Learning & Wellbeing @ ASPS

Creative Unit Planning at Auburn South Primary

Auburn South Primary School has been featured in a recent episode of the Talking Teaching podcast, where Assistant Principal Rhian ap Rees and Year 4 teacher Darien Hunte shared insights into how the school is improving unit planning to enhance student learning and teacher collaboration.

The episode, Creative Lesson Planning—Practical Strategies to Enhance Learning and Empower Teachers, explores how ASPS is using the 'CLU-Es' framework, developed by Professor John Quay from the University of Melbourne. This approach helps teachers design engaging, meaningful learning experiences that build on students' interests while meeting curriculum requirements.

During the podcast, Rhian and Darien discussed how collaborative unit planning has allowed teachers to create new and exciting learning opportunities tailored to each year’s group of students. A key example shared was a Year 4 unit involving custom-designed t-shirts which gave students a chance to express their identities while developing key skills. In Year 1, students designed Pokémon-style cards based on real animals, turning their learning into a hands-on, interactive experience.

A central theme of the discussion was the importance of student engagement and agency. By involving students in the learning process in meaningful ways, ASPS is fostering creativity, critical thinking, and a love of learning. The podcast also highlights how this approach benefits teachers by promoting collaboration, creativity, and job satisfaction. Families interested in hearing more about this innovative approach to unit planning can listen to the full podcast episode linked here.