EOI Cohort 12

Advanced Standing at ECU for Fogarty EDvance school leaders

Congratulations to Samantha Benn, Principal at Koorana Primary School (Cohort 4) for completing a Masters in Education at Edith Cowan University. Here’s what Samantha had to say about her involvement with the Fogarty EDvance program and attaining Advanced Standing at ECU:

“I was fortunate to participate in Cohort 4 of the Fogarty EDvance Program, initially as a Deputy Principal and more recently, as Principal at Koorana Primary School. The experience for me has been invaluable in gaining the skills and insights necessary to lead effectively and to drive improved educational outcomes for our students. The unrelenting focus on high impact approaches and evidence-based research at the core of the EDvance Program has been pivotal in our success at Koorana Primary School and on a personal level, has built my leadership skills to effectively take on the role of Principal.

One of the biggest challenges for school leaders is effectively managing the day-to-day operations of the school whilst maintaining enough time, energy and capacity to drive the school strategically; focusing on what matters most and ensuring the work towards sustained improvement is consistently taking place. For me, the tools, learning and expertise provided through the EDvance Program enable this to happen, recognising that every minute counts and driving detailed, challenging and intelligent approaches to whole school strategic planning.

Through my engagement with the EDvance Program, I was also able to attain Advanced Standing for four units towards a Master in Education (Leading Education specialisation) at Edith Cowan University. The program provided equivalent learning and expertise across a range of contemporary themes including Leading in Challenging Contexts and Leading for Improvement.

Samantha Benn Principal, Koorana Primary School (Cohort 4)

In 2019, I took the plunge and went on to complete a further four units to complete the course. This enabled me to further strengthen my leadership skill set and explore global themes in education including pedagogy, assessment and equity as well as develop a grounding in educational research. This experience, combined with the EDvance program has certainly broadened my capacity as an educational leader and provided me with a valuable global view in this area. I am proud to say I have recently completed my Master in Education with high distinction and would like to thank the Fogarty EDvance team for this outstanding opportunity for professional and personal growth.”

For further information on attaining Advanced Standing at Edith Cowan University, please contact Georgie Wynne at georgie.wynne@fogartyedvance.au

We wish to make a special mention of Tim Emery who passed away late last year with his family by his side. Tim helped to shape the Fogarty EDvance program into what it is today by:

Tim worked in Catholic, Government, Independent primary and secondary schools over the course of his career. He served as principal in four Catholic school communities over 27 years from 1988 until mid-2015.

In 2011, Tim was the recipient of the John Laing Award for supporting the professional development of peer principals. In 2012, he received a Service Award from the Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA) and in 2013 was awarded Life Membership to APPA.

Tim’s experience included: membership of the National Executive Council of the Australian Primary Principals Association, the Executive Committee of the WA Catholic Primary Principals Association, serving as President for several years, and as a member of the WA Catholic Education Commission.

Tim’s expertise, compassion and strong moral purpose made him such an outstanding mentor in the program. We wish to acknowledge Tim for everything he did for the schools, the FED program and the broader education system in Western Australia. He will be greatly missed.

Congratulations and welcome to all Cohort 7 schools who will commence the Fogarty EDvance School Improvement Program in February this year. School leadership teams from both primary and secondary, regional and metro and public and Catholic schools will come together in Perth for their first few workshops of the 3 year school improvement journey.

School Principal Location
Bluff Point Primary School Celine Bellve Bluff Point, Geraldton region
Busselton Senior High School Dainon Coiuzic Busselton
Cassia Primary School Narelle Ward South Hedland
Como Secondary College Digby Mercer Como
Darkan Primary School Eloisa Goss Darkan, Wheatbelt region
Endeavour Schools Chris Burgess & Jayne Gorbould Mandurah
Greenbushes Primary School Kylie Loney Greenbushes
Lakelands Primary School Bradden Mitchell Lakelands
Mullewa District High School Nicki Patterson Mullewa, Geraldton region
Newman Senior High School Carolyn Cook Newman
Nollamara Primary School Bradley Trpchev Nollamara
Sacred Heart Primary School Steve Gibbs Thornlie
Swan View Senior High School George Sekulla Swan View
Xavier Catholic School Travis Bienkowski Hilbert

Thank you to all of those in the FED Network for your assistance and support during the recruitment drive for Cohort 7. We are really excited to see where these school leaders take their schools in the next 3 years!

Please contact Georgie Wynne at georgie.wynne@fogartyedvance.au if you have any questions about Cohort 7.

In November 2019, Fogarty EDvance launched a new initiative for EDvance primary schools entering Year 2 of the School Improvement Program – known as the FED Instructional Adviser model (IA model).

The IA model partners EDvance school leaders together with other schools that have previously been part of the Fogarty EDvance program and have successfully transformed classroom instruction in their schools. The main aim of the IA model is to build the capacity of instructional leadership in schools throughout Western Australia.

There is growing support for school leaders collaborating with other school leaders that have navigated a similar challenge in changing teaching practice – see for example, Networks for School Improvement (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) and the Communities of Practice approach in Victoria (Bastow Institute). Other Fogarty EDvance initiatives, including school visits as part of Year 1 of the program and the FED Explicit Instruction Secondary Network, have also demonstrated the impact of intra-school collaboration on teaching practice.

The partnership between schools is supported by FED Mentors, the FED team and requires up to 4 structured meetings a year. The IA schools for 2020 include:

Fogarty EDvance will continue to update the FED Network on the success and impact of the new initiative towards the end of 2020.

For any questions or comments regarding the IA model, please contact Katie O’Driscoll at katie.odriscoll@fogartyedvance.au.

The Fogarty Foundation and Fogarty EDvance congratulate Lisa Ledger of Baynton West Primary School on becoming WA Primary Principal of the Year for 2019.

Lisa was recently recognised in the WA Education Awards 2019. The award recognises the exciting and significant role of principals in primary schools. As mentors and motivators, they create partnerships and work with their communities. They secure the best possible learning outcomes for their young students.

Lisa and her leadership team at Baynton West Primary School are in their second year of the EDvance program as part of Cohort 5.

Further information on the awards and the winners can be found here.

Congratulations to all the finalists and to Lisa.

Anika talks about the Fogarty EDvance program and what she’s currently focused on as school principal at Balga Primary School.

Q1: Name 3 valuable things you gained from being part of the Fogarty EDvance program?

Through my engagement with the program I developed a deeper understanding of the importance of committing the time to establish the pre-conditions for school improvement, prior to implementing improvement initiatives. 

The program is designed for Leadership teams, which meant that we built the capacity of the whole team (not just the Principal). As a result of active participation in the extensive professional learning program everyone had increased role clarity and ownership over designing and implementing the three-year strategic plan.

The program gave me an increased appreciation of the importance of having a sustained focus on both your organisation’s health (school culture) and improved student academic achievement. 

Q2: What is something you wish you had known earlier in your career?

The evidence base around effective change management.

Q3: What is the best piece of advice you’ve received about being a principal?

“It’s better to go slow in the right direction that to go fast in the wrong direction”.

Q4: What is the latest topic on your mind?

I am currently reading Schools that Deliver (Bill Martin and J Edwards) so I would have to say ‘transformative leadership and creating an aligned culture’.

Q5: Would you recommend other principals apply to be part of the Fogarty EDvance program? Why?

Yes! The program is comprehensive and is structured in a way that provides a balance between high levels of support and accountability. Our mentor Su, provided extensive support when developing and monitoring the strategic plan and provided ongoing advice to ensure alignment of our school’s vision with the key themes, objectives, strategies and targets outlined in the plan. The Expert Engagement component allows schools to receive ongoing practical support in professional learning, including in-class modelling and coaching to ensure teachers are fully supported to implement new approaches.  

Through my active involvement in the program I have developed a much wider network of colleagues committed to promoting evidence based school improvement and sharing best practice teaching and learning, with the ultimate aim of improving the life chances of ALL students across our system.

Today, the Fogarty Foundation was proud to launch the Report Card for Cohort 3 of Fogarty EDvance, a 3-year whole school improvement program for schools in disadvantaged communities in Western Australia. The EDvance program works to support schools in closing the educational gap for students in lower socio-economic communities.

Distinguished members of Parliament, school leaders, teachers, program partners, sponsors, mentors, program stakeholders and members of parliament joined the EDvance team to celebrate the exceptional achievements of the Cohort 3 schools.

Cohort 3 finished the program at the end of 2018 and their results are very promising. On very visible lag metrics, such as NAPLAN, this cohort of schools has seen material improvements in essential foundational skills for their students across all areas.

There were 13 schools in Cohort 3 of the program, serving 4,600+ students, including:

– Balga Primary School – Dianella Primary College
– Roseworth Primary School – Warriapendi Primary School
– Yule Brook College – Bentley Primary School
– Forrestfield Primary School – St John Paul II Catholic Primary School
– Dianella Secondary College – Southern River College
– Bungaree Primary School – Middle Swan Primary School
– Thornlie Primary School  

On average, the 12 government schools in the cohort are now at, or above expected performance in over 70% of NAPLAN areas (up from 50% at the start of the program) and on average, the cohort is above expected performance when compared to peer schools.

The primary schools are now, on average, above expected performance in all areas of Year 3 and 5 NAPLAN. At the start of the program, just 2 years ago, this cohort was on average, below or at, expected performance in all areas of NAPLAN except one.

Two of the three secondary schools have seen major growth in their NAPLAN results too – with expected Year 9 performance improving by 0.2 – 1 full standard deviation.

Mr Lee Woodcock, Principal of Thornlie Primary School, spoke about his schools’ experience with the EDvance program and credited a strong improvement plan, regular mentor support, feedback and advice as key factors of their success. Mr Woodcock also made sure to credit his teaching staff on their hard work and commitment and spoke of his renewed enjoyment in writing the school’s annual report since completing the program.

A long time supporter of the program, The Hon. Sue Ellery MLC, Minister for Education and Training, congratulated the schools on their achievements in improving student outcomes and of the importance of strengthening leadership skills in schools.  

Fogarty EDvance are currently working with their sixth cohort of schools in 2019 and plan to launch Cohort 7 in 2020, which will extend their supportive reach to over 100 schools in disadvantaged communities in WA. Read the full Report Card for Cohort 3 here.

For more information, please contact Katie O’Driscoll at katie.odriscoll@fogartyedvance.org,au

Congratulations to two EDvance schools – Warriapendi Primary School and Lynwood Senior High School – that have recently been nominated as finalists in the Primary School and Secondary School of the Year categories of the WA Education Awards. Both schools have seen significant improvements in outcomes for students in their communities and we are thrilled to see their achievements and efforts recognised at state level.

Education and Training Minister Sue Ellery recently announced the finalists for the WA Education Awards 2018. The WA Education Awards are the State’s premier awards for teachers, principals, school support staff and public schools. In the Minister’s words, “The WA Education Awards are a stellar opportunity to acknowledge our inspiring teachers, outstanding principals, excellent school support staff and successful Western Australian public schools.”

This year, two schools in the Fogarty EDvance School Improvement Program have been nominated. Warriapendi Primary School, nominated as a finalist for WA Primary School of the Year, is part of Fogarty EDvance Cohort 3 (now in their final year of the 3-year program). Warriapendi Primary School has seen significant improvements in academic outcomes, particularly in relation to students’ writing. As can be seen below, Warriapendi primary students are performing above the WA State average in writing:

Further details of Warriapendi Primary School’s recent successes in academic achievement, as well as how they did it, can be found in the Fogarty EDvance 2018 Interim Report Card.

Lynwood Senior High School, part of Fogarty EDvance Cohort 4 (and nearly 2 years through the EDvance program), has been nominated as a finalist for WA Secondary School of the Year. Lynwood Senior High School’s commitment to the student voice and community feedback has seen Lynwood’s success skyrocket. In the words of Principal Geraldine Hardy, “If schools aren’t focused on well-crafted programs with caring people in place to make sure kids can get to school, feel safe at school and enjoy school, they won’t perform well.”

Associate principal Jo Willesee agreed, adding that “The changes which have led to where we are today are things like a focus on student wellbeing, introducing academically focused programs, specialist soccer program and having a focus on sustainability, so you’ve got a unifying focus for the school.”

Further details on Lynwood Senior High School’s recent successes and their nomination as a finalist can be found here.

A full list of the finalists can be found here, with the winners announced on 26 November 2018.

Congratulations to all finalists and in particular, Warriapendi Primary School and Lynwood Senior High School, for all of your hard work. We wish you all the best for the finals in November.

Lynwood Senior High School, Cohort 4, are have made a significant improvement in students’ academic performance. The Lynwood staff have a clear moral purpose of supporting their students to perform at or above the State average for key indicators, including NAPLAN and ATAR.

The recent release of ACARA 2017 data shows Lynwood students are out-performing their peers in NAPLAN reading and are close to the National average in NAPLAN writing and numeracy. This is a significant improvement in achievement of the students, as in 2015 and 2016 almost all areas of NAPLAN were close to ‘like schools’. See Lynwood’s NAPLAN profile here.

Lynwood’s high aspirations for student outcomes does not stop at Year 9 NAPLAN. The school was ranked 28th in the State in median ATAR score for 2017. They were the 7th highest ranked public school on the Better Education ranking. See the full list here.

On behalf of the EDvance community, we congratulate all the staff at Lynwood Senior High School on the dedication to supporting their students to aim and achieve high! We look forward to seeing the great results continue.

We talk to Peter Jakimowiez, Principal of Warriapendi Primary School,  a Cohort 3 school.

Name 3 valuable things you have gained from the EDvance program (so far)?

The EDvance program has introduced me to strategic, validated frameworks, processes, methodologies and tools that I use for whole school improvement.  All too often we look for programs and processes in isolation to solve our problems.  Fogarty EDvance enables you to orchestrate these and enable clear direction, leading to sustained school improvement.  It allows you to establish clear processes that are based on research, involving the whole school community, enabling you to make quality decisions linked to performance and common understanding.

 What is something you wish you had known earlier in your career?

The placemat documents and formulation of key performance indicators have been invaluable in developing a common professional language amongst my administration team, the staff and our community.  Reporting on the progress of our business plan to the School Board using clear, strategic direction has never been easier.

 What is the best piece of advice you’ve received about being a principal?

The position of Principal is certainly challenging, rewarding and an honour to hold.  The responsibilities are enormous.  I have been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to work with some inspiring leaders.  One of those has been my former Principal and current Fogarty mentor, Ross Albones, inspired me as a young teacher.  He encouraged me in taking on leadership opportunities that enhanced my teaching and eventually led to my current leadership position.  I particularly liked the way he led cultural change through respect, empowerment and developing teachers’ talents.  My father always taught me to keep a work, life balance and respect other people’s point of view.  I am always mindful that my staff also have family/personal commitments and cultural change occurs when common values are shared.  As a leader I prefer to be a learner rather than a knower, guided by the principles of Adaptive Leadership.

 What is the latest topic on your mind?

Teacher quality and schoolwide pedagogical development are two areas I have focused on to enhance student achievement.  EDvance has enabled me to develop a strong, professional administration team that has the freedom to operate at their optimum through the distributed leadership model.   I want all my staff to develop and build on their professional persona by taking responsibility for self-improvement.  EDvance has introduced us to the concept of using Expert Engagement as a tool for improvement.  This coupled with the Research-Based Framework for Organisational Alignment that uses the Diagnostic Inventory for School Alignment data gathering tool, has been the foundation stone of our success.