School Strategic Planning

School Councils
Why are we doing strategic plans?

“The biggest challenge confronting

education in Australia is how to
overcome the gaps between high
performing and low performing
students which exist across all
school sectors”
(The Victorian Minister for Education and Training, Lynne Kosky
Educating all Young Australians, 2004)
What is strategic planning?

• Strategy, properly formulated, should provide

the central point around which a school
community can focus and unite to ensure that
every child at the school can get the best
possible education.
• A strategic plan is your school’s voice.
School Strategic Plan

School Strategic Plan

School Review

School Self-Evaluation

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
What outcomes are we trying to achieve?
• Student learning
– e.g. reading, writing, maths
• Student engagement & well being
– e.g. attendance, positive relationships,
safety
• Student pathways & transition
– Into, through and between schools
Strategic Planning Elements
• Purpose
• Values
• Context
• Goals
• Targets
• Key improvement strategies
Purpose and Values
• Purpose = fundamental reason for existing
– A purpose statement often has two core
elements:
• Who are we serving?
• What do we wish to provide them with?
• Values = timeless and unchanging, as
opposed to operating practices and strategies
which should change
Context

• Understanding the external environment, AND

• What’s happening inside the school

Context
• Understanding the external environment
• What’s happening inside the school
• Tools:
– SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities, Threats)
– Mind mapping
Goals, Targets, Strategies…
• Goals = what student outcomes we are seeking
to improve; aspirational; describe level of
improvement
• Targets = intended performance results; specific,
measurable, time-bound
• Key Improvement Strategies = 3 – 5 key broad
activities that the school will undertake to achieve
the level of desired improvement in the Goals &
Targets over the four year period
School strategic planning template
Purpose:

Values:

Context:

Student Learning Student Student Pathways

Engagement and and Transitions
Wellbeing

Goals

Targets
Key Improvement #1
Strategies #2
#3
Key questions for school council
• What outcomes is the school trying to
achieve for our students?
• Where are we now?
• What does the school need to do?
• How will the school manage its resources to
achieve these outcomes?
• How will we know if these outcomes have
been achieved?
Strategic Planning
Do:
• Get input from your community
• Leave off the rose coloured glasses
• Consider the people issues
• Prioritise your strategic choices
• Start simple
Strategic Planning
Don’t:
• Forget to consider how you will resource your
plan
• File your plan away and only look at it once a
year when reflecting on progress
• Create a set of “wish lists” – your plan must
be practical and do-able
• Crowd the plan with operational issues
Relationship between Strategic Plans
and Annual Implementation Plans
For more information

• http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/standards/account/
index.htm
(for all strategic planning guidelines, templates
and reports)
• http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/blueprint/default.as
p
(Blueprint for Government Schools)
• School System Development Division
– schoolaccountability@edumail.vic.gov.au