sparc at Perth College

Our sparc framework offers up rich learning experiences that combine leadership, innovation and citizenship to cultivate leadership attributes, encourage creative problem solving and ideas for sustainable businesses that contribute to the community.

We want to prepare our students for the future, a world with jobs that have not yet been created, for technologies not yet invented and to solve problems not yet anticipated.

We know our young people are facing unprecedented social, economic and environmental challenges with an unpredictable future. They will tackle accelerating globalisation, technological change and new opportunities for human advancement.

That is why we devised our sparc framework, to equip our students with the knowledge, skills, attributes and values that will Set Them Free to flourish.

For a quick sparc introduction, see the video below!

sparc Partnerships

We work with many external partners to give our students access to expertise, empower them and support life skills to ensure they thrive.

Our partners include the Australian Institute of Management WA, which is working with us to prepare our students to be future leaders. You can find out more about our AIM WA sparc partnership here.

We also work with youth innovator Bloom UWA on social enterprises designed to devise a sustainable business idea to solve a problem in our community. You can find out more about our Bloom UWA sparc partnership here.

If you would like to talk to us about becoming a sparc partner, please contact our Director of Innovation Andrea Holloway at [email protected]

Frequently asked questions

What does sparc involve?

Each Perth College student will be involved in experiences that focus on Entrepreneurship, Enterprise and Careers, Leadership and Citizenship. The basis of these learning experiences are underpinned by the School’s values of Capable, Courageous and Caring and are grounded in the School’s positive education philosophy.

Where did sparc come from?

While still honouring and respecting our Anglican ethos, traditions, our academic excellence, and our focus on student wellbeing, we are also future-focused and believe it is essential to equip our students with the knowledge, skills, attributes, and values that will see them flourish into now and into the future.

Sparc is one of the many areas Perth College is responding to our unpredictable world and creating innovative solutions with the same degree of freedom and initiative that the Sisters who founded Perth College in 1902 begun.

From the moment Perth College began, its aim was to prepare young women for a world that, at the time, many of them could scarcely imagine.

In the 1916 prospectus, which stated that ‘the school life is planned so as to give a wide outlook, to awaken varied interests, and to stimulate thought and effort… The Sisters aim, above all, at forming character, and strive to educate their pupils that they may not merely gain distinction in examination lists, but also be fitted to gain distinction in the greater business of life… In years to come these children may have great work to do. Their education should be such as will enable them to play an important part in shaping the future of this growing and promising country, of which we are all justly proud.’

Guided by their revolutionary thinking and our heritage to hold with care, plus a great deal of creativity and courage

We decided on the life skills and attributes that we believe are important for our students to grow including;

• curiosity and the imagination to embrace challenges confidence and resilience to see failure as an opportunity to learn,
• Divergent thinkers that have a global outlook with the ability to tackle complex problems through collaboration, and
• Valuing different perspectives and caring for the wellbeing of themselves, their friends and family, their communities and the planet.

Linking all the already amazing things occurring within the school and adding new growth opportunities and partnerships sparc was created.

What does sparc stand for?

Sparc is a framework based on experiences.

Experiences that:

• spark passions they may not know they have yet,
• grow their skills and attributes that we know they need to live in our world today and the to prep them for whatever could be in their future
• to build meaningful relationships and understand what this really means actively listen, work effectively will different personalities, to communicate in different ways
• to contribute to something bigger than themselves.

We changed our timetable with this vision in mind. This time change has allowed us weekly sparc sessions, from Pre-Kindergarten to Year 10, throughout the year.

Our students will explore themes and work through experiences relating to specific stages of development, to help gain knowledge and feel more prepared for upcoming challenges they may encounter. These themes include:

• Pre-Kindergarten to Pre-Primary - Discovering Identity
• Years 1 and 2 - Exploring Belonging
• Years 3 and 4 - Building Relationships
• Years 5 and 6 - Leading the way
• Year 7 - Making Connections
• Year 8 - Building Strength
• Year 9 - Choosing Courage
• Year 10 - Stepping Up

Our sparc mentors

The greatest strength of sparc is our staff. The collective efficacy of the incredible group of staff that have been involved in planning and the staff that have been sparc mentors across JS and SS.

It is their different skill sets, different discipline knowledge, different passions, and different experiences that have allowed each experience to have its sparc.

How will sparc keep up with the world?

We have developed multiple partnerships along the way to help add value to sparc. We are piloting these partnerships as we look at ways of ensuring we stay relevant and cutting edge.

Sparc is a framework that we will we continually review and recalibrate to ensure our experiences and partnerships stay tuned to new possibilities, the changing world, adapt and pivot when needed and commit to what sparc stands for and the three main areas that are at the heart of the design of each experience – leadership, citizenship, and innovation.

To learn more about sparc, please contact [email protected].