The strategic planning process has involved the entired St. John’s community via questionnaires, focus groups and one-to-one meetings. The process has resulted in the strategic plan 2011-16 of which you can find the summary below.
The central goal of the strategic plan is:
To energize St. John’s, in harmony with its values, by focusing on excellent teaching and an aligned, innovative curriculum supported by a stimulating learning environment built on a solid financial basis and a passionate, supportive community.
Strategic Areas:
1. Teaching and learning
2. Students
3. Staff
4. Marketing and communications
5. Organization and management
6. Finance
TEACHING AND LEARNING
GOAL: We are committed to a comprehensive alignment of the curriculum supported by integrated information technology and a visionary facilities master plan to provide opportunities for challenging and engaging student learning with a breadth of extra-curricular offerings in order to ensure a dynamic teaching and learning experience.
Strategies:
• Create and implement an innovative and comprehensive curriculum paradigm, inclusive of the PYP, the Middle Years, Pre-IB and the IB frameworks.
• Fully utilize facilities and expertise to create sufficient, dynamic, innovative, aesthetically pleasing and adaptable environments to facilitate different learning experiences, with special emphasis on provision of classrooms and collaborative learning spaces, including the learning commons.
• Audit the current extra-curricular opportunities to identify needs in order to provide a quality program.
STUDENTS
GOAL: We are committed to providing a stimulating, diverse and supportive learning environment and community to empower and value each student. We challenge each student to meet high expectations, to become an independent learner for life, and to be able to continue to live the values and mission of St. John’s within a complex, interdependent world.
Strategies:
• Encourage and monitor student engagement and academic performance, with a special focus on leadership, in St. John’s • educational programs and ensure recognition and celebration of students’ achievements.
• Promote a shared understanding of St. John’s values as expressed in our school mission statement.
• A clear, well-defined and administered admissions policy to ensure learning and pastoral systems that support and enrich student performance, well-being and skill acquisition.
• Engage and communicate with alumni to build stronger relationships.
STAFF
GOAL: We are committed to creating a collaborative learning community by recruiting and managing a highly qualified and knowledgeable staff which is internationally minded, demographically balanced, dynamic and highly motivated in order to support the school’s mission.
Strategies:
• Analyze and improve the staff compensation package to be competitive and attract, retain and motivate high quality staff.
• Identify and set clear recruitment criteria.
• Review the current appraisal and evaluation system to support personal and professional development.
Provide more opportunities and time for planning, collaboration and reflection.
ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT
GOAL: We commit to improve the school’s governance, operational infrastructure and management to support the school mission.
Strategies:
• Involve stakeholders in decisions to implement initiatives and support with clear plans and training for usage.
• Develop balanced management approach (scorecard) with KPI
• Develop and implement innovative (forward-thinking/progressive) IT vision and master plan which is aligned in support of curriculum and cost-effective.
• Develop a campus master plan.
• Ensure effective school governance through recruitment and succession plans, policy oversight, transparency and communication.
MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
GOAL: Enhance awareness and communication of St. John’s unique qualities and increase our advancement position to ensure appropriate enrollment and delivery on our mission.
Strategies:
• Increase awareness through marketing among potential expats coming to Belgium.
• Review and update all marketing and communications materials for suitability and effectiveness.
• Assess feasibility of advancement activities to increase the alternative income streams of the school.
• Determine enrollment capacity and manage appropriate enrollment annually (retention and recruitment).
• Develop strategic partnerships for enhance corporate, university and community support.
FINANCE
GOAL: We will commit to deliver a resilient business model with integrated financial plan which initiates alternative income streams, ensures sufficient financial reserves and provides clear value proposition in support of school mission.
Strategies:
• Reduce mortgage debt to agreed targets.
• Mechanisms to ensure measurable control of costs.
• Research new income streams to supplement in non-tuition fee income by the end of five years.
• Income: tuition based 10 fee paying students extra per year for five years within approved enrollment capacity.
• Reporting and analysis: segmented accounting to understand cost/value of each section of the school.
