Choosing the right school for your child can be one of the most important decisions a parent can make.
While academic results, sport, performing arts opportunities and the overall teaching and learning philosophy are key factors, the culture of the school is just as important.
For many parents, the deciding factor is often a 'gut feeling'. Do I like this school? Do the staff seem happy and engaged? Will my child be happy here and fit in?
Diocesan School for Girls believes a positive culture is essential to delivering its continuing high performance and outstanding academic results. In a business environment, New Zealand's Best Employer organisations consistently demonstrate that highly engaged employees lead to exemplary levels of service, which drives business success, as evidenced in Aon Hewitt's Best Employer Research.
But what does culture actually mean?
It is the beliefs, behaviours, decisions and values that underpin an organisation – 'how we do things around here'. With students spending more than one third of their waking lives at school, the impact of a positive culture on their lives should not be underestimated.
At Dio, we are conscious that every decision we make can have a significant impact on our culture and subsequent levels of employee engagement.
Research shows that for employees to feel engaged and motivated, they need to have a strong alignment to the organisational purpose and believe in the value of the work they do, as underlined by careers analyst Dan Pink and his book, The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us.
Dio's strategic plan is strongly anchored in our overall purpose, enabling students to 'be more than they ever imagined', says Principal Heather McRae. The strategic plan can be seen on the walls of every classroom and in every office, is constantly referred to in communications, and all employees know how they contribute to this.
"Our mantra is that 'all people matter, all of the time' and we acknowledge and honour the importance of every employee and their role in contributing to Dio's success" says McRae.
In fact, staff engagement is seen as so important, the school has created the new role of Director of People and Culture – one of the first of its kind for independent schools in New Zealand.
Jocelyn Anso, who has been appointed to this role and brings with her 20 years of experience in workplace psychology, says: "Front of mind for all was ensuring that Dio continues to attract the best staff now and in the future. Having a great culture is critical to this but also requires constant monitoring and action.
Diocesan's culture and the talented, passionate individuals contributing to it can never be duplicated. The feedback we get from prospective families is they can 'feel the difference' as soon as they enter the school.
The genuine warmth and interest our staff have in our students and their families, the passion for what they do, the level of pride they have in the school and Dio's values and holistic focus on learning comes through strongly.