Headmaster's

Message

Big Ideas

Blue Mountains Grammar School’s vision is to be the kind of School that nurtures young people with hope in their hearts, purpose in their minds and courage in their lives; young people who achieve wonderful learning outcomes whilst at School and equally wonderful life outcomes thereafter. This vision has always occupied the collective psyche of our School and has recently been intentionally captured in our Framework for Learning and Life.

This School has been nurturing extraordinarily capable young people for generations. We achieve this partially because of the quality of parenting that takes place in the homes from which our students come; parenting that is being intentionally refined in some homes through the conversations parents have around their tables at our Ad Altiora Parent Workshops. We achieve this partially because of the commitment and expertise of the BMGS staff team; expertise that is being intentionally refined through the School’s program of improvement planning and professional learning. However, we give ourselves the best chance of fulfilling this vision in every young life if we get a range of foundational principles right. 

People sometimes ask me why I spend my time writing about ideas that they perceive to be disconnected from the everyday life of the School. My response is to respectfully disagree that ideas are disconnected from life. The everyday lives of each and every one of us derive from the big ideas that dwell deeply in our hearts. It is the same for the School. The big ideas that occupy the deepest parts of our School are those that will drive the School’s behaviours and ultimately determine the School’s future, as they have its past. 

I started the year by inviting Mrs Jann Robinson to address the staff on the topic of “How to Make a Good School Great” because I am convinced that we can be even more effective in achieving our vision. This requires us to have an ongoing conversation, and come to some agreement, about these big ideas. So, I see it as my responsibility to intentionally uncover these big ideas, articulate them, develop them, refine them, sustain them, celebrate them and sometimes challenge them! 

I accept that there will still be some who see these articles as pontification, however I invite every member staff, every parent and every Senior School student to enter the conversation about the big ideas that will take this School forward. To further stimulate this conversation, I have asked the School’s leadership team to join me in sharing the big ideas that occupy their minds in Pulse each week. The first of these articles has been written by Mr Laffin …  just click the arrow.

Mr Ian Maynard

Headmaster