A Journey of Belonging, Voice and Possibility
At St Peter’s Girls’ School, we are privileged to offer an educational journey that spans from the early years through to Year 12. As Director of the Early Learners’ Centre, I have the honour of meeting families as they begin this journey during enrolment interviews, where they share their aspirations, values, and hopes for their child.
These conversations are often deeply affirming. Many families speak of their connection to the School as Old Scholars, reflecting warmly on their own experiences and how these shaped their lives. Others tell of how their School tour awakened them to the value of an all-girls’ education, one that is future-focused, inclusive, and designed to cultivate courage, creativity and compassion.
One recent conversation has remained with me. A family who had visited several ELC to Year 12 settings and narrowed their decision to two highly regarded independent schools. While they acknowledged the other school’s strengths, they shared that St Peter’s Girls was the education they wanted for their daughter. It was not just about reputation or academic results it was about the way our environment, culture, and pedagogy aligned with the future they envisioned for her.
This long-term perspective is something we honour in the ELC. As educators, we are mindful of the future we are preparing children for, one marked by complexity, creativity, and change. We are equally grounded in the present. Inspired by the Reggio Emilia Approach, we see each child as capable, competent, and full of potential. Our work is to nurture this potential through an environment that fosters deep relationships, a strong sense of belonging, and a curriculum that honours children’s thinking, questions, and ideas.
Nowhere is this more visible than in the learning and transition experiences of our Pathway children. This week, I was invited to a rehearsal for our much-loved Hat Ceremony, a celebration that marks the next stage of the children’s journey as they prepare to enter Reception. Supported by our Year 12 Prefects, who are themselves approaching the end of their school life, the event represents a powerful and symbolic passing of the torch. It is a moment of celebration, reflection, and connection highlighting the seamless continuity that a St Peter’s Girls’ education offers.
In the ELC, we have also been engaging in deep pedagogical work through a professional learning series with educational consultant Lisa Burman. Her work with our team has challenged and inspired us to reimagine what it means for young children to be confident communicators and authors. In response, book-making has flourished as a vehicle for children to share their stories, theories, and insights about the world around them.
This literacy work has taken on new purpose with the redesign of our outdoor space. Our Pathway children have been documenting their ideas for what our new environment could be, creating sketches, proposals, and data they have gathered. In the spirit of democratic participation, they even presented their findings to me advocating for elements they believe should be included. When I mentioned a landscape designer I’d been speaking with, the children were eager to extend the dialogue. One child, Freya, returned the next day with her own self-authored book: Landscape Design. This is the kind of learning that matters. Learning that is real, responsive, and relational. It begins with belonging, grows through expression and inquiry, and flourishes in environments where children’s voices are truly heard.
We are proud to walk this journey with our families from those first moments in the ELC to the final celebrations in Year 12 and we remain committed to ensuring that every child is seen, valued, and inspired along the way.
Liz Schembri
Director of Early Learners’ Centre
