Exploring Tradition, Leadership and Innovation

It is part of our Strategic Plan's People Pillar which is "build a high-performing culture that supports the wellbeing and development of staff, who exemplify the TGS values and share our commitment to the growth of our boys". In fact, that focus was acknowledged in our receiving The Educator’s 2024 5-Star Employer of Choice award. The Award acknowledges excellence in providing professional development opportunities and nurturing a culture of inclusion and respect.

So it was with great pleasure that our School sent a strong contingent of our staff to the International Boys’ Schools Coalition. The IBSC is a global organisation that includes over 300 member schools from more than 20 countries. The Coalition is dedicated to the advancement of boys’ education, through the promotion of educational opportunities that focus on the holistic development of boys.

Each year, the IBSC hold an annual conference that brings together educators, school leaders and experts in boys’ education. Harrow School, in the United Kingdom, was the host of the 2024 IBSC Annual Conference which drew together 639 delegates from 190 schools in 19 countries. Dr John Kinniburgh, Mr Henry White and Mr Luke Rawle represented Toowoomba Grammar School, which enabled them to engage in the latest research and best practices in boys' education through a myriad of lectures, workshops, panel discussions and networking opportunities.

The themes of this year’s conference were Tradition, Leadership and Innovation. The various speakers reinforced that tradition, when upheld well, can forge strong bonds within our schools through positive rituals, rites of passage, nostalgia and shared experiences. However, tradition must evolve and leaders must innovate to meet the contemporary challenges we face in boys’ schools and society more broadly. Sessions on innovation provided practical insights into integrating new approaches to foster creativity and critical thinking in students. The conference reinforced that innovation is about re-thinking and improving pedagogical approaches, not just adopting the latest tools.

The conference also featured a lineup of distinguished keynote speakers, each connecting to the themes above. Highlights included the promotion of diversity and inclusion in boys’ schools by renowned international Rugby referee Nigel Owens which was shared through the lens of his own mental health battles in coming to grips with his own sexuality. Owens' journey from struggling with his identity to becoming a respected referee and advocate serves as a powerful testament to the importance of creating a culture of acceptance and support in our schools.

In addition, Jazz Ampaw-Farr reminded us through her own story that every adult in a school can have a significant impact on the lives of our students. Through humour, she highlighted how critical authenticity is for teachers of boys and challenged us to be everyday heroes for our students by setting high expectations and modelling courage and vulnerability.

Broadcaster, traveller and adventurer Ben Fogle presented on the importance of preparing our boys to lead lives of exploration. Fogle, who confessed to being an uninspiring academic at school, demonstrated the power of perseverance and resilience through his transition from a reality television star to a world-renowned adventurer. Through the description of some of his inspiring expeditions, including rowing the Atlantic Ocean, crossing Antarctica on foot, running across the Sahara and summitting Mount Everest, Fogle reflected on the importance of being surrounded by inspiring people.

Finally, leadership through service was a consistent theme of the conference with many of the speakers highlighting the transformative power of service in educating boys. Service learning has the potential to significantly develop students’ compassion, care and kindness, whilst also providing opportunities for student leadership, teamwork and community connection.

In addition to the conference, Mr Luke Rawle continued his direct involvement with the IBSC as a team leader of the Action Research Program. This involved guiding 40 teachers from boys’ schools around the world through the process of implementing action research in their own context to connect with the research theme of belonging. Mr Rawle’s role included running lectures and workshops for three full days prior to the conference at Harrow.

Mr Henry White was fortunate to be selected as part of the 2024/2025 Action Research cohort and has begun his journey researching the impact of the Year 10 Service and Leadership Residency initiative in Corfe House. Henry’s research will explore the way that peer mentoring and the facilitation of a student-based curriculum promote pastoral wellbeing for Toowoomba Grammar’s youngest boarders.

Attendance at the conference also provided our staff with an opportunity to connect with our Old Boys who reside in London by hosting a reunion event. This was a fabulous evening with Old Boys across several generations connecting.