Only The Best Will Do!
Strategic Direction: Towards 2028
This term I have focused on unpacking Mosman Prep’s Strategic Direction in the Messenger. Below you will find a summary of the key priorities in our commitment to being a truly exceptional primary school for boys, “igniting a love of learning and life as we prepare them to thrive both now and in the future.”
We support our boys to be balanced and principled young men who understand faith and are globally aware. Through courage, compassion and the pursuit of excellence, they thrive personally and contribute richly to the lives of others.
For our boy …….
SUCCESS
Our approach to Wellbeing recognises that every child wants to succeed. As educators and adults, it is our responsibility to develop the skills they need to achieve success, whether those skills relate to the academic or social and emotional domains.
Supported by our School Values, our wellbeing framework aims to promote honourable character and positive and productive relationships within an inclusive learning community. We believe a healthy community is a serving community, where we find joy in living a life beyond just ourselves.
SECURITY
Our approach to Learning has a wellbeing foundation which supports our boys to feel safe, connected, and ready to learn. We are committed to evidence-based boys’ education pedagogy, and the use of data to inform targeted teaching and learning.
SCHOLARSHIP (Learning)
Explicit Teaching, involving teacher-led instruction, clear objectives, small chunks of learning, worked examples of success, and opportunities for practice and reflection is critical. It sits alongside Integration and Investigation which connects learning and develops future proofing skills helping our boys to become more adaptive, flexible, creative and critical thinkers, and confident communicators and collaborators.
At a time when Australian research identifies that boys are three times more likely than girls to be quietly disengaged in their learning and twice as likely to be below the national minimum standard in writing, we recognise the importance of:
- strong student/teacher relationships.
- education that is relevant and purposeful with clear learning intentions and appropriate scaffolding.
- meaningful movement and hands-on manipulation.
- freedom to express themselves in the Arts.
- opportunities to discover their authentic voice and develop their emotional vocabulary.
- developing strong social, emotional, and character foundations.
Through our wellbeing and learning models, we are also committed to:
- developing student leadership programs, and partnerships with girls’ schools and the wider local and global communities.
- maintaining our open and trusting relationships, connections, and partnerships with parents.
- strengthening our ‘Secondary Schools Pathway Program’.
- strengthening our ‘Transition to High School Program’ to ensure that our graduates are well prepared for their Secondary Education.
- expanding our Co-curricular Programs, and Aboriginal and Sustainability Education focus.
- developing a detailed long-term Property Master Plan which will reinforce and validate our existing sustainability practices.
- enhancing learning spaces and facilities so that they support our Learning Model.
- strengthening our governance and risk management frameworks to guarantee the ongoing effective management, safety and sustainability of the School.
- regularly measuring and assessing the effectiveness of all we do.
“An education built on a foundation of relationship, trust and respect, allows our boys to engage freely in learning, to make mistakes, to have a voice, to achieve mastery, and to develop their confidence, independence, and ultimately ownership of their ‘learning journey’.”
On graduation, a Mosman Prep School boy is:
- In character - Compassionate, Principled, Globally Aware, Adaptive, Relational
- In learning - Collaborative, Curious, Autonomous, Prepared, Innovative
The early years are the all-important formative years, where the critical foundations for successful social and cognitive growth are laid. Through our wide range of rich evidence-based learning experiences, supported by specialist educators, outstanding teacher to student ratio, and a strong partnership with parents, we are committed to ensuring students are developing attributes that will inspire their learning journey and prepare them to embrace the future.
Peter Grimes | Headmaster
