From the Acting Headmaster
In November 1988, following the official opening of Questacon (Australia's National Science and Technology Centre) and after being considerably embarrassed by a large group of disgruntled Australian Scientists, the then Prime Minister, Bob Hawke, declared that Australia needed to become 'the clever country'. Now, almost 25 years later, how are we performing in our quest to become that 'clever country?'
Over the past week, I have had the opportunity to visit Perth with five of our teaching staff to join the Future Schools Alliance School Visits. Along with Jacqui Grassmayr, Laura Fox, Brooke Stockley, Brad Hoffman and Chris Sanders, we have visited the following schools, contributing to extensive conversations about what is possible for our Blue Mountains Grammar School students and team.
For your interest, the schools we visited were:
Cecil Andrews College
Cecil Andrews College is an Independent Public School located in Seville Grove. The School is doing incredible work with outstanding results by creating strategic partnerships with industry and other organisations. These include Hewlett Packard, Woodside, The Clontarf Foundation and others. Cecil Andrews College is achieving exceptional outcomes for first nations students as well.
https://cecilandrewscollege.wa.edu.au/
All Saints College
All Saints College is an Independent Anglican School in Bull Creek, South of the Swan River. The College describes itself as curating a rich, 'personalisable' learning environment in which students develop a deep, authentic, empathetic and ethical perspective. Their research is showing that with this approach, young people go beyond the traditional boundaries of education to lead in 'real-world' environments, co-authoring futures that value creative collaboration and connections.
https://www.allsaints.wa.edu.au/
The Studio School
The Studio School was an exceptional model of learning. While not suited to all students, it offers an alternative to mainstream schooling structures and systems through a studio model that sees students combining their studies with real-world projects and engagements to achieve the equivalent of the HSC. The School is in a shop in the heart of Fremantle and works closely with businesses and the community.
https://www.thestudioschool.wa.edu.au/
Bold Park Community School
Bold Park Community School is a progressive, innovative school catering to students from 18 months of age to 19 years. The School holds at its core the right of the child to participate in a learning environment that promotes mutual respect, shared learning, reflectivity, creativity, imagination, problem-solving and participation in the community's life.
Perth College
Perth College is an Independent Anglican Girl's School in Mount Lawley. PC's unique approach engages rich visual and performing arts programs to complement and extend the overall academic program. Our staff loved our time at PC, and reflected that the celebration and quality of the creative arts as an integral part of learning was very similar to BMGS.
Visiting these schools has been a valuable experience. Still, the discussions with our team over dinner, breakfast and while travelling between venues have been the highlight for me. We have asked deep questions like "Why, for many decades, has the primary function of too many schools been essentially passive – ensuring compliance with a growing collection of regulations?"
This trip marks the beginning of some stimulating conversations we will engage with you over the next twelve months. We are now planning a clear, consistent, research-informed performance review, and we will engage in ongoing consultation with our school community. This will include focus groups with staff, students and parents.
Has Australia met the challenge set out by Bob Hawke in 1988 to be the 'clever country? Maybe.
But could we be even more so, if we reimagine how we design learning in ways that our young people learn and act beyond the 'norm'? This will be an exciting conversation to have with you.
We look forward to engaging with you over the new year.
Mr Steven Coote
Acting Headmaster