Flagship Strategy 7 - Leading Schools Fund
Providing innovative solutions to best meet the diverse needs of individual students.
The Leading Schools Fund is a school transformation and renewal initiative. It is a key driver for the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development's vision of excellent outcomes for all students in secondary Government schools.
The initiative will continue to deliver on the Government's commitment of an additional $32 million over two years being included in the 2007/08 budget. This funding will cover the shortfall in 2007/08 and 2008/09 due to the flow-on effect of the three year contracts for teachers in Phase 3 Leading Schools Fund schools.
The initiative is a model for whole school improvement and school system development. The focus of the Leading Schools Fund is on:
- improved student outcomes
- changed teacher practice
- connectivity between pedagogy and space
- flexibility of teachers’ working relationships and access to resources
- professional learning and the development of innovative solutions at the local level
- a highly skilled workforce; and
- collaboration and cooperation between schools
Improved educational provision, strengthened by innovative practices, aims to keep students motivated, keen to learn and stay in school. This, in turn, will bring about improved student outcomes, the focus of the Government's goals and targets.
In applying to become part of this initiative, schools have made a commitment to:
- develop and implement teacher and school effectiveness strategies; and
- demonstrate the capacity to share effective practice and programs to develop community partnerships that will support collaboration between all schools in a geographic area
In considering their involvement in the Leading Schools Fund, schools have been encouraged to think beyond traditional practices and structures.