Framing our future – five years on

Back in 2019, St Andrew’s unveiled our ambitious five-year Strategic Plan, Framing our Future, which has provided the College with strong guidance and a roadmap for its future development.

Rector, Christine Leighton, says the document was the result of extensive consultation, gathering the voices of parents, students, and staff, who revealed the things that were most important to them, alongside the direction they would like to see the College move in the future. “This information was workshopped with the Board and senior staff, and led to the development of our overriding principle for Framing our Future – ‘Together, building better people, for life’. This is underpinned by the College’s values, vision statement, strategic focus, and priorities. At its core, the plan also embraced the Māori whakataukī, ‘He waka eke noa’ — highlighting the idea that we are all in this waka together.”

Another notable addition to the Strategic Plan in 2019, was the introduction of two new College values – Inclusivity and Creativity, to sit alongside the College’s foundation values of Truth, Excellence and Faith. Christine says the impact of these new values over the last five years have been profound, particularly the concept of inclusivity, which has been widely embraced by the St Andrew’s community. “One of the things we’re proud of achieving is the strong voice of our rainbow group and their presence within the College, along with the confidence with which we promote and support Pride Week.”

St Andrew’s has also embarked on a transformative journey to embrace Mātauranga Māori, incorporating tikanga (customs) and Te Ao Māori (the Māori world) into the curriculum and overall culture. “The celebration of Māori traditions has become more apparent, as we at St Andrew’s have expanded our understanding and inclusion of Māori culture. Another tangible example is the growth of our Māori and Pasifika Group, with students taking great pride in their cultural heritage, and actively participating in events like Polyfest and the Ngā Manu Korero Speech Competition. This has led to strengthened connections with our Māori and Pasifika whānau,” says Christine.

Looking back, Christine says there have been many positive, tangible outcomes to have come from Framing our Future, despite the disruptions created by the COVID-19 pandemic. “It is interesting to reflect back on the time since we developed the plan and to see how it has all played out. I believe the powerful statements in this document have given us really strong guidance for the priorities and goals which have been realised.”