From the Principal

Dear BMGS Community,

Welcome back as we start a new school year together. A special welcome to all the new families joining us - I am confident your journey with us is set to be exciting and rewarding as you join us and bring yourselves to our community.

During the holidays, I spent some time alone at our school, and it struck me just how essential our students are to our campus life. Our school felt like a musical theatre hall, missing its performers. This emptiness reminded me of a truth beautifully captured in Psalm 133:1: "How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity!" This community - our community - is something to which we all belong.

Seeing our students return in good spirits, ready for this year is very encouraging. I am sure we all share a sense of anticipation for the opportunities this new year holds.

This week, I was in Melbourne at the International Congress on School Effectiveness and Improvement (ICSEI), accompanied by a few of our team members and, for the first time, a parent representative. I informed the organising committee that week two is probably too early in the new year to run a conference, but the content was exceptional. We joined educators and researchers worldwide to engage in valuable conversations about how education is being shaped. This inclusion underscores our commitment to partnering with you in the holistic education of your children. The congress has gathered education leaders from around the globe, sharing insights from Australia, Germany, Scandinavia, the UK, and Copenhagen. These discussions are crucial as we continuously refine what we value and strive for in our educational approach at BMGS.

Over dinner, I spoke with Professor David Hopkins, who is widely regarded as one of the leading global authorities on school growth and improvement. His extensive research and practical insights have shaped educational leadership worldwide, and his influence is particularly relevant to our work at Blue Mountains Grammar School.

Hopkins is also the author of an article I recently shared with our staff involved in The Leadership Greenhouse, our first professional learning group investigating the development of leadership capacity within our school. Central to Hopkins' work is the idea that a clear moral purpose drives all good schools; an unwavering commitment to the holistic development of students, and an assurance that every child receives an education that equips them for a meaningful and hopeful future.

Our conversation reinforced the importance of maintaining clarity around our school's moral purpose and the role of strong, values-driven leadership in achieving sustained improvement. Our intent to design 'good learning, doing good' keeps us focused on this work. Professor Hopkins' insights will continue to inform our approach as we work together to build a thriving learning environment for our students. We will continue to look at how this is lived out through our agreed behaviours of Grow Someone, Grow Something, Take it Personally, Invest, Make it Better and Stepping Forward.

I am also pleased to announce that Blue Mountains Grammar School has been invited to join The Future Schools Collective, a group of like-minded schools committed to exploring the untapped possibilities for schools through research projects, collaborative ventures, and professional dialogue globally. This collective aims to deepen our understanding and awareness of what is possible in education, further empowering us to innovate and improve our learning environments to benefit all our students.

We also had the chance to spend the day Albert Park College (APC), a school renowned for its innovative learning model that deeply engages students as partners in their education. Despite its past challenges, including closure due to declining enrolment, APC has transformed into a vibrant educational community that rivals the state's most prestigious schools. Many of their graduates go on to attend the country's top universities.

I recommend visiting Albert Park College's website to learn more about their approach. APC stands out as a model of authentic student-centred schooling, with its creative curriculum and non-selective, high-performing status. While we recognise that we cannot simply transplant another school's practices and expect them to work perfectly in our unique context, we can learn much from APC's processes and systems. This learning is about unlocking potential in young people and our broader school community. We've started a dialogue with APC's executive team to keep learning from each other.

Over the coming editions of the newsletter, I will ask those who attended to provide some feedback and their insights into what was a worthwhile time investing in professional learning. 

Over the coming months, we are looking to educate further and inform our community by having you engage in several different media types to better grapple with and understand what is being discussed in educational circles globally. This will include more engaging film info sessions, podcasts, and parent workshops. We will keep you posted regarding where you can access these opportunities over the coming term. 

I have included some photos from our visit included in this newsletter. They showcase APC's engaging and innovative educational environments. APC has several campuses, all within a ten minute walk of the main campus. I congratulate APC on their work and their willingness to share their professional collateral with us. 

Thank you again for your part in our community. I look forward to a year of learning, growth, and community spirit.

Warm regards,

Steven Coote 

Principal