Danebank Strategic Plan: Towards Her Future

Towards Her Future

Danebank Anglican School for Girls S T R AT E G I C D E S I G N : 2 0 3 0 V I S I O N

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Contents From the Chair 3 From the Principal 4 Aspiration and Intent 6 Our Girls 8 Becoming Framework 9 Our Staff

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Our Community 12 Our Strategic Roadmap 13 Englighten 14 Enable 15 Enrich 16 Empower 17 Engage 18

Contents

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From the Chair

Welcome to Danebank’s Strategic Design for 2022 and beyond.

Its purpose is to set out the broad intent and direction of the School, taking account of current circumstances and a range of possible futures. It captures the aspirations of the School’s leadership, and the commitment of the entire staff community.

This document is the result of a huge amount of consideration, conversation, consultation, and distillation of expertise and experience. It reflects, under God, an aspiration that each girl should become all she is purposed to be. It’s inspiring, and it has the full support of the School Council and the Anglican Schools Corporation.

I commend it to you for your reading and your support.

We look forward to its implementation through 2022 and subsequent years. Join us, as we serve and shape the world.

Dr Richard Sharp Chairman Danebank Council

It reflects, under God, an aspiration that each girl becomes all she

is purposed to be 3 | Danebank An Anglican School for Girls

From the Principal On the outside, we look like just another girls’ school in Sydney with high academic outcomes and a reputation for excellence in learning and care. But take one step onto our campus and you’ll discover that we are more than this. You’ll feel it in the atmosphere. You’ll notice our heart and you’ll warm to our people and way of being. We do things differently here.

We are a Christian community of learners who nurture and inspire girls to flourish through inclusive and powerful future-focused educational opportunities. We know that our students will flourish and grow when our culture is right.

It is this distinctive culture that sets us apart. Like a gardener who focuses on creating the right conditions for growth through the soil, we go to great lengths to create the best conditions of growth and learning for our girls and community.

Talk with our students, teachers, staff, parents and alumnae and they will attest to our distinctive way and leading place in girls education.

For the past 18 months we did that, with extensive consultation and conversations. We looked to the past and also peered at what lies ahead. From this, we’ve distilled our strengths, recognised what sets us apart and articulated key strategic initiatives that will propel us and each girl towards her future. Three key aspects of this are becoming, belonging and our way of being.

First, our strategy is based on who she is becoming. Our people are our priority. More than anything, our girls are at the heart of all that we do. For us, every girl matters. Her future and who she will become drives our vision for our community as we look towards 2030. So much so, we’ve developed a bespoke futures focused and holistic approach to her education, underpinned by the ‘Becoming Framework’ as the core of our strategy.

Next, we are a place of belonging. We are a unique Christian learning community; a place of connection and purpose. Our relationships are key to our success. Staff are highly professional and nurturing, and supporting their wellbeing and professional growth is important to us- we are investing in this for our girls. We are inclusive, value our diversity and work hard to ensure that every girl belongs and that our learning environment supports each girl to thrive in the adventure of becoming.

Finally, with our vibrant learning community as our base, we create optimal conditions for our girls within our unique culture and distinctive Christian worldview. We are interested in and focused on who our girls will be. We build character, meaning and purpose through a life of service founded on Christian principles and the message of the gospel.

Where every girl belongs.

Where every girl is becoming all she is purposed to be.

I invite you to read on and discover the strategic roadmap for the future growth of our learning community.

Dr Emma Burgess Principal

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Be inspired and join us

as we serve and shape the world

Where every girl belongs Where every girl is becoming all she is purposed to be

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Ut Prosim That I May Serve

Aspiration Where every girl belongs and every girl is becoming all she is purposed to be

Anglican Schools Corporation Vision Serving Christ by equipping students for Christ’s world

Intent Grounded in our heritage, we are a futures-focused Christian learning community. We nurture and inspire girls to flourish through inclusive and powerful educational opportunities.

Join us, as we serve and shape the world.

Values Compassionate Service Courageous Optimism

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Creative Collaboration

Personal Excellence

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Respectful Relationships

Loving Kindness

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Taking Responsibility

The righteous will

flourish

like a palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

Planted in the house of

the Lord,

they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, ‘The Lord is upright; he is

my Rock

,

and there is no wickedness in Him.’ Psalm 92:12-15

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Our Girls

Our girls are at the heart of everything that we do at Danebank We are mindful that we are equipping girls and young women for the rapidly changing and unpredictable future.

We want to ensure that each girl is prepared to serve in an ever changing, digitally immersed era of cultural, economic and societal change. More than this, we aim to ensure that our girls can flourish and lead fulfilled lives of purpose.

Our aim is personified in the Becoming Framework: • Faith She seeks faith and a relationship with Jesus to be able to experience the fullness of life • Identity She develops confidence in her unique God-given identity and purpose • Thinking She becomes a powerful learner, able to think and draw upon her knowledge and wisdom, to thrive in the world.

• Voice She graduates empowered with a voice to influence, take action, serve and shape her world.

• Wellbeing She graduates with a strong sense of wellbeing, resilience and belonging This is the core of our strategy. Our strategic pillars and initiatives are designed to enact this aim, through enlightening hearts, enabling and enriching wellbeing and learning, empowering staff and engaging our community.

To thrive in the adventure of becoming

She is clothed with strength and dignity and

she smiles at the future.

Proverbs 31:25

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Becoming Framework

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Our Staff

Danebank staff are passionate about learning and deeply committed to the wellbeing and growth of each girl. Our heart to serve and vision to improve drives our collaboration, innovation and pursuit of the best for ourselves and our community.

We remain true to our heritage whilst confidently and excitedly moving towards the future. We embrace the challenges before us with optimism, creativity, initiative and agility.

We demonstrate our faith and share the gospel in our words and actions and role model our values at all times. We have high expectations of each other and our students, and couple this with high levels of support and nurture. We are kind.

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Wellbeing matters to us and we invest in this for all in our community. We have a strong sense of collegiality, value our relationships and are generous in service.

We ourselves are learners, courageous in embracing mistakes and learning from them. We have a relentless focus on best practice in all areas as a collective profession.

We implement our well researched leading integrated pedagogical approach to create exciting and challenging learning experiences that will develop our graduates in the Becoming Framework.

The Lord himself goes

before you with you; and will be

he will never leave you nor forsake you.

Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

Deuteronomy 31:8

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Our Community and Culture

As a Christian learning community we are a place of connection and purpose. We know that our girls will flourish when our conditions for learning are right. To this end, we focus on creating optimal conditions of growth within our unique and distinctive culture.

As each girl is becoming all she is purposed to be, we will revitalise learning at Danebank, valuing a broad and diverse suite of opportunities in all areas including the arts, sport, science, emerging technologies, initiating new highly anticipated Signature Programs and creating opportunities for girls to explore and discover their interests and passions.

Our girls, staff and community draw on enduring traditions and our distinctive worldview to launch each girl into her future.

Since 1933, Danebank has been deeply committed to sharing the message of the gospel and educating girls from a Christian worldview.

Our founder, Miss Edith Roseby Ball determined: “During that first year through prayer and faith in God, I made up my mind to build a fine Christian school with a high standard of work and behaviour.”

She chose the motto: Ut Prosim That I Might Serve.

From that moment, enduring traditions were established, enriching each girl to develop faith, positive character and a personal commitment to service. Each Danebank girl has the opportunity to become a force for positive change in the world.

‘ . . . a fine Christian school with a

high standard of work and behaviour’ Miss Edith Roseby Ball, 1933

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Strategic Roadmap

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Strategic Roadmap

Enlighten . . . a wonderful faith-filled future and relationship with God

To ensure girls have the opportunity to have their hearts and minds enlightened to know and develop a relationship with Jesus for future life fulfilment, we believe the key is: • Opportunities to hear, understand and respond to the gospel.

• Christian perspective in teaching and learning.

• Role modelling • Service culture Develop and implement Reinvigorate service a whole school Christian learning opportunities Ministry Plan across across the school P-12 the school to enable the whole of school strategic Christian ministry growth and cohesion.

Deepen links to the local churches.

Initiate an internship program for ministry trainees from local churches to support our ministry program.

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, in that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people.

Ephesians 1:18.

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Strategic Roadmap

Enable . . . our girls, staff and community to belong and thrive through a safe and supportive learning environment

We believe the key to enabling students and staff to flourish is establishing a culture of wellbeing as a cornerstone of the school ​​where learning enables wellbeing and flourishing for teachers and leaders, and where this is mirrored in students. We will: • Develop a whole school approach to and structure for developing wellbeing.

• Have a common language and process across the school to support student and staff wellbeing.

• Implement policies and best practice approaches such as Positive Behaviour for Learning, restorative practice to deliver balanced preventative, intervention and treatment actions.

• Incorporate wellbeing strategies within the teaching and learning programs P-12, with an integrated and holistic approach to pedagogy and learning.

• Build strong support networks inclusive of peer to peer/ student to staff / staff to staff.

Develop comprehensive programs and structures for girls across P-12 incorporating best practice research.

Activate a whole school wellbeing framework, incorporating staff wellbeing, Social Emotional Learning, student voice, PDHPE and parent partners and leadership and Visible Wellbeing.

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Reimagine care, counselling and wellbeing coaching for all girls to ensure a balanced delivery of prevention, intervention and treatment as required.

Embed a culture of Visible Wellbeing across the schoolfor students, staff and our community..

Establish a Centre of Research for Girls, that supports our Christian mission, to provide and apply exemplary research for girls development, learning and wellbeing, ensuring an outstanding and leading holistic approach to the learning and care of each girl.

Strategic Roadmap

Enrich . . . the girls’ learning We believe the key to enriched learning is: • A whole-school approach to enable greater cohesion, better collaboration, linkages, allowing for a continuum of learning from P-12 • Personalisation of learning – so that each girl achieves her personal best • Rigorous academic learning – valuing excellence and pursuing learning growth • Building learning power and muscle – capacity for each girl to learn how to learn • Diversity of opportunities that is futures focused and connected to the world- through both curriculum and co-curricular programs to discover and develop her personal passions • Carefully planned learning about and use of digital and emerging technology • Implementation of signature programs for every year group that foster purpose, relationships and leadership, encouraging a sense of belonging within the Danebank community

Implement and embed the Becoming Framework and Learning Platform through a holistic and bespoke Danebank approach to learning and development.

Create highly anticipated Signature Programs for girls that foster service, passion projects, entrepreneurship, innovation, global studies and STEAM based learning and contribution to others.

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Explore and implement greater diversity in purposeful curricular and cocurricular offerings and experiences, revitalising sport and arts programs.

Design and implement a whole school digital and emerging technology strategy that develops an Innovation Hub and promotes best practice learning opportunities and resources for students to thrive in the digital era.

Embed rigorous academic learning in programs and practice both in and out of the classroom to focus on student learning growth and develop independent learners.

Strategic Roadmap

Empower . . . our inspiring staff

We believe in a school culture that empowers staff to pursue personal and collective excellence in all aspects of their work. This is demonstrated through: • Being an employer of choice through offering supportive work practices and clear structures for career enhancement and professional growth • Staff collaboration and learning being positively valued in the way we use both time and space in our school to encourage staff to work together • Staff learning needs being met by a range of Danebank-led initiatives and research projects, allowing for bespoke and differentiated professional learning linked to both school and individual staff priorities • A developing culture of sharing excellence in classroom practice through lesson observations and open classrooms • Whole school leadership development Reinvigorate recognition and development of teacher growth and development.

Establish a culture of collaborative, researchled, relevant professional learning embedded in everyday practice at Danebank

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Develop reciprocal relationships with tertiary institutions to become a research-rich school culture.

Empower leaders and invest in innovative and supportive work conditions for all staff, attracting and retaining the best professionals as an Employer of Choice.

Strategic Roadmap

Engage . . . our community and provide contemporary facilities and sustainable business practices, to support our girls’ learning and growth

We believe our Danebank community is a strength, being deeply networked, a solid base, supportive, caring and committed.

Our goal is to develop targeted and tailored opportunities and activities to engage the different members of the community where they are at: students, parents, staff, alumnae, families considering Danebank (parents and girls), the wider community, the outcome of which will be connections, a sense of belonging, and opportunities to engage.

We are committed to achieving organisational, financial, environmental and physical sustainability, strongly supported by best-practice governance.

Position Danebank as a better value, top tier independent school.

Leverage and reinvigorate our connections and engagement with the Danebank community and pursue relationships with a brother school.

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Create opportunities to expand our horizons, securing the resources to build a bespoke experience for our girls.

Enhance bestpractice operations, management of finance, risk, compliance, governance, and promote environmental sustainability.

Modernise school facilities to foster contemporary student centred learning and provide places for reflection and wellbeing.

Trust heart

in the Lord with all your

and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths

straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

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Join us,

as we serve and shape Christ’s world

80-98 Park Road Hurstville NSW 2220 | Pre-K to Year 12 | www.danebank.nsw.edu.au 20 | Danebank An Anglican School for Girls