Board of Trustees Brisbane Grammar School
Annual Report 2012
ISSN 1837-8722
2012
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. CONSTITUTION, GOALS AND FUNCTIONS ...... 1
2. LOCATION ...... 4
3. STRUCTURES ...... 5
4. REVIEW OF THE PROGRESS IN ACHIEVING THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
STATUTORY OBLIGATIONS ...... 6
5. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT OPERATIONS ...... 6
6. REVIEW OF PROGRESS TOWARDS ACHIEVING GOALS AND DELIVERING
OUTCOMES ...... 16
7. PROPOSED FORWARD OPERATIONS ...... 19
8. FINANCIAL OPERATIONS AND EFFECTIVENESS ...... 20
9. SYSTEMS FOR OBTAINING INFORMATION ABOUT FINANCIAL AND
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE ...... 21
10. RISK MANAGEMENT ...... 22
11. CARERS (RECOGNITION) ACT 2008 ...... 23
12. PUBLIC SECTOR ETHICS ACT 1994 ...... 23
13. PUBLIC INTEREST DISCLOSURE ACT 2010 ...... 23
14. EXPENDITURE ON CONSULTANCIES ...... 24
15. OVERSEAS TRAVEL ...... 24
16. REPORT AVAILABILITY ...... 25
17. GLOSSARY ...... 25
APPENDIX A CHAIRMAN’S AND HEADMASTER’S REPORT (26-32) APPENDIX B AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
© Board of Trustees Brisbane Grammar School, 2012 1. CONSTITUTION, GOALS AND FUNCTIONS
Legislative Basis Brisbane Grammar School is the oldest secondary school for boys in the city of Brisbane. It was established on 29 February 1868 and opened at its original Roma Street site in February 1869 with 94 students. The School was forced to relocate to its present site on Gregory Terrace in 1881 to allow for the development of the Roma Street railway station.
The Board of Trustees of the Brisbane Grammar School is constituted under the Grammar Schools Act 1975 and is a Statutory Body within the meaning given in the Financial Accountability Act 2009 and subject to audit by the Auditor General.
The Minister for Education, Training and Employment is responsible for the administration of the Grammar Schools Act 1975.
Functions and Powers The functions of the Board of Trustees are specified in Section 14 of the Grammar Schools Act 1975 as follows: (a) to supervise, maintain and control the conduct of the School for which the Board is constituted; (b) to erect, alter, add to, purchase or sell buildings used or to be used for or in connection with the School; (c) to effect general improvements to the premises used or to be used for or in connection with the School; (d) to provide in the School courses of instruction; (e) to make rules with respect to – (i) fees and charges to be paid in relation to students enrolled or to be enrolled at the School; (ii) the management and control of the School; and (iii) the discipline and conduct of students enrolled at the School.
The powers of the Board of Trustees as set out in Part 3 Divisions 1 and 2 of the Grammar Schools Act 1975 are as follows:
Division 1 - General powers
Powers and functions generally A Board shall have and may exercise and perform such powers and functions as are conferred or imposed upon it by or under this Act.
By-law making power (1) a Board may make by-laws about elections under this Act, including by-laws about – (a) an electoral eligibility amount for the Board; and (b) when an election is held; and (c) a maximum number of terms for which a person may be elected under section 7(4)(b). (2) a by-law made under subsection (1)(a) may provide for an amount that is an electoral eligibility amount in relation to all elections or a specified election.
1. (3) a by-law has effect only if it is consistent with this Act, including a regulation in force under this Act. (4) without limiting subsection (3), a provision of a by-law mentioned in subsection (1)(a) is of no effect unless it complies with a regulation about the minimum or maximum amount that may be set as an electoral eligibility amount for the Board. (5) a by-law is not subordinate legislation.
Power to establish trust funds and to accept gifts and the like subject to conditions (1) a Board may establish and administer trust funds for any purpose in connection with the exercise and performance of its powers and functions. (2) a Board may agree to and carry out conditions to which a gift, grant, bequest, devise, purchase, lease or other means whereby a Board acquires or holds property is subject.
Power to establish investment common funds (1) a Board may establish investment common funds for the collective investment of moneys of the School in respect of which the Board is constituted, trust moneys and other moneys held by or in the custody of that School. (2) a Board may, from time to time without liability for breach of trust, bring into or withdraw from an investment common fund established by it the whole or any part of moneys of the School in respect of which the Board is constituted or trust moneys or other moneys held by or in the custody of that School. (3) subject to subsections (4) and (5), a Board shall distribute periodically the income of each investment common fund amongst those funds participating in the common fund, having regard to the extent of the participation of those funds in the common fund during the relevant accounting period. (4) in a case where a Board has brought into an investment common fund sums of money that, having been received by it to be expended for a stated purpose, will not for any cause be expended for that purpose forthwith, the Board may pay into its general fund the whole or any part of that portion of the income of such investment common fund that is attributable to the participation of those sums of money in that common fund and that is not required for that stated purpose. (5) a Board may if it considers it proper so to do, from time to time, add a portion of the income of an investment common fund to the capital thereof or use another portion of that income to establish or augment a fund or funds as a provision against capital depreciation or reduction of income.
Appointment of employees (1) a Board – (a) shall appoint and at all times have a secretary; and (b) shall appoint a secretary when and as often as a vacancy occurs in that office; and (c) may appoint and employ such administrative officers, teachers, clerks and other employees as it considers necessary for the proper exercise and performance of its powers and functions.
(2) a Board may enter into, perform and discharge any agreement with respect to the payment of salary, wages, expenses or other moneys to be paid to or in respect of any person who performs functions on behalf of the Board for the purposes of this Act.
2. Superannuation scheme (1) a Board may – (a) establish or amend superannuation schemes; or (b) join in establishing or amending superannuation schemes; or (c) take part in superannuation schemes. (2) the auditor-general may audit the schemes. (3) Subsection (2) is subject to the Auditor-General Act 2009.
Division 2 – Power to enter into financial arrangements
Boards are statutory bodies (1) Under the Statutory Bodies Financial Arrangements Act 1982, a Board is a statutory body. (2) The Statutory Bodies Financial Arrangements Act 1982, part 2B sets out the way in which a Board’s powers under this Act are affected by the Statutory Bodies Financial Arrangements Act 1982.
Procedure before borrowing Before proceeding to borrow money under the Statutory Bodies Financial Arrangements Act 1982, a Board must cause the following to be prepared – (a) plans and specifications of the projects or full details of other undertakings for which the money to be borrowed is required; (b) an estimate of the cost of those projects or other undertakings; (c) a statement showing details of the proposed expenditure of the money to be borrowed.
Illegal borrowing (1) if a Board borrows money that it is not authorised under this Act and the Statutory Bodies Financial Arrangements Act 1982 to borrow, the members of the Board who have consented to the borrowing of that money shall be jointly and severally liable to repay it and to pay interest thereon to the person from whom it was borrowed and that money and interest may be recovered from those members or any of them as money lent by that person to those members or, as the case may be, that member by action in any court of competent jurisdiction.
(2) if moneys are appropriated from any fund kept under this Act for the purpose of repaying money so borrowed or paying interest thereon, the members of the Board who have consented to the appropriation of those moneys for that purpose shall be jointly and severally liable to refund them with interest thereon at a rate determined by the Treasurer in respect of that appropriation and those moneys and interest may be recovered from those members or any of them by action in any court of competent jurisdiction at the suit of the Treasurer.
(3) in an action brought under subsection (3), the Treasurer – (a) is entitled to costs as between solicitor and client; and (b) must pay the amounts recovered under the action into the fund concerned.
3. Brisbane Grammar School Goals and Strategic Objectives The School’s key strategic goals and objectives are set out in its Mission Statement: (a) The fundamental strategic goal is: Brisbane Grammar School educates boys within a learning community that is innovative, yet respectful of its traditions, by nurturing their intellectual, physical and emotional well-being to become thoughtful, confident and contributing men of character.
(b) The major Objectives of the School are to provide for each student, through the medium of a programme based upon the philosophy of a broad liberal education: • The development of attitudes, skills, and a base of knowledge as a foundation for: critical intelligence, creativity, effective communication and the capacity and enthusiasm for independent, life-long learning; • The development and extension of personal character and talents; • The development of a strong sense of service, community, leadership and loyalty to others.
(c) The key strategic means through which the above are to be pursued are: • a broad and balanced academic curriculum in which each boy is challenged to do his best; • a disciplined, safe and supportive environment for learning and for both personal and social growth of students; • a broad programme of cultural, intellectual, sporting and other outdoor activities; • sporting activities where boys are encouraged to strive vigorously for success, but always within the finest traditions of sportsmanship; • highly competent teaching staff who are committed to the School’s Mission; • provision of high quality facilities and support materials (including importantly IT), while maintaining the heritage structures of the School; • generation of income and sound financial management that will allow expeditious, efficient and effective pursuit of the School’s major objectives • effective and responsible School governance; • effective communication between the School and its stakeholders.
The School’s key strategic goals are ongoing and are not subject to annual change. Specific strategies and actions in support of the School’s strategic goals are reviewed and planned annually by the Board and Senior Staff in a collaborative process.
2. LOCATION
SCHOOL CAMPUS: Gregory Terrace, Brisbane Qld 4000 Postal Address: As above Phone: (07) 38345200 Fax: (07) 38345202 Email: [email protected] Website: www.brisbanegrammar.com SPORTING FIELDS: Nudgee Road, Northgate Qld 4013 BOAT SHED: Riverside Drive, West End Qld 4101 OUTDOOR EDUCATION CENTRE: 1156 Lake Moogerah Road, Lake Moogerah Qld 4309
4. 3. STRUCTURES
Governing Body The Board of Trustees of the Brisbane Grammar School was constituted in 1868. The Board consists of seven members appointed by the Governor in Council of whom - (a) four are nominated by the Minister for Education, Training and Employment; (b) three are subscribers to the School and elected as prescribed by the Act.
Members of the Board perform their duties on a part-time basis for no remuneration.
The Board of Trustees oversees the management of the School with responsibility for day-to- day management, curriculum leadership, recruitment and appointment of staff being delegated to the Headmaster.
The Headmaster, Secretary to the Board (Business Manager), four Deputies and Head of the Middle School also attend Board meetings.
In addition to regular meetings of the full Board, there are also several standing Board committees which meet regularly throughout the year. These are currently: Finance, House and Grounds, and Development and Marketing. Each of these Committees is composed of representatives of the Board and Senior Management, including the Headmaster and Business Manager.
The Board met formally on ten (10) occasions during 2012, including a Strategic Planning Workshop in September.
Membership of the Board and Term of Appointment as at the 31st December 2012: Mr H L Stack (Chairman) Elected Subscriber Representatives 15 Dec 2011 – 14 Dec 2015 Dr J M Fenwick (Deputy Chair) Elected Subscriber Representatives 15 Dec 2011 – 14 Dec 2015 Mr C A Morton Elected Subscriber Representatives 15 Dec 2011 – 14 Dec 2015 Mr P J Braddy Ministerial Nominees 15 Dec 2011 – 14 Dec 2015 Mr S E Lonie Ministerial Nominees 15 Dec 2011 – 14 Dec 2015 Prof D MacDonald Ministerial Nominees 15 Dec 2011 – 14 Dec 2015 Ms S J Palmer Ministerial Nominees 15 Dec 2011 – 14 Dec 2015
Senior Management The School’s administration was guided by a senior management team consisting of: • Headmaster, Mr Brian Short, B.A., Dip.Ed. B.Ed.St., M.Lit.St.(Qld), M.A.Ed.Ad.(SJSU), M.A.C.E., M.P.D.K., F.A.I.M. • Secretary to the Board of Trustees and Business Manager, Mr Howard James, MBA (MGSM), FCPA • Deputy Headmaster - Extracurricular, Mr Mark Brusasco, B.A., Dip.Ed.(Qld). • Deputy Headmaster - Staff and Community Relations, Ed Roper, B.Ed.(JCU), B.App.Sc.(QUT), M.A.C.E.L. • Deputy Headmaster - Students, Mr Anthony Micallef, B.A. Dip.Ed., M.A.(Syd). • Deputy Headmaster - Teaching and Learning, Mr Steve Uscinski, B.A.(Hons)(UQ), Grad.Dip.T., M.Ed.(QUT) • Head of Middle School, Ms Jacqui Zervos, B.A., Dip.Ed.(UQ), M.Ed.St.(UQ), M.A.C.E.
This group is supported by a variety of sub committees charged with the sectional implementation of the strategic plan. Standing Committees within the School include: Risk
5. Management, Heads of Department; Student Welfare; Studies; Marketing; Workplace Health and Safety; Staff Consultative. Various other committees operate on an ad hoc or annual basis. There are subsidiary strategic plans for each of the five areas of: academic curriculum, student welfare, staff and community relations, middle school and extracurricular programme. Reporting to these plans are academic departmental development plans that are also composed on a strategic basis.
4. REVIEW OF THE PROGRESS IN ACHIEVING THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES STATUTORY OBLIGATIONS
The report of the Chairman of Trustees to the School community at its annual speech day reviews the progress in achieving the Board of Trustees’ statutory obligations (Appendix A).
In addition, the Board of Trustees met for its annual strategic retreat on September 22 and 23 of 2012 as part of the regular process of review of School operations in terms of the objectives outlined in the annual strategic plan. The review was informed, as usual, by reports from the Headmaster and other members of the School’s Senior Management.
5. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT OPERATIONS
a) Needs based bursarial assistance With the demise of State-awarded entrance scholarships in the mid-20th century, the Trustees of Brisbane Grammar School introduced Trustees Scholarships in 1965. These entrance scholarships have been awarded annually since then to boys wishing to enter the School at Year 8. Trustees Scholarships have been awarded on academic merit determined by performance in the annual ACER (Australian Council for Educational Research) Scholarship Examination, with an interview also being used to ensure that the candidate has a history of general participation, and interest, in extracurricular and service activities. These scholarships are awarded only for Years 8–10, although means-testing provides for a student entering on a scholarship to continue through Years 11-12 with on-going fee assistance if his family would be unable to afford the full Tuition (and/or Boarding Fee, if relevant).
The School’s Trustees are very aware of the history of Brisbane Grammar School providing access to a high-quality academic schooling for boys whose families could not afford to pay the full fees. To this end, there has been an effort over the past decade to grow the School’s Endowment Fund, with the intention of using a significant portion of the annual income of this Fund to provide means-tested assisted places (“bursaries”) to an increasing number of boys. In 2012, 62 students’ families received assistance ranging from 25-100% remission of fees, as determined on the basis of demonstrated need.
b) Pedagogical Practices Committee The Pedagogical Practices Committee is a direct outgrowth of several of the key recommendations of Dr Peter Taylor’s Report (2011).
Dr Taylor characterised 4 important domains or categories of pedagogical practice at BGS (Brisbane Grammar School) . These four key categories are: purposefulness of
6. lessons; development of a community of learners; clarity of disciplinary knowledge; student contribution to lesson development.
These four categories define or delimit ‘BGS pedagogy’. These categories are understood and realised by practices that: make teaching and learning visible; make effective use of routines; select and synthesise strategies to maximise learning opportunities.
Dr Taylor particularly emphasised that ‘the routine of good practice’ could be most effectively realised through ‘a more collaborative approach to professional development based on peer-observation of classroom practices’. The Pedagogical Practices Committee, importantly comprised of teachers from several different departments, undertook therefore a process of capturing specifically targeted teacher routines during real lessons on video, annotating or de-coding the practices and learning apparent in the lesson phases and then over the course of 2012 leading professional conversations about good practice with groups of staff both on Staff PD (Professional Development) days and at sessions offered at different times throughout the year.
The Pedagogical Practices Committee, comprising of seven skilled teachers drawn from different departments across the School, has taken a very deliberate and carefully staged approach in 2012 to enacting the recommendations of Dr Peter Taylor, who acted as a consultant and advisor throughout the year and has participated in several of the PD sessions. Importantly, the PD sessions have become increasingly teacher led and driven.
The focus for much of 2012 was on identifying and decoding the routines used by teachers for the initial entry and engagement of students. This focus formed the basis of the April and July Staff PD Day presentations. In Term 3 the committee’s focus has shifted to identifying effective routines for lesson closure (specifically identifying ‘what do the boys take away?’ and annotating the reinforcement, feed-forward, value- add components of the lesson). Committee members have undertaken the videoing and annotating of lesson phases (100+ in total) and a large number of staff (>30) have agreed to have their lessons filmed and analysed. Dr Taylor and the Committee have identified several successful outcomes of the work undertaken and staff involvement in the sessions in 2012: the de-privatisation of classroom practice in a professional, non-threatening fashion; the extended range of teachers/classes to videotape: engage colleagues beyond the group; defining the BGS ‘way of doing’ or ‘culture of’ teaching and learning; the use of video as a catalyst for meaningful professional conversations about practice.
c) Dimensions of Learning Renewal Committee The Dimensions of Learning (DoL) Renewal Committee has drawn together a diverse range of BGS staff experienced in developing curriculum within the DoL framework and/or training staff in its application. The committee has functioned effectively to review, audit and report on the current state of DoL in the School, and to lead the process for its renewal, particularly to ensure alignment with the significant technological, pedagogical and curriculum shifts the School is undergoing. The Committee’s 2012 plan of action included the following key elements: development of a digital Dimensions of Learning manual, built as a OneNote, delivered to all staff; collection of BGS applications (including learning and assessment tasks) of DoL as
7. used in actual teaching practice; new staff training to be refined and delivered tutorial style; unit guidelines templates and check-lists developed; facilitation of discussion/shared practice to guide new ACARA (Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority) units with emphasis on practical application of DoL to actual curriculum; DoL framed as a meta-curriculum organizer supporting regular departmental stock-takes and reflections on practice. d) Learning Spaces Committee 2012 was used very effectively as an investigation and experimentation phase for the Learning Spaces Committee. Committee members took individual responsibility for exploring the impact of space across different learning contexts. Some of the noteworthy investigations so far have included: the use of the Experimental Teaching Lab for Year 8 Science; the use of videoconferencing tools in the Lab and the Forum to connect with academic experts nationally and internationally; interactive DyKnow sessions with 120 Year 8 History students in the Flexible Learning Space; the use of the Forum for simultaneous individual activities and group discussions with multiple Year 10 English classes; collection of student feedback on the use of the Flexible Learning Space to enable collaborative learning in Year 11 Maths B and C; the use of the Learning Commons for research and design lessons in History and Art; and the use of the Seniors Room for Drama script writing workshops.
Where possible, data is being collected for each investigation. For some, this takes the form of teacher observations and reflections; for others, video footage of the lessons has been taken and surveys have administered. Ultimately, while teachers’ judgments are important, it is the student voice that must be privileged as evidence. Importantly, many of the initial findings of the committee’s investigations are supported in the literature about learning spaces and 21st century learning. e) Data Analysis Development of the institution’s data analysis capacities through the staged enactment of the Data Wise model continued apace in 2012. The Data Analysis Strategic Plan, overseen by the Dean of Studies and enacted by teams of teachers working in the Literacy and Numeracy areas saw the further development of a school wide culture of data use to improve teaching and learning. The strategies employed in the 2012 phase included: Staff Professional Development sessions on data directed intervention to improve literacy and numeracy; institutionalized ACER testing of all students, with identification of response plans to academic ‘outliers’; NAPLAN (National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy) trial testing results in Years 7 and 9 analysed by relevant data teams and improvement strategies enacted; growth of the School’s Data Wise leadership capacity through the participation of five key staff members in the Harvard Wide World online course “Getting started with Data Wise”.
The Student Welfare area also advanced the School’s data analysis capacities by engaging ACER to trial a student well-being survey. The results enabled us to measure the well-being of our students and develop appropriate responses through targeted programs. The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) Social‐ Emotional Wellbeing Surveys, designed by Professor Michael E Bernard, Melbourne Graduate School of Education as a method for school’s to assess current levels of students’ social‐emotional wellbeing (SEWB), provided extensive data on the SEWB of the Year 10 cohort of students.
8. f) Developments in Student Welfare A strategic factor in Brisbane Grammar School’s mission is to provide a student welfare system that encourages the ongoing development of resilient and responsible individuals who are connected to the School and wider community. The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) has defined student wellbeing as ‘…a sustainable positive mood and attitude, health, resilience, and satisfaction with self, relationships and experiences at school.’ Student wellbeing affects most aspects of students’ functioning at school and is an important factor that affects learning and development outcomes. The response to these realities is a strategic factor in Brisbane Grammar School’s infusion of a personal development curriculum and wellbeing programs that address the social and emotional needs of the modern student.
The key to good teaching and learning at Brisbane Grammar School is the learning environment, and the quality of this environment is significantly determined by the human relationships within our School. Student wellbeing is not thought of in separate terms from the teaching and learning within the School; it is a key determinant of successful learning. The School subscribes to the view that “if we really want to build a strong platform for healthy development and effective learning … then we must pay as much attention to children‘s emotional wellbeing and social capacities as we do to their cognitive abilities and academic skills.” (Policy - National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, 2006)
The School’s Personal Development curriculum is designed to address the developmental needs of our students by providing them with relevant and accurate information about relationships, health, interpersonal skills, careers, study management, leadership and financial literacy. We have employed the manifest talents and enthusiasms of our staff to deliver the program and also enlisted the support of expert practitioners to enhance the curriculum and to deliver poignant messages.
This year saw the full implementation of the revised Personal Development curriculum for Years 6 and 7. Accompanying this, the program for Year 8 was also enhanced. Anecdotal experience and evidence would suggest that the programs met with both teacher and student approval. The digitised delivery of the curriculum provided easy access to resources and contained numerous kinaesthetic learning experiences that enabled greater teacher and student engagement. Teachers in Year 8 were keen to further adapt the curriculum and explore a number on new digital platforms. Revision of the existing Year 9 and 10 curriculum has commenced; the development of a school-wide digital citizenship curriculum is underway; and an investigation into the benefits of ‘positive psychology’ is in train.
The work achieved over the past two years was shared with other educators, from all around the world, at the International Boys’ Schools Coalition by the Deputy Headmaster – Students, and the Coordinator of Personal Development and Student Leadership Programs. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive and many enquiries from other schools have resulted from the presentation.
The newest program within the Student Welfare portfolio is Student Services. This service has had an incredible impact upon the quality of student care and instruction. The practitioners within that area have focused their collective talents upon improving six key areas: Post-Secondary Planning and tertiary counselling; Personal
9. Counselling; Co-operation with Studies Directorate; Test administration, interpretation and scoring; Career Development and Planning; and Disability Management and Planning.
Post-Secondary planning requires ongoing professional development of staff to ensure that information provided is underpinned by a significant and detailed knowledge base. Student Services staff have substantially broadened their knowledge in this area with a special focus on USA and interstate entry procedures.
In personal counselling we reviewed our risk procedures for managing complex mental health requirements and systems for liaison and communication within and beyond the School community.
While this report focusses on Student Services, the leadership of Academic Services has led to substantially increased co-operation between Studies Directorate and Student Welfare. This includes working with the Dean of Studies to assist with the supervision of diagnostic testing. It also includes the interpretation of external psychological assessments and the subsequent advice provided to Studies on appropriate Special Provisions.
In Career Development the Coordinator of Careers Curriculum has worked closely with Form Tutors in using the Senior Education Training (SET) Plans as a significant instrument in orchestrating discussion between student and Form Tutor about post- Grammar directions. We have also instituted the Career Insight Seminars. These lunchtime talks engage prominent members of the wider community to speak to interested students about vocations in Law, Property & Built Environment and Engineering, all of which have proved to be very successful.
The area of Disability Management has, by necessity, been a particular focus in 2012. Managed by the Director of Student Services we have ensured that Brisbane Grammar School has met all the legislative requirements for current and future students with physical impairments. A defensible and accountable procedure, which exceeds expected standards, was established for the EAP (Education Adjustment Program) and the IEP (Individual Education Plans) processes related to these students.
The School’s Community Service Program continues to explore ways that voluntary work, intended to be for the common good, can benefit those within our reach. 2012 saw a surge of interest in the number of students volunteering to assist. Strategies implemented in 2011, continued to be refined to provide deliberate scaffolding for student leadership, particularly in Years 11 and 12. This structure empowered students and promoted opportunities for collaboration. They were enabled to develop organisational, team building and problem solving skills. Based on the feedback received this year, it is envisaged that this leadership model will be applied to all year levels in 2013.
Voluntary projects and fundraising campaigns continue to be at the forefront of the Community Service agenda; however, a particular highlight for 2012 was the introduction of global education awareness. Guest speakers such as World Vision CEO Tim Costello addressed students about world issues and how they could make a real difference on a local, national and international scale. As responsible global citizens, students continue to sponsor children in the Democratic Republic of Congo,
10. Indonesia and Cambodia.
Residential care (boarding) is a vital program offered by the School. Over past 12 months there has been significant emphasis on providing boarding students with enrichment opportunities. The three pillars of Harlin House enrichment program were implemented throughout 2012. Academic Enrichment, staffed by expert teachers from the day school, teach small groups of boarders in a rolling program, covering Maths, Science, English and Humanities. This extra teaching equates to an extra week’s worth of lessons throughout the year. We have also instituted a Harlin Homework Club for younger boys in Years 7 and 8.
Activities enrichment is a full seven day a week program. Extra layers include an association with six other boarding schools in Brisbane, meaning that the number of activity-based socials has risen. Online sign-ups and online feedback surveys keep this program fresh, varied and comprehensive.
The Leadership program continues apace, with clear job descriptions for all Prefects and six Committees for boys of all ages to join. The theme of ‘engagement’ is central to all that we do.
2013 will see the introduction of a fourth pillar. ‘Life Skills’ is a series of practical sessions for boarders aimed at tackling a wide variety of domestic skills that boys of that age should learn. The topics range from “How to build resilience” through to “personal hygiene”; very much in keeping with our wellbeing approach.
Crucially we are communicating all that we do far better now. ‘Boarderline’ (our fortnightly newsletter is packed full of photos, interviews with staff and profiles of boys) is emailed to all parents. Twitter continues to give regular updates and we are spreading the word through the day school as well, with a growing numbers of day boys who are turning to boarding both permanently and on a temporary basis. We have introduced more Parent evenings as well, in order to share the boarding experience with the whole school community.
The Outdoor Education program at Pepperina Hill underwent a full Safety Audit. The review was conducted by Dr Glyn Thomas. He has provided useful feedback that will be used to improve our facility and programs. Overall the audit by Dr Thomas was a professionally rewarding process. The findings generally clarify that the centre and staff operate within commonly identified ‘best practice’ policies and procedures. Areas for improvement have been identified and we have been working diligently to satisfy all recommendations.
Health Services has continued to improve the needs of students. Our collaborative approach in managing these students has resulted in many positive outcomes. This is demonstrated by students with special needs being able to attend camp for the first time without parental supervision; all of our students with diabetes demonstrating greater knowledge and skill in dealing with their condition in the school environment; and support and positive feedback from health professionals involved in these students’ care.
Regardless of the criteria we may use to judge the effectiveness of a school there is no doubt, as Professor Colin Power states in his keynote address to NCISA 2000 Conference (National Council of Independent Schools' Associations), that the
11. “harmonious development of the individual (social, cultural, moral, intellectual and economic)” must be at the core of any school’s mission. Brisbane Grammar School has a firm commitment to this notion. Our vision for our graduates is that they understand their rights and responsibilities as global citizens and that develop the capacities to positively contribute to their communities. We believe that Brisbane Grammar School is not just a place of instruction, but a community where people learn to live and work together.
Middle School Developments g) A major strategic focus in the Middle School in 2012 was to support research projects focusing on improving middle years teaching practice and student learning. The Head of Middle School collaborated with the Deputy Headmaster - Teaching and Learning, and Heads of Department to fully consider the findings of the pedagogical practices research study conducted in the School by Dr Peter Taylor. Middle School teachers actively sought to improve their initial routines for learning in their classrooms and as part of this process there was significant dialogue, observation and modification to practice over the course of the year. Efforts here led to the development of burgeoning meta-language surrounding classroom routines which led to ongoing improvement. With extensive observation teaching practices became increasingly de-privatised over the course of the year.
In 2012 efforts were made to encourage Middle School staff to undertake action- research projects sited in their current practice. To that end progress was made in linking Middle School teacher’s Special Projects to core academic priorities. The Head of Middle School and Coordinator of Middle School Curriculum established a routine practice of meeting to direct these strategic priorities. In 2012 the targeted areas were data analysis, National Curriculum and technology integration. The projects undertaken by staff in the Middle School in these areas reaped benefits for students and other teachers, through the sharing or resources and project findings. Further, Middle School staff meetings and Core Teacher meetings were strategically used as a major avenue to discuss the pedagogical findings emerging from these projects.
In 2012 there was major progress achieved in the Middle School’s efforts to embed data driven improvement processes. Working under the direction of the Dean of Studies, improvements were made in implementing systems for data collection and analysis across the Middle School, particularly in relation to the analysis of NAPLAN results. Data driven improvement became a more routine topic of discussion at Core Teacher meetings and Middle School staff meetings. Teachers participated in a range of professional development opportunities throughout the year to improve their data analysis capacities. Further, the Middle School Data Team was divided into two groups – a Literacy Team and a Numeracy Team. Each team developed specific projects and targets for each term. Increasingly data was used to improve student academic performance in measurable, identifiable ways. Core Teacher meetings and Middle School staff meetings were routinely allocated to focusing on data-analysis, including the modelling of good practice currently in evidence in the School. This involved drawing on the experience and expertise of staff in the Senior School and Middle School to model good practice in order to build the capacity of other staff. Some progress was made encouraging data-analysis to become part of teachers’ professional learning plans which will be expanded. More teachers have advised they wish to pursue the data-analysis agenda through Special Projects in 2013.
12. Another strategic focus was to contribute to the development of the whole school curriculum map to enable informed decisions about curriculum renewal and future development. Preliminary efforts began in mapping the core Middle School curriculum elements (ACARA alignment, learning frameworks, literacy and numeracy etc.) and this was used to inform curriculum development. Collaborative unit design processes were encouraged in the Middle School in 2012. Middle School teachers worked on the National Curriculum - design, implementation, trialling and review of new units. These curriculum development opportunities were supported through the provision of dedicated planning and meeting time and by accessing expert assistance from Senior School Heads of Department.
In meeting the core strategic aim to improve induction processes, Middle School staff received more focused induction to whole school teaching and learning platforms as well as specific instruction on BGS Middle School philosophy and practice.
The major achievement in the student welfare area was the completion of the digitised Personal Development curriculum in Years 6, 7 and 8. Under the guidance of the Deputy Headmaster – Students, and the Coordinator of Personal Development Programs, the new curriculum was developed, trialled and reviewed. There was very positive feedback from both teachers and students. h) Community Development The School values its community which is made up of current, future and past parents and current, future and past students of the School.
During 2012 a number of activities were undertaken to (a) develop the connections between these groups and the School; and (b) give these groups the opportunity to develop their own understandings and expertise.
The School remains committed to and grateful to the large number of parent volunteers who make up the Brisbane Grammar School Parents and Friends’ Association (Inc.). These parents contribute much to the school and to the boys through their volunteer efforts in a diverse range of activities including activity support groups, the Moogerah Support Group and the Parents and Friends’ Auxiliary.
The latter group, the Auxiliary, provides a significant service to the School and the students through the operation of the Tuck Shop and The Grammar Shop which retails textbooks, stationery items and uniform requirements. The School’s support of the Auxiliary continued during 2012 with the maintenance of regular two way communication between the Executive of the Auxiliary and the Senior Leadership Team at the School. In addition in 2012 the School was pleased to be able to assist the Auxiliary in the relocation and refurbishment of The Grammar Shop which involved both making space available for a temporary retail outlet and assisting the Auxiliary with the extension and refurbishment of the former Uniform Shop.
As well as the School’s appreciation and support of parents through the P & F Association, it also aims to build an authentic partnership between the School and parents to provide the best possible opportunities and education for the students. During 2012 a number of opportunities were provided for parents including the Drug and Alcohol Parent Evening presented by Paul Dillon and the Cyber-Safety Parent Evening presented by Susan McLean. As well a number of parent focused evenings are hosted by the School to assist parents in understanding and contributing to various
13. aspects of their sons’ education including Subject Selection Parent Briefings and the Parents’ Tertiary Education Briefing. As well the parents of boarders at the School were afforded a number of opportunities, including dinners, social functions and regular publications to make closer ties with parents of other boarders and the School personnel who have such an important responsibility with their sons.
For parents of future students the School continues to provide a number of avenues for them to become more involved and participatory members of the community. These avenues include regular publications of the future family newsletter his future, invitations to School events including Open Days at the Spring Hill campus as well as the Northgate playing fields and an invitation to attend weekly tours of the School’s main campus.
As part of its commitment to continually reviewing and improving its practice, at the end of 2012, the School surveyed the families of boys who were enrolled to commence at the School at the beginning of 2013. This survey sought feedback from families regarding their motivation and interest in the School for their son as well as feedback from them regarding the quality of the communication and service that they received from the School pr4ior to their sons’ commencement.
During 2012, at the instigation of the Parents and Friends’ Association (Inc.), the School assisted in the coordination of a function for Parents of Past Students (POPS). While the School has, for many years, assisted and facilitated functions for Mothers of Past Students (MOPS), this newly established group will be open to both fathers and mothers of past students. There are plans to extend the opportunities for parents to enable them to maintain their connection with the School after their sons’ education at the School has ended.
(iii) Changes in the law, economic climate or other factors that affected, or may affect, the School:
a) We continue to carefully monitor the impact of financial pressures and volatility which have been occurring over the last few years. Whilst there is no definitive indications that economic pressures have impacted negatively on our enrolments, or the capacity of parents to meet fee obligations, the School will continue to operate on a prudent financial basis and any fee increases will be comparable to the independent education sector norm.
b) Prior to March 2000 the School’s Normanby Oval comprised approximately 21,285m2 and included two multipurpose tennis courts, two ovals (used for PE, training and competition in lower grades), eight cricket nets and facilities for field events together with some parking. In March 2000 Brisbane City Council (BCC) resumed 4,655m2 for the construction of the Inner City Bypass. In April 2011 an additional 6,642m2 was resumed for the construction of Legacy Way with an additional 1,048m2 subject to easement. The two resumptions and the easement amounts to 58% of the total oval space. Since the first resumption the School has been in negotiation with the State Government and BCC seeking additional land to enable it to have the Normanby Oval ‘made whole’. Following the hearing of the School’s claims in the Land Court for special damages compensation for the 2000 and 2011 resumptions, a settlement was reached with the BCC in November of 2012. Negotiations will continue with the Queensland Government to acquire air rights over the rail lines to the north and west of the School’s upper ovals. This would enable the 14. School to convert its two east-west upper ovals into three north-south ovals to replace the land lost in the 2000 and 2011 resumptions
c) In December 2011 an application was lodged for the addition of Year 5, to commence in 2014. The School’s application to the NSSAB (Non-State Schools Accreditation Board) for accreditation and funding eligibility was approved in 2012 and the necessary planning for the curriculum, staffing and infrastructure needs, led by the Business Manager and the Head of Middle School, has made significant progress.
d) Every five years the School is required to undertake a major review of all aspects of its operations known as cyclical review. The review was completed in the fourth quarter of 2012 and the external validator, Dr. Murray Evans, commented very favourably on the evidence of the School’s operations and practices presented in his report to the NSSAB. Dr. Evans also provided valuable feedback and advice on aspects of the School’s policies and his advice went to the Board of Trustees in December for consideration.
e) Brisbane Grammar School has in place a comprehensive approach to ensuring that all legislated requirements in the area of child protection are complied with. This approach is fully documented in the School's Child Protection Policy. This document is available on the School’s website as well as on MyGrammar (the School’s online content management system), in the Student Record book and is included in the Staff Handbook. This document is also referred to regularly in the School newsletter and at school staff training days. Changes to the legislation surrounding child protection resulted in the School updating its Child Protection Policy during 2012. The policy was changed to include specific mention in the law of “likely sexual abuse” along with a number of other changes. The policy was reviewed by the School’s legal advisors and released to all staff in May 2012. In addition, a more reader accessible version specifically for a student audience was developed as a companion piece to the policy.
f) Throughout 2012 the School implemented changes regarding Workplace Health and Safety. As Brisbane Grammar School has five or more employees the Person Conducting a Business Undertaking (PCBU) re-established a Health and Safety Committee in accordance with Work Health and Safety Act 2011. Minutes of the Workplace Health and Safety Committee are presented at the monthly meetings of the Board of Trustees. The PCBU has also maintained the appointment of a Workplace Health and Safety Officer. This person provides leadership and advice on Workplace Health and Safety matters in order that due diligence is met. In-servicing of senior leadership team members and other key staff was carried out on the changes to the law and its possible impact on the School.
(iv) Human Resource Issues The School is committed to attracting, developing and retaining high quality staff and during 2012 developed and employed a number of strategies to assist with this endeavour.
All vacant academic positions at the School are advertised widely and during 2012 we were fortunate to receive applications from a number of suitable and worthwhile candidates for all positions which were advertised. Our interview and mandatory reference checking processes served us well and during 2012 we were able to employ high calibre teachers. We continue to
15. provide a number of measures within our industrial Agreement which recognise and reward high quality staff.
During 2012, in conjunction with members of the teaching staff, members of the School’s Senior Leadership Team and recognised experts, we commenced a significant project to describe differential standards associated with teaching at the School. Work on this framework for teaching at BGS will continue during 2013 and will assist with understanding teacher competence and providing professional development guidelines and opportunities.
Full Part Staffing Total time time Teaching Staff 116 9 125 Non-teaching: Specialist Support 10 1 11 Administrative and clerical 37 4 41 Building operations, maintenance and other staff 35 12 47
The School did not provide any packages to employees with respect to redundancies, early retirement schemes or retrenchment during 2012. The School received no public interest disclosures, in accordance with the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2010.
6. REVIEW OF PROGRESS TOWARDS ACHIEVING GOALS AND DELIVERING OUTCOMES
The Board of Trustees meets annually with the Headmaster and other senior managers at a weekend retreat in order to review the annual strategic plan for the School and to identify and discuss future focussed strategic issues.
The strategic retreat held over the weekend of September 22 and 23 in 2012 devoted itself to reviewing the following: the School’s Strategic Imperatives and Critical Tasks for 2012 and beyond; the School’s Market Performance as measured against local and interstate competitors and like-school’s; the wider educational landscape and its likely impact on Brisbane Grammar; a review and case study of the School’s Risk Management framework and protocols; and detailed examination across each of the key strategic sectors of the foundations of the School’s current success juxtaposed with the identification of and planning for possible future changes and challenges.
The Board examines the on-going progress of management in delivering the School’s strategic objectives at each of its monthly meetings. At each meeting the Board receives reports from management covering: Academic, extracurricular and student welfare issues Staffing and community relations Property maintenance and planning Finance and fund raising Development and marketing Risk Management (including Workplace, health and safety)
16. While many of the School’s strategic goals and outcomes for students do not easily lend themselves to quantifiable measurement, the following areas of performance provide some valid indicators or review mechanism of progress achieved in 2012. The School continues to attract strong interest from the parents of potential students and currently patterns of enrolment well beyond 2020 indicate that this situation will continue into the foreseeable future.
Student enrolment numbers are monitored by the Board of Trustees and all changes to enrolments are reported to meetings of the Board of Trustees as a standing item. Total student enrolment in November of 2012 was 1436 students, closely consistent with recent patterns and representing the full capacity of the School.
The overall academic results for the senior cohort of 2012 were consistent with our result trends since 1992 (when the OP (overall Position) system was introduced) and at some points achieved our best results historically. All 2012 Year 12 students, as usual, remained OP eligible; 51 students received an OP1 (or 20.6% of the cohort, the School’s best result in the 21 year record) and 74 an OP1 or OP2 (29.8% 3rd in the 21 year record and well above the School’s historical average of 24.8%). The ranges OP1-7 (68.5%) and OP1-13 (93.1%) were 2nd and 1st respectively in the historical record. The percentage of students in the range 1-15 was 97%. The median score was 5, the same as in 2011, 2008, 2006, 2003, 2001, 1997 and 1992. The median was 7 in 2004, 2002, 2000, 1995 and 1993. It was 6 in 2010, 2009, 2007, 2005, 1999, 1998, 1996 and 1994.
The results, measured at significant OP markers and benchmarked against the state, are tabulated below:
(Percentage) OP 1-2 OP 1-7 OP 1-13 OP 1-15 BGS 2012 29. 8 68.5 93.1 97 State 2012 6.2 30.8 67.6 79
Administered by ACER, NAPLAN is a national program of standardised testing of student competence in 4 domains: reading, writing, language conventions and numeracy. While it is necessarily a ‘point in time’ test, the design of the assessment instruments allows for statistically valid tracking and comparison of student achievement data over time. Students are tested in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 and the results of student achievement are reported to parents and schools.
The School’s 2012 NAPLAN results, relative to the state and national benchmarks, are tabulated below:
17.
Grammar/ Cohort Reading Writing Spelling Numeracy Total Punctuation Year Average Score % Benchmark Average Score % Benchmark Average Score % Benchmark Average Score % Benchmark Average Score % Benchmark
Qld. 532 93.4% 512 88.8% 534 91.7% 540 94.4% 532 93.7% 2650
Aust. 541 94.2% 518 89.9% 543 93.0% 546 95.0% 538 93.7% 2686 7 BGS 605 99% 586 100% 588 99% 613 100% 626 100% 3018 (106) Qld. 566 90.5% 539 78.3% 571 89.3% 569 89.9% 574 93.5% 2819
Aust. 574 91.3% 553 81.7% 577 89.5% 573 90.4% 584 93.5% 2861 9 BGS 638 99% 620 99% 635 99% 645 100% 683 100% 3221 (243)
Throughout the year the School requires students to participate in major external academic competitions. The results in 2012 were commensurate with, and in many cases better, than comparable results in recent years. A total of 7 students (2 in English, 3 in Science, 1 each in Maths and Computer Skills) were awarded gold medals for scoring the highest result in Queensland in their age group. Of particular note also is the large number of students earning High Distinctions (awarded to the top 1% of performers) and Distinctions (awarded to the next 10%) in the competitions.
The table below summarises the performances in these ranges and indicates the total number of Brisbane Grammar School students who sat the tests in each subject:
Subject High Distinction (top 1%) Distinction (next 10%) English 4.9% 25.5% (1187 students) Mathematics 7.0% 24.0% (1180 students) Science 8.2% 25.7% (966 students)
The tests also provide valuable ongoing data about student performance, particularly when used as part of a larger data profile that includes NAPLAN and ACER test results.
The School participates each year in the competitions for sports and activities of the Great Public Schools' Association of Queensland Inc. (GPS), Years 8 – 12 and the Combined Independent Colleges (CIC), Years 6 – 7. The School also competes in a number of other competitions, including, but not limited to Queensland Debating Union (QDU), and Independent Schools Fencing. In addition to a very large sporting program, the School operates a broad cultural and club program that ensures the extracurricular life of the School offers diverse opportunities.
18.
The School enjoyed much success in the Extracurricular Program through the course of 2012. Choral and Instrumental ensembles enjoyed many performance opportunities in School-based concerts as well as at interstate venues. Large ensemble casts performed quality student theatre at the Middle, Junior and Senior School levels and both continued to enjoy, not only, the curricular Art Program but a busy and diverse Art Extension Program after School.
The GPS premierships were recorded in Tennis, Volleyball, Gymnastics, Rugby and Chess. Further to this, the Premier Chess Team won the Queensland Inter-Schools Championship and went on to place 3rd in the Australian Championship; the Senior A Debating Team won the Queensland Debating Union competition, and a member of the Senior Team represented Queensland and Australia. The Tennis 1st IV won the Queensland Schools Championship and placed 3rd in the Australian Schools Championship and the Senior Volleyball team placed 3rd in the Volleyball Australian All Schools Cup in Melbourne.
One of the achievements the School is proudest of is its very high student participation levels in the extracurricular programme. The target in 2012 was once again to have not more than 10% of any year group cohort not involved at some level in the programme. Once more this target was comfortably achieved, indicating not only genuine motivation and enthusiasm on behalf of the student population, but also, a programme that boasts genuine depth and breadth with an array of activities that appeal to a very wide cross section of boys.
The School continues to receive and be receptive to requests from other schools and tertiary educational institutions (local, national and international) to have their staff visit to engage in professional conversations about Brisbane Grammar School’s educational programmes and to inspect its physical facilities. Interest in 2012 again focused on The Lilley Centre and the design of its learning spaces.
Brisbane Grammar School’s strategic imperatives and significant operations represent clear alignment with the government’s stated objectives for the community. The School’s demonstrated commitment to high academic standards, particularly in literacy and numeracy, and the explicit pursuit of a data driven strategic agenda to continually improve outcomes in these areas is especially noteworthy. Similarly, the substantial investment made by the School in staff professional learning and in ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) infrastructure aligns clearly with government’s objectives regarding growth and planning, just as the School’s strong systems of governance and sound financial management aligns with the government’s improved accountability measures. Finally, the strong links built by the School with the wider Queensland community, particularly in the areas of opportunity for indigenous and needs based bursarial assistance students and in community service projects, reinforce the School’s commitment to this objective.
7. PROPOSED FORWARD OPERATIONS
The Board of Trustees and the School’s leadership team early in 2011 finalised the strategic plan that will operate through to 2015. The major strategic imperatives for 2012 were identified as being: Increase and diversify the School’s revenue streams; Plan for the growth and expansion of the School; Institutionalise data-analysis and research based innovation in teaching and learning;
19. Attract, develop and retain good people. Maintain and enhance our infrastructure complementary to the desired future positioning of the School
8. FINANCIAL OPERATIONS AND EFFECTIVENESS
Financial Goals The School includes among its ongoing financial objectives the following: (i) capacity to provide for the continuing operation of the School at the highest levels of maintenance and performance; (ii) capacity to achieve improvements in physical facilities and human resourcing so as meet new targets in standards of provisions and outcomes for its educational programmes that will keep the School in a leading position in the marketplace in which it operates; (iii) projections of forward planning of the School’s financial capacity to address the Board’s plans for physical and other developments; (iv) setting fees annually at a level that keeps the School competitive with its marketplace, while still allowing high quality to be maintained and improvement to be pursued; (v) monitoring regularly the financial environment in which the School must operate; (vi) seeking to consolidate and to expand the financial resources that will ensure the long-term future of the School.
Financial Benchmarks As a result of the review of the Grammar Schools Act which occurred in 2003, a number of financial indicators were suggested, through the Grammar Schools’ Association, as providing information regarding a Grammar School’s financial viability. These are provided below: 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Working Capital Ratio 1.13 0.71 1.25 0.87 1.11 1.60 Debt per Student $8,796 $7,786 $19,204 $20,932 $18,713 $9,885 Reinvestment Ratio 85% 115% 359% 157% 18% 5%
Financial Cost-Effectiveness The School’s financial effectiveness is assessed by management and the Board of Trustees using a variety of mechanisms, including regular monthly reports to the Finance Committee, together with more detailed reviews as part of the budget process and at the Board’s strategic retreat.
An assessment of the financial effectiveness of the School’s operations must be undertaken with reference to the fact that the School operates in exceptional circumstances. Although subject to the requirements of the Grammar Schools Act, other State Government legislation and scrutiny, the School’s operations are unlike the majority of Government instrumentalities in that it is also required to operate as a Non-State School operating in a competitive market. In addition to the Board of Trustees’ responsibilities for financial performance, the financial effectiveness of the School’s operations is also subject to both public and private-sector influences to maintain its financial viability and continued existence.
20. 9. SYSTEMS FOR OBTAINING INFORMATION ABOUT FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
Financial Performance The Board of Trustees reviews the School’s financial and operating systems by means of comprehensive monthly management reports. The Finance Committee meets monthly prior to the Board meetings.
Financial, audit and risk management issues are overseen by the Finance Committee, consisting of two Trustees, the Headmaster and the Business Manager. Financial outcomes are measured against operating budgets and forecasts. Due to the relatively small finance and accounting office of Brisbane Grammar School, a separate internal audit function is not maintained. However, the School complies with adequate contemporary internal control procedures as required by the Queensland Audit Office and its contract auditors, Pitcher Partners.
Operational Performance External data provided through annual public performances in the academic arena, including but not limited to: Year 12 exit results, such as student OP distributions and comparative Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) performance; NAPLAN testing, measured against like schools and state and national means; national, state and regional competitions in English, Mathematics, Science and other subject areas; The School uses ACER standardised testing of student academic capacity (the Measure of Student Development (MSD) suite of tests) at all entry points for students new to the School to allow for better tracking, monitoring and positive intervention in student performance; in addition, the ACER Social and Emotional Wellbeing Survey is used at selected points to monitor the social and emotional health of particular cohorts; Regular internal data-gathering about and evaluation of the School’s operational performance in all areas, including: whole School audits of students at risk or of student perceptions of bullying; the Learning Survey of all Year 6 and 8 students conducted annually; class surveys of teacher performance conducted as part of the teacher appraisal processes; curriculum audits identifying the scope, sequence and depth of coverage of complex reasoning processes across units of work Regular reporting by management to Board sub-committees (e.g. Finance, House and Grounds) and monthly to the full Board of Trustees; Use of external consultants to advise on, monitor and/or evaluate specific aspects of School operations; areas where consultants provided advice or expertise have included: the compliance of the School’s Outdoor Education Centre at Pepperina Hill with national safety standards; Risk Management and WPHS; the provision of academic support services to students; school policies on social networking and drug education; neuroscience and effective pedagogical practices. External statutory requirements (e.g. Queensland Studies Authority monitoring and moderation processes) and resultant feedback and reports on school academic program implementation and effectiveness. The My School website, which ensures the School’s academic performance relative to defined benchmarks, is available in the public domain. Exit interviews with parent stakeholders to seek feedback and identify possible areas of improvement in the Schools operational performance.
21. A number of Parents and Friends Committees provide support to the School in its operations and these also provide a feedback mechanism to management on these operations. These committees meet regularly throughout the year and each is attended by either the Headmaster or his nominated representative. Copies of Minutes of all these groups are sent to the Headmaster.
10. RISK MANAGEMENT
A framework and a system of protocols are in place to ensure that appropriate risk management strategies are functional at Brisbane Grammar School. The framework was substantially reviewed by the School’s senior management team in 2012, under the guidance of a specialist in the field, Helen Coyer, from ISQ (Independent Schools Queensland). The revised framework was considered and approved by the Board of Trustees in September of 2012. The protocols in place to manage and mitigate risk include: (i) A Risk Management framework that includes: identified and rated strategic and operational risks, including inherent and residual risk ratings rated in each category; designated risk ‘owners’ managing the controls in their sectional areas of responsibility; requirements for authorisation from management for new or altered activities with a high or greater level of risk; annual in-servicing for all staff on the School’s Risk Management framework and professional development provided in the production of appropriate risk assessment documents for school activities; periodic review of the Risk Framework and Register is undertaken by the Senior Leadership team; following major risk incidents, the effectiveness of identified controls is rated and systems or protocols are revised as required. (ii) A Standing item for monthly Board meetings involving the listing and reporting of any issue that has arisen that may constitute an insurable risk for the School; a complete table of the School’s Strategic Risks, summarising the current risk inherent and residual risk ratings and trends and the relevant controls and treatments in place, is reported to the Board annually. (iii) School Policies are developed collaboratively with wide stakeholder consultation prior to implementation; new policies receive legal review and are presented to the Board of Trustees for approval prior to implementation; staff expectations in the following and enforcement of School Policies form part of the regular cycle of professional development activities and Policies are published on the School’s network; the Dean of Administration and Curriculum ensures that School policies and procedures are compliant with statutory requirements (e.g. working with children or ‘Blue Card’ checks) or recommendations of governing bodies (e.g. sports safety training); (iv) Regular written reports provided from the School’s Workplace Health and Safety Committee that are tabled at meetings of the House & Grounds Committee and reported to the Board; (v) Review of issues that contain financial risk by meetings of the Finance Committee; (vi) Regular review by the Finance Committee of the School’s progress with regard to income and expenditure against budget; (vii) Established procedures within the Finance committee for review of any expenditure that exceeds $1000 and requirement for all larger items of expenditure to obtain more than one quotation; (viii) Review by the Finance Committee of the School’s cash position, investments, loans and repayments, debtors and creditors payments
22. 11. CARERS (RECOGNITION) ACT 2008
Brisbane Grammar School supports the Queensland Carers Charter as detailed in the Carers (Recognition) Act 2008, through the flexible work practices and remote access facilities available to our staff and students. The school ensures that students and staff are provided with relevant information and support as required.
During 2012 the Carers Charter was discussed by the School’s Senior Leadership Team and is being included in our program of periodic revision of policies, procedures and our other regulatory obligations, with the staff. Further staff professional development in the area of disabilities is currently under discussion by the Student Services Department.
A significant feature of the development of policies at the School during 2012 was a consultative process involving a wide spectrum of the community, including students, parents and staff. As further development of policies, programs and services is undertaken, this consultative process will continue to be used to seek and consider the perspectives of carers.
In addition a number of activities were undertaken during the year to explore provisions for students with disabilities or who require care. These include making both physical and program provisions for a current student with temporary mobility disability requiring the use of a wheelchair. In addition special provision has been made for the boy’s primary carer to have particular vehicular access to the School’s grounds.
During 2012 a disability assessment of the School’s environment has been undertaken as we have become aware of future enrolled students who are disabled and are scheduled to enter the School in the next couple of years. This assessment was conducted by an independent disability assessor and the report indicates the considerable amount of work already conducted by the School to accommodate these students’ needs.
The School is committed to supporting staff who are carers and has a number of processes to sympathetically consider and respond to individual staff member requests including specific leave provisions (paternity, maternity and personal leave) and flexible work practices such as part time work and remote access to staff work stations.
12. PUBLIC SECTOR ETHICS ACT 1994
During 2012 several meetings were held with the School’s Consultative Committee to review the draft Code of Conduct. These meetings considered all aspects of the Code and following this feedback a revised Code of Conduct is being prepared.
13. PUBLIC INTEREST DISCLOSURE ACT 2010
The Whistleblowers Protection Act 1994 has been repealed, replaced by the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2010. Commencing 1 January 2011 agencies are now required to report public interest disclosures to the Public Service Commission (PSC). During this period no public interest disclosures were made.
23. 14. EXPENDITURE ON CONSULTANCIES
Finance Accounting $5,800.00 Human Resources $12,998.00 Professional/Technical $20,758.58 Informational Technology $2,485.00 $42,041.58
15. OVERSEAS TRAVEL
2012 Overseas Travel Name of Destination Reason for travel Agency Contribution officer/member cost from other and position agencies or sources Brian Short - UK – various UK Study Tour / 63,083.74 - Headmaster locations Selling Success Conference / Sabbatical Old Boys Association London Reunion USA – Seattle Canada – NAIS Annual Vancouver Conference and Singapore AHISA study tour Jacqui Zervos – USA – Boston Sabbatical 14,780.22 - Head of Middle School
Jennifer Tap – Cambodia Educational Trip 5,311.67 - Teacher Korea
Tanya Mathias – Cambodia Educational Trip 3,811.67 - Teacher
Karen Hannay – Cambodia Educational Trip 3,811.67 - Teacher
Cathy Oxley – USA – San Diego ISTE (International 1,239.92 - Director Society for Information Technology in Services Education) Conference Vicki Palmer – USA – San Diego ISTE Conference / 1,061.12 - Teacher/Librarian Expanding Horizons Conference Damon Emtage – New Zealand Educational Trip 596.64 - Teacher Physical Education 24. 16. REPORT AVAILABILITY
This report is available for viewing by contacting the Secretary to the Board of Trustees. Phone: (07) 3834 5281 Fax: (07) 3834 5287 Email: [email protected] Website: www.brisbanegrammar.com
17. GLOSSARY
ACARA Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority ACER Australian Council for Educational Research ATAR Australian Tertiary Admission Rank BCC Brisbane City Council BGS Brisbane Grammar School CIC Combined Independent Colleges DEECD Department of Education and Early Childhood Development DOL Dimensions of Learning EAP Educational Adjustment Program GPS Great Public Schools' Association of Queensland Inc. ICAS International Competitions and Assessments ICT Information and Communications Technologies IEP Individual Education Plans ISQ Independent Schools Queensland ISTE International Society for Technology in Education MOPS Mothers of Past Students MSD Measures of Student Development NAPLAN National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy NCISA National Council of Independent Schools' Associations NSSAB Non-State Schools Accreditation Board OP Overall Position POPS Parents of Past Students PCBU Person Conducting A Business Undertaking PD Professional Development PSC Public Service Commission QDU Queensland Debating Union QSA Queensland Studies Authority SET Senior Education Training SEWB Social-emotional Wellbeing
25. APPENDIX A
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2012 SPEECH DAY ADDRESS
Headmaster Brian Short, and Pauline Short, Guest Speaker Professor Neil Dempster, and other special guests, teachers and boys of Brisbane Grammar.
Welcome to our 145th Speech Day.
We are again very pleased with the performances of our boys this year across the extraordinary range of their curricular and extra-curricular endeavours. The Headmaster will in his address give you an overview of what has been a quite exceptional year. The boys themselves can again stand tall. Everything begins and ends with their commitment to getting the best out of themselves in everything they do, not just as individuals, but in the ways they must combine together, as groups, across the countless activities which make up their busy life at Grammar. Their support of each other is a key ingredient of their success.
They must of course be well led, and they are. Our teachers, and coaches, are professionals, and key to our success as a school. Our teachers are arguably our country’s key profession as they equip our citizens of the future with the skills they will need in a challenging, fast changing world. We know that the ways in which our boys learn in a digital world have changed, and so the ways in which we teach them must adapt. Our teachers at Grammar are thoughtfully engaging in this process. These are demanding, but exciting times for our teaching professionals, and we applaud their willingness to continue explore how they might do what they do even better.
And the last but ever so important leg of what happens so well at Grammar is the support of what is a committed parent community which does buy into what we are doing at BGS. I say every year that we cannot do it without you, and nor can your boys. For those who have the time to put into the many support groups a special thank you. There are many, many unsung efforts, and in recognition of the key role so many play, the annual Betty Howell Award bears testimony to the importance we put on parent support at Grammar.
We are well positioned at Grammar for the many challenges which face us. We have invested heavily to be able to do what we need to do in today’s technology rich world, and we continue to be genuinely excited about the way that the Lilley Centre is being embraced by both our boys and our teachers. It was a key investment for our educational outcomes. And that investment has facilitated much of what is required to accommodate Year 7 becoming the entry point for secondary schooling as mandated from 2014, and for us the concurrent extension of our middle schooling down to Year 5.The significant and long overdue re- modelling of the front of the School will happen next year, with Boarders’ dining reverting to where it always should have been, and that space and the tuck shop reverting to new middle school classrooms.
This will be a significant improvement, as will the addition of Year 5 to our already very successful middle school model. And as already foreshadowed, our thinking will now progress as to the merits of extending our offering down to lower primary levels –probably co- educational- whether at Gregory Terrace or at Northgate. Important and potentially exciting decisions which would change the face of Grammar.
26. I am also very pleased to be able to report that our 12 year dispute with the Brisbane City Council for appropriate compensation for the effective destruction of our Normanby playing fields has been settled out of court after one week of a projected four week hearing. The School and the City Council have agreed that the terms will remain confidential, other than to say both sides believe they are appropriate, and that it will involve the Council returning to the School , when the Legacy Way Tunnel is completed in 2014/15, approximately 3200 square meters of land which was resumed for construction purposes only. It is of considerable relief that this protracted and expensive litigation has been finally settled, and that the School can now address part of its master planning which has necessarily been in limbo for more than a decade. Further government negotiation and agreement is necessary to secure air rights over QR airspace, and this planning will encompass both the future of Grammar tennis and our main campus oval space. They will be projects of major long term significance.
The policy challenges reiterated in the latest Asian Century White Paper should cause us to review where we stand at Grammar. While there may be little which is new in the White Paper, it is useful for both government and business to re-state clearly the size of the social and economic revolution which is happening at our door-step, and the opportunity presented to Australia. We are witnessing what is probably the greatest change in history. The shifting of economic power from north to south, and west to east. And if we seize the opportunity, Australia will no longer be “down under”, but part of the world which will be on top. But it is foolish to think that the prizes available will simply fall into our laps. Proximity is not destiny, we are far from being the only game in town, and we cannot take our place in the region for granted. Singapore provides an example of what government and business leaders can achieve without anything like the natural advantages enjoyed by Australia. Unlike Australia, Singapore takes a long term view of the world and constantly reminds itself that it is but a dot which no one will take seriously unless Singaporeans demand the attention and respect of their neighbours. So while we have done several things at Grammar to engage and prepare our boys for the Asian Century, the time is ripe for us to re-set our goals, and step by step put in place the structural pillars we need to ensure that our boys are equipped to take part in the huge game going on around us. It is time to stop casual dating, and get engaged.
Government support for independent schools is yet again under threat. Our state government funding has already declined under the new Government, and Commonwealth funding is almost certain to soon decline in real terms. Regardless of our philosophical opinion on the various governments’ funding of our schools, we are on notice that this will continue to decline. Broad based access to Grammar from all echelons of our community, rich and poor, is an important part of what we are, and we are accordingly also on notice that we must significantly accelerate the development of endowment funds to maintain this. We will set targets in 2013, review our development office structure, with the creation of a Grammar Foundation to be considered again.
To the boys who are leaving, thank you for what you did to preserve and enhance the standing of the place you will now represent in the community and in the world around us. Your parents and the School have given you the base to make a mark in what you do. Follow your intuition, stay patient, and you will find what you love doing. Don’t forget where it started. This great place needs you to come back when you are ready, and you will always be welcome.
Good luck.
Mr Howard Stack Chairman of the Board of Trustees
27. APPENDIX A
HEADMASTER’S 2012 SPEECH DAY ADDRESS
Professor Neil Dempster, Mr Howard Stack and Mrs Stack, Members of the Board of Trustees, Members of Staff, Distinguished Old Boys, Parents, Friends and Students of Brisbane Grammar School.
It is my pleasure to present the one hundred and forty-third Annual Report of Brisbane Grammar School.
We are delighted to welcome to our Speech Day and Prize-giving as our special guest, Professor Neil Dempster. Neil Dempster is both a great friend of Brisbane Grammar School and a distinguished Australian educational academic and researcher. He is the father of two Grammar old boys and served with distinction as a member of the Board of Trustees. His international expertise in school and student leadership makes his presence today even more meaningful.
By all our traditional measures in the academic, extracurricular and student welfare areas, this has been a year of outstanding achievement.
In 2012, we celebrate another year of great academic accomplishment —one of the valued foundations of a Grammar education.
In an era of increasingly frenzied media reporting on school performance, we were pleased this year to once again report to our community on the outstanding results attained by our students in two major external measures of academic achievement.
First, we started the year with news of the exceptional results of the 2011 seniors. The 2011 results were very gratifying, with 49 OP1s and very impressive performances at O.P. 1-2 with 29.6%, O.P. 1-7 at 70.8% and OP 1-13 at 92.1% and a median score of 5. These academic results earned an unprecedented number of scholarship opportunities from the major Australian universities.
Our 2012 NAPLAN results were similarly excellent, with our year 7 and 9 students achieving results that were, in many domains, the best in the state. While these results have not been benchmarked on the national scene, during the year national and state media dramatically increased the public visibility of school performance measures by publishing exhaustive “league tables” ranking top performing school’s on every possible aspect of 2011 NAPLAN performance. The picture was a very flattering one for Brisbane Grammar School with BGS ranked #4 nationally amongst non-selective schools and #1 in Queensland.
The extracurricular program was a busy and vibrant home for an extraordinary number of boys again in 2012. Defining qualities of the program remain its massively high participation rates, the degree of all-roundedness exhibited by boys and the level of competitive excellence.
The cultural life of the School again featured formidable quality and variety.
The Music community enjoyed fine internal concerts, competition success and a varied touring program. Highlights included the signature Grammar Community in Concert, best performing
28. school in the Young Composers Competition run by the State Branch of the Australian Society of Music Educators and the Grammarphones’ impact at the Festival of Voices in Hobart.
School dramatic productions- 12 Angry Men, High School Musical and the colourfully named re-interpretation of Shakespeare’s best works were performances of exceptional quality and artistic merit. They indicate a community of great creativity, dedication and enthusiasm.
Features of our energetic art program were a series of well-attended and impressively stocked student exhibitions and considerable success by our student artists in the Creative Generations, QIEU and Queensland Youth Art Awards.
The School has delivered another imposing sporting year. BGS won five GPS premierships and recorded three placings. As well state and national championships have been won in an array of disciplines.
In Term 1 the Volleyball 1st VI performed with aplomb to record the School’s 10th consecutive premiership, a truly astonishing achievement in this modern, universally competitive GPS era. The School came third in Cricket and Swimming to round out a most successful term. In Term 2 the Tennis community swept all before them with the 1st IV retaining the GPS premiership in emphatic style, and later in the year retaining the State Championship. The Senior A Debating team placed 2nd in GPS competition but were later to be crowned State Champions winning the QDU competition. In Fencing, the School retained the mantle of the leading Fencing School in Brisbane. Additionally, the Senior Epee Team was crowned Australian Champions. In term 3, the Premier Chess Team won the GPS premiership for the fourth year in succession and the chess community enjoyed the phenomenal achievement of being undefeated across all teams and all matches in 2012. The Premier Team went on to win the State Championship and will compete at the Australian Championships in December. The School’s Gymnastics team retained the GPS Championship they won last year in an incredibly close result based on narrow and exciting victories by the Division 1 and 3 teams. In front of a massive crowd at Nudgee College the Rugby 1st XV completed a fairy-tale victory by winning the GPS Rugby premiership in what was essentially a grand final on the last day of competition. The boys played all season with incredible skill, hunger and resilience and were worthy winners of this incredibly difficult competition. This was the School’s first title since 1992 and it was a special moment for all who attended on the day.
At the individual level, Grammar students represented their country in cricket, rugby, fencing, handball, debating and physics. However, the undoubted highlight was Jake Donaghey becoming our second student Olympian.
An active Federal Government continues to dominate the educational landscape. In 2012, the Australian Government committed to a bold new plan for national school reform. The key elements are a National School Improvement Plan and funding reform. The Plan to be phased in from 2014 to 2020 will provide extra funding but explicitly ties reform with funding.
The funding reform realises the Australian Government’s commitment to the Gonski review. Funding will be based on a new Schooling Resource Standard, with additional loadings for such categories as low income families, indigenous students and students with disability.
This reform agenda merits brief comment.
29. First, the major elements of the funding plan i.e. increased spending on school education with a basic funding entitlement augmented by needs-based funding enjoy wide spread support. However, while there is a commitment that all independent school’s will receive an increase in funding, key questions remain about annual indexation, grants in “real” terms, and the lengthy and politically uncertain 6 year implementation schedule. We face the stark realisation that all independent school’s cannot assume continuing levels of funding.
Second, there seems to be a prevailing assumption within the wider community that simply increasing school funding, or somehow making it more transparent or equitable, will automatically lead to a positive impact on student learning. As international studies clearly illustrate, the most effective way to improve learning is to ensure that every child in every school, has a good teacher.
Third, the independent sector is anxious that the national school improvement plan with its commitment to a School Improvement Plan for every school should not become a limiting “one size fits all” instrument. School leaders must be enabled to innovate and provide tailored, strategic direction to their schools. (Watterston & Caldwell, 2011)
Brisbane Grammar faces a fundamental challenge to prosper in a nationally driven regime of uniformity, standardisation and compliance while preserving our autonomy, along with realising and the wider purposes of education that are at the heart of our mission.
Today I want to explore two such areas of wider purpose-one academic and one social- where Brisbane Grammar must continue to demonstrate its bona-fides as a great school.
As a leading school, we must “experiment” with schooling in order to make schooling more flexible, accommodating and innovative.
There are compelling individual, institutional and societal reasons for this commitment. First, in an era of growing pressures on education from globalisation, demography and technology, 21st century learners must develop higher-order capacities in powerful new learning environments guided by a highly skilled profession. (McKay, 2012) The historic challenge for education is to adapt a monolithic instructional model committed to standardisation to student-centric models of learning that cater to the individual needs of learners.
Second, leading schools, no less than great businesses, must heed the warning call of noted commentator Jim Collins, in his book, How the Mighty Fall. (Collins, 2009) “to adhere to the principles that produced success in the first place, yet on the other hand continually evolve, modifying their approach with creative improvements and intelligent adaptation.”
Third, there is no more compelling way for BGS to justify both its privileged position and its government funding than to model for the P-12 education sector how to evolve into a forward- looking, innovative, change-adept laboratory of learning.
The innovative use of ICT’s has the potential to transform the way people learn throughout their lives. Clever use of ICT’s can change the whole system-quite simply they make possible a learning revolution.
In an address to American independent school Heads, Bill Gates highlighted four important areas for potential IT innovation: reimaging and customizing textbooks; scaling and changing the use of our best teachers by using them in a range of mediums with different student audiences; using the constructive collaborative power of social networks for both student and
30. teacher learning; and personalizing learning through the rapidly evolving online platform for example the Khan Academy, which provides free online resources to students, teachers and learners everywhere.
Innovation is a familiar aspect of the professional environment of BGS. Sustaining innovations, according to Clayton Christensen, Harvard’s world-leading theoretician on innovation, build on an existing product and service and leverage an advantage in expertise and resources. (Christiansen, 2011) The purposeful, evidence-based and professional collaborations that have characterised our teacher-led learning teams and Committees- Pedagogical Practices, Learning Spaces, Dimensions of Learning Renewal and Data; the constructive implementation of a 1:1 tablet environment and highly promising pockets of teacher classroom creativity are exemplary illustrations of sustaining innovations. They show our School’s commitment to both improving teaching and learning and building teacher capacity. Innovations around integrating ICT in learning will be disruptive. This is a challenge we willingly accept to continue to increase learning opportunities for students, and to continue our School’s role as an educational leader.
Great School’s adopt a big vision and a long horizon. They seek a role beyond the playground into the community and the world by demonstrating “the public purpose of private education” locally, nationally and globally. (Bassett, 2012) This ambition provides twin benefits. First, quality independent schools seek a broader constituency. They are prepared to share their resources (both human and physical) beyond their own students. (Chase, 2011) Second, they want to develop in their students a desire to serve a higher purpose than themselves, to be of value to society rather than a mere watcher of screens or sideline tweeter.
Brisbane Grammar has moved promisingly in these twin directions. A needs-based bursary program extends access opportunities and enhances student diversity. Student volunteers participate in extensive community service and service learning engagements. On campus, a host of fund-raisers raised capital for projects in Borneo, Vietnam and Cambodia. Locally, students have worked in such places at Saint Vincent’s Opportunity Store, the Special School at Red Hill and New Farm retirement homes. Our indigenous commitment took another significant step with a wonderful ten day immersion expedition to Buru on the edge of the Daintree Rainforest, marked by “bricks and mortar service” (Klein, 2012) and indigenous cultural immersion. On a global scale, students have completed “hands-on” service projects in Cambodia, Vietnam, Fiji and soon Borneo.
However, overseas visits have inspired me to contemplate further possibilities. At Radley College, an outstanding all boys independent school near Oxford, I saw a Cricket program run by Radley for external students. I also witnessed the School’s direct connection to an academy in a very socially deprived area through both teacher curriculum and pedagogical assistance and extensive tutoring by Radley students (virtual and face-to-face). At Christ’s Hospital, a remarkable 450 year old school with over 90% of the students receiving some fee remission, the School’s sustainability is built on the inspiring example of inter-generational philanthropic loyalty.
I believe the time has come for both our student and adult communities to examine the issue of “compulsory community service” for every student and to ambitiously increase the reach of the School to help those less fortunate in our community.
It’s important at this formal occasion to recognize the invaluable contribution of a number of people to Brisbane Grammar.
31. It gives me great satisfaction to publicly acknowledge the enormous contribution made to the School by the Board of Trustees. Their wisdom, experience and belief in the School are critical to both its current and future performance. I particularly pay tribute to the leadership of the Chairman of Trustees, Mr Howard Stack, who, for over twenty years, has so ably steered the School through both its major successes and most difficult crises.
The performance and standing of Brisbane Grammar School depends on the quality and effort of all our staff. We are marvellously served by both our teaching and support staff. I thank them all for their committed and expert efforts this year. I am particularly pleased to note that we are extending the intellectual capital of the School by engaging retired teaching staff in mentoring and project development work. My special thanks are extended to the members of the Senior Leadership Team for another dedicated and productive year.
Two long-serving members of staff retired in 2012. Mr Philip Smith retired after a twenty- one year commitment to both languages education and his wider pastoral, extracurricular and professional responsibilities. Mr Roger Boyd served Brisbane Grammar for thirty-one years both as an able Art teacher and a most influential leader of the debating program. We wish them well in the next stage of their lives.
It is a privilege to recognise the enthusiasm and efforts of the many people who have supported the School in 2012. Our wonderful parent Support Groups contribute to the School in so many ways. In particular, I thank the following people for their work in important community leadership roles: Mr Cameron McLeod, President of a vibrant Old Boys Association who has been so influential in fostering passionate, constructive involvement by our old boys; President of the Parents and Friends Association, Mr Craig Whip who has promoted the very worthwhile initiative of facilitating continuing engagement for our departed parents; and Mrs Beth Doig, who stepped in generously to become President of the P and F Auxiliary when Mrs Janelle Sapsford unfortunately had to step down.
In conclusion, I wish to offer congratulations and best wishes to the departing Year 12s. They have been a most cohesive, passionate and energetic year group who have contributed a great deal to their School. The student leadership team of School Captain, Lewis Radford, and Vice-Captains, Max Buckley and Dugie Hill and Harlin House Captain, Nick Carroll have been outstanding in their personal efforts, in their role modelling and in their strong communication to the student body. We wish the Year 12s well in their future endeavours, confident they have been strongly shaped by the values of this great school and assure them they will always remain part of the Grammar community and will always be welcome here.
REFERENCES
Bassett, P (2012) Future Trends NAIS Lecture at nais website Chase, Barbara (2011) Making the Common Good Common Independent School, Spring 2011. Christiansen, C., Horn, M and Johnson, C W (2011) DISRUPTING CLASS- How Disruptive Innovations Will Change the Way the World Learns, McGraw Hill, New York. Collins, J (2009) How the Mighty Fall, Harper Collins Publishers, New York Klein J D FOSTERING GLOBAL GRIT Independent School, Summer 2012 McKay, Tony 2012 address at AHISA/NCIS conference in Canberra Watterston, J and Caldwell, B (2011) ‘System alignment as a key strategy in building capacity for school transformation, Journal of Educational Administration, 49, 6, p 637- 652.
32.