realising our vision - lauriston girls' school · specific plans and effective ......

Lauriston Girls’ School Strategic Plan 2017–2020

REALISING OUR VISION

CONTENTSIntroduction 4

Vision 5

Enduring Values 6

Our Ongoing Quest 8

ENSURE a well-rounded educational experience 10

PROVIDE education best practice for our students and teachers 14

ENHANCE wellbeing and resilience 18

BUILD an inclusive community with a sense of belonging 20

MAINTAIN steady enrolments to support ongoing investment 22

INVEST in sustainable operating systems and processes 24

Additional Resources 27

AT LAURISTON ‘SUCCESS’ IS NEVER THE END OF THE STORY: IT’S A LAUNCH PAD TOWARDS NEW DISCOVERIES, INNOVATION AND UNDERSTANDING. Susan Just Principal

WELCOMEI am happy to share the Lauriston Girls’ School Strategic Plan 2017–2020 with you.

Our strategic plan has been developed

through a process of extensive collaboration

with our School Council, Executive and staff

members. We began with a consideration

of our vision, values and mission which

we wanted to reflect our school and our

commitment to providing a meaningful

and contemporary education to our girls.

There were many collaborative discussions

and follow-up emails about our educational

priorities and how these would be expressed

in our ongoing quest to run a robust

and thriving school. I am grateful for the

purposeful dialogue we shared and believe

that our commitment to the future of our

students is evident in this document.

I enjoy reading broadly about educational

research and best practice, along with

reports and articles about the future of

employment and the concerns that our

young people may be challenged with

in the future. The VicHealth report,

Bright Futures—Megatrends impacting

the mental wellbeing of young Victorians

was particularly insightful in giving this

work a reality check.

I am optimistic about the future for

our young women but, in my leadership

role, I have thought deeply about the

responsibilities we have as educators

and how we can provide students with

the skills they will need to meet the

challenges of a rapidly changing world.

Our strategic plan reflects some of the big

decisions we have made which aim to have

a positive impact on the attitudes and skills

of our students and teachers.

Our strategic plan is ambitious and there

is a good deal for us to implement in the

next four years. Yet the overarching aim is

straightforward: to set Lauriston on a path

that prepares our young women to shape

the world of the future.

Page 4 Realising Our Vision - Page 5

A SCHOOL FOR LIFE

VISION

Susan Just Principal

INTRODUCTION

Engagement in life We learn how to connect

with others, manage the highs

and lows, and reap the rewards

of our commitment by our

purposeful engagement in all

aspects of school life. We are

motivated to participate and

respond flexibly to changes

in our world.

At Lauriston each individual is encouraged to discover her unique path and fulfil her potential; to continually evolve her capabilities while identifying her wider contribution. We empower and enrich our students through advocating a holistic set of ENDURING VALUES.

Relationships

We communicate openly,

honestly and respectfully,

creating meaningful

connections within our

school community and

beyond. We foster a culture

of optimism, collaboration

and celebration.

Courage

We are courageous in our

approach to managing change;

embracing physical, moral

and intellectual challenges;

and standing up for our

beliefs. Courage allows us to

understand our strengths and

act accordingly.

Creativity

We approach learning and

teaching with creativity as our

cornerstone. We are imaginative,

inventive and entrepreneurial.

We are open to new ideas

and new ways, and will always

champion innovative thinking.

Intellectual curiosity We engage proactively with

the world; determined to

better understand, reflect upon

and question ourselves, our

experiences and the society in

which we live. We are critically

engaged and curious about all

that we encounter and learn.


ENDURING VALUES ENDURING VALUES

OUR ONGOING QUESTWe inspire Lauriston girls to be courageous lifelong learners and to deepen their outlook as ethical and compassionate young women seeking to resolve new-world problems while working collaboratively as responsible, global citizens to shape their world.

To fulfil our mission, we have created a framework of six strategic directions grounded in the culture of Lauriston’s essential values and vision.

Our strategic priorities are further supported by an implementation program guided by the success of our specific plans and effective approaches to date.


Moving beyond traditional educational settings and practices

Further implement the Lauriston

Approaches to Learning so that our

students may acquire and demonstrate

techniques, strategies and mind-sets

appropriate to the subject and context

Extend our Learning Framework within

and beyond the classroom, drawing

connections between experiential

learning opportunities and the academic,

co-curricular, outdoor education and

wellbeing programs

Develop critical, creative and reflective

learning practices in a broad range of

learning contexts

Expand project-based and experiential

learning opportunities through our Howqua

program and the pursuit of ‘Signature’

projects at appropriate year levels, fostering

independence and deep understanding

Increase opportunities for our students to

engage in real-world experiences, including

travel and exchange programs, service

learning, community action and social

entrepreneurship

Integrate STEM (Science, Technology,

Engineering and Mathematics) into the

curriculum in innovative ways, incorporating

ongoing development in digital fabrication

and computational thinking from prep

through to secondary school1

Provide individualised course and career

advice to students and parents with the aim

of supporting their aspirations and entry into

increasingly competitive tertiary institutions

and a demanding labour market2

1. Skills in STEM are relevant to a wide

range of industries and play a critical

role in Australia’s ability to innovate

and remain competitive globally.

Research indicates that an increasing

number of future jobs will require

STEM skills and training, including

75% of the fastest growing occupations.

2. Rising skills and education levels

in emerging economies—plus the

advance of computing power,

device connectivity and artificial

intelligence—have been identified as

the future drivers to a more competitive

jobs market; creating conditions

where entry into tertiary educational

institutions and the labour market—a

ticket to broader participation in

society—will demand higher standards.


OUR ONGOING QUEST

1. ENSURE A WELL-ROUNDED EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE

Nurturing the skills and personal qualities required for a changing world

Promote and actively focus on the pursuit

of a growth mindset—for teachers and

students—through academic challenge

and rigour

Investigate, plan and implement

interdisciplinary opportunities through

project-based, inquiry, experiential, and

real-world learning approaches

Provide opportunities within the learning

context for students to recognise the benefits

of risk-taking and learn to value mistakes as

stepping stones for future achievement

Support students and parents to develop

a broad understanding of what success

means in relation to learning, and how

online reporting can be used to inform

the learning process

Apply pedagogical practices across

all disciplines that prepare students to

confidently use their skills to communicate

effectively, create new products, tackle

emerging problems, and encourage

life-long learning3


3. The Foundation for Young

Australians has cited three key forces

that will shape the future workforce:

globalisation, automation and

collaboration.

OUR ONGOING QUEST

Ensuring staff excellence

Recruit, engage and support outstanding

staff: we seek reflective practitioners who

demonstrate a thorough understanding of

best practice pedagogies and a commitment

to their professional responsibilities.

Motivate and support teachers to possess

in-depth subject knowledge, expert teaching

practices, as well as interpersonal and

relational skills4

Commit to the use of current and emergent

digital tools and resources to enhance our

students’ understanding and engagement

in the content, connecting the subject

matter to real-world scenarios

Encourage the development and assimilation

of both contemporary and emerging

teaching practices

Reinforce collegial teamwork and

collaboration within and amongst faculties,

and between year levels and campuses

Centralise student data and support staff

in their use of data for improved teaching

and learning outcomes

Promote practices that enhance the quality

of girls’ education

2. PROVIDE EDUCATION BEST PRACTICE FOR OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF

4. Experts possess knowledge that

is more integrated in that they

combine new subject matter content

knowledge with prior knowledge;

can relate current lesson content

to other subjects in the curriculum;

and make lessons their own by

changing, combining and adding

to them according to their students’

needs and their own goals.


OUR ONGOING QUEST OUR ONGOING QUEST

Realising Our Vision - Page 17

Giving our students access to education best practice Assure our students that they may expect

and depend upon a process of learning

which is age-appropriate and builds upon

their knowledge in accordance with the

Approaches to Learning

Encourage our students to take the lead in,

and be responsible for, their own learning

Implement and identify innovative curriculum

so that our students may gain a range of

useful skills5

Promote opportunities for coaching and

mentoring to enhance student leadership

skills within the classroom and beyond

Improve online assessment and reporting

processes to enable ongoing and helpful

feedback and feed forward

Adopt online learning tools to support

a blended teaching approach aimed to

encourage student-teacher engagement

in the classroom

Investigate online lesson resources which

may enhance the ability to meet the

individual needs of our students

5. A shift is taking place in schools

all over the world as learners

are exploring subject matter

through the act of creation rather

than consumption. The growing

accessibility to mobile technologies

is giving rise to a new level of ease

with producing media and prototypes.

Many educators believe that honing

these skills in learners can lead to

deeply engaging learning experiences

in which students become authorities

on subjects through investigation,

storytelling and production.


3. ENHANCE WELLBEING AND RESILIENCE

Sustain and continue to develop an

environment of care that promotes

emotional, social, physical and intellectual

wellbeing for our students and teachers

Incorporate greater positive education

principles and mindfulness techniques

across the curriculum and in the daily

practices of our students and teachers

Establish a Social and Emotional Learning

curriculum across the school to enable our

students to become more resilient and well-

rounded individuals6

Provide a school-wide Digital Citizenship

curriculum which develops skills and

strategies to respond to the opportunities

and challenges digital technology creates

for girls and young women7

Build on the Personal Development Program

so that students may develop their capacity

for resilience when faced with challenges,

change and adversity

Embed the practice of reflection in

curriculum, programs and activities,

encouraging ownership of student learning

Foster a culture of participation and

commitment, inspiring our students to

contribute to the co-curricular program

and school activities

Implement our Sport Strategic Plan to

enhance the sporting and recreational

opportunities offered to our students,

allowing them to develop skills at all

levels, participate broadly and build a

lifelong love of physical activity8

Page 18

6. Young people need a balanced set

of cognitive, social and emotional

skills in order to better face the

challenges of the 21st century. Social

and emotional skills are as important

as cognitive skills in shaping positive

outcomes such as perseverance,

self-esteem and sociability. Research

indicates that effective mastery of

social and emotional skills supports

the achievement of positive life

outcomes, including educational

attainment, employment, wellbeing

and health.

7. Young people will be increasingly

exposed to wide-ranging online

content, privacy breaches and virtual

relationships. While digital technology

creates exciting new opportunities for

young people, it also presents new

risks and challenges.

8. The sports that Australians play

today are the result of cultural

evolution over the last two centuries.

The desire to play and watch sport is

fundamental to Australian culture and

this is not likely to change in coming

decades. In 2040 Australians will most

likely still follow and participate in

AFL, cricket, rugby, touch football,

netball, sailing, soccer, swimming,

basketball, lawn bowls and other

sports in large numbers.

Participation rates for non-organised

physical activities have grown.

A possible explanation relates to a

greater emphasis on recreation, health

and fitness as opposed to competition.



4. BUILD AN INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY WITH A SENSE OF BELONGING


Promote a culture defined by integrity,

ethical behaviour and good decision-making

Enable students, parents and staff to

contribute through social service and

encourage active citizenship

Provide a diverse range of experiences

for our students to discover or strengthen

their existing talents, to inspire lifelong

interests and enable them to grow and

stretch as individuals

Enhance cross-cultural skills and encourage

diverse perspectives through curriculum,

programs and the daily life of the school

to equip all students to engage in a

global society

Provide practical opportunities for parents

and friends of the school to become involved

in classroom and school activities as

presenters, mentors and volunteers

Encourage parents and friends of the

school to gain a better understanding

of contemporary education, the future

employment market, social issues for young

people, serving the broader community and

living in a changing society

Foster a culture of two-way learning

between Australia’s First Peoples and

the school community

Encourage participation in all aspects of

the school by students, staff and parents

Celebrate and promote the school,

students, alumnae and staff performance,

achievements and contributions

OUR ONGOING QUEST

5. MAINTAIN STEADY ENROLMENTS TO SUPPORT ONGOING INVESTMENT

Page 22

Deliver strategically effective marketing

and communications

Ensure our students are engaged and

connected with the school from their

commencement through to graduation

and beyond

Create and maintain lifelong relationships

with all members of the school community

Cultivate connections and opportunities

for engagement to build support of the

alumnae, current and past parents and

friends of the school

Continue to foster and encourage

a culture of philanthropy

Implement the Strategic Framework which

outlines the immediate building project and

longer term development of School facilities



6. INVEST IN SUSTAINABLE OPERATING SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES

Page 24

Deliver appropriate, sustainable and

transparent financial management that

enables future investment in facilities

and educational priorities

Maintain a reliable and secure IT environment

that encourages responsible use, gives

attention to customer service, and meets

the expectations of our students, staff and

the school community

Improve efficiency, and develop sustainable

information systems that are integrated

across the school

Review systematically and refine key

organisational processes and practices

within corporate governance, human

resourcing, business management and

finance and environmental stewardship

Implement the Victorian Government’s

Child Safe Standards successfully across

the school

Ensure school wide risk management plans

are prepared, implemented and monitored

Share effective evidence-based best

teaching practices

Provide a professional recognition process

for staff that fosters individual growth,

linked to personal and school goals

OUR ONGOING QUEST


Additional Resources

Our Strategic Plan, is supported by Lauriston’s specific

plans (completed or work-in-progress documents):

Lauriston Approaches to Learning

Social and Emotional Learning Curriculum

Digital Citizenship Curriculum

SHINE Personal Development Program

Sport Strategic Plan

Rowing Strategic Plan

Strategic Framework Armadale Campus—Buildings,

Landscapes and Facilities

2016–17 Communications Plan

Service and Action Strategic Plan

The following reference materials were used to

guide and give context to our goals and plans:

Bright Futures—Megatrends impacting

the mental wellbeing of young Victorians.

December 2015, CSIRO and VicHealth.

Future-proofing Australia’s workforce by

growing skills in STEM.

April 2015, Pricewaterhouse Coopers.

The Future of Australian Sport—Megatrends

shaping the sports sector over coming decades.

April 2013, CSIRO and Australian Sports Commission.

NMC Horizon Report—2015 K-12 Edition

2015, The New Media Consortium

Teachers Make a Difference. What is the

Research Evidence?

October 2003, John Hattie.


lauriston.vic.edu.au© Lauriston Girls’ School 2017

Lauriston Girls’ School

38 Huntingtower RoadArmadale Vic 3143 AustraliaCRICOS number 00152FABN 15 004 264 402

t: +61 3 9864 7555f: +61 3 9822 7950e: [email protected]

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