Newington College
| Newington College | |
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| Location | |
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| Information | |
| Type | Private all-male primary; secondary |
| Motto | In Fide Scientiam 'To Our Faith Add Knowledge' |
| Established | 1863 |
| Founder | Rev. John Manton |
| Chairman | Mr. Peter D. Meares |
| Headmaster | Mr. David G Scott |
| Grades | K – 12 |
| Enrolment | 1600 |
| Campus | 12 acres |
| Colour(s) | Black and white |
| Affiliation | Uniting Church, GPS |
| Website | www.newingtoncollege.nsw.edu.au |
Newington College is an Uniting Church all-boys school located in Sydney, Australia. Newington is both a boarding and day school. Newington College is open to all faiths and denominations. It was established in 1863 and originally located at Newington House, near the modern suburb of Newington. The main campus today is in the suburb of Stanmore in the inner west of Sydney. Newington has two preparatory schools – Wyvern House in Stanmore and the Preparatory School at Lindfield. It has a Boat Club at Abbotsford. The college is a member of the GPS.
Students move to the Secondary School at Stanmore in year 7. There is a major intake of new students at this time, although the School allows for enrolment at any stage. Students prepare for the NSW School Certificate and Higher School Certificate.
As with all Australian independent schools, Newington College is a full fee paying institution. Full fees range from AUD$2,000 (Kindergarten) to AUD$18,969 (Year 12) per year for day students, and in excess of AUD$35,000 for Stanmore Campus boarders.
In all, about 1600 students currently attend the 3 campuses as day students and boarders.
History
Support for the concept of Newington College was fostered by the Rev John Manton, who successfully put a motion before the Methodist Conference of 1862. Manton was later appointed Principal-elect of the new school and is rightly regarded as the founder of the College.
At the Conference it was decided that the institution should be "decidedly Wesleyan in character" and at the very start it was expected to "be open to the sons of parents of all religious denominations" – a philosophy which remains an essential ethos of the College 140 years on.
There being no suitable buildings in Sydney Town, a property was leased at Silverwater on the Parramatta River. Formerly belonging to the pioneer Blaxland family, 'Newington House' was the centrepiece of a 1200 acre estate of the same name.
With the successes of Newington College came expanding numbers, and it soon became clear that Newington House was not to be a suitable home into the future. More extensive premises closer to the city were sought and a bequest of land – the Stanmore Estate, from which the suburb gains its name – provided the opportunity and the school relocated in 1880.
Then began the real funding task of raising funds to erect a suitable building for the provision of accommodation for theological students, an essential part of the scheme from the outset. One of several entrants in a competition to design the new College buildings, a young colonial architect named Thomas Rowe was selected and works began in 1876. Rowe later designed several significant buildings including Sydney Hospital and The Great Synagogue. By 1880, the now heritage-listed sandstone building, known today as the Founders' Wing, was completed and the school moved to Stanmore. The College Council decided that the name Newington College should be continue to be used despite the move to the new site.
The College has remained at Stanmore. From 70 students at the time of the move, it now has about 1600 with an additional Preparatory School on the North Shore, first at Killara but now at Lindfield.
In latter years, particularly since World War II, the College buildings and facilities have improved and expanded significantly – the latest of which are the Physical Education Centre (on a site where there has been a gymnasium since 1890 and a swimming pool since 1894) a new boatshed at Abbotsford and new Library and Design & Technology facilities.
The Stanmore-based Preparatory School at Wyvern House relocated in 1998 to new premises in Cambridge Street. There are Boarding facilities catering for students from Years 7 to 12.
Over the decades, the College has seen the services of a number of headmasters, including particularly, The Rev Dr C J Prescott (1900 to 1931), the school's longest serving headmaster and Mr A J Rae AM (1972 to 1993) who sought to develop an academic, sporting and extracurricular balance.
Mr Rae was succeeded by Mr Michael Smee in mid-1993 whose term as headmaster saw major building projects undertaken including the relocation of Wyvern House Preparatory School to new premises in Cambridge St, Stanmore. The current headmaster is Mr. David G. Scott who commenced in mid 2003.
Profile
Newington has three campuses:
Stanmore years 7-12
The secondary campus is located in Stanmore, in Sydney's inner west. The student body consists of approximately 50 boarders and 1050 day students.
Newington boarders come from country and city, interstate and overseas. Day students are drawn from all over the Sydney greater metropolitan area.
Wyvern House K-6
Located at Stanmore, Wyvern House Preparatory School has approximately 370 students - all day students. There are two classes each in Years K-4 and three classes in Years 5-6.
Lindfield K-6
The Preparatory School at Lindfield is a single-stream school, with approximately 160 students, generally from the North Shore of Sydney.
Academics
Newington College's Uniting Church philosophy expounds equality for all, hence for the non-selective procedure of admission. However, it should be noted that, in common with most other non-government non-systemic schools in NSW, the school routinely requests parents of boys with behavioural difficulties to remove them from the school.
The school teaches the core curriculum outlined by the NSW Board of Studies (BOS) between K-8. In addition to this curriculum, the students study one major language other than English. Competent students at Newington during years 7-8 (and onwards if a student decides to) study Latin. From years 9-12, students adhere to the Board of Studies curriculum standards that all NSW schools follow.
To ensure the interests of all students are catered for, be they academic, commercial, creative, sporting, technological or otherwise, the College offers a wide range of courses. As with all schools in NSW, whether public of private, the curriculum, in tandem with cocurricular and pastoral care programs, attempts to provide a rounded liberal education designed to equip students with the skills, knowledge and understanding they will need to face the challenges of the years ahead.
Due to the fact that Newington College is a school that comes under jurisdiction of the Board of Studies, it follows the same set of rules, and offers from the same list of courses that all schools do
The Higher School Certificate
In 2002 and 2003, Newington College received the highest number of Premier’s Awards of any nonselective boys’ school in NSW [citation needed]. In 2004, Newington, finished in the top two non selective boys’ schools in NSW as far as Premier’s Awards was concerned [citation needed]. Eleven students gained a mark of 90 or above in ten or more HSC units and were thus recognised on the All-Rounders list [citation needed]. The Dux of the school more often then not gains an University Admission Index (UAI) of 99+, placing that student in the top 1% of the state [citation needed]. Students who score 90 or above in a subject and hence receive the highest band are placed on the merit list. In 2004, 58 boys achieved a total of 176 ‘top bands’ [citation needed]. In 2005, Only one student gained a Premier's Award, and Newington was placed outside the top 100 schools in the state.[citation needed]
The School Certificate
Newington, much like all other schools prepares students for The School Certificate in the exact same way as other educational institutions, as determined by the Board of Studies. The School Certificate aims to test a student's culminative apptitude in Mathematics, Science and English. Furthermore the School Certificate now aims to assess a student's understanding of Australian History and Australian Geography, Civics and Citizenship.
Gifted Education Program
In common with the approach adopted by non-fee paying Government schools from the mid 1990s, a formalised Gifted Education has been developed at Newington College from 2005. While many activities have been run in the past, the aim is to formalise a Gifted Program and create consistency over the three campuses. The program will eventually run from K to 12. The initial focus will be on Years 5 and 6 at Lindfield and Wyvern and in Years 7 and 8 at the Stanmore Campus.
Arts
Newington has an extensive and long music tradition. The school is home to the noted Synergy Percussion Group, and through the years has seen notable visiting and resident performers at the school. It has a well developed choir that include both teachers and students. Many choristers also participate in the Sydney Children's Choir and the Gondwana Voices, Australia’s national children’s choir.
As with most senior and junior schools in NSW (whether public or private), Newington encourages public speaking, debating and mooting arenas. In common with other schools in the GPS, Newington fields eleven teams. The school consistently participates in the Legacy National Public Speaking Competition.
Sports
Participation in sport is an important part of a student's progress through school. Not only is sport deemed to be important, it is also compulsory, and the limited number of positions available in all sports other than Rugby has lead to the creation of such promising teams as the Under 14 G's. This is a guideline set out by the Board of Studies to which all schools must adhere. Through properly staffed and controlled games and activities, a student will reach the goals set out by the Board of Studies PD/H/PE program that all public and private schools must reach.
Facilities at the college include: the PE Centre with an indoor heated swimming pool and weights room which caters for basketball, volleyball, indoor soccer and so on. Newly constructed all-weather surfaced tennis courts, turf pitches and synthetic practice pitches for cricket and the new Boatshed on the Parramatta River at Abbotsford. The playing fields at Stanmore cater for most outdoor games played during the summer and winter seasons.
Newington is one of nine GPS (Great Public Schools) in New South Wales and participates in various GPS sporting competitions, which usually take place on Saturdays during term. The GPS has been overseeing competition between the member schools for over 110 years.
Newington is always competitive and enjoys a high standard of coaching. In 1992, for instance, Newington teams distinguished themselves by winning all eight summer sporting premierships in GPS competition: 1st/2nd basketball, 1st/2nd cricket, 1st/2nd tennis, 1st/2nd rowing eights - a record never before achieved by any school. They did also have Australian Football legend Robbie Slater as their Director of Coaching for Soccer from 2003-2005. In addition, the College swimming relay team won more GPS swimming relays than any other school's team throughout the swimming season. It is also one of the two first Australian schools to play school boy rugby [1].
Achieving triple colours for sports at Newington has been very difficult to achieve due to the level of skill the all boys have and the diversity of the sports available.
Cadets and The Duke of Edinburgh Scheme
The Cadet Unit combines tradition with modern activities and provides boys with the challenges of abseiling, archery, bushcraft, canoeing, drill, first aid, lifesaving, mapping, orienteering and radio operation. The Cadets tradition in Newington is long and proud, it in fact outdates the Australian Army [2]. Leadership training in the Cadet Unit is also given great attention.
There is also the Service Band and Service Orchestra for the students who wish to contribute in this manner.
In common with most public and private schools within NSW the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme (DEA) is offered at Newington College either as a stand alone activity or as part of cadets.
Tom Nash
Early in 2001, only months after completing his HSC at Newington, Tom Nash contracted the virulent meningococcal disease, which strikes without warning and often brings death within hours. Its trademark rash attacks relentlessly, savaging the skin and extremities in particular. In desperate attempts to save him, Nash gradually had each of his legs, then each arm amputated. He has since learned to walk again.
To assist him, the College has established the 'Tom Nash Foundation' and registered the Fund with the Australian Tax Office, making donations tax deductible. The Foundation is managed by a multi-skilled board including the Headmaster, the Chairman of Council, the School Chaplains, legal and financial representatives from the Newington community as appropriate and the Community Relations Manager. The Foundation aims to provide assistance to Nash in the longer term and in the transition stage from hospital discharge, which will require significant resources. The goal is for Nash to be able to live independently with carer support and return to university studies.
2006 Industrial Relations dispute
During 2006, the press reported on a industrial relations dispute at Newington when 40 department heads and housemasters were advised to reapply for their posistions. Teachers were told that they would be required to do preparation and training during some school holidays. The Headmaster, David Scott said that "The action was taken after a comprehensive review of the school and had nothing to do with the federal government's Work Choices reforms". The refusal of some teachers to do any extra training in their own time led to the dispute. "What we are trying to do is refine what we do so that we can do it better," Scott told ABC radio. "The way in which we are trying to do (that) is to require staff to do professional development preparation in non-term time and that's the issue with the staff. It is not anything to do with pay."[3]
David Scott, advised that if senior teachers did not reapply for their current positions they could stay on as classroom teachers or be made redundant.[4]
The dispute was politicised when Greens MLC Lee Rhiannon called on the New South Wales Government to withhold funding from the school because 40 teachers were advised to re-apply for their own jobs.[5]
Following a meeting between the Independent Education Union and Newington College, the Headmaster agreed not to declare senior staff positions vacant and the school continued to negotiate collective arrangements covering salary and working conditions for staff. [6]
Anonymous teachers told the Sydney Morning Herald that tensions remain, the school body had been fractured by the dispute, and there is deep-seated mistrust of Mr Scott and of the College Council's plans. [7]
The Sydney Morning Herald said that the College has threatened to sue a parent whose company conducted a survey that found 43 per cent of the school's teachers were considering quitting. Scott released a statment in response to the SMH article stating: "The legal issues between the parent nominated in the Herald article the College and the Headmaster are unrelated to the survey." The survey results showed that only 35 percent felt they were treated with respect and dignity. Just 6 percent reported high or very high morale, contrasting with 75 per cent who reported low or very low morale. One in three teachers believe they do not have a future at the school.[8]
Notable alumni - 'Old Newingtonians'
Former students of the school are known as Old Newingtonians. For notable Old Newingtonians, see List of notable Old Newingtonians.
Associated schools
Neighbouring schools
People
There are only 3 people in newington College. They are dead though.
Nearby schools include:
Uniting Church Schools
GPS Schools