Student Voice

Auburn High School values student voice as a means to improve student engagement, wellbeing and, teaching and learning.  This year we have used two key tools to hear from our students, the Student Attitudes to School Survey (SASS) and Pivot.  Student voice opportunities such as SASS and PIVOT allow our students to participate in decision making processes that have an effect on them as students, and on Auburn High School. 

Research literature tells us that when adults listen to and learn from students, teachers can teach better and students can learn better - focus on student participation in processes of analysing and revising teaching and learning approaches can enhance student progress and learning.

Our teachers met last week in year level groups to align our Term 3 data sets.  This enabled us to all share common strategies that we are already implementing for our students and to brainstorm additional strategies that we can implement in this last part of the term, and in Term 4.

Student Attitudes to School Survey

In May, the student body completed the Student Attitudes to School Survey, an annual Department of Education and Training survey.  This tool supports schools to gain an understanding of students’ overall perception and experience of Auburn High School.

We have not been able to capture this valuable whole school data since 2019 and were very pleased when we received our 2021 data earlier this term.

Our highest areas for our school community were:

• Attitudes to attendance (student and family commitment to attending and completing school)
• High expectations for success (teacher understanding of their students and belief in their ability to demonstrate growth)
• Effort (attention and participation in class; teacher expectations of effort)

Students have been a part of year level focus groups to unpack their SASS statements, providing further insight to their Year Level Leaders and teachers.

Pivot

Auburn High School engages with Pivot surveys as an evidence-based student feedback survey three times a year.  This term, when implementing our third and final cycle of Pivot, we responded to the current Department of Education and Training (DET) priorities of attendance, engagement and wellbeing.

Junior School students (Year 7 – 9) completed one ‘pulse check’ survey of 10 statements that allowed us to gain insight into their learning programs across all of their subjects.  These statements focused on their learning progress, support and strategies, and community connection.  The results can be seen below as a representation of actions that students are seeing in at least seven of their nine classes.

Senior School students (Year 10-12) completed the full survey of 25 statements which are aligned to the Australian Professional Teaching Standards.

Our teachers have integrated the data from our most recent Pivot cycle with the SASS data.  This has supported them to gain more valuable insight into the teaching and learning experience this term.  As we complete Term 3, we are reflecting on the positive strategies that have strengthened engagement during online learning.  We do not currently know what Term 4 will look like, however we are grateful to have such valuable insight from our students on Term 3.  We look forward to working with them early next term to continue our successful online learning experience for each and every student.

Learning Behaviour Data

We are thoroughly impressed with the learning behaviour reports for our students this term. During Term 3 we have seen school-wide growth in all six of our categories.  In four of our six categories we are now seeing an average that is considered to be ‘above expected level’. This data is representatives of the consistent actions from every single one of our students this term.  We congratulate them all of demonstrating such significant growth in what has been a very challenging term.  Well done!