At The Knox School, we understand that choosing the right learning environment for your children is one of the most significant decisions you will make as a parent, not only financially, but also emotionally.
At TKS, we view education as a holistic journey and a partnership. In taking this first step in considering TKS, you are taking the first steps in this important journey and forming the basis of the partnership which will continue and evolve throughout your child’s years at TKS and life beyond.
With a dedicated Personalised Learning strategy, at TKS, we help each student achieve their best, building on their strengths through intentional frameworks of learning and support across individual learning journeys designed to ensure the holistic growth of every student. We have a commitment to small class sizes to provide greater engagement between teachers and their students. Our classroom sizes allow the building of strong relationships where students are known, understood and celebrated as unique individuals.
At TKS, your child will be known, will have a voice and be valued.
As a non-denominational learning community, our strong values underpin everything we do – Values of Achievement, Responsibility, Respect, Resilience, Care and Empathy. These values are embodied by our students who are proud to belong; upon graduation they will join the ranks of our alumni (The Falconians) who are changing the world in many wonderful ways. To make a difference for not only their own lives, but in those of others too.
Learning is an adventure that, as humans, we all engage in; it is a common but complex process. At The Knox School, we consider learning to be not just a singular undertaking, but rather a journey on three levels.
The first journey is one with which we are all familiar; the knowledge journey. The transfer of knowledge and information is important, and it is easy to see every day in any given classroom. This knowledge is valuable, in fact it is essential. However, if we look a little closer, we will see that this is just the surface of activity in a TKS classroom.
And what happens next is part of what makes us unique.
The second journey is a little more complicated to see, but in many ways, below the surface level activities, this is where the real learning takes place. It is here we focus on the development of skills: communication, critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. The skills required for life of meaning and purpose. This learning is complex and can be challenging. Indeed, these skills are not developed in a singular lesson or classroom, but over time. As such, this development requires carefully planned sequences of learning experiences, which allow our students to wrestle with challenges and apply their skill set in different circumstances and complexities. Over time, we see them actively grow, not only in a specific subject or discipline, but in their overall capacity as learners.
The third journey is without doubt, the most complex, yet perhaps the most rewarding of all. This is where we find the gradual development of attributes and dispositions that influence the overall learning itself; at TKS, we focus on character and contribution. These fundamental attributes and dispositions determine how our students respond to difficulty, uncertainty, and complexity, in the world around them.
Through an intentional focus on the development of character and contribution, our students are well positioned to advocate for themselves as learners, contribute to their own learning and that of others and thrive in the complex world around them. To ‘ACT out their lives.’ These are not just skills for the classroom, for today or even tomorrow. This is deep learning. Learning with real world meaning. Learning for life.
At TKS, we understand the responsibility we have in planning for and supporting our students through these three journeys. It is a creative and complex framework that is required to strike the correct balance for each of our students; to ensure the personalised learning experience.
The Knox School is a school beautifully positioned to grow and promote the learning and wellbeing of each student, so they can thrive and contribute in a complex and changing world; to become the architects and advocates of their future. It is my privilege to lead the TKS community and I look forward to meeting you on campus when you visit our vibrant learning community.
Nikki Kirkup
Principal and Chief Executive
