Issue 3 / 28 August 2014
From the Principal Improving Student Learning Back in June ‘The Weekend Australian’ published its Annual Lists of the highest performing schools across the nation based on the previous year’s NAPLAN Test results. Whilst the way in which ‘The Weekend Australian’ compiled its various tables is somewhat arbitrary (and as Principal I always question the nature of these Tables), nevertheless it was highly pleasing to see St Andrews ranked 43rd in the State of Queensland for the 2013 NAPLAN Results. When one considers that there are approximately 1300 State Schools, and another 450 Independent and Catholic Schools in Queensland this places St Andrews in the top 1% of schools - a most meritorious achievement. NAPLAN Testing was of course never meant to become a compilation of such tables, but rather to give schools another source of data about the learning of their students. At St Andrews we use NAPLAN data, along with other evidence and information we generate through other assessment tasks (both formal and informal), as well as daily professional interactions with students in our classrooms to inform the teaching and learning program - What are we doing well? What needs greater attention? Where do we focus our efforts next to improve student learning? A key aspect of improving Student Learning is ensuring the teachers continue to grow and develop their professional practices. Critical to this is providing opportunities for teachers to learn from each other, to work together collaboratively, and to discuss and reflect on teaching and learning practices with colleagues. At St Andrews this is facilitated in numerous ways - lesson observations and feedback by peers and senior staff, collaborative planning, troikas and profes-
sional learning partners, action research, ‘teachers as learners project’, and teach-meets. Most recently we have begun to use the P-12 Staff Meetings to enable teachers to learn from each other. At our most recent P-12 Staff Meeting a couple of weeks ago, the focus was on Differentiation (different ways for students to engage in and demonstrate their learning), with a variety of teachers across the College, of varying degrees of experience presenting to colleagues, and then engaged in professional discussions around what had been presented. It was a little humbling to watch the level of professional expertise amongst St Andrews teachers, and exciting to hear the conversations that it sparked around how they might incorporate it into their practice. The importance and value of these sessions to our commitment to improving student learning was reinforced to me in an email from one of our experienced senior teachers who wrote - “I acquired practical and relevant strategies and reinforcement of what I currently do in striving to differentiate”. Learning Beyond the Classroom In previous newsletters I have written about the College’s Strategic Intent for the next four years - ‘Educating Hearts, Minds and Hands’. This reflects the College’s approach that education and learning is not just what happens in the classroom. A St Andrews Education is much more than this. We strive to develop the whole child. Learning experiences beyond the class-