School Improvement Plan

Creating a successful future

Schools engage in all aspects of the School Excellence cycle. This includes developing a Strategic Improvement Plan (SIP) in consultation with their community. The SIP has up to 3 strategic directions and associated improvement measures which form the basis of each planning cycle.

One of these strategic directions will be ‘Student growth and attainment’ for all schools. The remaining strategic directions are chosen by each school to reflect and respond to their unique context.

Improvement measures should include system-negotiated targets for student growth and attainment and references to effective classroom practices. The Strategic Improvement Plan (SIP) is approved by the Director, Educational Leadership and published on the school’s website by the end of Term 1 at the commencement of a planning cycle. The Strategic Improvement Plan (SIP) is also required as a state archive.

Guiding Principles

Key initiatives

In this school improvement cycle our aspiration is to:

Co-create and engage in a wider range of deep and purposeful learning experiences that enable students to develop skills, competencies and attitudes for learning success that have an impact in the local and global community.

Use the knowledge and skills for strong relationships, positive wellbeing and positive behaviour to promote human dignity, learning success for all and an inclusive and connected community.

Develop and express a contemporary sense of the sacredness of self, others and our world by encountering our faith tradition in everyday experiences inspiring all to act as people of justice and peace.

Our Students

#1 Engage in opportunities for dialogue and action in connection to our expression of ‘Living Justice Living Peace’
RD 1.3.4
RD 1.3.4: The school community makes connections between faith and culture as part of living out the Good News and illustrating a dynamic faith (recontextualisation), supporting all to take action in the community and wider Church.
/ 1.4.2
RD 1.4.2: The school nurtures and sustains life- giving relationships through explicitly and routinely connecting actions to Catholic beliefs and the life of Jesus.
/ SC 2.2.4
SC 2.2.4: The school community, driven by its mission, partners with the parish, broader Church and community in its commitment to service and social justice, bringing faith, life and culture together in a coherent synthesis
#2 Showcase learning and its impact on local and global communities.
SC 4.1.4
SC 4.1.4: Staff seek opportunities for the school to contribute to whole-community issues and emphasise the interconnectedness of the school and its community.
#3 Co construct with staff
multidisciplinary
Multidisciplinary – combining or involving more than one subject area or field of study.
learning experiences, wellbeing initiatives and opportunities for ritual, prayer and retreat.
RD 2.3.4
RD 2.3.4: Staff, students and parents actively engage in opportunities to encounter the sacred and celebrate the mystery of Christ, and consider this to be an important part of the life of a Catholic school community.
/ SW 3.3.3
SW 3.3.3: Students are valued and active decisionmakers and innovators in their school community on matters of student learning, wellbeing, safety and responsibility.
#4 Engage with the development of
digital credentialing
Digital credentialing - global competencies or skills, knowledge, accomplishments or qualities that are recognised against the current curriculum but also within and beyond that are otherwise formally unrecognised.
folios.
#5 Develop strategies and systems to regularly provide feedback and student insights to staff and families in relation to Catholic identity, positive behaviour, wellbeing, learning and engagement initiatives
LT 2.1.3
LT 2.1.3: Teachers consider students’ learning background as a key factor in all planning for learning. They make teaching adjustments in light of this information and record it in formal documentation.
/ SW 1.4.4
SW 1.4.4: Students regularly self-reflect and provide input on individual, cohort and whole- school wellbeing and positive behaviour initiatives across a range of formats and opportunities.
/ 3.2.3
SW 3.2.3: Teachers design learning activities that use peer feedback and self-reflection as a regular part of practice to empower students.

Our Staff and Leaders

#1 Engage in opportunities for dialogue and action in connection to our expression of ‘Living Justice Living Peace’.
RD 1.3.4
RD 1.3.4: The school community makes connections between faith and culture as part of living out the Good News and illustrating a dynamic faith (recontextualisation), supporting all to take action in the community and wider Church.
/ 1.4.2
RD 1.4.2: The school nurtures and sustains life- giving relationships through explicitly and routinely connecting actions to Catholic beliefs and the life of Jesus.
#2 Lead the learning and
faith formation
Faith formation - process by which our faith grows, and our lives are shaped by God’s love.
of others across our community.
RD 4.1.4
RD 4.1.4: Teachers are supported to share, design and develop professional learning and faith formation activities for others across the school community. Teachers and leaders are encouraged to lead the learning, development and formation of others.
#3 Apply our learning charter to develop and engage with an instructional model that reflects contemporary
pedagogy
Pedagogy – methods of teaching. The art of implementing teaching strategies/approaches to effectively position individuals for optimal learning.
and assessment practices supports
student agency
Student agency – refers to a respectful and more empowered positioning of students to be active agents in their own learning lives.
and expands challenging learning opportunities for students.
RD 1.3.4
RD 1.3.4: The school community makes connections between faith and culture as part of living out the Good News and illustrating a dynamic faith (recontextualisation), supporting all to take action in the community and wider Church.
/ LT 2.3.4
LT 2.3.4: Teacher teams plan instruction that challenges all students at different stages on the learning continuum.
/ LT 2.4.3
LT 2.4.3: Teachers situate teaching in contexts that are authentic to the life and world of their students.
#4 Build capacity in the implementation of
high impact teaching strategies
High impact teaching strategies - High impact teaching strategies (HITS) are 10 instructional practices that reliably increase student learning when they're applied, informed by research across Australia and the world.
.
LT 2.3.4
LT 2.3.4: Teacher teams plan instruction that challenges all students at different stages on the learning continuum.
/ LT 2.6.4
LT 2.6.4: Teachers use a number of strategies (e.g. rubrics, worked examples, formative assessment strategies) to co-construct success criteria with students at a range of levels.
#5 Promote strong teams through collaborative structures and processes through:
    • Cycles of inquiry
      Cycles of inquiry - a model that strives to evaluate and improve practice, supported by evidence and data.
    • Team goal setting
    • Moderation of assessments
      Moderation of assessments - a quality assurance process by which teachers collaborate to ensure assessment is continuously conducted with accuracy, consistency and fairness.
    • Data analysis
      LT 1.4.4
      LT 1.4.4: The school’s culture is one in which feedback on classroom teaching (through multiple channels) is readily given and received on a regular basis. Teachers are supported to refine their performance via strategic and planned classroom observations, and time is allocated to enable the embedding of practice.
      / 3.3.3
      LT 3.3.3: Teachers collaboratively consider data and evidence, and determine next steps for individual or target groups of students when designing learning.
      / SW 2.3.4
      SW 2.3.4: Teachers reflect on feedback about pedagogical decisions and strategies to inform future planning for innovative and responsive teaching.
      / 1.1.4
      SW 1.1.4: Leaders participate and lead collaborative planning of learning environments that are child-friendly, safe and positive places of Catholic learning.
#6 Foster a culture of professional growth and development for all staff and leaders where challenging goals are informed by:
    • Strategic targets
    • Personal reflection
    • Feedback
    and supported by observation, feedback and coaching systems
    LT 1.1.3
    LT 1.1.3: Teachers are given plentiful opportunities to receive feedback on classroom practice, as well as strategies or support to analyse the feedback. Coaching or mentoring is undertaken on a consistent basis.
    / 1.2.3
    LT 1.2.3: Teachers access ongoing, targeted professional learning which is aligned with their goals. They synthesise evidence (e.g. personal reflection, feedback from leaders and peers, student assessment data) to set challenging and achievable goals.
    / LM 1.1.4
    LM 1.1.4: The school maintains a high-performing culture of organised and responsive professional learning underpinned by continuous feedback, data and research.
    / 1.2.2
    LM 1.2.2: Professional learning enables all staff to access regular and effective feedback on performance, and improve professional practice through individual and collaborative learning.
#7 Create and implement data and evidence systems based on multiple measures of data to inform and evaluate,
positive behaviour
Positive behaviour - evidence-based strategies and proactive approaches to changing challenging student behaviours.
, student growth and achievement in learning and wellbeing and staff growth and development.
LT 2.1.2
LT 2.1.2: Teachers take student background into account when planning for learning. Information about how students learn is considered regularly in order to plan teaching.
/ 3.2.3
LT 3.2.3: Teachers reflect on patterns in data, at cohort, individual and small group levels, and appraise the data’s reliability.
/ 3.3.3
LT 3.3.3: Teachers collaboratively consider data and evidence, and determine next steps for individual or target groups of students when designing learning.
/ SW 1.3.3
SW 1.3.3: Teachers work collaboratively in level or learning-area teams to create, analyse and use data to inform and develop responsive wellbeing and positive behaviour initiatives.
#8 Engage with the community (students, staff and families) in developing and evaluating improvement goals and strategies.
LM 2.1.3
LM 2.1.3: The school community is actively engaged in data-informed cyclical review, planning and action to strategically improve learning outcomes for students.
#9 Learn, promote and apply strategies for personal wellbeing and positive respectful relationships.
SC 1.4.4
SC 1.4.4: The school has an explicit commitment to enact positive and respectful relationships, which is consistently evident in school policies and everyday practice.
#10 Ensure current and future planning for physical and
digital infrastructure
Digital infrastructure - the physical resources that are necessary to enable the effective use of devices, methods and processes
support the development of a connected community and the provision of high quality learning experiences.
LM 2.5.3
LM 2.5.3: The school’s plan for delivering a high- quality curriculum for students informs current and future capital investment and planning of physical and digital learning infrastructure.
#11 Develop a sustainable business plan to support ongoing initiatives and the realisation of the Master plan stages.
LM 3.3.4
LM 3.3.4: The principal is responsible for the transparent, ethical and moral use of resources and allocation of funds. The school has a well- defined business plan encompassing future growth of resources and infrastructure developed through sustainable strategic management processes.

Our Families, Alumni and Community:

#1 Participate as partners in new initiatives and improvement strategies through multiple forums to provide opportunities for education, dialogue and feedback especially in relation to educational initiatives: SWPBS,
micro credentialing
Micro credentialing - a means of certifying attainment of smaller and more specific elements of learning
, wellbeing, NPDL, child safety.
LM 2.1.2
LM 2.1.2: The school collaboratively develops a plan for whole-school improvement that is informed by a wide set of data relating to community expectations about student learning.
/ SW 1.5.3
SW 1.5.3: Families are consulted and included when schools review and renew child safety policies and positive behaviour initiatives.
/ SC 1.3.3
SC 1.3.3: School leaders ensure that all feedback mechanisms are visible and accessible to all members of the school community, valuing the multiple perspectives of all members of the community.
/ 3.3.1
SC 3.1.1: Leaders engage with parents to inform them about the school and its educational approach. Parents are invited to contribute to the school through activities and events.
#2 Engage in opportunities for dialogue and action in connection to our expression of ‘Living Justice Living Peace’.
RD 1.3.4
RD 1.3.4: The school community makes connections between faith and culture as part of living out the Good News and illustrating a dynamic faith (recontextualisation), supporting all to take action in the community and wider Church.
/ 1.4.2
RD 1.4.2: The school nurtures and sustains life- giving relationships through explicitly and routinely connecting actions to Catholic beliefs and the life of Jesus.
#3 Explore opportunities for ‘hybrid’ models of learning to complement site based learning experiences and prepare students for a digitally connected world.
SC 4.2.3
SC 4.2.3: Teachers access local places and resources to support student learning. School leaders strategically seek opportunities to partner with businesses, community leaders and service providers to support student learning and wellbeing. Procedures are in place to evaluate the effectiveness and sustainability of partnerships.

2021

2022

2023

2024

SIF Rubrics 2020

225 Church Street,
Herne Hill 3218 Victoria, Australia

E. office@clonard.vic.edu.au
T. (03) 5278 2155
F. (03) 5278 9909

Clonard College is a Kildare Education Ministries Catholic School in the Brigidine Tradition

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