Improvement Team Report

Pathways and Community Improvement Team

The Pathways and Community Improvement Team have a number of key programs running in Term 3.  From our mission statement we acknowledge that education is made up of the school, the student, their family and the broader community. Our aim is to connect the four elements and improve communication and connection with our student’s families and the community to make best use of resources available that will help the student develop. We build and support pathway options for students into, through and beyond Keysborough College.

This is the term where students begin to make decisions about their pathways for the future and move through and beyond Keysborough College.  

We begin with the year 9 into 10 transition week where students currently in year 9 begin experiencing life in the Senior School.  They will have some of their regular year 9 classes run in the Senior School to get used to the different building and its culture of an Adult Learning Environment, before trailing a range of Year 10 elective options.  The aim of this program is to assist students make the transition from being a Junior School student to a Senior School student.  It is also aimed to give students a hands on experience of different elective options before they begin to choose their subjects for Year 10 and reduce the need to subject changes that occur once students begin Year 10.  

The year 9 into 10 transition week will lead into the Senior School Information Evening where students form years 9 and 10 along with their parents and or guardians are invited to a information evening to receive a presentation about the Senior School along with pathways and subjects offered to students.  There is also an expo where teachers are available to support students and answer questions about the different subject offerings.  

Other transition support is the development of the new curriculum for the VCE-Vocational Major (VM) and Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC).  Our working parties have met and are now undertaking professional learning to gain a greater understanding of the requirements of the four new subjects in this certificate.  The VCAL certificate is being replaced by the VCE-VM and VPC and there are new subjects as a result.  While the names of the subjects are relatively similar to the VCAL (Literacy, Numeracy, Personal Development Skills and Work Related Skills) the content within them has changed.  The VCE-VM is now delivered with Key Knowledge and Skills rather than modules from the VCAL.  The VCAL have also introduced the 5 Pillars of Applied Learning.  Motivation to engage in learning; Applied learning in practice; Student agency; Student-centred flexible approach; Assessment practice which promotes success.  These pillars will be built into the curriculum as the Literacy, Numeracy, Personal Development Skills and Work Related Skills subjects are developed.  

We also have a number of outreach programs running with our associated Primary Schools.  Programs such as Tech Fest @ Banksia was, STEM Outreach, High Ability Practice sessions, STEM Girls, Transition Assistance Program and THRIVE program are all being planned to run this year.  These aid with the awareness of our school as an outstanding pathway option for primary school students and also to assist with the transition support once students enrol with Keysborough College.   

Jonathon Boyd

Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Improvement Team

Changes to the Keysborough Secondary College reporting model will take effect this semester with the inclusion of the 5P Learning behaviours in Progress reports.  The college made the decision to incorporate the learning behaviours in place of Effort and Behaviour. Allowing students to demonstrate their learning behaviour and effort through Persistence, Presence, Productivity, Preparation and being Proactive.

Staff and students have been working hard to prepare for the changes, incorporating a range classroom strategy to prepare for the change. A variety of assessment tools such as goal setting, personal & peer reflection and assessment rubrics have been developed to help evaluate student progress. Students have also been identifying and setting personal learning goals, that focus explicitly on the behaviours required to enhance their learning.

Our students will soon be receiving the first cycle of their 6-week progress reports using this new format. Please take some time to discuss the 5P learning behaviours with your child, celebrating their strengths and providing strategies to help develop any area that may need improvement.

The 2023 Senior school and Year 10 handbooks have been updated and are now available on the intranet. There have been some important updates to the handbooks with the inclusion of the new VCE Vocational Major and Victorian Pathway Certificate, 11 updated VCE study designs, 3 new VET studies and Foundation Math now being offered in Year 10 & in Units 3&4. With course counselling currently taking place, we encourage students and parents to take the time to look through the handbooks and explore the many options available at Keysborough Secondary College.

Melissa Williams