Vision, Values & Mission

Our Vision

Our vision for St Brendan-Shaw College is to be a vibrant centre of learning as a Catholic community seeking justice, hope and truth through faith and deed, light and knowledge.

Our Values

As a college community, our collective identity is shaped by our values. These six pillars guide our daily interactions and form our enduring legacy.

  • Justice involves fostering sound discipline within each facet of our being, enabling us to live with others and extend the same regard to every individual.
  • Hope is the virtue by which we desire and seek our ultimate good and happiness, which is eternal life in the kingdom of heaven.
  • Truth emerges when the real relationship between the facts and their context becomes clear. This is why Scripture asserts that Jesus Christ is the Truth (John 14:6). ‘He is the Truth because all things ‘hold together’ in Him.’ (Colossians 1:17)
  • Service is the concept of purposefully honouring others before yourself.
  • Integrity centres around working towards team spirit, mutual loyalty, cooperativeness, shared responsibility and team resilience.
  • Excellence allows us to strive for high standards. High standards encourage us to make improvements, solve problems and become better citizens in our community.

Mission Statement

St Brendan-Shaw College has developed from the rich heritage and traditions of the Christian Brothers and the Sisters of St Joseph.
We continue to respond to the mission of the Church, where Christ is the only foundation—proclaiming the good news so that all may have and enjoy life to the full.

Vibrant Centre of Learning

We are committed to holistic education by:

  • Developing individual potential and respecting the dignity and needs of all.
  • Equipping our students to take initiative and responsibility into the future.
  • Providing professional and personal development of staff.
  • Seeking excellence in teaching and learning.
  • Encouraging cooperation and teamwork, creating an environment for collaborative learning.
  • Continual improvement and innovation.
  • Making College life enjoyable and safe for all.
  • Promoting faith development of individuals and of the community.

Catholic Community

We are committed to:

  • The centrality of Christ's teachings.
  • We are inspired by Jesus and his teachings.
  • Promoting a faith relationship with Christ in whom all values find fulfilment.
  • Celebrating and praying together in the tradition of the Catholic Church.
  • Helping others by reaching out to those in need within our community and beyond.
  • Creating a sense of belonging for each member of the College community.
  • Cooperative endeavour between parents, students, staff, and parish.
  • Our partnership with parents. Valuing their support, time, and resources.
  • Recognising and respecting each person for their individual gifts and worth.
  • Supporting our staff in their role of leading students to be witnesses to Christian values.

Justice, Hope, Truth

Our Values will equip the students for their future in the wider community and will lead to:

  • Growing in faith and commitment to Gospel values.
  • Living a full Christian life.
  • Creating leaders of the future.
  • Respect for each other.
  • Developing positive attitudes and self-confidence.
  • Making responsible choices.
  • Developing a strong, caring, and friendly community.
  • Making a positive difference in society.

Faith & Deed

Our challenges are to:

  • Provide opportunities to recognise and develop individual gifts and needs, especially spiritual, creative, and community.
  • Develop pastoral care programs to ensure students experience belonging and acceptance.
  • Promote activities for social and personal development, establishing a strong sense of community within our College, our region and beyond.
  • Promote strategies for positive learning experiences for all students.
  • Maintain and improve effective communication between teachers and students.
  • Strengthen our association with friends of the College and acknowledge their contribution.

Nature of a Catholic School

Pope Francis’ words encourage us to renew our passion to educate younger generations:

“Do not be disheartened in the face of the difficulties that the educational challenge presents! Educating is not a profession but an attitude, a way of being; in order to educate it is necessary to step out of ourselves and be among young people, to accompany them in the stages of their growth and to set ourselves beside them. Give them hope and optimism for their journey in the world. Teach them to see the beauty and goodness of creation and of man who always retains the Creator’s hallmark. But above all with your life be witnesses of what you communicate. Educators  […] pass on knowledge and values with their words; but their words will have an incisive effect on children and young people if they are accompanied by their witness, their consistent way of life. Without consistency it is impossible to educate! You are all educators, there are no delegates in this field. Thus collaboration in a spirit of unity and community among the various educators is essential and must be fostered and encouraged. School can and must be a catalyst, it must be a place of encounter and convergence of the entire educating community, with the sole objective of training and helping to develop mature people who are simple, competent and honest, who know how to love with fidelity, who can live life as a response to God’s call, and their future profession as a service to society”.

(Address to the Students of the Jesuit Schools of Italy and Albania - June 7, 2013.)