Article written by Trish Cartwright, Admissions Consultant
(First published in the educate+ Face-2-Face Magazine, Nov 2025)
Culture is the heartbeat of any organisation. It defines expectations, shapes relationships, and communicates what truly matters. In educational institutions, it’s not just a backdrop—it is the product. When culture slips, it doesn’t just ‘move with the times’; it reshapes the very identity of the institution.
Decades ago, I attended a newly established independent school. Its founders, with little more than vision and determination, invested their own money and rallied a community around them. Parents, grandparents, neighbours—all pitched in to support a school they hoped would survive. What I remember most wasn’t shiny facilities; it was the spirit of community, a culture of rolling up sleeves and working together.
Recently, I returned to that same campus. The place had grown. New buildings stood in place of a carpark, and the Junior School bustled with life. Yet one familiar presence remained: the grand old Pin Oak, standing tall as it always had, and greeting me as I approached Reception. More importantly, something else endured. Just as we once did, today’s students greeted me warmly as I walked through the grounds. Thirty-five years later, that same culture of connection and courtesy was alive and thriving.
That moment was a poignant reminder: culture doesn’t happen by accident. It is nurtured, protected, and passed on. And nowhere is culture more vulnerable—or more fiercely defended—than at the front door of an educational institution, in Admissions.
Admissions officers aren’t just processing paperwork. They are the guardians of the institution’s culture. Every new family who enters has the potential to strengthen or challenge the values that define the community. A school’s culture might be rooted in faith traditions, in Saturday sport, in Community Engagement events, or in a spirit of service and generosity. It might be reflected in expectations around uniforms, respect for staff, or the way students care for those less fortunate. These are not small details—they are the threads that weave an institution’s identity.
The challenge? Not every family is ready, or willing, to embrace those threads. A family who refuses to participate in school traditions or resists the values embedded in daily life risks not only clashing with the community but eroding its culture. Enrolment policies provide a framework, but cultural alignment provides the safeguard.
Protecting culture means asking hard questions at the Admissions stage. It means ensuring that the families who join are not only choosing a school but also choosing its values. When families and schools pull in the same direction, culture is preserved—and the future remains recognisable to the pioneers who built it.
Culture, after all, is a legacy. It is the Pin Oak standing tall after decades of change. It is the simple act of a student greeting a visitor in the hallway. It is what binds generations together and ensures that a school is not just relevant but also rooted in values.
So, to my colleagues all around Australia, New Zealand, Asia and beyond who work tirelessly to serve, do so with the knowledge that you have a special task: protecting the values of the organisation you promote every day, and clearly informing the families you welcome through the gate.
Key Take-Aways
- Admissions protects culture: Admissions officers are guardians of school values, not just processors of Enrolments.
- Cultural alignment matters: Families must choose not only the school but also its values to ensure long-term harmony.
- Culture is legacy: It endures in traditions, greetings, and Community Engagement—binding generations together.
Trish Cartwright
Admissions Consultancy
