2022 Professional Learning Journal

KING’S

Peter Drucker -

“We now accept the fact that learning is a lifelong process of keeping abreast of change. And the most pressing task is to teach people how to learn.”

-

DIRECTOR OF THE KING’S SCHOOL INSTITUTE ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF EDUCATION

Dean Dudley, CF PhD (UW), M.Ed – Research (UW), CAEL (Harvard), Grad Dip Ed (UWS), B.HSc (UWS)

The 2022 Professional Learning Journal (PLJ) of The King’s School Institute is our first of the School’s 2022-2025 Strategic Triennium. It is yet another opportunity for us to celebrate the learning and achievements of our staff during the 2022 academic year here at King’s.

Those of us who work in providing opportunities for professional learning for teachers and support staff recognise the complexity involved in juggling the time and resources needed to meet systemic and contextual priorities. This is important work. International studies, such as those conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development consistently point to the role of ongoing teacher learning at all career stages in improving student learning outcomes. The significance of ongoing professional learning is also highlighted in the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership [AITSL]).

The AITSL Charter for Professional Learning states that teacher learning is most effective when it is relevant, collaborative and future focused. The sense of agency and mutual support experienced where teachers research and critique their own practice collectively and means that they are much more likely to commit to that learning and consequently their learning

will have a much better impact on student outcomes. Such an approach helps to re-culture and de-privatise teachers’ practice and build a learning community. It promotes self-evaluation and has great value in promoting teacher self-efficacy. It also provides a practical and resource-effective way to tackle the complex issue of engaging in quality professional learning in context.

The 2022 Professional Learning Journal shares the professional learning activities as an opportunity to embrace fresh thinking, controversy, and collective achievement. We truly hope you take the time to read and reflect upon the learning undertaken by your peers during the year and be inspired to pursue your next professional learning endeavour.

Contents

King’s Leadership

Instructional Leadership Certificate 7 AISNSW ICT Management and Leadership Conference 9

Dare to Lead: Summary 11 Respect Trumps Harmony 12 Attitude Influences Workplace Behaviour More Than Personality 14 Leading from the Middle 16

Academic Excellence

Peak Hill and Tomingley Gold Mine 17 Pilbara 2022 18

Feedback for Extension History – Process and Value 20 VET Construction Course 22

Innovative Language Teacher and Practice 2022 23 The AIS History Conference 2022 25 AISNSW Geography Conference 2022 Geographies of Impact: Local in a Global Context 26

Mathematics Association of NSW (MANSW) Annual Conference 2022 27 NESA Teacher Expert Networks (TEN’s) for Curriculum Reform in 2022 / NESA Teacher Expert Networks (TEN’s) 28 AISNSW Curriculum Leadership Conference 2022 30

Literacy Initiatives

K-2 Literacy Project 33 The King’s School Literacy Project Professional Development 34 Multisensory Structured Language Approach 35

International Baccalaureate at King’s

Embracing innovation and inspiring action at the IB Global Conference, Singapore 36 IB Diploma Introduction at King’s 37 Making the PYP Happen at King’s 38

King’s Community

A Case for Christian Secularism 40 Christian Community 43 Boarding 45 Report on the National Conference of Archivists 2022 47

Wellbeing

AINSW Conference: Along for the Ride 2022 49 Youth Mental Health First Aid Instructor: Mental Health First Aid Australia 51 Moving Kids from Anxiety to Resilience 52

Technology and Knowledge Services

KingsTech 2022 53 National Education Summit 55

EduTech 2022 57

International Boy’s School’s Coalition

The Path to Manhood 2022 IBSC Annual Conference 59 2021-22 IBSC Action Research Cohort of Educators from Leading Boy’s Schools 60 IBSC (International Boy’s School Coalition) Annual conference 61

Partnership and Innovation

The Future Project 62 Macquarie University Tertiary Supervisor 64 Innnovative Partnerships within the King’s educational community – Honorary Academics 66

Teacher Accreditation and Professional Practice

Teacher Accreditation 68 Coaching 70

Peer Reviewed Publications by Staff 2022 73

KING’S LEADERSHIP Instructional Leadership Certificate

Harvard Graduate School of Education

mentor teachers, pedagogical coaches, and leaders of instructional teams to inspire the professional growth of their peers. It provides meaningful learning opportunities that address the complexities of supporting teacher growth and development. The certificate consists of four courses:

• Articulating the Intangibles of Teaching: Aligning Your Purpose and Practice for Instructional Leadership

• Teachers Mentoring Teachers: Practices for Powerful Professional Communities

Juliana Horton Tudor House Teacher

• Instructional Coaching Through Change: Supporting Teachers in Action

• Leading Teacher Teams: Promoting Growth Through Effective Collaboration

decisions, and diagnose problems. Naming our “why” is connected to our deeply held values and beliefs about education.

In teaching, our mental space is so often taken up with the tasks we must perform, and it becomes easy to lose sight of our purpose. Teachers require more opportunities to reflect on and clearly articulate the meaning and purpose behind their instructional decisions. It is the first step in making practice visible.

Excellence in teaching and teachers is one of the most powerful influences on student achievement. When we look to research evidence to understand what is really going to make a difference to student outcomes in the classroom, effective teachers demonstrate instruction that is targeted, integrated, and coherent. To develop teachers’ effectively to demonstrate this level of skill and conceptual understanding requires coaching. John Hattie argues that:

Coaching is deliberate actions to help the adults to get the results from the students – often by helping teachers to interpret evidence about the effect of their actions and providing them with choices to gain these effects more effectively.

The Instructional Leadership Certificate (ILC) from Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) has been developed for

The certificate puts teachers within the classroom context at the forefront of the knowledge base for teaching excellence, with Eleanor Duckworth (2022) suggesting that:

The case could be made that what teachers know of schools and of life in them, their purposes, their problems, their strengths, and how to make them better, is the most appropriate knowledge base for understanding this profession.

Reflecting on the course so far, I view the following elements as being of primary importance as we implement mentoring and coaching for teachers of all career stages within The King’s School:

Teachers Articulating their Purpose

According to Harouni (2022), most problems of practice arise when people lose sight of their purpose. When we forget why we do the things we do, we lose the ability to motivate others, make clear

Spending time unpacking our vision and mission as educators is a worthwhile endeavour. Mission-aligned practice on a daily basis is challenging in the context of the daily grind. However, it captures our aspirations and joy in teaching and serves as a touchstone during challenging times.

When instructional leaders also embody their own mission, it helps others to do the same. As teachers embrace their individual purpose, they can come together in a common mission that demonstrates the purpose and aspirations of the learning community.

An Evidence-Based Framework

Teacher coaching and mentoring must be intentional and contextual. The HGSE ILC suggests a framework that includes five pillars:

Agency

Activating agency in teachers helps them to overcome immunity to change. This agency is based on the relational nature of teaching teams, requiring the development of mutual understanding and trust before allowing teachers to safely test big assumptions about their professional practice.

Instructional Leadership Certificate

Enactment

All coaching should be appropriate in terms of timing and context. Coaching should happen during lesson planning before, during, or after teaching and learning, or in team meetings, depending on an individual teacher’s needs. Coaches can draw from a toolbox of strategies after being guided by specific goals and evidence.

Inquiry

Coaches need to use an inquiry approach that challenges their own big assumptions. This approach requires humility and curiosity. Determining the right adjustments to move student learning forward requires an analysis of the impact different decisions have on learning.

Observation

Classroom observation should bring strengths as well as growth edges into focus for teachers. This ensures coaching is done with clarity and intention. The fine line between evidence and inference should be considered as coaches collect and use evidence for teacher-centred and studentcentred goal setting.

Understanding

The evidence of impact on student learning is essential. Students, teachers, and coaches should engage in data collection and analysis to measure the impact of coaching.

Collective Teacher Efficacy

Facilitating and empowering teachers to use collaboration fosters educator growth and enhances student learning. This is a powerful lever for transformation in a school. According to John Hattie (2018), Collective Teacher Efficacy (CTE) is the number one influence related to student achievement:

CTE is the collective belief of the staff of the school in their ability to positively affect students. CTE has been found to be strongly, positively correlated with student achievement. A school staff that believes it can collectively accomplish great things is vital for the health of a school and if they believe they can make a positive difference then they very likely will.

There is a strong correlation between the ability of teachers to collaborate to improve student outcomes and instructional leadership. School leaders and coaches help to build relational trust and provide appropriate structures for inquiry. With an appropriate framework in place, teachers are more likely to practise deeper implementation of evidence-based instructional strategies and have a positive attitude towards professional development. In this context, teachers and teaching teams have the efficacy to lead their own professional learning.

In summary, the Instructional Leadership Certificate has impressed upon me the importance of using a research-informed framework for instructional leadership and coaching. Of paramount importance, is the school as a whole, and teachers individually, spending time unpacking and articulating their purpose, vision, and mission as educators. Within our school, professional learning should be planned with humility and curiosity as we test big assumptions safely within our own professional practice and the professional practice of others. Ultimately, trusting teachers in their own professional learning should be at the forefront of our minds as we build collective efficacy. Finally, through instructional leadership and coaching, the centre of our decision-making should always come back to the wellbeing and learning of the students in our care.

References

Duckworth, E. (2022). Instructional Leadership Certificate. Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Harouni, H. (2022). Articulating the Intangibles of Teaching: Aligning Your Purpose and Practice for Instructional Leadership. Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Hattie, J. (2018). Collective Teacher Efficacy. Visible Learning.

AISNSW ICT Management and Leadership Conference

Jen Sharman Director - Knowledge Services

Roshan De Silva Dean of Digital Learning and Innovation

The 17th annual AISNSW ICT Management and Leadership conference provided an opportunity to hear from keynote speakers focusing on future directions in education. The first keynote was from Dr Catherine Ball, who focused on the future of education and the age of the never-graduating student. The second keynote was presented by Glen Gore, former Amazon Web Services Chief Architect, who talked about navigating the changing technology landscape and leveraging cloud technology. The third keynote was presented by staff from two schools that had recently replaced their School Management System. It was an honest and detailed summary of their experiences, positive and negative, and highlighted the importance of collaborating with staff and having an in-depth knowledge of requirements and expectations.

The conference also provided a valuable opportunity to both collaborate with peers and technology suppliers and join sessions that promoted new ideas, technical skill development, and shared learning experiences. This year, several members of the Knowledge Services Department were fortunate to attend the conference held at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Roshan De Silva (Dean of Digital Learning and Innovation), Karlo Karlovic (Implementation Project Manager), and Jennifer Sharman (Director of Knowledge Services) collaborated with Andrew Merrick, a consultant at King’s who works with Knowledge Services to automate manual processes, to present a workshop titled, “Automating Tasks in Canvas: Designing Business Rules.”

Karlovic ICT Integration Project Manager

Andrew has worked with Roshan and Karlo to “surface” Canvas assessment tasks in the student leave workflow so that a parent can see the tasks that their son will be missing when on leave. As part of this framework, Canvas assessment tasks are also surfaced in Trumba, the School’s calendar, to ensure that academic staff have visibility of other departmental tasks when setting an assessment task. Students and parents also have access to the assessment tasks in Trumba and this assists in planning and time management. The King’s session was well attended, and resources were shared with workshop participants who raised some worthwhile questions and discussion.

Karlo

AISNSW ICT Management and Leadership Conference

The modern technology landscape allows for a multitude of advanced system Integrations. But how does data retention and cybersecurity fit into this efficient but often scary world? Three workshops from the 17th annual AISNSW ICT Management and Leadership Conference covered exactly that.

Integrations with external systems means the collection and collation of data is made much easier than ever before. However, once collected, the deletion of outdated and unnecessary data is often left on the wayside, which shouldn’t be the case. Four experienced software engineers, teachers, and eLearning coordinators covered exactly this. The workshop Digital integrators Panel: Sharing Your Process [and] Vision led by Emma Lord, Head of Software Engineering and Digital Technologies at Emanuel School, posed that data which fulfil their useful life within the organisation needs to be proactively monitored and assessed regularly. Data that are kept on internal and external systems may give unlawful and malicious access to a large volume of private and important data with ease and can be easily avoided.

One way to mitigate the danger of data leakage is to enforce data retention policies. Charles Alexander, the Legal Counsel for AISNSW, led the workshop, Addressing Privacy Principles Through Data Retention, and covered this topic with a panel of industry experts.

Privacy can be met through informed data retention policies that include deletion of data once the organisation deems them unnecessary and safe to erase while still fulfilling compliance and regulatory obligations. Such policies make the “reward” of attacking an organisation much less attractive to cyber criminals. Other effective measures to ensure cybersecurity include the Zero Trust architecture. This architecture requires constant user verification, the principle of least privilege, and strong network monitoring. Implementing these measures across a school, which, although a challenging undertaking, is a worthy one.

One of the most exciting presentations was delivered by Dr Susan O’Donnell and Adrian Raynor. Their presentation focused on delivering the Australian Curriculum through virtual reality (VR). In taking up this challenge, the Queensland Department of Education VR Learning and Design Hub based at Bentley Park College, Cairns, has designed VR ready-for- use modules that fully align with the Australian Curriculum units and has collaborated closely with schools to ensure that they are ready and equipped to use the units effectively.

Despite the past limitations of VR, such as being difficult to operate and expensive to set up, it is now readily available. The current educational climate has changed and progressed as technology becomes ubiquitous.

Educators realise VR may represent a challenge for adults, including teachers, but it is a natural environment for students and one that requires implementation. For young learners, the transition to harness the special characteristics of VR to enhance and enrich learning has proved to be a simple evolution, especially in the context of the Australian Curriculum. However, the use of VR for learning and teaching does not rule out the possibility that all other educational tools should, or could, be discarded. The traditional tools of textbooks, videos, PowerPoint, and whiteboards still have relevance in the classroom. VR cannot replace the classroom setting that still requires direct instruction, discussion, and collaboration; however, what it does do, is provide an immersive experience that cannot be replicated using traditional technology. Therefore, by providing a multi-sensory experience, VR has its own unique features, which may range from the passivity of a 360-degree video to the active-rich experience provided by user-directed and emotionally connected immersive technology, with users entering an environment where they can interact with, respond to, and solve, stimuli.

The design and implementation of VR units of work linked to the Australian Curriculum has yielded better retention and engagement in students, which has translated to greater levels of deep understanding and eventual assessment success.

Ultimately, fully immersive VR technology creates a multi-sensory experience where the user is autonomous and actively engaged with a sense of “being there,” whilst being firmly grounded in the real world.

Dare to Lead: Summary

The course has been developed around self-reflection and the practice of being vulnerable with other course participants. Foundational is an understanding of what motivates people as a leader and identifying core values that can be used as strengths to lead the school or organisation. These core values also allow individuals to be resilient through adversity.

Non-judgement: Connection can be improved by replacing judgement with curiosity.

Generosity: Extending the most generous interpretation to the intentions, words, and actions of others.

Peter Allison Head of the Preparatory School

Courage is an expected character trait in leadership. However, vulnerability is not often coupled with courage when thinking about the role of leadership in an organisation. The two-day, Dare to Lead program, explored how taking courage as a leader also requires individuals to be vulnerable to themselves and often to others. Based on research by professor, lecturer, and author Dr Brene Brown, the course uncovered how vulnerability is a strength not a weakness. Vulnerability is defined as, “the universal emotion we feel when times are risky and uncertain, or we are at the mercy of other people’s actions”

Leadership is characterised by acting despite fear and uncertainty.

Trust is crucial for successful leadership. The program examined trust and how to develop trust within others and within oneself by illuminating factors that influence the way one leads, such as fear, guilt, and shame. The importance of self-compassion and empathy was explored and how one can use these elements to help professional relationships flourish.

Seven behaviours that cultivate trust are summed up by the acronym BRAVING.

Boundary-setting: Clarifying and respecting each other’s limits is crucial to a collective relation.

Reliability: We do what we say we will. This includes being aware of our own competencies and limitations so that we don’t overpromise and remain accountable to our commitments, balancing priorities.

Accountability: Owning one’s mistakes, apologising where necessary, and making amends.

Vault: Trust is built through the knowledge that confidentiality is maintained.

Integrity: Involves choosing courage over comfort and practising one’s values, not just professing them.

There will be times where we fail as leaders. Rising again requires us to recognise our emotions and increase self-awareness of our feelings and how they connect with the way we think, behave, and manufacture our own stories. Challenging assumptions is an important part of the process to determine the truth from self-protection. As a result, a new mindset is developed that we subsequently use to engage with our personal and professional relationships.

Reference

Brené Brown (2018) Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. Random House.

Respect Trumps Harmony

Respect is defined as “admiration felt or shown for someone or something that you believe has good ideas or qualities” (Cambridge English Dictionary, n.d.). Respect as a King’s School Value is reflected as:

Katrina Boulton Director - People and Culture

We respect one another and ourselves. Respect involves valuing people and property so that neither is dishonoured. We respect other’s beliefs and points of view. We do not bully or impose our will on others whether in thought, word or deed. We respect ourselves by adopting a lifestyle that is balanced and promotes wellbeing. Respect is strongly aligned with humility and honesty, for it is when we are committed to the truth and able to recognise, we may be wrong, that we are able to show respect. (School Mission Statement, 2022)

Respect was identified as an issue in the Employee Engagement (EE) survey conducted in 2021. Although respect was considered favourably by 63% of employees across the school, this rating was 14% less than the benchmark in comparative schools. During 2021, in multiple EE Survey debriefings with all staff, the Headmaster communicated the key areas of focus arising from the survey and noted that Respect was one of the five key recommendations for targeted focus by The Voice Project. The recommendation stated:

Support the culture of respect among staff by role modelling from leadership, clear standards for integrity and respectful behaviour, and robust reporting processes. Take action that demonstrates the school does not tolerate bullying, abusive behaviour or discriminatory behaviour. (Project, 2021)

Given that Respect is also one of The King’s Schools core values, the Employee Engagement Working Group (EEWG) decided to initially focus its energies on two areas at a time, one being Respect.

To enable the focus on Respect, the Headmaster provided each employee with a copy of the book, Respect Trumps Harmony by Rachel Robertson. All staff were requested to read this as a starting point for the broad discussion and co-creation of an increased focus on Respect. The book conveys key messages and simple, practical approaches to building respect within a team.

In January 2022, the whole-school professional development day began with an inspiring talk by Rachel Robertson followed by an open forum question and answer session. The EEWG had the opportunity to discuss Respect and Rachel’s provocations over lunch, where broad discussion about practical approaches were the order of the day. Prior to, and post Rachel’s session, the EEWG continued discussions about areas in which to improve a focus on Respect across all areas of the school (notes from these discussions are posted on KingsNet in the People and Culture section). Practical strategies to improve respect, taken directly from Respect Trumps Harmony, were:

• No Triangles – a tool to put an end to gossip, improve accountability and the quality of feedback, and drive innovation

• The Bacon War – a gentle circuit breaker for calling out dysfunctional behaviour

• Lead Without a Title – an approach to developing personal leadership in your team, so responsibility and initiative are shared. (Robertson, 2020)

In summary, communication was identified as the key to successfully shifting the focus on Respect across all areas of the School. Notably, top-down communication needs to be reduced and all areas of the School need to find ways to involve and engage people in decision-making on matters that impact them. Additionally, the need for greater interactions between leadership and broader teams was identified.

Following the Rachel Robertson talk, an activity was facilitated by The King’s School Institute for all attendees at the Professional Development Day, whereby the entire staff broke into focus groups to brainstorm the issues that challenged our understanding and enactment of Respect in the School. A group activity followed with each team or department, whereby statements were generated about what respect means to them. These statements were then collated by a representative group into a Draft Respect Charter. This charter was issued for consultation with all staff and then finalised, based on feedback.

In April 2022, the King’s School Staff Respect Charter was released simultaneously across the School. Copies of the Charter are located in public locations for easy reference and have been a topic of discussion across the school.

Attitude Influences Workplace Behaviour More Than Personality

Matthew Harpley Tudor House Teacher Point

Interpreting an individual’s attitude provides the scope to analyse behavioural characteristics and offers an opportunity for influence within a workplace. Attitudes are positive or negative psychological evaluations made by an individual that result from an external stimulus, such as a circumstance, person, or object (Judge et al., 2017). Attitudes may be attributed to the individual, group, or whole organisation level within the Organisational Behaviour (OB) discipline (Robbins & Judge, 2013). Positive attitudes in the workplace are desirable and lead to a healthy work environment with strong organisational performance. Conversely, negative attitudes can lead to employee turnover, dissatisfaction, and an ineffective organisation.

Attitude is viewed as having three related components: cognition (the characterisation of an opinion), effect (the emotional response), and behaviour (the behavioural reaction) (Robbins & Judge, 2013). These components display the intricacy of attitudes whilst providing the foundation to explore the potential cause of behaviours. Furthermore, understanding the components of attitudes allows the appreciation of behaviours resulting from a conceived or perceived attitude. Through this understanding, leaders are positioned to leverage workplace behaviours by manipulating the stimulus that leads to employees’ opinions and emotional responses.

Behaviours, however, do not always follow attitudes. Individuals may alter their attitudes to align with specific behaviour, usually as a result of cognitive dissonance, where an imbalance exists between an individual’s attitudes and behaviours (Robbins & Judge ,2013). Balance can be achieved by either changing the attitude or behaviour, so they align. Imbalance through cognitive dissonance can lead to adverse outcomes in the workplace, such as stress that can lead to negative behaviours, such as absenteeism or poor performance. Thus, being aware of this additional facet of attitude allows for leaders to recognise the potential cause for resultant behaviours and the possibility of assisting employees in overcoming cognitive dissonance through mediation.

Within a workplace, three principal attitudes are distinguished as having a significant effect on behaviour: job involvement, organisational commitment, and job satisfaction. Job involvement refers to an individual’s commitment to the type of

work they conduct, whilst organisational commitment is the individual’s desire to remain with, and belief in, the company’s values (Robbins & Judge, 2013).

Job satisfaction refers to an overarching appraisal of an individual’s satisfaction with their job, which is made up of influences, such as pay, security, employee relationships, management, and tasks (Judge et al., 2017). Negative attitudes within any of these three areas can lead to negative behaviours in the workplace, such as absenteeism, disengagement, stress, lack of retention, breakdown in workplace relationships, and poor performance. Whilst these behaviours can be observed, it is detrimental to the organisation to wait until they manifest. Leadership that is proactive in promoting positive OB must determine the attitudes of employees. Organisational surveys or interviews with employees provide insight into attitudes. Essential to these are questions designed to target specific work-related attitudes.

Improving workplace behaviour by focusing on employees’ attitudes is essential within an organisation. Leaders striving to utilise their human skills to influence OB effectively must be cognisant of the relationship between attitudes and their impact on behaviour. This knowledge will provide an opportunity for leaders to influence and promote desirable organisational outcomes by successfully influencing positive behaviour through promoting and facilitating positive attitudes.

Counterpoint

Research has demonstrated attitude as influencing workplace behaviour; however, there is evidence to support the

more substantial impact of personality in determining behaviour. Personality is defined as an individual’s interacting psychological characteristics exhibited through beliefs, mindset, and behaviours stemming from an external stimulus (Mahmoud et al., 2020). Furthermore, Robbins and Judge (2013) explain personality as the “sum total of ways in which an individual reacts to and interacts with others” (p. 133). As such, different personality traits interact with each other in unique ways that differ according to the individual. This understanding is essential when leadership seeks to influence workplace employee behaviour.

Specific personality traits can lend themselves to positive workplace behaviours, such as job performance, motivation, and leadership (Judge et al.,2008). Leaders may use self-reporting or observations to determine personality traits to understand an individual’s personality. Two dominant self-reporting personality assessments are the Myer-Briggs Type Indicator and the Big Five Model, the latter being supported by a more significant body of research evidence (Robbins & Judge 2013). These assessments allow leaders to determine if an individual’s personality traits suit the type of work, organisational environment and expected behaviour.

Utilising the Big Five Model will display personality traits along a continuum of conscientiousness, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and neuroticism (Judge et al. 2008). An individual whose personality reflects conscientiousness would be viewed as reliable and successful in completing set goals that represent positive behaviours. Moreover, the personality trait reflecting

extraversion measures whether an individual is dominant or assertive within social interactions (Mahmoud et al., 2020). Leaders seeking an individual with leadership skills would find this desirable, but less desirable if seeking an individual who is reserved in their approach. Whilst personality traits are scored independently, an individual’s personality is a summation of the specific personality traits. Mahmoud et al. contend that the interaction of traits impacts an individual’s behaviour in the workplace. Therefore, it is crucial to note that personality traits must be viewed together as opposed to individually, so leaders can create a holistic view of personality traits and how they impact employee behaviour.

Leaders can utilise personality testing in the recruitment stage to predetermine expected employee behaviour; thus, assisting in the future management of OB. This is due to research evidence supporting the notion that “personality traits persist during a person’s lifetime” (Gunaydin, 2021, p. 2741) with minimal changes. This stability contrasts with attitudes which can change due to cognitive dissonance. Consider recruitment for a role that requires working in a dynamic group that shares and challenges ideas. Leaders may want to avoid employing a highly neurotic personality as they are more inclined to react emotionally with anger or sadness. By employing an individual with low neuroticism, it can be expected there is less of a future need to manage negative behaviours resulting from emotional reactions. For currently employed individuals, leaders can strategically manipulate the workplace variables to improve the relationship between personality and job performance (Robbins & Judge, 2013).

Personality has a profound influence on workplace behaviour. Leaders are well equipped to influence workplace behaviour deliberately by understanding the different personality traits individually and, more importantly, how they interact with each other to impact behaviour. This understanding is essential in the study of OB, where leadership seeks influence at the individual level for the organisation’s benefit.

References

Gunaydin, D. (2021). Impacts of personality on job performance through Covid-19 fear and intention to quit. Psychological Reports, 124(6), 2739-2760.

Judge, T., Kammeyer-Mueller, J., Weiss, H. & Hulin, C. (2017). Job attitudes, job satisfaction, and job Aafect: A century of continuity and of change. Journal of Applied Psychology, 102(3), 357-374.

Judge, T., Klinger, R., Simon, L.S & Yang, I.W.F. (2008,). The contributions of personality to organisational behavior and psychology: Findings, criticisms, and future research Directions: Personality and organisational behavior. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 2(5), 1982–2000.

Mahmoud, M., Ahmad, S. & Poespowidjojo, D. (2020). Intrapreneurial behaviour, big five personality and individual performance. Management Research Review, 43(12), 1499-1516.

Robbins, S. & Judge, T. (2013,). Organisational behaviour (15th edn), Pearson Education.

Leading from the Middle 2022

On 9th November, 13 outstanding teachers from all three campuses of The King’s School presented their AISNSW Leading from the Middle projects to members of the School Council, School Executive, and their colleagues.

The following staff and their respective projects that were successful in this year’s Leading from the Middle program were:

Gregory Burgett – Developing contemporary music learning in the performing arts

Dr Dean Dudley, CF Director of The King’s School Institute Associate Professor of Education

The AISNSW Leading from the Middle program is a school-based strategy for mid to senior leaders in schools who work for a full year on a project that they believe is significant in terms of not only demonstrating their leadership potential, but transformative in the way the school undertakes its strategic mission. In a first for the program in NSW, The King’s School Institute, in partnership with AISNSW, instituted an initiative whereby each of the program’s candidates was mentored on their project throughout the year by a member of the School’s Extended Executive. This initiative was embraced as a means of ensuring that the time spent on these projects would have the greatest opportunity of being enacted into the school’s operations or expanded upon in future iterations of the program.

As in previous years, the 2022 AISNSW Leading from the Middle cohort produced projects that were extremely diverse; however, two dominant themes emerged. The first was that each project made explicit connection to one of the three King’s School Distinctives (Academic Excellence, Character Development, and Christian Community). The second theme was the large percentage of projects that were not only theoretically robust, but data driven. Several of the projects presented this year focussed on the school’s ability to make learning, character, and faith visible to our staff, Council, and broader community.

Josh Chapman – Excellence through basketball: Providing staff and students the capacity to be the best they can be

Sara Clarke – Leading pedagogical change: K-2 Literacy Project

Reverend Geoffrey Everett – Community engagement initiative

David Guild – The Prep Praise Portal

Steven Hodgson – Developing intentional environments for Christian leadership formation

Alison Lawson – Owning your zone

Sandi Netto –.An evidence-based view to thrive at King’s

Jason Nowland – Academic support and tutoring for an extended school day (Study Hub)

Jhunlee Pamintuan – Parent wellbeing seminars

Warwick Percival – It’s just not cricket

Steven Solomonides – Tracking students

Melanie Webster – Manga mania

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

Peak Hill and Tomingley Gold Mine

The Tomingley gold mine tour was a free trip put together by Australian Earth Science Education and Alkane Resources of the historic Peak Hill Gold Mine and the working Tomingley Gold Operations.

The tour began at Peak Hill Gold Mine, where students learnt about the Aboriginal and natural heritage of the area, historic mining at the site, management of sulfide wastes, rehabilitation, and future mining prospects. The information was presented by King’s Old Boy Michael Sutherland, who is the General Manager for NSW, and Alex, an exploration Geologist for Alkane Resources.

Alex took us to his site office to explain the operation and future prospects in the area, showing the maps produced from some $30 million dollars’ worth of exploratory core drilling! The next large project for Alkane Resources is partially under the Newell Highway, which will require approval for the main road to be moved–a massive undertaking of time, manpower, and finances. We also saw the core samples from their exploration drilling and gained our first understanding of the minimum concentration of gold in the ore for it to be financially viable: 0.4g/tonne for open-cut mining and 1.4g/tonne for underground mining.

Moving onto Alkane’s Tomingley Gold Operations, we were introduced to the managers of the mine–the General Manager, Open-Cut Manager, and Underground Manager–who explained mine operations. The tour of the mine started with watching a gold pour, filling around 2.5 ingots. We got to hold one of the ingots of gold with a mass of 14.19kg and worth in the vicinity of one million

dollars! We explored the processing area, learning about the chemical reactions used to separate the gold from the lesser value minerals and processing area.

Normally restricted to the public, the open pit operations were temporarily postponed due to poor weather conditions and that gave us an opportunity to get down to the bottom of the pit. This was a brilliant experience to see the seams of goldbearing rock, which they were unable to access due to them undermining the access roads, the size of the operations and equipment, and the scale of the mine itself (which is not a big mine at all).

During the afternoon, we had another chance to chat with mine staff before a few of us had the opportunity to go into the underground mine. It was amazing to see the web of roads into the hillside and the specialised equipment operating in the formation of new tunnels and the unique carrying equipment to remove the ore from within. The tagging in and out of the underground mine was very thorough and gave a trail of our route through the 3km of tunnelling we drove through.

What a remarkable trip to see a working mine, learning about techniques, exploration, rehabilitation, and to unpack a lot of myths about mining. Just remember, if it didn’t grow and doesn’t flow, it was mined!

Chris Piper Science Teacher

Pilbara 2022

Chris Piper Science Teacher

Big Questions Expeditions took us on a trip through the Pilbara to places including North Pole Dome, Marble Bar, Karijini National Park, and Tom Price. The key stops on the trip covered the earliest life on Earth, banded iron formations, and mining iron ore. We were accompanied by several experts in the field of Geology: Professor Martin van Kranendonk (UNSW) who is an expert in the Pilbara region and in the field of early life, and Dr Mitch Schulte (NASA Mission Scientist from the Planetary Science Division (Mars Rover - Prosperity) who provided his expertise in the area of Geology and Planetary Geology. Both experts are board members of the Big Questions Institute, which previously had Professor Stephen Hawking as a board member! Other travellers on the trip were an artist, macadamia farmers, a parent, a journalist, and two venture capitalists. The purpose of the trip was to discover why Australia’s stromatolites are so important to the origin of life research and to the search for life on Mars and beyond.

The trip to the Pilbara was an experience that took us back to approximately 3500 million years ago, to a time when the oceans were green and the atmosphere was without oxygen. On this early Earth, there were bacteria living in shallow waters; the rocks and fossils of the Pilbara being part of the story behind these tiny organisms.

Modern relatives of Earth’s early life can be found at Shark Bay in Western Australia and are called Stromatolites. These “living fossils” are photosynthetic, using sunlight to produce their energy. At the beginning of early life, when bacteria were less complex, they employed the process of chemosynthesis to obtain their energy. The bacteria grew as microbial mats in shallow ocean waters and secreted a sticky substance on their surface. Sediment in the oceans attached to this surface and the stromatolites grew. If sediment built up too quickly, the mats would be buried and the bacteria would die. However, the stromatolites grow quickly in some regions to stand proud above the sediment build-up.

Currently, the oldest fossils in the world come from the North Pole Dome and have been aged at 3.48 billion years old. They are amongst spinifex grass in an unremarkable gully within a large expanse. As Professor van Kranendonk relayed information about these fossils, we were drawn into a time and environment that was seemingly inconceivable. Once shown the evidence in the surrounding rocks (asymmetrical ripples), however, it was easy to understand the environment that the stromatolites were once living in, despite the remoteness and distance from the current coastline.

Moving onto the next site, we moved to younger stromatolites that were 3.3 billion years old. This site showed both differences and similarities in the geological processes that operated at the older North Pole Dome stromatolite site. The differences between the biological and geological layers became easier to recognise at this point. By the end of the day, we were able to see these structures everywhere and were very conscious of our foot placement when walking through these fragile and geologically important areas.

Dr Schulte’s interest in the Pilbara is related to his work with the Mars Perseverance mission that is addressing high-priority science goals for Mars exploration, including key questions about the potential for life on Mars. The mission takes the next step by not only seeking signs of habitable conditions on Mars in the ancient past, but also searching for signs of past microbial life itself. The Mars Perseverance rover introduces a drill that can collect core samples of the most promising rocks and soils and set them aside in a “cache” on the surface of Mars. Currently all samples taken on Mars remain on the planet, but planning is well underway for a Mars Sample Return Program when samples will be collected and returned to Earth by 2033.

As stromatolites evolved, they started to produce oxygen and this, over time, caused the iron in the oceans to precipitate and fall to the bottom of the oceans. When this precipitation occurred the colour of the oceans changed to blue. Over many millions of years, layers of iron formed on the bottom of the oceans, some of which can be seen in the Karijini National Park. Over time the oxygen became more prevalent in the atmosphere as well.

The Karijini National Park has many gorges which can be viewed, walked, and swum through (despite the water being very cold). We ventured into the Joffre, Kalamina and Weano Gorges and saw the secondary products of those little bacteria–the banded iron formations showing layers of red and black rock; the black containing higher levels of iron.

Not far from Karijini is Tom Price, a mining town whose primary role is the extraction of iron ore. The massive size and scale of the Rio Tinto operation has to be seen to be believed. The pit sizes, the machinery, the hours of operation, and the number of miners (FIFO and permanent) are all on a scale like nothing in suburban towns that most of us would know. What was amazing, was seeing the trains on the longest privately owned railway line in the world heading back to Tom Price to refill. We saw 15 trains, all with 238 carriages, each carriage capable of holding approximately 130 tonnes of material. There is something in the order of $25 million of iron ore on each train.

A big thanks to UNSW for sponsoring the cost of the trip, the School for supporting my attendance, and Professor Peter Wilson for providing the opportunity. Also, thanks to Darren and Kerryn for their fine work conceiving and developing the Big Questions Expedition to the Pilbara, which was such a fabulous opportunity to learn and educate in such an important area of Science.

Feedback for Extension History: Process and Value

One of the problems that faces teachers of Senior History is that the students who enter their classrooms in Year 11 to commence the Preliminary Course will have mixed abilities when it comes to the art of writing a well-structured, well-argued, comprehensive, and sophisticated historical essay. Irrespective of the foundational work done in Years 7-10 History, this will always be the case, and of all the skills that need to be mastered for success for HSC History, none is arguably more important than this one.

David Woodgate History and Legal Studies Teacher

The need to be able to write well is especially true for Extension History, where all school-based assessments require students to write essays. This situation is complicated by the fact that it requires a totally different approach to writing essays from that required for the two-unit courses of Modern and Ancient History; the Extension Course being imbued with philosophy and complex historiography. Therefore, the importance of providing sustained and consistent feedback is critical to ensuring long-term success, such that when students write the essay for their research project, sit for their Trial HSC (two essays) and the actual HSC examination (two essays), they are properly positioned to write well-structured, wellargued, comprehensive, and sophisticated responses.

Providing feedback in Extension History, involves students participating in a rigorous program of writing practice essays from the commencement of the course in Term 4 through to the week before the Trial and post-trial in Term 3. Students are given comprehensive feedback to ensure there is a visible and demonstrable development and growth of their essay writing skills. The specific approach to providing feedback for all essays, both practice (formative) and formal assessment tasks (summative) involves:

a) A general marker’s report to all students using the following headings:

• What the marker was looking for to achieve an “A” range in terms of evidence, content, and structure?

• What was done well across the responses?

• What was done poorly or needed more attention across the responses?

b) Very specific individual comments for all responses. The comments are typed and follow the chronological progression of the essay. They target the following:

• Response to the question (judgement), thesis statement, and signposting of key historiographical issues to be talked about.

• Key structural issues for responding to the question properly.

• Use of evidence and sources –comprehensiveness and relevance of, or otherwise.

• Integration of, and sustained and explicit reference to, the mandated sources associated with the question.

• Is the question being answered?

• Specific overall comment about what was done especially well.

• Specific overall comment about what was not done well or needs more attention.

Having received the feedback, the students must do the following. This is where the value of the feedback becomes critical:

a) Highlight in one colour those comments on the general report that they believe they have either done well, or at least attended to.

b) Highlight in one colour, those comments on the general report that they believe they have not done well, or at least not attended to.

c) Prioritise the specific comments made that need, in their opinion, the most urgent attention by numbering from 1 (the most important) to whatever number there are.

d) Have a conversation with me after the above has been done, to ensure there is agreement about their judgements. Invariably, I find that they get this completely correct and this is 90% of the battle won–they have come to an understanding on how to improve based on the feedback even before they see me.

e) The option, or at key moments, no option, to electronically re-write the essay and have it re-marked based on the feedback and the process of points a, b, c, and d.

Anything that students change, amend, add, or even eliminate, must be submitted in the re-write in bold and red, so that it is clearly observable. The re-submitted essay will be returned with comments that specifically target how the essay has in fact paid attention to the general and specific feedback. My experience is that, when the rewrite follows this process, there is always a demonstrable improvement in the marks.

Using the above process from when the first essay is written through to the Trial HSC and post-trial period, the students end up writing somewhere in the order of 10-12 responses for the two areas of study for Extension History. Almost without exception, there is a proven and demonstrable improvement of the students’ marks and the progression of the comprehensiveness and sophistication of their responses.

VET Construction Course

In Term 2, Jayden Taccori attended an 11-day VET Construction course, where he attained a Certificate 1 in Construction and a Certificate II in Construction Pathways. During this course, Jayden was involved in many activities, including surveying; tilling; building a children’s cubby house, a timber shed, a deck, stairs; and pouring a concrete slab. He also completed a “WHS White Card“ course and attended a VET teacher training orientation day. At the orientation day, Jayden considered program development, competencybased assessments, VET compliance requirements, and teaching resources.

Additional to the Construction training course, this year, Jayden also completed AIS training modules in VET NESA Schools Online entries, School Based Apprenticeship and Traineeships (SBAT), and VET RTO update webinars. By undertaking these professional development courses, Jayden has ensured that he is up to date with the latest information, resources, and knowledge that are fundamental to his role as the Vocational Educational Training Coordinator.

Jayden Taccori

Industrial

Arts Teacher Vocational Educational Training Coordinator

Jayden’s professional development opportunity provided him with an opportunity to further refine and develop his construction skills, thus ensuring that our VET Construction students are provided with a high quality, industry current and relevant education.

Innovative Language Teaching & Practice 2022

The topic of operationalising teacher dispositions for global competence and language engagement for life was examined at the conference by educational researcher, Suzanne Barry. Her presentation of the KARDS model of language teacher education for a global society addressed five main components:

• Knowing: the teacher’s ability of paying attention to and reflecting on professional, procedural, and personal knowledge.

Winnie So

Languages Teacher

The conference, Innovative Practitioners, Innovative Practice 2022, explored a variety of topics that discussed innovative learning of language and culture. It is evident that while Australia is a v society, schools, however, have a monolingual mindset, viewing the learning of additional languages unnecessary (Clyne, 2004; Ellis, 2006; Pennycook, 1994). Cultural awareness, the ability to notice other cultures beyond your own, is, therefore, a relevant area of focus at The King’s School.

• Analysing: the teacher’s ability to determine learners’ needs, motivations, and autonomy.

• Recognising: the ability to recognise and renew identity and beliefs.

• Doing: the choices a teacher makes when interacting in the classroom.

• Seeing: how the application of knowledge is being observed by others.

The five components of the KARDS model have similarities with Byram’s (1997) model for intercultural competence in terms of helping teachers to interpret and analyse events from another culture, acquire and interact with new cultural knowledge, and being open to identify and reflect on personal biases to recognise their own beliefs. The King’s School would greatly benefit from combining the two approaches to promote Intercultural education. This requires both teachers and students to engage in self-reflection to determine one’s own worldviews regarding culture and to develop comfort when confronted with cultural differences.

Dr Angie Knaggs spoke about how we need to create a new value proposition for language learning, so that our leaders of tomorrow can make sense of the value of language as a twenty-first century skill. The value proposition involves moving away from seeing the learning of additional language due to cultural background or family language, to creating a statement that communicates the clearest benefit that students will receive by pursuing language studies. This statement includes showing the value of language learning for employability; for example, when competing with 300 other graduate accountants who are all capable of doing accountancy, language learning can show one’s interpersonal skills and ability to work in a multicultural team. Another example of the value of language learning is highlighting how it could help develop empathy and other people skills for junior doctors.

The focus of a new value proposition for language learning is on transferable value. Transferability is the skill that an individual learns through the process of learning a language that can be used anywhere. It is the component that will travel with students wherever they go and whatever they do. Knaggs also mentioned that there are transferable skills that will help students succeed in mainstream subjects, such as English and Mathematics.

Evidence suggests that creativity, curiosity, vulnerability, grit, metacognitive skills, and self-efficacy developed through language learning is correlated with stronger and better performance in both Mathematics and English.

Innovative Language Teaching & Practice 2022

Language learning is the ultimate employability factor and offers greater opportunities to connect and excel on a global scale. At The King’s School, students need to be reminded consistently that there is deeper transferable learning occurring when they are learning a language because we know that our students learn best in the moment. If we coach them in the language of employability now when the learning is happening, we know they are going to recall it. Students involved in language learning will have an advantage as they seek employment and graduate positions.

Another keynote speaker, Dr Gianfranco Conti, discussed enhancing L2 learner motivation through a self-efficacy building curriculum. Intrinsic motivation, which includes enjoyment and relevance of content, will produce the ideal outcome of self-efficacy in learning. Creating a culture of success is another important strategy to enhance intrinsic motivation. A student may be more intrinsically motivated if they see their peers achieving success in their language studies.

Teachers at The King’s School should ensure students see failure as an instance that can be addressed and rectified by showing them a path to success. Teachers should strive to create an atmosphere of empathy in which students are supportive of one another and do not mock other people’s failure. Implementing a curriculum built on self-efficacy at The King’s School will encourage three very important elements of learning: enjoyment, relevance of content, and the capacity for students to reach their complete learning potential.

The creation of animated gifs (Graphic Interchange Format for animated and static image files) to instruct and inspire the learning of languages in the classroom was discussed by Joe Dale. Animated gifs can be utilised to bring language learning to life by reinforcing sentence structure, practising dialogues, modelling grammar use, and giving personalised fun feedback. It is an effective way to connect with students and make learning more interactive. Encouraging teachers and students at The King’s School to utilise gifs in the classroom will promote enjoyment and connect students to their learning environment. Teachers can use gifs to build community and engagement while fostering intrinsic motivation, thus resulting in full comprehension of learning.

The development of the whole teacher requires the above topics to be intertwined in every story. More specifically, the process of continuous self-reflection is inherent to language teaching and will enhance students’ motivation to learn culture and language.

References

Byram, M. (1997). Teaching and assessing intercultural communicative competence. Multilingual Matters.

Clyne, M. (2004). Trapped in a monolingual mindset. Principal Matters, (59), 18-20.

Ellis, R. 2004. The definition and measurement of L2 explicit knowledge. Language Learning 54 (2), 227-275.

Pennycook, A. (1994). The Cultural Politics of English as an international language. Longman.

The AIS History Conference 2022

Daniel Nilsson Head of History and Legal Studies

The AIS History Conference 2022 focused on the theme, Contested Discourses in History. The Conference was convened by the AISNSW History Convenor and Head of History and Legal Studies at The King’s School, Daniel Nilsson, and the program included a range of speakers and presenters from independent schools and historical associations. The keynote was presented by Associate Professor Robert Parkes from the University of Newcastle, who explored the role of History teachers and History Departments at schools to serve as curators of historical content, understanding, and knowledge for their students and teams. The keynote also promoted discussion at King’s amongst the History staff as to how, as an academic team, the History Department is curating its historical studies to fit within the mission and values of The King’s School and its place in a global society.

The conference also included a panel, moderated by Daniel Nilsson, comprising Heads of Department and Modern History HSC Markers who explored the learnings from the 2021 HSC Modern History Paper. Panel members reflected on how to best approach teaching the Core section of the Modern History Paper to best ensure student success on the HSC Examination.

Tom Ruddock, History teacher and Bishop Barker Housemaster, in conjunction with George Davis from SHORE, and with contributions from King’s History teacher Eliza Little, presented an exploration of a unit of work that students at King’s study in History Elective on the theme of Terrorism Across the Ages. The presentation allowed Tom to share with the wider educational community some of what is being undertaken at King’s, thus demonstrating the leading role that our school and department are taking in approaching the teaching of History.

The learnings from the various presentations were brought back to King’s and have been incorporated into History Department meetings, planning, programming, and scopes and sequences for 2023 courses and beyond. For example, the department has developed a unit of work, Afghanistan and Australia’s Role in the War in Afghanistan, for implementation from Term 4, 2022.

AISNSW Geography Conference 2022

Geographies of Impact: Local Actions

in a Global Context.

At the conclusion of Term 2, the Geography Department was afforded the opportunity for professional development as a team through a collaborative initiative between The King’s School Institute and the Studies Office, with funding derived from the Academic Enhancement Fund. The facilitator of a two-day workshop was Dr Susan Caldis, Lecturer, Secondary Social Sciences; President, Geography Teachers Association of NSW and ACT (GTANSWACT); Chair, Australian Geography Teachers Association (AGTA) and 2020 STEM Ambassador, Science & Technology Australia.

an opportunity to collaboratively align our approaches to the teaching and learning of Geography, identify what the teaching of Geography aims to achieve, and provided us with an open forum discussion of the strengths, opportunities, and perceptions of geography in the broader context of the community and the school.

Brendan Stewart Head of Geography

It was the first time, outside of departmental time, that members of the department have been able to immerse themselves in our common vocation over an extended period. The onsite professional learning day provided the department with

Dr Caldis also provided us with recent research articles, which were excellent discussion starters and supported the current work of the department. The professional learning day extended and affirmed the department’s common direction and approach to teaching and learning Geography. Additionally, Stage 4 and 5 teaching staff were provided with the opportunity to practise marking at an HSC level, thus consolidating our practices and upskilling Stage 4 and 5 Geography staff.

Mathematics Association of NSW (MANSW) Annual Conference 2022

The keynote address by Professor Catherine Attard, Western Sydney University, was a timely reminder that we need to consider the transitions between primary and secondary education. Primary schools use many concrete materials in their teaching of Mathematics, but we tend to forget about this in our secondary classrooms and often the students really miss this. Concrete to abstract is crucial for the learning of Mathematics.

Gary Davies Mathematics Teacher

The theme for this year’s Mathematics Association conference was, Changing Times, Changing Directions; fitting, not only in the Covid/post Covid era where we, as educators, have had to change our practice to ensure the needs of our students were met during remote learning, but also due to curriculum changes. We have now had a few years of the new Stage 6 Mathematics syllabuses, while the new Stage 4 and 5 Mathematics syllabuses are due for implementation in 2024. It is also important that we consider how changes in technology, changes in values, and the global perspective affect what we need to do in our classrooms. How do we best engage our students in Mathematics and ensure they are adequately prepared for life post-school?

Megan Rodda, DoE Adviser Years 7–12, continued this theme with her presentation, Building a Thinking Classroom. She provided a range of strategies, including considerations of where students work; how they collaborate; how we can maintain the flow, ability, and challenge without boredom or frustration; and mobilise knowledge. Both Robert Yen, Cengage Education, and Megan Rodda presented on the new 7-10 Mathematics syllabus, particularly the changes to the Stage 5 Mathematics pathways which lead to students’ choice of Mathematics Courses in Year 11 and 12.

Professor Chris Matthews, Chair of the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Mathematics Alliance, spoke about the connections between mathematics and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge, while Peter Gould, retired Leader Numeracy, Department of Education, spoke about how mathematical reasoning is thinking logically about quantitative and spatial relationships and is at the heart of working mathematically; distinguishing what “could be” from what “must be.”

There were numerous other outstanding presentations on best practice in Mathematics that shared new ideas, strategies, and resources throughout the three days of the conference. Some of the presentations included: The Wonderful World of Networks: Stage 6 by Sarah Warry (Trainer Mathematics Growth Team), The Simplex Algorithm and the Science of Burger Making by Alistair Lupton from South Australia, Engage, Extend, Enrich on how Woolgoolga High School increased numbers in the calculus based courses, Literacy in Mathematics (Canberra Grammar School), Filling the Gaps using the Five Question Approach by John Ley, Sessional Academic in Mathematics (Education WSU), Using Latex in Creating Assessment Tasks (David Reidy, La Salle Academy), Stuart Palmer showing us how we can use the new Casio calculators (due for release next year), and John Drake reminding us to have Fun in Mathematics and sharing numerous activities that we can use in the classroom to engage our students and encourage their critical and creative thinking skills.

In brief, the MANSW Annual conference is the best professional learning any Mathematics teacher in NSW could possibly attend.

NESA Teacher Expert Networks (TENs) for Curriculum Reform in 2022

/ NESA Teacher Expert Networks (TENs)

This is our second year of participation in the NESA TENs for Curriculum Reform. In 2022, we have been user-testing the new English and Mathematics K-2 syllabuses in our classrooms and providing feedback to NESA. Our students have also had the opportunity to use their voices and contribute to a survey about what they want to learn at school. The survey results were analysed by NESA and shared with curriculum officers.

Juliana Horton Tudor House Teacher

At Tudor House, we hosted a regional meeting with other South Coast primary teachers in our network. It was a wonderful opportunity to collaborate across the Department of Education, Catholic and Independent sectors and showcase the work that we are doing at our school; particularly, the implementation of an academically rigorous and transdisciplinary program in a play-based and outdoor context.

Professor Amanda Datnow presented on educational reform and policy and the impact of collaboration within the Teacher Expert Network. Professor Chris Brown also promoted the power of collaboration and suggested steps that teachers can take to be agents of change within Professional Learning Networks (PLNs). We were inspired to continue our work on the spiral of inquiry as we implement the new NESA syllabuses and other exciting initiatives, such as play-based and outdoor learning at Tudor House.

Lawson Tudor House Teacher

At the All-TENs conference in May, the highlight was hearing from Dr Santiago Rincón-Gallardo, who encouraged us to leverage the curriculum to ensure it is contextual, significant, and engaging for our students. His suggestion to use the curriculum as a map, as opposed to an itinerary, lends itself to our transdisciplinary practice as we implement the IB Primary Years Program at Tudor House. We also heard from Dr Fiona McKenzie who presented on the power of systems thinking and collaboration in terms of being change-makers in education.

We also had the opportunity to look at the working draft syllabus overviews for Creative Arts, Human Society and its Environment (HSIE), Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) and Science and Technology. Our feedback was collected by NESA and will be used to inform the directions of each syllabus. As well, we provided feedback on the elements of quality assessment and possible approaches to formative assessment. This feedback will assist in sharing the direction for assessment information and support materials for new syllabuses, particularly in K–6 English and Mathematics.

NESA gave us a first viewing of the draft digital curriculum platform, which generated a lot of discussion. Providing the syllabuses in a digital format will allow us to integrate outcomes and content with our own Learning Management Systems, such as Canvas. NESA staff also provided

Alison

curriculum reform updates for Aboriginal Languages K-10, AUSLAN K–10 and Modern and Classical languages syllabuses K-10.

At the conference, Associate Professor Catherine Neilsen-Hewett shared her research on exploring the links between the Early Years Learning Framework and the new English and Mathematics K–2 Syllabuses. It was a powerful presentation on the importance of quality, play-based Early Childhood Education as it relates to neuroscience and positive, lifelong societal participation and engagement. We also heard from Professor Dylan Wiliam on the role of teachers in curriculum implementation and Dr Sara Mills on designing an inclusive curriculum.

We have been inspired by our colleagues and thought leaders within this collaborative, cross-sector initiative. We have also enjoyed continually engaging with evidence-based research and implementing best practice in our classrooms, which ultimately has had a positive impact on the wellbeing and learning of students in our care.

AISNSW Curriculum Leadership Conference 2022

Reform is coming, and with it, immense opportunity. Keynote speaker and conference MC, Dr Simon Breakspear from UNSW, set the meta-frame, Deep vs Shallow Implementation: The Critical Role of Leadership. Breakspear noted that we all have the opportunity to, “lead a once in 30-year curriculum reform amidst the tail end of a once in 100-year pandemic”; to embrace the ambiguity, rapidly build knowledge, work through a phased journey, structure the complexity, empower leadership at all levels and build a culture that embraces agency as a collective learning.

Breakspear provoked reflection regarding how this curriculum reform might provide an opportunity to accelerate the work we, as educators, are already inspired to do in:

• enhancing teacher knowledge and use of evidence-informed practices,

• developing teacher collaboration and collective efficacy,

• building a culture of continuous improvement,

• cultivating student engagement, agency, and confidence,

Jackie Camilleri Deputy Head (Academics) –Senior School

Paul Martin, CEO of NESA, covered the context and intent of the new curriculum. Teachers, he noted, want flexibility to use their professional judgement and have more time to teach. Parents and carers want to meet the needs of their children. Students want authentic learning with real world application and connection to life after school and employers want strong foundations in literacy and numeracy and skills, teamwork, and communication. Nothing is more important for our society than the quality of teaching and learning in our schools. Students must receive an education that provides them with a solid foundation for life – preparing young people to make a productive contribution to our society. To this end, the NSW curriculum reform involves the rewrite of 141 syllabuses in NSW with an emphasis on building strong foundations for future learning, more time for teaching, and strengthening post-school pathways.

• lifting student outcomes and growth, and

• enhancing the use of data to differentiate instruction.

Dr Deborah Netolicky, from St Mark’s Anglican Community School, gave an inspiring presentation on Finding our Way: Adaptable, Sustainable, and Strategic Implementation for Deep Transformation. Netolicky described professional learning for collective efficacy and collaborative professionalism of “Harnessing your People.” She described the professional learning with the most impact on student learning as one that provides sufficient time to learn, engages with external expertise, challenges the prevailing discourses, and provides opportunities to interact in a community of professionals. Quoting from Schools That Learn by Peter Senge (2004), Netolicky noted, “When we respect teaching as an intellectual activity and give teachers the opportunities to raise serious questions about what they teach, how they teach, and the larger goals for which they are striving, they can play a dramatic role in transforming their institutions.”

Teacher professionalism, teacher expertise and continuous improvement is at the heart of transformational professional development: “It seems reasonable to assume that each teacher has a better idea of what will improve the learning of their students, in their classroom, in the context of what they are teaching them, than anyone else” Wiliam (2014, p. 33).

While collaboration enhances and sustains teacher learning (Fullan & Quinn, 2016), the agency of the individual in the self-direction of their own learning is important (AISTL, 2014; Wiliam, 2014). Self-reflectiveness, self-directedness and self-efficacy are fundamental.

Effective school leaders develop a shared vision, have high expectations and clear accountabilities, develop an environment of trust, empower others, and allow them autonomy, space, and support to lead. They solve complex problems, engage with the wider community, act as a storyteller and sense-maker, and balance instructional and transformational leadership. “Wayfinding leadership” is described by Netolicky & Golledge (2021), as being an approach that:

Brings order while accepting dynamism and disequilibrium. It considers soft data with hard data, the celestial balcony view with the grounded perspective of people’s daily realities, the human with the technological, gut feel with clear frameworks and policies. It draws together systematisation and clarity of process and purpose, with intuition, improvisation, and adaptive responsiveness. (p. 92)

Leading schools means we make constant decisions, find our way from where we are to where we want to be, evaluate environments, conditions, and next steps, and navigate tensions and complexities.

To bring about sustainable school change–one that energises, sticks, and engages critically with research, evidence, people, and context–we need a focus on improvement for the betterment of students, community, and humanity; not change for change’s sake. Kotter (1996) describes change management as a process that:

• creates a guiding coalition (a group with energy and influence to lead the change),

• develops a vision and strategy for the change,

• communicates the change vision (why, what, and how),

• involves people in the change effort –solutions not problems,

• generates short-term wins and celebrates the positive,

• consolidates gains and produces more change, creating momentum, and

• anchors new approaches in the culture.

My framework for sustainable school change involves knowing one’s foundation and knowing one’s students in order to engage in future thinking, research, and evidence. We need to contextualise, plan the roadmap (the long runway!), create the conditions, and anticipate the challenges. We also need to ask: What do we value (purpose and values)? Who are we (mission and identity), and Where do we want to be and what do we want to be amazing at (strategic direction)?

Our students at King’s are values-driven individuals who seek independence and are integrated with technologies. They seek to live a life of passion and purpose, but face uncertain, volatile, and shifting futures. Thus, we need to know our students, their families, their goals, and their challenges (pressure, wellbeing, isolation, uncertainty about post-school opportunities).

Leading curriculum reform, professional learning (or any change) requires:

• compelling, shared, and a coherent vision, enacted into practice,

• shared, school leadership. leading over leaders,

• focus on school context and relationships, including trust, rapport, and emotion,

• belief in the capacity of teachers, and a focus on positive, collaborative, and self-authored learning experiences,

• a safe, non-judgemental school culture based on continuous improvement, which embraces errors as learning moments (chicken or egg?), and

• investment of time and resources.

AISNSW Curriculum Leadership Conference 2022

Professor Bill Lucas, from the University of Winchester, described assessment, curriculum, and pedagogy as intimately connected. If schools want to create opportunities for deeper learning, then their curricula, their approaches to teaching and learning, and their choice of assessment methods need to be aligned. In his keynote, Bill explored the deep nature of learning, examples of the kinds of signature pedagogies most likely to cultivate deeper learning, and ways of better evidencing depth and authenticity in learning.

Drawing on his research on rethinking assessment in the United Kingdom, Bill described some key trends globally, explored promising assessment practices from across the world, and suggested ways in which schools can move towards strengths-based assessment while providing greater opportunities to strengthen student agency. He noted:

Without a focus on mastery of generic capabilities, assessment and teaching practices tend to privilege memorisation, essay writing, individual mastery of set content and solving problems with formulaic solutions. The risk is that schools create students dependent on direct instruction, cramming, drilling, and coaching, reliant on expert instruction by teachers who are expected to guide learners through a carefully prescribed body of knowledge, assessed in predictable ways.

The future of assessment is multimodal. Students should leave school with a Learner Profile that incorporates not only their ATAR score (where relevant) together with their individual subject results, but that also captures the broader range of evidenced capabilities necessary for employment and active citizenship that they have acquired in their senior secondary schooling.

References

Australian Institute for Teaching and Leadership [AITSL]. (2014). https://www.aitsl.edu.au/

Fullan, M. & Quinn, J. (2016). Coherence: The Right Drivers in Action for Schools, Districts, and Systems. Corwin Press & Ontario Principal’s Council.

Netolicky, D. & Golledge, C. (2021). Wayfinding: Navigating complexity for sustainable school leadership. In D. Netolicky (Ed.). Future Alternatives for Educational Leadership Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Democracy (Ch. 3). Taylor & Francis.

Wiliam, D. (2014). Developing creativity and innovation in teaching. In J. Hallgarten, L.

Bamfield & K. McCarthy (Eds.), Licensed to create: Ten essays on improving teacher quality (pp. 21–26). https://www.dylanwiliam.org/Dylan_ Wiliams_website/Publications_files/ Licensed%20to%20create%20 %20Ten%20essays%20on%20 improving%20teacher%20quality%20 %28RSA%202014%29.pdf

LITERACY INITIATIVES

K-2 Literacy Project

Shannon O’Dwyer Deputy Head (Academics) –Preparatory School

In 2022 the Prep School dedicated a significant amount of professional learning to a K-2 Literacy Project. This project involved examining the evidence base for the new English K-2 Syllabus, which is due for implementation in 2023.

Current educational research has significant implications for pedagogy, assessment, and resourcing of Early Years’ Literacy at Prep. As a School, we are shifting away from a broad and balanced English program, towards a more structured and sequential literacy program, based on current educational research. We have been on this journey for several years, as we have introduced:

• Multisensory Structure Language (MSL) for research-based spelling instruction,

• sentence-level instruction as the foundation of our TKS Writing Program, and

• Hegerty oral language program, to strengthen phonological and phonemic awareness.

This year, as a result of extensive research, collaborative planning, and professional learning, we have made the following additional improvements to our program:

• shifting from predictable to decodable texts for early reading instruction to strengthen word-attack skills, reinforce phonics instruction and reduce overreliance on context cues,

• implementing a more comprehensive reading assessment tool, to evaluate grapheme/phoneme correspondence, single word reading, sight word knowledge, fluency, decoding and comprehension skills, and

• creating a new Scope and Sequence, Assessment Schedule, and Curriculum Planners for English K-2,

• creating a consistent TKS Daily Review to increase efficiency and clarity of instruction in phonics, spelling, handwriting and sight words, and

• extending our collection of quality literature, which is rich in language, symbolism, themes, and diverse contexts.

The K-2 Literacy Project is being led by Sara Clarke (Early Stage One and Stage One Curriculum Coordinator) and Michelle Tyree (Kindergarten Teacher and in-house expert in the Science of Reading). Sara and Michelle spent weeks analysing

resources, programs, and practices used across each sector to design our K-2 Literacy Curriculum Model. They built upon excellent practices at King’s, while enhancing elements of phonics, reading, and vocabulary instruction, and created exemplar units for each grade and resource packs to ensure consistency across the Early Years. Sara spent additional days leading professional learning with each team of teachers from Kindergarten to Year 2. During these sessions, the teachers mapped new English outcomes into the Programme of Inquiry, identified mentor texts for each unit, developed the English Planner, and explored the TKS Daily Review.

To ensure that this professional learning is embedded across the school, all Prep School teachers completed three NESA Curriculum Modules. Additionally, several teachers attended AIS Courses in vocabulary instruction, phonics, or curriculum mapping.

This literacy project will take several years, as it begins in the Early Years and will be extended through Years 3-6. This year, we are delighted with the deep research and extensive curriculum development that has occurred. The refinements to our program are the result of professional learning and collaboration by Sara Clarke, Michelle Tyree and all the K-2 teachers at Prep.

References

Scarborough, H.S. (2001). Connecting early language and literacy to later reading (dis)abilities: Evidence, theory and practice. In S. Neuman & D. Dickson (Eds.), Handbook for research in early literacy (pp. 97-110). Guilford Press.

The King’s School Literacy Project Professional Development

The development of young men who are global thought leaders necessitates a whole school approach to literacy that is focused on meaning-making. That is, perspectives of literacy must recognise the different literacies required to make sense of the 21st-century world. To this end, literacy must be seen as cross-disciplinary.

paradox: “By the time adolescent students are being challenged by disciplinary texts, literacy instruction often has evaporated altogether or has degenerated into a reiteration of general reading strategies most likely to benefit only the lowest functioning students” (Shanahan et al., 2008, p.45), the presentation looked at the need to target high-level disciplinary literacy skills.

Sonya Harper Dean of Studies (Years 7-8) English Teacher

Despite research showing that teachers of all subjects must see themselves as teachers of literacy, an authentic shift to this position within schools is required. This authentic shift, whereby teachers in all subjects confidently, competently, and transparently integrate literacy strategies into every lesson, is the goal. Achieving such a goal, however, requires a multifaceted and multi-staged approach to ensure all stakeholders, most importantly, the teachers and students, feel supported and confident in the adoption of literacy to improve results in the classroom and external examinations, and to develop the critical thinking, reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills students need to navigate the broader world.

Framed by De Bono’s thinking hats, the Term 3 Professional Development Literacy Workshop provided an important step in the development of the King’s School Literacy Project. It was an opportunity for staff to share the literacy strategies they currently use and the literacy areas they feel need greater attention across the School. This also proved valuable in gauging the interest from staff regarding the implementation of a school-wide literacy strategy.

A key follow-up to the PD Day was a presentation on the literacy needs of the School, given at the Heads of Department meeting. With reference to the instructional

The next steps for the project include:

1) A staged approach working with departments, starting with the Thought Leadership cluster (History, English, Languages and Biblical Studies). This will include:

a. subject-specific literacy PD, b. creation of subject-specific resources, c. creation of resources targeting the interdisciplinary literacy skills across the cluster, and

d. creation of literacy specific Canvas modules that outline how to teach the key literacy skills needed for success in each Senior School course. This approach is meant to both help upskill current TKS staff and establish the literacy teaching expectations for new staff to TKS.

2) Creating a culture of collaboration and learning in relation to teaching literacy across the school with a particular focus on team-teaching and observations of expert literacy teachers in each subject.

3) Formal and informal data tracking to see how the implementation of specific literacy strategies have impacted student results.

The Multisensory Structured Language Approach (MSL)

MSL was derived from the OrtonGillingham approach, which was developed specifically for students who have a language-based disability; however, it is also used most effectively for any struggling reader. Orton Gillingham approaches are research based; that is, the approaches have been developed by drawing on existing research bases as to the most effective means of supporting struggling readers and writers.

vocabulary is automatically broadened and their knowledge of language enhanced. Literacy is the communicative act; language is the tool with which to perform the communicative act. MSL is the methodology to teach the required language.

Angela Williams

Head of Educational Support Services

The Multisensory Structured Language Approach (MSL) was introduced to The King’s School in 2016 to address the decline in literacy skills, as demonstrated through ongoing analyses of both PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) and NAPLAN results.

MSL is an approach or methodology, not a program, that could be delivered as a constant across the three campuses whereby consistency is ensured. It comprises a combination of whole language, which allows for the use of rich literature, with direct and explicit instruction. MSL is based upon pure linguistics and the rules and patterns of phonology. This system teaches: etymology, phonological awareness, spelling, syntax, grammar, morphology, vocabulary, and handwriting skills.

MSL is not a prescriptive program whereby all students progress at the same pace regardless of their acquired skill level; such practices either become boring for some students or move too fast for others who have not mastered a particular skill. In addition, these programs can often inhibit an individual teacher’s creativity when a teacher becomes reliant upon scripted teaching. Rather, the MSL approach enforces differentiation within the whole class setting, combined with the Response to Intervention Model via a three-tier scaffold. The first level of the tier is for the whole class and through consistent reviewing, practice, assessment and consolidation, the teacher is fully aware of each student’s ability level.

MSL conforms to the requirements of the K-10 NESA English syllabi whereby phonemic knowledge, word recognition, grammar, spelling and vocabulary need to be explicitly taught. These is some evidence that suggests that vocabulary acquisition slows down for 8 to 9-year-olds, as teachers assume students have the vocabulary. However, this is a misnomer; students must continuously and explicitly be taught vocabulary. Through the explicit teaching of morphology, etymology and phonological awareness, a student’s

The Preparatory School uses MSL daily. Most classes have at least one dedicated MSL session for an hour a week in addition to the daily integrated sessions; in K-2, they have an extra 2 hours per week. In addition to the spelling rules and patterns explicitly taught via the MSL methodology within the classroom, the Preparatory School and Tudor House run an Early Birds Program four mornings each week before school. This program targets specific goals for students who are not mastering various skills in the classroom setting and require further practice. Literacy groups are also offered for students who require additional exposure to rules and concepts. Within these support groups, MSL is an integral component.

To ensure consistency for struggling students who are transitioning from the junior to senior campus, the Senior School embeds the MSL approach into their units of work for the lowest three English Classes in Years 7 and 8. In addition, MSL classes are held before school, two mornings a week for invited students in Years 8, 9 and 10.

INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE AT KING’S

Embracing innovation and inspiring action at the IB Global Conference, Singapore

collaboration and nurture resilience. IB students’ ability to think above and beyond and collaborate across countries, cultures and disciplines allows them to create much needed change in the world today and in the future. IB programmes are designed to be innovative from the ground up and ready to match the educational needs of today.

to think and collaborate across cultures and disciplines, IB learners gain the understanding necessary to make progress towards a more peaceful world.

Jackie Camilleri Deputy Head (Academics) –Senior School

Both in-person and virtually, educators, experts, and school leaders from across the Asia-Pacific region attended the IB Global Conference, Singapore, from March 26 to 29, 2022.

The conference theme, Embracing Innovation and Inspiring Action stimulated engaging conversations about curriculum, best practices for education, technology, and new approaches to teaching and learning.

Haif Bannayan, Global Director, Business Development, set the stage with remarks that reaffirm the axiom that education is the strongest force for good in a changing, challenging world:

Innovative solutions often emerge from complex challenges. When explored, they can reveal new horizons, promote

As educators, we are discovering that interdisciplinary and advanced disciplinary competencies are required to cope with the uncertainties of the pandemic and our rapidly changing world. In this age of artificial intelligence, we still must rely on humans to create ethically sustainable solutions to understand what is relevant and valuable to society.

The aim of all IB programmes is to develop internationally-minded people who recognise their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet. Central to this aim, is internationalmindedness; a multifaceted concept that captures a way of thinking, being, and acting characterised by an openness to the world and a recognition of our deep interconnectedness to others. To be open to the world, we need to understand it. IB programmes, therefore, provide students with opportunities for sustained inquiry into a range of local and global issues and ideas. This willingness to see beyond immediate situations and boundaries is essential as globalisation and emerging technologies continue to blur traditional distinctions between the local, national, and international. An IB education fosters international-mindedness by helping students reflect on their own perspective, culture, and identities, as well as those of others. By engaging with diverse beliefs, values, and experiences, and by learning

An IB education further enhances the development of international-mindedness through multilingualism. All IB programmes require students to study, or study in, more than one language. This is because we believe that communicating in more than one language helps students to appreciate that his or her own language, culture, and world view are just one of many. In this way, it provides excellent opportunities to develop intercultural understanding and respect.

International-mindedness is also encouraged through a focus on global engagement and meaningful service with the community. These elements challenge students to critically consider power and privilege and to recognize that they hold this planet and its resources in trust for future generations. The elements also highlight the focus on action in all IB programmes; a focus on moving beyond awareness and understanding to engagement, action, and bringing about meaningful change to make a more peaceful and sustainable world for everyone.

As the School works towards IB authorisation, we seek to stimulate further conversations and discussion within the community of King’s and beyond to develop inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring young people who will help to create a better and more peaceful world. Today, as new global challenges emerge at an unprecedented pace of change, an IB education is more relevant and necessary than ever.

IB Diploma Introduction at King’s

The King’s session at the IB Global Conference on introducing the IB Diploma Programme was highly successful, with all participants engaging with their colleagues in a positive and productive manner. There were many relevant contributions concerning the introduction of the IB Diploma. The negative aspects also raised will give food for thought as we proceed with our quest for authorisation as an IB World School to teach the Diploma. The target date for authorisation is early 2024 with Year 11 2025 (our current Year 8), being the first cohort to be offered the alternative courses to the NSW NESA HSC.

The Yellow Hat discussions centred around the similarity in alignment of the IB values to those of the school, the opportunity to realise a truly holistic approach to learning, and the impact the IB will have in encouraging our students to build critical thinking skills and gain an open-minded approach to the World.

John Sowden IBDP Coordinator – Senior School

The session was based on De Bono’s Six Hats. The White Hat, representing the information about where on the IB journey King’s is currently positioned, was presented by John Sowden. The Red Hat discussions centred around excitement! Although fears were expressed about lack of IB experience and hence anxiety about necessary teacher training, the introduction of the IB Diploma was embraced with an overwhelming positive feeling by those at the workshop.

During the Black Hat section of the discussion, concerns were expressed about staffing and managing both the HSC and IB Diploma in parallel and what impact this will have on the reputation of King’s, given the likely loss of a top fifty place in the Sydney Morning Herald tables.

Finally, the Green Hat opened participants’ views to embrace thoughts of building a specific IB campus, which could incorporate training for Diploma teachers and be led by a separate Head of IB School. Further ideas revolved around the opportunities that could be presented for collaboration with other IB schools, both locally and overseas.

The session proved to be lively, stimulating and extremely useful in focusing a variety of ideas on the pathway that the King’s IB Diploma journey may follow.

Making the PYP Happen– at King’s!

Shannon O’Dwyer Deputy Head (Academics) –Preparatory School

When new teachers join The King’s School, they are inducted into the values and traditions of the School. They learn about the TKS distinctives of academic excellence, with character development, in the context of Christian community. During their first year, Prep School Teachers also learn that The King’s School functions as an IB World School. They each complete a Category 1 IB Workshop (Making the PYP Happen–Implementing Agency). Upon completion of this external workshop, new teachers work with the Deputy Head (Academics) to understand how to Make the PYP Happen–at King’s. The new teachers spend a day engaged in deep discussion, reflection, and reading to understand how the PYP framework is implemented within the unique context of King’s. They also explore ways in which the framework is connected to their own educational philosophy and their daily pedagogy.

This year, five Prep teachers participated in our bespoke workshop, Making the PYP Happen–at King’s. They came prepared with thoughts, reflections, and questions from their initial experiences of working with Prep’s Programme of Inquiry.

Mission

The day began by examining points of alignment between the mission of the International Baccalaureate and the mission of The King’s School. The teachers explored their own beliefs about children as learners. They also read excerpts of Principles into Practice: The Learner (IBO, 2018) to understand the concept of student agency and what agency looks like in a King’s classroom.

Inquiry

The next session focused on inquiry as a framework for teaching and learning. The teachers examined common myths about inquiry, the benefits of inquiry for motivation and conceptual understanding, and the challenges of implementing inquiry in a discerning manner, (in conjunction with explicit instruction).

Transdisciplinary Curriculum

Teachers then explored the differences between disciplinary, inter-disciplinary, and transdisciplinary curriculum development. They examined the six overarching themes, which transcend subject areas in our Programme of Inquiry, and spent time unpacking the content and skills learned through the How We Express Ourselves units from Pre-K to Year 6. The teachers came to understand that disciplinary expertise is important at Prep as it provides necessary rigour. Equally, transdisciplinary inquiry provides real world contexts for learning.

Concept-Based Curriculum

PYP teachers often recall their first “aha!” moment as the day they understood the value of concept-based teaching and learning. During this course, new teachers spent time grappling with key concepts. They understood that these ideas are timeless, universal, broad, and abstract. They learned that concepts help students to develop enduring understandings that require exploration, application, and connection across the curriculum. A concept-based curriculum helps teachers to drive deeper than facts and skills by asking probing questions, presenting problems, and exploring authentic contexts.

Throughout the day, our new Prep Teachers also explored: • central ideas, • transdisciplinary skills, • student-initiated action, and • learning environments that foster agency.

Teachers left feeling assured that it takes many years to settle into the philosophy and pedagogy of the Primary Years Programme. Their goal in their first year is to find elements of the PYP framework that inspire them as educators and engage their students as thinkers. Along the way, they will have Prep School colleagues who are ready to collaborate with them and support them in planning, teaching, and assessing as a PYP teacher at King’s.

References

IBO (2018). Primary Years Programme: The learner. Cardiff, Wales. International Baccalaureate.

a King’s education, the child and his world are our subjects. Disciplines, such as Science, History and Geography, are the vehicles by which we explore knowledge and skills.”

Shannon O’Dwyer, Deputy Head (Academics)

“In

A Case for Christian Secularism

It is not uncommon for people to think of religion and secularism as binary ideologies, or at least as substitutes. For example, when we think about schools, people think of a religious school as being the opposite of a secular school, or at least that a school can be either religious or secular, but not both. In modern Australian society, it is not uncommon to hear the argument put that our system of public education is to be secular and not religious, and, consequently, that religion has no place in our public schools.

Tony George Headmaster

To think of religion and secularism in this way invokes a category error, in that it conflates our notion of community with society. Religion is fundamentally concerned with the notion of community, while secularism is fundamentally concerned with that of society. Religion, therefore, along with other forms of ideology, is essential for a healthy secular pluralist society, and that Anglican Christianity may be understood as a form of Christian secularism.

Let me elaborate on the statements above. In his book, A Secular Age, Charles Taylor provides an expansive account of our development and understanding of what it means to be secular. Taylor explains that the plain meaning of the term secular (Latin: secularis) refers to our temporal understanding of the current age, whatever and whenever that may be. In other words, to have a secular perspective is to have a real time, in the moment, of this age, perspective – rather than a future or eternal or other worldly perspective. Consequently, we can bring an eternal perspective, such as a religious perspective, to this secular age, such that our behaviour in the present is influenced by what we believe might or will happen in the future.

This perspective on secularism allows for religious and secular perspectives to be seen as complimentary, rather than substitutionary. It is of course possible to think and behave in the present secular age, without any concern for the future or with reference to an eternal perspective. However, it is a little more difficult to think and behave religiously without any consideration for the present secular age in which we live. We all live secularly, and the range of interpretative schemas we bring to making sense of our world and of influencing our thoughts and behaviours inevitably draw upon all manner of assumptions and ideologies about our future and the eternal truths.

The belief that secularism is necessarily anti-religion is associated with the notion of a “hard” secularism and seeks to pit religion against secularism. Many philosophical writers, however, adopt a softer secularism (see the writings of Jurgen Habermas, William Connolly and Peter Berger), what we might better understand as secular pluralism. Habermas observes, “Churches and religious organisations are increasingly assuming the role of ‘communities of interpretation’ in the public arena of secular societies.” (2008, p.20). It is this distinction between community and society that is important for understanding secular pluralism.

It was the German philosopher Ferdinand Tonnies who drew our attention to the important difference between community and society with his publication of Community and Society (Gemeinschaft und Gesellschaft) in 1887. Tonnies observed, as did Max Weber, that traditional communities were giving way to modern society with the resultant loss of meaning and significance. Weber described this loss of meaning as an “iron cage” from which we could not escape. However, while Tonnies romanticised about a return to the ideal of community, it is the notion of secular pluralism that allows us to resolve the tension by understanding modern society as being made up of many communities. It is in this sense, that secular pluralism describes the role of society as accommodating the diversity of various religious and ideological communities that make up modern society. Indeed, it is the diversity of ideas and concepts arising from each community that contributes to the health of society as whole.

With the rise of modernity and globalisation, we now experience Weber’s iron cage on a global scale, with an increasingly global society. At the same time, we are experiencing increasing multi-culturalism and religious diversity in our society. Australia is now one of the most diverse and multi-cultural countries in the world. Our challenge in being inclusive is to accommodate, encourage and celebrate this cultural diversity, without privileging one community over another. This has the upshot of requiring secular society to accommodate competing communities with competing beliefs, values, and attitudes. Consequently, it is not uncommon for one community to seek to impose its beliefs, values, and attitudes on those communities that surround it. Yet, to do so is to tend towards a kind of communal homogeneity that tends towards communism and certainly not secular pluralism.

For secularism to be authentically pluralist, we need a society that exhibits a heterogeneity of communities. Secular society needs to ensure both freedom and safety for each community to develop and celebrate their own unique identity without fear or favour of the governing state, or of being ridiculed or vilified by competing communities. This is particularly the case for matters of religious identity, including issues of sex, gender and marriage. It is here that we come to realise the importance and significance for a secular society to be inherently inclusive in its heterogeneity, made up of plethora of diverse communities, each with its own identity and freedom to upholds its own beliefs, values and attitudes.

However, there is a tension for us here between secular law, on the one hand, and a particular community’s ethical and moral standards, on the other. The tension arises from the rightful place that each community must live in and contribute to the laws that govern secular society while living alongside other communities that have different ethical and moral standards and, therefore, different expectations regarding the same secular laws. I am using the term “secular law” to distinguish between those laws that apply to secular society in its entirety, and those laws that might be better understood as the moral and ethical standards adopted and applied within a particular community. Examples of these tensions include attitudes to sex, marriage, drugs, alcohol, gambling, food, dress, and so on.

Governments have an essential role in providing for the heterogeneity of secular society in its policing and lawmaking, so that the legislative environment provides a safety net that accommodates the broad range of communities. It is not for any government to legislate what individual communities must believe or value, for surely communities are free to have their own beliefs and values. Rather, secular law has an important role in governing the behaviour of individuals and communities so that communities can live alongside one another freely despite ideological tension. Consequently, while communities may be free to believe and value whatever they like, we do well to observe that all moral and ethical freedom is limited to within the behavioural boundaries set by secular law for the broader good of secular society. Individuals and communities are free to disagree with these laws but are obliged to exercise their views and expectations

A Case for Christian Secularism

for any change through the appropriate democratic processes we associate with secular society.

Each community is free to live according to its own moral and ethical standards, provided it does not transgress the laws governing secular society. This is what it means to live within the law. Living within secular law provides freedom and permission for communities to navigate how to uphold their own beliefs, values, and attitudes, religious or otherwise. In other words, societal standards do not necessarily compel all communities to live those same standards – for example, that gambling or eating meat is lawful in secular society does not obligate all communities to gamble and eat meat. Indeed, vegan restaurants are not required to offer “carnivore options”, even though steak houses might offer vegan options. To maintain the heterogeneity of secular society we need to accept and encourage the diversity of different communities, religious or otherwise. This kind of thinking, however, can draw criticism from various anti-discrimination groups seeking to mandate homogeneity across all communities. Examples of this might include same-sex marriage or abortion. It is important for us to consider that in being legalised, whether there is still freedom for communities to withhold their assent to these practices within their communities.

The Anglican Church has its origins in the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century that gave rise to the myriad variety of Christian churches and denominations that we see today, each of which has its own unique set of characteristics, including different beliefs, values, and attitudes. Importantly for the Anglican church, was the separation of Church and State, whereby the Church would contribute as its own unique community to the broader landscape of the State and secular society. However, this separation of Church and State is not the same as the separation of the sacred and secular, as the Protestant Reformation also sought to remove the sacred/secular distinction. Removing this distinction was an important foundation for what we call the Protestant Work Ethic, also attributed to Weber.

Unsurprisingly, the Anglican Church sees its role as bringing a sacred perspective as a religious community to that of secular society, just as any other community, religious or otherwise, has a responsibility to contribute to secular society. Thus, as an Anglican School Community, the King’s School brings an Anglican Christian perspective to its educational contribution to secular society through its students, its quality of teaching and leadership in education.

Importantly, the distinction we make as an Anglican Christian community, is understanding the difference between the Christian faith as a personal reality and the Christian religion as a communal reality. Each person has their own personal faith, and for Christians, that is a matter between them and God in Jesus Christ. However, when Christians get together to form communities, they do so as a Christian religion, of which there are many. Each Christian denomination is essentially a different and unique religious community. For the King’s School, our history and tradition as an Anglican Christian Community informs our understanding of what it means to be human and our aspiration to provide our students with an education grounded in Christian wisdom to benefit secular society. The King’s School is a significant contributor to, and participator in, secular society through its Anglican Christian perspective as a religious educational community.

Christian Community Day

Each staff member that chooses to become part of the King’s School takes their place in the extended community of the School. According to our Mission Statement, the community in which staff members take their part is not just any type of community. Instead, it is a particular type of community–it is a Christian Community.

Reverend Dr Jason Hobba Director of Christian Community

As a school very firmly in the Anglican tradition, we can define the idea of a Christian Community even further by noting that the context of the King’s School is its physical location in North Parramatta and Moss Vale, both within the geographical boundaries of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney and the Province of New South Wales, over which the Archbishop of Sydney exercises jurisdiction.

We also have the heritage of King’s, founded by Bishop William Broughton, who saw the education the school has to offer as being for the benefit, not simply for the individual student, but the good of society. How, then, does a staff member who chooses to join King’s see their role and place within the School? They are invariably asked before accepting their positions whether they are supportive of the Christian ethos of the School. But what does that mean? Can a person be an atheist or of a different religious background and serve at King’s? That is, can they be supportive of the Anglican Christian ethos of King’s if they do not identify as Christian? And, how might we integrate the Anglican Christian ethos into the life of the School in a way consistent with our Mission and thereby fulfil the intention of Bishop Broughton?

These are the kinds of questions that our Term 4, 2022 Professional Development Day at Tudor House sought to begin to answer. Moreso, it also sought to give more context and content to the meaning of Christian Community so that staff might be better informed about, and, thus, better able to articulate, what is meant when the School is described this way in our Mission statement.

Our day began with Chapel, which considered how the Bible can draw on a range of cultures and communities, finding in them, by the common grace of God, ideas of value to contribute to what God is doing in the world. Hence, staff of all religious backgrounds, and none, can still be welcome and contribute meaningfully to the Christian Community of King’s. Yet the Christian faith still considers itself to offer something unique and compelling—lifechanging—to all cultures and communities in the message of Christ. In this way, King’s has much to offer, not just to the families and students, but also to staff in the Christian Community of the School.

Christian Community Day

CONTINUED

Reverend Dr Andrew Cameron, Director of St Mark’s National Theological Centre in Canberra, considered the question of whether Christian Community was good for King’s. Reverend Dr Cameron helped unpack what it meant to be a Christian Community as a school and how it can be good for King’s, focusing especially on our eight values. He compared the values of King’s with a range of other religious and state schools, noting that while many values are similar to King’s, two of our values are unique across the sample he gathered: Humility and Gratitude. Both values find substantial expression in the Bible. Most significantly, from a Christian perspective, humility finds its ultimate expression in the person, the message, the life, death, and the resurrection of Jesus. And gratitude, therefore, seems to be the proper expression of all that God has given in this world and especially in the gift of his Son, Jesus Christ, for all humanity.

Lest the day be filled exclusively with staff listening, we wished to have staff contribute to the shaping of the Christian Community of King’s across a range of areas. To do so, several workshops were hosted by staff members to explore how a range of topics might intersect with the Christian Community of King’s and how we might enhance these areas further. Topics included, among others, Character and Leadership; Flourishing; Gratitude; Bringing Christian Community to the Classroom; Bridging the Perceived Divide Between Science and Christian Community; Pastoral Care; Shaping Virtuous Minds; Culture Wars and Kindness: Gender, Sexuality, and Identity; and the Role of the Arts in Christian Community.

The aim was to have staff contribute to the vision for the chosen topic in the Christian Community of the King’s School and to start to identify the strengths, but also the areas for development, including any short-term “wins” that could be gained. Ultimately, the Professional Development Day was a productive contribution to the ongoing conversation of what it means for King’s to be a Christian Community, how each staff member and family contributes to that Christian Community, and the next steps in further developing King’s as the kind of Christian Community that can, indeed, make an outstanding impact for the good of society.

Boarding: A letter to my four-year-old daughter

Care: Are the boys and staff safe and healthy?

These are a few of the things we must get right no matter what:

There are 75 boarders in Broughton Forrest, and, within five minutes of a phone call, for thirty-six weeks a year, we need to know where each one of them is, and that each one is under the age-appropriate supervision of an adult who knows their responsibilities.

Culture: Are boys and staff happy and socially responsible?

Will van Asperen

Housemaster Broughton Forrest

Two homes

At six months old, Amelia, you were sung to sleep by a sixteen-year-old Tongan student, Anthony. His best friend died in an accident when he was eleven, and Anthony chose to be adopted by his friend’s parents. He shared his love between two homes. It was a courageous choice – a gift – that brought much comfort, honour, strength and joy to himself and both families. In lots of ways, I ask you, your mother and the Broughton Forrest boys to make the same choice – to share your love between two homes – because we are called to be a gift to others.

It’s not always easy, I know, and I hope this note helps to explain what I do and why.

We must know that the boys are getting the right amount of sleep, and that the boys’ rooms are appropriately furnished, heated, cooled, lit, ventilated and screened from insects, so they can sleep well.

We must keep an eye on the boys’ eating habits, to ensure they are getting meals of the right nutritional value, quantity, variety and choice.

We must make sure the boys have easy access to medical care, and know what to do in a medical emergency (like an allergic reaction or a COVID+ case).

We must monitor and report on any issues with the building (like a leaking roof or a broken bathroom door) that may make it unsafe to live and work in.

There are so many people at TKS that focus their energies on getting these essential things right in boarding – Diane Hollow, Ben Chadwick, Jonathan Coatley, Peter West, Colin Mitchell. These wonderful people allow me to invest more energy in less tangible but highly rewarding aspects of boarding: culture and relationships.

In boarding (as in life), our expectations (and other forces that shape a culture (Ritchart (2015)) must be orientated towards learning, health and wellbeing, and living successfully in a community, as opposed to just the ‘completion of work’ and ‘staying out of trouble’. Routines – our shared set of practices to promote learning, health and successful community-living (wake-up time, room inspection time, mealtimes, study time etc.) – minimise confusion, reduce uncertainty and direct a boarder’s activity along known paths to success, but they must be underpinned by values, otherwise life in boarding is just ‘going through the motions’ till holidays. Sure, language (written and verbal) is one way to articulate values, and it can be done subtly: when correcting a boarder’s behaviour, for instance, language that is conditional (i.e. ‘What might be…?’) and curious (i.e. ‘I wonder if…’) will invite the student to acknowledge his responsibility to serve the community and promote staff’s compassion (discouraging rushed judgement).

Boarding: A letter to my

CONTINUED

four-year-old

daughter

However, the less we can talk ‘at’ the boys, the better; hence, the importance of the physical environment to communicating values and messages, even when the boys are not there. Visible signs of anti-social behaviour (a broken desk, cushions askew) promote further disorder. A well-made bed, on the other hand, promotes selfcontrol and self-respect. A banquet table promotes hospitality and a collaborative study environment. Artwork, cultural artifacts, sporting shields, a piano, a world map, coffee table books – together, these promote a celebration of diverse interests.

My favourite ‘culture shaper’ is our modelling to the boys – you me, Mum and Alec, together. ‘Doing life’ on campus – chatting with friends, reading the newspaper, going for a swim or a hike, playing the ‘floor is lava’ with you and Alec, practising my putting game, cooking, watching a film – is incredibly powerful in validating a healthy balance of work, recreation and free time. It is too easy to give boys a distorted impression of life when all they may see is staff sitting at a desk or talking at a whiteboard.

Relationships: Are the boys and staff feeling valued and afforded the opportunity to flourish?

‘Only connect’ is the epigraph of E.M. Foster’s Howards End, and it is an invitation to unite the opposing elements within a person – the ‘monk’ and the ‘beast’, or, for boarding staff, the advocate and the judge, the listener and the loudest voice, the comforter and the task-master, the mentor and the ‘beat cop’ – and to value each person and each personal relationship as unique.

Routines, environment, modelling are all big, ‘macro’ forces, but: how does each Broughton Forrest boy know that I believe in their capacity to improve? ‘Only connect.’ How do I recognise each boy’s and each staff member’s ‘zone of proximal development’ – their ‘Goldilocks zone’, where, with support, the next step in advancement is neither too hard nor too easy? ‘Only connect.’ How do I know the when is it helpful to accommodate for a person’s normal ebbs and flows in mood and effort, when will leniency compromise that person’s growth, and when intervention is necessary because of unhealthy changes in that person’s character? ‘Only connect.’

And this, Amelia, is why we sometimes just hang out in the boarding house, especially at that wonderfully fluid time between sport, dinner and study. Nothing beats just being around; there’s purpose even if there’s no specific purpose. And this is why you and I adventured south last holidays to visit the boarders at their homes – and why you and I will adventure north at Christmas. ‘Only connect.’

References

Ritchhart, R. (2015). Creating cultures of thinking: The 8 forces we must master to truly transform our schools. Jossey-Bass.

Report on the National Conference of Archivists 2022

The second exhibition, “Voices,” used sound and an amazing visual display to look at First Nations’ history and the natural Australian environment over thousands of years. The temporary exhibition space held the Waterhouse Natural Science Art Exhibition in conjunction with the South Australian Museum. There was plenty to inspire our up-and-coming artists and I sent images to the Visual Arts Department.

leading to a lack of cultural awareness and competence that often perpetuate negative stereotypes. A more positive way forward is to foster smaller institutions “on country” that involve the local community under Indigenous stewardship to foster and encourage Indigenous cultural practices and ceremonies. Could a similar model be used for School’s as well?

Jenny Pearce Archivist Monday

With the School Archives Special Interest Group not starting until lunch time, I had the morning to investigate the new exhibitions at the National Archives of Australia. I was particularly interested in the touch screen wall panel that, when touched, had layers of information behind each of the images on display from educational challenges to historical facts or multiple images on a theme. The implications for something similar, even on a smaller scale, for The King’s School Bicentenary were obvious. The wall panels interacted with significant documents/ objects about key events in Australia’s past on issues, such as immigration and evidence of racism (White Australia Policy).

Radford College, the site for the School Archives Special Interest Group, was founded in 1986. The Archives collection is fairly small and housed in a compactus. The Archivist is a former student and during the afternoon we held a discussion on student records and the changes to legislation in the varying states brought about by the Royal Commission and the implications this is having on Schools and the management of records. This discussion was followed by the Annual General Meeting of the Society of Archivists, held at the National Press Club.

Tuesday: Here We Are Conference Day 1

The keynote speaker was Dr Kirsten Thorpe from UTS. Kirsten has long been an advocate for First Nations people and their access to records having had a mother and grandmother who were members of the Stolen Generation. Kirsten was involved with the 1997 “Bringing them Home Report” and her keynote looked at whether anything had changed in the intervening years. She concluded that in fact, very little had changed as there were still not enough First Nations employees in the Cultural and Records Institutions, and the ones that are employed are the “experts” and often burn out. There are still too many institutions that do not consult with Indigenous Peoples,

A session led by Sion Ulderschultz, the Archivist at the National Gallery, looked at collaborative ways the Archives enhanced Exhibitions. In larger Cultural Institutions, this is one of the advantages of having a team to set up an Exhibition.

Rachael Greaves, the CEO of Castlepoint–a consultancy firm working with EDRMS–presented a paper on the Changing Role of Archivists in the Age of AI and Automation. Some very large Institutions and governments are using AI (artificial intelligence) to scan records for retention; however, currently the scans are running at 80% accuracy and there is still a need for records managers. A similar theme was presented by Catherine Nicholls and Tash Murray looking at Electronic Records. Despite their format, electronic records need to bear sufficient evidence to be held accountable to create and maintain memory. Records need to be retained on a risk-based approach and records, whether physical or electronic, are assets and their management must reflect this approach.

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With more and more digitally-born records, there needs to be greater awareness to retain records to ensure they are protected from technological obsolesce. A TKS case in point, is our inability to refer to academic records from the early 2000s–we must ensure that digital records that need very long-term retention are constantly checked and migrated as the need arises. Cyber security is also not only topical, but essential to protect the data we are collecting. There are enough recent events to demonstrate the absolute need for security of data. We must, therefore, not only adapt and embrace new technologies, but also protect the digital records produced through their use.

Dr Megan Evans presented a paper entitled Natural Capital Accountancy and Environmental Governance, which looked at the Government’s Carbon Emission scheme and how records could be interpreted to ensure an individual or company was eligible for carbon credits. Dr Evans noted that the records may not always fit with the reality and policy, especially in semi-arid areas.

I moderated a session mostly attended by School Archivists, where three School Archivists spoke about current issues facing the profession. Paul Mishara, from Scotch College Melbourne, discussed his school’s approach to digitisation–it was similar to our own. Ros Malone, Bunbury Grammar, gave a paper on the responsibilities of schools to approach record-keeping in a serious manner, particularly in response to the changing legislation in varying states as a response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse; for example, NSW removing the statues of limitations regarding such matters and the implications for storing records long-term, what information should be kept, and the recommendations regarding records of Indigenous students and those of Children in Care.

Catherine Pulford discussed her quest to determine a web-based Collection Management System to satisfy the needs of the Archives of Prince Alfred College Adelaide. As an archivist, she has worked mostly in libraries and chose to adapt a library system; not a solution most archivists would agree with as most library systems do not take context into consideration, which is an absolute when accessioning archival records.

A presentation on the Queensland State Archives digital archives project, considered challenges and opportunities on a largescale digitisation project and highlighted the project’s capability to preserve records and improve client services through a large team approach.

Janet Villata, City of Sydney Archivist, presented a paper on Recollect and the use of Power Bi and Google analytics to change what the user sees when they engage with Recollect to become more customer focused. Recollect is the preferred new Collection Management System for TKS.

There followed a series of Lightning Talks on the following:

• Monash University–The power of the podcast to promote Archives

• Australian Railway Historical Society–Not-for-Profit Archives Grants and Volunteers

• Amelia Birch–How Archival snippets can embellish or change perspectives by looking at the life of Agnes Goodsir and Rachel Dunn

Thursday’s visit to the Australia War Memorial Large Store and Conservation Centre.

A visit to each of the Conservation Laboratories for the AWM provided snippets for better conservation practice such as using museum grade silver polish on medals even those made mostly from bronze as it is less abrasive. They can then be rubbed with Archive wax to delay tarnishing.

KING’S HEALTH AND WELLBEING AINSW Conference: Along for the Ride (2022)

The AINSW Conference, Along for the Ride (2022) was held at Luna Park on 9th September. It was an opportunity for educators from all over New South Wales to convene and focus on what is a “growth area” when it comes to the many facets of what schools are focusing on.

Paul Jones Preparatory School Teacher

The prominence of wellbeing, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, is well documented. If seeking a “silver-lining” following the global pandemic, quite possibly the re-focusing of all our minds on wellbeing might just be the most silver of linings! Unfortunately for us as an organisation seeking to support and promote wellbeing, however, we are faced with several problems, the first being an agreed definition. What exactly is wellbeing? How do we measure it? Do we measure it?

“‘Not everything that can be counted counts and not everything that counts can be counted’’ (attributed to Albert Einstein)

Dr Annie Gowing (University of Melbourne) outlined the challenge for schools and organisations in her keynote on Leading Wellbeing Change. She communicated that a “first hurdle” was to start by defining wellbeing in our context, for our students. More broadly speaking, this would also include staff and the extended school community and its stakeholders.

Wellbeing does not live in a vacuum and creating “great” wellbeing initiatives for students but neglecting the holistic implications of such would be an easy, but costly mistake to make. For us at The King’s School, where wellbeing of all takes pride and place, a regular revisiting of our definition and working towards a shared and agreed understanding would be a great first step.

A great resource that was referred to on several occasions throughout the day was the excellent literature review conducted by AISNSW into How Schools can Support Whole-School Wellbeing? In this review, the evidence highlights 6 key learnings which we at The King’s Schools could work upon to improve our whole-school strategy for supporting students’ wellbeing:

• adopt a whole-school approach,

• focus on interventions with evidence of effectiveness,

• establish a dedicated leader/champions and team to drive implementation,

• get school and staff ready for implementation,

• provide meaningful engagement and support with families, and

• create meaningful opportunities for student voice and engagement.

Stuart Tye Associate Chaplain

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AINSW Wellbeing Literature Review (2022)

Following the opening keynote, several prominent speakers and organisations took to the stage to pose and discuss the research and data collected. More importantly, they acknowledged the important role that we, as teachers and leaders, have in school when supporting wellbeing.

Zoë Robinson from the Office of the Advocate for Children and Young People, talked passionately about the importance of “student voice”; one of many of the elements that The King’s Preparatory School emphasises and encourages by asking our boys about their challenges and being open in many respects to be “led” by them. In particular, when addressing the needs of older boys, the data from ACYP supports student voice in informing initial action.

The remainder of the day consisted of workshops, two of which we would like to highlight:

The Prevention of Alcohol and Other Drug Use Among Adolescents: An Evidence-based Approach (The Matilda Centre)

Although geared firmly in the Year 8 and above teaching space, the trend and data suggest that issues such as vaping are seeping into primary schools too. Again, data driven in its approach, the “ideal” here was that youngsters’ exposure to alcohol be held back as much as possible. Data highlighting individuals’ first drink suggest that the later the first drink occurs, the less likelihood there is of it being abused, either from a dependency perspective or in recreational binge drinking habits.

How to Create the Next Generation of Generosity: Enhancing Social and Emotional Learning through Intentional Giving and Service Learning (Kids Giving Back)

This was a great hands-on workshop that emphasised the power of service learning. Kids Giving Back may well be worth communicating with, in terms of logistics, as we move towards a service learning framework. The organisation is well connected and serves a range of needs and demographics in Sydney, with a view to spread across NSW. The organisation also sets up experiences for schools to “launch” or promote the concept of serving others.

Youth Mental Health First Aid Instructor (Mental Health First Aid Australia)

Youth Mental Health First Aid is a two-day course based on guidelines developed through the expert consensus of people with lived experience of mental health problems and professionals. The course equips adults with the skills to recognise and respond to an adolescent who may be experiencing a mental health problem or crisis situation. Using a practical, evidencebased action plan, Youth MHFA teaches participants how to support an adolescent until appropriate professional help is received or the crisis resolves.

Andrew Dean Gowan Brae Housemaster (Day) Science Teacher

The course provides an overview of mental illnesses, risk factors, prevalence, and impact, before taking a much closer look at mental health problems, including depression, anxiety and eating disorders. Participants also learn how to apply mental health first aid in a range of crisis situations, including suicidal thoughts and behaviours, panic attacks, aggressive behaviours, and severe psychotic states.

The Youth MHFA course is run each term at King’s for staff across all three campuses. Since its inception in 2020 as a regular professional development opportunity for employees, more than 150 King’s staff have become accredited as Youth Mental Health First Aiders – a wonderful asset for the wellbeing of our students. Accredited staff report greater confidence in:

• recognising the warning signs of mental health problems in young people and the importance of early intervention,

• having the knowledge and skills required to speak openly and accurately about mental health and initiate a conversation with those of concern,

• responding in crisis situations where a young person may be at risk of harm and connecting them with the appropriate professional help, and

• Reducing stigma and increasing support for young people with mental health problems.

Moving Kids from Anxiety to Resilience

Dr Richardson reminded Prep Staff that 50% of mental illness begins before the age of 14, and in a class of 30 children, 7 will be dealing with a mental health issue, while only 2 will reach out for support. Classroom teachers, therefore, play an essential role in identifying, understanding, and supporting students who are suffering from anxiety on a daily basis.

• stay out of judgement,

• recognise emotion, and

• communicate that we understand how the child feels.

Shannon O’Dwyer Deputy Head (Academics) –Preparatory School

At the commencement of Term 3, all Prep Staff participated in the North West Regional PD Day, hosted by The King’s School. This was an opportunity for our network of primary schools, including King’s, Tara, Abbotsleigh, Barker, Knox, and Wahroonga Prep, to engage in collaborative learning in an area of shared priority.

The guest speaker was Dr Jodi Richardson, renowned researcher and author of the best-selling books, Anxious Kids and Anxious Mums. Dr Richardson spent the day sharing evidence-based strategies for:

• understanding anxiety,

• responding to anxiety, • overcoming avoidance, • dialling down anxiety, and

• supporting parents to be role models.

Dr Richardson also explained that anxiety is the brain and body’s response in anticipation of a threat. Anxiety occurs when perceived threats trigger the brain’s alarm system, not necessarily when there is an actual threat to safety. Dr Richardson classified anxiety into 7 types, and clarified the differences between “normal anxiety” (that is, fleeting, occasional, helpful, and manageable) and an “anxiety disorder” (in which anxiety is frequent, persistent, uncontrollable, interferes with daily life, and results in extreme distress.)

Dr Richardson also explained the recursive “cycle of avoidance,” which causes patterns of behaviour such as task refusal and school refusal. She discussed the Stepladder Model for gradually increasing exposure and chunking overwhelming tasks into manageable steps.

Finally, Dr Richardson discussed the importance of getting students “out of their heads and into their bodies” to dial down anxiety. She modelled a variety of strategies for use in classroom settings, such as deep breathing and mindfulness exercises. Teachers also practised sensory exercises to help students to pay attention to what they hear, see, feel, and smell. In small groups, teachers brainstormed ways

Dr Richardson helped Prep Staff to understand the signs and symptoms of anxiety that become evident in a classroom setting. She outlined a range of thoughts, feelings, sensations, and behaviours which occur in children who suffer from anxiety. She encouraged teachers to understand that all anxiety is a message, and to ask themselves the question, “What is the child trying to achieve by their behaviour?”

Dr Richardson discussed the power of empathy in responding to anxiety in the classroom. She outlined language and strategies teachers can implement to:

• recognise that the student’s perspective is their truth,

to increase physical movement within the school day to anchor students back in their bodies, thus breaking the cycle of repetitive thoughts and feelings.

At the end of the day, all Prep Staff took away the acronym, FACE, to help them respond to anxiety in the classroom. Prep Staff learned to: focus on what we can control (F), acknowledge students’ thoughts and feelings (A), come back into their bodies (C), and engage in what’s important now (E). This was a highly valuable day of professional learning, as each teacher left with a deeper understanding of anxiety in children and multiple practical strategies to implement in their own classrooms.

“Anxiety is contagious; so is calm.” – Dr Jodi Richardson

TECHNOLOGY AND KNOWLEDGE SERVICES

KingsTech 2022

Roshan De Dilva Dean of Digital Learning and Innovation

In 2021, the Centre for Educational Research and Innovation identified seven principles for effective teacher professional development and teaching in NSW Schools. From the seven principles, the King’s Schools Digital Learning Team focused on the three:

• experimental learning.

• participant driven learning, and

• collaboration and collective problem solving.

To aid the development of these three chosen principles, The King’s School Institute, in conjunction with the Digital Learning Team, developed KingsTech2022. a technology-driven professional development conference that investigated experimental, student driven transdisciplinary working practices.

The conference was timely as we approached 200 years of high-quality education, but it also forced us to consider what the next 200 years of education will look like. KingsTech2022 enabled teachers to choose their own adventure, through 21 personalised sessions each hour, by looking at how technology is shaping our classrooms and how technology can further enhance the learning experience.

To help guide teachers, the conference began with the award-winning educational documentary Most Likely to Succeed, which challenged the current industrial model of education. We know from history, our schooling system was developed to educate students in a homogenised, didactic framework. However, today’s industries value creativity, collaboration, and communication in their workforce.

Historically, teachers have used a range of learning activities and resources to assist learners to achieve goals. These activities have included:

• face-to-face presentations, • visual material, • paper-based assessments, and • online research and group activities.

The documentary provocatively highlighted that computers are ubiquitous and can do many tasks faster and more efficiently than humans. Therefore, if computers write better than humans, work faster and more efficiently, then what do humans do if their muscle power is no longer valued?

To answer this question, KingsTech2022 focused on how technology can open creativity and global collaborative options to engage deep learning in the classroom. Technology giants such as Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, and Google delivered workshops to staff from Tudor House, the Preparatory and Senior School.

KingsTech 2022

EdTech providers worked with teachers to create augmented reality-based tutorials that can virtually transfer students to the moon. Other workshops focused on gamification of learning. We know from research (Kim & Lee, 2015) that games can make the entire learning experience much more pleasant. They make a classroom lively and help in instant personification. Various EdTech tools, such as Minecraft, seamlessly enabled gamification to take place in the classroom to help students understand tough concepts. Teachers in the workshops acting as students believed this process of learning boosted participation, encouraged engagement, and provided a context-based learning experience.

The day also introduced aspects of blended learning that provided resources and activities for individualised, studentcentred learning. We know, for teachers, that blended learning can be a challenge. They do not feel comfortable with, nor do they fully understand, the technologies and media that their students use every day or the potential that they can offer their learners. Many teachers who have witnessed technology development have not been inculcated with its use in a school setting. Therefore, because not all teaching staff are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to design and teach effectively in a blended environment, KingsTech2022 supported staff in the redesign of learning material, changing teaching practices and use of innovative technologies for learning. This required the provision of advice and help on curriculum design and staff development in the use of technology in lessons.

At KingsTech2022, to encourage blended design, teachers could choose to undertake professional development on:

• Minecraft: Education Edition: Changing the Status Quo in the Classroom

• Designing More Integrated Learning with Google for Education

• Robotics and Automation

• Making Publications Come to Life with Adobe Acrobat & InDesign

• Video Editing on the go with Premiere Rush

• Green Screen Technology Across the Curriculum

• Sustainable Futures: Immersive Technologies in the Classroom

• Drone Technology and Transdisciplinary Design

•

Microbiting Natural Disasters

The King’s School aims to provide staff with the best professional learning opportunities to inspire teachers to actively take part in the design, development, and implementation of challenging learning journeys for our students. KingsTech2022 provided staff with such an opportunity, enabling them to experience a student’s role in the classroom; a role that we hope made teachers see them as more than a passive observer.

References

Kim, J. T., & Lee, W. H. (2015). Dynamical model for gamification of learning (DMGL). Multimedia Tools and Applications, 74(19), 8483-8493.

National Education Summit

Timothy Ross Head of Department –Digital Learning

On 17th and 18th June, colleagues from Knowledge Services, in particular, Information Services and Digital Learning, attended The National Education Summit in Melbourne. The National Education Summit incorporated five individual events under one roof and offered five special areas of interest across teaching and learning:

• Capacity Building School Libraries

• STEM Across the Curriculum

• Diverse Learners

• Wellbeing

• Digital Technology and Learning Spaces.

Representatives from the School were involved in the Digital Technology, STEM and Capacity Building in School Libraries initiatives. The following main themes and key points emerged from these sessions.

McDonald Digital Learning Specialist

Capacity-Building School Libraries contained four streams: Leading from the Library, Reading for Pleasure, Creating Community Connections, and Designing Future-Focused Learning Spaces. Today’s students live in a constantly changing world. They need access to programs and services and teaching and learning that will help them develop the essential skills and capabilities needed for their future success.

The different sessions were informative and reinforced the important role libraries play in schools. Importantly, libraries support academic learning. The Kings’ Senior School Library supports a crosscurriculum analysis of assessments and skills, so it was helpful to be reminded of the Information Fluency Framework and how these are guided by the Australian Curriculum’s general capabilities.

Webster Teacher Librarian

Literacy and learning through the library were also highlighted, with a reminder that literacy is different across the various subject areas. Emphasis was placed on reading for meaning and how that might look, depending on the topic. This discussion evolved into how libraries can improve literacy rates amongst students, with an emphasis on reading for pleasure and engagement.

While the academic side of libraries is vital, consideration was given to the social aspect of libraries and how they should provide a sense of fun and wonder. Libraries are the school’s heart and can inspire through creative and innovative programming. Marketing and targeting programs to students’ needs and interests were covered, which linked with the exploration of the library as a community

Melanie

Allison

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space that appeals to, develops skills, and provides resources for its users.

Significantly, students consistently placed as the main motivation behind the different programs, research, and changes considered and implemented. Library users must be a priority. School library personnel and school libraries have an active role in the school community to support knowledge acquisition, skills development, and social intelligence.

Dr Karl Sebire presented the topic, Distraction in a Digital Age, on the retaining of knowledge concerning adolescent learning. The workshop session introduced his PhD work and posed the question of how technology distracts learners from knowledge retention to the detriment of their mental health. He focused on the importance of multitasking vs monotasking and the effect technology has had overall, particularly from the recent lockdowns. The research presented the need for monotasking when learning and allowing students to have time to do nothing and sit in uncomfortable silence to let their brains refocus on one task at a time.

Adrian Francis presented various activities based on the STEM pedagogies of delivering content to students and Using Technology Better. He integrated digital technologies to introduce modern literacies through challenging-based topics. He enforced the concept of students being problem finders and not just problem solvers. As such, the workshop participants were allowed to produce solutions to realworld problems and not just “time filler” activities. Something we need to remember to engage our students in real-world activities where they can see a clear link to,

and reasons behind, the learning.

Fiona Morrison from STEMed Magazine presented to the workshop participants the importance of Building a STEM Culture within a School Community. She introduced the concept of contextual-based learning to engage the learner in real-life, meaningful learning. Fiona discussed the use of concepts to teach Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics using an integrated approach; linking perfectly to the IB PYP program used at the Preparatory School and Tudor House. Again, the reinforcement of STEM being a pedagogy and not a standalone subject area can be used to engage students in authentic learning tasks. Workshop participants used technology to solve a real-world problem which was contextually appropriate for our learners.

The Future Trends in Technology workshops introduced participants to new and emerging technological concepts recently brought to the foreground with improvements in digital device capabilities. A collection of technologies referred to as Machine Learning was discussed and demonstrated. In particular, developments in language acquisition and creation through the use of “neural networks” enables an end user to generate succinct passages of text by simply entering a key phrase. As the platform generates text, the user can “guide” the result by further refining and adding to the existing sentences that the neural network has created. These developments in the automatic generation of text will further reinforce the increased need for, and relevance of, information literacy and the ability to discern genuine works from the text that have been computer-generated in an ever-increasing digital landscape.

The solution fluency framework was extensively investigated and unpacked with key examples of how to apply the framework in a classroom setting. Essentially, solution fluency is a system for building great problem-solving prowess and critical thinking capacity within our students.

A technology demonstration of an Igloo Vision space was described as stepping into a large virtual reality headset that can be shared with a group of users simultaneously. The enclosure enables 360-degree video feeds to be displayed in real-time for students to interact with applications, such as Google Street view. Furthermore, virtual reality was explored within classrooms during the pandemic lockdown of 2021; facilitating spaces online where educators could provide instruction and provide real-time demonstrations of practical tasks within a virtual environment to their students.

The CoSpaces EDU software environment was an appropriate platform for teachers at Knox Grammar to develop Integrated Learning Assessments (ILA) that focussed on rocketry, with the processes to be completed all remotely. The use of avatars provided student agency to participate, question, and collaborate in real-time with other members of the class under the guidance of the teacher.

The National Education Summit covered a range of topics for both 21st Century learners and educators alike. The multidisciplinary content involved targeted professional learning incorporating technology and varied frameworks around learning. The array of learning has been shared across The King’s School to benefit the needs of our learning communities.

EduTECH 2022

Tracy Owen Operations ManagerThe King’s School Institute

In July 2022, Ben Lum, Bronwyn McLoughlin and Tracy Owen attended the EduTECH Conference at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. The Conference boasted over 10,000 attendees, over 450 speakers, and 400 exhibitors all coming together to explore the latest developments, opportunities, new digital technologies, products, and solutions available to help Australian educators improve teaching and learning.

Lum Computing Studies Teacher

Each of us had different aims. The EduTECH Conference provided Ben with the opportunity to connect with the changes currently occurring in the space of digital learning and the upcoming changes to the Computing Studies and Digital Technologies syllabuses. The keynote sessions attended, focused on a number of themes, including rethinking our relationship with technology in a post-COVID world, new ways of teaching in contemporary classrooms, and the changing face of pedagogy and meaningful improvements to student learning outcomes.

McLoughlin Librarian

With planning for the new STEAM precinct underway at The King’s School, the EduBUILD stream of the conference provided insights into contemporary learning space design with presentations from architects and schools who have recently developed new learning spaces. The presentations focused on modern design considerations in educational infrastructure, learning environments, and current research in learning space design.

Bronwyn

Ben

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The new Computing Studies and Digital Technologies syllabuses are just around the corner and Grok Learning provided opportunities in their workshops to learn more about PRIMM, Object Oriented Programming, Data Science and understanding the new Digital Technologies curriculum.

VEX Robotics also had a large presence at the conference, providing opportunities to network with schools, coaches, educators, and key people from VEX in Australia, and demonstrate how VEX Robotics is implemented across K-12 in schools. The VEX Robotics Competition, in which The King’s School will be competing in for the first time this year, was also discussed.

As a librarian, the sessions Bronwyn attended were focused on literacy, reading, and library trends. In line with the plans being developed by the TKS English Department, the literacy discussions focussed on intentional, deliberate, explicit instruction of reading skills. Threaded through many of the sessions was the idea that students should be helped to identify themselves as readers, despite their own beliefs to the contrary.

Author Andy Griffiths uses humour and ridiculousness to engage the reader. His works are far from canon literature, but he considers the form/technology of a work should be subservient to the purpose of the work. He also warns against the temptation of technology, which provides the opportunity to edit and revise a creation far too early in the process, so that the original thought and direction is lost before it even has a chance to see the light of day. Interesting thought. Although Griffiths did not denigrate technology, he does warn that sometimes it gets in the way of the literature and the comprehension; that perhaps technology should be a standardised platform well understood and used, so that getting caught up in the technology does not obscure the message.

The Australian School Library Association (ASLA) provided a half-day session best summed up as Inclusive/Inspiring/ Innovative, and included information about media literacy programs and the new NSW Information Fluency Framework for school libraries, which describes teacher librarians as “enabling world ready students who are fluent, effective ethical learners,” and which now substitutes the phrase “Digital Literacy” for ICT. Much of the content served to reinforce and expand on some of the approaches adopted in the Senior Library.

Holistically, observing the entire conference in operation, from early advertising, the structuring of sessions, keynote presentations, and effective means of communication for participants was of considerable value. Insights on a technology-based conference could enhance the offerings KingsTech could extend in the future. In particular, the session Tracy attended, by EC by Go1, showcased a suite of quality professional development opportunities that can be accessed and tailored to align with the needs of different educational institutions. King’s has since engaged EC by Go1 to pilot a professional development package for staff in 2023. We are excited about the training it will provide, further equipping staff to further enhance the quality of educational experiences for our students.

INTERNATIONAL BOYS SCHOOL COALITION

The Path to Manhood 2022 IBSC Annual Conference

Some of the highlights and most pertinent take-aways from the various keynotes and workshops I attended were:

David Brooks: How to Treat Others with Respect

Eric Johnson (Mayor, Dallas): Leadership, Education, and Opportunity

Pooja Mathur

Teacher Librarian

I was extremely fortunate to be selected as a candidate for IBSC Action Research cohort 2022-23. Consequently, I was invited to attend the IBSC Annual Conference at St. Mark’s School of Texas, United States from June 26th - 29th, 2022.

The theme of the conference was, The Path to Manhood. It referenced the journey we, as educators, help our students make from childhood to adulthood. This year’s conference was framed around five topics: character and leadership education, civic engagement, best teaching practices for boys, school leadership, and healthy communities. These elements of education guide us to prepare young men to undertake leadership and responsibility in this highly competitive and dynamic world.

David urged us to believe that there is a piece of divine in every student that gives them infinite value and dignity. He reminded us that each child is an image of God, hence, every student should be considered mighty and treated with care and respect. The pandemic has brought about an immense rise in mental health issues. Part of being an educator is the ability to critique with care and make students feel seen, heard, understood, and respected. We should aim to be an “extra-parent” in the classroom and hold real conversations with our students.

Julie Lythcott-Haims: How Not to Mess Up Your Boys:

Julie focused on Agency, Resilience and Character (ARC), which we must assist our students to develop. She highlighted that mental health must always be, and even more importantly, now, prioritised at home and at school. Adults should empathise with and empower children, let them be creative, and let them solve their own problems. We must never undermine their agency. According to Julie, falling, failing, fumbling, and feedback are necessary to build resilience. We must refrain from fixing everything for our students; instead, we should assist them solve the issues.

Julie proclaimed, “what people see in you and feel in your presence, is character.”

She urged us not to be bystanders, but be upstanders, be an ally, and guide and assist with compassion.

Eric shared his family background and the integral role his primary school teacher played in his life. “Teachers are instrumental in bringing about growth opportunities to all deserving students … I never forgot the lessons I learned in my path to manhood.” Regarding leadership, Eric commented, “Sometimes being a leader means standing alone to support what you believe in!”

Alan Stern:

Spaceflight Is a Team Sport

Alan highlighted the value of teams and teamwork, collaboration, clear communication, the value of exploration, and achieving lofty goals.

Chris Waugh, Christ’s College (New Zealand)

Chris presented a workshop on roleplay by students to enhance staff professional learning sessions and invited us to contemplate how “the mischief and immediacy of role-play can provide educators with a way to engage faculty in deeper reflection on the impact of our practice on the students we serve.”

Lorre Allen, St. Mark’s School of Texas

Diversity is every way we see and perceive differences. Inclusion and diversity components should connect with and cultivate an organisation’s culture. Lorre discussed “leveraging change management principles to embrace inclusion and diversity strategies for greater sustainability.”

2021-22 IBSC Action Research Cohort of Educators from Leading Boys’ Schools

Suzanne Hill Head of Languages - Senior School

As a Languages Educator and Head of the Languages Department at The King’s School, I was excited to be involved with the 2021-22 IBSC Action Research Cohort of Educators from Leading boys’ schools across the world. Being inspired by the 2020 IBSC theme, Boys and Technology: New Horizons, New Challenges, New Learning and across two years of work with the IBSC Action Research team, I was able to explore the methodology of action research to implement a project to ultimately benefit my department. This culminated in presenting my action research project, La Realité Virtuelle: Using Immersive Technology to Engage Year 7 Boys in Learning French at the 2022 IBSC Conference. in Dallas, Texas.

My action research project took place with a class of Year 7 boys to explore the potential of using virtual reality in the Languages classroom. It involved using the platform of ‘ImmerseMe’ in the Year 7 French program and analysing its effect on the motivation and fluency of my students. The research took place in Term 3 and 4 of 2021 in the classroom and also through online learning.

The final results of my project were: ImmerseMe[™]motivated my students to improve their fluency in more ways than I expected. It provided a transitive factor for my students, which made the repetitive language practice required more interesting and engaging. Many facets of the platform were motivating for my students, including the real-life context, relative safety of communicating in a virtual environment, the necessity for accurate pronunciation, and gamification elements.

Conducting the project with my class in 2021, in both the distance learning and face-to-face teaching environment, allowed me to develop a deeper understanding of the boys’ learning as they became experts in the development of a good French pronunciation and the concept of fluency.

Collaborating with a group of teachers from different schools in Adelaide, New York, Toronto, and the UK, who were also conducting action research in their own schools, under the guidance of a team of advisors, allowed me to make international connections as well as ensure that my project was grounded in educational research and best practice. The experience of synthesising the action research journey and our findings into sessions at the IBSC Conference allowed us to present and discuss our projects with a wider audience of educators from like schools.

The IBSC Conference in Dallas also allowed me to experience professional development from both Languages Educators and professionals in boys’ education in wider contexts. Since returning from the conference over the Term 2 holidays, I have been able to share my research, not only with the Languages Department and the Heads of Department at ‘The King’s School’, but also through conference presentations with Melbourne Catholic Schools and the NSW Association of French Teachers.

I found the whole process invaluable and would highly recommend the action research process to any teacher who wishes to improve their practice, make international connections, and engage in further professional learning.

IBSC (International Boy’s School Coalition) Annual Conference

Pooja Mathur Teacher Librarian

My focus area was “tribalism.” Humans possess an innate capacity to identify and form coalitions with members of their own groups (Packer & Bavel, 2022). Tribalism denotes strong in-group loyalty, connection, and belonging. I commented that St Mark’s students identified as “Marksmen” and similarly, The King’s School students are proud “Kingsmen”–this sense of tribalism and identity is deep-rooted and longlasting. But apart from being Marksmen and Kingsmen, our students belong to various other real and imaginary tribes as well. Recognizing that collective norms can be either positive or negative is a key to understanding why and when tribalism occurs. It also suggests how different groups can find common ground.

Miles is a socially awkward nerd and filmmaker, forced to extend himself, define, and find his own identity without Zac. Harley is a rebel, a boarder indulging in alcohol, drugs, and parties, and frequently missing classes. He was Zac’s friend and dealer. Wracked with guilt over Zac’s death, he runs away from school but eventually returns to face the consequences. Ryan is an elite athlete, a swimmer, and Olympic hopeful, but conforming to stereotypes as he is afraid of losing face due to a secret. Zac was his only close friend and confidant. Eventually, with Miles and Ryan’s support, he finds strength to live his true life.

On 29th June 2022, along with Trish Cislak (Crescent School, Canada), and Andrew Stark (Southport School, Australia), I presented a workshop at St Mark’s School of Texas during the IBSC Annual Conference. The title of the workshop was, Using literature to Form and Inform a Path to Manhood, which examined young adult (YA) literature to highlight the roles that identity, othering, and tribalism play in the lives of boys as they develop into young men. Revealing aspects of these societal influences allows for a deep dive into how they can develop, form friendships, and bring their best to their communities.

I highlighted two contemporary YA novels written by Australians from diverse backgrounds. Bro, by Helen Chebatte, depicts “traditional” tribes based on ethnicity, race, colour, and culture. The novel highlights a romantic rivalry, viewed through a racial lens, that results in a fight that swiftly evolves into a massive race riot leading to various injuries and a death that shatters everyone involved. Through this grief, comes understanding, realisation, bravery, and hope of tolerance and reconciliation, as well as opportunities for discussion on critical issues such as, cultural differences, racial tensions, violence and conflict resolution, effects of social media, immigration, grief, mateship, and belonging.

In The Sidekicks by Will Kostakis, the story is set in a fictitious religious boys’ school. We meet an unlikely and unusual tribe of three boys brought together by a dead common friend, Zac, and the eventual realisation that even without Zac, they are not that different.

The two storylines brilliantly explore masculinity, manhood, maturity, image, pretence, and pressure to live up to that image. I believe that studying/reading these novels, can challenge and shape selfrealisation, promote sense of belonging, and help to build inclusive communities; all the while assisting our students on their path to manhood.

References

Chebatte, H. (2016). Bro. Hardie Grant Egmont.

Kostakis, W. (2016). The Sidekicks. Penguin Australia.

Packer, D., & Bavel, J. van. (2022, January 3). The Myth of Tribalism. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/ archive/2022/01/tribalism-myth-groupsolidarity-prejudice-conflict/621008/

PARTNERSHIP AND INNOVATION

The Future Project

Peter Wilson Director -

The Future Project

The Future Project (TFP) exposes boys to impactful science and engineering that is focused on research and innovation. This special program typically accepts approximately 50 Senior Interns from Year 11 each year as Research Interns. Participants come from Cherrybrook Technology High School, Loreto Normanhurst, Sydney Girls’ High School, Cumberland High School, Tara Anglican School for Girls and James Ruse High School. There are typically 24 students from outside TKS in the interns program each year.

The TFP fosters partnerships with Australian universities such as UNSW, WSU, and ANU, as well as other external education provider partnerships that add authenticity, depth, and value to the skills and experiences available to students and teachers at King’s. A number of independent research-based companies partner with TFP to enable these opportunities. Currently these include Quantal Bioscience and Hydgene. The TFP also partners with The University of California, Berkeley and the State University of New York at Albany. This team competed in the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition and presented their research in Paris.

In 2022, we had five Year 10 classes dedicated to TFP. Students apply for entry into the TFP classes from Year 9 and are enrolled on a case-by-case, but somewhat competitive, basis. The students work on science projects throughout the year and present their results at a prize giving ceremony in November each year, alongside the Year 11 Senior Interns.

In the case of Senior Interns, students are partnered with collaborating researchers from the industry and university partners to gain an insight into conducting the latest biomedical, microbiological, agricultural, or engineering research. Senior Interns work in their own time, spending about 2 hours each week during Terms 1–3 designing, researching, and communicating their research project. They also participate in two, five-day research blocks during the Term 1 and Term 2 holidays to immerse themselves in the experience.

The involvement of the partners with TFP varies and morphs as research interests develop with time and opportunities arise. This ranges from university researchers working with students on research projects, such as Albany advising on Dark Matter research, to students visiting WSU university to use specialised scientific instrumentation, such as using electron microscopes for examination of the silica nodules grown in 2022 to mimic nodules found on Mars.

TFP Research currently underway

UNSW and the Australian Centre for Astrobiology have provided TFP with two sets of experiments to carry out over the coming years. The first involves growing silica nodules, both in the presence of filamentous bacteria and again in sterile conditions. The aim is to show that nodules found on Mars, which seem very much like those found in hot pools on Earth, can only have been made the shape they are by bacteria. The ramifications are obvious. The second experiment to design a robot sampling arm to go to Mars in 2030 in a Japanese expedition to sample those nodules and bring them back to Earth. Both are long term and intensive experiments to be carried out by a succession of TFP boys over the coming years.

Another ongoing set of experiments is connected with dark matter, where particle physicists from The University at Albany are overseeing a series of experiments utilising supercooled water as a potential detection mechanism for dark matter. This long-term project may eventually see an experiment designed and built by TFP boys situated in the Stawell mine in Victoria. During 2023, we plan on a group of boys presenting early results of these experiments at a large Chemistry Conference in Osaka in May. Professor Wilson will be chairing a session at this conference.

Finally, for 2022, TFP students who are being mentored by WSU are looking at the antioxidant signature of instant coffee and comparing that to pod coffee, with a food fraud perspective. This is made possible by the equipment which WSU has brought onsite, including a supercritical fluid chromatography device

Macquarie University Tertiary Supervisor

David Strutt Mathematics Teacher

My passion, since early in my career, has been how new teachers are introduced to the craft of teaching. Reflecting on my real and practical introduction to teaching, I had sixteen weeks of teaching in a staff team: four weeks with a staff of thirty and twelve weeks with a staff of three. That period was followed by six years in a one-teacher school. In those days, I did not know what I did not know and learned what I needed to know very quickly, without the input of a mentor, colleague, or Principal. It was during that time that the passion took hold. At every opportunity, I accepted trainee teachers from tertiary and technical colleges, providing a safe environment where the craft of teaching could be honed. In subsequent appointments, it has become increasingly difficult to access student teachers, although Macquarie University, for quite a time, provided me with a ready source of practicum placements.

In 2019, I applied to join the Tertiary Supervisor Team at Macquarie University, with the goal that I might join the casual Session staff at some time in the future. The attraction was the opportunity to give back to a career that has (largely) supported me for forty-three years, through an institution with which I have had a longstanding and rewarding relationship. This role promised an opportunity to engage with student teachers between the inschool experience and the university.

My role as a Macquarie University Tertiary Supervisor is as an intermediary or contact person between student teachers, the University, and the supervisory teachers. Before the University semester begins, I log my availability for supervision, indicating the number of students I am prepared to liaise with and the geographical area in which they are doing their teaching experience. Invariably, I am assigned trainee secondary teachers in the western Sydney area. Once allocated, the students are expected to contact me, introducing themselves, outlining their area of expertise, and advising me on any predicted difficulties they may have.

After contact has been established, I am available to each student, through email, telephone, or in person. I arrange a time for us to meet, outside of school hours at first, where the group from a common geographic area can gather. We share resources and experiences, and create a network, with the ultimate goal of creating a cohesive and mutually beneficial cohort of teachers as they enter the profession. There are occasions when an individual teacher will need to contact me, where I will need to explain a course demand or clarify a school expectation. Much of the time, I act as an intermediary, facilitating a solution rather than creating one.

The King’s School accepts student teachers from several agencies, including UNSW, Notre Dame University, Sydney University, and Macquarie University. Those students from Macquarie University fall under my purview. As well as hosting meetings with them, I am available to them for support and guidance. For student teachers at other schools, I am available to them through email, telephone, and meetings outside of school hours, where difficulties, achievements and challenges are discussed. Virtual meetings are also conducted. At a pre-determined time, but not for a prescribed duration, we gather online to do what we would do in person: network and share. These meetings are the most important and enjoyable aspect of my role.

The students may also seek my advice on lesson plans, syllabus expectations, and assignments. They also send me the documentation for my appraisal. My input is merely my opinion. There is no expectation that I am the expert. I am not marking or assessing the work. Rather, my opinion as an experienced educator holds some value in a professional discussion. Accessing the ideas of prospective educators creates an anthology of resources to be shared amongst a wider community, benefitting everyone.

Ultimately, the Tertiary Supervisor program is a valuable inclusion for me, but more so for The King’s School. The intimate access that the school has to the Teacher Education program at Macquarie University provides a ready access to student teachers. The ready and predictable inclusion of trainee teachers in the school education menu enriches the school’s programs. They can be employed in co-curricular programs, including sports training, utilising their unique and enthusiastic skills. In the boarding fraternity, they could be used as House Patrons and House academic tutors. In the latter year of their training, the student teachers could be a ready source of casual teachers. Ultimately, by having direct input to the Teacher Training Program at Macquarie University, The King’s School has direct access to teachers of quality for which Macquarie University is renowned.

Being included in the Teacher Education Program, even in this small way, arouses my passion for giving back to my profession. The longer I am involved in the program, the more I can contribute to developing expertise in the craft. To complete the circle, my passion for how teachers are introduced to the classroom, stimulated in my early years of teaching, continues to be met by Macquarie University in the latter years of my teaching.

Innovative partnerships within the King’s educational community –Honorary Academics

Dr Jen George Honorary Research Fellow

Establishing new social innovations and building social capacity is key to improving society. Much has been written about the benefit to organisations when they have an open view towards new complimentary partnerships and that can improve the mission of an organisation, particularly when that organisation has a community as its heart (Bevir, M. (2012) Governance, A Very Short Introduction, Oxford, UK). Across time and history, community groups with strategic partnerships have often endured and thrived. Growing excellence by enabling collective strength and fresh perspectives in research and development that then informs organisational practice and new directions in response to a quickly changing world is key to a strong future for any human structure such as an institution, corporation, or community group.

The education sector is traditionally not known for innovation, although the recent pandemic has forced some interesting changes, especially in flexible delivery of content and distance learning. In Australia, education provision is by government and not-for-profits that seek to contribute to the common good. Many see their mission as being beyond the utilitarian or transactional practice of imparting knowledge to the young according to a pre-set curriculum, to more transformational notions of education that revolve around identity and character formation emerging from educational communities. While centred on the students as the key group, these educational communities are made up of a various invested groups of people, all with passion and expertise that they bring to the educational community and its mission. I use the term “educational community” over the colloquial and well-known term “school” in my research as it better describes the social complexity of the task.

In addition to the students, educational communities include the staff, paid and professional, with various expertise across education and its provision, often including character building. The community also includes the most highly invested group of all, the students’ families, including parents and grandparents, sometimes also paying significant fees for the service. In some educational communities, this includes another group, the alumni or previously graduated students, now adults, some of who hold strong connections to, and interest in, their educational community. From a community or human capacity perspective, these last two groups, families and alumni, number many more that the staff and current students and come with their own interests, professional expertise, and opinions. This potential human capacity sits on the fringe of the educational community, caught in a dynamic tension around “Whose job is it to educate the children?” and “What does each invested person brings to the task and place?”

Establishing an agreed view on those two questions is important to success in a complex educational community. When it goes well, it is a joy; however, when it goes badly, it can get messy and painful. These social contracts need to be established and understood with each person, paid and unpaid, in the educational community. Sometimes, they are built around the individual student’s wellbeing and sometimes, around the educational community function and best practice.

The King’s School is at the more complex end of an educational community, with all groups highly invested and activated. As discussed earlier, best practice in an educational community requires best practice research and innovation for the place and its mission. To this end, the King’s School Institute is a staffed professional development and research initiative that exists to grow educational best practice. The Institute has several education academics on staff and seeks to inspire the educational community.

Recently, in a highly innovative initiative, the King’s School Institute extended a call out to invested community members (parents and alumni) with academic research expertise and various university connections to join its honorary ranks. This innovative partnership is aimed to grow the team of experts driving academic research towards betterment of the educational community and education practice, both at King’s and for the good of society and education beyond our gates. With ten honorary positions offered in 2022, we are delighted to welcome our community academic experts, and thank them for their willingness to partner with our students and staff in the sharing of professional academic expertise and building of academic knowledge for the betterment of us all.

References

Bevir, M. (2012) Governance, A Very Short Introduction. UK

George, J. (2015). Planning Education: Work-integrated learning. in J. Brunner & J. Glasson Contemporary Issues in Australian Urban and Regional Planning, Ch. 18. Routledge.

TEACHER ACCREDITATION AND PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE Teacher Accreditation

Main Teacher Accreditation implications for teachers in 2023

• Public Register of Teachers on eATAMS (live as of 30th of June 2022)

• NESA is now the TAA for all teachers in NSW (29th November 2022)

• Elective Professional Development will now be logged by teachers independent of eTAMS. Elective PD will no longer require an evaluation. (Exact date of 2023 implementation TBC)

Melanie Taylor

Dean of Professional Practice

Over the last two years, several significant changes have occurred in NSW Teacher Accreditation. In November 2020, NESA made considerable changes to the Maintenance of Teacher Accreditation Policy. In November 2021, the Teacher Accreditation Act 2004 was amended in response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. The Teacher Accreditation Amendment Bill 2021 was assented by Sarah Mitchell, the Minister for Education and Early Learning, on the 29thNovember 2021. Some of the amendments include the creation of a Public Register of Teachers and NESA’s plan to be the TAA for all NSW teachers. The withdrawal of TAA status included ISTAA (AISNSW), other sector authorities, and all relevant schools. NESA released the new Teacher Accreditation Manual on the 24th of October 2022.

• Teachers who began a new Maintenance of Professional Development Cycle from November 2020 require accredited professional development hours across all four of NESA’s priority areas to meet their accreditation requirements.

The Public Register of Teachers became live on NESA’s eTAMS website on 30th June. https://etams.nesa.nsw.edu.au/ PublicRegisterSearch . NESA states that “Anyone can search the Public Register. Returned results will display a teacher’s: Full name, NESA Accreditation number; and Type of accreditation (Active).” This brings NSW in line with all other Australian states that also have a public register of teachers.

With NESA now the TAA for teachers in NSW, all King’s School teachers will continue to be provided extensive support from the school at all levels of accreditation. This includes contextualised resources on KingsNet and Canvas and provision of teacher accreditation supervisors and coaches. Internal procedures will remain similar. Once a teacher is ready to submit their relevant level of teacher accreditation, The Headmaster, or his

delegate, will make a recommendation to NESA to finalise a Proficient Teacher Application or a Maintenance of Teacher Accreditation Cycle. NESA will then have 28 days to make a final decision to accredit a teacher at proficient. NESA will make a decision on the Maintenance of Teacher Accreditation Cycle, based on the Headmasters attestation, before the teacher’s Maintenance of Teacher Accreditation Cycle expires. For more information, please see 4.6 and 5.3 of NESA’s Teacher Accreditation Manual. https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/ wps/portal/nesa/teacher-accreditation/ resources/policies-procedures/ nsw-teacher-accreditation-manual-2022

NESA has stated that from 2023 (exact date TBC) Elective Professional Development will be logged by teachers independent of eTAMS and will no longer require an evaluation. An Elective Professional Development log, illustrating 50 hours of elective PD, will be required by each teacher when they submit their maintenance cycle. The King’s School Institute is currently establishing a series of recommendations for TKS teachers on how to diarise their elective professional development from 2023 onwards.

Teachers who began a new Maintenance of Professional Development Cycle from November 2020 require accredited professional development hours across all four of NESA’s priority areas to meet their accreditation requirements. NESA’s Accredited Courses (NESA Endorsed Courses 2004-2020) now focus on the following four priority areas:

• Delivery and Assessment of NSW Curriculum/Early Years Learning Framework (as applicable),

• Student/Child Mental Health,

• Students/Children with Disability, and

• Aboriginal Education and Supporting Aboriginal Students/Children.

The King’s School Institute, in partnership with the Heads of all campuses, has begun to plan several professional learning courses across all of the four priority areas to ensure, that over the course of 5 years, TKS teachers have access to 50 hours of accredited PD.

TKS Accreditation of Professional Development Courses

In July 2021, NESA acknowledged the important role schools play in developing and implementing targeted professional learning for their teachers. NESA has again allowed independent schools to provide accredited courses in the four priority areas: delivery and assessment of NSW Curriculum/Early Years Learning Framework (as applicable), student/ child mental health, students/children with disability, Aboriginal education and supporting Aboriginal students/ children. In 2022, TKI accredited several courses:

• Youth Mental Health First Aid Course in line with NESA Accredited PD Priority Area 2: Student/ Child Mental Health.

• Introducing New Maths Syllabus and Assessment-Capable Teachers & Learners in line with NESA Accredited PD Priority Area 1: Delivery and assessment of NSW Curriculum or Early Years Learning Framework

• A range of Stage 6 Best Practice Assessment courses in line with NESA Accredited PD Priority Area 1: Delivery and assessment of NSW Curriculum or Early Years Learning Framework

Teacher Accreditation: NESA, Highly Accomplished & Lead Teacher (HALT)

NESA have recently revised the Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher Policy (HALT policy 2022). This revised policy was launched on 15th May 2022 and replaces the previous Accreditation at Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher Policy (HALT policy, 2018). In a statement released by Education Minister Sarah Mitchell on the 15 May 2022 (https://www. nsw.gov.au/media-releases/educationaccreditation-halt ), she states that she hopes to see the number of HALT teachers grow to at least 2,500 by 2025.

Currently there are 274 teachers accredited at HALT in NSW. Mrs Elizabeth Vierboom, a Music Teacher in the Preparatory School, is a HALT and has recently successfully submitted her HALT Accreditation renewal. Several of The King’s School teaching staff that are involved in the teacher expert networks (TENs), which supports the NSW Curriculum Reform, are also exploring the possibility of completing this process.

NESA have made several changes to make achieving HALT Accreditation more accessible and streamlined. These changes include improvements to previous processes such as:

• A module-based approach so that teachers can access feedback along the way.

• The ability to resubmit evidence after each module if the evidence for the descriptor is deemed partially or not met.

• The introduction of a staggered payment plan to remove the financial barrier of applying. There are a series of three payments over the course of the three modules.

If you wish to apply, please discuss your application with The King’s School Institute. For more information please visit: https:// educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/ portal/nesa/teacher-accreditation/apply/ higher-levels

Teacher Accreditation: AISNSW, Experienced Teacher

Under the Independent Schools NSW/ACT Standards Model (Teachers) MEA, teachers can achieve Experienced Teacher Level Accreditation. Eligibility and an explanation of the related salary progression is in the Independent Schools NSW/ACT Standards Model (Teachers) Multi-Enterprise Agreement 2017 Clause, Classification, Rates of Pay and Related Matter.

AISNSW have recently reviewed the Experienced Teacher Program and have made several amendments, such as: removing references, increasing the descriptors covered in the Head of School Report, removing the digital portfolio, and creating a classroom observation process that will replace the previous testimonial document. Caraline Cloke, the AISNSW Head of Regulation and Accreditation, states that as result of an extensive review and feedback of this program, the Experienced Teacher process will continue to undergo several changes over the coming years.

Coaching

The King’s School Coaching Framework aims to bring together several key stakeholders in a collaborative expertise network to create collective efficacy and support every teacher’s professional learning program. Instructional coaching practices underpin a successful coaching program and enable teachers to accomplish their Academic Excellence, Character and Christian Community goals more successfully whilst honouring their professionalism.

Melanie Taylor Dean of Professional Practice

Prof. Christian van Nieuwerburgh, Professor of Coaching and Positive Psychology at the University of East London, advocates for the development of coaching cultures in schools and believes that “places of learning are the ideal context in which to grow coaching cultures.”(van Nieuwerburgh & Barr, 2016. p.13) The coaching program will be a key tool in The King’s School Professional Learning Framework, focusing on the idea that coaching is learning in the presence of others and leads to higher quality professional conversations where teachers master new ideas, ultimately enhancing student achievement. This learning relationship aims to develop a culture of caring and lead to improved teacher capacity and self-efficacy.

Megan Tschannen-Moran, a Professor of Educational Leadership at the William & Mary School of Education, explores how the relationship between the coach and teacher should connect to a higher sense of purpose, be based on educational trust, and connect to a positive outlook on self-improvement. This idea positions the teacher as an active participant in this relationship who is responsible for their own learning and is instrumental in constructing change within their context.

The coaching relationship will be supported by the King’s School Teacher Dashboard. The dashboard will consist of a landing page that collates information such as a teacher’s qualifications, teacher accreditation status, completed professional learning activities, and role evolution within The King’s School. This will then expand into tabs that explore each teacher’s involvement in school life, data analytics, industry partnerships, and professional growth/coaching.

The King’s School Coaching Framework is part of the 2022-2024 Strategic Plan and informed one of the workshops at the July Strategic Planning Professional Learning Day. In utilising Edward De Bono’s Thinking Hat routine, the participants, consisting of operational staff and teachers, provided valuable insight into the role a dashboard and coaching framework could play in their professional growth at The King’s School. The workshop participants’ feelings on the coaching program, both positive and negative, were shared using Edward De Bonos red hat thinking routine. The negative feelings discussion allowed the participants to express their concern about being compared to other teachers and their nervousness about how the resulting data may be used. The positive outlook discussion focused on how a coaching program would provide exciting opportunities for staff development and promotion, and how the program would become part of an employee value proposition when attracting new staff.

In discussing the value of the development of a coaching dashboard, the participants began to consider how this platform could make the work they do more visible and tangible, and how the coaching program would be a worthwhile way to track performance and allow staff to be acknowledged for the significant work they do at The King’s School.

A black hat approach allowed the workshop participants to provide negative and logical feedback on the initiative. The key ideas that were shared in this discussion were that the program would be performance management in disguise, that it would create a large workload for teachers, that there wouldn’t be time allocated for the program, and how comfortable would a teacher feel with their allocated coach. There was also concern about the accuracy of the data collected and how that data would be used.

The discussion also touched on how the program would be launched to ensure that people resistant to change would be willing to participate. A yellow hat perspective allowed the participants to reflect on the program with an optimistic mindset. Numerous ideas were put forward, such as how the program could accelerate career progression, provide an opportunity to set goals at an individual level and bring out the best in a teacher, help staff feel valued and recognised, create transparency so staff and their line manager know where they are up to, and promotional and professional learning opportunities could be tailored using data. The participants also acknowledged that these frameworks were transferable to their current roles but would be relevant to the teaching of students.

In the final stage of the workshop, using the green hat, participants explored their own innovative ideas in relation to the program. The key insights provided were how this would enhance employees’ fulfilment in their job, how it could have a positive impact on working relationships and provide a program whereby teachers/ staff can identify their skills and aspirations. The participants acknowledged that this type of program would lead to better quality teaching and improved student outcomes, that the time for coaching needed to be scheduled into the day, and that the aim of the program was for staff to reach their full potential and feel recognised and valued.

The first iteration of The King’s School Dashboard is set to be completed by the end of Term 4, 2022. It will then be trialled in Term 1, 2023 by a range of Senior School departments, across the preparatory school, and Tudor House. The King’s School Institute is currently finalising the Coaching Implementation Roadmap in preparation for 2023.

References

van Nieuwerburgh, C., & Barr, M. (2016). Coaching in Education. In T. Bachkirova, G. Spence and D. Drake (Eds.) The SAGE Handbook of Coaching. Sage. https:// au.sagepub.com/en-gb/oce/ the-sage-handbook-of-coaching/ book245418

PEER REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS BY STAFF 2022

Dr Dean Dudley, CF Director of The King’s School Institute Associate Professor of Education

Barnett, L., Mazzoli, E., Hawkins, M., Lander, N., Lubans, D., Comis, P., Keegan, R., Cairney, J., Dudley, D., Schranz, N., Brown, T., Long, G., & Salmon, J. (2022). Development of a self-report scale to assess children’s perceived physical literacy. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy. 27(1): 91-116

Clark, H., Dudley, D., Barrett., J., & Cairney, J. (2022). Physical literacy predicts the physical activity and sedentary behaviours of youth. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. 25(9): 750-754

Dudley, D., Mackenzie, E., Van Bergen, P., Cairney, J., & Barnett, L. (2022). What drives Quality Physical Education? A systematic review and meta-analysis of learning effects of physical education-based interventions. Frontiers in Psychology, 13: 799330 https://doi.org/10.3389/ fpsyg.2022.799330

Dudley, D., Cairney, J., Te Ava, A., & Lauff, J. (2022). Education in sport and physical activity across the Pacific. In K.Petry (Ed), Education in Sport and Physical Activity: Future Directions and Global Perspectives. UK: Routledge

PEER REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS

BY STAFF 2022

Pooja Mathur Teacher Librarian

Dr Vera Munro-Smith Science Teacher

Mathur, P. (2022). Curate, advocate, collaborate: Updating a school library collection to promote sustainability and counter eco-anxiety. Scan, 41(2). https:// education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-andlearning/professional-learning/scan/ past-issues/vol-41-2022/issue-2-2022

Burns, E. C., Martin, A. J., Kennett, R., Pearson, J., & Munro-Smith, V. (2022). High school students’ out-of-school science participation: A latent class analysis and unique associations with science aspirations and achievement. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1– 33. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21806

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”

- Mahatma Gandhi -