Learning & Teaching

Semester 1 Assessment Schedule 

Our Semester 1 Assessment Schedule is now available for students and parents to access on Compass. This schedule lists the weeks in which each common assessment tasks take place for each subject, at each year level. 

To access the schedule, select 'School Documentation' under the People icon on Compass, and then select the 'For Parent' tab and the 'Assessment Schedule' tab. 

Once you open the spreadsheet, you need to select the correct year level using the tabs at the bottom of the spreadsheet and use the scroll function on the bottom right to locate each subject.

In most situations, we stick to the dates published in the timeline, however in some situations or extenuating circumstances adjustments, may be required. In these instances, the students will be notified in advance. 

Teaching Reading 

According to the recently released Grattan Institute report on teaching reading in Australian schools, one in three students are not mastering the reading skills they need to become proficient readers by the time they leave school. This 'not-proficient' category includes students in NAPLAN in the 'Needs Additional Assistance' Band. 

While this statistic includes overrepresentation of students from disadvantaged backgrounds, one quarter of students from well-off families also struggle. The report cites many reasons for these damning findings, among them ineffective teaching approaches to reading and lack of training, resourcing and skill in early intervention. 

In recent years, there has been increasing evidence that research clearly identifying phonics-based (decoding) instruction as the most effective instructional practice to teach students to read.  In addition to quality reading curriculum and instruction at year 7 and 8 through English classes, we have a number of intervention programs available to selected students to support their reading development - the Learning Support Program at years 7 and 8, Quick Smart Literacy at year 7 and the Tutor Learning Initiative with small group tutoring for students in years 8-11. 

The combined impact of these programs and instruction is that, not only are our students bucking the trend in terms of reading outcomes in NAPLAN, but more students are able to access the curriculum and make learning progress in all their subjects. 

The 2023 NAPLAN charts below show that only 3% of our year 9 students and 4% of our year 7 students require additional support in reading which is significantly below the state and similar schools - this is a great outcome. 

We remain absolutely committed to continuing this improvement trend as it is every student's right to have basic Literacy and Numeracy proficiency.  Please get in contact with me or Tanya Moran (Inclusive Practices Leader) if you want to discuss your child's reading difficulties in more detail.

Support for Resources

Please get in touch with the College if you need assistance to provide your child with the basic resources they require to attend school kitted out with full uniform, computers, books and stationery. A lack of resources can be a real impediment to engagement and learning and a barrier to education for some students. Whilst we too have limited resources, we will work with families to provide practical solutions to these real issues that some families are facing. 

Learning Walks - Classroom Routines

Your child may have seen that other teachers and leaders regularly visit their classrooms during the lesson. 

These short visits are Learning Walks and are a regular part of the leadership practice. During a learning walk teachers and leaders visit several classrooms for short periods of time to observe student learning in action. These visits provide an authentic snapshot of a classroom environment and are great way for teachers/leaders to observe different teaching approaches and to explore how students learn best. 

The latest learning walks have focused on our Entry Routines and calm and productive learning environments. We are pleased to say that with very few exceptions students are following these routines. Well done and keep up the great work. 

2024 Staff Contacts

At Wantirna College, we encourage our parents to make contact with their child’s Transition Support teacher (Year 7 and 8) or their child’s Explore teacher (Year 9-12) as their first point of contact.  If you need to elevate your concern or query, please contact your child’s relevant Year Level Leader.

If you need to elevate your concern or query again, please contact your child’s relevant Sub School Leader.  If the issue or concern is still unresolved, please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s relevant Sub School Assistant Principal.

Please find our staff contact list below, which is also located on the General Information page of every Newsletter:

Natalie Manser 

Assistant Principal

mar@wantirnacollege.vic.gov.au