A Somerville House Scholarship will provide your daughter with every opportunity to achieve her personal best; to become an independent and responsible young woman, armed with the knowledge and skills needed to confidently navigate her path in the world beyond school.

Each year a limited number of scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit and/or equity (which may include hardship) to Australian students (citizens or residents).

The application process for each scholarship may vary, as outlined below, however all applicants must sit the ACER Academic Scholarship Exam. Applications for Academic, Music and Sport Scholarships are now closed for 2018. Please refer to our website for further information www.somerville.qld.edu.au 

Established in 1899, Somerville House is a day and boarding school for girls from Prep to Year 12, and a co-educational school for Pre-Prep girls and boys. The School is made up of three sub schools:

• Junior (Pre-Prep to Year 6)
• Middle (Years 7 to 9)
• Senior (Years 10 to 12)

Boarding is available for students from Years 6 to 12 and our facilities, dedicated boarding staff and related programs are renowned both nationally and internationally.

Located in the inner city suburb of South Brisbane, just two kilometres from the city centre and directly opposite South Bank parklands and the state’s pre-eminent cultural precinct, Somerville House offers enviable campus facilities and programs bolstered by highly credentialed and dedicated teaching and support staff, tutors and coaches.

Academically, the School stands as one of Australia’s finest. With outstanding facilities for Music, Performing Arts, Cultural endeavours and Sport, combined with one of Australia’s leading technology programs, Somerville House students graduate with a much broader education than can be provided by an academic curriculum alone.

The School provides a comprehensive, balanced educational environment that recognises the importance of academic excellence as well as psychological, physical and spiritual wellbeing. This is reflected in the School’s rich and varied academic, sporting, cultural and social pursuits and our proud history of developing well rounded, confident and capable students.

Somerville House provides each and every student with the framework they require to explore their interests, develop their talents, to strive to meet their goals honourably, and ultimately, to be the very best they can be.

Somerville House is governed by the Presbyterian and Methodist Schools Association (PMSA).

There is no better example of the celebrated Somerville House spirit than that embraced by our Boarding Community. It is the friendships, a sense of belonging and a shared commitment to the fullness of life and learning and that makes the Somerville House boarding house a true home away from home.

In the supportive and warm boarding environment, students are encouraged to balance structure and routine with the freedom to explore and develop individually. 

Boarders of diverse nationalities and culturally rich backgrounds travel from around Australia and the world, to take advantage of our renowned academic, cultural and sporting facilities at Somerville House. 

Our boarders enjoy modern bedrooms, shared leisure spaces, in-house kitchens, modern bathroom facilities, supervised study spaces, sound-proof music practice areas and views overlooking Brisbane city.

Our central location means students have the cultural heartland of Queensland literally on their doorstep with easy access to South Bank parklands, the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, the Queensland State Library, Museum and Art Gallery, the botanical gardens and much more. 

For more information about boarding at Somerville House, please visit www.somerville.qld.edu.au/boarding

Shaping the future of young people – the way they think and solve problems, and the way they perceive themselves, others and the world around them – is an increasingly complex challenge. In a world that demands innovative, ethical solutions to a wide range of humanitarian, environmental and commercial challenges, Somerville House strives to ensure students leave with, not only a first-class education, but a well-rounded and supported schooling experience.

Since its establishment, Somerville House has exercised its unwavering commitment to provide an education that nurtures students into well-rounded, confident and knowledgeable citizens of integrity. 

In addition to our efforts to develop academic excellence, this commitment is reinforced through the provision of extensive staff and peer support networks, student-led activities, progressive leadership opportunities and dedicated Pastoral Care within the School curriculum.

Junior School Pastoral Care
Pastoral Care is an essential element of the Junior School curriculum and is primarily delivered by the classroom teacher. Initially, students learn the social skills required to work and play happily with other children in both formal (classroom) and non-formal (playground) settings. 

Students will explore topics which are relevant to their year level, such as self-responsibility, interpersonal understanding, the changes associated with puberty, and the skills to promote successful learning are explored. 

Middle and Senior Schools Pastoral Care
In the Middle and Senior School, Pastoral Care is arranged in a horizontal structure, with Heads of Year assisting at each year level. Homeroom Teachers and Tutors, who have extensive contact with students on a daily basis, take significant responsibility for the care of students in their class groups, assisting new students to settle in and providing a knowledgeable point of contact for any initial parental or student concerns.  

Formal weekly Pastoral Care sessions, conducted by Homeroom Teachers or Tutors cover a variety of important topics through discussion and activities. These include: manners and demeanour, assertiveness, resolving conflict, strengthening support networks, dealing with stress, how to stay safe, making decisions, developing friendships and the ethical use of technology.

Pastoral care at Somerville House is more than an action, and more than a subject to be studied, it is implicit in our daily interactions with each other, in our many family events such as welcome evenings for parents, mother/ daughter breakfasts, family chapel services and boarding family gatherings, it is our cultural norm.

‘Honour Before Honours’ is the Somerville House motto, a motto valuable to our students now and for their lives after school. It is a great honour to serve at Somerville House, and I return mindful of all that the School holds good and valuable.

I make my commitment to the students, staff parents, Old Girls, and to members of the broader school community that the education and welfare of our students is and always must be our first priority. In making this commitment, the School motto will guide me in the way we make our way forward together.

So to, do the words, ‘...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things’ (Philippians 4:8).

My focus will be to continue the critical work of pursing excellence in all aspects of life at Somerville and promoting the values and behaviours which are representative of our Christian faith. All of us in the school community serve the school in some capacity.

I look forward serving the School, and in particular, the students of Somerville House. Together we can accomplish great things.

Dr Ness Goodwin
Principal