These resources are part of a series that summarise the research on student wellbeing and engagement. They support the department's strategic goal of ensuring every student is known, valued and cared for.

• Read the paper online or download Supporting high academic expectations synthesis paper (PDF, 1.6MB)
• Reflection guide (PDF, 44kB)
• Poster

Related resources

• Supporting advocacy at school
• Supporting students' sense of belonging

Best practices – creating a positive learning environment (PDF, 70kB)

Using the department's remote learning resources

The modern classroom is ever-changing. The following evidence-based teaching strategies can assist teachers as they support students’ education continuity, in an online and/or remote learning environment.

Explicit teaching

• Clearly show students what to do and how to do it (for example, providing explanation videos, hard/soft copy worked examples or completed exemplars).
• Explain the purpose and relevance of all tasks (for example, providing visual lesson outlines, learning intentions, the activities or key instructions, and the success criteria for the lesson).

Read more on explicit teaching in What works best: 2020 update and What works best in practice.

Manage cognitive load

• Cut out inessential information.
• Present all the essential information together.
• Simplify complex information by presenting it both orally and visually.
• Encourage students to visualise concepts and procedures that they have learnt.

Read more on cognitive load in Cognitive load theory and Managing cognitive load through effective presentations.

Support routines

• Provide daily to-do lists and day schedule.
• Have students submit work regularly.

Read more on classroom management in Classroom management and Leading from home – school planning.

Maintain high expectations

• Be clear about what is expected of students (for example, student behaviour and tasks).
• Provide effective feedback that includes constructive and actionable steps on how students can improve.
• Encourage student personal best goal setting.

Read more on high expectations in How high expectations and engagement in primary school drive student learning and What works best: 2020 update.

Collaboration

• Draw on collective teacher expertise (for example, co-plan lessons, share best practice models and resources).
• Regularly inform parents and carers of their child’s progress, learning expectations and learning goals.

Read more on collaboration in Improving high school engagement, classroom practices and achievement and What works best: 2020 update. 

Active supervision

• Check-in daily with students.

Read more on active supervision in Classroom management and Learning from home – delivery of learning.

Support student wellbeing

• Encourage student feedback and suggestions to help students feel connected to their learning.
• Engage students in positive self-talk, discuss issues when they arise and encourage students to ask for help.
• Provide tips on how students can manage their time effectively.
• Promote emotional safety through preventative strategies, such as teaching students self-regulation (for example, breathing and meditation exercises).

Read more on student wellbeing in Capturing and measuring student voice and Improving high school engagement, classroom practices and achievement.

For emotional safety preventative and responsive strategies, read Trauma-informed practice in schools: An explainer.

Support a safe online/remote learning environment

• Provide students and parents information on respectful, responsible and safe use of digital devices.
• Clearly communicate procedures for staff, parents and carers to report concerns or online bullying.

Read more on online safety in Anti-bullying interventions in schools, on the digital citizenship website, the eSafety website or download the eSafety toolkit for schools.

Using the department’s remote learning resources

Learning from home

The department’s dedicated Learning from home webpages provide resources and advice for teachers and parents including information on:

• available online learning platforms (Microsoft Teams, Adobe Connect, G Suite for education)
• web conferencing
• how to create digital learning activities
• school planning
• curriculum resources

Literacy and numeracy resources for teachers

The Literacy and numeracy website supports the explicit teaching and learning of literacy and numeracy in schools by providing the latest resources including:

• learning progressions
• EAL/D learning progressions
• PLAN2
• podcasts
• case studies

Teachers can also access the Literacy and numeracy professional learning.

How high expectations and engagement in primary school drive student learning (PDF, 7.4MB)

Warwick Farm Public School case study (PDF, 4MB)

Liverpool West Public School case study (PDF, 5MB)

Reflection guide for school networks (PDF, 52kB)

Reflection guide for schools (PDF, 52kB)

The text on this page is also available as a downloadable summary (PDF, 107kB)

Background

How high expectations and engagement in primary school drive student learning explores the role of student engagement and classroom practices for improving student learning. Specifically, it looks at the impact of engagement and effective teaching experienced in Years 5, 6 and 7 on academic performance in Year 7.

Key findings

• A culture of high expectations is as important for learning in primary school as it is in high school. Year 5 students who report having teachers with high expectations are over 6 months ahead in their learning by Year 7.

• Socioeconomic status has an impact on students’ engagement at school. The proportion of students engaged in primary school is lower for students in the lowest socioeconomic quartile than for more advantaged students across measures of both classroom and social engagement at school.
• Other aspects of effective teaching also matter. When students understand the purpose of what they are learning and teachers deliver clear instruction and relevant content, student achievement improves.
• Having positive peer relationships and classroom behaviour during primary school are also important for learning.
• Students with a positive attitude towards homework during the final year of primary school have better numeracy outcomes in the first year of high school.

Practical implications

The publication is accompanied by professional learning reflection guides for principals and school executive staff to support school leaders in considering the implications of this research for practices in their schools. Two accompanying case studies, from Liverpool West and Warwick Farm public schools, provide additional resources to showcase how schools can effectively promote engagement and ensure high expectations of their students.

Further information

The NSW Department of Education Strategic Plan 2018-2022 includes the commitment to ensure that every student is known, valued and cared for in our schools. High expectations reflect an understanding of students’ capacity, ensuring that they feel known at school and are challenged in their learning. Schools can use the department’s Tell Them From Me surveys to capture students’ perceptions of the expectations that they experience. This knowledge can then help build an accurate and timely picture that schools can use for practical improvements.