Somerset College is a coeducational, independent, inter-denominational school in the Christian tradition. It strives for excellence by seeking to nurture in young people the spirit of inquiry in the quest to fulfil their potential in all aspects of life.

The College has a commitment to being a pioneer and leader in educational innovation, in accessing recognised national and international curricula, and in fostering and building links with local, national and international tertiary institutions and within the broader international community. The International Baccalaureate Diploma is an option for students in Years 11 and 12 and the Middle Years Programme and the Primary Years Programme are an integral part of our curriculum. Somerset College caters for children from Pre-Prep to Year 12. It is located at Mudgeeraba on Queensland’s Gold Coast, and is situated on approximately 22 hectares of land. The site upon which Somerset College is built was originally used for dairy farming, was uniquely rural and owned by the original pioneering families to the area.

Since 1983 the surrounding countryside has undergone considerable urban development. Massive building developments have taken place almost continually as the College increased in size to its present maximum enrolment of approximately 1,480. The first Year 12 students graduated in 1987.

Major contributing factors to the success of the College have been a very well-qualified, talented and deeply committed staff, and the presence of very strong support from parents and the community. The most up-to-date equipment and the fine facilities enhance an educational environment in which academic, cultural and sporting opportunities are maximised.

The College accepts students with a wide range of academic, sporting and co-curricular abilities. All students are of equal worth in the eyes of the school and the notion of excellence in education relates fundamentally to the desire to meet the needs of individual students. Students are encouraged to aspire to personal levels of excellence and to understand that they are all skilled in their own way. To enable this, the qualities of self-confidence, self-esteem, optimism and personal excellence are nurtured. The cultural programme covers a diversity of activities from the creative to the visual arts and from the verbal to written expression. Cultural awareness and participation plays an integral role in a student's education. The Co-curricular Programme at Somerset College covers most aspects of tuition that are considered complementary to the curriculum. This covers such areas as music, dance, ESL (English as a Second Language), speech and drama and chess. These offerings allow for the broadening of the students' experiences in the arts. The Arts is an important area of development for children. Sporting activities play an important role in a student's life at Somerset College. The scope of these activities has broadened considerably over the years and includes Physical Education, team sports, individual sports, House sport and representative sports. All students at Somerset College from Years 4 to 12 are expected to participate in Interschool sport.

Positions are still available for entry into Year 4 in 2015. If you are interested please contact us immediately.

For details of bus services to Somerset College please contact Koala Koaches or Surfside Buslines.

Where do you visit if you have just graduated high school and want to have the most amazing holiday possible? CERN! The home of the world’s largest Hadron Collider - a 27 kilometre ring of superconducting magnets stored at -271.3 degrees (so cool).

At CERN, we had the pleasure of touring the headquarters with a senior physicist who told us all about how the collider accelerates and collides particles before recording their collision residues. Some say the high frequencies of proton cycles give headaches. Some say it MegaHertz!

Visiting the LHC, you might be conCERNed about whether or not you understand how it all works, but as avid Physics students everything was easily related back to our Senior studies - thanks Mrs Lynch and Mr Hawtin!

Whilst being explained all of the exciting discoveries that have taken place at CERN, such as the detection of the Higgs Boson, we were taken back in time to the origins of the cosmos; it was cool before it mattered. Much like magnesium ribbon in a Bunsen Burner, the Collider has a bright future. It is expected to continue broadening the human understanding of the Laws of Physics, by providing scientists with subatomic data unobtainable anywhere else.

All in all, the Large Hadron Collider was a smashing success.

At CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, physicists and engineers are probing the fundamental structure of the universe. They use the world's largest and most complex scientific instruments to study the basic constituents of matter – the fundamental particles. The particles are made to collide together at close to the speed of light. The process gives the physicists clues about how the particles interact, and provides insights into the fundamental laws of nature. Founded in 1954, the CERN laboratory sits astride the Franco-Swiss border near Geneva.

From humble beginnings in 1983, Somerset College has achieved a much esteemed position in education. The success of its students and staff in academic, pastoral, cultural, physical and spiritual domains has flowed from a tangible commitment to excellence and collaboration.

One only need visit the beautiful campus, speak with members of our community and, especially, observe the vibrancy and joy of our students to know that there is something special happening. A triangular approach is facilitated through the focus of staff, parents and students on enhancing student outcomes.

When we all work together, great things happen.

The co-educational, multi-age mix of students enables a natural progression from external to self discipline. Our students graduate confident in their own abilities and resilient enough to accept the inevitable challenges that life will provide.

The College believes unashamedly in high standards and personal responsibility. Equally our many service programmes provide opportunities for compassion and empathy. After all, “to whom much is given; much is expected”.

This initial journey of discovery, for Somerset graduates have only begun their learning, is conducted through a supportive yet challenging set of experiences. Our staff and students walk side by side in this journey and this makes the process all the richer.

Personal Success | Global Outlook

CT Bassingthwaighte
Headmaster

SCHOLARSHIPS TO COMMENCE IN 2021

The official Scholarship programme for entry in 2021 has concluded.

students and families looking for special consideration should contact John Bacon, Dean of Admissions by email jbacon@somerset.qld.edu.au with specific information for consideration.

Please note that Somerset College reserves the right to recover any financial assistance provided for a student if the recipient leaves the College, other than because of relocation, before completing Year 12.