2021–2024 Strategic Plan
This Strategic Plan has been developed to set a clear direction for Shelford. It is clear that we value each student’s growth. We focus on ensuring that their experiences and the extraordinary care that they are shown at Shelford, enables our students to emerge as adults, ready for study, work and an unknown future, as independent, courageous and confident young women of integrity.
Welcome to Shelford
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School ........................................................................ 5 Vision, mission, values ....................................................... 6
learning culture 7 Student Wellbeing and Development ............................. 10 Student Opportunities ..................................................... 12 Curriculum and Innovation 13 Staff Development........................................................... 15 Community Engagement 16 Facilities and Resources 19 Governance ..................................................................... 20 Information Technology 21 Strategic Plan 2021–2024
Our
Our
Contents
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Throughout the period of COVID-19, keeping our community safe has been our first priority. We have ensured the provision of quality educational programs while supporting our girls and families through our wellbeing program and professional services.
In my role as Chair of the Board of Governors, as we adjust to a new normal, we will continue to evolve and resource the school in a way that enables Shelford students to benefit from an individualised schooling experience in the present, that prepares them for an unknown future.
We aim to balance our respect for the history and traditions of this fine school with engaging, innovative programs that reflect current educational and student wellbeing best practice.
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Welcome to Shelford
We are living in a time of fast-paced change; of environmental and economic challenges, global connectivity, and evolving workplaces and social contexts. Today, more than ever, our students need to develop capacities to adapt, innovate and problem solve. To expect the unexpected, and to work within changing paradigms.
Pam Russell Chair of the Board of Governors
Shelford Girls’ Grammar has a proud history of exemplary girls’ education. Whilst much has changed since 1898, our values remain intrinsic and central to our purpose.
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For many years, Shelford students have received outstanding VCE results, with 100% of students successfully gaining entry to their first preference for tertiary studies.
I believe that Shelford is the choice of thinking and reflective parents.
As a community, we have remained strong and unified.
We are in a unique position to provide our students with an exemplary education. Our school and its programs are designed solely for educating girls and women and the size of Shelford enables each and every girl to be known, enabling individualised learning programs and opportunities, for each student. Our students emerge with an outstanding academic education but also with the skills and dispositions they need to succeed in the real Throughworld.recent
difficult times, our highly qualified, dedicated and professional staff, have enabled our students to continue to thrive. We have provided outstanding remote learning experiences for our students, through the training and upskilling of our staff and the provision of appropriate resources. We have done an exceptional job of supporting our students’ learning and wellbeing, through the uncertain circumstances of COVID-19.
forged partnerships with organisations that support our student programs and increase opportunities for exploration and growth. Our buildings, gardens and other infrastructure, enhance student learning.
I look forward to continuing to lead this community, as we implement our plan and evolve and grow as an educational institution, committed to the pursuit of excellence and the highest of standards.
We consistently achieve these outstanding outcomes because our families and students value education and our teachers are highly qualified and dedicated. There is a strong emphasis on data-driven teaching and our innovative curriculum and pedagogy, engages and challenges our Westudents.have
Our School
At Shelford, students are encouraged to discover their interests and passions and they are supported in developing them throughout their schooling. Differentiation of programs at all year levels, caters for individuals and ensures that all students are given the opportunity to maximise their potential.
Katrina Brennan Principal
RespectPassion Creativity Values
Vision, mission, values
We are informed by our heritage and tradition as we step confidently into the future. Through extraordinary care and passion for learning, we empower every girl to unlock her extraordinary.
Integrity
Creativity
Passion
Our values
Shelford encourages courteous, reliable and trustworthy behaviour. We value loyalty and honesty. Our students are supported in considering and developing their own ethics and principles.
Our vision
Our mission
Our core values represent our beliefs and they guide and infor m all areas of the School
Shelford Girls’ Grammar is a model of inspiration and excellence, where young women discover their authentic self and go on to achieve, accomplish and thrive.
Sitting at the centre of every interaction at Shelford, students are taught to respect themselves, each other and their environment. They are mindful of the needs of their peers and care for their community through engagement and service.
At Shelford our core values are embedded in every endeavour that we undertake and underpin all that we do.
Within a culture that fosters a love of learning, Shelford students are given the freedom, courage and confidence to try new things, and encouraged to discover and develop their strengths and interests.
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Respect
Shelford students are taught to embrace the challenges of the future and respond with curiosity, imagination and innovative thinking.
Integrity
Strategic Plan 2021–2024 | 7 Our learning culture learninOurgculture InclusivediverseandDevelopinglearningmindsetsAspirestoexcellenceFriendlyandacceptingWarm connectedand Globallyaware focusedFutureRespectfuloftraditionsandhistory Develops and cares for the whole person SustainableandethicalNurturestheindividual opportunitiesProvides
8 | Strategic Plan 2021–2024 P1 23456 FOUNDATIONAL STUDIES BREADTH CHILDHOODTRADITIONAL P–6 PRIMARY LearninInnovationDIMENSIONS Meta-cognitiveDEVELOPMENTOFACADEMICWELLBEINGCOGNITIVE:Academic/skillsAFFECTIVE:SocialEmotionalPhysicalSpiritual DESIGNRESILIENTENGAGEDCREATE
Strategic Plan 2021–2024 | 9 23456 789 10 11 12 BREADTH AND DEPTH SUBJECT CHOICE AND FUTURE PATHWAYS ADOLESCENCE EMERGINGLEARNERCAREERADULT4SIGHTPROGRAMINDIVIDUALPROFILE/PORTFOLIO/CVSTARPROGRAM 7–12 SECONDARY VCE tion and Learning ContinuumEMPOWEREDPRODUCEDESIGNRESILIENT
> Support students to develop a sense of self and agency which assists them to develop respectful and healthy relationships with others.
> Empowered, engaged and given a voice.
> Developed as effective and empathic communicators who are globally, socially and culturally aware and inclusive.
At Shelford, student wellbeing is central to all that we do. The Shelford approach to student wellbeing focuses on the five main aspects of physical, emotional, social, spiritual and intellectual wellbeing. The Shelford values are at the heart of our approach to wellbeing and in turn the relationships we build with members of our community.
Student Wellbeing and Development
Student wellbeing is central to all that we do. We support students to develop a sense of self and agency which assists them to develop respectful and healthy relationships with others.
> Valued, nurtured and cared for.
> Safe and connected.
> Focus on evidence-based and data driven material.
> Focus on developing the leadership capacity of all students through formal and informal programs.
At Shelford we commit to a culture where our students are:
> Be upstream and preventative.
> Encourage creative and collaborative problem solvers with the skills and confidence to thrive in our rapidly changing world.
> Provide opportunities for students to develop mental health literacy.
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Our P–12 Wellbeing Programs will:
> Known and challenged.
> Focus on providing support for the important transition points in our students’ learning continuum.
> Assist students to develop appropriate social and emotional intelligence at each stage of the learning continuum.
Through our Chapel Program we will provide a broad spiritual education based on Anglican and multi-faith communities.
Our Staff Development programs will provide staff with student wellbeing professional learning opportunities that build the capacity of staff to respond to and support the wellbeing needs of our students at all stages of the intervention cycle.
> Provided with opportunities to discover and develop their skills and passions.
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> Develop opportunities for enrichment in academic areas of interest to students.
We are committed to providing opportunities for students to pursue their interests and passions in an inclusive, safe yet andnurturesenvironment,challengingwhichtheirstrengthsgrowth.
> Encourage a larger number of students to be involved in our competitive sport programs and to provide strong coaching and instruction in sport.
We aim to:
> Enhance the House system in the School to consider other activities and competitions and to foster House spirit and cooperation.
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> Continue to create a supportive environment for students to be involved in the performing arts including opportunities in dance,drama and music, both as a performer and in the attendant technical areas.
Student Opportunities
> Develop our camps program so that it offers a continuum of challenge and educational experiences that contribute to student resilience, confidence and independence.
> Continue to develop our Service Learning Programs to enable opportunities for action, which foster cross-age programs, student leadership and broader cultural awareness.
> Expand our Career 4Sight Program and increase opportunities for students to partner with industry, alumni and tertiary institutions, in order to enhance their skills and networks.
> Foster cross age relationship and mentoring programs, both formal and informal, throughout the School.
> Develop a range of activities and clubs for student involvement, including language-based groups, Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths and Art (STEAM) clubs, debating and public speaking, and environmental and other student-led and interest-based initiatives.
> Increase the options for students to engage in activities that will maintain and improve their fitness through a wide variety of recreational pursuits.
At Shelford, we are committed to providing opportunities for students to pursue their interests and passions in an inclusive, safe yet challenging environment, which nurtures their strengths and growth.
> Strategically exchanges,opportunitiesexploreforstudenttripsandtours that align with our programs and/or student interest.
> Recruit teachers who are highly qualified, dedicated and professional in their approach and who model the dispositions of being a life long learner and of having a growth mindset.
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> Be informed by relevant and topical educational research and data about how girls learn best.
> Be informed and innovate; developing best practice futurefocused educational initiatives.
Shelford Girls’ Grammar will:
> Provide an innovation and learning continuum which is delivered through age and stage appropriate, challenging and engaging programs.
> Support staff in collaboratively developing curriculum, content and tasks that engage students and lead to powerful learning opportunities and student growth.
> Enhance staff capacity to engineer effective discussions, tasks and activities that elicit evidence of learning and encourage staff to view assessment in a flexible and creative way.
> Strategically review and if necessary, alter, the way that feedback is presented to students and parents so as to optimise the opportunities for growth and learning for students and to strengthen the partnership between families and Shelford in the education of students.
Shelford provides an environment of high expectations which inspires students to rigorously aspire to achieve their personal best.
Curriculum and Innovation
> Encourage the use of metacognitive strategies, so our students can become more aware of their own thinking, the learning process and the control they have over their own learning.
Shelford is committed to delivering a quality education for each student through high impact teaching strategies and an engaging and challenging curriculum. Explicit literacy and numeracy programs in the Junior School and an emphasis on the development of discipline knowledge, skills and understanding in the Senior School, exist alongside sequenced learning activities that are inquiry based, student focused, differentiated and incorporate the key competencies and learner capabilities.
> Provide an environment of high expectations which inspires students to rigorously aspire to achieve their personal best.
> Provide a professional and supportive workplace which encourages staff to grow personally and professionally.
> Develop in students, academic buoyancy and a lifelong love of learning.
> Encourage students to become flexible, critical, analytical and creative thinkers, who confidently problem solve and communicate their learning with others.
> Encourage students to embrace change and see themselves as global citizens who can contribute to a better world.
> Ensure students have the opportunity to develop technical and digital literacy.
> Encourage students to become independent learners who take responsibility for their own learning.
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> Encourage staff to be continuous learners who value the importance of collaboration and reflection.
> Use evidence-based practices to review and reflect upon the impact staff have on students and then refine practices accordingly.
> Value and use staff expertise to develop collective professional learning goals and a shared language.
Shelford staff are part of a growth culture that values and encourages continuous learning, trust, collaboration, risk taking and reflection. As respected and experienced practitioners, staff are integral in guiding the future direction of the professional learning program and developing collective learning goals to improve student outcomes.
> Encourage staff to be involved in the wider life of the school.
Shelford Girls’ Grammar will:
> Improve learning outcomes for students and staff by developing a professional learning framework built on a culture of growth.
> Provide the necessary resources, programs and opportunities for staff to develop individually, as leaders and as a learning community.
> Recruit and retain teachers of the highest calibre who strive for excellence and exhibit the highest standards of professionalism.
> Be viewed as an employer of choice by encouraging staff growth and maintaining a focus on staff wellbeing and belonging.
Our staff are part of a growth culture that values and encourages continuous learning, trust, collaboration, risk taking and reflection.
> Provide a professional and supportive workplace which encourages staff to grow personally and professionally.
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Staff Development
Community Engagement
Shelford aims to:
> Strategically investigate, review and embed partnerships with community groups, such as with external providers (for example, Sex Education Australia, Born to Soar and J-Hub) the Oaktree Parish and other organisations, such as charity organisations, the Alliance of Girls’ Schools, Independent Schools Victoria (ISV), Girls Sport Victoria (GSV), and other schools, tertiary institutions and businesses who may wish to support our students in their programs and transition to work and further study, and support the girls in other ways.
> Develop opportunities to support and assist parents such as a parent education program that provides relevant and informative material in person, virtual and written forms.
> Develop a engagementcommunitystrategy which fosters a lifelong relationship with the School community for parents and students, including working effectively with the Shelford Parents’ Association (SPA), Rowing and Performing Arts parents, the Shelfordians’ Committee and all of the Shelford alumni.
> Develop a marketing strategy which strongly positions Shelford and increases both awareness of Shelford and enrolments.
Shelford values and nurtures its relationships with all of our key stakeholders. We communicate with current and future parents, students and staff in a relevant, honest and informative way. We seek to engage parents in their daughter’s education and maintain a strong partnership in their learning. We foster a lifelong relationship with the School for our alumni, staff and families. We regularly engage with our stakeholders to ensure we understand their priorities and take these in to account when implementing programs and initiatives.
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> The Shelford community will develop a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) which will involve staff, parents and students engaging together in this key area.
> Develop ways to promote Shelford and increase the awareness of our School in the community.
We foster a lifelong relationship with Shelford for our alumni, staff and families and we regularly engage with our stakeholders to understand their priorities to inform our programs and initiatives.
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> Finalise the landscaping and surrounds of 1 Hood Crescent, ensuring a sense of flow between the areas and providing attractive recreational spaces for students.
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> Update the Junior School playground to provide aesthetically pleasing, adventurous and stimulating play, recreational and garden areas, to facilitate activity, socialisation and a Junior School garden program respectively.
> Provide covered, non-weather dependant Sport, Fitness and Physical Education facilities.
At Shelford, we are committed to providing aesthetic, safe, flexible and innovative facilities. We prioritise our community’s input about our environment. We ensure learning programs are supported by relevant technology and other resources. We encourage a shared pride and responsibility among community members for the School grounds, buildings and resources.
Our teaching spaces are resourced and presented to prioritise the particular learning domain and/ or developmental stage, and allow for strong and innovative pedagogical practices.
Facilities and Resources
At Shelford we will:
> Finalise the transformation of 1 Hood Crescent to the Shelford Innovation and Learning Centre (SILC), which houses the Val Edwards Art and Design Rooms and Year 12 Senior Centre, and the adjoining Food Studies rooms and staff office.
> Further integrate the Digitech and Gym spaces into the School, ensuring they are used regularly and safely by the Shelford community.
> Develop a Buildings and Facilities masterplan to provide a clear and strategic direction for Shelford facilities for the future, including the best use of the Glen Eira Road site and investigating the potential for developing facilities elsewhere.
> Prioritise resources,andreducingassustainableenvironmentallypracticessuchsolarpanels,watertanks,theuseofresourcesencouragingthere-useofaswellasrecycling.
> Improve and enhance the teaching spaces for each Faculty in the Senior School and Cluster Area in the Junior School so they are resourced and presented in a way that prioritises the particular learning domain and/ or developmental stage, and allows for strong and innovative pedagogical practices.
The Board ensures Shelford’s compliance with requirements of Government and regulatory authorities, such as Commonwealth and State Education Acts and regulations, Child Safe Standards, Nationally Consistent Collection of Data, Occupational Health and Safety Legislation, Victorian Regulations and Qualifications Authority (VRQA), funding bodies and financial audits. The Board ensures appropriate risk management of all activities and events, functions and operations.
The Shelford Board is the overarching governing body of the School. It has a strong connection to the Principal, the Executive and the Shelford staff, and an understanding of the prioritised educational programs and initiatives. It is committed to financial planning to deliver quality educational programs and provide financial stability and sustainability.
The Shelford Board will:
> Balance considerations of the School with financial circumstances of families, and the need for clarity and transparency, with School directions in terms of restructuring the fee schedule.
> Maintain an active program of recruitment, induction and development for Board members.
> Develop and maintain best practice business and management systems that enhance the delivery of quality teaching and learning.
> Ensure there is effective succession planning for Board members and Chair.
Governance
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> Ensure the School community has an informed understanding of the Board members and their roles.
> Focus on the financial sustainability of the School in the COVID-19 environment and immediate future.
The Shelford Board is committed to thoughtful financial planning that delivers quality educational programs and provides financial stability and sustainability.
> Support the pursuit of philanthropy and other fundraising activities for Shelford.
> Electronic payment systems for fees and events.
We will:
> Improve workflows by moving from a paper based to a digitised system.
> Assistance to provide a culture of using digital technologies to enrich learning for groups and individuals.
> Achieve efficiencies through central procurement, shared facilities and resources such as printers, AV equipment and laptop trolleys.
> Digital library resources –including access to online information newspapers,systems,ebooks and audiobooks.
> Systems that differentiatedsupportlearning such as Shelly (Schoolbox) and Office 365 products.
> Opportunities for online collaboration, remote and flipped learning.
Our IT services aim to deliver a robust, reliable and secure infrastructure supporting the needs of students, staff, the Board and parents. Our goal is to connect all members of our School community to the services and information they need from anywhere, at any time, through a range of devices.
> Improve administrativeefficienciesoperationalthroughintegratedsystems.
> Regularly review contracts to ensure they are relevant to our requirements. Our goal is to connect the School community to the services and information they need from anywhere, at any time.
We will provide:
> Access to multimedia facilities such as Smartboards and Virtual Reality equipment.
> Information that is accessible across a range of devices.
> A single point of access to information about their child/ children via Shelly, our Schoolbox Learning Management System.
> Provide Single Sign-on for staff, students and parents.
> Provide a secure platform where the Shelford Board can communicate, collaborate and store information.
We will:
We aim to:
> Promote IT security awareness to minimise security incidents.
Teaching and Learning
> Continue to improve business processes, data governance and compliance.
> Online permission forms for events and activities.
> Maintain a secure IT environment that balances security, access and usability.
> Continue to invest in our infrastructure to ensure it is scalable and meets the needs of students, staff, the Board and parents.
Infrastructure
> Online access to key events such as parent information nights.
> A continuing focus on training to empower teachers and staff to use IT systems effectively.
We will provide:
Security
Parents
> Use multi-factor authentication and secure VPN for staff working remotely.
> Implement security policies and standards.
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> Increase electronic access to data and reduce the use of paper forms and reports.
> Training to use equipment such as Smartboards.
Training and Support
> Enter into leasing arrangements which allow us to provide cost effective upgrades of hardware, software and systems.
Information Technology
> Digital learning resources that empower teachers and students.
> On-demand digital media.
Operational Efficiencies and Data
We will provide:
> Timely communications.electronic
> Access to relevant online digital training.
CRICOS Code 00339F
Shelford Girls’ Grammar 3 Hood Crescent, Caulfield 3161 shelford.vic.edu.au
