Teaching & Learning
PISA Field Trial
During Week 6, a select group of students participated in the 2024 PISA Field Trial. This involved a series of assessments and questionnaires relating to Science, wellbeing and attitudes to school. All participants were randomly selected, with the majority being in Year 10 due to age requirements. PISA is a widely-recognised, international series of assessments managed by the OECD. It enables comparison between different countries and has a significant bearing on federal educational decisions. We thank all participating students for their efforts and hope that they have benefitted from the experience.
Semester Exams
As we approach the latter part of Semester 1, it is time for Senior School and Year 9 SEAL students to begin revising for Semester Exams. The exams themselves represent a key opportunity for students to demonstrate learning progress, as well as to gain familiarity and confidence in sitting assessments under formal conditions. Content is limited to topics that have been studied throughout Term 1 and Term 2. As a school, we take great pride in our capacity to deliver high-quality summative assessment that mirror VCE structure and process. The exams take place across Weeks 9 and 10.
Semester Reports and Progress Reports
You would have already received at least of couple of Progress Reports for your child in 2024, with the first round of Semester Reports late Term 2. Please find below key information relating to both of these reports:
Progress Reports
How often?
Published on XUNO every six weeks for Years 7-11 and every three weeks for Year 12.
What for?
To provide a snapshot of student progress in Quality of Work, Effort, Classroom Participation, and Classroom Behaviour. They also include S/N for Learning Progress.
How should I use it?
Progress Reports are the simplest way for teachers to communicate an overview of student progress. In Years 7-11 students receive either High, Medium, Low or NS based on teacher observations over a six-week period. For Year 12 they receive S/NS, While NS and Low grades can sometimes cause distress or alarm, they are not necessarily an indication of failure. They simply flag an area of concern that needs to be addressed during the next six/three week cycle.
Semester Reports
How often?
Once per semester, at the end of Term 2 and Term 4.
What for?
To provide a summary of learning. It contains a list of all Assessment Task results and Semester Results (S/N). An additional document for Years 7-10 also enables you to track the progress of your child through Victorian Curriculum Levels.
How should I use it?
Semester Reports are summative and cover a broad range of information. They are both a celebration of your child’s achievements throughout the semester, as well as an indicator of areas for improvement.
As a school we use these two reports alongside teacher observations, NAPLAN data and PAT results to gain a holistic overview of each learner’s development. We are in turn able to target interventions and meet every student at their point of need.
Victorian Association for Gifted and Talented Children (VAGTC) – Parent Seminars
The VAGTC provide free seminars to education and support parents/carers of high-ability children. For more information and to register, please refer to the VAGTC website.
Daniel Bouchet-Hibbert
Teaching and Learning Leader