Nossal Fellowship Grant

As recipients of the Nossal Fellowship Grant for 2026, Ms Budd, Mr Christiansen, Ms Green, Mr Gould, Ms Nieve, and Ms Villiers have begun an exciting professional learning journey focused on understanding and using explicit teaching practices across our school. 

On Monday 4 May, members of the Fellowship team travelled to Ballarat to visit Ballarat Clarendon College, a school widely recognised for its consistent, evidence-informed and highly structured approach to teaching and learning. During the visit, we had the opportunity to observe teachers and students in action and gain valuable insight into how explicit teaching can support clarity, consistency, high expectations and improved learning outcomes.

Ballarat Clarendon College’s approach highlighted the importance of carefully sequenced instruction, clear learning intentions, teacher modelling, guided practice, regular checking for understanding and purposeful feedback. Across the school, there was a strong sense of shared language, consistent routines and exceptional standards, all contributing to an environment where learning time is maximised and students are supported to achieve success.

The school’s strong VCE results have understandably attracted the interest of educators who are committed to refining their practice and improving outcomes for students. Our visit provided a valuable opportunity to reflect on our own teaching and consider how elements of explicit teaching may be thoughtfully adapted to suit our Nossal context.

We are excited to continue this project by brainstorming, trialing and evaluating explicit teaching strategies in our own classrooms. Over time, we hope to share our learning more broadly and contribute to ongoing conversations about high-quality teaching and learning across the school.

Watch this space.

By Ms Villiers