School culture is a term you may often hear when discussing a school’s perceived success. It can be strong and positive, or fractured and negative. Culture determines not just the environment of an organisation or a school, but it also shapes the people within it.
Whether you realise it or not, your classmates, teachers and opportunities available to you here at the College play a big role in determining your character and your behaviours. Various types of culture are evident in the world of work. In one workplace, it may be considered normal to take regular breaks, whilst in another it may be expected that you stay behind late if you have not finished a job. From strong and positive culture emerges cohesion, a sense of unity and identity, and greater success.
The importance of positive culture within groups and teams was highlighted a few years ago when journalist Sam Walker researched what it took to be a truly great sports team. This research took him 11 years, and he used many different metrics to determine the greatest teams in history.
He came up with a list of 17 that were head and shoulders above the rest. These included the All-Blacks rugby union team of 2011 to 2015, the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL from 1974 to 1980 and the Australian women’s hockey team from 1993 to 2000.
Through his research, Walker determined that there was a single factor that was common in all of these teams. This one catalyst that allowed these teams to be so successful was not what Walker expected. It wasn’t the sheer talent of the team or the masterful tactics, nor was it bottomless financial resources available to use. It was the culture within the side that drove success, a culture prioritising input (what you give), rather than output (the destination you hope to get to). Without input, the output cannot become reality. A strong culture meant that these sides could achieve long-term dominance in their respective sports even though they perhaps did not have the best players or tactics or had the most money.
Just like these sporting teams, we, as a College community, should continue to strive to improve our culture as it leads to personal and school-wide growth, and a settled and safe environment for all. Improvement does not require wholesale changes, nor does it happen overnight, instead it’s the little things we can all do that can have the biggest impact.
Whether it is turning up and watching your mates or siblings play sport or perform in a production or doing small acts of kindness to brighten someone’s day, regardless of whether you’re friends with them or not, these actions all play a part.
We must celebrate our successes, not with arrogance, but with pride, and our failings should galvanise us to try harder and not to complain louder. Our culture should allow everyone to find a reason to enjoy school.
I want us to be proud to wear our uniform and represent our badge and to achieve this, we, as the student body, must make the effort to continue to always contribute to a positive school climate and culture, because great school culture is not an accident, everyone must buy into it.
Harry Newman
College Co-Captain
