English

MR SCOTT MCDONALD head of english

This year has seen many faculties face the challenge of selecting all of the best elements of the outgoing OP system and ensuring they remain foundational to the incoming ATAR system. For English this involved the impending introduction of a full suite of five newly syllabused subjects - Senior English, Senior Literature, English and Literature Extension, English as an Additional Language and Essential English - and has meant a full audit of what in English we can offer that will best serve the young men of TSS in their future learning journeys. It has been a rewarding process though, in that we have spent the year looking at the high calibre aspects of our teaching and learning practice, with an open questioning mind as to how we can make it better. It has always been my goal at TSS to conceptualise and deliver a world-class English program and I wholeheartedly thank each of the English faculty team for not only sharing the vision, but for the enthusiasm and excitement they share when we plan out each new step.

In the search for best practice, we have trialled grammar software to complement our CANVAS online learning management system, and received funding from Independent Schools Queensland to conduct research into collaborative writing groups across classrooms. The collaborative writing project, labelled Classrooms With No Walls had boys from English classes writing for authentic audiences in learning teams across classrooms in real-time. Similarly, our English lecture program in the new Broomhead Lecture Theatre was rolled out across Years 10 to 12 this year with every teacher in the faculty showcasing Ted Talk-quality lectures for students which bridged the gap towards tertiary study.

We have also continued to pay homage in our practice to the work of Harvard Professor, John Collins, in foregrounding vocabulary acquisition and writing for mastery. Peer-editing and focus-correction areas are also cornerstones of the junior program. Our Horizon Writing project has now become fully immersed in the junior program and is now, like many other departments, known as Progressive Assessment which uses assessment to teach as much as it does to assess. This adaptive phase of learning also allows us to gather regular data on student performance and offer targeted intervention in areas of weakness.

The accelerated program for English and the subject of English Extension has continued to offer rigorous studies into the literary aspects of texts and we are looking forward to English Extension becoming more widely available for students under the new system. Similarly, our offer of English as an Additional Language will continue to best support those students for whom English is not the first language spoken at home. The Years 11 and 12 English Communication classes have once again worked diligently in their exploration of contemporary issues and vocational education and looked towards the challenges that face them after graduation, such as employment or non-tertiary study.

There have been some changes in personnel which have occurred over the year and I would like to acknowledge the commitment of the boys in accepting each new teacher into our TSS family throughout the year and delivering a positive attitude in the classroom. English teachers frequently talk to me about the politeness and diligence of TSS young men and this cannot be overlooked as a contributing factor to attracting such excellent educators to teach English at The Southport School.

Finally, I would also like to wholeheartedly thank my Assistant Head of Department, Ms Heidi Jackson, whose ceaseless work ethic and highly intelligent vision supports everyone in the department and makes the faculty a tight-knit, cooperative team.