Vision and culture

Horizon Vision:

To create a school which changes the educational landscape and influences global educational thinking.

School Vision:

To make school better for every student every day.

At the Village we question everything as we strive to be better. We will not do what we’ve always done because we know that will result in what we’ve always got. We want every day to be better and we will relentlessly pursue the individual in order to meet them where they are at any given moment on any given day.

Hold lightly, tread lightly

Nothing we do is too precious to be questioned. Our ideas, our people, our culture are too precious not to tread lightly. We don’t hang on to anything that has lost its usefulness. We need forward facing momentum which requires constant reflection and iteration for ongoing improvement. 

Be the change you seek

We use our agency to take initiative, bring new ideas and iterate for continual improvement. We take responsibility for change, we don’t sit back and wait for it to happen or pass it on to someone else to do for us. We do hard things and make difficult decisions. We don't ignore, accept or walk away from that which we know can be done better. We are inherently reflective and responsive.

Be curious and curiouser

We seek knowledge first before understanding. We notice and respond to seek insight for continuous learning, growth and improvement. We are curious not furious and we actively seek a better understanding of ourselves, others and our world. We are open to offers from others and have a “Yes, and…” approach to collaboration. We notice, we are curious and we act.

Be radically candid, expect radical candour

We are open to learning every day and practise intellectual humility. We develop our emotional intelligence to understand our impact so we can grow our impact. We seek feedback and give feedback in a community of trust and compassion. We care personally and challenge directly to ensure that feedback is frequent, kind, clear, specific and sincere. We believe that asking for feedback is the best way to create a safe environment of trust for personal and collective growth. We don’t let discomfort stop us from sharing what is working and what could be better.

Be playful, creative and brave

We fail fast and fail often as we explore wicked problems and shape practice by continually challenging our thinking. We push boundaries, break stereotypes and play with possibilities. We build next practice by creating a comprehensive, research-based tool kit drawing on our collective knowledge and experience, enabling us to create something better.  We believe that the answer is “in the room”. We share ideas and resources and we value the expertise of our colleagues and peers.

Assume best intent, be optimistic

We believe that everyone acts with the best intent and is doing the best that they can every day.  In our daily interactions, we value fact over fiction and seek to grow ourselves and others by ensuring that positive relationships are at the heart of our Village culture. We personally care and care personally. We believe that everyone can learn in an environment of collaboration, safety and support. We don’t underestimate the capacity of our students, we are open to offers and we practise a “Yes, and…” approach to collaborative practice. We acknowledge that our work is important and we support each other to be our best. We notice what is not being said and enable all voices.