The Strategic Plan: Towards 2030 sits within the context of the School’s Mission, Vision and Values.
Strategic Themes
Woven through the Plan are 5 overarching Strategic Themes. These intersect all focus areas and reflect the School’s values and priorities. As you read the following sections, you will find icons that correspond with each theme as follows
Learning
Non Nobis Solum
Custodianship & Sustainability
Connection & Community
Wellbeing & Personal Growth
Identity
Who we are and how we act
This section of the Plan sets out how we want to see ourselves as an organisation by 2030 and how we want others to see us. It articulates priorities in relation to our values and our core beliefs and reflects the fact that we need to continue to evolve as a school in order to remain contemporary. As we seek to retain our identity as a thriving Anglican school, this strategic area also reflects the responsibility we feel to share the practices that have brought us success and to draw on our strengths to have a positive impact on the world.
Goal 1
Ensure a shared understanding of what our Mission and Values mean in a contemporary context while celebrating and preserving our past.
- Through a commitment to regularly revisit and explore our Mission and Values in light of emerging technologies and social trends.
- Through the establishment of processes and projects which celebrate the School’s past.
Goal 2
Increase our positive impact locally, nationally and globally, based on our understanding of our responsibility as an Anglican School to contribute proactively to the world.
- Through strengthening and expanding partnerships, experiences and intentional education that will facilitate positive action-taking globally and locally for students and staff.
- By actively contributing to the Reconciliation process.
- By learning more about our impact on climate and seeking to reduce it.
Goal 3
Embed a culture of best practice which includes sustaining, celebrating and sharing the practices that have given rise to our strengths.
- By continuing to seek feedback and conduct reviews of each area of the organisation and making plans to address areas of deficit.
- Through the identification, documentation and communication of successful processes and practices.
- By continuing to identify opportunities for the work of the School to be shared.
Education
How we teach and learn
Education is at the heart of what we do and this strategic area is firmly focused on priorities that will allow students to flourish. Ensuring growth for every girl in all aspects – academic, interpersonal and intrapersonal – remains a key goal alongside the development of curiosity, awe, critical thinking and problem solving.
Goal 1
Foster the flourishing of each student and the valuing of who they are and who they can become.
- Through the consolidation and documentation of programs, practices, processes and policies which support the “whole person” philosophy.
- By implementing specific strategies in every classroom and area of the School to develop student confidence and address student anxiety.
- By reimagining the school day and providing opportunities for students to consolidate and increase their skills, knowledge and understanding through online asynchronous, or face to face small group, targeted learning experiences.
- By developing opportunities for connections and projects which draw on expertise across curriculum areas and beyond the School.
Goal 2
Establish and embed a Lowther Hall Teaching and Learning Framework underpinned by a suite of research-informed practices.
- By identifying and documenting the required approaches in pedagogy and curriculum across the School.
- By developing a shared model of blended learning.
- Through refinement of an instructional coaching model to support and sustain the practices identified in the Lowther Hall Teaching and Learning Framework.
- Through the establishment of a clear plan for professional learning for continuing and new staff, to embed and sustain the Teaching and Learning Framework, and the agreed practices and approaches therein.
Goal 3
Build shared responsibility across all teaching staff for defining, ensuring, measuring and reporting the academic growth of every student in ways that support flourishing.
- By identifying clear measures of growth for each subject area across the School.
- By developing a broader suite of adaptive and applied assessments to evaluate understanding, creativity and thinking alongside knowledge and skills.
- By exploring ways to report on growth.
- By collaboratively interacting with formative and summative assessment data thereby intentionally planning for effective learning that promotes growth for each student.
Human Resources
How we develop our people
Retaining, developing, recruiting and sustaining our most valuable asset – our staff – is of utmost strategic importance, particularly as we face workforce shortages and changes in the working landscape. Likewise, investment in the volunteers who support our community is paramount for our sustained success. This strategic area acknowledges the growing need to innovate and evolve the way we think about our human resources and to take seriously our responsibility to develop the individuals who share our educational mission.
Goal 1
Be a workplace of choice for current and prospective staff.
- By developing and embedding structures and strategies to enhance and sustain the workforce.
- Through the exploration of innovative employment structures.
Goal 2
Build the individual and collective capacity of staff, School Council members and volunteers so that they can meaningfully contribute to the life and progress of the School.
- Through the establishment of a comprehensive, multimodal induction and professional development program for staff, School Council members and volunteers.
- By providing opportunities for professional growth for all teaching staff across agreed pedagogies and priorities.
- Through the implementation of a talent identification and development program for staff.
Community
How we maintain connection
We are fortunate to be part of a vibrant and multifaceted community of support. This strategic area sets the direction to refine and strengthen the ways in which we draw on our networks to work in partnership for the greater good of the students.
Goal 1
Increase connections with and harness the experience and talents of the Alumni network for the mutual benefit of the past students and the current school community.
- By employing deliberate strategies to expand connections with Alumni.
- Through the development of a multifaceted Alumni Program.
Goal 2
Strengthen partnerships with parents and caregivers in the education and development of the students.
- By developing forums where information about child and adolescent development can be shared and discussed.
- By refining and improving communication with parents and caregivers.
Resources
How we sustain ourselves
This strategic area prioritises the intentional steps that must be taken to ensure the longevity of the School into the future. It forecasts the need to manage physical and virtual resources responsibly and to strike a balance between conservation and agility in this space.
Goal 1
Provide first class facilities to accommodate the evolving priorities and needs of the organisation.
- By identifying and creating the most appropriate infrastructure and virtual environments.
- By developing the built form in accordance with the Master Plan for the campus.
Goal 2
Position the School for financial security into the future.
- By sustaining enrolments to the maximum capacity of 900 students with ideal numbers at each year level.
- Through the expansion of philanthropic engagement.
- By exploring and pursuing initiatives that will promote flexible, dynamic and productive financial growth and best practice financial management.
Governance
How we oversee
This area of the Plan seeks to ensure that in an increasingly complex governance environment, our governance structures and practices continue to meet best practice standards and that all we do is underpinned by our values. From policies to daily operations, we want to be an organisation that has integrity and consistency in living out the things we identify as important. Equally, we recognise that communication of these things is key if our community is to understand and be part of our vital work.
Goal 1
Further embed governance practices which reflect ethical, sustainable and School values.
- By building School Council and Senior Management knowledge of governance practices which reflect these values.
- By developing policies and processes which promote and observe best practice as well as ethical, sustainable and School values.
Goal 2
Ensure high levels of transparency, accountability, safety and security for the School and its community.
- By continuing to embed a culture of child safety across all levels of the organisation.
- Through best practice processes, documentation and communication.
- By implementing IT structures and processes which will protect users and the organisation from cyber-security threats.
