This article is sponsored by Sunshine Coast Grammar School
Idyllically situated in the UNESCO-designated Sunshine Coast Biosphere, Sunshine Coast Grammar School is creating generations of well-rounded and forward-thinking Australians. The school takes advantage of its special location to develop students who are not only strong advocates for the environment but also accepting of all.
The key elements of the overarching, whole-school framework – people, planet and progress – have been driven by the visionary leadership of Principal Anna Owen, who assumed her position in 2022.
“My role is to provide pathways for a diverse community of students and help them find their interests and passions during their time at school,” she says. “The students often raise the issue of the extent of any moral duty owed to their generation and future generations. Our program helps the school plan and educate our current group of students while concurrently being mindful of our future students.”
Adding to the challenge of these ambitious goals is the reality that it is not an easy time to be an education leader, as communities now seek schools to provide meaning and purpose within the context of the classroom. Schools are part of the public debate and are expected to contribute.
“There is a managerial or leadership revolution in education that has been emerging for a number of years,” adds Owen.
According to United Nations data, the global population will increase by two billion by 2050, which gives the concept of intergenerational justice particular weight. Society often analyses the issue from the viewpoint of the moral duty owed to future generations. In creating the school’s framework, Owen researched the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which are designed to “strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development,” and realised they dovetailed with her own vision.
Describing the impact of introducing the UN goals, Owen explains, “They have given our school a sense of purpose and the knowledge that we are contributing to the greater good. We teach that everyone should be treated with respect and dignity no matter when or where they are born and that we ought not to make decisions that will cause harm to future persons.”
The non-selective, co-educational school has also struck a balance between economic considerations (usually financial, resourcing or slowing infrastructure and development) and the sometimes-competing aim of not inflicting harm on future individuals (resource depletion and environmental harm).
“The goals incorporate growth in industry, infrastructure and innovation and encourage decent work and economic growth, and of course, education,” says Owen.
All of these efforts under Owen’s leadership have resulted in a series of schoolwide accolades:
- 7% rise in enrolment since 2022
- 86% of staff recommended working at the school, and 76% were highly engaged, according to the latest MMG school survey results
- Named one of The Educator’s Most Sustainable School in 2023 and 2024
- Finalist in The Educator’s Regional School of the Year 2023 and 2024
- Finalist for The Educator’s Best Cocurricular Program in 2024
- Included in the Top 10 Queensland schools according to ATAR results, with two students receiving a perfect score of 99.95 in 2023
These achievements also saw Owen selected to attend the UNESCO Inclusive Schools Forum in Paris in 2024 and invited to become a member of the UNESCO Global Schools Principal’s Forum. She is also the chair of the Sunshine Coast Council Biosphere Community Advisory Group and a director on the Independent Schools QLD Board.
Detailing the legacy she wants to instill in Sunshine Coast Grammar’s student body, Owen says, “Everything can be condensed into three simple words: gifts, gratitude and generosity. Lead with influence by identifying your gifts and those of your community; seek gratitude in the tangible and intangible elements found in your community; and lastly, encourage those around you to give generously of their time, enthusiasm, expertise and wisdom.”
For more information, go to scgs.qld.edu.au.