Marsden State High School has eclipsed Brisbane State High as Australia’s largest secondary school after securing a record 3,733 enrolments in January.
Principal Andrew Peach said he and his staff are particularly proud of the strong community support and engagement that has led to the success of the school.
“The growth of the school is reflection of the growth across Logan and the pride within the city where families can get the very best by staying and learning locally,” Peach told The Educator.
“We work really hard to ensure the very best teaching and facilities to enable our community to have access to outstanding education opportunities at their local school.”
Peach said considerable facility development has included a new $20m Academic Centre of Excellence to go with the school’s Performing Arts Centre, Trade Training Centre and world class Sporting precinct.
“We are a big school that wants to provide a small school feeling where every student is known and has access to the variety of opportunities that will shape their future. We can provide that at Marsden SHS because of our outstanding community of kids, staff and families.”
It’s not the first time that Marsden SHS has made national headlines.
The school won Best Professional Learning Program and School Principal of the Year at the Australian Education Awards 2021, and also picked up Excellence Awards in the categories of Education Perfect Secondary School of the Year (Government), Special Education School of the Year, Secondary School Teacher of the Year (Government) and anzuk Education Australian School Principal of the Year.
At the previous year’s Awards, Marsden SHS school secured a whopping six trophies, winning the categories of Secondary School of the Year (Government), Best Professional Learning Program, School Principal of the Year (Government), and excellence awards in the categories of Teachers Mutual Bank Teacher of the Year (Secondary School), Best School Strategic Plan and Best Student Wellbeing Program.
As for what the school has learnt through the long periods of disruption over the last two years, Peach said the most important of these centre on the value of personal relationships.
“We have been given an opportunity to understand the value of relationships again, not just in education but in life. We’ve been shown how important human interaction is in many different ways,” Peach said.
“Whilst it has been great to have moved our work in IT ahead at light speed due to the necessity of the times, the desire to have our human interaction back has been strong. I think this year has also really reinforced the different ways we can tackle learning for students and staff too.”