A PROFESSIONAL HOME FOR EDUCATORS For all the attention on buildings and facilities, Riordan is clear that the strength of St Aidan’s lies in its people.The school enrols around 1,100 students from Kindergarten to Year 12, with about 350 in the Junior School and 750 in the Senior School. Supporting them is a teaching staff equivalent to ninety full-time positions and approximately 130 support staff across catering, sport, administration and other roles.. St Aidan’s has earned recognition as a five-star Employer of Choice through The Educator, and it consistently attracts highly experienced teachers who are drawn to both the academic environment and the culture of the school. As a relatively small independent school, St Aidan’s offers a level of agility and flexibility that many educators value. There is room to research, pilot and refine new approaches, and innovation is not lost in bureaucracy. However, the most frequently cited reason staff enjoy working at St Aidan’s is its sense of community. The school’s values emphasise care, connectedness and belonging. That care flows from staff to students, but just as importantly, from staff to one another. New staff often describe feeling as though they have “come home” when they join the community. Riordan recalls hearing the school described as “a massive virtual hug,” a phrase that may be informal but captures something real about the atmosphere on campus. Professional learning is treated as central to the school’s mission. Leadership development is a key differentiator, aligning directly with St Aidan’s history as a school founded to empower girls. The school sees itself as preparing future women leaders and therefore invests heavily in leadership pathways for staff as well. From early-career teachers to middle leaders and those stepping into senior roles, there are opportunities to shadow, be mentored, present at conferences, undertake action research and act in new positions. Much of the professional development is intentionally in-house, grounded in educational research that emphasises learning from each other’s practice. The flagship event is the annual St Aidan’s Professional Learning Summit held each January.The school dedicates significant resources to curating a high-impact day, bringing in leading thinkers from around the world. Recent keynote speakers include renowned Finnish educator Dr Pasi Sahlberg, and plans are underway for Dr Simon Breakspear to headline an upcoming summit.These events, Riordan believes, are not just inspirational; they directly shape classroom practice, which in turn shapes student experience. 51 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 07, ISSUE 12 ST AIDAN’S ANGLICAN GIRLS’ SCHOOL
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