Last night, School Council formally endorsed our new School Strategic Plan and our 2026 Annual Implementation Plan. This marks an important moment for St Kilda Park Primary School and provides a clear, confident direction for our next phase of growth.

The 2025 School Review

In Term 4 last year, we undertook our School Review. This rigorous external process examined our student achievement data, classroom practice, curriculum design, wellbeing systems and leadership structures.

The review affirmed that SKiPPS is a high performing school with:

A strong, consistent, evidence informed teaching model across classrooms
Significant improvement in Reading, and encouraging uplift in Numeracy
Clear and structured classroom routines that support learning
High levels of community trust and engagement
Positive gains in student connectedness, inclusion and emotional regulation

The panel also identified important next steps. Numeracy growth, while improving, requires further strengthening. Assessment practices must continue evolving to ensure teachers are consistently using evidence to respond to student learning in real time.

Attendance remains an area requiring focused attention. And as expectations increase, our wellbeing systems must remain strong, consistent and inclusive.

From this review, our new Strategic Plan was developed.

Our School Strategic Plan 2025–2029

Our Strategic Plan sets out two clear goals.

Goal 1: Improve learning achievement and growth for all students

Over the next four years we will:

Strengthen teachers’ capability and confidence to deliver explicit and responsive instruction
Deepen the systematic use of assessment and measurement practices to inform teaching
Build and implement a sequenced, knowledge rich curriculum
Embed multi-tiered systems of support to ensure students receive timely intervention when needed
Continue activating student voice and agency in learning

In practical terms, this means greater instructional precision, stronger formative assessment, and even clearer curriculum alignment from Foundation to Year 6.

Goal 2: Enhance the wellbeing, inclusion and engagement of all students

We will:

Embed a whole school approach to wellbeing, inclusion and engagement
Strengthen responsive, tiered and contextualised approaches to support learning and wellbeing
Expand opportunities for student voice and leadership
Improve attendance through strengthened partnerships with families

We know that academic success and wellbeing are deeply connected. Students learn best when they feel safe, known, challenged and supported.

Our 2026 Annual Implementation Plan

From this four year roadmap, we have developed our 2026 Annual Implementation Plan. This outlines our focused work for this year.

In 2026, our core priorities include:

Strengthening Explicit and Responsive Teaching

Creating an Instructional Playbook to codify our core teaching techniques
Refining responsive teaching through cycles of Teach, Check, Respond
Running professional learning and teaching sprints focused on responsive practice
Updating our Assessment Schedule to ensure alignment and consistency
Strengthening use and monitoring of multi-tiered systems of support
Developing and implementing a whole school curriculum map using knowledge rich materials

Embedding a Whole School Approach to Wellbeing

Professional learning in the science of wellbeing and trauma informed practice
Developing shared, evidence informed language, routines and expectations
Strengthening Tier 1 wellbeing practices across classrooms
Using surveys and data to monitor impact
Prioritising time in staff meetings to ensure consistent and inclusive approaches

This is deliberate work. The next phase of improvement is not about adding more initiatives. It is about deepening, refining and sustaining the strong foundations we have built.

Why We Share This

Our vision speaks of relationships built on care, kindness and connection. It speaks of high expectations, evidence based teaching and a knowledge rich curriculum. These documents are the practical expression of that vision.

By sharing our Strategic Plan and Annual Implementation Plan, we hope our community can better understand:

The improvement journey we are on
The evidence behind our decisions
The intentional work happening in classrooms each day
The clear focus we have on improving both outcomes and experience for every student

We are proud of the progress recognised in our School Review. We are equally clear that improvement is ongoing work.

Together, with our staff, students and families, we look forward to continuing to strengthen our wonderful school and ensuring that every child at SKiPPS thrives academically, socially and emotionally.

Neil Scott

Principal

Team Kids News