FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Empowering Students at Kew High School

We are currently involved in a project entitled  'Amplify' which aims to empower students through voice, agency and leadership. The program explains the necessary conditions, practices, behaviours and attitudes to learning that are conducive to increasing student involvement.

At Kew, we already have a supportive environment with our wellbeing focus, relationships at the centre and restorative practices as our framework for interactions.

We have an established SRC and leadership group who regularly organise activities, seek student input and organise and present at Assemblies and represent the views of their peers on School Council. Our students are active participants in the Music ensembles, the sports such as Volleyball and the Drama performances. Through these activities, their initiative and drive are in evidence as they adopt various roles.  In the recent production of Grease, students competently directed and managed back stage, lighting and sound as well as acted in their roles.

We have a focus on excellence in teaching and learning and the improvement of teacher capacity. The teachers work in  teams to discuss how they teach,  high impact strategies, approaches to learning, the scope and sequence of curriculum and assessment and share ideas and resources.  

Through Amplify our vision for 2020 is that we will consciously flip the lens and focus more clearly  on the student perspective so that:

• Students set stretch goals to progress their learning.
• Students self regulate and proactively take responsibility for their own learning.
• Students use critical, creative and analytical thinking.
• Students collaborate effectively.
• Students contribute to communities within and beyond school.

The result will be:

• Raising academic achievement and engagement - with students actively  self managing  their learning.
• Embedding student ideas in current practice.
• Encouraging students to co-design curriculum and assessment.
• The gradual release of responsibility.
• Students managing their  own learning to a greater extent.

It will mean our world is more student centred, purposeful and participatory and there will be increasing evidence of shared responsibility. We will develop student skills, knowledge and dispositions to embed their voice, agency and leadership in our school.

It is an exciting time and we look forward to our students increasing their involvement, developing a greater connection and allowing them to have more of a say in shaping their learning.

Clare Entwisle