Strategic planning

At a school with high mobility of staff and students, building a whole-school culture of consensus and commitment is crucial. During her three years as principal at Batchelor Area School in the Northern Territory, Robyn Thorpe strived to achieve just this.

In an effort to further challenge students and allow them to take more responsibility for their own learning, principal Dr Cheryle Osborne embarked on a journey to become an International Baccalaureate school.

Work in schools long enough and we all get to know the bitter experience of a good idea poorly executed. So, what makes the difference between good implementation and another missed opportunity?

Principal Lana Read says her involvement in the Certified Practising Principal program has not only made her a more reflective leader, but has also helped to create a better learning culture for staff, students and the wider community.

Highly effective school leaders continually look for opportunities to improve their own practice, and the quality of teaching and learning in their school. Certified Practising Principal is an independent professional certification that recognises accomplished principals.

Dr Joann Fildes, Head of Research and Evaluation at Mission Australia, joins Teacher to talk about the results of the 2018 Youth Survey and how schools can use the survey data to inform student wellbeing planning.

Principal Kerrie Russell explains why Professional Learning Communities with a particular focus on feedback were implemented at Alice Springs School of the Air, and how they could be set up with a small team of teaching staff.

Keeping students engaged in the last few weeks of the school year can be a challenge, but at Ivanhoe Grammar School, a whole-school Early Commencement Program has helped keep students switched on and learning.

At Bradshaw Primary School in the Northern Territory, the use of Professional Learning Communities has included implementing Collaborative Learning Teams (CLTs) in order to improve the reading results of students.

In this fortnightly series, Teacher takes a closer look at some of the Gonski recommendations and what they might look like in practice. Today we explore the role of education research and evidence in driving practice and innovation to improve student outcomes.