A Catholic school in Queensland has come under fire after revelations an exclusive club for “pretty and skinny” girls is operating on campus.

Year 11 girls from St Patrick’s College started the elite club, known as ‘Club 21’ or ‘Big 21’ and members parade a ranking from one to 21 on their wrists.

Ranking factors include looks, weight and popularity with the boys. One respondent on an internet forum about the issue said “ugly girls need not apply.”

Ex-members said that sleeping around, binge drinking and drug taking were all encouraged by the leaders of the group.

They also alleged that promiscuous behaviour increased a girls’ ranking and that members of the club were hated by pupils outside of the group.

St Patrick’s College principal Eamon Hannan defended his students, saying: “Young people have always made mistakes and they learn from those mistakes, but in that learning and maturing most of us have not had to cope with having our alleged indiscretions broadcast to the world.”