Strategic Plan - The Scots College

Scots to the Fore: Brave Hearts, Bold Minds
Our Strategic Intent
2010 — 2014
The Scots College
Sydney Australia

Introduction
The Scots College is committed to planning for the future
and to aligning our practices to our strategic intent. Scots
to the Fore: Brave Hearts, Bold Minds builds on, and is a
natural development from, our 2004 Strategic Plan, Scots to
the Fore. It provides our community with a clear direction for
the next five years. It states our philosophy and ethos, our
strategic focus and a set of tangible strategies designed to
help us to achieve our vision.
Philip Mitchell
Chairman of Council
Dr Ian PM Lambert
Principal
Scots boys grow into fine men

Our Philosophy and Ethos
Our Faith:
Our Mission:
At The Scots College we believe that young men discover true wisdom through reverence for God and
faith in Jesus Christ. The ultimate aim of our education is to help boys acquire knowledge of the truth —
of God, society and the world — so that they are better prepared to serve in their families and the wider
world, to the glory of God and for the welfare of others.
In seeking to serve God faithfully, The Scots College exists to inspire boys to learn, lead and serve as they
strive for excellence together.
Our Graduate: In keeping with the challenge of our Christian foundation, our Scots boys will be fine young men of
integrity and principle who support each other in their quest for excellence.
Our School:
We Value:
The Scots College is a distinctive Australian school that defends the honourable traditions, adventures
and learning of boys.
The Quest for Excellence through adventure, curiosity, creativity and growth
Our Faith and Tradition which inspire truth, honour, loyalty and commitment
Leadership Through Teams in a spirit of service, compassion, humour and community
Our Strategic Focus:
• The Christian Foundation of the College
• The Learning Environment
• Staff Professional Learning and Growth
• Financial Strength — Building for the Future
• Community Engagement and Partnerships
• Leadership and Governance

Our Strategies
1. The Christian Foundation of the College
Aim
We will communicate and reinforce our foundational
Christian values across the College community to inspire us
towards leadership in Christian Education.
Strategies
1. Deepen the culture of respect within the College
community towards God, others, self and our
environment by aligning our policies and practices with
Christian principles.
2. Build on the honourable traditions of the College and
develop new traditions to enhance community across
the whole College and, in particular, to forge links with
current and future Old Boys.
3. Graduate boys with a clear understanding of Christian
heritage, beliefs, faith and a Christian World View.
4. Develop, articulate and endorse a whole College model
of Christian leadership across the student and staff
bodies, and the wider community.
5. Establish a whole College pastoral curriculum and
approach to learning which is based on Christian
values, and which emphasises leadership, character
development, peer relations, the caring classroom and
service learning.
6. Attract, retain and develop highly competent Christian
staff across the College who support and lead the
College model of education.
2. The Learning Environment
Aim
We will provide rigorous, innovative, high-quality learning
and teaching focused on the achievement of excellence
relevant to the diverse needs of our boys.
Strategies
1. Reinforce our academic culture of high expectations to
build consistent standards of academic discipline, time
on task, respectful scholarship, courtesy, safety and
care among the boys of the College.
2. Develop our capacity as a leading academic school to
promote contemporary and innovative approaches to
learning and teaching which emphasise assessment
for learning, collaborative enquiry, literacy, educating
boys for the different stages of learning in their lives,
and information and communications technology in
learning.
3. Reinforce excellence in boarding practice to support a
diverse group of boys (international, indigenous, rural
and local) with a strong academic profile.
4. Enhance the quality of learning for boys at Glengarry
and in other outdoor education environments.
5. Develop and enhance the quality of learning and the
balance of co-curricular opportunities for boys in sport,
the performing and creative arts, and other cultural
endeavours.
6. Develop and maintain outstanding school learning
facilities to meet the changing needs of our boys and
to implement our Christian principles and educational
philosophy.

3. Staff Professional Learning and Growth
Aim
We will improve the capacity of our staff to become leading
practitioners who add significant value to the potential and
learning experiences of the boys of the College.
Strategies
1. Develop and implement a consistent educational
philosophy and culture encompassing the pastoral,
academic, spiritual and physical dimensions of our
College.
2. Benchmark staff performance by setting core
standards, developing and articulating staff policies
and procedures, supervising performance and
providing feedback.
3. Build staff capability through a whole College program
of individual and collaborative goal-setting and
reflection.
4. Create staff collaborative learning teams to increase
the performance, camaraderie and acknowledgment of
staff.
5. Set and measure staff professional learning goals
which emphasises an evidence-based and adaptable
approach that leads to innovation and creativity in
practice.
4. Financial Strength — Building for
the Future
Aim
We will strengthen the College’s financial sustainability to
create and maintain an outstanding and inspiring place of
learning.
Strategies
1. Maintain an effective, rigorous and transparent
approach to financial management with an emphasis
on modelling, systems and processes.
2. Set and achieve high standards of customer service,
effectiveness and efficiency with an emphasis on our
maintenance, facility management, operations, finance,
human resources, administration, and information and
communications technology support functions.
3. Enhance the College’s branding, standing and
reputation with an emphasis on our strategic marketing
program.
4. Ensure future growth through an effective whole
College fundraising program.
5. Set and achieve annual enrolment and staffing targets
through appropriate recruitment and administrative
strategies.

Our Strategies
5. Community Engagement and Partnerships 6. Leadership and Governance
Aim
Aim
We will strengthen our culture as a welcoming, accessible
and outward-looking College through significant
partnerships with local, national and global communities.
Strategies
1. Strengthen our engagement with the Presbyterian
Church, the day and boarding families of our
community, and our Old Boys.
2. Strengthen the local, national and international
standing of the College by developing strategic
partnerships which benefit our boys’ learning
pathways, the development of staff expertise, and
College operations and facilities.
3. Develop our international education and indigenous
education programs.
4. Coordinate community activities, sponsorship and
fundraising by promoting a strong sense of belonging
and cohesion among our parent support groups, Old
Boys and other friends of the College.
We will strengthen our capacity to provide effective
governance through strategic and operational leadership
to achieve our mission.
Strategies
1. Plan for our future both strategically and operationally.
2. Implement the whole College model of Christian
leadership.
3. Enhance strategic and operational leadership
capability.
4. Comply with appropriate legislative and regulatory
frameworks.
5. Identify, monitor and manage risk in the College.
6. Review our leadership, strategic governance,
operations and strategy consistently and regularly,
with an emphasis on outcomes, processes, community
engagement, Christian ethos and strategic intent.
Interaction of Strategic and Operational Processes
Our Strategic Intent
Our philosophy, ethos and strategic
focus: a reference point which
guides our planning, decisionmaking,
priorities and goals
Our Master Plan
Our strategic plan for facilities
and resources which guides our
priorities for the delivery
of education
Our Operational Plans
Our detailed plans to provide for the
annual operations of the College and its
teams: Chaplaincy, T-12, Senior School,
Preparatory School, Business Office
The Scots College
Sydney Australia
The Scots College
Victoria Road, Bellevue Hill NSW 2023
Phone: +61 (0)2 9391 7600
communications@tsc.nsw.edu.au
www.tsc.nsw.edu.au CRICOS Provider Code: 02287G