Assistant Principal - Curriculum

Staff Learning and the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0

Last week, Dale and I had the pleasure of attending Day 1 of the Leading Instructional Excellence workshop facilitated by the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership. We worked with Dr Nathaniel Swain, who is a teacher, instructional coach, author and teacher educator. He is a Senior Lecturer in Learning Sciences at La Trobe University School of Education, Australia. Dr Swain has taught a range of learners in schools, and founded a community of teachers committed to educational excellence and equity

The workshop focused on tailoring instruction for how students learn best and covered key concept areas about the science of learning. We worked with a number of schools discussing how to lay evidence based foundations for student learning and how to enhance explicit teaching and lesson structures to improve student outcomes. 

Pleasingly, the day was very affirming and consolidated much of the professional learning we have conducted over the last 12 months both as a staff but also with Dr Ryan Dunn (educational consultant, author and Senior Lecturer at the University of Melbourne) who has worked with all of our teachers on unpacking the key elements of the  Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0 (VTLM 2.0).  During 2025, all Victorian government schools are updating their teaching and learning programs to align with contemporary evidence about how students learn. This includes refreshing teaching practices, to provide the most effective support for student learning.

We are taking this step because contemporary evidence provides a better understanding of student learning. While students enter classrooms with different life experiences and prior knowledge and may learn at different speeds, the learning process is consistent. Research and insights from across the teaching profession have demonstrated that some teaching practices are more effective than others in supporting the learning process.

The VTLM 2.0 sets out these insights. All Victorian government schools are working to introduce the VTLM 2.0's teaching practices in a phased process, reaching full implementation by the start of 2028. If you wish to learn more about the VTLM 2.0, please access the parent guide here

We look forward to attending the final day of the Leading Instructional Excellence workshop in the coming week and continuing to work with Dr Ryan Dunn for the remainder of 2025 and into next year. Our staff's hard work delving into these updated pedagogical practices has lead to great positive changes within our classrooms and we are excited to further our work in these areas.

Synthetic Turf Hazard - Mural

Recently, the synthetic turf near the Clifford mural has become a hive of activity before and after school with parents and younger students taking part in soccer games in this area. Please be cautious and mindful of the scooter damage (holes) when playing ball games with your child in this area. We have recently accepted a quote to have this area fixed but this may not occur for a number of months due to scheduling complications. We will monitor the area but may need to rope it off if it is deemed unsafe for active play. 

Kind regards,

Mr Brendan Garvey