The making of men
Churchie’s mission is ‘the making of men’, which aims to nurture and inspire men of character who will lead and serve in communities across the world for the common good.
An investigation of Canon Morris’ writing, notably his memoir Sons of Magnus, reveals no instance of ‘the making of men’ as a phrase, although it is very clear what Morris understood to be the vital mission of education in a church-founded boys school. Morris wrote of the need for faith, courage and integrity. He wrote, ‘We are a church school, so chapel and parish, bible and prayers must be part of our practice and our lives. We are founded for learning, and that can only come with hard work, so slacking, shirking and cribbing must be cut right out. We are to be strong and leaders of our nation, so hardship and pain and poverty must be courageously borne … be honourable, of course, and don’t be extravagant.’ Thus was the image of a faithful, honourable, decent and hardworking man that the Founder sought to make of every boy who attended Churchie.
Professor John Cole OAM, in naming his 1986 book about the history of Churchie The Making of Men, firmly established the phrase when he noted the Founder saw education as a forging process, one in which ‘boys were made men’. Morris established a place of learning that would imbue new generations with a sense of the essence of life in the context of Christian ideals.
Proving its enduring quality, the making of men serves as a defining mission, or a call-to-arms, and clearly remains every bit as potent today as it has been in recent decades.
Today, while we view the mission through a contemporary lens, the traditional values remain uppermost. We seek for our boys to grow as men of character and service. We wish for them to be honest, forthright and wise. We ask them to serve others with generous hearts and to bring their gifts and talents to bear for the benefit of others. We expect them to have open minds to questions of faith and would hope that, ultimately, they might choose to develop in their relationships with God.
We seek for our boys to become leaders as well as to serve, to be scholarly and open to the hard work of truly learning, and to be relentless in their pursuit of knowledge and truth. We wish for them to grow in breadth and depth by pursuing their great passions in the arts, sport, languages and cultural endeavours, and to acknowledge and celebrate these gifts in others. We want them to always build others up, rather than to diminish, and be an endless source of goodwill and encouragement in a world that will benefit greatly from such optimism.
It is these things that occupy our minds today when we accept as our mission, the making of men. It is our intent that our boys will be imbued with this mission and that it may sustain them throughout their lives and destinations.
Churchie’s four tenets
Academic
Excellence
Spiritual
Awareness
Personal
Growth
Service
Academic excellence
The first tenet challenges students to be intellectually curious, to foster their academic potential and to encourage lifelong learning.
Boys achieve academic success when given the opportunity to experience a challenging programme, empowering them to take responsibility for their learning. Such an environment, combined with Churchie’s high expectations, is one in which boys can thrive.
Our learning philosophy embraces a culture of academic excellence and continual improvement. This culture creates a belief that every student is capable of successful learning and gives priority to building and maintaining positive learning and caring relationships between our outstanding staff, students and parents.
Our approach to learning is defined by knowing each and every boy.
The Preparatory School features the International Baccalaureate’s Primary Years Programme. This internationally respected curriculum places students at the heart of the learning process, is characterised by a broad, liberal curriculum and encourages international mindedness. Literacy and numeracy programmes are integral to the students’ learning experiences, supported by a technology-rich learning environment.
The Senior School offers a broad, liberal range of subjects informed by the National Curriculum in Years 7 to 10, with a strong emphasis on literacy, numeracy, science and languages. In Years 11 and 12, students have the choice of studying the Queensland Certificate of Education or the International Baccalaureate’s Diploma Programme. These academic programmes, incorporating extensive subject choice, prepare our students very well for tertiary entry and further learning. An important feature of the Senior School academic programme is the development of effective thinking skills across the curriculum.
Churchie’s parent, staff and student portal, myChurchie, offers a single point of access for information, services and resources. A key feature of this resource is the real-time reporting initiative that enhances the key partnership between parents and the School in supporting student learning.
Learning facilities include The Centenary Library, which provides a wide range of academic and research services in a world-class, university-inspired setting. This facility is central to a range of research partnerships the School has developed with some of Australia’s leading universities. A state-of-the-art Science Centre, incorporating 12 laboratories and a 112-seat lecture theatre, supports rigorous scientific inquiry. There is also a Business Studies Centre and precincts for information technology and languages. The Hayward Midson Creative Precinct building provides excellent facilities for creative, collaborative and innovative thinking in the areas of design, engineering, drama, visual art and media.
Spiritual awareness
Churchie is a Christian school, founded upon the Anglican ethos, within the Anglican Church of Australia.
Spirituality is the underpinning tenet of Churchie life that ultimately seeks to develop empathy and respect for others while exploring faith and self-awareness.
The Canon Jones Memorial Chapel stands at the heart of the School and is an enduring symbol of the central role faith plays in our life. True to our Anglican traditions and values, we encourage an openness and tolerance of the faith and beliefs of others.
Churchie’s chaplains conduct chapel worship and contribute to the Religious Education programme.
Chapel worship for all students is a regular occurrence and special services are conducted for boarders and other groups in the Churchie community. Many school events begin or end with a prayer or reflection, often led by students and staff.
The chaplains prepare boys for Baptism and Admission to Holy Communion and Confirmation at the appropriate stages in their faith development. Many Churchie Old Boys place special significance on the chapel. Throughout the year there are many weddings, baptisms and funerals held on campus.
The chaplains are active members of the pastoral care network and are available on request to boys and families for counselling and support at any time. Churchie’s vibrant pastoral care programme is supported by the house system, offering a sense of belonging to all boys.
Personal growth
At Churchie we believe our calling is to assist in the development of the whole person.
The School aims to foster growth and development in the life of every young man by providing a comprehensive range of cocurricular challenges and activities. In this way, students can grow in character, build resilience, and maximise their opportunities for achievement and improvement.
All boys are expected to become involved in the cocurricular programme, which fosters lifelong skills and passions to develop well-balanced, resilient citizens. In addition to a broad sports programme, a wide range of performing arts and cultural activities is also available with opportunities in music, chess, theatrical productions, art shows, film and television, photography, debating, camps, exchange programmes and tours (national and international).
As a member of the Greater Public Schools’ Association of Queensland (GPS), the School offers a broad range of sports and activities in which students can compete and develop a strong sense of community.
Wide-ranging opportunities allow boys to exercise leadership in both the Senior and Prep Schools as captains, prefects and student leaders. Also, a flourishing Tri-Service Cadets programme (Army, Navy and Air Force) provides excellent opportunities for students to develop leadership and practical skills, transferable throughout life.
Churchie’s commitment to personal growth is evident with a comprehensive array of outstanding facilities within close proximity to or on campus. These include major sporting facilities located on, or close to, the main campus, a first-class strength and conditioning centre accommodating the Health and Physical Education programme, personal fitness programmes and a state-of-the-art rowing facility overlooking the Brisbane River.
Service
Churchie has a strong commitment to service, both within the School and in the global community, with the aim of expressing our Christian foundation.
Each year, students participate in service programmes including fundraising, gift giving and emergency relief efforts for local, national and international causes. This fosters a sense of duty to use one’s time and talents to serve others and to develop an appreciation of cultural diversity.
Students are also involved in transformational service initiatives, including overseas service tours. Examples include international service tours to Samoa, China, Vanuatu and India, delivering Meals on Wheels to senior citizens, assisting in special school programmes, and volunteering in activities such as the Sony Foundation’s Children’s Holiday Camp, hosted at the School.
In the Preparatory School, boys participate in a series of activities to raise funds to sponsor children overseas, in association with World Vision. All Year 9 students undertake an after-school service activity as part of the Personal Leadership and Development programme, affiliated to The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award programme. Students may choose Tri-Service Cadets (Army, Navy and Air Force), Scouts or community service as their activity.
The Senior School day and boarding houses also participate in a local service project led and supported by students and house staff.
Our Strategy
2023 – 2027
Our current strategic plan outlines how we are working to achieve our mission, with a range of goals and initiatives across the four tenets of the School.
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