THE  ALEXANDRA  SCHOOL    STRATEGIC  PLAN  

2009  –  2014  

“THE  QUEST  FOR  EXCELLENCE  –  The  Mission  and  the  Work”  

 

 

EXECUTIVE  SUMMARY:  

 

The  Strategic  Plan  (2009-­‐2014)  for  the  Alexandra  School,  “A  QUEST  FOR  EXCELLENCE  –  The  Mission  and  the  Work”  identifies  the  coordinated  goals  of  the  school  within  the  policy  directives  of  the  Ministry  of  Education  as  well  as  the  

initiatives  and  methods  being  employed  to  achieve  these  goals.  

 

It  was  structured  to  serve  as  a  virtual  road  map  for  the  work  at  the  different  levels  of  the  school’s  organizational  structure.    It  will  also  provide  a  process  for  engaging  the  different  stakeholders  and  supportive  partners  to  ensure  

high  student  achievement  and  the  development  of  socially  well  adjusted  citizens.    These  individuals  will  also  be  expected  to  be  well  equipped  with  the  skills  and  abilities  to  critically  assess,  confront  and  overcome  the  challenges  

of  an  ever  changing  technological  society  of  the  future.  

 

The  plan  will  also  direct  the  attention  of  the  school’s  decision  makers  towards  ensuring  a  safe,  comfortable  and  

aesthetically  presentable  compound  that  is  conducive  to  the  teaching  and  learning  process  focused  on  sound  academics,  civility,  creativity  and  a  sense  of  high  social  responsibility  through  service  to  school,  community  and  

country.          

 

There  were  five  critical  areas  that  were  identified  as  the  pillars  that  should  guide  the  work  of  the  school  over  the  next  five  years.  

 

HIGH  STUDENT  ACADEMIC  ACHIEVEMENT:  

 

As  we  practicing  professionals  seek  to  ensure  high  student  academic  achievement  we  will  utilize  eight  supporting  

structures  that  can  complement  the  efforts  of  staff  and  students  in  ensuring  realization  of  our  goals.      

 

• There  will  be  a  more  direct  focus  on  guidance  and  early  intervention  to  assist  those  students  who  are  identified  as  at  risk  of  failing.    One  teacher  will  be  assigned  the  duty  of  “Teacher  Coach”  to  receive  and  act  on  information  from  subject  teachers  and  the  Guidance  Counsellor.    This  teacher  will  interact  with  parents  as  well  as  coordinate  a  group  of  student  mentors  who  will  serve  as  “personal  tutors”  in  assigned  areas.    These  mentors  would  have  volunteered  as  part  of  their  required  school  service  component  

 

• There  will  be  the  initiation  of  an  “Excellence  Pyramid”  that  will  emphasize  personal  accountability  and  all-­‐school  support.    This  will  involve  the  notion  of  “support  buddies,  mentors,  student  advisors,  teacher  coach,  guidance  counselor  and  administration.”    This  will  also  be  supported  by  an  improved  “After-­‐School  Study  Hour”  programme  

 

• We  will  forge  closer  interaction  with  parents  and  the  general  community  relative  to  the  quality  work  being  produced  by  students.    This  will  be  done  by  way  of  annual  open-­‐house  displays  of  students’  work.  

 

• We  will  seek  to  motivate  students  by  way  of  the  promotion  of  role  models  and  mentors.    This  will  be  done  by  way  of  regularly  scheduled  addresses  by  and  interactions  with  outstanding  former  students  and  successful  practitioners  in  different  sectors  of  the  wider  community.  

 

• We  will  seek  to  promote  a  student  and  academic  friendly  classroom.    This  will  be  done  by  containing  class  sizes,  exposing  teachers  to  different  classroom  management  techniques  and  by  encouraging  different  subject  matter  related  displays  within  the  classroom.  

 

•  There  will  be  a  dedicated  focus  on  in-­‐house  training  of  teachers.    This  will  be  approached  initially  by  the  creation  of  a  specifically  structured  Staff  Development  Committee  that  will  accept  responsibility  for  upgrading  the  skills  of  teachers  in  the  areas  of  Instruction,  Assessment,  Classroom  Management  and  Technology  Integration.  

 

• The  process  of  motivating  students  by  way  of  rewards  and  affirmations  will  continue  and  become  more  expansive  and  consistent.    

 

• Students  will  be  given  the  added  initiative  to  work  in  a  sustained  and  dedicated  manner  in  an  attempt  to  gain  a  place  in  a  sixth  form  at  Alexandra.  

 

 

 

 

CURRICULUM:  

 

In  our  attempts  to  more  positively  impact  students,  there  will  be  significant  streamlining  and  diversification  of  the  

curriculum.    To  this  end,  there  are  six  major  initiatives  that  will  be  coordinated.  

 

• After  completing  the  basic  junior  school  course  of  study,  all  students  will  be  afforded  the  opportunity  to  streamline  their  programme  in  accordance  with  their  career  focus.    This  will  be  predicated  on  the  provision  that  they  must  also  undertake  an  accepted  basic  core  in  association  with  their  strand  focus  in  the  areas  of  Science,  Business,  Technical-­‐Vocational  and  a  General  option.  

 

• The  school  will  accept  as  a  specific  responsibility  the  development  of  the  students’  ability  to  speak  properly  and  to  present  themselves  to  the  general  public  in  a  confident  and  articulate  manner.    In  pursuit  of  this,  each  student  throughout  the  school  will  be  required  to  undertake  at  least  one  Creative-­‐Expressive  subject  per  year  group  and  will  also  be  expected  to  make  different  addresses  and  presentations  at  selected  times.  

 

• There  will  be  a  focus  on  creating  a  nexus  between  what  is  done  in  school  and  what  is  expected  in  the  world  of  work  and  the  wider  community  as  a  whole.    In  seeking  to  establish  this  connection  all  students  will  be  expected  to  complete  at  least  one  research  and  exploration  project  in  the  junior  school  as  well  as  to  undertake  one  real  life  solutions  project  in  each  year  of  their  senior  programme.    These  will  include  the  use  of  the  computer  for  Web  Quests  and  Virtual  Institutes  as  well  as  the  creation  of  an  annual  original  Musical  Drama,  Study  Guides  and  a  School  Publication.  

 

• The  curriculum  will  also  be  used  as  a  vehicle  to  develop  student  leadership  as  a  strategy  for  student  success  in  all  areas  inclusive  of  academics  and  personal  development.  

 

• Each  subject  department  will  be  expected  to  accept  a  high  level  of  responsibility  for  student  success  in  the  particular  subject  offerings.    This  will  involve  a  protocol  that  requires  the  presentation  of  termly  schemes  of  work  and  supported  by  a  coordinated  schedule  of  regular  departmental  planning  meetings.      

 

• Staff  training  and  retraining  in  support  of  curriculum  goals  and  programmes  will  be  a  significant  strategy  within  our  plans.    In  addition  to  the  established  national  training  opportunities,  there  will  be  a  dedicated  staff  development  focus  as  well  as  opportunities  for  staff  to  be  exposed  to  international  best  practices.  

 

CONFIDENT,  CIVIL  AND  CARING  CITIZENS  

 

In  appreciation  of  the  fact  that  school  should  seek  not  only  to  develop  sound  academics,  but  also  have  a  responsibility  for  the  total  personality  of  its  students  to  function  in  the  wider  society  in  positive  and  cooperative  

ways,  this  sub-­‐section  has  identified  a  number  of  specific  strategies  to  accomplish  the  identified  goals.  

 

• Cleanliness  of  self,  teaching  environment  and  the  general  compound  will  be  totally  promoted.    There  will  be  specific  initiatives  taken  to  support  this  focus.  

 

• Opportunities  will  be  created  for  exposure  and  personal  interaction  geared  towards  developing  a  high  level  of  self-­‐esteem  and  self-­‐confidence  within  students,  especially  while  presenting  themselves  in  public  forums.  

 

• Initiatives  will  be  coordinated  to  give  students  the  opportunity  to  inculcate  high  moral,  socially  acceptable  values,  care,  empathy  and  social  responsibility.    Staff  will  be  encouraged  to  serve  as  models  in  this  particular  area  

 

• Teamwork  and  accountability  will  be  promoted  by  way  of  the  different  extra-­‐curricular  activities  and  sports  programmes  offered  within  the  school  as  well  as  the  promotion  of  different  authentic  learning  experiences  

 

• The  notion  of  service  to  school,  community  and  country  will  become  a  focal  point  of  the  school’s  work.    This  will  be  supported  by  way  of  mentorship  programmes  and  the  different  clubs  and  leadership  positions  within  the  school’s  structure.  

 

• Different  structures  and  programmes  will  be  developed  and  coordinated  to  support  a  regime  that  identifies  and  promotes  different  anger  management  and  conflict  resolution  strategies    

 

• Student  leadership  will  be  a  significant  strategy  in  helping  to  develop  the  student  that  is  confident,  civil  and  caring.  

 

• It  is  accepted  that  all  students  must  be  aware  of  and  required  to  respect  the  identified  rules  and  protocols  of  the  schools.    Relevant  protocols  will  also  be  developed  to  inform  the  relationships  and  interactions  between  the  different  levels  of  the  school’s  organizational  chart  as  well  as  the  different  stakeholders.  

 

• Partnerships  will  be  forged  to  promote  parents  as  genuine  partners  in  the  holistic  development  of  their  children.  

 

TECHNOLOGY  MASTERY  

 

 

We  have  accepted  the  view  that  in  today’s  information  based  society,  technology  mastery  must  be  seen  as  a  major  objective  of  any  school.    Hence,  a  number  of  strategies  have  been  identified  to  promote  technology  use  to  

enhance  communication  at  all  levels  of  the  school’s  organizational  chart  as  well  as  to  ensure  fluency,  creativity  and  use  appropriateness.  

 

• All  students  will  be  exposed  to  a  basic  course  of  computer  studies  in  the  junior  school.    

• A  technology  team  will  be  established  from  among  qualified  and  interested  members  of  staff  to  work  with  the  Information  Technology  Coordinator  to  plan  and  recommend  programmes,  processes  and  technology  use  issues  to  be  addressed  within  the  school.  

 

• The  school  will  develop  and  maintain  an  updated  Web  Site.    

• There  will  be  a  coordinated  effort  to  expand  technology  facilities  at  the  school  to  encourage  greater  technology  use.  

 

• All  students  will  be  required  to  complete  a  specified  number  of  computer  based  projects  during  the  course  of  their  school  career.  

 

• All  students  will  be  given  opportunities  to  be  exposed  to  different  moral  and  ethical  issues  that  impact  computer  use  and  explore  appropriate  answers  and  responses.  

 

 

 

 

CRITICAL  AND  CREATIVE  THINKERS  

 

It  has  been  accepted  that  in  contemporary  society  where  there  is  significant  information  turnover,  one’s  ability  to  think  critically  and  creatively  will  determine  one’s  level  of  success  in  the  wider  world.    Hence,  specific  strategies  

have  been  identified  to  promote  and  develop  our  students  as  critical  and  creative  thinkers.  

 

 

• There  will  be  a  decided  focus  to  develop  and  sustain  an  interdisciplinary  project  regime  giving  students  the  opportunity  to  identify  the  connectedness  of  the  different  subject  areas  within  a  school’s  programme.  

 

• The  purposeful  creation  of  a  service  regime  that  challenges  the  students’  level  of  sensitivity,  empathy  and  social  responsibility  will  become  a  major  focus  of  the  school’s  work.  

 

• The  school’s  curriculum  will  be  so  designed  as  to  encourage  and  support  at  least  one  multi-­‐skilled  original  musical  dramatic  production  per  year.  

 

• The  students’  original  work  will  be  promoted  in  the  wider  community  to  encourage  critical  support  by  way  of  open-­‐house  displays.  

 

• The  curriculum  design  will  be  used  to  support  student  research  and  student  expression  as  crucial  to  the  individual’s  total  development.    This  will  begin  at  first  form  and  be  maintained  at  all  levels  of  the  school.  

 

• There  will  be  a  school  publication  that  will  afford  students  the  opportunity  to  use  their  different  skills  in  real  life  situations.