At last December’s Presentation Day I mentioned that our 2017 plan is to engage and connect with our school and wider community more comprehensively than at any time in recent decades. I didn’t elaborate or explain why. I’ve since had a range of responses from parents including those who feel Hills Grammar already has many points of effective contact with the community, and those who believe we can and need to engage with parents in more effective ways.
So, how is this different from what we do already and why is stronger community engagement a focus for us this year? Simply put, research from Australia and overseas has found that students achieve better outcomes when schools, families and the wider community work together to support student learning.
To help all students succeed, schools and communities must pay attention to the multiple dimensions of young people’s lives. Academics are clearly important, but equally so are other factors that influence the development of young people - including physical, social, and emotional health; a motivating, engaging, secure and safe environment; and family and community support. Research shows that success for all children involves creating these conditions. Hills Grammar alone cannot do this, but Hills working closely with families and the wider community can develop creative and innovative solutions to meet the diverse needs of all the young people in our care.
Living our ambitious vision of Extraordinary Education demands a strong and enduring alliance with families who share the school’s Ethos. We recognise that a child’s most influential role models and motivators are their family members. Indeed our graduate aim is explicit in stating that Hills Grammar and families are educational partners who have mutual responsibility for positive student outcomes.
Both families and the school share responsibility for student learning and wellbeing. Research indicates that when families are involved in their children’s education, their children are more likely to continue their own education and to be lifelong learners. In an effective partnership, families work with the school to foster positive attitudes towards learning, develop shared understandings of how children learn, and support learning at home.
Schools exist within communities - they contribute to them and need their help. Community partnerships (with local businesses, higher education providers and other community-based agencies) recognise that schools can’t do everything on their own. Active community partnerships help students feel connected to their communities. Families and community members contribute to the life of the school in ways that reflect their interests, skills, experience and capacity including working with students on learning and other activities (both inside and outside the school itself).
Community engagement encourages the school, families, and the community to actively work together, creating networks of shared responsibility for student success. It promotes civic well-being which strengthens the capacity of schools, families, and communities to support young people's full development. In schools with strong parental and community engagement, there is a vibrant picture of community engagement: schools become a place that parents can call their own, local community-based organisations and businesses work as partners with the school; community residents actively participate in the education of young people; advocates and community associations bring resources to schools; and the school becomes a resource for the community. These are the measures by which we will judge our community engagement success.
Michael Smith is currently working on enhancing the school’s approach to community engagement, which is an ongoing process rather than a one-time action. Parents are entitled to be consulted and participate in decisions concerning their own children and our approach will require broad-based and focused collaboration. It will not be easy and will take time to be truly effective. As always, we welcome and encourage your involvement to ensure our approach is authentic and meets your family’s expectations.
Charles Denes | Chair of School Council
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