education at kingswood college: the future...kingswoodcollege - where potential soars / 3 welcome to...

Education at Kingswood College:

the future2015 – 2020

KingswoodCollege - Where potential soars / 3

Welcome to the future On our 125th anniversary, the Council of Kingswood College is proud to present our Strategic Plan 2015 - 2020. The Plan builds on our long history of being a leader in education of the mind, body, heart and spirit. Proudly a co-educational school, Kingswood College has long devoted itself to preparing its students for real life in all its facets: for tertiary education and career, for family life and community.

As we look back over previous Strategic Plans, we are pleased to note the extent to which specific aims have been achieved. Kingswood College has nurtured students for a purposeful life, built a culture of striving for personal best and developed creativity in the students and innovation in the delivery of education.

This Plan builds on those achievements. Kingswood College attends to the needs of each individual student to help them to fulfil his or her potential academically and personally. The innovative Learning And Teaching Through Innovation, Collaboration, Engagement (LATTICE™) framework for teaching, developed at Kingswood College, and the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) in the Junior School, will be fully implemented in the next few years. They will focus attention on how students learn, in order that all students may achieve their true potential. The redevelopment of the gym, the planned building of a Centre for Purposeful Living and the implementation of a community-based learning program will enhance education of the body, heart and spirit as well as the mind.

This Strategic Plan has been developed by the Council in close collaboration with the Principal, Ms Elisabeth Lenders, and the staff. Ms Lenders’ innovative vision for the future of education has deeply shaped the content of this Strategic Plan.

We have also invited input from the College families, previous students (the Wyvernians), the Parents and Friends Association, and other people associated with the College. I also wish to acknowledge the positive and collaborative way the Council has worked in developing this vision for the future. We thank all who have participated in the consultations.

Our focus is the future of the Kingswood College students. We want to prepare them to face the challenges of a rapidly changing, increasingly globalised world with wisdom, skill and courage, confidence and curiosity, care and creativity. The Kingswood College Council commends this Strategic Plan to you as providing a blueprint for building strongly on the world class education Kingswood College offers.

Rev Dr Philip Hughes Chair, Kingswood College Council

KingswoodCollege - Where potential soars

Kingswood College visionOur vision is to be a world class school known for our innovation, collaboration and engagement; where our students’ potential soars because we nurture and challenge them to know themselves and achieve their personal best.

This will be achieved by ensuring that Kingswood College’s learning and teaching, our wellbeing, cultural and sporting programs, community partnerships - locally, nationally and globally - and the services that support these activities are:

Innovative

Collaborative and

Engaging.

KingswoodCollege - Where potential soars

World Class School

Our purposeKingswood College has identified three key strategic frameworks that shape the College’s direction from 2015 – 2020.

Kingswood College provides students with a values-based, holistic and future-focused education. Key learning initiatives are designed to instil respect, integrity, compassion and responsibility in every student as we educate their mind, body, heart and spirit.

Kingswood College has developed the Jigsaw for a World Class School. It informs our approach to delivering our Model for Learning. To do so, key supports or jigsaw pieces must be in place:

• Quality Staff• Strong Community Engagement• Desirable Work and Learning

Environment• Appropriate Facilities and Resources• Sustainable Business Operations

The LATTICE framework demonstrates how Kingswood College’s learning program has evolved and will continue to develop to support student learning. LATTICE is the curriculum framework that is shaping the College’s distinctive position as a leader in educating young people for the future rather than the past.

1 Model for Learning

2 Jigsaw for a World Class School

3 LATTICE frameworkThese distinctive frameworks

guide every aspect of the College’s activities; and are essential models in achieving our vision.

The following pages outline our future learning ambitions and agenda, and the resources which will enable our vision to be realised.

TM

s confide

nt

caring

curious

collaborative

creative

courageous

HEART

MIND

BODY

SPIRIT

INTEGRITY

RESPONSIBILITYCOMPASSION

RESPECT


Innovation is all about doing things in new or different ways.

Our students live in a fast-changing, borderless world – so they need a contemporary, futures-focused education in order to approach challenges and opportunities with confidence, flair and creativity.

How we will achieve our visionAll sections of this Strategic Plan have been influenced by the College’s fundamental objective to be a world class school known for our innovation, collaboration and engagement.

‘Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower’.

– Steve Jobs

'Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.'

– Helen Keller

'Be the change you seek in the world.'

– Mahatma Gandhi

Collaboration is a powerful strategy that shares wisdom, solves problems and helps build a community of committed, consultative, caring learners.

Engagement is more than just capturing our students’ attention – it’s capturing their hearts and minds, enthusiasm, passion and purpose.

By re-shaping traditional systems and structures, we’re building a learning environment that encourages exploration, curiosity and often, delight.

Holistic, Broad, Student-centred Learning

Innovation Collaboration Engagement


‘Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower’. – Steve Jobs

As a global community we must think differently about education and the future because the future our children face is fundamentally different from that of any previous generation. Kingswood College is using the accumulated knowledge and research into how humans best live, learn and flourish, in order to create contemporary, future-focused learning experiences and programs for our students.

The western world’s education system was designed for a time when knowledge was scarce. Today it is ubiquitous but many schools persist in focusing only on content. Through our LATTICE framework we will focus on three things:

• what is taught

• how to learn and how to teach so that students learn more effectively

• a commitment to the wellbeing of each young person through the underpinning of positive education.

‘The innovation point is the pivotal moment when talented and motivated people seek the opportunity to act on their ideas and dreams’. – W. Arthur Porter

There is a crisis in adolescent wellbeing in the western world. The need for young people to be positive, resilient, caring and understanding of their own unique gifts and capacity to contribute to the world requires the urgent attention of educators: Kingswood College is addressing this challenge through the creation of our Journeys Precinct and wellbeing programs, and through the development of our Purposeful Living Centre. Our learning agenda is built on a commitment to positive education, and to supporting young people to find their place in the world.

‘There’s a way to do it better – find it’! – Thomas Edison

Within a changing world, Kingswood College will develop its students’ personal creativity, empowering them to effectively respond to new challenges and positively shape the future.

Technology is a pervasive resource and its use in learning and in life demands that both the use of technology and guidance regarding appropriate behaviours is part of our learning agenda. Focus on the most effective use of personal devices for students from Years 4 – 12 will continue, as will our commitment to teaching young people to be wise and resilient online citizens.

Key education principles

Innovation

• Full implementation of our Model for Learning.

• Implementation of the LATTICE framework, involving a three-fold focus on what students learn, how they learn, and the underpinning commitment to wellbeing.

• Completion of the candidacy process for the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme and development of an exemplary PYP programme.

• Completion of building plans and learning programs for the Purposeful Living Centre; and a community competition for the naming of the Centre.

• Construction of the Purposeful Living Centre and associated Journeys curriculum for students, and exploration by each student of the questions ‘What does it mean for me to live a good life?’ and ‘How can we create the sort of community in which we want to live?’

• The integration and early adoption of emerging technologies, coupled with digital citizenship programs, enabling increased personalised learning, promotion of creativity, better learning outcomes and global connections.

Key initiatives


‘Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much’.– Helen Keller

Learning to work productively with others is a vital life skill. Our commitment to learning with, and from, each other permeates every area of activity at the College. We will continue to foster key relationships and develop local, national and global partnerships in order to provide world class educational experiences for our students. Through collaboration we will deliver a world of opportunities while maintaining our commitment to a small and nurturing community.

Local, national and global Community Based Learning (CBL) initiatives will be developed to enable mutual understanding and benefit for all involved, and to promote a culture of contribution in our students.

‘Part of education is learning. And what drives learning is curiosity and collaboration’.– Sir Ken Robinson

Education has a deeply social purpose. Kingswood College values teaching that enables students to collaborate effectively – with their peers, with adults, experts, online, in sports and other teams, where they will experience and learn from both leading and following. Collaboration promotes the broadening of horizons and the experience of ‘standing in another’s shoes’ in order to really understand them.

Kingswood College will continue to develop collaborative partnerships with other educational organisations, including the Elevo Institute.

‘Collaboration allows teachers to capture each other’s fund of collective intelligence’. – Mike Schmoker

The quality of a school cannot exceed the quality of its staff (McKinsey 2007) and we remain committed to providing world class professional learning experiences and opportunities for our staff, knowing that this delivers tangible benefits for our students, and community. Whereas teaching was once a professionally solitary pursuit, at Kingswood College we will provide structured opportunities for our teachers to learn with, and from, each other in a range of settings.

Key education principles• Develop and implement local,

national and global Community Based Learning experiences for our students so that they better understand and utilise their capacity to make a positive difference in the world.

• Continue to grow our partnerships with universities and other organisations committed to the education of young people for the professional development of staff and the benefit of student learning.

• Continue to foster relationships with our sister schools in China, Jiangsu Xishan Senior School and Gaoxin Number 1 Middle School, other Kingswood schools across the globe, and other education institutions for mutual benefit.

• Collaborate with Uniting Church communities – school communities, local congregations, and agencies – for mutual benefit.

• Develop collaborative community partnerships with local sporting communities to promote the benefits of physical health and wellbeing.

• Strengthen relationships with the wider community for mutual benefit.

• Engage with the local community through provision of a community resource – the Purposeful Living Centre – which can be used by various groups.

Collaboration

Key initiatives


‘Be the change you seek in the world’. – Mahatma Gandhi

We want our young people to implement Gandhi’s call to be the change they seek in the world! Engagement empowers them to do so, because it enables them to conquer challenges. Keeping learning opportunities fresh and customised to students is a key priority at Kingswood College. Active, relevant, real-world learning experiences designed to enable young people to discover their potential will be a key priority in our program development.

‘Wellbeing cannot exist just in your own head. Wellbeing is a combination of feeling good as well as actually having meaning, good relationships and accomplishment’. – Martin Seligman

Education research indicates that young people turn to one another for support in times of trouble, and so our wellbeing program will be focused on empowering our students to care for each other and knowing how to support their peers and when to seek assistance.

Principles of positive education, particularly gratitude, empathy and mindfulness will be a focus. The development of a growth mindset as well as physical fitness through involvement in a range of activities, teams and sports will be fostered in each student.

These programs will focus on progress and achievement, the understanding that disappointment can be a step on the path to success, and how important resilience is to achieving your personal best.

Engagement with learning is supported by appropriate physical spaces, both indoors and outside. The College will

continue to develop well designed, flexible learning areas, active and passive recreation spaces.

‘Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I will learn’.– Benjamin Franklin

Engagement fosters excellence and passion. The College remains committed to nurturing and challenging students to achieve their personal best and share their talents in all fields of endeavour.

Active learning is a cornerstone of our commitment to student engagement.

Key education principles

Key initiatives• Work with students to develop

engaging and challenging learning experiences to support them in achieving their personal best.

• Development of our wellbeing agenda to support young people caring for themselves and for each other.

• Continue to develop engaging learning spaces – inside and outside – which promote involvement in active, healthy lifestyles and sustainable futures.

Engagement


Quality Staff

Key initiatives:

• Drive an agenda and culture of excellence by providing appropriate, timely and effective professional learning experiences and opportunities for all College staff.

• Provide opportunities for local, national and global collaboration with world class educators and institutions.

• Support our staff to lead innovation, collaboration and engagement initiatives across and beyond the College.

• Empower our teachers to really know their students and how they learn; to consult with students and listen to and respond to their needs.

Our educational principles

To attract, retain, recognise, reward, challenge and support a capable, committed and talented force of teachers and allied educators.

Strong Community Engagement

Key initiatives:

• Strengthen relations with the Parents and Friends Association to deliver parent education programs, and to improve parent involvement and engagement in the College.

• Develop and support programs with Kingswood College’s alumni association, the Wyvernians, to support lifelong connections with the College including creating a mentor program with current students.

• Develop and advance productive relationships that link Kingswood College’s strategic priorities with Uniting Church communities, including schools, local congregations and outreach agencies.

• Implement a formalised Community Based Learning Program that provides wide-ranging opportunities for student and staff learning, growth and self-discovery whilst positively contributing to the wellbeing of our community.


To strengthen relationships within and beyond the Kingswood College community by developing effective engagement programs with key groups and associations.

Key initiatives:

• Profile Kingswood College’s learning and teaching programs, and its commitment to world class education, to local primary schools and the wider community.

• Develop and promote programs that enable the College to attract and maintain an optimal enrolment of at least 45% girls and 45% boys in each year level.

• Provide a world of opportunities for our students while maintaining a community that is small enough to know and care for each individual.


To make the College the preferred choice of independent school for girls and boys in the Eastern suburbs.

Sustainable Business Operations

Key initiatives:

• Work in partnership with families to provide a safer environment for students and staff and a pedestrian precinct through construction of the College’s Northern Carpark and closure of the existing driveway.

• Create new outdoor learning, teaching and recreation spaces including a piazza between the Year 10 building and the Senior School.

• Finalise plans and commence building of the Purposeful Life Centre and associated recreational spaces.


To have well designed, fit-for-purpose facilities and quality resources available for students and staff.

Appropriate Facilities and Resources

Desirable Work and Learning Environments

Key initiatives:

• Provide learning spaces and technologies that enable learning experiences and opportunities beyond the boundaries of the traditional classroom.

• Build, nurture and support positive relationships between students, families and the College.

• Provide programs and facilities that support wellbeing and physical health for all community members.

• Provide opportunities for lifelong learning for all community members.


To be a desirable work and learning environment that people are attracted to.


• A gender balance across the College of at least 45% girls and 45% boys in each year level.

• A level of enrolment that allows each student to be known and cared for within a community setting, while accessing a world of opportunities.

• Recognition as a school valued for nurturing and challenging students to achieve their personal best.

• A reputation as a school characterised by innovation, collaboration and engagement.

• Endorsement of the LATTICE framework and its use as a blueprint in other national and international schools.

• Identification of the Wellbeing, Positive Education and Community Based Learning programs as key drivers for enrolment at Kingswood College.

• Completion of the Purposeful Living Centre and associated programs including local, national and global Community Based Learning.

• Recognition that Kingswood College students, past and present make a positive difference in the world.

Kingswood College is committed to the pursuit of excellence and personal best.

'Every school regardless of its starting point is capable of improvement.'

– McKinsey 2010

The College strives to continually improve the efficiency and the effectiveness of all its activities, ensuring that it is both responsive and strategically focused.

Kingswood College’s frameworks will guide the strategic direction from 2015-2020 and ensure it is well placed to meet its vision of being a world class school known for innovation, collaboration and engagement.

Key performance measures of this Strategic Plan:

355 Station Street, Box Hill, Victoria, Australia 3128T: +61 3 9896 1700 E: [email protected]

www.kingswoodcollege.vic.edu.au www.kingswoodcollege.vic.edu.au

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education at kingswood college: the future...kingswoodcollege - where potential soars / 3 welcome to...

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