QUT is lending its expertise in education and research to Brisbane’s first new inner-city school to open in 50 years.
QUT’s collaboration with Fortitude Valley State Secondary College (FVSSC), which welcomed its first cohort of students on 28 January, will help create a new generation of learners who are bold, resilient and kind.
Throughout 2019, QUT’s Faculty of Education worked closely with the College leadership team to share ideas and knowledge on the school’s curriculum, teaching and students.
The students’ Transition Day was held on QUT’s Kelvin Grove campus in November 2019 to help prepare them for life and learning at their new school.
Academics and students from the Creative Industries Faculty also worked with the school to design the students' uniform and develop protype furniture to suit its unique urban environment.
Dr Tiziana Ferrero-Regis (Creative Industries Senior Lecturer in Fashion) said it was exciting to see students proudly wearing the uniform on their first day.
"We worked hard with the school's leadership team to design a uniform that represented their principles and made the students feel proud," said Dr Ferrero-Regis.
"The next step will be reflection and feedback so we can continuously improve the uniform. We are also working on ways to make them more environmentally sustainable".
As the new school year begins, Professor Carol Nicoll (Executive Dean, Faculty of Education) said QUT is looking forward to deepening the collaboration to help the school deliver high-quality education for the community.
“QUT will continue to support the College by collaborating with its leadership and staff on the development and implementation of its educational principles, curriculum and pedagogy.
“The collaboration will open up valuable research and professional development opportunities for staff and students of both the school and QUT.
“In addition, there’ll be opportunities for teaching placements, engagement and other real-world activities for QUT students in teacher education and other disciplines.”
FVSSC opened with 150 Year 7 students this year. By 2025, it is anticipated that the school will have a student population of 1500 across all year levels.
The school is located on the site of the former Fortitude Valley State School on the corner of St Pauls Terrace and Brooks Street in Brisbane.
FVSSC will service growing communities in and around Brisbane’s inner city and is Queensland’s first vertical school.
To learn more about the new school, visit the Queensland Department of Education website.
