A message from the Principal

Over the past week we have been involved in an important milestone for our school. Every four years all Victorian Government schools undertake a formal School Review. This process helps us reflect on the work completed over the previous cycle, identify strengths and areas for growth and develop a new School Strategic Plan that will guide our improvement journey for the next four years.

Last Monday (20 October) we held the first day of our review. A panel led by an external school reviewer and supported by our Senior Education Improvement Leader for the Beachside network, along with two challenge partners who are school leaders from nearby schools, joined us here at SKiPPS. Their first day was spent examining a wide range of school data, visiting classrooms and discussing our own reflections on our progress. This provided them with a strong sense of the work we have prioritised over the last four years and the current strengths and challenges across our school.

The panel returned yesterday (Tuesday 28 October) to complete their fieldwork. This involved talking with parents, students and staff, visiting classrooms across the school and attending staff meetings. These conversations and observations allowed the panel to develop a much richer understanding of the SKiPPS context before making recommendations that will shape our new School Strategic Plan for 2026 to 2029.

A few key themes emerged from their time with us so far:

the strong identity and sense of community that exists at SKiPPS, including the pride felt by students, staff and families in our independent and creative culture
the calm, quiet and orderly environment that allows students to feel safe, focus deeply and learn without distraction
the high quality of teaching and learning across classrooms, including the way staff have embedded the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0 with explicit instruction at its core, leading to high levels of student engagement
the rapid and successful implementation of PhOrMeS, our systematic synthetic phonics and spelling approach, which is already having a clear impact on student reading, writing and spelling outcomes
the passion, enthusiasm and dedication of our staff and their commitment to improving their practice and doing the very best for each student

I would like to thank our parent community for the many ways you have contributed to this review. Your input through surveys, last term’s parent forum and the conversations held with the panel on Tuesday morning have been invaluable. Your insights matter and help shape the direction of the school.

The panel will return for a final day next Thursday (6 November). From there we will turn our attention to the next steps. Our challenge and opportunity is to take the incredibly positive foundation that now exists at SKiPPS and use it to get even better.

I look forward to sharing the outcomes of the review and working together on our new School Strategic Plan as we continue to grow, improve and provide the very best for our students.

Neil Scott

Principal