The Sustaining Success case study (PDF, 800kB) describes how seven schools in the Fairfield Network have sustained and built on their successful educational outcomes by implementing the six effectives practices summarised in the CESE publication Six effective practices in high growth schools. The practices are:
- high expectations
- student engagement
- effective teaching
- whole-school goals
- collaboration
- professional learning.
How do the schools implement these practices?
Cluster 1: Quality teaching & learning
Systems & processes | Cultures & attitudes | Programs & activities | |
High expectations | High expectations are matched with high support.
Comprehensive student welfare and wellbeing systems. |
Visibly expect success of all students.
Celebrate success and achievement for all students. |
School values are clearly articulated and explicitly taught.
Social skills taught and reinforced regularly. |
Student engagement | Develop a strong understanding of students’ cultures and backgrounds.
Develop connections in the broader community to provide post-school opportunities and pathways for students. |
The key to engagement is a sense of belonging.
Flip disadvantage by focusing on helping others and taking a global perspective. |
Offer a wide range of extracurricular activities and programs to cater to diverse student interests.
School has to have ‘something for everyone’ – academic and/or extra-curricular – to sustain engagement. |
Effective teaching |
Combination of both explicit and integrated approaches to teaching literacy. |
Data-informed programming and planning, strongly led by the school executive.
A belief that all students should be able to access the curriculum and therefore a focus on genuine curriculum differentiation. |
Explicit lessons, including learning intentions, goals, feedback, student self-monitoring and explicit pathways to improvement (supports student engagement). |
Cluster 2: Positive professional culture
Systems & processes | Cultures & attitudes | Programs & activities | |
School goals |
Structured systems for implementing school goals: strategy, plan, implement, evaluate, embed. |
A culture of evaluative thinking, where program evaluation is a routine part of school life and evidence is regularly collected and reflected upon. |
A consistent approach to using data to drive and monitor school goals e.g. SMART, RAP. |
Collaboration |
Common ‘core’ teaching and learning programs across grades/KLAs, updated regularly as student needs change. |
Collaborative cultures develop gradually over time through collegial and supportive relationships. |
Use of technology e.g. Google docs, Sentral, shared drives, email. |
Professional learning |
TPL timetable planned yearly in advance, with flexibility to respond to emerging needs |
Open door culture of sharing resources, asking questions and seeking advice from colleagues.
Staff given some choice in TPL, interest drives engagement. |
Balance between whole-school TPL and small-group learning. |