Perth Modern School

Perth Modern School was the first government high school in WA. Although funds were allocated to build the school in 1907, the west building and main hall contract was not tendered until 1909 due to debate continuing for some time.[3]

The school opened in 1911 with 226 students enrolled.[4] The school charged a fee of £6 a year. Students were prepared for entry to the University of Western Australia, which opened in 1913. Demand for places at the school was high and students came from all over WA. In 1912, the school began offering scholarships designed to encourage students to attend regardless of their financial situations.

Cecil Andrews was Inspector General of Schools in WA, and was responsible for naming the school and directing its school curriculum.

When it opened, Perth Modern School introduced three concepts into WA education:[5]

1. Co-education
2. No corporal punishment, detention, or arbitrary/authoritative punishment
3. The teaching of modern languages (such as French), and rejection of Classical studies as the core of the curriculum

Prior to Perth Modern School, the only high schools in WA were eight independent schools. These schools were sectarian, unisex, high fee paying schools, and only three catered for girls.[4]

In 1958 Perth Modern School became a local-intake school, with no academic entrance requirements and accepting primarily students who lived nearby. In 1968 music became a focus of the school, with the first music scholarships awarded; the last intake of students on a music scholarship occurred in 2006. By 1970, the school orchestra was formed and the Joseph Parsons Memorial Library opened. A home for English as a second language was opened in the former Thomas Street Primary School located on the school grounds, and was run by Perth Modern School.[4]

In 2005, a return to academic selection was announced[4] so as to better serve the needs of WA's gifted students.[6] Mod began intake of students on the basis of academic selection in 2007 for years 8, 10 and 11.[4] By 2011 (the centenary of the school's opening) all students had been academically selected.[7] The gifted program in WA is based on Francois Gagne's Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent.[8]

In 2017, the incoming Labor government made an election promise to move the academic program operating at Perth Modern into a high-rise building in the Perth central business district, while the current buildings would be re-purposed for use as a local intake school.[9] This $45 million plan was expected to relieve pressure on western public schools after a few secondary schools closed in the area. This was met with pushback by students and their teachers who complained the metropolitan environment would damage the mental and physical health of students and would expose the children to inner-city drugs and crime.[10] The dissatisfied alumni, including former governor Malcolm McCusker, banded under the "Save Perth Modern" campaign, which held protests and presented a 6000 signature petition to parliament.[11] The pushback lead the Labor Party to drop the plans, and to instead announce that Bob Hawke College would be built nearby.[12][13]

Perth Modern School was excluded by WA private schools from joining established interschool sporting competitions. In 1915, Red, Blue, Gold and Sphinx factions were created to promote sporting rivalry.[15] In 2007, a new house system was introduced to promote competition, recognition of achievement, and participation in extracurricular activities. The houses were named after the school's first four principals: Fredrick Brown, Joseph Parsons, Noel Sampson and Talbot Downing.[16] Awards are given to students who achieve a certain number of required house points.[16] Annually, the house which has achieved the most points is recognised as the Champion House.

Perth Modern School hosts the independent Graduate College of Dance, from which a number of acclaimed high-profile dancers have graduated.[20] The Graduate College of Dance is a leading vocational dance school in Australia. The College prepares talented dancers aged 9 to 17 (year 5 to 12) for the dance profession. The college's comprehensive curriculum combines professional dance training with an academic education to tertiary level. The college is a private organisation requiring fees from applicants, enrolled students at Perth Modern School and private students from elsewhere. The Department of Education and Training previously accommodated the Graduate College of Dance at Swanbourne Senior High School. With the amalgamation of Swanbourne into Shenton College in 2000, the department offered the Graduate College of Dance accommodation at the Perth Modern School site due to the availability of appropriate space and suitable dance flooring.[21]

Perth Modern's music programme is available to all enrolled students. Previously, to be accepted into the music program, students were selected after completing an audition.

The programme encompasses the Kodály methodology in its teachings. Most aural and theory concepts are taught with the aid of the philosophies of music by Zoltán Kodály, in which hand signs are used as a way of representing musical notes by holding the hand in a certain position for each note. The music programme places an emphasis on singing. It is a requirement that all students in the programme are in at least one vocal ensemble.

The school has five wind orchestras, three standard orchestras (two string and one symphony) and two classical guitar ensembles as well as various other instrumental groups, chamber choirs and jazz ensembles. The Perth Modern School Symphony Orchestra has the longest tradition of any school ensemble in WA, having been first formed in 1915

In 2013 the school’s buildings were renamed after several people who had made significant contributions to the school.[22] The school campus consists of the following buildings and centres, notable either in their own right or due to their namesake:

Until 2013, the Beasley building was known as the West building. At the time of its construction from 1909 to 1911, the building was Perth Modern's first and only building. The new school was built on land which was formerly part of the northern common in Subiaco, which had been set aside for education purposes. This land was 4 hectares (10 acres) in area and was located between Subiaco and Mueller Roads (later renamed Roberts Road), west of Thomas Street in Subiaco. On 30 July 1909, S B Alexander was awarded the building contract for £11,637. The contract for the west building and main hall specified eight classrooms, art room, library, chemistry and physics laboratories, lecture rooms, as well as cookery and laundry classrooms. These facilities were grouped around the 27.4m by 14.3m (90 ft by 47 ft) central hall. The building was designed by Hillson Beasley, Principal Architect of WA. By 1911, the building was completed for the sum of £18,974.[5]

Beasley’s design of the west building and main hall comprised three parallel two storey wings facing north and south with a courtyard to the west. The west building is linked by a covered walkway to the third heritage listed wing. The building was typical of Beasley's mixture of formality and informality, with interesting interiors serving ritualised assemblies and examinations. The building reflected many key characteristics of Federation Arts and Crafts architecture. It was constructed from red brick with a stone base facade. Decorative exterior features included white painted cement rending to all framing, quoins, and copings. The design and construction also featured a central landmark clock tower with a battlemented parapet, a tapering roof lantern, and dormer windows. The roofs were designed and built with steeply pitched parapeted gables covered with tiles, and with prominent eaves and exposed ends to rafters. The main hall was set two storeys high with a jarrah ceiling. Carved, sloped, roof rafters were designed to give the interior of the building an ecclesiastical feel. The gallery was built spanning east and west on the first floor with staircases at each end.[5] Other notable details of fine design and craftsmanship of west building included the stained glass transom windows and fanlights executed in Art Nouveau style at the north side of the building and inside the entrance foyer.[3]

The west building was refurbished during the late 1980s and the work was recognised and received several awards. The west building and main hall had interim registration by the Heritage Council of WA in 1992, and it entered the State Registry of Historical Places in 2001. The building was included on the basis of aesthetics and by the number of notable alumni who hailed from these doors.[3]

Andrews building, as seen from Roberts Rd

Prior to 2013, the Andrews Building was known as the East building. The East building and older gymnasium were built around 1958, when Perth Modern became a local-intake school. Both buildings have been listed as well sited bearing a functionalist aesthetic. The design and construction have been recognised as fine examples of post-war International style. The new administration building (opened 2009) joins and provides lift access to the east building.[3]

The Old Modernians War Memorial was unveiled in 1922 to commemorate the service of ex-students in WWI. During the war, 186 Modernians enlisted, 29 of whom lost their lives as a result of their service. The names of 24 Modernians are recorded on the monument. Five names are recorded on a plinth added to the monument in 2020. The memorial was designed by William Hardwick, the Principal Architect of WA in 1920, and it is located between the Beasley building and the oval.[28] Details of the students' military service are recorded on the school's website.

Housing at the College

Students from regional areas can board at City Beach Residential College. The college is located in City Beach, next to the International School of Western Australia. It is the only boarding facility for students of public schools in metropolitan Perth. It can accommodate up to 66 boarders from rural WA. However, it is not exclusively for Perth Modern students; students who are enrolled in selective gifted and talented programs in metropolitan Perth public schools (mainly John Curtin College of the Arts and Perth Modern School) can board there.[29] As of 2018 the College accommodates 56 students.[30]

In 2016, the 'Raise the Roof' fundraising campaign was launched to raise funds to build a 700-seat auditorium.[31] The campaign has been criticised by members of the school’s community. In 2016, students were suspended for criticising the principal via cartoons and social media.[32] Their criticisms arose from funds advertised as being raised for the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation being partially used for the Raise the Roof project.[32] In 2017 an independent review of the project, initiated by the Department of Education, was published.[33][34][35] The review was prompted by a letter sent to the Department’s Director-General by 10 of the 15 board members, describing a loss of confidence in the principal, Lois Joll, due to a lack of consultation on issues including Raise the Roof.[33][34][35] The review found fault on both sides,[33][34][35] and requested that the Department of Education clarify the role of school boards and appropriate fund allocation.[34] The Director-General chose to keep Joll as principal, describing her as "highly competent".[33][34][35] Over the following four months, five members of the school board resigned, including Erica Smyth and the former P&C president.[35] In 2019, the fundraising target to build 500 seats was reached. The Education Department subsequently organised a tender for the first stage of construction.[36] Construction ceremonially began in May 2020, with completion scheduled for May or June 2021.[27]

Since 1984, a Beazley Medal has been presented to the top ranked academic student in WA each year. As of 2019, five Perth Modern Students have won the award:

• 2018: Pooja Ramesh[37]
• 2016: Caitlin Revell[39]
• 2015: Hui Min Tay[40]
• 2014: Jamin Wu[41]
• 2010: Michael Taran[42]