Traditional iron gates and a beautiful long driveway that leads into a thriving high school……
…….right in the heart of Moss Vale. And many Highlanders don’t even know it’s there!
We’ve driven past the gates on Argyle Street plenty of times and wondered what St Paul’s International College is all about.
So we did a bit of research and chatted to Heads of School, Anne-Maree Scott and Andrew Laing about the college and how they support the high school journeys of locals. Yep! It’s not just for international boarders…… it’s a local Catholic high school for all!
Okay, here’s what we discovered…..
1 // There’s been a school onsite since 1891
Anne-Maree :: Many people don’t know there has been a school for local students on this site for 140 years. It was a Dominican convent school before it became a junior campus for Chevalier College.
In 1986, the Sisters of St Paul de Chartres founded St Paul’s International International College originally for Years 11-12 before expanding to Years 7-12.
The Sisters of St Paul de Chartres were founded in France and spread throughout the world. The sisters at the College hail from Hong Kong, where they have a long history in providing high quality education, which is what we’ve been doing in this local area for nearly forty years.
Over time, the school has played a significant role in the Southern Highlands community.
2 // It’s not just for international students
Anne-Maree :: This is one of the biggest misconceptions about St Paul’s International College. Yes, we offer boarding for both Australian and international students, but in fact, we’re a local Catholic school for Southern Highlanders who also enjoy the added bonus of having international students on campus.
We’re here to offer a high quality education to the children of local families as well as to those from overseas, and we love it.
Andrew :: Recently, we’ve seen a growth in local enrolments as more families move from other areas and more Highlanders realise we are their local Catholic school in Moss Vale.
We offer so much to the students in this area, in a rich international environment.
3 // They cap their numbers to keep the school small for better student engagement
Anne-Maree :: St Paul’s has always been a small school and the Sisters want to keep it that way.
Andrew :: One of the reasons for that is so we can have an individualised approach – there’s no labels here and the learning journey is student-led. We don’t ask them to fit into a box or a specific approach, the teachers are led by each student’s strengths and are there to help them with any gaps and support they need to be the best version of themselves.
Anne-Maree :: Every staff member – not just the teachers – knows the name of all the students. It creates a strong sense of community and belonging for them. They don’t get lost in a large cohort, and if there are any issues, we pick them up quickly.
We don’t have bells between lessons or buzzers or a PA system – we’re creating a nice calm, friendly environment.
4 // The smaller numbers don’t impact the range of subjects, electives and extra-curricular activities they offer
Anne-Maree :: St Paul’s follows the NSW curriculum like any other school and that includes a long history of offering the HSC.
People are always surprised that we offer such a broad range of subjects and electives. But we base our offerings on students’ interests, and that can change from year to year as our students change.
Andrew :: We run our courses and subjects regardless of how many students there are wanting to do it. Everything from physics to extension subjects to visual arts and beyond. Nobody will miss out on doing the subject that they really want to do.
Plus, the smaller class sizes means students receive personalised attention and that individualised approach we talked about earlier.
Anne-Maree :: We also encourage students to get moving, creative and out of the classroom by offering a broad curriculum. Subjects like art, drama and physical education electives help with that.
Andrew :: There’s plenty of extra-curricular activities for students to get involved in, whether it’s playing basketball or badminton at the school, taking part in the fun things we organise at lunchtime or joining a school team that plays in a local competition.
5 // The facilities are amazing
Anne-Maree :: Many people don’t realise that beyond the gates on Argyle Street and the lovely long driveway that we have a large space with outstanding facilities. The Sisters have expanded the facilities of the school over nearly four decades.
We have basketball, tennis and volleyball courts, an outdoor gym, computer labs, science labs, a dance studio and new teaching blocks have been built.
Andrew :: St Paul’s also has a fully staffed kitchen that provides a large range of food for the students. They can have anything from hamburgers to sate chicken.
We also provide morning tea for every student every day. The whole school gets together at that time to connect and of course, have a hot chocolate and a piece of cake or freshly baked biscuits. Nachos day is very popular!
The kitchen staff really enjoying chatting to the students and getting their feedback and requests for something they like.
6 // St Paul’s International College has taken a stand on screen time and the use of devices
Anne-Maree :: We have trialled Bring Your Own Device programs – we did this 20 years ago actually – and have trialled having access to devices like mobile phones but it has always been to the detriment of our students’ learning journey.
Andrew :: We didn’t want everyone to be sitting at a device in the classroom in their own little world. We want students to communicate to each other and their teachers, to encourage the development of the skill of communication. This approach allows the students to participate more, discuss ideas, be creative – we have some incredible conversations in the classroom because everyone is present.
Anne-Maree :: The benefits of being device free led to benefits beyond the classroom too. Students talk to each other, to teachers and the Sisters in the playground. Everybody takes the time to connect – it’s become second nature.
Andrew :: And that’s not to say we aren’t technologically minded, not by any means. The Sisters are very technologically savvy, and we’ve got three computer labs, smartboards and data projectors in classrooms. We just choose how we use technology to maximise the learning benefits for our students.
7 // St Paul’s International College has a strong anti-bullying platform
Anne-Maree :: Being a small school and having great relationships with all the students already, allows us to see negative behaviour or the impacts of that behaviour before we’re told about it. The feedback we get from many parents is that we jump on anti-social and bullying behaviour straight away.
We do that by running a strong restorative justice program where we bring students together and demystify what children don’t understand about each other and celebrate differences.
Andrew :: All our teacher’s know that is part of their role. They’re all part of the pastoral care team of the school.
8 // They should have been at the Robotics World Championships last year!!
Anne-Maree :: One of our senior students has added so much value to the school through his love of robotics. He has really led the way for us in this area and had qualified for the Robotics World Championships in the USA, which sadly we couldn’t attend because of Covid.
Andrew :: When the Sisters want advice on what sort of technology to purchase, they’ll often ask him. They’ve bought 3D printers and robotics based on his advice. It goes to show how a student’s passion for something can impact the whole school.
Anne-Maree :: That’s what makes the student-led education journey so valuable for everyone at St Paul’s International College.
Super interesting, right? So many people don’t know that this high school with incredible facilities is tucked away in Moss Vale.
If you’re keen to find out more about St Paul’s International College and enrolment details, call the College on 4868 2211 or email info@spic.nsw.edu.au or head to their website here.
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