From the Principal

Dear BMGS Families,

Welcome Back to a New Term

Welcome back to the start of what will no doubt be another full and jam-packed term at Blue Mountains Grammar School as we lead into Christmas.

Our Year 12 students are already deep into their HSC examinations. In my interactions with them over the past week, I have been proud of their positivity, calm focus, and quiet confidence. They are going about their HSC task with maturity and diligence, and I have every confidence that they will represent themselves well in this final step before heading out into the world beyond our School.

We do not wish them luck, as luck has very little to do with their achievements. We are, however, wishing them well. They have done the work, grown in courage and skill, and now go into these exams knowing that the whole BMGS community is cheering them on. I loved one comment I heard on the opening day of the HSC period. When asked, “Are you nervous?” the response was “No, this exam should fear us!”

Thinking About the Bigger Picture

During the holidays, I took a few days to rest before returning to School for discussions about budgets and some exciting initiatives planned for 2026. In that time, I found myself reflecting again on what is happening globally in education, and I revisited the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These goals are a shared set of global priorities designed to create a better future for all.

What struck me most was how deeply many of these goals are already reflected in what we teach our students. Each is admirable in its intent and worthy of our engagement as we shape the learning experiences of young people.

The 16 UN Sustainable Development Goals are:

No Poverty
Zero Hunger
Good Health and Wellbeing
Quality Education
Gender Equality
Clean Water and Sanitation
Affordable and Clean Energy
Decent Work and Economic Growth
Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Reduced Inequalities
Sustainable Cities and Communities
Responsible Consumption and Production
Climate Action
Life Below Water
Life on Land
Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Connecting Global Goals to Our Local Vision

Across the world, universities are now aligning their research and graduate profiles with these same sustainability goals. For example, Western Sydney University links its graduate profiles directly to these goals. You can see them by visiting https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/sustainable-development

It reminded me of something we wrote in our Strategic Transformation Project: that our global focus is not simply about looking further afield, but about raising awareness of what is high on the agenda of big thinkers across the world.

No one can reasonably argue against these goals. They are ambitious, yes, but also deeply human; aspirations like No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Quality Education, and Gender Equality are worthy of our attention not only when young people reach university, but right now in our Junior and Senior Schools. And the remaining goals are no less compelling.

I find this profoundly encouraging because it aligns seamlessly with our vision of “Good Learning, Doing Good.” Our commitment is not only to help students learn about the world but to help them grow as people who are willing to contribute to it, to use their hearts, minds, hands, and habits for the good of others.

I am also more conscious of how deeply these goals align with the values we hold dear as a Christian school. Values like justice, stewardship, compassion, equity, and hope. These are not new goals for humanity, but modern expressions of timeless biblical principles that call us to care for one another, for creation, and for the flourishing of all people.

I hope you recognise that when shaping learning at BMGS, we do so within the context of global and biblical conversations. If our young people have a deep understanding of the world and their place in it, the wiser they will be about how to step towards everything that it offers.

Understanding How Budgets Work in Independent Schools

Occasionally, I am asked questions about how independent schools like ours allocate and use their budgets. These are fair and important questions as families rightly want to know that the resources entrusted to us are being used wisely and transparently.

Independent schools operate under a very different framework to public schools, both here in New South Wales and across Australia. Unlike government schools, which are funded and resourced directly by the State and Federal governments, independent schools are self-governing organisations. Our total operational costs, including salaries, maintenance, professional learning, facilities, compliance, and all of our programs, must be met from within the revenue we generate. That revenue is made up of government funding (State and Federal) and family-paid tuition fees, which together form our total budget for operations.

Every dollar spent must sit within this carefully balanced equation. We are legally and ethically bound to ensure that funds are used appropriately, responsibly, and in alignment with our mission and obligations under law. This includes regular external auditing and reporting to governance authorities. We are blessed with an outstanding Business Office that excels in exercising its roles to ensure we meet what is expected of us.

In New South Wales, Independent schools are subject to the NSW Education Act, which governs everything from registration to fiscal accountability. Within this Act, Section 83C is particularly significant. It places strict guidelines on how schools can spend their funds, whether those funds come from government sources or from parents through tuition fees.

Section 83C ensures that school funds are used exclusively for the operation of the School and for the benefit of its students. This means that independent schools cannot distribute surpluses, direct funds to unrelated entities, or use them for any purpose that does not directly relate to student learning and wellbeing.

In other words, every expenditure we make must stand up to legal, audit and educational scrutiny. It must demonstrably contribute to the good running of the School or the growth of its people.

Investing in Our Staff Is Investing in Our Students

One area where questions occasionally arise when discussing budgets is professional learning for staff.

At Blue Mountains Grammar School, we believe deeply that great teachers build great schools, and great teachers never stop learning. This is clearly shown to be the case from reports and research over many years, but perhaps none more so than the meta-analysis by Professor John Hattie, who reports that teacher impact is exceptionally high, with the most effective teachers demonstrating a strong influence on student learning through high expectations and specific strategies.

This is why we invest in our staff: because they are the single most significant influence on the quality of your child’s education. When we provide professional learning opportunities, whether locally, interstate, or internationally, we do so because we want to be at the forefront of educational discovery and ensure our teachers are equipped to lead your children into a complex, challenging and changing future.

Our staff have attended outstanding conferences and programs across Australia, in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, and Tasmania, to collaborate with educators from across the country and hear from global thought-leaders, including experts from Harvard, Stanford and Oxford universities. These experiences sharpen their expertise, deepen their passion, and strengthen their emotional wellbeing in what is globally recognised as one of the most emotionally demanding professions.

Doctors, engineers, accountants, and health professionals are all expected to engage in high-quality professional learning to remain current and effective in their fields. Education should be no different.

When we send staff to these learning experiences, we do not view it as an indulgence, but as an investment in the very people who give their energy, expertise, and care to the children at our School every single day.

A current example is the BMGS 2026 Futures Tour to the United States. This tour has already attracted some questions in the community, and I would like to address those concerns respectfully and openly.

The trip is not a holiday, nor an extravagance. It is a once-in-a-lifetime professional learning opportunity that includes attendance at the Deeper Learning Conference in San Diego, one of the world’s leading education conferences. Staff will also engage in study experiences at Stanford University’s renowned Design School (the d.school - https://dschool.stanford.edu/). Our team will also visit High Tech High and Design 39, two of the most innovative and academically rigorous schools in the world.

What many people may not realise is that our staff are personally contributing more than 50% of the cost of this trip from their own family budgets. The School’s financial contribution is limited to supporting their attendance at the conference itself and the land content. The staff will cover the rest themselves, at a cost of thousands of dollars.

So I ask this question: in what other profession would people invest so heavily from their own family income to become better at what they do, not for personal gain, but for the benefit of their students (our children) and our school community?

In Ephesians 4:11-12, Paul writes that God gave leaders “to equip His people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” The principle here is clear: when we invest in others, we build something larger than ourselves. Growth in one person becomes growth for the whole community.

Similarly, in Colossians 3:23, we are reminded, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.” That verse reminds us that our work, whether teaching, supporting, leading, or learning, has deep purpose. Helping our people grow in their capacity to serve and lead is not only a professional act but a profoundly spiritual one.

Jesus’ parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) teaches that we are entrusted with resources, including time, money, abilities, and opportunities, and that God’s desire is not that we guard them, but that we use them generously to grow people. To invest in our people is to multiply the good entrusted to us for the benefit of others.

When we send a teacher to a course, a conference, or a study experience, we are not merely spending. More so, we are sowing. We are planting seeds of creativity, excellence, and courage that will later flower in our classrooms and in the lives and learning of our students.

At BMGS, as in every School, excellence does not happen by accident. It grows through encouragement, development, and care. It grows through observing and witnessing the great work of others. When we invest in the growth of our staff, we are not simply funding courses or travel, but nurturing the people who nurture our children. It is an act of stewardship, recognising that our staff are the most vital part of the learning ecosystem, and that when they thrive, our students do too.

Please take from this piece that when we talk about professional learning, we are not talking about optional extras or indulgent travel. We are talking about talent development in professional form, the deliberate shaping, growing and equipping of people who, in turn, shape others.

I encourage our community to recognise the personal investment of our staff by expressing gratitude for their willingness to learn, grow, and invest personally, enabling them to give more to your children. I am sure your encouragement will lift them up.

Community Conversation on Digital Wellbeing – Let’s Take a Stand Together

At Blue Mountains Grammar School, we believe childhood should be a time for imagination, connection and real-world discovery. We believe in the benefits of play, imagination and at times, allowing our children to be bored. Yet today, our young people face increasing pressure to enter the digital world and acquire their own smartphones long before they are ready to navigate its challenges.

To engage with this challenge, we are proud to host a community conversation on digital wellbeing, featuring guest speakers from Wait Mate. This movement empowers parents to delay their child’s personal smartphone ownership. According to their research:

More than 13,000 parents across Australia have made pledges.
Smartphone apps are deliberately designed to be “sticky”, mirroring addictive behaviours similar to gambling. These are almost impossible for children and young people to avoid.
Some children are already receiving 4–7 hours per day on smartphone usage and over 237 notifications daily, a trend eroding traditional childhood and developmental experiences.
Early smartphone use is strongly correlated with higher rates of depression, anxiety, disrupted sleep patterns and poorer social relationships later in adolescence.
The pledge supports communities in finding at least 10 families in a school-year cohort who unite in delaying smartphones and unlock a support network of like-minded parents.

This event will be a chance for our community to take a united stand, craft shared expectations that allow our children to be children for longer, and foster a safe, connected environment grounded in trust, support, and genuine interactions.

Event Details

Wednesday 5 November, 6:00–8:00 pm

BMGS Springwood Campus, 27-28 Tusculum Road, Valley Heights

Free event – All local families welcome (please invite your non-BMGS friends)

Light supper provided

I hope to come together as the adult front that supports and nurtures our children, ensuring they step into the digital world only when they are truly ready. We know what the data shows, and it is up to adults to take ownership of the things that put risk into the hands of our children. I look forward to seeing you there.

Open Door Scholarships

I am pleased to announce that we will soon be introducing a new initiative at Blue Mountains Grammar School in the form of our Open Door Scholarships. These scholarships are designed for families in the Blue Mountains community who would love for their child to be part of our School but who do not currently have the financial means to do so.

Like our existing Academic, Performing Arts, Drama, Music, and Art Scholarships, the Open Door Scholarships will be awarded through a transparent and equitable process. They will include a means-testing component and a set of selection criteria to ensure that recipients reflect the values and aspirations of our community.

These scholarships will be limited in number each year, ensuring that we can provide meaningful support to those families who most need it.

This initiative reflects our ongoing commitment to being a school where good learning is doing good; where education opens doors, fosters opportunity, and strengthens our local community.

Looking Ahead

As this new term unfolds, I encourage our community to look outward—to notice what is happening globally and to see how the work we do here at BMGS connects to that larger story. Let’s continue to invest in our young people as whole human beings, helping them see that their learning matters not just for exams, but for the kind of people they are becoming and the type of world they will help shape.

Warm regards

Steven Coote

Principal

This document has been reviewed for spelling and grammar. Please note that as such, it may identify some content as being generated by AI.