From the Leadership Team 

Student-directed learning

Lucas Collins, Head of Junior School 

Providing students with opportunities to have genuine input into and influence over the direction of their learning and the range of experiences they can take part in is, in my experience, a sure-fire way to maximise their engagement and sense of belonging at school. 

While many aspects of our curriculum and structures are decided for us, there are still an incredible array of avenues through which we promote a sense of ownership and connection for our students at Kilvington.

STUDENT-LED ASSEMBLIES

In the Junior School, our assemblies are now fully student-led and student-focused. Through initiatives such as our twice-termly Character Spotlights, each class has a chance to celebrate the ways they are bringing their focused character strengths to life. 

This empowers students to consider and share the ways they're working with their peers to engage in positive thoughts and actions. 

Furthermore, by allocating responsibility for each assembly to students from our Year 6 Leadership portfolios, we're able to showcase the great ideas and initiatives that our leaders are generating. These initiatives focus on continually developing positive and engaging student and community experiences.

THE LAUNCHPAD

We’ve also implemented The Launchpad –  an 'ideas think-tank’ which any member of our Junior School can contribute to. Students can book a meeting timeslot at the Launchpad, which runs fortnightly at lunchtimes, during which they can share an idea focused on improving our community experience. 

In these sessions, students can ‘pitch’ their idea to a panel of staff and student leaders and receive immediate feedback and suggestions from this panel as to if, and often how, their idea can become a reality. 

Several ideas that were initially shared by students at Launchpad have become realities in the Junior School since the start of the year. 

These include the provision of dedicated sports and outdoor games equipment for each classroom, the creation of new extra-curricular clubs for Term 3, including Paper Plane Club and Rubik's Cubing Club and the offering of ‘Games on The Green’ for younger students.

LINKING LEARNING TO REAL LIFE

In each classroom, our teachers focus on creating and delivering learning experiences that put the student at the centre of their learning. 

Strategies that support this model include linking learning to ‘real-life’ examples that give our student a ‘hook’ into their learning. This includes providing learners with choices at appropriate times and with appropriate support to select their mode of response that they believe best showcases their knowledge. For instance, being able to create a video/3D model/artistic response instead of being limited to a traditional written summary of a concept.  

We focus keenly on creating commonly devised roles and responsibilities in each class that promote pride, initiative, accountability and service to others. 

EOFY Kilvington STEAM and Library Centre fundraising appeal

As we race towards the end of the financial year, there is an opportunity to support the new Kilvington STEAM and Library Centre fundraising appeal. Our appeal will raise funds to help fit-out the new Centre. 

You will see that you can select an item (Science, Technology or Library) or make a general donation. All donations are tax deductible.

Please take a moment to view the fly-through of the Centre so that you can hear and see some of the amazing features that our students and staff will have access to. To find out more, click here.

Thank you for your support!