Introduction

Social Ventures Australia empowers school leaders to continue to innovate and improve outcomes for students, and to inform the education system of what transformational school leadership entails.

The Bright Spots Schools Connection partnership initiative identifies successful school leaders, and supports them to continue to improve and innovate, and to share and spread what it takes to be successful in such circumstances. The five year partnership offers -

● Investment in talented school leaders with a proven track record to create or accelerate a successful school change initiative

● Networking opportunities for school leaders to share and learn from each other

● Evidence for what it takes to be a successful school leader in low SES schools that informs education systems

One year into the Bright Spots Schools Connection, it is encouraging to see emerging outcomes.

The first cohort of The Connection comprises leaders from 8 primary and secondary schools in New South Wales and Victoria, who are achieving excellent outcomes in challenging circumstances. The leaders of these schools have invested significantly in building the capacity of their teachers, in creating curriculum and environmental structures that promote meaningful learning for students, and in catalyzing engagement

from parents and community. These schools are an inspiring example of what is possible when excellent school leadership, teaching and learning, and strategic partnerships are aligned.

Gathering credible evidence to share and spread the work of these schools continues to be a focus for The Connection. This year, Social Ventures Australia Consulting will be supporting the schools to further develop the strategies and tools to understand the impact of their initiatives on student outcomes. This work will also assess the impact of The Connection partnership in adding value to the schools.

The first year of The Connection has been inspirational, and we look forward to continuing to forge connections between and across schools and systems, to further spread and scale the influence of outstanding school leaders.

Let’s learn from these Bright

Spots and create a Bright System.

Background ● K-6 Primary School in Dallas, North Western

Melbourne, Victoria

● 281 students, with 61% low socioeconomic status, 75% of students speak a language other than English and 12% of students from refugee status families

Background ● 7-12 Secondary School in Western Sydney, New South Wales

● 1098 students, with 46% low socioeconomic status, 51% of students born outside of Australia and 5% of students from from Indigenous backgrounds

POWERHOUSE SCHOOL

Broadmeadows Primary School

POWERHOUSE SCHOOL

Rooty Hill High School SVA PartnershipApproximately 30% of students at Broadmeadows Primary School are on in-school case management for social, emotional or academic issues These students require support with learning, and in particular, with adopting effective learning behaviours, in order to overcome the aforementioned issues and lead their own learning. Broadmeadows Primary School is therefore using the resources and support from The Connection to implement a brain-based learning program designed to support students to develop self-awareness and metacognitive strategies and techniques to optimise learning.

Brain-based learning refers to teaching methods, lesson designs, and school programs that are based on the latest scientific research about how the brain learns. This involves the creation of a toolkit in consultation with educational experts, training and support teachers to use this toolkit with the curriculum. Teachers interview individual students who are identified as struggling, and use this to assess where students are on a learning behaviours continuum. Students are then supported to advance along this continuum through the use of specific strategies and activities that enable them to recognise the factors that affect their learning, and therefore enable them to lead their own learning.

Emerging OutcomesInitial data suggests a strong correlation between the students learning behaviours and their ability to work independently. The implementation of brain –based learning is also strengthening relationships between teachers and students. Students are able to engage more meaningfully with teachers in a safe and supportive learning environment, and between teachers and parents, as they seek to combine efforts to support student learning.

SVA PartnershipThe Melbourne Declaration of Educational Goals identifies capabilities in literacy, numeracy, information and communications technology, creativity, teamwork, and communication as essential for learners in the 21st Century. Building on a ten year commitment to improving teacher professional practice, Rooty Hill High School has designed an innovative strategy for increasing the learning trajectory of its students. The goal is that at least 80% of students will achieve at or above expected national benchmarks in the ACARA/BOSTES capabilities. The school is using the resources and support from Social Ventures Australia to address this ambitious goal through an integrated approach that aims to increase student awareness of capabilities and improve transitions from school to further study and employment. This involves development of a capability driven curriculum supported by innovative digital assessment and personalised digital portfolios for each student, based on self-assessment of their own skills, capabilities and dispositions and validated by teacher judgment. Students also have access to university, traineeship and work readiness programs leading to greater awareness of their capabilities and stronger transitions to further education and employment.

Emerging OutcomesAcross 2014, 7-10 students at Rooty Hill High School set learning goals, demonstrated 21st Century capabilities and academic progress during a personalised learning week. Further, 95% of Year 9 students achieved Year 10 benchmarks in the ACARA personal and social capabilities based on teacher observation, reporting and recognition data. School tracking data indicates that participation in school events and programs by parents continues at or above the level of previous years. The school also developed a strategic partnership philosophy and completed successful events and programs with each partner. This has led to invitations to present at conferences and learning events, and an increase in the incidence of organisations seeking involvement with Rooty Hill High school.

Leader Spotlight

Glenn was appointed Executive Principal of Hume Central Secondary College in August 2008, after 11½ years as College Principal of Mount Waverley Secondary College.

In 1997 as College Principal of Mount Waverley Secondary College, the College underwent a series of transformations involving staff leadership, ICT, curriculum and facility upgrade that saw it regularly placed as a top 10 Government school, based upon VCE results. A pivotal factor in determining the success of Mount Waverley Secondary College was the development of a distributed staff leadership model that involves the leadership of many and empowers all to lead. Glenn was a founding member in iNET and travelled extensively with the group to form networks of schools with common educational visions.

In 2008 Glenn was selected as the College Principal of Hume Central Secondary College a low social economic school as part of the Broadmeadows Regeneration Project. The central aim of the project is to redress educational disadvantage. Glenn is driven by the mantra “Two years of learning in 1 for all our students” and that all students have the opportunity to successfully complete Year 12 and go onto tertiary studies. In 2008, Glenn was awarded Educator of the Year – ACEL and in 2012 received a fellowship of Australian Council of Educational Leaders.

Glenn Proctor recently retired after 43 years as an educator. Here are a few thoughts from Glenn -

1. Reflecting on your career, what are you most proud of?

Across all the settings in which I have been involved, including most recently at Hume Central Secondary College, we have been able to demonstrate that with the critical combination of high expectations, a supportive learning environment and community involvement, all students can learn and achieve.

2. What advice do you have for aspirational school leaders?

The moral purpose of our work as educators should continually be at the core of all that we do. As a leader, it is not about the individual, it is about the team. Trust and empower your colleagues to work alongside you and together, your impact will be much greater.

Thought Leadership Gatherings

Each quarter, leaders from The Connection schools come together to share insights, challenge conventional thinking, and inspire new approaches based on the success of others. The first Thought Leadership Gathering for 2015 was held in Sydney with the support of sponsors Gilbert and Tobin, and focused on Leadership: The opportunity for measurement and evaluation. The Connection community was privileged to host George Stavrakakis, Director Education Sector, Microsoft Australia, who shared critical insights from his work with the leaders.

The second Thought Leadership Gathering this year was hosted by the Bastow Institute of Leadership in Melbourne, and opened with a unique and compelling provocation by Dr Frank Oberklaid, Founding Director of the Centre for Community Child Health at The University of Melbourne. Frank challenged the school leaders to consider their scope of their work in schools, and to look at community partnerships as a critical to enabling holistic interventions for students.

Future Directions

The growing work of the Connection continues to support education systems in Australia to identify and strengthen the work, developing the evidence about great education in challenged communities. We know that great things happen when good practice spreads. We also know that there are schools that have accomplished great impact in communities where the journey to achieve a great education is challenged. The Connection works to strengthen the evidence base around the accomplishments of those schools so that the knowledge and practice can spread widely across systems. Let’s take what we know and help it grow.

Social Ventures Australia is very excited to announce that a new cohort of eighteen Star Hub Connection schools from three states joined the Connection cohort on 1 July 2015. These schools will provide a new dynamic addition and mechanism to share and spread the evidence about what makes a difference in student learning. The expanded group will learn and develop practice together, collectively serving 16 000 students supported by 1 700 educators in challenged Australian communities, in partnership with 3 of our largest states in education provision in Australia. The goal is to progress the work while partnering to develop what it takes to build a great education system for all students.

For further information on the Star Hubs initiative and participating schools, please see http://socialventures.com.au/work/sva-bright-spots-schools-connection/.

“If as a principal you go it alone, you can only go so far…although it is possible to become a great school despite the system you are in, it is not possible to stay effective if the system is not cultivating greatness in all of its schools…the system matters a great deal.’

(Professor Michael Fullan, 2014 Education Reform Expert)

The SVA Bright Spots Schools Connection will build and accelerate opportunities that give all Australians ‘a fair go’ in education. This is challenging but very exciting and fulfilling work.

2015 Star Hubs Schools

VictoriaDandenong West Primary SchoolDoveton CollegeHampton Park Secondary CollegeSt Anthony’s Noble ParkSt Gerard’s Dandenong NorthSt Mary’s Primary SchoolWallarano Primary School

New South Wales Blairmount Public SchoolCasula High SchoolCurran Public SchoolGranville East Public SchoolHilltop Road Public School

South Australia Craigmore High SchoolGilles Street Primary SchoolMurray Bridge High Schoolin partnership withMypolonga Primary SchoolSeaview High School

The Bright Spots Schools Connection is supported by the Victorian Government.

Interested in being involved? Contact us.

Sue Cridge Director, Bright Spots Schools Connection P 03 8688 0027 | M 0447 712 224 E scridge@socialventures.com.au