THE POWER OF A BROTHER SISTER SCHOOL

Research abounds indicating healthy sibling relationships promote empathy, pro-social behaviour and academic achievement, as well as providing an incredible source of support. Principal of Penrhos College Kalea Haran, and Head of College at Wesley, Ross Barron believe this is similar to the power of a brother-sister school relationship.

When Penrhos Principal, Kalea, first arrived at her new school she felt very isolated.

“For me,” Kalea says, “moving internationally to a new city, in my first principalship felt very isolating. However, in my first week, I received a supportive and welcoming phone call from my peer at Penrhos’ brother school, Wesley College.”

“Both of our schools have a distinct personality,” says Ross, “but we look out for each other. As soon as I heard Kalea had arrived in Perth I was keen to reach out and do what I could to ensure she felt part of our shared community.”

Ross and Kalea quickly built rapport, and fell into an almost sibling-like relationship, incorporating competitive rivalry, banter, friendship and respect. They agreed early on to work together to enhance the two school’s connections in a deep and meaningful way. “Strengthening the bond between the schools was actually one of our strategic priorities,” says Ross.

Both Penrhos and Wesley have proud single-sex secondary schools, allowing them to each provide education for students in a unique way. However, there is a void that single-sex schools must address – the need for meaningful collaboration between genders.

“As the Principal of Penrhos College I know my girls thrive in an all-girls environment. Our school can enhance their self-esteem and wellbeing and empower our students in an environment especially catered for them,” Kalea comments.

“However, they also benefit from learning with their male counterparts, developing confidence, empathy and understanding through energetic debates, critical questioning and inquiry. I also found my senior students longed for conversations with the boys they socially interact with about challenging conversations in pastoral areas such as relationships, protective behaviour and consent.”

Ross agrees. “Something I say all the time is that one of Wesley’s greatest strengths is that we are boys from Year 7 to 12. But, one of our greatest weaknesses is that we’re boys from Year 7 to 12. So, it’s really important that we have authentic relationships and collaborative opportunities with Penrhos. Our boys are taught about gender equality, gender equity and respect – but nothing beats interacting with other people to turn theory into practice.”

Traditionally brother-sister schools such as Penrhos and Wesley interacted through the long-standing tradition of ‘socials’ and dances. Kalea and Ross recognise the importance of this, but also wanted to provide more meaningful and ongoing collaboration for students from both colleges.

From Year 7 the colleges now have a Wesley-Penrhos Collaboration Day three times a year, alternatively hosted by each school. The days include problem-solving and team building activities, including Techfun, F1 building and Art. In Years 8 – 9 the colleges have social events for students such as quiz nights and other activities. These have proved so successful that they are often paired with evening events so Wesley-Penrhos parents can also meet and greet.

According to Kalea, as a single-sex girls school, Penrhos focusses on developing a culture where students can find their voice, build confidence and have many opportunities to speak out.

“These collaborative activities with Wesley are a great opportunity to flex these skills as the students gain confidence working together respectfully in a fun, meaningful and safe environment,” she says.

Kalea and Ross agree they really enjoy observing these collaboration days, especially the activities that involve critical thinking and problem-solving.

“When I watch how the students approach the creative thinking skills needed while working together, I can see them learning how to approach the challenges together and learn to listen and consider each other’s perspective,” says Kalea

“Especially watching them getting to know each other and build friendships. The first collaboration day of the year is a little awkward and you can see them finding their way, by the last day of the year they have developed friendships and are comfortable together.”

“There’s definitely awkwardness on the first collaboration day,” smiles Ross. “The students aren’t standoffish, but there’s a real tentativeness. By the second and third collaboration days, they’re greeting each other like old friends – chatting, blending, and acting like they’ve just been apart for minutes. It’s fascinating to watch the transition.”

The schools have now connected their Secondary Pastoral teams, who are working together to map out the curriculum so both colleges are aligned with taught themes and language. They have also brought together senior students to contribute to this planning, to ensure the student voice is heard in this process.

This year, for the first time, Penrhos and Wesley will collaborate on the delivery of an ATAR subject. Students from both schools are involved in a pilot program where Outdoor Education will be delivered through blended learning, with teachers also offered combined professional development days. The two schools have also started to look at ways they can further share resources and enhance their student experiences.

As Principals both Kalea and Ross aim to bring their staff together to share knowledge, experiences, and resources, with plans in the works to also introduce a shadow program for staff to learn from one another.

A perfect example of the close sibling relationship between the two schools, and the sense of fun Ross and Kalea share, was the recent ‘principal swap’ with each spending the day at the other’s college.

“The principal swap experience gave me a great understanding of not only the Wesley curriculum and staff but also how the school feels culturally and what happens day-to-day. This knowledge helps when Ross and I meet to catch up and think of new ideas on how we can further unite the schools,” Kalea says.

“What I really enjoyed, was sitting with various students and staff at Penrhos,” says Ross. “They told me the things they love and gave me a real insight into the heart and soul of their college. I came away with plenty of good ideas to discuss with Kalea and the team at Wesley.”

With strong agreement on the importance of a meaningful and mutually beneficial brother-sister school relationship, Kalea and Ross look forward to building on these early wins, for the benefit of students at both colleges, and their broader communities.