‘The default assumption has been that being a generalist is what primary school teachers prefer, or else they would have become secondary teachers.’ In our latest reader submission, Dr James Russo shares the findings of a study asking generalist early years teachers at schools in 2 Australian states if they’d rather be subject specialists.

If you’ve moved between schools or made the transition from graduate to the staffroom, it’s likely you’ve benefited from a school-based induction program. But, what about those who may miss out because they are employed for short periods? That’s the focus of a new Australian research study.

School Assembly is the podcast that explores what it takes to build a new school from the ground up. In Series 1 we’re following Principal Dr Ray Boyd and Associate Principal Rachael Lehr as they navigate the exciting and challenging journey in Western Australia. It’s the start of the school year and Dayton Primary School is about to open its doors to the first students. Episode 6 is all about building the foundation staff.

In this episode of our podcast series School Assembly, we speak with Principal Ray Boyd and Associate Principal Rachael Lehr from Dayton Primary School about the physical build and location of their new school in the new suburb of Dayton in Western Australia.

When recruiting staff for their foundation team, leaders at Dayton Primary School threw out the concept of traditional job interviews and instead enlisted the help of Joel Birch from Firebird Learning to host a recruitment session incorporating Lego Serious Play.

In this episode of our podcast series School Assembly, we speak with Principal Ray Boyd and Associate Principal Rachael Lehr about how they have connected with their new school community, in the lead up to the opening of Dayton Primary School in Western Australia next year.

In this episode of our podcast series School Assembly, we speak with Principal Ray Boyd and Associate Principal Rachael Lehr about all things ‘planning’ in the lead up to the opening of Dayton Primary School in Western Australia next year.

In this second episode of our new podcast series School Assembly, we speak with Principal Ray Boyd and Associate Principal Rachael Lehr about setting short- and long-term goals in the lead up to the opening of Dayton Primary School in Western Australia next year.

While schools across the country are grappling with critical teacher shortages, it’s certainly no surprise to hear that out-of-field teaching is occurring. A new Deakin University report which was co-written by ACER and Griffith University, looks at the issue of out-of-field teaching and proposes 46 recommendations.

Welcome to the very first episode of our new podcast series, School Assembly. In this series, we dive into what it’s like to build a school community from scratch, following Principal Ray Boyd and Associate Principal Rachael Lehr as they prepare for the 2023 opening of their new primary school in Western Australia.