2019 MELBOURNE GIRLS GRAMMAR

STRATEGIC REVIEW

Future focused, responsive and prepared to educate the 2030 graduate

The Strategic Review is part of a process to develop the new Strategic Intent that will guide Melbourne Girls Grammar (MGGS) into the next decade and beyond. The Review will help our community conceptualise the School over the next 5-10 years. To achieve this there will be three key questions that we will focus on:

1. What does our school do well?2. What would you like to see our school doing in 5-10 years?3. What are the things we need to develop to connect where we are to where

we want to be? In preparation for the development of a Strategic Plan for 2020-2025 we will scrutinise data using a searchlight and laser light perspective. That is, we will scan the horizon and breadth of MGGS programs (searchlight) and we will also drill deep into them (laser light). We will analyse this data with the support of critical friends and develop a draft Strategic Plan to present to the School Council. We will respond to feedback and polish and refine the Plan ready for implementation

in 2020. Balancing the depth and breadth of our educational provisioning for girls and young women will enable us to focus on academic and wellbeing

excellence. Evidence backed practice will be the key. I look forward to walking with the whole community as we shine a spotlight on

current practice in preparation to take MGGS to ‘next’ practice.

The objective is to then identify a clear developmental focus for MGGS that demonstrates growth in key areas. This

focus will underpin our new Strategic Plan 2020-2025.

INTRODUCTION

3 KEY QUESTIONS

1. What does our school do well?

2. What would you like to see our school doing in 5-10 years?

3. What are things we need to develop to connect where we are to where we want to be?

Dr Toni E. MeathPrincipal

Melbourne Girls Grammar

WHY?

THE GLOBAL CONTEXTChanging world; changing work

THE LOCAL CONTEXT Changing Melbourne

THE SCHOOL CONTEXT Focussing on ‘the why’; our school

The 7th Principal of MGGS, Ms D.J. Ross presented at a public lecture at The University of Melbourne in 1954 the importance of why we do things the way we do in education. In her words via a poem, the legendary D.J Ross stated:

Once I wrote a book –About how in a school,I thought the Why would be obviousIn retrospect I do not think it was. How is about DoingWhy is about Being.

D.J Ross 1954

In my opening address to staff on the first day of the year I put forward my thoughts as to the foundation for our why or our purpose here at Melbourne Girls Grammar (see quote above).

The ‘why’ is akin to the DNA of our School – it is embedded in all that we do, it informs our decisions, and provides a benchmark to enable prioritisation and action. In 2019, it is also important to understand why a

Strategic Review is necessary and why we should develop a new Strategic Plan for Melbourne Girls Grammar.

First, a Strategic Review assists us to check our Vision, Mission and Values – it provides a framework for how to think, assess our performance to date and importantly plot the trajectory for future development. Furthermore, it allows us to interrogate our data and gives us an opportunity to reflect upon what has been, what is, and what is possible. It allows us to revisit our raison d’être – our ‘why’? Second, the Review will allow us to develop a refreshed ‘why’ for MGGS. The resultant 2020-2025 Strategic Plan will provide us with a road map for the future. Within the Strategic Plan there will be six Annual Implementation Plans (AIP) for each year of the new Strategic Plan. Within each AIP there will be the Key Accountabilities (KA), and Key Performance Indicators (KPI) to measure the outcomes, growth and track progress.

To educate is to make an intervention into the lives of others. When we intervene we do so with certain assumptions about the value of what we are doing and why. Building students’ capacity for future readiness is a moral-ethical learning endeavour and one that cannot be left to chance.Dr Toni. E. Meath

OUR SCHOOL

Our stated Vision, Mission and Values for Melbourne Girls Grammar articulate our guiding principles.

IntegrityThis means acting with respect and honesty; it means standing firm when your friends give in to behaviour that you know is wrong; it means that people respect you because they know you can be trusted.

VISIONMelbourne Girls Grammar aspires to develop ethical women of action. Through a focus on learning, research and innovation, we will be recognised by our own community, the national and international community as a leading school in girls’ education.

MISSIONIn the pursuit of our Vision, Melbourne Girls Grammar is committed to the provision of an exceptional education for girls with an emphasis on strong Christian values, high expectations, creativity and academic challenge.

Within a supportive and positive learn-ing environment, girls will discover their passion and build their capacities for action and influence.

VALUESThe MGGS Values are:

This means acting on the empathy you feel for other people; it means being kind and generous when another person is sad or confused; it means remaining calm and open to listening when another person is angry or anxious; it means people want you to be there to support and encourage them when things around them are challenging and confronting.

Compassion

This means acting even when you know you may not succeed; that when you are feeling afraid or the problem seems way too big you have substance in your heart. This means acting as a leader, and as a role model.

Courage

This means having the inner strength to pause, reflect and act at the right time for the right outcome; it means you are in control of your own destiny.

Self-discipline

CHANGING MELBOURNE

The world we are preparing for is changing and so is Melbourne! A challenge for MGGS is to remain the independent girls’ school of choice for Melbourne families.

Melbourne is home to one of the world’s most culturally diverse communities and our school reflects this. Melbourne currently has a population of more than 4 million residents, however, the population is expected to grow between 7.6 and 9.8 million in 2061. The recent Monash University Study of Melbourne 2.0 highlights significant changes over the next 10-20 years.1

1. http://monash.edu/research/city-science/changingMelbourne_2/2. https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/policy-and-strategy/planning-for-melbourne/melbourne-2030-planning-for- sustainable-growth

Melbourne in 2030 will be a much larger and much changed city. The 2002 Victorian Government document Melbourne 2030 – Planning for Sustainable Growth reminds our community of the value of our site and proximity to the CBD. Public transport will be expanded making South Yarra more accessible. Many other factors come into play with school choice such as economic pressures or the changing nature of employment through increased automation and job sharing. To remain relevant in this dynamic evolution of our city, we need to look at access and affordability for our families.2

Our world is changing rapidly and the future requires schools to prepare students with a set of skills and knowledge for the unknown. In 2009 Harvard University Professor David Perkins likened the ancient Zen Buddhist painting by Hakuin Ekaku (1685-1768), Two Blind Men Crossing the Log Bridge as a metaphor for the 21st century teacher carefully and cautiously preparing learners for this unknown. He likens the teacher to the blind men crossing a deep ravine hoping to make it to the other side. Research, data and an evidence-based approach are all enablers of this crossing and a great

challenge for educators. Our quest is to personalise student learning by providing challenges that will engage young adults with a range of varied opportunities so that they develop a diverse skill set. Our aim is to create a learning environment that is student-centered rather than teacher-centered and one that encourages independence rather than dependence.

Knowing a lot well is not enough. As a partnership between home and school we need to develop within our girls the resilience and ability to problem solve when they don’t know what to do. We

need to educate for the unknown. It has been forecast that employability over the next decades will require creativity combined with high technical skills, and social and emotional intelligence.

So, everything we do at Melbourne Girls Grammar must reflect this need to develop the knowledge and skills of our girls with the intent of equipping them with the capacity to adapt to the constant change we predict will be the only stable thing in their future.

It is already apparent that our Grammarians have been born in a

CHANGING WORLD; CHANGING WORK

70% of young people are currently learning skills that will be redundant by 2030, the mismatch between skills supply and demand is now one of the most pressing economic challenges facing Australia. Jan Owens CEO, The Foundation for Young AustraliansSource: The New Work Order: Report Series 2018

time characterised by an increased global outlook and levels of influence.

Their future is a world in which work, society, and community are subject to increasingly complex pressures and influences; their lives will be immersed in a constant flux at an ever increasing pace and complexity. It will be underpinned by a preference for high speed, access to interactive information and enhanced communication technologies. They will need to deal with conflict management, disparities in the distribution of resources and opportunities, as well as tackling

the problems of climate change and environmental sustainability.

In December 2008, The Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians (MCEECDYA, 2008) acknowledged the major changes in the world and the new demands placed on Australian education. The Goals were developed by education ministers from all Australian states, in collaboration with the Catholic and Independent school sectors, and following public consultation on the draft declaration. Within its goals, the Declaration sought to support schools to promote

personalised learning and develop students who are innovative, creative, and with diverse capabilities. It identified that students needed to think ‘deeply and logically’ and be ‘creative’ to be successful citizens.

Ten years on, the Melbourne Declaration acts as a supportive framework for the delivery of the MGGS curriculum as it emphasises the importance of higher order thinking and its place in the classroom. It also acts as the impetus for our next Strategic Intent with a clear vision for 2020-2025 and for meeting the needs of the 2030 graduate.

Two Blind Men Crossing the Log BridgeHakuin Ekaku (1685-1768)

THE METHODOLOGY The intent of the Review is to make ‘visible’ the current MGGS practice and for me as Principal, it is important that it is led and owned by the staff. Additionally, I believe it is important to provide space for individual ‘voice’ of the teachers, staff, students and parents to assist in constructing meaning around their respective experiences. The exploratory questions include:

1. What does our school do well? 2. What would you like to see our school doing in 5 – 10 years? 3. What are things we need to develop to connect where we are to where we

want to be?

Data collection will not only include the standard data sets we use in schools such as NAPLAN and VCE results, but also will include surveys, focus groups and document analysis. Parents and students will be randomly selected from our data base and invited to participate in the focus groups.

AREAS OF INVESTIGATION LEADER

Junior Years – Morris Hall, Curriculum, Wellbeing Mrs Kellie Morgan

Middle Years – Wildfell, St Hildas, Curriculum, Wellbeing Ms Sally Hill

Senior Years – Pathways, Curriculum, Wellbeing, Student Leadership Ms Nikki Kirkup/ Ms Kathryn Barton

Student Wellbeing – Support, Trends Ms Justine Tonner- Joyce

Staff Wellbeing – Policies, Staffing, Operations Ms Lynn Broadway

Professional Learning, Quality of Teacher Practice, Curriculum, CEE, Programs Ms Jo Baker/Mr Chris McNamara

Digital Technologies and Infrastructure – eVI, IT, Innovation Ms Mary-Lou O’Brien

Artemis – Curricular and Co-curricular Ms Sally Bailey

Boarding/Learning in Residence Ms Amanda Haggie

Marketing and Community Engagement Ms Robyn McCutchan

Resources and Facilities – The MGGS Built Environment Ms Karin Parker

Governance and Risk – Compliance Mr Christian Lawless

Parent, staff and student voice – Focus groups Dr Toni Meath

• Staff Forum – What does our school do well? What would you like to see our school doing in 5-10 years? What are things we need to develop to connect where we are to where we want to be? (14 May)

• All staff surveyed All students surveyed (3 focus questions)• Parent focus groups, arranged according to year levels and number of

participants (May/ June)• Student focus groups• Final draft of Evaluation Reports

TERM 2Gathering data; formulating reports

• Presentation of new Strategic Plan to staff• Presentation of new Strategic Plan to School Council• Refinement and completion of 2020-2025 Strategic Plan

TERM 4 Polishing/refining Strategic Plan

• Staff Day – presenting a snap shot of the current MGGS practice (15 July)• Executive Think Tank meeting (16 July)• Critical friends invited to act as peer reviewers

TERM 3Development of a Draft Strategic Plan

TERM 1Information

• Briefing to staff on upcoming review (5 March) • Consultation Paper (April)

CRITICAL FRIENDS

Erica is an internationally recognised scholar in the field of pedagogy with a particular focus on preparing young people for ‘over the horizon’ futures. In her numerous presen-tations to educational leaders, teachers, parents and students, she elaborates on the challenges faced by all those who are seeking to ensure that our young people will live, learn and earn well in this demanding century. In particular, she stresses the importance of providing ‘low threat, high challenge’ learning environments that assist young people to welcome error and the instructive complications of unfamiliarity and complexity.

She was instrumental in directing the Creative Workforce 2.0 Research Program in the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation, and has also performed professorial duties as an educational researcher at the National Institute of Education in Singapore.

Erica has worked extensively to inform innovative teaching and learning both in Austra-lia and overseas. Her expertise as a consultant to schools, in particular, girls’ schools, continues to have a significant impact on pedagogical practice in Australia and New Zealand. She is a Fellow of the Australian Council of Education, an Honorary Fellow of the Australia Council of Educational Leadership and an Associate Fellow of the Learning and Teaching Council of Australia. A recent sole-authored book, The Creative Work-force: How to launch young people into high flying futures, is published by UNSW Press, and a number of her more recent papers are available on her website http://www.ericamcwilliam.com.au/. Her most recent book, Educating Girls is published with the Queensland University Press.

Bruce is a professional executive with unique experience gained over 33 years in roles across all levels of the Victorian public education system. He brings deep expertise that enables him to offer invaluable insights into contemporary educational theory and practice. A respected, internationally recognised leader renown for delivering innovative, high impact and sustainable outcomes Bruce has:

• led the leadership teams that transformed three secondary schools• established the world-class Bastow Institute of Educational Leadership as the

inaugural Director and continued to lead the School Workforce Reform Strategy as Executive Director and Deputy Secretary

• driven improvement in 1540 government schools as Deputy Secretary – Regional Services Group, leading a regional workforce of 2500 and managing a $240 million-dollar budget

• delivered Victorian Education State reforms including the range of high impact learning improvement resources that are proving to be legacy pieces. They are

producing the data sets that confirm positive system reform• engaged, taught and equipped educational leaders through inspirational

presentations that have encouraged an outcomes focus and sparked personal and organisational transformation.

Values driven and motivated by a deep sense of moral purpose, Bruce invests in people and organisations with the goal of enabling transformation for the sake of the common good.

As part of our Review we will utilise the expertise of two critical friends, Professor Erica McWilliam and Mr Bruce Armstrong. Both bring to the Review a wealth of knowledge and experience in the shaping of contemporary education. Most importantly they are both educators with a deep understanding of learning, the classroom and schooling who are able to provide support and critique in the development of the next visioning for MGGS. Costa and Kallick perhaps, put it best in their definition of a critical friend.

The biographies of Professor Erica McWilliam and Mr Bruce Armstrong speak for themselves.

“A critical friend can be defined as a trusted person who asks provocative questions, provides data to be examined through another lens, and offers critiques of a person’s work as a friend. A critical friend takes the time to fully understand the context of the work presented and the outcomes that the person or group is working toward. The friend is an advocate for the success of that work.” Costa & Kallick, 1993

Professor Erica McWilliam Adjunct ProfessorQueensland University of Technology

Mr Bruce ArmstrongDirectorChapter Three International

Changing Melbourne 2.0, 2019, City Science, Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Information Technologies, Monash University http://monash.edu/research/city-science/changingMelbourne_2/

Costa, A. and Kallick, B.(1993) “Through the Lens of a Critical Friend”. Educational Leadership 51(2) 49-51

Melbourne 2030 – Planning for Sustainable Growth, 2002, Victorian Government, https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/policy-and-strategy/planning-for-melbourne/melbourne-2030-planning-for-sustainable-growth

Ross, D.J. (1954) “The trend towards the comprehensive school’, John Smythe Memorial Lecture, The University of Melbourne

The New Work Order: Report Series 2018, The Foundation for Young Australians

REFERENCES

All content contained herein has been prepared by Dr Toni E.Meath, Principal, Melbourne Girls Grammar, April 2019.

Any queries should be directed to the School via principal@mggs.vic.edu.au

Melbourne Girls Grammar86 Anderson StreetSouth Yarra Victoria 3141Australia

mggs.vic.edu.au

ABN 81 116 806 163