Dear Parents and Guardians

I trust that you are well and really appreciate your continued support for Brisbane State High School throughout this incredibly busy term for both our staff and students.

Throughout this term there is a constant focus on assessment preparation and completion across all year groups. GPS and QGSSSA competitions are very full programmes and there is a myriad of other co-curricular and extra-curricular activities occurring.

’Support Staff’ week was well acknowledged in Week 4, BSHS also hosted the ‘Curriculum Showcase’ evening which attracted a significant turnout of parents and students. Very positive feedback was received regarding this important event which focuses on student options and pathways for current Year 8 and 9 students.

BSHS is keen to continue to develop its reputation as a leading light in state school education and last week we hosted an AI forum, which was attended by Senior Leaders representing the largest schools in the greater Brisbane area. This particular area remains an exciting ongoing challenge for schools, as do inclusive curriculum delivery strategies, holistic development of students, and timetable and weekly structure effectiveness.

With regard to the recent consultation that occurred for the preferred timetable model for 2026, I am pleased to advise that this was overall very positive and the model has now been approved by the Department of Education for implementation from the start of the 2026 school year. This is extremely exciting and will provide a sustainable programme with significant layers of flexibility. Further details will follow in newsletters in the coming months.

ATAR tracking is remaining on course to produce academic results of a very high standard, which are consistent with recent years. NAPLAN results significantly exceed state averages in all categories, with spelling in Years 7 and 9 showing some more work and focus is required here. On average in Year 7, 89% of students are ‘exceeding’ or ‘strong’ across all 5 categories, while in Year 9 the average percentage is 84%. It is essential that students continue to plan in a smart manner and prioritise their most effective learning strategies.

On Tuesday, the Queensland Minister for Sport and Racing and Minister for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Mr Tim Mander, together with other Olympic and Paralympic dignitaries and Paralympians launched a media event at BSHS, highlighting the fact that the Brisbane Olympic Games are now exactly 7 years away.

Exciting times indeed!

Keep well and I look forward to seeing you at a multitude of school events over the coming weeks.