Benowa State High School

Benowa State High School (BSHS) is an independent, co-educational school, founded in 1980, located on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The school is located in the land of the Kombumerri people, within the wider Bujalung language nation, recognising Ngarahngwal and Yugambeh. It is part of the Council of International Schools (CIS) and hosts exchange students from Asia, America, Africa and Europe. It started a French Immersion program in 1985 and was the first school to offer Marine Biology as a subject in the Queensland curriculum. In 2015, they commenced their Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) based educational program. In 2017, the International Baccalaureate diploma program was offered to years 11 and 12, along with a preparatory course in grade 10. Academic Benowa's French Immersion programme is a four-year course offered in years 7 to 10, where students are taught four of their six subjects in French: these being mathematics, French, society & environment and science. The school has recorded 11 OP1s (Overall Position) each year from 2004 to 2007, which ranks it ahead of all other secondary schools in the Gold Coast region. Another stream in Benowa SHS is the Waldorf education Programme which aims to develop independent and "natural" learning in students, who learn at their own pace. The STEM program at Benowa aims for students to excel in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. It is a four-year program from years 7–10 which ends with an excursion to the NASA launch site at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Each and every STEM student receives extra lessons in those categories and various opportunities including 3D printing, Rocket Launching, Coding, and more.