Evolving With Purpose: Strategic Planning for a Contemporary All-Boys Education
Founded in 1899, St Mary’s College is a Catholic school for boys from Years 5 to 12 in Toowoomba. For over 125 years, the College has played a vital role in educating young men in regional Queensland.
Challenges
With the appointment of a new Principal, St Mary’s College embraced the opportunity to reflect on its identity as an all-boys school in contemporary society and to articulate a clear vision for the future. Like many boys’ schools across Australia, the College recognised the sector is evolving and facing increasing social scrutiny—prompting a need to demonstrate its relevance, value and positive impact.
With CBA’s support, the College set out to develop a comprehensive Strategic Plan for 2023-2025 that reaffirmed its commitment to its Vision: Today’s Boy’s, Men for Tomorrow.
The Principal viewed the process as a valuable learning opportunity—to listen deeply and use community insights to guide the College’s future direction. At the same time, the strategic engagement needed to consider a wide range of market drivers and emerging trends that could influence the College’s development in the years ahead.
Solutions
For the first time and with guidance from CBA, St Mary’s College undertook a comprehensive engagement process designed to independently capture a broad range of perspectives. This included input from more than 900 students across all year levels, along with staff, parents, middle leaders, and the College Advisory Board.
The year-long project required thoughtful coordination and expert facilitation. CBA implemented a multi-layered approach, including stakeholder forums, surveys, and feedback sessions. These highly interactive forums encouraged honest conversations around key questions and ensured that every voice in the community was heard.
In parallel, CBA reviewed research and data exploring the future of single-sex and co-educational models. While enrolment interest remained strong, the process identified the need to explore issues such as fee structure, long-term financial sustainability, and evolving family expectations.
The College Board was highly engaged throughout the process, recognising its significance in shaping the school’s next chapter. Once the consultation was complete, the leadership team came together to define a shared path forward.
Outcomes
One of the key outcomes was a stronger focus on partnerships—fostering closer collaboration with local girls’ schools, building industry links, and opening the College more widely to the broader community.
Several major initiatives emerged from the strategic planning process, including the development of STEM projects in partnership with a local aerospace company and the revitalisation of the Old Boys’ Association. These initiatives signalled a new energy and openness in the way the College approached its future.
