Portland Secondary College

School context

School Type: Large rural secondary college

Region: Barwon South West Region

Students: 759 students

Staff: 64 teaching, 20 non-teaching

Principal:  Mrs Toni Burgoyne

Accreditation:  June 2006

Website:http://www.portlandsc.vic.edu.au

Portland Secondary College’s mission statement is “to develop each student socially, physically and academically, in a safe, yet challenging environment”. The College has had significant Leading Schools’ Funding over the last three years to enable staff to undertake action research with a focus on teaching and learning strategies to improve student learning outcomes.

School approach to the next phase

The school's approach to the next phase:

• education support staff will be included on all College Committees and involved in College decision making
• education support staff with student support, tutoring or aide roles are included in staff professional development activities
• the e⁵ Instructional Model will be implemented into College curriculum, pedagogy and performance reviews
• peer-to-peer observations form a strong and significant component of teachers’ professional learning and performance goals
• there is a focus on improving College benchmarks.

School approach to each element

Element 1: induction into the school or into a new role

• as part of the formalised induction process the Principal Class Team establishes the expectations of teaching and learning, student management, College core values and staff responsibilities
• a consistent and ongoing induction program caters for the needs of all new staff and commences upon appointment
• all new staff are issued with an Induction Manual that outlines processes in the College
• graduates are paired with both a staff mentor and a VIT Mentor.

Resources

• Induction manual (PDF - 209Kb)
• Induction and mentoring   (PDF - 32Kb)
• Staff induction checklist for mentors (PDF - 108Kb) 

Element 2: multiple sources of feedback on practice

• feedback operates at classroom, team and whole school level
• the leadership team reviews all data with relevant staff providing key messages for their area of responsibility
• teachers nominate at least three data sources (including mandatory student outcomes data) to be incorporated into the review and individual staff development planning process
• peer to peer observation occurs in all classrooms.

Resources

• Peer to peer mentoring feedback proforma (PDF - 36Kb)
• Learning survey (PDF - 60Kb)
• Teacher self assessment (PDF - 101Kb)
• Student survey 1 (PDF - 97Kb)
• Student survey 2 (PDF - 82Kb) 

Element 3: individual performance and development plans aligned to school goals

• all teaching and Education Support Staff have both a mid-cycle and end-of-cycle review and participate in teams and forums which offer support and build capabilities
• plans identify goals for professional growth, team and project involvement, sources of feedback (including individual teachers’ POLT results) and support needed to achieve goals
• all staff are included in at least one Professional Learning Team which provides mentoring and Professional Development opportunities
• individual plans inform the whole school Professional Development Plan.

Resources

• Individual PD plan mid and end of cycle reviews (PDF - 42Kb)

Element 4: quality professional learning

• relevant internal and external professional development activities at group and individual level help cater for a range of learning styles to build teacher effectiveness in the classroom
• teachers critically reflect on practice in Professional Learning Teams
• professional development links to career and succession planning and teachers’ future aspirations
• professional development programs reflect the Principles of Highly Effective Professional Learning.

Resources

• Collegial coaching Session 2009 (PDF - 38Kb)
• Peer to peer mentoring 2009 - Instructions for Coaches (PDF - 108Kb)
• Peer-to-peer coaching 2009 – Instructions for Peers (PDF - 130Kb)
• Professional learning report - peer to peer observation (PDF - 110Kb)
• Professional learning report - PoLT (PDF - 92Kb)

Element 5: belief that the school has a Performance and Development Culture

• improving Teaching and Learning and teacher capacity via professional reflection, teamwork, constructive feedback and customised professional development is a top priority
• teachers feel supported and valued as the most important educational resource in the school. Successes are widely celebrated
• teachers are provided with leadership roles and opportunities to learn through taking on wider responsibilities
• staff are guided by professional values and expertise. Collegiality, team work, innovation and risk taking are valued to enhance problem solving capability.
• a professional culture of mutual accountability for the quality of practice is encouraged, including high expectations for student learning and collaborative teaching practice
• a culture of continuous improvement via self evaluation of practice is expected and the College strives to improve on its benchmarks.