream and Blue
Slogan	"Christian - Personal - Caring"[5]
Website	www.calrossy.nsw.edu.au

The Calrossy Anglican School (Calrossy), is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for boys and girls and incorporates a primary and preschool. Calrossy is located in East Tamworth, a suburb of Tamworth, a city in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia.

Established in 1919, the school has a non-selective enrolment policy, and currently caters for approximately 470 secondary girls along with approximately 155 secondary boys and 375 primary students.^[2] With over 180 boarders, Calrossy has one of the largest boarding enrolments among New South Wales boarding schools.^[6] In 2006, Calrossy joined with William Cowper Anglican Boys High School and William Cowper Primary School,^[7] to create the Calrossy Anglican School. This School now incorporates a secondary day and boarding school for girls (Calrossy), a secondary day and boarding school for boys, a co-educational prep and primary school, and a co-educational preschool, with total enrolments of over 1000.^[8]

The school is affiliated with the Junior School Heads Association of Australia (JSHAA),^[9] the Australian Boarding Schools' Association (ABSA),^[2] the Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia (AGSA),^[10] and is an affiliate member of the Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools (AHIGS).^[11] Calrossy is administered by the Anglican Diocese of Armidale.^[12]

History

The School was formally named as the Tamworth Church of England Girls' School (TCEGS), by a group of parishioners from St John's Parish Church, Tamworth, led by the Vicar, Canon Rupert Fairbrother. With just seventeen foundation students, the school first occupied a site close to the church in East Tamworth. Lessons were held in the church hall, and the boarding house was an old building on the corner of Brisbane and Carthage Streets.^[13]

The school moved to its present site in Brisbane Street in 1923, to a property formerly owned by John Patterson. His home, the centrepiece of the new school, was named 'Calrossy' after his family property in Scotland. The school eventually adopted the name in 1969.^[13]

TCEGS remained a parish school until 1936, when it was taken over by the Diocese of Armidale and administered in a similar way to the Diocese' other schools, The Armidale School and the New England Girls' School.^[13]

In 2006, Calrossy joined with William Cowper Anglican Boys High School and William Cowper Primary School, to create the Tamworth Anglican College (TAC), subsequently the schools name was changed to Tamworth Anglican College - Calrossy Campus.^[7] This amalgamation created a Pre-school to Year 12 with school, with a co-educational primary school and two single-sex high schools (Secondary Girls and Secondary Boys). Each sub-school has retained its own crest and traditions. In 2007, the name "Tamworth Anglican College" was changed to Calrossy Anglican School. The senior school for girls is now therefore named Calrossy Anglican School - Brisbane Street Campus.^[5]

Principals

Curriculum

Calrossy Anglican school is registered and accredited with the New South Wales Board of Studies,^[14] and therefore follows the mandated curriculum for all years. The school offers a variety of core and elective subjects designed to prepare students for a range of opportunities in tertiary studies and career pathways.^[15]

Students in Years 11 and 12 may follow different Higher School Certificate (HSC) pathways, and complete vocational courses at TAFE or at school. Students may also undertake school-based traineeships, linking HSC studies with workplace developed competencies.^[15] Current subject choices include: Agriculture, Agricultural Technology, Modern and Ancient History, Australian History, Geography, Civics and Citizenship, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Business Studies, Christian Studies, Commerce, Design and Technology, Drama, Earth Sciences, Economics, English, Food Technology, French, Hospitality, Information and Software Technology and Design, Japanese, Music, Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE), Photography, Society and Culture, Studies in Religion, Technology, Textiles Technology, Textiles and Design and Visual Arts.^[15]

Co-curriculum

Calrossy students are offered opportunities to partake in a range of extra-curriculum activities, including music groups, sporting teams, public speaking, debating and drama.^[16]

Music

The school offers a number of music ensembles, such as the College orchestra, jazz band, string ensemble, cello choir, woodwind ensemble and choir. Links with the Tamworth Regional Conservatorium of Music enable the school to provide private tuition in piano, guitar, violin, clarinet, flute, cello and drums on the school grounds.^[16]

Music activities are offered throughout the year, including a House Music competition, Carol's Service, Creative Skills week and recital evenings.^[16]

Sport

Calrossy offers a number of sports in which each student is encouraged to be involved, from beginners to advanced level. The school participates in many local community sporting associations, where competition takes place throughout the week outside school hours.^[16]

Calrossy is an affiliate member of the Independent Girls' Schools Sporting Association (IGSSA) and participates competitively against 28 other similar type independent girls' schools in Swimming, athletics, cross-country, tennis and gymnastics. There is an opportunity for talented students to represent IGSSA in hockey, netball, waterpolo, swimming, athletics, cross-country, tennis and gymnastics. Other sports available include touch football, basketball, soccer, equestrian and softball.^[16]

Calrossy holds annual inter-house competitions in swimming and athletics, and a Sports Day involving a range of sports in term three.^[16]

Public speaking

Students may participate and compete in a range of speaking activities, including Mock Trials, Model United Nations, local, state and national debating and public speaking.^[16]

Exchange

An overseas exchange program is in place for students in Years 11 and 12, whereby students may attend schools in England or Canada. Some students arrange short term stays at the completion of their Year 10 School Certificate course.^[16]

Notable alumnae

Alumnae of Calrossy are known as Old Girls and may elect to join the schools alumni association, the Old Girls' Union (OGU).^[17] Some notable Calrossy Old Girls include:

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Academic

• Bronwyn Davies – Professor of Education at the University of Western Sydney; Author^[18]
• Lyn Gorman (née Chaffey) – Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at Charles Sturt University; Former Dean of the Faculty of Arts at Charles Sturt University; Head of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (1999–2002) at Brighton Polytechnic (UK); Author^[19]

Media, entertainment and the arts

• Jennifer Hoy – First Violin with the Sydney Symphony^[20]
• Belinda Giblin actress
• Liz Tomkins filmmaker

Politics, public service and the law

• Shirley Margaret Adams OAM – Councillor of Clarence Valley Council; Deputy Mayor of Clarence Valley Council (2005–07); Chairman of the NSW Country Mayors Association (2002–04), Mayor of Grafton City Council (1996–2004); Recipient of the Centenary Medal 2003^[21]

See also

• List of non-government schools in New South Wales
• List of boarding schools
• Schools in Tamworth, New South Wales

References

Further reading

• Newman, W. 1994. Calrossy 1919-1994: A Vision Unfolding. Halbooks Publishing, Avalon, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-19908-0.

External links

• Calrossy website