Our teachers follow a comprehensive planning cycle to ensure effective teaching and learning. In Professional Learning Community (PLC) teams, our teachers follow a procedure that has been meticulously refined and updated since it was initially implemented in 2013. This procedure is strategically designed to support teachers in implementing targeted and effective strategies that enrich the learning experience and contribute significantly to our students' overall success. Embracing the ethos of continuous improvement, our PLCs are dedicated to staying at the forefront of educational best practices, ensuring that our content-related interventions are dynamic and impactful.
At the start of the term, PLCs map the curriculum and administer placement tests to understand each student's needs. Analysing this data allows teachers to tailor their lessons accordingly. To continuously improve, teachers participate in professional learning and collaborate with colleagues. Using the information gained from placement tests and professional learning, they use our 'Student Learning Model' to plan and sequence lessons, making adjustments to meet diverse student needs. While learning occurs in the classroom, teachers monitor student understanding using exit tickets, formative assessments, and Common Assessment Tasks. Reflecting on these assessments helps teachers refine their instruction, ensuring that every student can succeed.
Each term, teaching teams have a special planning day to support the work. On this day, our teachers come together in their PLCs to identify the main Inquiry focus for the term using our Inquiry Scope and Sequence based on the Victorian Curriculum. They will then create a detailed plan for the units they have identified to teach. Planning follows a three-week cycle for Reading and Viewing, Writing and Language Conventions, and Mathematics. This ensures teachers use up-to-date evidence of students' abilities and areas of need. The ‘Planning + Tri-Planning Cycle’ visual guide demonstrates the cycle in action.
