In high-performing academic environments, Physical Education (PE) is sometimes viewed as secondary to traditional classroom learning. However, contemporary educational research consistently demonstrates that daily physical activity is a powerful contributor to academic achievement, cognitive development, and student well-being. Far from competing with academic learning, studies constantly reveal that quality Physical Education enhances it.
A comprehensive review by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, found that physically active students tend to have better grades, school attendance, cognitive performance, and classroom behaviour (CDC, 2010). Similarly, a large-scale systematic review concluded that “increasing time devoted to physical activity does not negatively affect academic performance and may, in fact, enhance it”
(Rasberry et al., 2011).
From a cognitive perspective, regular exercise improves attention, memory, executive functioning, and information processing speed. Hillman, Erickson and Kramer (2008) explain that physical activity stimulates neurogenesis and strengthens neural connections, particularly in areas of the brain associated with learning and memory. Their research highlights that “children who are more physically fit demonstrate superior cognitive control and academic performance.”
Choosing Physical Education as a subject—and engaging in daily movement within PE classes—provides students with structured opportunities to access these benefits. Meta-analytic research has shown positive associations between physical activity and achievement in mathematics, reading, and overall academic performance (Donnelly et al., 2016). Importantly, these gains are observed across ability levels, reinforcing PE’s role as an inclusive academic support. Conversely, overlooking physical activity as part of a student’s daily regime, significantly negatively impacted academic results.
Beyond academics, Physical Education plays a critical role in social, emotional, and psychological development. Regular physical activity has been shown to reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms, improve self-esteem, and foster resilience (Biddle & Asare, 2011). PE lessons promote teamwork, leadership, empathy, and perseverance—qualities essential for success in both schooling and life. As Bailey (2006) notes, “Physical education contributes to the development of social skills, moral understanding, and emotional wellbeing.”
At Somerset College, our commitment to excellence, balance, and the holistic development of each student aligns strongly with this evidence. Physical Education is not an adjunct to learning; it is a strategic academic and well-being investment. By valuing PE and daily physical activity, we support not only healthier students but more focused learners, stronger thinkers, and more resilient young people who are future ready.
What a wonderful couple of weeks of sport with both APS Finals and Inter-House Athletics Carnivals. We’ve had some great wins, some close losses; however, through all of it, I have been most impressed by the way in which our staff speak to the students about both the humility and grace that we show when we both win and lose. For me, this is one of the most important learning aspects of sport. How we respond in moments of heightened emotion says a lot about character.
Sport is an important part of who we are here at Somerset. The Spartan spirit is one that should encourage all our students to want to get involved. However, playing sport whilst in school is often more about the life lessons and the building of character than the physical skills students develop, and as parents and educators, we know that sometimes these can be tough lessons to learn. How to commit to a team or turn up regularly to training, to take direction from a coach, to manage the emotions when we lose, when we don’t get selected, when we are injured and so the list goes on. Again, how we respond in these moments goes to our character.
Over the past couple of months, parents will have noticed a strong message around expectations, especially for our students in the senior school, particularly around uniforms, conduct in the classroom, respect for others and our facilities. For me, an area where we want to ensure we continue to have high expectations for Somerset students is in the commitment to our sporting teams, both to APS and our club programs.
One of our values is to Belong with Purpose. Being part of team, whatever the sport and whatever our role, is not just about the sport itself, it is about learning skills of commitment and teamwork, even when we might not always feel like showing up. These are life skills that we are teaching when we engage with sport. As I shared earlier, hearing our staff not only coach for the skills of the game, but in lessons for life, is why sport and so many other co-curricular activities, (like performing arts and band) are so important.
We are looking forward to another successful semester starting in July and our Somerset focus is going to be on belonging to our team with purpose, showing up for training, committing to the team and playing each Thursday or Friday with passion. I do want to acknowledge the incredible work our staff show in supporting many opportunities for our students to get involved, to learn about themselves and to learn so many skills along the way.
The phenomenon that is the ‘Middle Years Slump’ is well-documented in educational literature. The landmark 2024 longitudinal study by the University of New South Wales tracked a decline of 18% in both motivation and engagement in students between Years 6 and 9 (Martin & Collie, 2024). Eccles and Midgley (1989) attribute this slump to what they have coined a poor ‘Stage-Environment Fit’ – that being traditional secondary school environments which limit students' autonomy and narrow curriculum focus; exactly when the adolescent brain is developing rapidly and seeking broader exploration and agency.
Yet, this downward trajectory is not the experience we see at Somerset College. Pop your head into any classroom, and you will see engaged students, motivated to achieve their personal best, and expert teachers guiding them. While our success is multifaceted – rooted in our holistic approach, encompassing pastoral care, extra-curricular opportunities, and service – the primary academic focus is how the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) intentionally meets the unique neurological needs of the teenage brain.
We often hear that the human brain does not fully develop until around 25 years old. For parents, this reality is a reminder that we are supporting a prolonged developmental journey. The core of this transition lies in the neurological context of the adolescent brain between the ages of 12 and 16. During this critical window, brain development happens asynchronously, creating a distinct functional mismatch.
Valuing Community Through Action
This fortnight in the Junior School, our focus has been on Valuing Community and our Junior School Houses have embraced this through authentic partnerships with local organisations.
Rather than simply fundraising, students are engaging in real-world action, allowing them to experience first-hand the impact of their efforts on people, animals, and the environment.
Franklin — Caring for Animals with AWLQ
Franklin students have dedicated lunchtime sessions to creating toys for animals at the AWLQ shelter and are leading a collection drive for blankets, towels, sheets, and pet food. Students will sort, box, and deliver donations, seeing the direct impact of their efforts on animal wellbeing.
Veivers — Protecting Wildlife with Watergum
Through the Hollow Homes programme, Veivers students have explored the importance of natural tree hollows for wildlife and are creating possum dreys to support safe habitats for native species.
Laver — Regenerating Local Environments with Regen
Laver students are learning to care for native seedlings in the Mini Farm greenhouse before planting them in restoration areas, contributing directly to environmental regeneration.
Andrews — Supporting Community Wellbeing with Lifeline
Andrews House is partnering with Lifeline to support mental health services through a clothing drive while helping students develop empathy and understanding of community support services.
Starkey — Spreading Joy Through Giving
Later this year, Starkey House will lead a toy drive to support children in need during the holiday season, reinforcing generosity and service through hands-on involvement.
These experiences reflect the PYP emphasis on agency and action, empowering students to take ownership of their learning and contribute meaningfully to their wider community. Through authentic connection and purposeful action, we continue to nurture compassionate, capable learners who understand their ability to make a difference.
We also extend our sincere thanks to the Junior School House Convenors, Mrs Nat Nugent (Andrews), Mrs Kate Grigg (Franklin), Mr Shane Cowling (Laver), Mr Andrew Halloran (Starkey), and Miss Kayla McNaught (Veivers), for establishing and leading these valuable initiatives.
It is hard to believe we are already into May and most of our Year 12 students are now working on their final internal assessments, their IA3. Some IA3s will be submitted by the end of Term 2 and others early Term 3, at which point our focus changes to Mock and External Exams. As we move through these well traversed waters, our senior teachers and students certainly have their eye on achieving their best outcomes, and we are positively looking forward to seeing what they can achieve and where they will go.
Supporting our Year 12s on this final leg of their journey, is undoubtedly one of the highlights of our year. At this time, I cannot help but to reflect over the last five years, where we have celebrated many outstanding results from our different cohorts. You may recall, in 2025, we had 3 ATARS of 99.95, 14% ATAR 99+, 46% 95+, 65% 90+ and 91% 80+. These are outstanding results and worthy of honouring, but underlying these results is a far more important story.
Our senior results are an important indicator of student success, but what they really represent is years of careful teaching, strong relationships, and a focus on deep understanding. From foundational skills and disciplinary knowledge in the middle years to sophisticated analytical thinking in the senior years, students are well prepared to meet challenges with confidence. When students reach Year 12, they are not just exam-ready – they are confident thinkers, tackling their study with a tenacity that reflects a culmination of years of support, encouragement and a commitment to our students that we never give up on what is possible for every one of them. We will not accept for any student a predetermined ATAR or end goal.
What is perhaps less known in our community, but something we are deeply proud of is our ability to ‘lift’ all students’ results by the end of Year 12. This is not about those high 99+ ATARs, but around students who work consistently alongside their teachers, fine tuning years of learning, forging a greater resolve, determination, and focus. In 2025, for example, 25% of Year 12 moved an ATAR based on Year 11 results, between 15 to 30 marks. While I cannot share details and background to these individual stories, the outcome for these students is immense, leading them into dream courses and pathways that will enable them the possibilities of an enriched future and professional career of their choice.
But these results do not just happen. Just as there is no such thing as overnight success outside the College gates, the same is true inside Somerset where academic achievement takes time.
These results reflect a significant portion of the Year 12 cohort choosing to study complex subjects. Led by passionate experts and a knowledge rich curriculum leading into Year 11 and 12, it is obvious our students have formed a deep love of the Sciences and Mathematics. They enter these subjects with a depth of foundational knowledge that provides the springboard for the level of thinking critically which is required for senior years. With six classes of Math Methods, 3 classes of Specialist Math, 4 classes of Chemistry and 4 classes of Physics, our outstanding State results for all students demonstrates a remarkable achievement and reflects student intellectual curiosity, discipline, and commitment to deep understanding. Our students love of their STEM subjects, like Engineering, Chemistry and Physics, enable them to develop evidence-based reasoning, quantitative literacy, and respect for truth grounded in observation and testing. These skills enable students to evaluate information critically on their external exams, but even more importantly, allow then to engage respectfully with differing perspectives, and act with ethical responsibility – essential qualities for leadership and service in a global context.
We turn to the Arts/Humanities where our senior subjects such as Literature, English, Philosophy and Economics further grow this capacity to engage with complex concepts and to think analytically under pressure. We focus on supporting our students to approach challenges with humility and persistence. This speaks not only to academic ability, but to the habits of thinking and learning that are developed over time. This exemplifies the qualities Somerset seeks to foster in all students, preparing them to engage thoughtfully within an increasingly complex and polarised world.
Enhancing the delivery of our curriculum, our students can engage in free tuition every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday for Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics. This tutoring is open to all students Years 10 to 12 and is well attended. Individually, students are supported to grasp and deal with challenges, building a confidence and resilience that is required for personal success in Year 12.
This individual care is not limited to after school tuition. Intentionally built into our timetable, every Thursday Week B, students can elect two tutorials in subjects of their choice, enabling them to further refine their subject knowledge. Students regulate their own learning journey identifying areas they require additional support. It is this inner drive for genuine understanding that also motivates those impressive individual results.
Our teachers also work with students through their breaks, unpacking drafts or reteaching complex strategies or concepts. Their generosity in supporting their students is a hallmark of a Somerset education and demonstrates their own determination to ensure students have every opportunity to achieve their best result. I know, come the September holidays our Year 12 teachers will hold well attended subject workshops further supporting students to take on their external exams with a confidence and focus.
Our Year 12 students also have the option of attending our Thursday evening Study Dinners. Held in the Year 12 Common Room, over three hours, students work side by side, (teachers on hand ready to explain concepts, assessments, or practice exam questions,) collaborating and supporting each other, working through the complex, and building strategies, skills and enhanced understandings. We have built a culture of ‘stronger together.’ This year we have had over 50 students and staff attend each dinner and next term we look forward to inviting our Year 11 students to join us. This is simply another spoke in the wheel of a strong scholarly community that is at the heart of the College.
Of course, student success requires more than an academic focus. Our students are nurtured through a holistic, layered approach to pastoral care, where the warmth and care of each student, the uniting of the cohort and a strong sense of belonging and community give our students a strength of character and confidence to challenge and grow their understandings and the resilience to succeed from failure.
As we close in on mid-year, and our Year 12 move closer toward their final assessments, we will continue to weave a rich tapestry reflecting the interconnected fabric of our scholarly pursuits, empowering all students the opportunity for intellectual and personal growth. While we are not at the end yet, I can assure you, what we look forward to the most, is the ‘individual lift,’ for there is no greater reward than seeing our students succeed.
What is character? What are some examples of good character? How can we demonstrate good character in our day-to-day lives? In a world with an abundance of information at our fingertips and every influencer, artist and politician giving their opinion on the way things should be, it can be tricky to navigate and drown out the noise to understand what truly good character looks like.
Is there anyone you can think of in your life that shows good character? Someone who shows good character may not be the person who you may immediately think of as being heroic, charismatic and likeable. In fact, sometimes, to have good character, we must make decisions that may not be liked by others, or anyone. But having good character doesn’t mean following the crowd, as the majority isn’t always right. On some level, everyone knows what’s right and what’s wrong, and anyone can make a judgement whether an action is moral or immoral, but a person with a good character will act accordingly.
Therefore, to have good character, it means consistently making the right choice, even when it may be the less pleasant one. Of course, people don’t need to be perfect all the time, having flaws and slip-ups make us human, but so does having an awareness of what constitutes as moral behaviour. So, because we all know that we can, let’s choose to make the right choices.
Even when no one is watching. Do it for yourself and for your own peace of mind. Being a good person and having good character is never for the benefit of others, but for yourself so that you can be confident in your own moral capacity – your own ‘goodness’.
The second part our new focus is conscience. It is all well and good to act with the character that Somerset College expects from every one of its students. The challenge, however, is acting with genuine self-awareness rather than performance, and ensuring that your character reflects a true commitment to your growth as a member of our community.
Take, for example, our recent Anzac ceremony. A person with character would remain silent and pay their respects as required and make the right choice, yet a person with conscience would go further, using those moments of silence to reflect upon the sacrifice of our soldiers and the reason why we commemorate such an event. This is especially pertinent for our future leaders, because leadership isn't a mask worn for a day, but a daily commitment to being someone others can genuinely trust and rely on, both within and beyond our College.
So, character and conscience are not two distinct things. They are two co-dependent parts of an image that Somerset College wants us to embody. It is who you are today, in both character and conscience, that determines who you will be as a leader of this College, and leader in the wider Australian or even international community.
As we approach ANZAC Day and reflect on the current global challenges around us, it’s often easy to forget the human side of conflict. My own Grandfather, Charles Ivey served in WW2 around Milne Bay, in Papua New Guinea. In May 1942, he was involved in an attack on the Japanese forces. His commanding officer was wounded and so Charles was given responsibility for the company. His efforts saw him receive a Distinguished Service Order with the following citation.
During an advance against an enemy position, the company commander was wounded during the first few minutes of the attack. Captain Ivey immediately took control and pushed forward with such vigour and determination that he advanced approximately four miles into enemy occupied territory, enabling the remainder of the battalion to follow through and consolidate the objective before nightfall. During the advance, Captain Ivey cleared three definite areas of enemy resistance and gained his objective with a brilliant bayonet charge through most difficult country comprising heavy jungle and swamp, necessitating constant fighting over the whole distance in 12 inches of mud while the company was subjected to sniping from enemy in the trees.
My grandfather was from a small country town south of Hobart. He was an apple farmer, an ordinary man who on this day, like so many others who have and continue to serve, did something extraordinary. It is important to stop, reflect and remember. However, days like this should also prompt us. When we feel like we are also ordinary, to be challenged to not always sit in our comfort zone, but rather when situations arise, to step up and do something extra-ordinary. In this context, something extra-ordinary was for the service and for the good of others. Those who serve and have served their country always sought to step out and look out for those around them. That’s what the ANZAC legend is all about. So, whilst we honour and remember, I wanted to encourage our students to find ways in which they can step out and do something that gives back to others, that supports others, and builds others up.
As a Nation, we talk a lot about the ANZAC spirit, but I think each of us could be encouraged to embody aspects of this in our very safe and secure lives here on the Gold Coast. My hope is we take ANZAC Day not just to reflect on those who serve and have served, but on our own lives and how we, in some small way, can make a positive difference for others in our community.
Lest We Forget.
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