Capacity Strand Update

2021 saw exciting commencements to ensuring the College’s capacity to deliver its long-term goals and objectives of SOC2035.

GOAL:
Sustainable thinking practice and facility development

Enrolment growth in the College has continued and the associated financial stability is important in enabling the College to achieve its holistic SOC2035 goals and objectives across its Learning, Wellbeing, Community and Capacity Strands. Importantly though, the context of enrolment capacity at the College has been very much at the forefront of our thinking during 2021. A goal of SOC2035 was to achieve 95% of our total student enrolment capacity – we are now very close to that milestone.

The College is very cognisant of the bespoke education offering that we provide and aware that it is important our environment does not grow organically to a point where we cannot provide the standard of educational offering across the learning, pastoral or wellbeing, and co-curricular activities that we pride ourselves in.

The College Board spent time at its annual 2021 retreat focused on strategic planning of our facilities and financial position, linked to the concept of enrolment capacity and ensuring we are meeting those important commitments to our students and families. Perhaps for the first time in the College’s history, we are now actively waitlisting families for entry to the College at several year levels as we manage our enrolment environment.

To support that enrolment environment and the delivery of SOC2035 a number of important initiatives have commenced. These include:

■ A significant investment in 2022 staffing across the College, with a particular emphasis on holistic support and the provision of our pastoral and learning support environment, linked to the Wellbeing strategy of SOC2035.
■ The introduction of a leadership development program for both current and aspiring leaders at the College, to ensure that our committed and passionate staff are supported in  developing their capabilities in the many facets of their roles.
■ The progression of some exciting and pivotal projects from the College Facilities masterplan. In particular, the development of the Elphin Inquiry and Environmental Centre, a purpose built four classroom development linked to the environmental curriculum as a ‘working building’ – and the progression of the Stage 2 Helix development which will complete the design plans for the Penquite campus commenced some years ago.

Importantly, as communicated with the development of the Strategic Vision, we have been able to deliver this continued capacity of the College whilst keeping fee increases below 2% as we move into 2022, ensuring our education is as affordable as possible for our community. All in all, it’s been a very positive start to our SOC2035 capacity and we’d like to thank our dedicated staff, Board and Committees for their wonderful engagement in the commencement of SOC2035.