My recent visit to Adelaide reminded me of the need to ensure that our physical spaces both enhance and support our teaching and learning programmes at Scotch. For those who were able to attend the capital briefings held in our new Middle School you would have heard me refer to the key teaching and learning drivers behind the design of the Middle School.
Over the last 14 years I have served two separate terms as a National Director and WA President of the Council for Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI). Through this role and a period where I worked as a planning consultant for schools in WA, I have become even more focussed on the provision of quality learning spaces to support both the students and teachers in the learning journey. Put simply, we can all recall spaces that make us feel good when we enter them for work or recreation. Schools should be no different.
Obviously major builds such as our Middle School, Library and Gallery provide us with a one off opportunity to enhance and further develop our teaching and learning facilities. These builds are large scale and involve significant capital funding; hence the need for our current Capital Campaign.
Coupled with major builds is the need to maintain an ongoing capital upgrade programme funded from generating small recurrent surpluses from school fees. This is geared at upgrading and refurbishing current spaces. Recent examples at Scotch can be found in the refurbishment of the BRC which resulted in the modernization of the library and provision of a space for our Year 12s. Over the last summer break we created a new weights and conditioning space and classroom in the Senior School gym. Our Director of Teaching and Learning, Ms Skidmore has also worked on some classroom upgrades with interested staff. Furthermore, the provision of new art and music spaces in the Junior School is part of this ongoing commitment to continual improvement. Upgrades are not restricted to internal areas only. Landscaping, parking, upgrading and redesign of external spaces also need to form part of our capital upgrades.
A sub-committee is currently working on a new Master Plan and I encourage you to submit any thoughts or ideas you may wish to be put forward for consideration. Please email your comments to my PA Mrs Fern Purio at FEPurio@scotch.wa.edu.au.
There is much to look forward to over the coming fortnight, including the Senior School production. I encourage you take any opportunity to engage with your College through attending events such as the production or getting involved with the many support groups at Scotch.
I would like to thank those who attended the recent Maggie Dent presentation where we had 670 people. We will continue to look for opportunities to bring speakers to Scotch to discuss topics that we think assist families in the journey of educating their son. For your advance notification Prof Claire Flexer will be presenting on 5th August at Scotch College in the Dickinson Centre at 6.30pm. Ms Flexer will explain how and why a broader understanding of audiology for all students - over and above impairment - will convert to better education outcomes for all students.
Have a great fortnight.
Dr Alec O'Connell
