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We assist students to value and commit wholeheartedly to personal learning progress and seek to develop sophisticated learners who are able to use what they know in creative ways
Why Us
We are a Christ-centred community that seeks to develop extraordinary learners with a passion to serve others. This statement is intrinsically based upon the belief that Christ is the key to unlocking wisdom that gives us all deep understanding and purpose in life.
Head of College Welcome
William Clarke College is a unique and innovative learning community. It is a warm and encouraging place, where students are empowered to take responsibility for their learning and lend their voice in order to shape their educational experiences.
Building on strong foundations in literacy and numeracy, students are given a variety of opportunities to determine their course of study and pursue their passions and interests as they progress through the College. They are also encouraged to apply their learning in ways that serve others, both inside and outside the school gates. I am amazed and inspired by the way William Clarke students display initiative, show concern for those around them, and make an impact for good in the communities they are part of.
William Clarke College is served by an outstanding and dedicated team of excellent teachers, marked by an absolute love of education and a passion to see students grow and develop. Our desire is to equip students not only with the skills but also with the character traits that they will need to thrive in the 21st century, in a world marked by rapid change and global connectivity.
Though the world around us is filled with change and uncertainty, William Clarke College remains committed to the timeless and unchanging hope of Jesus Christ. All aspects of College life are grounded in biblical principles and wisdom. Families are welcome to join the William Clarke College community, regardless of their background, and are invited to explore the Bible’s message about Jesus in an engaging and relevant way, and to develop their own personal response to it.
At William Clarke College, we do not believe success can be measured merely through academic results or Co-curricular achievements. Instead, we strive to see each individual student grow and develop as much as they can – academically, socially, spiritually, physically, and culturally, and delight to see them do this every day.
Put simply, we are a Christ-centred community that seeks to develop extraordinary learners with a passion to serve others. I invite you to explore further what we have to offer.
Mr Alex Koch
Head of College
William Clarke College
Purpose Statement
William Clarke College is a Christ-centred community that seeks to develop extraordinary learners with a passion to serve others.
A Christ-centred Community
Our foundation for a Christ-centred community is the love of others in the community.
The Bible compels us to love God and to love others. This truth is the foundation of our Christ-centred community. By creating a safe and supportive environment where students and staff can reflect on and discuss Christ’s teachings, we are able to engage those who are sceptical, encourage those who are seeking, and equip those who have the desire to shape their life around Christ.
While each person’s relationship with God is unique, we believe that for every person Christ is the key to unlocking wisdom that gives understanding for life.
Developing Extraordinary Learners
We believe there is an Extraordinary Learner inside every one of us.
An extraordinary learner is someone who doesn’t just recite answers, but who can apply and build on their knowledge in new and challenging ways. Extraordinary learners know how to think. They have the resilience to pursue feedback, they embrace hard work and they see their mistakes as pathways to deeper learning. Extraordinary learners pursue Deep Learning through a future-focused curriculum that equips students with a strong sense of agency. Our approach to learning empowers students to be owners and directors of their own learning journey. Extraordinary learners pursue deep learning and exceptional growth in three key areas, Christ-like character, Academic mastery and Enterprise skills.
With a Passion to Serve Others
With our foundation in Christ, we are a servant-hearted community that seeks to know and respond appropriately to the needs of others.
The Bible is replete with messages that remind us all of the responsibility to care for those in need. As a community that is richly blessed, we reinforce a community culture that values character and meeting the needs of others at both a local, national and global level.
The College enthusiastically pursues service opportunities through our active participation in a range of fundraising activities. From raising money for the ‘Salvos’ to bringing in food hampers for the homeless, our College student leaders proactively engage all students to think about the importance of giving to others.
The A.R.T of Freedom
With Christ our wisdom we are free to be...
Authentic, Relational and Transformative
What type of culture underpins a Christ-centred community? Three areas conceptualised within the College’s Strategic Plan provides an excellent framework to guide the College’s culture. That is, in being Authentic, Relational and Transformative we will support a culture that faithfully serves our purpose. The key area we wish to pursue is one of freedom. In building a culture that is Authentic, Relational and Transformative, our goal is to enable individuals to know, understand and embrace the true freedom that comes from knowing Christ. Our staff are encouraged to consider and embed the following aspects of ART in the ways they work and interact with others.
Deep Learning Curriculum Framework
We achieve Deep Learning through a future-focussed curriculum that equips students with a strong sense of agency. Our approach to learning empowers students to be owners and directors of their own learning journey.
"If we want learners who can thrive in turbulent, complex times, apply thinking to new situations and change the world, we must re-imagine learning: what's important to be learned, how learning is fostered, where learning happens and how we measure success. This means creating environments that challenge, provoke, stimulate and celebrate learning. We call this new conceptualization of the learning process deep learning and it must become the new purpose of education." Fullan et al, Deep Learning: Engage the World, Change the World
Extraordinary learners pursue Deep Learning and exceptional growth in three key areas:
Christ-like character: commitment to a life of virtue that allows one to bring hope to others by showing compassion, courage, hope, integrity and humility.
Academic mastery: proficiency in literacy, numeracy and the big ideas that matter.
Enterprise skills: key competencies that describe the skills and attributes for learners to flourish as citizens of the modern world: the 5 Cs of collaboration, critical thinking, communication, creativity and citizenship.
In seeking to develop extraordinary learners who make progress, we recognise how instrumental student character development is in the learning process. We know when students invest in developing their character, they enjoy improvements in their academic learning. As such, we teach the development of character and support students to push beyond their perceived boundaries.
As a College, we continually invest in the development and training of our teachers. We seek to empower our teaching staff with practices that improve and substantially shift student learning outcomes.
Building Character
We see that our responsibility as educators is not merely to furnish our students with the knowledge and skills that are necessary for academic success, but rather a holistic process of personal formation.
It is of vital importance, then, to recognise and educate our students as whole persons. When we speak of character, we refer to the aggregate sense of identity, thoughts, values, attitudes, motives, and habits of a person.
We believe that human beings have been created by God for a purpose. Through God’s word, we find wisdom to discover, explore and embody this purpose. As a result, with Christ our wisdom, we seek to intentionally orient our students’ lives towards their God-given purpose. As a College, we take an intentional and planned approach to Character education, as an essential aspect of our pursuit of student formation for flourishing in God’s world. For more information visit Character Education.
Why William
Clarke College?
There are many reasons why families choose William Clarke. Below is a brief insight into some of the reasons why William Clarke College is the Christ-centred community it is today.
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We seek to engender a passion to serve others in response to God’s love for us
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We are relentless in challenging and working with students to live authentic lives which honour God
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We believe that quality teachers know their impact, improve and substantially shift student learning outcomes, and therefore we invest continually in their professional growth
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We believe that character can be taught and seek to develop virtues that will equip our students to flourish throughout their lives
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As a College, our desire is that that every student is known and feels a sense of connectedness to the College Community.
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Understanding the positive impact on student learning growth that arises from strong relationships, we value positive partnerships with parents and carers
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We intentionally prepare our students for success beyond success at school, equipping students with the emotional maturity and resilience they need to thrive