Each year, our students complete the Attitudes to School Survey, providing us with valuable insight into how they are experiencing school. While no single data set can tell the full story of a school community, this survey is particularly important because it captures student perceptions across areas that matter deeply: learning, connection, safety, behaviour, relationships and wellbeing.

This year’s preliminary Attitudes to School Survey data provides genuinely encouraging evidence that Brighton Secondary College is continuing to move in the right direction.

At the beginning of last year, I spoke about two key non-negotiables for our school: safety and growth. Since then, we have continued to focus on strengthening classroom practice, improving consistency, lifting expectations, building student connectedness and pride, and ensuring students feel safe and supported. The pleasing aspect of this year’s data is that we are now seeing tangible signs that this work is beginning to shift the day-to-day experience of our students.

The improvements connected to learning are particularly heartening. Students are reporting stronger experiences of teaching, feedback and support in classrooms. The percentage of students who agreed that their teachers are well prepared has increased by 12 percentage points. Students reporting that teachers use more than one way to check understanding has also increased by 12 points, while students who say the feedback they receive helps them understand how to improve has increased by 13 points. These are significant shifts because they go directly to the quality of learning taking place in classrooms.

We are also seeing very positive signs in relation to expectations and effort. The proportion of students who agreed that their teachers expect them to do their best has increased by 11 points, while students reporting that teachers encourage all students to do their best has also increased by 11 points. Student responses also show improvement in their own learning behaviours, including increases in students saying they enjoy participating in class, come to class willing to learn, ask for help when work is difficult, and set learning goals for themselves.

These results align closely with the work we have been doing through our School Review, our emerging instructional model, and our focus on more consistent classroom practice. They also reinforce the importance of the Positive Classroom Management Strategies that staff have been developing and implementing. When expectations are clearer, routines are stronger and teaching practice is more consistent, students are better able to focus on learning.

Equally pleasing is the improvement in student connection to school. The percentage of students who reported that they are happy to be at this school increased by 13 points, while those who feel they belong at this school increased by 14 points. Students saying they like this school increased by 11 points, and students looking forward to coming to school increased by 10 points.

There was also an improvement in students feeling proud to be a student at Brighton Secondary College. This remains an area where we want to see further growth, but the direction is positive and important. Pride in school is built slowly. It grows when students feel connected, when they feel safe, when they experience success, when they are known by their teachers, and when they feel part of something larger than themselves.

Student safety has rightly been a major focus for our community, and the survey data provides encouraging signs here too. The percentage of students who reported feeling safe at school increased by 10 points. Students reporting that there is support for students who are bullied increased by 12 points, and students saying the school deals fairly with bullying problems increased by 9 points. The measure for students not experiencing bullying in the past year also improved.

These improvements do not mean that our work is finished. No school can be complacent about bullying, discrimination, unsafe behaviour or student wellbeing. However, the data does suggest that the strategies we have put in place are having an impact. Our student-led Upstander work, increased reporting pathways, stronger student support structures, clearer behavioural expectations and consistent follow-up are all part of building a culture where students understand that we care, we listen and we act.

There are also pleasing improvements in behaviour and respect. Students reporting that teachers set clear rules for classroom behaviour increased by 11 points, while students saying teachers expect them to pay attention increased by 9 points. There were also improvements in students reporting that appropriate behaviour is acknowledged, that students treat each other with respect, and that students treat teachers with respect.

Perhaps most encouragingly, students also reported improvement in respect for diversity. Students saying that students at this school respect each other’s differences increased by 15 points, and students reporting that teachers treat students with respect also increased by 15 points. These shifts matter because a safe school is not only one where students are protected from harm, but one where students feel respected, included and able to be themselves.

I want to thank our students for the way they have contributed to this improvement. Culture is not built by policies alone. It is built in classrooms, corridors, yard spaces, assemblies, camps, excursions, clubs and everyday interactions. Every time a student comes to class ready to learn, treats someone with respect, reports unsafe behaviour, includes a peer, or represents the College positively, they are helping to strengthen our school.

I also want to thank our parents and carers for your ongoing support. School improvement requires trust, patience and partnership. At times, change can feel gradual, and the impact of new approaches may not be immediately visible. This data is a key indicator that the work is taking hold and that Brighton Secondary College is heading in the right direction.

We will continue to be honest about where further improvement is needed, but we should also take time to acknowledge and celebrate progress when it is evident. This year’s Attitudes to School Survey results give us good reason to feel confident, optimistic and proud.

The future is bright for Brighton Secondary College.

BSC Weekly