Strategic Improvement Plan 2021-2024 - Awabakal Environmental Education Centre 5682
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Strategic Improvement Plan 2021-2024
Awabakal Environmental Education Centre 5682
Page 1 of 6 Awabakal Environmental Education Centre (5682) -2021-2024 Printed on: 13 August, 2021School vision and context
School vision statement School context
Discover, Investigate, Learn is the vision for Awabakal Environmental Education Awabakal Environmental Education Centre (established 1975) located at Dudley and
Centre and Wetlands Environmental Education Centre. These principles guide all Wetlands Environmental Education Centre (established 1986) located at the Hunter
learning in our two schools. Wetlands Centre Shortland, are two of the 25 Environmental Education Centres and Zoo
Education Centres operated by the NSW Department of Education (DoE). Although located
We endeavour to build student knowledge and skills about the environment through in the Hunter, we are a state wide resource with schools benefitting from the provision of
investigation in the field in order to equip them to become active and confident citizens who services provided to locations across NSW. Students from all school sectors are
are ready to embrace a more sustainable world. accommodated.
Environmental and Zoo Education Centres NSW (EZEC) Each year approximately 15000 students benefit from educational programs and activities
provided by Awabakal Environmental Education Centre and Wetlands Environmental
Leading environmental education for a sustainable future. Awabakal Environmental Education Centre. Visiting students are able to access a range of ecosystems and high
Education Centre and Wetlands Environmental Education Centre form part of the quality educational programs directly linked the NSW Curriculum. The focus is on learning
Environmental Education and Zoo Education Centres (EZEC) network across NSW. through practical fieldwork experiences in order to build a depth of understanding of various
curriculum areas.
Support for local school staff is also an important function central to Awabakal
Environmental Education Centre and Wetlands Environmental Education Centre.
Professional learning for school staff and networking opportunities as well as in-school
support and incursions all form part of the overall focus on building understanding and
awareness of environmental sustainability for teachers and students.
Awabakal EEC and Wetlands EEC do not have enrolled students.
Community partners include local teachers and schools, local groups and organisations
such as environmental groups, local council, Aboriginal Education Consultative Group,
Hunter Wetlands Centre Australia, National Parks and Wildlife Service along with interested
individuals. These groups play an important role in delivery of environmental education
services.
In 2020, our school undertook a comprehensive situational analysis and have identified the
need for a continued emphasis on embedding quality teaching practices. Using high impact
teaching strategies will provide opportunities to improve teaching practice and ensure
students achieve growth and attainment in learning. This will be achieved through highly
effective and engaging learning opportunities for all students and through staff collaboration.
Support for students and teachers in schools will be expanded to engage students in
sustainability education pre and post excursion. There will also be a strong focus on the
development of incursion programs for schools as well as supporting student learning in
other locations.
Page 2 of 6 Awabakal Environmental Education Centre (5682) -2021-2024 Printed on: 13 August, 2021Strategic Direction 1: Student growth and attainment as environmental citizens
Purpose Initiatives Success criteria for this strategic direction
In order to maximise student learning opportunities and Quality Teaching • A whole school approach ensures the most effective
outcomes, our school will focus on data driven teaching evidence-based teaching methods optimise learning
practices using a range of quality teaching elements that Build teacher capacity and embed a school-wide progress for all students, across the full range of
engage students and assist growth. culture of quality teaching and high quality abilities. Teachers employ evidence-based effective
pedagogical practice. This will be achieved by: teaching strategies. Effective methods are identified,
promoted and modelled.
Improvement measures • All teaching staff will engage in targeted professional
learning with a focus on evidence based teaching • All classrooms and other learning environments are
Target year: 2024 practice and strategies well managed within a consistent, school-wide
approach. Well planned teaching is taking place, so
1. All teachers modify pedagogy and content to • Teaching staff will develop teaching pedagogy by that all students can engage in productive learning,
differentiate for student learning needs participating in Quality Teaching Rounds both within with minimal disruption. Teachers model and share a
the school and a partner school flexible repertoire of strategies for classroom
Target year: 2024 • Teaching and Learning programs will be reviewed management and promotion of student engagement
and evaluated to ensure they include QT elements and responsibility for learning.
2. Increased knowledge and skills of students by the throughout to guide teaching pedagogy • The school uses embedded and explicit systems that
provision of pre and post excursion support facilitate professional dialogue, collaboration,
Pre and post excursion opportunities classroom observation, the modelling of effective
practice and the provision of specific and timely
Students and teachers in schools will have enhanced feedback between teachers. This drives ongoing,
level of educational support pre and post excursion school-wide improvement in teaching practice and
provided by: student results.
• The development of high quality teaching resources • Whole school and/or inter-school relationships
which support fieldwork excursions at the EEC and provide mentoring and coaching support to ensure
can be linked to teaching and learning programs in the ongoing development and improvement of all
schools teachers.
• Development and expansion of opportunities to • The leadership team establishes a professional
support student learning and extension through the learning community which is focused on continuous
provision of digital and virtual learning to build on improvement of teaching and learning.
learning in the field
Evaluation plan for this strategic direction
To what extent have we achieved our purpose and can
demonstrate growth and attainment of students as
environmental citizens through a focus on quality teaching
and provision of resources to support students and
teachers?
Data
• Observation of lessons
• Peer review and feedback
Page 3 of 6 Awabakal Environmental Education Centre (5682) -2021-2024 Printed on: 13 August, 2021Strategic Direction 1: Student growth and attainment as environmental citizens
Evaluation plan for this strategic direction
• PDP's
• Interviews
• Feedback from staff, schools and students
• Focus surveys
• Document analysis
Analysis
Ongoing analysis and evaluation of QTR will measure the
success of the initiatives and identify areas for further
improvement
Implications
The findings of the analysis and evaluation will inform
future directions
Page 4 of 6 Awabakal Environmental Education Centre (5682) -2021-2024 Printed on: 13 August, 2021Strategic Direction 2: Innovative Practice
Purpose Initiatives Success criteria for this strategic direction
In order to achieve excellence and develop engaging • Teaching and learning programs are dynamic,
sustainability education programs for students, we will be Incursion program development and implementation showing evidence of revisions based on feedback on
developing and integrating innovative products and teaching practices, consistent and reliable student
practice. Opportunities for student learning along with teacher assessment.
and school support will be developed and
• All lessons are systematically planned as part of a
implemented to engage students in sustainability
Improvement measures education. This will be achieved by:
coherent program that has been collaboratively
designed. Accommodations and adjustments are
Target year: 2024 made to suit needs as they arise.
• The development of high quality, engaging,
sustainability education incursion opportunities for • All classrooms and other learning environments are
1. Increase the number of sustainability incursion students, teachers and schools. well managed within a consistent, school-wide
programs to schools approach. Well planned teaching is taking place, so
• Developing incursions which are linked to different
that all students can engage in productive learning,
Target year: 2024 curriculum areas and stage specific.
with minimal disruption. Teachers model and share a
• Implementing incursion offerings across the Hunter flexible repertoire of strategies for classroom
2. Increase the number of repeat learning opportunities by in a cost effective way. management and promotion of student engagement
schools and responsibility for learning.
Sustainability program expansion
Target year: 2024 • Teaching staff demonstrate and share their expertise
Student learning opportunities offered by the EEC in within their school and with other schools. All
3. Evaluation data from teaching staff identifies an the field and across the Hunter will be significantly teachers have expert contemporary content
increase in innovative practice expanded. This will enable a larger number of Hunter knowledge and deploy effective teaching strategies.
students to engage in high quality educational The school trials innovative practices and has
fieldwork. There will also be a significant increase in processes in place to evaluate, refine and scale
the number and variety of educational sustainability success.
events offered by the EEC for a variety of student • The school is recognised as a leader for its impact
ages to enhance student learning. This initiative will on learning progress, its effective practices and
focus on: continuous improvement, and its active support of
(improvement in) other schools.
• Developing and implementing fieldwork locations
closer to schools, particularly those further from the
EEC.
Evaluation plan for this strategic direction
• The expansion of fieldwork sites and opportunities in
locations requested by teachers and schools or Question
unique locations.
• The development of new and innovative fieldwork To what extent have we achieved our purpose and can
learning events to be held at various times demonstrate greater provision of learning opportunities
throughout the year and marking significant events and outcomes for students in their school via incursions
that engage students in learning. and in the field or by participating in significant events.
Data
• Number of incursion programs developed and
bookings
• Number of fieldwork locations available for more
Page 5 of 6 Awabakal Environmental Education Centre (5682) -2021-2024 Printed on: 13 August, 2021Strategic Direction 2: Innovative Practice
Evaluation plan for this strategic direction
remote schools close to their location
• Peer review and feedback
• Evaluation and feedback from school teaching staff
• Student evaluations
• Interviews
• Pre and post surveys
• Document analysis
Analysis
Ongoing analysis and evaluation will measure the
success of the initiatives and identify areas for further
improvement
Implications
The findings of the analysis and evaluation will inform
future directions
Page 6 of 6 Awabakal Environmental Education Centre (5682) -2021-2024 Printed on: 13 August, 2021You can also read
