Fairview Heights State School

1. Fairview Heights State School Growing Together Learning Forever Leading change – Building Capacity Continuing the journey

2. It’s 8 yrs since we started our IDEAS journey … leaders, teachers & families have come & gone… but we are still growing together & learning forever as we strive for better outcomes for our school community.

3. What has been important along the way? • Connectivity to community - quality relationships are linked to learning. • Creativity in use of vision – viewing through the lens when resourcing and prioritising. • Teachers must examine & share practice…No Pain – No Gain! Challenge with support engenders success. • The importance of ‘vehicles’ that unpack complexity– Authoritative Pedagogies & data to inform practice. • Continuity through quality metastrategic & parallel leadership.

4. Defining moments

5. 1.Connectivity to community – “truth, trends & gems” … Then • What do we mean by learning for today & tomorrow? • What is it that we want our children to have by the time they leave us? • What images best capture our vision ? • How can we best say our vision?

6. Now Community members come into our school – Grannies Reading Corner, woodworking, ‘Vision’ program, STRENGTH & SHINE, craft, sports training, skipping…

7. 2. Creativity in use of vision ‘Growing Together – Learning Forever” Then • Parents attached to the • tree. • The Jacaranda Tree • is our metaphor tool. • Our school values are • Sam Seedpods seeds. • Behavioural expectations • became the PODS • Our SWP is linked to the • roots, trunk & leaves

8. Personal & Authentic Pedagogy viewed through Vision filter established SWP priorities:- • Children must be active community participants • Learning to live with others is a must • Learning is ongoing & life-long • Team work, problem solving & challenge are essential • Good relationships must be actively developed • Support engenders success

10. Staff came & went – was the framework in its present form enough? 2009 - expanded principles into specific reinforcing strategies that are being embedded in unit plans and reflection documents.

11. 3. Teacher must examine & share practice No Pain – No Gain! Then Multiliteracies Action Research – Teachers sharing movement forward at a Learning Celebration Day

12. Now • Teachers withdrawn to work with each other & the Curriculum Coordinator • Teacher leaders mentor others • SMT meets once a fortnight to discuss progress & plan further actions • Volunteers trial new approaches & report back to whole

13. 5. ‘Vehicles’ for dealing with complexity Then • Authoritative Pedagogy investigations: • Freebody/Literate Futures • Productive Pedagogies • Multiple Intelligences • Bloom’s Taxonomy • Multiliteracies • Frangenheim • De Bono • The DI

14. Interrogating Data: Our 2008 DI data and SOS data showed that FHSS was a great place to be. We work well as a team and last year’s NAPLAN results show real improvement BUT What else did our data tell us? Our students (especially in our younger year levels) can academically do way better – what else can we do?

15. Now %s and Age Levels show that: • Text reading age good - focus on inferential comprehension questioning techniques • Teaching children how to • unpack text needs a strong • explicit teaching focus • Develop strategies to improve children’s reading comprehension & vocabulary development in the early years.

16. 6. Continuity via metastrategic & //leadership Metastrategic leadership – • Maintaining focus - quality education for each child • Making the links – simplifying complexity • Developing the skills of self & others • Critically evaluating performance • Ensuring continuity through change • Developing parallel leadership • Having fun! Celebrate! Parallel leadership – • Creative risk-taking • Moral responsibility – use gifts • Connecting principles to practice • Developing & listening to student voice • Reinforcing common language & approach Celebrating!!!

17. Maintaining Focus – • Clearly defining and articulating priorities • Being flexible in the face of emergent priorities - return to focus • Every student & their families have a right to be treated with respect • Every student has the right to achieve to their full potential • Teachers are the key • Listen – be one step ahead of the game!!!

18. EQ Roadmap priorities/ our priorities Making the links – simplifying complexity Priority 1 Strong leadership with an unrelenting focus on improvement (i) (ii)(iii)  (iv) Priority 2Shared commitment to core priorities (i)(ii)  (iii) X (iv)X Literacy & Higher Order Thinking in all KLA’s Priority 3 Quality curriculum and planning to improve learning M & E (i)(ii) (iii) Science needs more work X Priority 4 Teaching focused on the achievement of every student (i) X(ii) X(iii) X Teaching for excellence & equity/Science Priority 5Monitoring student progress & responding to individual needs (i) X (ii)X (iii)X Quality assessment standards, monitoring , adjustment & feedback Support Learning Growing

19. Developing the skills of self & others - • Making the time for professional reading • Embarking in on-going leadership training opportunities • Listening • Valuing & expanding on the gifts of others • Supporting staff risk-taking: giving time, advice, monitoring & giving feedback • Providing PD opportunities for staff that strengthen weaknesses & build on strengths • Valuing new points of view • Listening carefully to the needs of others

20. Critically evaluating performance - • Reflecting on how a particular incident was handled • Using a critical friend • Admitting when things could have gone better • Listening & responding to feedback • Sharing with staff and asking for feedback – can be confronting and rewarding (applying for principal’s position)

21. All teachers provided with Induction CD • containing whole school curriculum plan of • essentials & WOWs divided into terms as well as • handbook etc. • Revisiting & building on what has come before • e.g. NAPLAN plan from 2009 built on for 2010 in • conjunction with staff, value adding to literacy • groups to meet new needs of learners (identified • from data) • Keeping our vision alive in the community • Drawing the ‘right’ support team together – • developing parallel leadership Ensuring continuity through change -

22. Parallel Leadership Creative risk-taking Moral responsibility to use talents for benefit of students & our school community Our Vision Song Confidence gained leads to preparedness to take on bigger challenges – Aren’t our kids the same?

23. Developing & listening to student voice Connecting principles to practice Reinforcing common language & approach

24. Celebrating!!! • Kids learning • Great behaviours • Parent support • Collegial learning • Beautiful grounds • Environmental care • Jobs well done • Sport/German/Music • Community connections • Achievements outside school • Improvements in resourcing • Movements forward in the data • The input made by new Fairview Family members

25. A new point of view • Induction CD gave me armour • Quality Relationships evident • Acceptance when I spoke of my experiences with cross school moderation • Feeling valued right from the beginning • Visuals reinforce practice • “Visions – Social Skills Program” making us one Excitement at being a part of this growing, learning, supportive community!!!