We pay deep respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, to their Elders past, present and emerging, and to all cultural ambassadors. In particular, we acknowledge the Kaurna people on whose traditional lands Pembroke was founded, the Ngarrindjeri and Ramindjeri people as custodians of the land where Pembroke’s presence extends to the Finniss River at Old Watulunga, and to the many other groups around the country with whom we also enjoy close and respectful ties.
In recognising their continued connection to land, water and community, the design of this publication celebrates the iconic river red gum, a native eucalypt species found across our campuses which holds great cultural and environmental significance.
The Pembroke Story
The Pembroke story began half a century ago when our founders recognised that the union between Girton Girls’ School and King’s College for boys would make us stronger together.
50 years on, as we celebrate this golden co-educational milestone in 2024, Pembroke is indeed stronger than ever. While we reflect upon our proud history, it is timely and prudent to prepare for an even stronger future; one that is increasingly diverse, sustainable and hopeful. Enter our Strategic Plan 2030.
This plan has been carefully crafted through a process of co-design where we welcomed all members of our community on the journey. We were delighted to hear your voices and have listened intently. The result is a human-centric plan which reflects our learning and caring culture in our delivery of world-class education. In the age of digital disruption, there has arguably never been a more important time to value our human connections, sense of belonging and devotion to the service of others. Our future graduates will not only be career-ready, they will also be creative, empathic and free-thinking individuals who are prepared and inspired to be agents for positive change in a complex and uncertain world.
To achieve our vision, our Strategic Plan 2030 is supported by four key pillars:
• Our Hearts and Minds
• Our Place and Home
• Our Service to Community
• Our Sustainable Future
This aspirational plan sets out our strategic initiatives across the pillars, what success looks like and where we will be in 2030. We hope that it engages your hearts and minds as we boldly embark upon the next incredible chapter of the Pembroke story.
Melissa Mellen Chair, School Board Mark Staker Principal
Our Vision
Free to be ourselves and find our place as we shape a hopeful future
Pembroke is a unique co-educational independent day and boarding school, free-spirited with an egalitarian ethos at its core. Authenticity matters, and privilege has no place at our School. Our strength derives from our commitment to serve and harness our talents to build a fairer, more equitable and respectful future for all. Our learning and caring culture embraces difference and diversity of experience and character.
At Pembroke, all voices shape our community and there is a place for everyone.
We forge deep and enduring connections that define our past, present and future.
Our School is characterised by bright expectations and hope for all. We set the bar high, valuing the stretch of academic challenge and personal excellence for every student. We believe that all learners deserve choice – we are a place where our students’ voices, passions, talents and dreams are known, championed and nurtured.
Our students learn deeply, make connections across disciplines, and apply their knowledge and skills to unique and complex problems. Their learning is informed by data and a firm understanding of their strengths and needs as individuals. We care for the whole young person with a commitment to their wellbeing and development. As a proudly non-denominational school with a Christian heritage, we embrace the spiritual, moral and ethical dimensions of being human, focusing on what connects us in a pluralistic society.
Our staff are experts in their fields, dedicated to personal and professional development and improvement. They are committed to serving the broader educational community and honing their talents to empower others. As a school, we are a destination of excellence with a culture of collegiality where educators build career and character as they guide the learners and leaders of tomorrow.
The foundation of our School is our community – they are ‘us’, and we are ‘them’, and it is what makes us so special. We forge deep and enduring connections that define our past, present and future. We proudly share our stories, knowing open, clear and respectful communication nourishes our relationships.
At Pembroke, we are stronger together.
School Aims
Our Motto: Ex Unitate Vires –Out of Unity, Strength reflects our historical origins with the uniting of our two founding schools and our belief in the value of co-education.
• To offer our students the means to develop a broad and deep knowledge base thus enabling them to act effectively as well-informed citizens.
• To create a dynamic learning community which encourages self-management, curiosity, intellectual rigour, enjoyment, innovation and the exploration of each individual's potential.
• To facilitate the social, physical and emotional development of each student emphasising student safety, personal growth, integrity, respect for differences in people, resilience, an appreciation of the environment, a sense of social responsibility and care for others.
• To encourage the exploration of students' spiritual values and their power to make ethical decisions.
• To promote thoughtful, respectful and informed participation in the community locally, nationally and internationally with an emphasis on seeking justice for all.
Our Values
• Bravery
• Curiosity
• Honesty
• Inclusivity
• Kindness
• Respect
• Service
• Uniqueness
Where will we be, and who will we be in 2030?
In 2030, Pembroke will be a leading school, both locally and globally. Our learning and caring culture will be celebrated internationally for our impact on young people and their lives. We will be One School, united in purpose and focus for the young people in our care.
We will continue to be a large school that leverages our scale to ensure that opportunity abounds, with choice and personalisation as core components of a Pembroke education. Our consistent, inclusive practices and our egalitarian spirit will remain our ‘true north’ – proud, but not privileged, as we engage with the world around us. We will remain committed to the mantra that everyone can find their place, and that this is the real lived experience of all at Pembroke.
To ensure our culture is one based on the reciprocity of learning and caring where a student’s progress in their studies is supported by strong wellbeing programs, our Learning and Caring Framework will be at the heart of a Pembroke education. Our students will thrive, not only academically, but truly holistically. It will be purposeful, planned and evidence-informed.
Our learning culture will continue to focus on academic standards and excellence, with deep thinking supporting innovative curriculum integration, interdisciplinary learning, and the application of knowledge to real-world and future scenarios. Alongside our leading South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) platform, we will be a destination school for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme, with our combined offerings providing abundance of choice for our students.
We will be known as a school that fosters the fluencies of the future by readying its graduates with the skills, dispositions and experiences that allow them to engage wholeheartedly with the world and all of its complexities. They will be future-ready, credentialled and primed to take their place to lead and shape the world in meaningful ways.
Our spiritual, moral and ethical development will include a vibrant chapel program and religious education program which examine the belief systems that serve our diverse societies and how we apply our ethical understanding to situations across our world. Our young people will deeply understand what connects us as humans.
As our students progress through our School, they will encounter milestones that anchor their Early Learning Centre - 12 journey, driving connection and belonging.
Their learning and care will be accompanied by a rich life beyond the classroom, where service has again become a cornerstone, harnessing the gift of a Pembroke education to serve and shape communities beyond our own.
Our co-curricular program will feature a diverse and innovative range of opportunities spanning The Arts, Sport and much more. Offerings will be coordinated and coherent in complementing our learning and caring culture.
Data will inform our focus on learning and caring. We will use it to share stories about individuals and groups. It will guide practice for our educators and allow us to plan for the future. Our parent community will have access to data that tells a vital part of their child’s story, and we will be a data-informed community with sustained learning in data analytics.
Our School will be recognised as a career destination for educators and professional services staff. Early career teachers will work in partnership with mentors and coaches, honing their craft as they explore their vocation. Our Pembroke Academy will have fulfilled its promise as the parallel school for staff, nurturing and celebrating talent, telling the stories of our staff in engaging ways and developing future educational leaders. It will be both a personal and collective pursuit of excellence that seeks to serve our professional communities. Our staff will enjoy flexibility, wellbeing and care programs, and know that their careers and lives have been enriched by their service at Pembroke.
Our School’s future will be a sustainable one. In the face of government funding challenges and other cost pressures, we will have emerged resilient and with renewed confidence under a financial model that will support our growing aspirations. Our Foundation will be active, engaged and energised by an increased culture of giving.
Our School infrastructure will have seen significant renewal and investment where learning and caring spaces are flexible and have ubiquitous access for all students and all devices. Campus renewal will continue to be an ongoing priority supported by sophisticated asset and maintenance management systems. Key projects will have been delivered, ensuring our facilities match our ambitions.
Our community will be engaged, supportive and connected like never before. We will tell and share our stories with pride, knowing that we are unique and that what we are doing as a school will have a lasting impact.
Pembroke will be universally recognised as a contemporary, world-class, co-educational leader, making our mark both in Australia and beyond.
Our Strategic Pillars and Initiatives
Our Hearts and Minds Our Place and Home
Our Sustainable Future Our Service to Community
Our Hearts and Minds
Pembroke ignites hearts and minds through a learning and caring culture
Pembroke School recognises that engaging our students’ hearts and minds creates curiosity, engagement, and a sense of being known, cared for and connected.
We have high expectations for each member of our community where everyone can find their place and strive to achieve. To support this, we will embed learning and caring cultures that are nuanced for our sub-schools, yet all connected as One School through our Pembroke Learning and Caring Framework.
Pembroke staff will cultivate their commitment to personal excellence, improving practice and contributing to the broader educational community.
Our Strategic Initiatives: Our Success:
1. Develop and embed a comprehensive Pembroke Learning and Caring Framework with a vision and structure that foster a love of learning ELC - 12.
2. Refine the Pembroke Academy as the vehicle for our staff professional learning, leadership development, research, coaching and mentoring.
3. Develop our CARE (Compassion, Action, Responsibility and Empathy) Program –ELC - 12 to deliver social and emotional learning.
4. Renew our Pembroke Chapel Program reinforcing spiritual, moral and ethical development while fostering interfaith understanding in a pluralistic society.
5. Launch a reimagined, personalised and data-driven Inclusive Education Program for diverse learners.
6. Identify capstone learning experiences ELC - 12, such as the Middle School ‘SPARC’ (Service, Personal, Agency, Responsibility and Creativity) initiative, to prioritise choice, agency and community connections.
7. Create a Pembroke Personal Portal harnessing data to share student stories, learning and caring needs, achievements and aspirations.
8. Unify and drive our Pembroke+ Program, drawing our diverse co-curricular offerings ELC - 12 into a sophisticated and cohesive platform.
9. Define and commit to a new Middle School Curriculum and Learning Culture which reflects the diversity of learners and contemporary research.
10. Develop outdoor, environmental and personal learning through our ELC - 12 Experiential and Immersive Education Program with Old Watulunga at the heart.
• Increased engagement and personalisation of learning
• Refined and purposeful curriculum with room for new opportunities
• Assessment no longer driving teaching and learning
• Data informing our practice and student and parent experience
• Education occurring beyond the classroom and in communities
• Learning that is both individual and collective, for students and staff
• Strong connection to the value of the Chapel Program
• Thriving and engaged learning cultures across all sub-school ‘villages’
Our Place and Home
Humanity and belonging are forged through connection –to one another, and also to place and home
To connect means people are known and that they feel heard, valued and seen. In a large school, how we organise ourselves and the systems that support connection, belonging and care are essential.
As schools are complex ecosystems, industrial models of organising them – specifically physical organisation and the spaces available – need to be challenged as emerging paradigms impact on education and schools.
To develop hearts and minds, we need spaces that enable us to meet this aspiration. Campus renewal, of both indoor and outdoor spaces, will assist us in creating a school fit for the future at Pembroke.
Our Strategic Initiatives:
1. Commit to One School, united in purpose with strong throughlines and consistency of expectations, and the Four Villages of Boarding, Junior, Middle and Senior School defined by their unique character and culture.
2. Develop a new Master Plan to ensure our spaces meet the needs of our community now and into the future.
3. Renew our campus through strategically planned upgrades to classrooms that enhance connection, care, play, flexibility, collaboration and integration of digital learning.
4. Plan for the renewal of ICT infrastructure to prepare for emerging digital technologies and trends, and ready ourselves for the challenges of the mid to late 21st century.
5. Refine our commitment to staff wellbeing by further exploring benefits that make Pembroke a career destination.
6. Cultivate our Boarding Village as a sanctuary for boarders who call Pembroke home, including how we create a culture of care, fun and family.
7. Nurture partnerships with parents through parent education, voice and agency including a review of the P&F Charter with a focus on year level and sub-school representation.
8. Refresh our Old Scholars’ Program with emphasis on strong, sustainable and vibrant partnerships between POSA and the School.
9. Continue to prioritise diversity and inclusion including in our Pembroke Connect Program, Community Languages Program, and the development of connections through a thriving national and international Reciprocal Exchange Program.
10. Progress our renewed Haslam Precinct including a state-of-the-art multifunction centre that encourages our community to gather as One School.
Our Success:
• Enhanced connection, loyalty and partnerships across the School and stakeholder groups
• Contemporary campus and facilities that reflect our focus on learning, caring and community partnerships
• Staff loyalty, connection, care and collaboration evidenced across the School
• Strong whole-school culture characterised by high standards, consistency of expectations and nuanced sub-schools that meet the needs of every student
Our Service to Community
As caring citizens, we take pride in serving our broader community, both near and far
To serve is to look beyond the self and contribute to the greater good. It is altruistic and demonstrates active citizenship. Pembroke has a history of service and connection to communities, both locally and globally.
This strategic pillar reorientates our focus, positioning the experience of service as central to a Pembroke education. To achieve this, we must cultivate connections to communities and seek dynamic and sustainable ways to engage.
Service extends beyond the domain of our students. Our staff, parents and other community members also seek to serve and shape, whether through volunteering, serving on committees or giving to the broader educational community.
Our Strategic Initiatives:
1. Develop an ELC - 12 Service Learning Framework that reinforces a culture of service by ensuring students experience the impact of their agency in shaping a hopeful future.
2. Nurture an enduring partnership with First Nations people to serve the spirit of reconciliation embodied within Pembroke’s history and revised Reconciliation Action Plan.
3. Initiate a series of adventurous journeys to connect with people and communities beyond Pembroke, both near and far.
4. Launch our Cultural Trust as part of the Pembroke Foundation, serving as a creative leader and space within South Australia’s thriving Arts community.
5. Foster a staff culture of service to the broader educational community through research, shared practice and innovation, and celebrated in staff recognition and reward strategies.
6. Cultivate a culture of giving and philanthropy across the School community including new partnerships and a relaunched Foundation brand and staffing structure.
7. Reposition our Scholarship Program to serve those who would not otherwise be able to access a Pembroke education, creating further equity, diversity and pathways into the School.
8. Launch a Pembroke Clubs and Societies Network where students and staff work in partnership across university-style clubs and societies.
9. Recognise that with the benefits of public funding of independent schools comes the obligation to do public good, and identify opportunities to develop other talent and organisations through service.
10. Develop our Enterprise Education Program, creating mentoring opportunities for young people to apply their entrepreneurial skills to serve the community.
Our Success:
• A pervasive culture of service fuelled by action and agency
• Enriched focus on and reach of Arts education
• A diverse and truly inclusive culture celebrated for its uniqueness
• Pembroke is known for giving back and fostering public good
• Student choice, voice and agency enable all to find their place
• Flourishing culture of philanthropy and giving
Our Sustainable Future
We are a school, community and society committed to sustainability for a hopeful future
As we contemplate the next chapter for Pembroke, we must grapple with the changing forces that impact our community, now and to come. This includes the effects of climate change and how our young people engage in shaping a hopeful future.
On another front, true independent schools must consider their vulnerability in terms of government funding and economic uncertainty if they are to be assured of their own sustainability. Systems and processes are required that support a sustainable future where Pembroke is a school of choice for families and staff with the resources to realise our aspirations and dreams in an informed and socially responsible manner.
Our Strategic Initiatives:
1. Develop an Admissions Department which is strategic in ensuring high levels of customer service, demand and loyalty that are cornerstones of the admissions journey.
2. Advance our market share as Adelaide’s leading school through bold storytelling that builds reputation, increases connection and harnesses communication and marketing strategies.
3. Develop a new economic model that reflects changing funding conditions and builds resilience.
4. Renew our focus on the School’s environmental footprint, specifically awareness programs as we strive for carbon neutrality and renewable energy sources.
5. Foster a best practice governance model which is sustainable and reflects the emerging needs of the School.
6. Encourage the development of the Pembroke Foundation to support our dreams and aspirations underpinning our sustainability.
7. Stand out as a leader in co-education by celebrating the benefits, championing research and proudly assuming the role of thought leaders for co-education.
8. Become renowned as an Employer of Choice that uplifts, recognises and rewards staff as we proactively navigate workforce renewal, teacher shortages and workplace flexibility.
9. Identify new income streams that enable the School to prosper into the future.
10. Fulfil the promise of our unique Environmental Education Centre at Old Watulunga as a leader in this field.
Our Success:
• Increasing focus on sustainable and resilient governance
• Renewed purpose and optimism through viable planning, systems and processes
• Robust enrolment pipelines that serve the community for generations to come
• Recognised as a leader in co-education across Australia
• Strong brand awareness and reputation as a leading school
• Vibrant and active Foundation central to enabling the future for Pembroke
• Resilience to workplace and educational pressures
• Staff culture where people and talent blossom
Behind Our Strategic Plan
Case for Change and Forces at Play
Schools experience a range of forces that impact their futures and the lives of the young people in their care. They serve societal goals and aspirations, but at times also serve to challenge the status quo as beacons of hope, often in the face of scepticism and distrust towards authority, governments and established organisations.
Pembroke is not immune to these challenges and forces; indeed, we continue to negotiate them on a daily basis. Schools are community hubs where people seek to belong and establish lifelong character-defining relationships. As such, the social responsibility of schools has increased as other community-oriented organisations diminish in importance for some.
Much has been written, debated and researched about the skills, knowledge and understandings needed for young people in the 21st century. Some are not new and revolutionary, and have been the cornerstone of effective schooling for a long time. What has become increasingly important is that learning is complemented with strong, caring cultures that place student wellbeing in partnership with effective teaching and learning. This coupling allows young people to thrive and know that the school is a safe, supportive and caring environment which knows them and supports their holistic development.
The World Economic Forum (2020) identified eight key characteristics of high-quality learning, which have been foremost in our thinking as we crafted this plan:
1. Global citizenship skills
2. Innovation and creativity skills
3. Technology skills
4. Interpersonal skills
5. Personalised and self-paced learning
6. Accessible and inclusive learning
7. Problem-based and collaborative learning
8. Lifelong and student-driven learning
For Pembroke and many truly independent schools, we know we must build a sustainable and resilient future, and that includes responding to funding pressures and building a culture of giving that supports our ambitions. This must be purposeful, planned and core to our work, as without a sustainable future, we cannot deliver on the promise of a Pembroke education.
Increasingly for our young people, sustainability means security in the world, and that includes being able to navigate and respond to the climate crisis. As a school, we have a social responsibility to serve and shape our world, and our new strategy seeks to address our impact, now and into the future.
Like all schools, we rely on our community, and we are a true community school, empowered by the strength, diversity and support of our community. We know we must honour this by engaging in authentic, contemporary and respectful ways if we are to maintain a vibrant school community, where our young people can continue to look to our old scholars for inspiration.
Our Strategic Plan seeks to address these forces and challenges, acknowledge the complexity of schools and education in the 21st century, and to do so in a hopeful way.
Developing Our Strategic Plan
The process of developing this Strategic Plan has been a journey, one where the destination represents the future success and sustainability of the School
Traditional approaches to strategic planning often involve a select group of leaders charting the course, while others follow along. However, Pembroke committed to a more inclusive co-design model for this vital iteration.
Co-designing a strategic plan like this saw us inviting everyone on the journey to not only participate but also contribute their unique perspectives, talents and insights. It's akin to embarking on an adventure with a diverse team, with each member bringing their own map to navigate the terrain.
With the commencement of a new Principal, there is an opportunity for fresh perspectives and for the incoming leader to form a team, gather insights and reflect on their observations as they engage with the nuances of the community.
A pivotal part of the process was a community engagement and satisfaction survey undertaken in late 2022 to collect feedback from key stakeholders and establish benchmarks, with the findings shared across the community.
The co-design methodology was chosen to ensure there was:
Collective Wisdom – Every member of the community possesses valuable insights. Co-designing taps into this collective wisdom, ensuring many voices shape the future.
Ownership and Commitment – When people actively participate in shaping a strategic plan, they feel a sense of ownership. This commitment can be a powerful force for driving the plan's execution.
Adaptability – Co-design recognises that the landscape is ever-changing, allowing the collective mindset and various voices to adapt to challenges and obstacles as they emerge.
Alignment and Unity – Co-design fosters a shared vision and a common understanding of the School’s purpose and goals.
Inclusivity – In a co-design approach, stakeholders are engaged, heard and valued. It reflects the unique egalitarian values of the School.
Continuous Improvement – Co-design is an ongoing and iterative process that can be agile in the face of challenges.
Celebration of Success – When milestones are achieved, co-design fosters celebration and recognition.
In essence, co-designing a strategic plan transforms it from a static document into a living, breathing plan that helps us all navigate new terrain.
Central to the plan was the facilitation by Louka Parry and Dr Anne Knock from The Learning Future who worked tirelessly to engage staff, students, the Board and other community members in the co-design model of imagining the exciting future for our School. Their acute appreciation of the forces at play in education globally has ensured that this plan honours the human-centred nature of our School as we look towards an increasingly hopeful future.
