St Andrew’s Anglican College on the Sunshine Coast has been officially recognised as a 5-Star Innovative School by The Educator, thanks to the remarkable success of its new Primary School wellbeing initiative: the Diamond Strong Pastoral Care Program.
The Peregian Springs base school is one of only 42 schools nationwide to receive this honour.
But what exactly is Diamond Strong? Rather than treating school values as abstract concepts, this whole-Primary framework carves out dedicated time every fortnight for every child from Prep to Year 6 to explicitly engage with the College values of curiosity, courage, engagement, commitment, respect, and compassion. The program is intentionally designed to ensure these core values become lived practices that guide students’ daily lives.
St Andrew’s Anglican College Principal, Ms Karen Gorrie , said the honour reflects the creativity and commitment of staff across the College.
“Innovation at St Andrew’s is about more than technology- it’s about people,” Ms Gorrie said.
“The program is a wonderful example of what happens when teachers and staff make deliberate space for values and wellbeing alongside academic growth.”
Since its launch, the program has delivered significant outcomes across the Primary School: student confidence and connection have risen, leadership applications have reached record highs, and both staff and parents report a stronger sense of consistency and care across classrooms. In regular surveys, students shared that the lessons “make you feel better,” “teach kindness,” and “help you be more confident”.
Parents and staff highlight that conversations at home now reflect the same framework of respect, kindness, and courage taught in the classroom. By making deliberate space for values education within the curriculum, St Andrew’s is proving that true innovation is about forming strong, connected and compassionate students.
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