St. Gerard’s School Strategic Plan 2030
Memor A Tradition of Excellence and a Vision for the Future
Memor
be mindful
Welcome from the Chair of St. Gerard’s School Board of Directors
Welcome to the St Gerard’s School Strategic Plan 2030. This is the first time that our School has undertaken a formal strategic planning process and we have greatly benefited from the valuable input and insights we have received from right across our School community. The process was a rewarding and fulfilling experience which provided the opportunity to harness the genuine enthusiasm and commitment of our students, past-pupils, parents and staff.
Since 1918, when St Gerard’s was established by John James, the School has had a hugely positive influence on the lives of so many. During all of those years St Gerard’s School has adapted and evolved with the changing times but has also steadfastly maintained its core mission of shaping caring, thinking individuals.
It falls to us now to shape St Gerard’s School for the future. Our focus is on the year 2030 and as you will see we are not attempting to predict the future but rather assembling the key values and strategic priorities that will help to guide our decision making.
Publication of our Strategic Plan 2030 is the first step on that path. The Plan will evolve and develop as circumstances change. Our aim is to position St Gerard’s School to be better able to meet challenges and to take advantage of new opportunities as they arise.
This Strategic Plan sets out an overall vision of our School in 2030. The real work now begins, implementing this Plan, delivering on our key priorities, and shaping St Gerard’s School for continued success.
I would like to sincerely thank my fellow Directors, members of both the Junior School and Senior School Boards of Education, staff, parents, past-pupils, students and everyone who has contributed to the formulation of this Plan over the past twelve months. We look forward to the work ahead, to continuing to serve our School community and to keeping you updated on our progress.
Finally, I would like to thank our Headmaster, Mr. Tom Geraghty, Headmistress, Dr. Deirdre Farrell, and our Finance Director, Ms. Joy Hunter for their dedication, commitment and leadership of St Gerard’s School.
Mr. Brian Gilmore Chair, Board of Directors
Mr. Tom Geraghty
HeadmasterSenior School
Dr. Deirdre
Farrell HeadmistressJunior School
A Message from the Principals of the Junior and Senior School
St. Gerard’s School stands at a pivotal point in its history. Having celebrated our Centenary in 2019, we believe that our School’s success can be attributed to our strong history of academic excellence, our supportive community and our continued belief in our core Mission, Vision and Values – which we deem to be more relevant today than ever before.
We live in a world that is rapidly changing, faster than ever before, and we must as educators have the courage to make bold decisions. We must articulate a clear direction and focus that differentiates and strengthens our position in the educational landscape and ensures that we understand how best to meet the needs of our students both now and in the future.
Now is the time for forward thinking. Our Strategic Plan 2030 is the culmination of a comprehensive process of research, consultation, reflection, assessment and exploration of challenges and opportunities, and includes the voices of our students, our staff, our parents and our alumni. It outlines St. Gerard’s School’s vision and aspirations and will help us to plan and execute exciting and appropriate change in the coming years.
However, while recognizing that change is inevitable and important, we also recognize that John James’ vision for education where “the dignity of the individual and the development of the whole person are fostered” is as true today as the day he first opened the doors of St. Gerard’s School. And so perhaps the real question is not
what will we need to change, but rather, what will we need to preserve? After careful reflection, we have discerned that our Mission, Vision and Values are timeless and foundational, and remain relevant in our modern world. And so the essence of our Strategic Plan will be to build on the core Mission, Vision and Values of our School and to adapt them to today’s rapidly changing, diverse and multi-cultural society.
In our Strategic Plan 2030, we will ensure that three unshakable, immutable principles of our education will be strengthened and advanced. The first principle is our unwavering commitment to pursuing the highest standards of academic achievement so that each and every student in our School achieves their full potential, appropriate to their abilities and gifts. The second non-negotiable element of our education is our commitment to continually enriching our wide and varied co-curricular programme so that our students enjoy opportunities beyond the classroom - through sport, drama, music and myriad co-curricular activities. And the third tenet to be advanced is our belief that education should be about not just what our students know and can do but also about the kind of people they will become. Hence, in addition to excellence in academia, sports, the arts and technology, our education will continue to combine critical thinking with values. As Pope Francis so beautifully puts it, we seek to engender in our students “a big heart, a greatness of soul, and a deep desire to leave this earth somehow better than they found it”. And so our Catholic ethos, which provides an education based on values, will be reinforced, renewed and reinvigorated.
St. Gerard’s School’s success over the past 100 years has been supported by a large community who have been most generous with their time, their wisdom and their support. It is therefore our collective responsibility to ensure that the excellence of a St. Gerard’s education is passed on to future generations of boys and girls along with the values that define us. These values which centre on our School’s central mission of Memor are at the heart of a St Gerard’s education.
For generations, graduates of St. Gerard’s have earned admission to some of the most prestigious universities in Ireland and worldwide, and have gone on to pursue their passions in a wide variety of fields. Their achievements fortify us with the confidence to build on the solid foundation of St. Gerard’s greatest strengths and to strive to ever greater heights.
Finally, we are particularly proud that we have one Strategy for the whole of St. Gerard’s School. This makes us unique among schools, not just in Ireland, but indeed worldwide. While relevant and transformative change will come, it will be founded on our commitment to ensuring that St. Gerard’s School will continue to provide an education of excellence for our students from when they join St. Gerard’s as small children to when they graduate as young adults ready to make their mark on the world.
We are committed to celebrating achievement, creativity and initiative
St . Gerard’s School, Milestones of Learning and Growth
“A vision for education where the dignity of the individual and the development of the whole person are fostered.”
Our Founder, John James
Key Moments
Mr. John James born on November 11. 1883
John James founds school with St. Gerard Majella as its patron saint. Ten boys on the roll. 1918
First rugby and hockey matches played. October 16 – St. Gerard’s Day – first Sugarloaf ascent! 1920
First Senor School opened. 1926
John James resigns as Headmaster. Mr. Stuart Dodgson Collingwood appointed Headmaster. 1934
End of Senior School. Old Boys’ Union founded. 1945
Mr. Colum O’Cleirigh appointed Headmaster. 1966
Mr. George Colemen appointed first Chairman of the Board of Governors. 1969
Official State recognition granted to Senior School. First Girls commence in August. 1973
Ms. Gemma Conroy appointed Headmistress of the Junior School. 1984
Mrs. Fionnuala Consgrave appointed Headmistress of the Junior School. 1992 Dr. Deirdre Farrell appointed Headmistress of the Junior School 1997 New Senior Building completed. 1999
Mr. Tom Geraghty appointed Headmaster. St. Gerard’s SCT play in Landsdowne Road for the first time. New Junior School building opened in October. 2005
New Senior School built and extensive refurbishment programme completed. 2008
Refurbishment of Sports Hall. New Senior School Library opened. 2012
Return of Papal Parchment dated 1925, recognising St. Gerard’s as a school of the Catholic faith. 2016
New Geo-Dome opened. 2018
Centenary Concert in the National Concert Hall. 2020
John James graduates with a BA degree and converts to Catholicism. “Dignity of each individual and development of whole person” is vital to his vision of education. 1904
John James buys Thornhill House for £1,000. Twenty two boys on the roll. Fee £25 per term. First cricket match played. 1919
Founding of Debating Society and Old Boys’ Football Club. 1923
Seventy seven boys on the roll. 1927
1937
Senior Hockey XI win Leinster Senior Cup. Death of Mr. Stuart Dodgson Collingwood. Mr. Desmond Murphy appointed Headmaster.
St. Gerard’s Limited Company formed to administer the school (Mr. Laurence McCabe, Mr Pierce Gill and Mr. George Mullan). Mr. Joseph Maher appointed Headmaster. 1963
Foundation of St. Gerard’s School Trust administered by a Board of Governors. 1968
Mr. Michael O’Horan appointed Headmaster. 1971
Mr. Brian Murphy appointed Headmaster of the Junior School. 1975
New Sports Hall opened. Mrs. Betty Murphy appointed Headmistress of the Junior School. 1989
St. Gerard's Montessori School opened. 1993
Mr. Gerry Foley appointed Headmaster. 1998
Mr. Míchéal McMullan appointed Headmaster. 2003
Second all-weather floodlit hockey pitch opened. 2006
90th Anniversary celebration in National Concert Hall. 2009
Girls win the Leinster Senior Hockey Cup and are runners up in the All-Ireland Finals. 2015
New International water-based hockey pitch opened. 2017
New Junior School and Senior School wings opened in August. 2019
Redevelopment of junior hockey pitch. 2023
Mission, Vision & Values
St. Gerard’s is a lay Catholic, co-educational school founded in 1918 by John James. John James was a man of faith and his philosophy of education emphasised the dignity of each individual and the development of the whole person. Grounded in these principles, St. Gerard’s has developed into the vibrant School which it is today - educating pupils from Montessori to Leaving Certificate. The School motto “Memor” encourages each person in the School community to be mindful of others and to strive for excellence in all endeavours.
Our Mission Our Vision Our Core Values
St. Gerard’s School seeks to enable each young person to realise their full potential as a unique individual by providing an educational environment which:
● Promotes academic excellence through the provision of a broad and dynamic curriculum.
● Instils a love of learning and an appreciation and enthusiasm for the world beyond the classroom - in particular promoting excellence in sport, music and the performing and visual arts.
● Sustains a happy, welcoming, secure and encouraging environment in which all members of the school community flourish and are nurtured and valued.
● Supports pupils in their spiritual development and in Catholic faith formation while welcoming pupils of other faiths and none.
● Fosters Christian values of kindness, honesty, integrity, self-discipline and self-esteem as well as positive relationships characterised by dignity, respect, equality and care and concern for others.
● Encourages a keen sense of social awareness and sustainable care for the environment.
Overall, St. Gerard’s School seeks to develop educated, resilient, thinking and caring individuals with the self-confidence to act and make decisions which will enrich their lives and contribute to the lives of others.
In a rapidly changing, diverse, and multi-cultural society, St. Gerard’s School will:
● Remain at the forefront of international best practice in education from early childhood to Leaving Certificate by adopting a dynamic and innovative approach and an adaptability to change.
● Be at the cutting edge of co-educational, holistic, inclusive and Catholic educational thought and practice.
● Demonstrate commitment to social justice as a faith-based school.
● Equip and empower young people to become innovators, leaders, advocates, critical thinkers and compassionate citizens of the world.
● Commitment to Academic Excellence - a culture of achievement, in an inclusive educational environment.
● Commitment to Holistic, All-round Development - a balanced and broad curriculum which supports each student to reach their full potential.
● A Caring, Inclusive Catholic Education - which, through memor, encompasses faith formation, respect for diversity and a commitment to social justice.
● The Importance of Community - a partnership approach between parents, pupils, staff and the local community.
● The Dignity of the Personrespect for each individual member of the school community.
● Futures Oriented - rooted in tradition but with a focus on innovative practice.
A caring, inclusive Catholic Education
Strategic Plan 2030
The St. Gerard’s School Strategic Plan 2030 is the culmination of a comprehensive strategic planning process which began more than a year ago. As we plan for the future, we do so from a position of strength:
● Over 100 years of history and tradition;
● Passionate and committed staff;
● A track-record of academic excellence;
● Engaged parents and students;
● State-of-the-art campus with further scope for development; and
● Our Catholic ethos which nurtures the holistic development of the individual, a love of learning, and care for others and the world around us.
Led by the Board of Directors, through the Strategy Sub-Committee, and with guidance from an external strategic advisor, we sought to engage the whole St. Gerard’s School community in the strategic planning process, initially through stakeholder surveys and focus groups. The levels of engagement were excellent. All feedback was carefully analysed and distilled into five key areas for in-depth consideration. These five Strategic Pillars provide the scaffolding for the Strategic Plan 2030:
1. Student Development and Wellbeing
2. Excellence in Learning and Teaching
3. Organisational Excellence
4. Sustainability
5. Community Engagement
Pillar Working Groups (PWGs) were established for each of the five areas comprising teaching and non-teaching staff, parents, students and Directors. More than 50 members of our School community participated across the five PWGs and we are very grateful to everyone who gave of their time and expertise to contribute to the strategic planning process. The PWGs identified key Strategic Priorities which will give effect to the objectives of each of the Strategic Pillars, consistent with St Gerard’s Mission, Vision and Values. These Strategic Priorities are set out over the following pages.
The next phase of the process will be to bring the St. Gerard’s School Strategic Plan 2030 to life. In September 2024, we will establish Implementation Groups, once again drawing on volunteer members from across our School community who will drive the actions necessary to achieve our aims.
In tandem with this, the Board of Directors will ensure that our School has the resources, both organisational and financial, to realise our vision and to execute our Strategic Plan 2030 by reviewing, evaluating and evolving our current funding and operating models.
Finally, any Strategic Plan must be a living and evolving document. Inevitably circumstances will change, events will happen and course-correction will be required. Our Strategic Plan 2030 is about the direction and not the destination. The Board of Directors’ ongoing governance process will involve monitoring progress against the plan, and continuous updating and adjustment, to ensure that St. Gerard’s School continues to thrive and develop over the next six years to 2030 and beyond.
Student Development and Wellbeing
In supporting each student to reach their full potential, St. Gerard’s School provides:
● Holistic Education: A broad and dynamic curriculum that promotes academic excellence and fosters all-round development;
● Supportive Environment: A happy, secure, caring and encouraging School environment where students are nurtured and valued;
● Spiritual Growth: A Catholic ethos which supports students in their spiritual development while welcoming those of all faiths and none;
● Personal Integrity: A focus on instilling values such as kindness, honesty, and self-discipline, ensuring dignity and respect for all.
St. Gerard’s School seeks to develop educated, resilient, thinking and caring individuals with the self-confidence to act and make decisions which will enrich their own lives and contribute positively to the lives of others.
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
Maya Angelou
Strategic Objectives
To further promote student development and wellbeing, St. Gerard’s School will focus on developing skills of independence, resilience and self-confidence. We will do this by:
● Fostering a safe, inclusive and caring learning environment;
● Supporting students’ social and emotional wellbeing;
● Promoting and developing the range of leadership opportunities;
● Encouraging and developing a broad range of academic, arts, sports and extra-curricular opportunities enabling all students to engage and excel.
These objectives aim to prepare St. Gerard’s students not just academically as motivated, proactive learners, but also as well-rounded individuals. We aim to form confident and capable young adults and leaders of the future who are resilient problem solvers, optimistic about their future potential, with the capacity to make important life choices for themselves and have a positive impact on the lives of others.
Strategic Priorities
To achieve our objectives in promoting student development and wellbeing, the St. Gerard’s Strategic Plan 2030 will specifically focus on the following Strategic Priorities:
● Review and update current student support structures to reflect the ongoing growth of St. Gerard’s, and to ensure that student development and wellbeing continue to be embedded within the daily life of our School.
● Development of leadership opportunities to support and guide students in becoming competent leaders, ready to take on future challenges.
● Development of a framework, including a parent, student and teacher Charter, to ensure continued mutually respectful and collaborative engagement.
● Consideration of students’ wellbeing in the ongoing and future development of the physical infrastructure of our School campus.
Beyond academic and intellectual rigour, our education is about what we forge in “the smithy of the soul of our students”.
We
seek to develop educated, resilient, thinking and caring individuals
Excellence in Learning and Teaching
St. Gerard’s School fosters a student-centred learning environment, aligning with the Department of Education’s “Looking at Our School 2022” framework for primary and second-level schools. Central to the education of excellence which St. Gerard’s School offers is:
● A commitment to the highest standards of educational pedagogy and practice;
● A learning environment that promotes independence and encourages students to fulfil their individual potential;
● A tailored approach capable of meeting diverse student needs;
● The recruitment and retention of expert and passionate teachers;
● A focus on continuous and advanced professional development;
● The incorporation of emerging technologies in teaching and learning.
Strategic Objectives
We continuously seek to maintain and further develop our excellent track record of learning and teaching in St. Gerard’s School. We will do this by:
● Engendering a lifelong love of learning in our students;
● Leveraging best educational practice at national and international level;
● Fostering technological innovation and preparing students for a technology-driven world.
These objectives aim to ensure that St. Gerard’s School embraces future educational developments and opportunities.
“If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow.”
John Dewey
Strategic Priorities
To achieve our Strategic Objectives in promoting excellence in learning and teaching from Junior Infants to Sixth Year, the St. Gerard’s Strategic Plan 2030 will specifically focus on the following Strategic Priorities:
1. Student-centred Learning
● Continue to implement innovative pedagogical methods to develop a more student-centred learning offering, to support the specific needs of our students and to nurture their unique abilities.
● Further develop existing programmes designed to strengthen students’ resilience, promote accountability, instil determination, and nurture a passion for lifelong learning.
2. Professional Development, Collaboration and Staff Retention
● Allocate additional resources to promote collaborative learning environments and to support teamwork.
● Support ongoing professional development by investing in additional CPD programmes that refine pedagogical skills and ensure that staff remain at the cutting edge of educational innovation.
● Foster a campus-wide culture where reflection, learning, creativity and collaboration thrive – thus harnessing collective expertise and shared best practice.
● Provide additional leadership opportunities to support shared and distributed leadership, inclusive decision making, and career advancement.
3. Space Management and Infrastructure
● Maintain optimum class sizes to facilitate student-centred teaching and to strengthen the quality of teacher-student engagement.
● Explore advanced ICT infrastructure to create a unified educational platform and toolkit for personalised learning.
● Investigate the potential use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education, along with other educational tools, to optimise our student-centred approach.
● Continuously enhance our facilities to provide for the widest possible learning platforms and experiences for our students.
To ensure that St. Gerard’s School embraces future educational developments and opportunities
Organisational Excellence
St Gerard’s School operates efficiently. We have a proud history of delivering on our Mission of enabling each young person to achieve their unique potential. This is done by integrating our people, processes and technology within a culture of caring for the individual.
When students enter St Gerard’s School no one knows who or what they can become. We aim to empower and guide each student to become the best version of themselves. By working together and leveraging the talents and ability of our whole School community, we will foster a framework of systems and supports that nurture each individual’s talents and potential.
Strategic Objectives
As we look to the future, St. Gerard’s School aims to maintain our consistently high level of organisational excellence. We will do this by:
● Attracting and retaining accomplished staff;
● Promoting staff well-being and work-life balance;
● Supporting a culture of ongoing professional development;
● Providing opportunities for staff advancement, engagement, decision-making and leadership roles.
These objectives aim to harness our wealth of staff talent, passion and commitment and to sustain our inspirational educational environment.
and
Organisational Excellence
Strategic Priorities
A well-functioning organisation provides friction-less support for day-to-day activities, freeing up precious time to cultivate and enhance learning, teaching and enjoyment. Our approach to enhancing organisational excellence within St. Gerard’s School is founded on a framework of six priority areas, focused on continuous improvement through reflection, strategic thinking and informed decision making:
1. Structure: Defining roles and responsibilities
2. People: Attracting and retaining the right people
3. Communication: Ensuring efficient information flow and appropriate metrics
4. Empowerment: Encouraging talent
5. Systems: Establishing efficient workflows
6. Training: Sharing of knowledge and expertise
We know that the future will be different, some changes will come gradually, others more suddenly arising from external events outside our control. We aim for St Gerard’s School to be a resilient organisation that fulfils its purpose while being flexible and adaptable to embrace change. Clarity, collaboration and clear communication will enhance the way St Gerard’s School operates ensuring that it continues to deliver sustained excellence for our whole School community.
responsibilities 4. Empowerment Encouraging talent
2. People Attracting and retaining the right people
6. Training Sharing of knowledge and expertise
3. Communication Ensuring efficient information flow and appropriate metrics
5. Systems Establishing efficient workflows
Delivering on our Mission of enabling each young person to achieve their unique potential
Sustainability
In St. Gerard’s, we are fortunate to enjoy a superb School with wonderful facilities. Part of our mission statement is to encourage “a keen sense of social awareness and sustainable care for the environment” and also to instil “a love of learning and an appreciation and enthusiasm for the world beyond the classroom”. Our School motto “Memor” encourages each person in our School community to be mindful – mindful of others, mindful of our impact on our shared environment, and mindful of striving for excellence in all endeavours.
Strategic Objectives
Sustainability is a key pillar in our Strategic Plan 2030 and will guide our actions over the next decade and beyond. We are committed to operating as a sustainable School and we will do this by:
● Reducing our environmental footprint;
● Improving our local environment;
● Providing leadership in Education for Sustainable Development and Climate Justice.
These objectives will guide St. Gerard’s School in our commitment to preserving our precious bio-diverse planet, in making changes in how we use our resources, and in embedding within our School a culture of sustainability and care for the environment.
Strategic Priorities
To achieve our strategic objectives, the St. Gerard’s Strategic Plan 2030 will specifically focus on the following Strategic Priorities:
We will establish appropriate organisational structures to enable us to:
● Embed culture and behaviour change focused on Sustainability.
● Based on our agreed sustainability goals, assess all School activities, actions, and investment plans related to campus infrastructure, including maintenance works.
● Harness the contribution of the whole St. Gerard’s School communitystudents, parents, and staff – to progress our sustainability agenda.
● Plan and commence educational projects to enhance age-appropriate sustainability learning throughout our School community.
● Explore potential and appropriate partnerships and co-investment opportunities with organisations aspiring to meet their own Environment, Social & Governance goals.
● Invest in systems to capture data and measure our sustainability including progress towards our goals.
“The climate, run amok, is crying out to us to halt this illusion of omnipotence. Let us once more recognise our limits, with humility and courage, as the sole path to a life of authentic fulfilment.”
Pope Francis COP28 Dec.‘23
In St. Gerard’s School we will play our part and be mindful stewards of our environment, and will also meet the governance requirements set out in the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).
A love of learning and an appreciation and enthusiasm for the world beyond the classroom
Community Engagement
Guided by our School’s mission and vision to build an environment in which all members of our School community are nurtured, valued, and flourish, we aim to empower all to be agents of positive change in the local, national and global communities to which we belong.
Strategic Objectives
To further promote and nurture our strong community spirit, we will continue to foster and develop community engagement. We will do this by:
● Building inclusive partnerships within our wider School community across parents, students, staff, past pupils and our neighbours;
● Collaborating with, and supporting, local community organisations and charities.
The very special community spirit we enjoy in St. Gerard’s School, and the many interconnected relationships within it, will be supported and developed to ensure that a strong connection to the School – from Montessori and Junior School to Senior School - is nurtured and maintained. We will also build on our School’s strong legacy of charitable-giving and be instrumental in enabling transformational opportunities for our local community - thus ensuring that we collectively live out our Mission and our Catholic ethos.
Strategic Priorities
To achieve our strategic objectives in enhancing community engagement, the St. Gerard’s Strategic Plan 2030 will specifically focus on the following Strategic Priorities:
Fostering Community Spirit
● Provide increased opportunities for inter-school collaboration between Junior and Senior School students, encouraging students to develop their capacity to be change-makers in the world around them.
● Enhance professional relationships across Junior School and Senior School staff through a range of shared learning experiences and CPD opportunities.
● Promote community engagement through an enhanced programme of whole-school community events.
Strengthening Relationships with Past Pupils’
● Expand the capacity of our past pupils Union through appropriate resourcing.
● Develop a collaborative approach with our past pupils to support community engagement and social justice programmes.
Delivering a Programme of Charitable Outreach
● Continue to deliver a comprehensive programme of charitable giving and outreach.
● Encourage active participation through community service opportunities.
● Seek to build a sustainable long-term partnership with a local community organisation.
Developing a Social Inclusion Program
● Explore the development of a Social Justice Inclusion Programme for St. Gerard’s Senior School in order to provide opportunities for inclusion and diversity among our student population.
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up.”
Thessalonians
5:11
Memor
