From the Principal

Dear Friends,

In this mid-term edition I would like to briefly refocus on what is special about Oxley. We are in the process of developing a new website that has given us cause to review the educational ethos that distinguishes Oxley. Of course, it is easy to write principled and noble statements that the routines and ordinariness of schooling can fail to match. However, we do hold a firm belief that Christian scholarship is not only a timeless but also a preferred approach to education. It was once the pattern of all schooling in Australia.

And so, our educational philosophy concentrates on the holistic formation of students. Embedded in a Christian framework and community, our approach to schooling aims to nurture the inner person or human soul. It’s here that students are encouraged to cultivate personal capacity, to engage in joyful celebrations, marvel at the mysteries inherent in nature, and deeply embrace gratitude for a life enriched by God’s grace and wisdom as fostered through the teaching and learning process. We emphasise an exploration of objective truth, goodness, and beauty in each facet of life.

Oxley challenges students to immerse themselves in a disciplined and rigorous academic curriculum. Our programs incorporate explicit instruction, active learning, problem-solving, critical thinking, curiosity, and a genuine love of learning. Studies are leveraged by state-of-the-art technology and supported by comprehensive pastoral care, and the outstanding co-curricular opportunities in music, the performing arts, sports and recreation. Recognising the varied needs of our students, we provide individualised learning plans to accommodate those who are exceptionally talented and for those who face learning challenges.

In alliance with the wishes of parents, our goal is to see students not merely drifting through their educational journey but flourishing in every aspect of their lives. We aim for students to reflect on their school years with deep satisfaction and to eagerly anticipate the opportunities for higher learning that lie ahead. Oxley endeavours to make every aspect of the educational journey a source of delight and fulfillment.

Going a little deeper, we hope to develop a Christian paideia. This is a Greek term for which there is no direct English equivalent, signifying the development of culture and community.

In essence, paideia involves both the transmission of a worldview from teacher to student that shapes the child’s desires, passions, and affections. It constitutes the essential aspect of upbringing and education that forms the soul of a human being and is fundamental to the development of a society’s culture. In simpler terms we might say paideia encompasses the values we cherish, the truths we uphold, and our fundamental assumptions about the nature of the world.

Every school inherently encourages some form of paideia, but Christian schools like Oxley, intentionally structure their educational programs to instil a Christian paideia, drawing from over 2,000 years of tradition. At its core, paideia influences our decisions, behaviours, and the narratives we construct about life through the cultivation of human affections and desires.

Consequently, a teacher’s effectiveness is measured not merely by their academic competence, but by their ability to live a life worthy of emulation and to impart guidance and coaching that aligns with a Christian paideia.

School education therefore serves as a primary means of cultural formation, encompassing academia, the love of learning and the broader influences of wisdom and character development in family life and society.

We think it’s a worthy objective and one that portrays the Oxley experience.

Warm regards,

Dr Douglas Peck