You may remember the new SCEA vision, mission and CHARIS virtues that Dr Graeme Cross (Chief Executive Officer – SCEA) unveiled at the 2025 Celebration Day. You may even have heard the phrase ‘the CHARIS way’ mentioned by Dr Cross during school visits this year.
How will it change my role, my interactions with other staff members or the way that I work in SCEA?
The announcement at the 2025 Celebration Day marked the beginning of an important journey for our organisation as we seek to strengthen our shared identity and articulate what it means to be a SCEA school for today’s staff and students.
It has been a year of significant behind-the-scenes work, and now SCEA staff will begin to see this hard work come to fruition in the 2026 school year.
So, what has been done in 2025, and how are we seeking to reach consensus on our unified approach?
Step 1 – Partnering with experts: 303 MullenLowe
Finding the right creative agency required a competitive pitching process among a number of national leaders in branding.
This included presentations to the Project Team, the Senior Leadership Team and the SCEA Board. The eventual winner was ‘303 MullenLowe’, an agency that brings extensive experience in education and large organisations, having delivered successful brand work for Edith Cowan University, Roehampton University and P&N Bank.
Their goal is to unify our seven SCEA schools across the Perth metropolitan area through the adoption of our shared vision, mission and the CHARIS way and virtues.
At the heart of this initiative is a desire for SCEA schools to become the home of CHARIS Education, where we live in the light of super-abundant (CHARIS) grace of God and invite students to do the same.
Photo (from left): Mr Nick Wood (Chief Operating Officer – SCEA), Mr Matt Oakley (Chief Strategy Officer – 303 MullenLowe), Mr Rene Migliore (Managing Director – 303 Mullenlowe), Mrs Kirsten Page (Lead Designer – SCEA), Mr Craig Clark (Board Chair – SCEA), Mr Rod White (Board Member – SCEA)
and Dr Graeme Cross (Chief Executive Officer – SCEA)
Step 2 – Considering the SCEA communities through focus groups
Over the past 43 years, SCEA has expanded to include seven schools within the Perth metropolitan area.
Each campus has its own strengths, history and community, yet we share a common vision, mission and set of CHARIS virtues.
The CHARIS Brand Strategy Project seeks to bring these elements together in a way that is visible, consistent, and meaningful to staff, families, and students.
Our hope is that a parent or visitor will recognise they are in a SCEA school the moment they step onto any campus, not because all schools look the same, but because they see the same heart, the same purpose and the same commitment to valuing and empowering students to become all God created them to be.
Over the past month, 303 MullenLowe has been conducting research and facilitating focus groups across our schools and at the Central Office.
These sessions brought together teaching and operational staff, as well as parents, to share their experiences, aspirations and reflections on the CHARIS virtues and the future for SCEA schools.
Participants shared valuable insights on what sets a SCEA school apart, how the CHARIS virtues are demonstrated in everyday life, and emphasised the significance of our missional schools model, as well as the need to maintain the Christian school’s impact without dilution.
These findings are now shaping the early direction of the project.
3. CHARIS Positioning
Once the research phase is complete, 303 MullenLowe will develop a clear strategic foundation for CHARIS.
This proposition defines what CHARIS education stands for and how SCEA can communicate it confidently and consistently across all contexts, to make the most significant impact in the lives of young people.
4. Brand Expression
This phase will translate the strategy into visual and verbal identity.
This may include refinements to how CHARIS virtues are represented, how we express SCEA’s mission and how our shared identity is recognised across our seven schools.
5. Stakeholder Engagement
The final phase will bring the work back to our community through presentations and communication materials designed for staff, families and stakeholders across SCEA.
6. Revealing the project progress at the 2026 Celebration Day
We hope to provide a significant update on the CHARIS Brand Strategy at the 2026 SCEA Celebration Day, on Friday, 27 February 2026, where Dr Cross plans to share the brand expression with all staff.
This work represents an exciting next step in strengthening our identity as a united Christian school organisation. We look forward to sharing progress with you as the project continues.
Mrs Kirsten Page (Lead Designer – SCEA),
Mr Giles Creelman (Head of Marketing and Partnerships – SCEA) and
(bottom row) Ms Katherine McFarlane (Business Manager – 303 MullenLowe)