Connected Communities Strategy Announcement

Our school has been selected to implement the NSW Government’s Connected Communities Strategy. This is a significant beneficial strategy for Kempsey High School. 

The Connected Communities Strategy began its implementation in 2013 and currently operates in 16 NSW Government schools. The Strategy is set to run until 2023 subject to extension and the NSW Government has agreed to expand the Strategy to more schools, including Kempsey High School. 

A key feature of the Connected Communities Strategy is positioning the school as a Community hub, bringing the community and school leadership closer together and accessing government and non-government agency services inside the school setting, to support students and families. The focus of the Connected Communities Strategy is to provide innovative learning for student benefit that is holistic and respectful and complemented by the local Aboriginal Culture. 

A Local School Reference Group is also a key feature of this strategy and its key role is to co-plan and co-design initiatives with the Executive Principal and staff in delivering programs that best meet the needs of the students while reflecting the key deliverables of the strategy and the school’s strategic improvement plan.   

An Executive Principal position is a unique to the Connected Communities strategy, due to the high-level educational leadership expected, especially with the work required to form productive and effective partnerships and agreements with local government and non-government service providers. As Kempsey High School has been selected, this means that the Principalship level in our school will change (reclassified) and advertised, requiring me to either choose to apply for the Executive Principal position or return to my substantive position at Hastings Secondary College. The recruitment process for the Executive Principal position at our school will take place in term one 2021, convened by a Director Educational Leadership for Connected Communities and assisted by a locally established panel in line with merit selection procedures. 

More information about the Strategy can be found at https://education.nsw.gov.au/publicschools/connected-communities 

Kind regards, 

Rob Lyttle 

Rel. Principal 

education.nsw.gov.au