Twin Coast CoL

Our ‘Learning and Change Network’ became the current group of 8 schools – the ‘Twin Coast CoL’ network. There has been a focus on Transitions (from pre-school to school; class to class; school to school; primary to secondary) and in 2017 we are also planning for ‘Shared Understandings’ across the schools.

Principals meet twice each term and all the teachers have a combined staff meeting each term. Trustees also have Collaborative Board Meetings to share information, network and discuss new initiatives.

August 2014

In June 2013 we began working with 7 other local schools in a new initiative – a Learning and Change Network. Each school has a Principal/leader who attends meetings, along with an ‘enthusiast’ teacher from their school. Mrs Bartlett is our enthusiast and together we meet regularly with the other participants and share knowledge and ideas with our own staff and community. We work with Bruce Adin (from the Ministry of Education) and Raewyn Williams (University of Auckland) who is our facilitator.

Each school has identified a sample group of students for data collection, both at the beginning and end of the process. The common threads are our three Change Priorities, under the goal to raise student achievement for priority learners.

We have used a variety of assessment data and now each school has their own target that sits under the goal and the vision to enhance AGENCY in learning for students, parents, teachers and leaders. Our goal at Tomarata is to increase outcomes in Writing. It is part of our Annual Plan and is also linked to teachers’ appraisal goals.

Students have completed ‘Learning Maps’ as part of this process. The 3 Change Priorities we are focusing on, as a network, are:

• Student Agency – creating active, engaged, and motivated learners while taking responsibility for their own learning
• 21st Century Teacher Pedagogy – supporting teachers to promote authentic, active, student-centred, future-focused classroom practise
• Connection with Whanau/Family – improving learning-focused relationships across community/whanau/family

For us, Student Agency is enhancing:
Engagement
Enthusiasm
Empowerment
Responsibility
Ownership
in students’ learning.

Home-school partnerships are a vital ingredient and part of this process is the Student-led Learning Conversations that take place at the end of Term 1, and we are now facilitating a programme to support parents with home reading.

It is all about ‘Voice and Choice’ in learning.