Strategic Plan - Towards 2026 Learning is at the heart of everything we do.
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Concordia Lutheran College | Towards 2026
Chair of Council and Head of College Towards 2026. We are delighted to present to all members of the Concordia Lutheran College community a plan for the future. The plan is deliberate in its intent to develop a vibrant and dynamic Christian learning community that is focused on the attributes required to ensure that our 21st century students are well prepared for a changing landscape. Our foundation is immersed in the Word of God and the gospel of Christ Jesus, and this enables us as Christians to live and share freely a life of grace and service. These beliefs are at the very core of who we are and what we stand for and, as such, remain absolute. As we work with our young people, we know that this good news makes a difference in their lives, and in the lives of all within our College community. The Strategic Plan Concordia Lutheran College Council and Concordia Lutheran College Leadership have engaged with the College community to develop a strategic direction that will shape Concordia’s future. The strategy has been developed to be dynamic, and the Plan is subject to constant review. This process of deliberate and considered review is one that recognises the ‘quickly moving’ world that we live in. It is important that the Strategic Plan is a living and breathing document which informs the College’s Annual Plan. As Brent Davies emphasises in his book ‘Leading the Strategically Focused School: Success and Sustainability’
Contents Chair of Council and Head of College
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Philosophy, Purpose, Vision and Values
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Our Story
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Strategic Vision
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Christian Ministry and Care
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Learning and Teaching
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Life Wide Learning
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Our Community
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Facilities and Infrastructure
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“A strategically focused school is one that is educationally effective in the short term but has a clear framework and processes to translate core moral purpose and vision into excellent educational provision that is challenging and sustainable in the medium to long-term.” As an initial step, and in consultation with stakeholders from across the College community, we intend to develop and monitor financial plans and a resource masterplan that support our Strategic Plan. In carrying out this important work, we will be cognisant of any future changes to government funding and we are fully aware of parental capacity to pay for an education of excellence. On behalf of the Concordia Lutheran College Council, we commend this Strategic Plan to you and look forward to you engaging in an exciting, future oriented Concordia Lutheran College. As the apostle Paul writes: ‘Speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.’ (Ephesians 4:15-16).
Mr Kyal Osborne Chair - Concordia Lutheran College Council
Mr Anton Prinsloo Head of College
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Philosophy, Purpose, Vision and Values At Concordia Lutheran College, a vibrant community comes together to offer an outstanding education for each individual child. Our College is coeducational, inclusive, welcoming and friendly. Our Philosophy Concordia Lutheran College is a Christian coeducational day and boarding school that provides a holistic approach to shape and prepare students to be confident, informed and equipped to make a difference in an ever changing world. We offer a rigorous and quality education where students strive for excellence, and set high expectations in a safe, Christ-centred, grace-filled learning environment. Our Vision Inspiring lifelong learners, critical thinkers, and caring citizens in a Christian community. Our Purpose Our purpose is to deliver to our students inspiring, relevant and engaging learning opportunities in a welcoming and caring Christian environment. Our Values • Learning We value learning: where students demonstrate resilience and persistence as creative, adept learners who are not afraid to take risks as they learn and grow. • Compassion We value compassion: where students develop their hearts and minds as they care for, respect, support and nurture one another. • Courage We value courage: where students become risk-takers who take ownership of their learning, set high expectations and are not afraid to speak up for others and
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themselves. • Service We value service: where students reflect on their place in the world as they desire to reach out and support people and groups on a local and global level. • Excellence We value excellence: where students continually strive for excellence as they set and exceed their own goals in their learning. • Respect We value respect: where every member of the College community respects themselves, others, and creation as they demonstrate stewardship and care for God’s earth and all who live on it.
Concordia Lutheran College | Towards 2026
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Concordia Lutheran College | Towards 2026
Our Story Our Firm Foundation Concordia Lutheran College’s three beautiful campuses combine a rich and varied history spanning more than 75 years in the Toowoomba community. The College officially opened its doors for teaching on 13 February 1946 under the leadership of Professor Rudolph Altus as the first Principal welcoming 27 scholars, 23 of whom were boarding students. The historic Redlands Building and surrounding lands were purchased to serve as the home for the College. The idea of establishing a Lutheran coeducational boarding school in Queensland had been pursued with vigour and enthusiasm for many years with the purpose of preservation of the Christian faith for future generations. Concordia has been community focused since its inception. Local Lutheran congregations worked tirelessly to raise the funds that were integral in gaining approval to move forward with development of the College. Toowoomba provided the perfect location to draw boarding students from rural families around Queensland while also attracting day students living in the city. In the decades that followed, students from Papua New Guinea, northern Queensland and other overseas destinations joined the boarding community, forming the demographic that is in place today. Music as a tradition of the school had its beginnings from day one with three pianos in constant use and several students being awarded major prizes in the Toowoomba Eisteddfod. Other activities quickly found their place into the College’s culture with the first athletics day and speech night held before the end of the first year. Academic results continued to improve to a point where the founding fathers were humbled by the goodness of the Lord in this ‘leap of faith’.
Motto, Nisi Dominus Frustra – “Unless the Lord builds it, it is built in vain.” No matter what the activity, the principles of Christian Education still applies. This is what makes Concordia Lutheran College distinctive and unique. Over the years, considerable development of facilities took place along with the expansion of the student population into the wider Christian community. This growth eventually saw the number of enrolled day students outgrow the boarding numbers. By the end of the 20th century, the College was respected culturally and academically by the wider community on the Downs, while still managing to retain its firm commitments to Christian beliefs and values. Concordia College expanded with the addition of our Warwick Street Campus, which dates back to 1961, and Hume Street Campus established in 1977. Concordia Lutheran College K-12 became a reality on 30 January 2007 through the amalgamation of all three campuses. Over the years, Concordia Lutheran College has grown to epitomise the word ‘Concordia’ – agreement, unity and harmony. Together we stand united with our hearts and minds open to the myriad opportunities before us. Our firm foundation established by the early planners still remains in place today. Our purpose is to inspire students to strive for academic excellence and to nurture their aspirations in a caring and vibrant educational setting.
A vital part of the culture was the attention to Worship which became life-long practices for many students. Many aspects of the College culture changed over the decades, but the most important cornerstone that has never changed is reflected in the College
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Christian Ministry, Wellbeing and Pastoral Care We aspire to:
In the next three years we will:
Recognise the strong Christian and supportive culture within the College
• Communicate and live this valued strength in the College and wider community • Continue to build a welcoming Christian environment for all • Continue to build a strong and recognisable ‘school spirit’ across the College
Celebrate our Lutheran identity and support the agencies of the Lutheran Church of Australia
• Develop staff understanding of Lutheran ‘distinctives’ • Continue to grow the level of support for the Lutheran Church of Australia (LCA) projects such as Lutheran World Service (ALWS) “Walk My Way” • Develop student involvement in the College Worship program
Care for, and develop wellbeing among our students, staff and community
• Develop a clear and articulated staff wellbeing structure that staff create and own
Promote and recognise service to others as an integrated focal point for students
• Continue to develop and expand ‘The Rite Journey’ to recognise student service to others
• Investigate and implement mental health programs that are age appropriate for all students from K-12
• Build a cohesive Service Learning program that is recognised at the highest College level • Connect our Service Learning programs to the wider community
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Concordia Lutheran College | Towards 2026
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Concordia Lutheran College | Towards 2026
Learning and Teaching We aspire to:
In the next three years we will:
Build a vibrant learning culture centred on an engaging curriculum and engagement of students in their own learning journey
• Develop learning spaces that provide engaging environments • Develop programs that embrace learning using emerging technologies • Create programs that stimulate deep learning and transfer learning • Create a program that delivers a culture of entrepreneurship • Support and further develop our Outdoor Education Program
Continue to support the implementation ‘Visible Learning’ as the key framework for pedagogy
• Continue to embed the Visible Learning Framework
Support the implementation and development of a Contemporary Learning Framework
• Develop a timeline and programs to support the implementation of Contemporary Learning eg Project Based Learning
Continually expect higher academic standards at all levels
• Choose ‘Focus Learning Areas’ across the College and do those well • Develop a whole College Literacy and Numeracy framework • Implement Version 9 of the Australian Curriculum with an explicit focus on the Achievement Standards across all subject areas • Maintain an ‘after-hours’ tutorial structure to support learning in the Middle and Senior Colleges
Broaden subject choices for students
• Provide learning options and develop academic pathways across the College • Build pathways that are Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) eligible but include Certificate courses that are appropriate
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Learning and Teaching We aspire to:
In the next three years we will:
Create learning intervention programs, within the capacity of the College, to support the learning needs of all students
• Develop a defined ‘Learning Enrichment’ understanding and program (Learning Extension and Learning Support)
Record, analyse and utilise data to inform all aspects of learning and teaching
• Maintain the Learning Management System across the Senior College
• Investigate a framework for Learning Extension
• Investigate a Learning Management System for the Junior College that aligns with the Senior College by the end of 2023 • Implement authentic assessment processes that inform future teaching and learning • Maintain a robust moderation cycle of assessment across the College • Build a database that informs decisions relating to quality education and expectations
Build a culture of professional growth and development for all teachers and staff
• Develop a culture of ongoing professional learning driven by a staff member’s own initiative and desire for continual learning • Provide research based professional learning for all staff around the Contemporary Learning Framework • Implement and reflect on staff driven appraisal processes and coaching that reflects best practice and incorporates the values of the College
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Concordia Lutheran College | Towards 2026
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Concordia Lutheran College | Towards 2026
Life Wide Learning We aspire to:
In the next three years we will:
Develop a sporting program that is planned, high quality, sustainable and able to build student interest in physical activity
• Implement sporting structures and programs with a view to develop a long-term vision for sports across the College • Align sport offerings with innovative, relevant and the current Health and Physical Education curriculum • Build strong connections to local club teams through affiliations • Provide quality ‘in-house’ training opportunities across the college in selected sports • Specialise in a limited number of sports as per the sports program overview
Strengthen programs and offerings in co-curricular and extra-curricular areas
• Continue to lift the profile of ‘The Arts’ in the community eg Arts in Focus, Farewell to Winter Concert • Continue to participate in Toowoomba Eisteddfods for all areas of The Arts • Investigate public speaking and debating opportunities across the College • Reengage in opportunities for STEM experiences, including team-based events eg Pedal Prix
Develop student leaders who have the opportunity of input into College life and society beyond Concordia Lutheran College
• Develop a student leadership program that recognises and develops leadership at all levels
Build leadership capacity at all levels
• Encourage and prepare staff for middle and senior level leadership roles eg ISQ Middle Leaders Program and LEQ offerings
• See also: Christian Ministry, Wellbeing and Pastoral Care
• Actively engage staff and students in the College’s strategic planning and decision-making processes
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Our Community We aspire to:
In the next three years we will:
Build Concordia’s reputation as a leading coeducational school through a growing visibility in the wider community
• Engage the community with targeted promotions that highlight the strategic future direction • Promote and communicate with local Pastors and the wider Church regarding developments as they occur within the College • Grow the profile of the College Council in the College and wider community
Lift interest in national and international boarding in a coeducational setting
• Continue to expand and promote the ‘Learning in Residence’ programs in line with best boarding practice • Work to attract national and international students who will grow through involvement with our Learning in Residence program
Engage past students, parents and staff
• Continue to grow our connections with alumni in order to engage our ‘Old Scholars’ • Continue to survey and engage with stakeholders to monitor and gauge community opinions • Continue to develop the Concordia ‘Future Foundation’ to allow for Annual Giving, Major Capital Gifts and Bequests to support the future learning and teaching needs
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Concordia Lutheran College | Towards 2026
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Concordia Lutheran College | Towards 2026
Facilities and Infrastructure We aspire to:
In the next three years we will:
Provide learning environments which have a profound impact on learning and wellbeing for both students and staff
• Develop and implement a College wide Master Plan
Commit to new construction and ongoing refurbishment programs that deliver modern, innovative and quality facilities to meet the educational program of the College
• Maintain a 3-5 year College wide Maintenance and Refurbishment Plan
• Establish building timeframe for Master Planning • Investigate capital funding options
• Reflect these commitments in the Annual Budget
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Lutheran Church of Australia – Queensland District trading as Concordia Lutheran College 154 Stephen Street Toowoomba Qld 4350 (07) 4688 2700 enrolments@concordia.qld.edu.au CRICOS Provider No: 00581G
www.concordia.qld.edu.au
