The triumph of the new Junior School Vision

It is with great excitement that we share that Penrhos College has been shortlisted as an excellence awardee for the Australian Education Awards 2023, in the category Primary School of the Year (Non-Government). The award’s criteria are based on a consistent high standard of teaching, rigorous professional learning, strong communication, effective management, and a commitment to innovation. It is an incredible achievement to be named a finalist in this category, and truly highlights the success of the Junior School’s vision.

The new Junior School vision was launched in 2022 and was formed from the voice of our students and parent community. In fact, a Year 2 student developed what is now our motto in the whole Junior School – ‘Love Grows Here’. This recognises our focus on positive, loving relationships for all members of our school community. This new philosophy and vision around the education of our students has led to a significant increase in enrolments and strengthened our pedagogy from Pre-Kindergarten to Year 6.

The vision has been led by our Head of Junior School, Wayne Revitt, who brings significant professional experience along with a community-focus, and interest in collaboration and advocacy. Wayne is a past President of the Independent Public Schools Heads Association (IPSHA) WA and President of the National IPSHA Board. He was also the inaugural ViceChairperson for the WA Chapter of the Positive Education Schools Association (PESA) and is co-founder and the Chairperson of the Kids Are Kids Therapy and Education Centre. With Wayne leading the way in the Junior School, and his priority set on wellbeing - the new vision soared.

While all four of our Penrhos College commitments resonate strongly within the Junior School, there are two in particular that form the basis of what we do;

FIND THE FUN (Wonder, Joy, Optimism) and BE A FORCE FOR GOODDD (Love, Lead, Unite)

These commitments put our students at the centre of everything we do.

The Junior School staff have played an imperative role in facilitating the new vision and commitments. Our staff provide love and care, to create an enjoyable, stimulating, and rewarding learning environment for our students. The focus on love and belonging fades any anxiety and enables students’ executive functioning to flow; so that their working memory, problem solving ability and creativity can develop to their full potential. In fact, research shows that in an allgirls environment, girls tend to take more risks, are more comfortable with making mistakes, and are more engaged in their learning. At Penrhos, our students take on leadership roles, explore non-traditional courses, and act as role models for their peers.

Our students are free to be themselves, and to grow and mature in a nurturing environment where they feel supported and safe.

As part of vision in the Junior School, three programs have been developed under the banner of the ‘Strength of the Red Dragon’; ‘Dragon Explorers’ to build grit and resilience, ‘Dragon X’ to extend opportunities after the regular school day and the ‘Dragon Quest’ – a quest of character.

Dragon Explorers

Dragon Explorers focuses on the development of core character strengths by introducing challenges that take students a little outside their comfort zone, to help discover their inner strength – the strength of the Red Dragon.

Dragon Quest

The central aim of Dragon Quest is to identify and reward students for doing the right thing; being kind, persevering at a task, demonstrating a growth mindset and learning from mistakes, caring for others – all character strengths not necessarily based on being the best at sport, or academically, but being a good person and thinking beyond ourselves.

Dragon X

Dragon X is an extended school day for Penrhos students and provides greater flexibility for our busy Penrhos parents. The program is based in the Junior School Library and includes a comprehensive range of co-curricular sporting, dance, and cultural activities.

These three programs are designed to build strong young women; real women, ready to take on the world and make a positive difference for themselves and for others.

Moving forward

Our recent shortlisting in the Australian Education Awards truly reinforces the success of our new Junior School vision. A vision that builds strong young women, with a positive mindset, compassion for others and the motivation to make the world a better place for all.

When asked about the vision for the Junior School over the next five to 10 years, Wayne shared,

“There is no doubt there are significant challenges this generation of students will face. My optimism comes from what we referring to as the ‘Strength of the Red Dragon’; the holistic approach we are taking to the education of our students at Penrhos. This includes an ongoing strong, and rigorous, academic program. But more than ever we are focusing on attributes that can be taught outside of traditional thinking in education; being a balanced thinker, being caring, being a risk-taker. We know from our early learning experts that we need to honour the curiosity and wonder our little people display. We believe this wonder and curiosity – the sheer excitement that comes with learning an amazing fact about our world – should flow through our entire lives”.