St Hilda's Reimagined

SPARKING FUTURES EXT O INARY

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ST HILDA’S VISION, PURPOSE,

AND VALUES

VISION

To be the school that sparks extraordinary futures. PURPOSE Inspiring inventive and adaptive thinkers with a curiosity for learning.

VALUES

Excellence: We encourage the pursuit of our personal best and lifting others.

Authenticity: We value who we are and respect others knowing that self-belief is our greatest attribute. Belonging: We nurture relationships, the St Hilda’s spirit and the part we play in the global community.

Imagination: We are courageous and open our minds to possibilities.

The School Council and School Executive Team have reviewed our Purpose, Vision and Values and generated adaptive future-fit pillars within a bigger world-view for sustained competitive advantage.

SPARKING FUTURES EXTRAORDINARY

Visualising the future of St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls involved a shared imagination and setting our sights high. We commenced our initial thinking with two leading questions posed by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Future of Education and Skills Project 2030 –

• What knowledge, skills, attitudes and values will today’s students need to thrive and shape their world? and

• How can schools develop this knowledge, skills, attitudes and values effectively?

Our students will be faced with increasingly complex challenges that require diverse thinking and creative problem-solving. They will face times when there are no solutions in sight. A global outlook and the ability to tackle complex problems through teamwork and collaboration is essential. St Hilda’s believes that the development of character and the explicit building of our students’ capacity for action and influence is a moral endeavour.

St Hilda’s Reimagined aims to put St Hilda’s at the forefront of education, leading the way for other schools in Australia and beyond. Our future focus reflects worldwide shifts in learning environments and technology while still honouring and respecting our Anglican ethos, traditions and importantly the spirit of St Hilda’s that we all know and love.

Leading education in a period of radical change presents many opportunities for St Hilda’s. In order to thrive, St Hilda’s is committed to responding and adapting effectively to change and its accompanying opportunities.

KEY TO ST HILDA’S STRATEGIC SUCCESS IS OUR COMMUNITY’S ABILITY TO EMBRACE, RATHER THAN FEAR CHANGE.

As we celebrate 125 years as a leading school in Perth WA, we transition into a period of renewal and revitalisation. New strategic priorities and initiatives have been designed to ensure the school maximises the performance of its current operations while identifying new growth opportunities for our students and potential disruptive threats in the future.

We believe that St Hilda’s Reimagined allows us to realise its potential and thrive.

Our commitment to looking outwards and creating a culture of collaboration and strong networks of innovation is unwavering. We are committed to a cocreated future and believe in a shared understanding and collective ownership in making St Hilda’s Reimagined a reality.

Together we have generated a clear blueprint for our community to ensure that a St Hilda’s education reflects the new models of education for the fourth industrial revolution.

St Hilda’s Reimagined has been guided by the principles of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit.

We believe our Purpose, Vision, Values and Strategic Pillars will, together, spark extraordinary futures for our students. We would like to thank staff, students past and present, parents, School Executive and School Council for opening our eyes to future possibilities.

In an ever-changing educational landscape, St Hilda’s Reimagined acts as a guiding blueprint, not a definitive plan. Continual review and recalibration will be important as we stay tuned to new possibilities, adapt and pivot when needed and commit to embracing opportunities to influence and inspire, beyond St Hilda’s. A culture of continuous improvement, adaptation and reinvention is a must.

Together we begin the journey of St Hilda’s Reimagined

Fiona Johnston, Principal Nita Peploe, Chair of Council

St Hilda’s Reimagined is designed with our future graduates in mind.

+ Global citizenship skills; + Innovation and creativity skills; + Technology skills; + Interpersonal skills; + Personalised and self-paced learning; + Accessibility and inclusive learning; + Problem based and collaborative learning; + Lifelong and student driven learning.

(World Economic Forum, 2020)

STRATEGIC

OUR PLANNING PROCESS

Behind strategic planning goes a great deal of research, reflection, and creativity, founded on a good dose of pragmatism.

Over the last 18 months the School Executive has collected data from staff, parents, students, P&F, Old Scholars, future parents and School Council to understand the needs and expectations of our community.

We then referred to globally-recognised institutions including the OECD and gave ourselves permission to dream big. What would put St Hilda’s on par with the best in the world?

The process involved conceptual testing and evaluation with key stakeholders to truly test the validity of our ambitions. At the centre of this plan are our students, staff and families. We reviewed our user-experience in-depth, which served to inform where the needs were greatest and drove the strategic planning.

Working closely with School Council, we believe we have created a vision that will inspire staff, students, and families past, present and future.

St Hilda’s Reimagined is a united effort across the whole School community.

Leadership and creativity are key ingredients for the future.

CREATING AND ADAPTIVE THINKERS INVENTIVE

We have been reminded of the skills our students and staff need in this unpredictable world - informed decision making, creative problem solving, and perhaps above all, adaptability and agility. We believe every student can learn and that it’s our role to uncover their extraordinary talents.

In a world of accelerated, fast-paced change, our students need to thrive in uncertainty. The development of leadership skills, digital literacy, communication, emotional intelligence, entrepreneurship, global citizenship, problem-solving and team work is imperative. The ability to see multiple perspectives, creatively collaborate and shift from a ‘me’ to ‘we’ mindset, positions our students for future success. Mental flexibility to address complex problems and the ability to think outside of the box is crucial to every students’ education.

Our students need a political voice and financial empowerment to be part of our country’s economic growth. It is never too early to expose our students to learning opportunities that develop a deep understanding and confidence in these areas.

We need to be passionate about closing the ‘opportunity gap’ for young women. This needs to begin when our students are young. The possibilities are endless for young women at this critical juncture of global social change.

Leadership and creativity are key ingredients for the future. Our students need to recognise their intelligence, strengths and ambitions, and this needs to begin when they are developing an understanding of themselves, their beliefs and their values.

Our students need to discover and embrace the courage to be themselves, manage their emotions, practice conflict resolution, and handle the challenges that life delivers. St Hilda’s is committed to developing these skills in our students so that each student can be who and what they want to be.

THE IMPERATIVE FOR

CHANGE

The OECD launched the Future of Education and Skills 2030 project in 2015 with the aim of helping countries prepare their education systems for the future.

A two-staged approach looked at what skills students need to thrive and shape better results for themselves and society, and then began researching how to design learning environments that can support these competencies.

Since the 1900s education has evolved to reflect societal needs, technological advances and economic conditions. Today we need to prepare our students for an unpredictable world, that has global challenges that require ingenuity, creativity and perseverance. They need to be able to appreciate cultural differences, respond quickly to rapidly changing environments and be ready for jobs not even dreamt about.

As Andreas Schleicher, Director of the OECD Directorate for Education and Skills, commented in 2019, “Education is no longer about teaching students something alone; it is more important to be teaching them to develop a reliable compass and the navigation tools to find their own way in a world that is increasingly complex, volatile and uncertain. Our imagination, awareness, knowledge, skills and, most important, our common values, intellectual and moral maturity, and sense of responsibility is what will guide us for the world to become a better place.”

For over 125 years, through war times, economic booms and busts and technological change, St Hilda’s has adapted to suit the needs of its students. We are committed to future proofing the School through this strategic plan.

STRATEGIC PILLARS

WE COMMIT TO SUSTAINABLE GROWTH THAT REFLECTS OUR COMMUNITY’S CHANGING NEEDS.THRIVE

WE ARE COMMITTED TO:

• Long-term growth through a cycle of reviewing, developing, progressing and performing;

• Excellent governance, well-structured operations and internal processes that ensure the School functions effectively and efficiently;

• A Master Plan that reflects the changing needs of the School, giving consideration to our environmental footprint and providing modern, flexible, multi-purpose learning spaces;

• Data-driven decision making, supported by research, and engaging more deeply with industry and tertiary institutions to establish and maintain partnerships that open up opportunities for our community;

• Sustainability through ensuring appropriate measures are in place to support and provide opportunities for generations of St Hilda’s students;

• Delivering a seamless innovative digital environment, through blended curriculum supported by technology;

• Benchmarking against international standards;

• Sharing our practice beyond St Hilda’s as thought leaders and pedagogy specialists; and

• Progressing our initiatives and projects on time and on budget.

WE CREATE OPPORTUNITIES THAT INSPIRE OUR STUDENTS TO DISCOVER THEIR PASSIONS.SHINE

WE ARE COMMITTED TO:

• Offering a distinct and unique St Hilda’s experience where students can explore, discover and realise their strengths and passions;

• Strengthening our post-schooling partnerships, pathways and alliances, responding to the fast changing nature and entrance criteria;

• Being a school of choice for a diverse range of learners and students;

• Broadening the St Hilda’s experience through a ‘Beyond St Hilda’s’ strategic intent; and

• Establishing flexible curriculum offerings that allow all students to discover their strengths and interests.

• Redefining what is personal excellence and success by recognising the strengths of every student.

WE CULTIVATE A LEARNING COMMUNITY THAT IS CURIOUS AND ADAPTIVE.EVOLVE

WE ARE COMMITTED TO:

• Empowering students and staff to lead, innovate and strive for personal excellence;

• Encouraging a growth mindset and goal setting;

• Encouraging students to play an active role in what and how they learn (student agency);

• Encouraging teachers and students to become co-creators in the teaching and learning process (co-agency);

• Nurturing and celebrating creativity, imagination, and creating new learning possibilities;

• Developing entrepreneurial thinking;

• Establishing a professional learning strategy focused on blended learning and future pedagogy; and

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Establishing a practice of refection in all that we do to deepen our understanding and widen our perspective.

WE SUPPORT GENUINE RELATIONSHIPS, PARTNERSHIPS & FRIENDSHIPS FOR LIFE. CONNECT

WE ARE COMMITTED TO:

• Ensuring that every member of our learning community is known, valued and recognised for their contribution to St Hilda’s;

• Encouraging our students to help shape the future by caring for themselves, others and the planet;

• Encouraging our students to further develop their skills in navigating and mediating conflicts, dilemmas, opposing points of view respectfully;

• Further strengthening past, present and future members of our community, recognising that generations of St Hilda’s students, staff and parents have shaped our rich history and are passionate about giving back;

• Expanding our local, national and international communities, recognising the role we play as active global citizens;

• Further developing partnerships and alliances with tertiary institutions, local businesses, our parent community and Old Scholars; and

• Fostering relationships with people of influence to inspire and remind our students of their potential and what’s possible as educated and confident students and young women.

WE CHART OUR OWN COURSE.INITIATE

WE ARE COMMITTED TO:

• Knowing who we are, what we value, what motivates us and recognising the privilege of a St Hilda’s education;

• Having the courage to chart our own course and deliver the unexpected;

• Supporting experimentation and creating new opportunities that transform ideas into actions;

• Innovation that shapes better lives and experiences;

• Thinking ‘outside the box’;

• Learning, unlearning and relearning as 21st century students;

• Prioritising, when and where possible, interdisciplinary integrated approaches to learning where knowledge and skills are interconnected and mutually re-enforced;

• Failing fast and learning faster;

• Strengthening our global reputation as a leader in education; and

• Closing the opportunity gap for girls and young women as they embrace their role as global citizens in a world aspiring to equity.

WHAT WILL THIS LIKE?LOOK

Over the next three to five years we will be reviewing our curriculum and cocurricular offerings, school processes and learning pathways to ensure they meet our vision, purpose and values and are in line with our five strategic pillars.

There is built-in ability to seize new opportunities, discard initiatives that are redundant to our changing needs and refresh programs to meet contemporary educational requirements.

Under the banner of Learning Reimagined and Belonging Reimagined, the School will review and develop strategicallyaligned initiatives that support the vision of the School.