Matthew Flinders Anglican College in Buderim on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland has been named the most outstanding non-government primary school in Australia.
Flinders won the ‘Primary School of the Year (Non-Government)’ category in the 2023 Australian Education Awards (AEA), recognising excellence in education.
Head of Primary, Mrs Trudi Edwards and members of the Primary staff accepted the award on behalf of the College at the AEA ceremony in Sydney on 11 August.
The Australian Education Awards, now in its sixth year, recognises and celebrates the outstanding achievements of the country’s top performing schools, principals, department heads and teachers.
Founded in 1990 and set on a 22-hectare rainforest campus, Matthew Flinders Anglican College is a leading independent co-educational school of 1,400 students from Prep to Year 12 along with the Flinders Early Learning Centre.
Mrs Edwards said Flinders Primary School took great pride in providing transformational learning experiences through bespoke curriculum and co-curricular programs to inspire students to achieve academic excellence, develop a profound sense of humanity and be motivated to create positive change in the world around them.
“This award recognises Flinders Primary School’s dedication and innovation in providing the highest standards of teaching and learning, and celebrates the dedication of staff who are committed to evidence-informed teaching practices,” Mrs Edwards said.
“We proudly place learning at the heart of all we do, to educate our students so they are of good mind and good heart, and grow into capable, open-minded, compassionate and adaptable young people of integrity,” she said.
In being endorsed as the top primary school in the nation, Flinders was judged on its:
– consistently high standards of teaching and learning
– academic and other achievements during the 2022 school year
– rigorous professional learning to improve teaching and curriculum deliver
– demonstrated commitment to innovation and continuous improvement
– strong communication links with students, parents, teachers and the wider community, and
– effective management of facilities, finances and human resources.
Principal Stuart Meade said the College was thrilled to accept the highest accolade in its category in what are the leading independent awards in the K-12 education sector across Australia.
“It is an honour to have Matthew Flinders Anglican College recognised for the outstanding education we offer our College community,” Mr Meade said.
“There has been a dedicated, thoughtful and disciplined approach to the programs and practices in place in the Primary School; they do not ‘just happen’,” he said.
“The leadership and commitment of the staff – from the Head of Primary, Trudi Edwards, to the year level co-ordinators, specialist teachers and classroom experts – have been outstanding and it is a wonderful acknowledgement for their efforts over an extended period of time.”
Mrs Edwards said the Flinders Primary School provided a high-aspiration environment for learning.
“As a College community, we immerse students in a values-rich, high-aspiration environment where kindness and curiosity, responsibility and accountability, expectations and support, enquiry and mastery, encouragement and challenge, and rigour and engagement work together to provide a robust foundation for our students,” she said.
“This drives our staff team to support the children in our care to achieve academic excellence and develop a strong moral character, with the empathy, skills and agency to contribute to a better world.”
