e4 is the innovative, uniquely St Mary’s curriculum followed by our Form I girls. After a full year of planning led by Dr Sally James, this integrated curriculum was first implemented in 2015 and is currently in its third year of operation. Recently e4 was nominated into the Learning Innovation Africa Learning Idol Awards and Dr James and I presented this curriculum to a panel of judges at GIBS business school, where the programme was shortlisted as one of the top three entries. The following week saw us present again, this time with another member of our team, Jane McMurray, for more than 200 delegates at the annual Learning Innovation Africa conference. Our presentation was well received and St Mary’s was placed third overall.

Major themes of the conference were a move towards the personalisation of learning, more focus on the process and less focus on the product of learning and the need for mobility, creativity and flexibility which is enabled by the use of technology. This last aspect coincides with our “high tech, high touch” approach at St Mary’s, where the focus of technology is to enable and enhance greater connectedness among individuals. A memorable statement made at the conference was that recruiters in many companies are already hiring based on characteristics of applicants and not based on their knowledge or qualifications, and that self-discovery should be a greater focus of learning.

These elements mirror much of what our team has currently implemented in the e4 curriculum, and plans to develop further in the future.

This term we say farewell to Dr James who is moving on from St Mary’s and we extend our heartfelt thanks for her phenomenal contribution to innovation at the school.

Clare Searle