Fearless Pursuit

STRATEGIC PLAN

FEARLESS PURSUIT 2023 AND BEYOND

FEARLESS PURSUIT

Our school was established and nurtured through the foresight and courage of trailblazers. Over the decades our bold leaders have remained steadfast in their future-focused commitment to educating girls for the challenging world we live in. This purpose is ingrained in the fabric of our school; facing challenge with determination and vision is in our spirit.

Tomorrow’s world needs problem solvers and change makers.

The girls of today must be fearless in their pursuit of the knowledge, skills and action required to become the leaders of tomorrow. As women of the future, they must bravely stand up for what they believe in and boldly use the gifts of their education to positively contribute to the world in which they belong.

With modern skills for the modern age and armed with more questions than answers, the women of tomorrow must problem find and problem solve, collaborate across real and virtual boundaries, and always be led by a passion for knowledge, an enthusiasm to learn more, and the desire to make a difference.

There is something inherent in the girls’ school environment that ignites in young women the inspiration and confidence to lead self and others; the motivation to live a life of impact and purpose; and the courage and grit to be the change-makers our world needs.

Our community’s mission is to prepare girls for a lifetime of learning, leadership and engagement in our global community. Central to this spirit of endeavour is our commitment to educating girls and young women with a focus on inclusivity, personal best, and agency, ensuring our students meet the complex challenges of today and are prepared to take on those of the future as women of action.

A series of pathways to explore possible, plausible and probable futures.

Engaging in an eighteen-month strategic planning process during the disruption of the pandemic enabled us to clarify what we already cherish as a community, confirm who we are, and contemplate future directions and possibilities. It has provided us with the space to reflect and look forward simultaneously; to reconsider and reimagine our plans in a rapidly changing and complex educational landscape.

Proudly one of the oldest girls’ schools in Victoria, our primary focus remains ensuring that a Ruyton education is relevant and engaging to best prepare our girls for their futures. Our size and our structure strengthen our unwavering focus on each individual student in our care. At Ruyton, learning is personal. We recognise that the future is inherently unknown as it is in the making and with this knowledge, we have devised a fiveyear strategic plan with a ten-year horizon.

While the launch of a strategic plan may feel like the culmination of research, reflection, exploration and challenging our thinking; it is merely the beginning. This plan launches an adventurous series of pathways into our future as we explore the possible, plausible, and probable futures in our context and culture. This happens alongside the unexpected, as we have seen so clearly in recent times, unforeseen events disrupt even longstanding trends in our society, reminding us that the future is rarely a smooth continuation.

Now is the time to uplift girls and young women, actively breakdown stereotypical norms and welcome them to centre stage.

Through the realisation of this plan, we will build on the known, using our experience and knowledge, alongside our collaborative partnerships and alliances, to best meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world and an unknown future.

We will ensure that Ruyton is future fit by remaining open minded, agile and with the needs of our girls at the centre of all that we do. We will go beyond to enable them to lead lives that are global, inclusive, individual and full of opportunity. We will educate Ruyton girls to be bold and to take centre stage.

Virginia McLaughlan President of the Ruyton Board Linda Douglas Principal

MISSION

VISION VALUES

Inspire girls to be bold. Educate girls to lead lives of impact and purpose.

As an independent, forward thinking girls’ school we are committed to preparing girls for a lifetime of learning, leadership and engagement in our global community. character to be resilient and to act with confidence and compassion. citizenship to effect positive change through civic and environmental action. endeavour to be curious, creative and courageous learners seeking to achieve personal best. integrity to live a life with honesty and virtue.

RUYTON GIRLS’

EMPOWERING GIRLS

We empower every girl to flourish by embracing emotional, social, physical and academic wellbeing practices. This approach supports our girls to lead lives of purpose with courage, character, and the desire to make a difference.

focus areas

• Empower Student Wellbeing

• Raise Leaders

• Develop the Whole Person

•

Girl Centred Research

key initiatives

Empower Student Wellbeing

Refine our student wellbeing program with a focus on academic buoyancy, self-assessment and reflection, empowering student agency and ownership.

Raise Leaders

Strengthen our school-wide leadership learning program including mentorship, internationalmindedness, character education and service learning, as we prepare students to take action now and in the future.

Develop the Whole Person

Integrate the valuable learning opportunities of our cocurricular engagements into our core curriculum, with the development of learning and skills continuums and recognition through credentialing.

Girl Centred Research

Continue our Ruyton Research focus to positively impact the lives of our girls and be a recognised contributor to global research about girls’ learning, wellbeing and development.

POWERFUL LEARNING

We build on our strong academic reputation for excellence and promote intellectual curiosity, creativity and collaboration. Personal best is central to our cultural understanding of excellence.

focus areas

• Flexible Learning Approaches

• Bespoke Signature Learning Programs

• Culture of Thinking

• Personal Academic Pathways

key initiatives

Flexible Learning Approaches

As pedagogy, student agency and the role of the modern educator shift in a rapidly changing educational landscape, our curriculum, daily structures, and timetable will be reimagined.

Bespoke Signature Learning Programs

Continue to develop unique programs that build competencies and skills for our students to thrive in their futures, strengthening learner autonomy, self-determination, interpersonal skills, choice, and voice.

Culture of Thinking

Embed a school-wide Culture of Thinking to promote deep learning and develop the dispositions necessary to flourish in our changing world.

Personal Academic Pathways

Review learning pathways and partnerships, to provide increased flexibility and choice for all students, with a focus on the development of research, innovation, work related and life skills.

ENGAGED COMMUNITY

We nurture our relationships and alliances, both locally and globally, to provide innovative and transformative experiences.

focus areas

• Extend Partnerships

• Coordinate Program

• Continuing Community Connection

• Women Supporting Women

key initiatives

Extend Partnerships

Strengthen and extend our partnerships with schools and organisations, locally and globally, to enrich and transform learning.

Coordinate Program with Trinity Grammar School

Broaden our unique collaboration, with continued respect for each other’s purpose, to meet the emerging needs of learners in a rapidly changing world and create strong professional partnerships for staff.

Continuing Community Connection

Reimagine and refine our communications and engagement opportunities for students, staff, families, and alumnae to strengthen connection, community and culture and ensure inclusivity.

Women Supporting Women

Expand alumnae engagement activities to increase their involvement in the life of the School, including mentoring and coaching programs to support current students and young graduates.

VALUING PEOPLE

We are a recognised leader in education, forming valuable partnerships and attracting outstanding staff. Our investment in staff development benefits students, staff and parents.

focus areas

• Nurture Staff Wellbeing

• Strengthen Staff Capacity

• Celebrate Excellence and Growth

• Integrated Technology

key initiatives

Nurture

Staff Wellbeing

Expand our staff wellness focus, providing opportunities for staff to learn more about selfcare and how to utilise one’s strengths and nurture those of others.

Strengthen Staff Capacity

Enrich the ongoing opportunities for growth, learning, individual pathways, feedback, and leadership development that we provide for all academic and general staff.

Celebrating Excellence and Growth Design and develop staff recognition and professional growth programs inclusive of all Academic and General Staff, accentuating our strength in educating girls.

Integrated Technology

Elevate user experience and improve communication through the integration of services, software and hardware that enhance the digital capacity of staff and students.

SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES

We ensure Ruyton’s continued prosperity as a leading girls’ school, providing an environment where our other strategic directions thrive.

focus areas

• Enhance our Physical Environment

• Grow our Culture of Giving

• Financial Future Proofing

• Maximise Effective Governance

key initiatives

Enhance our Physical Environment

Identify the major and minor projects to upgrade and enhance our site, facilities and infrastructure, prioritising the needs of students, staff, academic and cocurricular programs.

Grow our Culture of Giving

Develop and implement a long-term plan to increase philanthropic support, engaging a broader group of donors across the Ruyton community.

Financial Future Proofing

Maintain and build on our strong financial position, enabling the School to achieve its long term goals. Evaluate opportunities to grow and diversify revenue streams to support our mission.

Maximise Effective Governance

Increase membership of Board committees, with diversity in representation, thoughtful succession planning, and strong capabilities.