I want to follow on from my message to you a couple of weeks ago when I spoke a little about the academic focus of GPCC. This last week we had the first meeting of our newly formed Academic Committee.

The members of this Committee are myself as Chair, the Heads of School, Mr Lobsey and Mrs Smith, the Director of Enrichment, Mrs Brown, the Director of Teacher Development, Mrs Fordyce and our Director of Research, Dr Martin Dowson. We have developed a terms of reference for the committee and held our first meeting to finalise those and set a program for work over the coming weeks.

The Committee has the overarching goals of:

1. Raising the academic standards and expectations for all our students
2. Developing alternative pathways of those who are not focused on university immediately following school graduation and
3. Implementing our core purpose and ensuring our graduate profile elements are embedded in all we do

In practical terms the Committee will work to ensure that the following types of actions are being taken across the school:

• Establishing a teaching and learning framework for GPCC
• Establishing benchmarks for academic achievement and ensuring system are in place to support staff to achieve those
• Reviewing the academic results each year and ensuring actions for improvement are taken
• Monitoring the academic progress of students and establishing intervention systems for support and extension
• Increasing the capacity and capability of teaching staff
• Ensuring connections between curricular and co-curricular programs
• Ensuring academic and wellbeing programs support each other

Alongside this I am pleased to announce that our Director of Research (previously called our Academic in Residence), Dr Martin Dowson, is leading an initiative to see GPCC develop a research culture. We have a research project coming up with Macquarie University and have opportunity for a closer working relationship with them. Dr Dowson is a professional researcher and is already assisting senior students with the development of research skills. He will continue with this and help our teachers as well to engage in research that will enhance and inform academic initiatives. Our Mathematics department is also working with Dr Dowson on a project this year.

I trust this gives you some assurance of the value of academics for us as a College. If we are to equip students for a flourishing life, then this is one of the ways we will help that to happen.

Phillip Nash