Trinity Grammar School wins best workplace award
Trinity Grammar School has won a key “best workplace” award after the School’s employees reported “exceptional” levels of wellbeing, engagement, and satisfaction in an independent schools survey.
Trinity staff responses were, on average, more than 10% above the benchmark established by the thirty-nine independent schools that use the Xref Engage staff engagement survey.
The responses of Trinity Grammar School staff demonstrated ongoing and continual improvement, being more positive in every category than last year, and significantly more positive in every category than they were in 2018, when Trinity first took part.
Trinity staff returned a 90 per cent positive response on the first of three overall measures, engagement, which reflects job satisfaction and staff commitment.
This was eight per cent higher than other similar schools, three per cent higher than last year, and four per cent higher than 2018.
On the question of wellbeing, which reflects emotional health at work and the ability to manage stress, Trinity staff reported an 84 per cent positive response, 18 per cent higher than other independent schools, eight per cent higher than last year, and 21 per cent higher than six years ago. It was the first time any independent school had recorded over 80 per cent.
On the question of progress, which reflects staff perceptions of an organisation’s performance, Trinity recorded an 89 per cent positive response, 13 per cent higher than the sector benchmark, five per cent greater than last year, and 14 per cent higher than 2018.
“I’m pretty excited,” Headmaster Tim Bowden told staff in his annual report on the XRef Engage survey, which was founded as the Voice Report at Macquarie University.
The top five positive Trinity responses to specific questions were: I believe in the overall purpose of Trinity (98 per cent), I believe in the values of Trinity (98 per cent), students and parents are satisfied with the education Trinity provides (98 per cent), my colleagues are good role models for students (97 per cent), and my colleagues give me help and support (96 per cent).
The issue of “clear and timely” communications across the School drew a 79 per cent positive response, which was a whopping 37 per cent greater than other similar schools and 40 per cent higher than the 2018 response.
Mr Bowden said he would like to see an improvement in views on career opportunities, involvement, and performance feedback, although all showed significantly higher outcomes than other independent schools. The School will also be seeking more feedback and improvement around the respect shown to staff by students.
Mr Bowden said the high 92 per cent staff response rate to the survey showed he could have confidence in the results, which he called a collective view.
“We all play a part in constructing the working environment we share. We all shape one another’s experience. This is the voice of our people.”
XRef also awarded the School a “change champion” award for exceeding its criterion of a five per cent positive change on the previous year, noting there had been steady improvements totalling 18 per cent since 2018.
Mr Bowden said the survey was not a competition or race against other schools; rather it was a crucial input shaping his leadership of Trinity Grammar School.
