Professional Development and Learning Policy


Rationale

Professional Learning and Development for staff is essential to improve the learning experiences and outcomes for students. As a learning community, the school is responsible for providing support for staff and the school community to continually develop their knowledge, skills, leadership capabilities and career opportunities through a comprehensive professional learning and development program.

Guidelines

The School will seek:

  • To improve student learning outcomes by planning for staff professional learning.
  • To promote and support a Performance and Development Culture.
  • To encourage all staff to collaboratively develop knowledge and teaching skills that are aligned to the School Strategic Plan, the Annual Implementation Plan and continuous school improvement.
  • To provide opportunities for professional learning through mentoring, coaching, feedback and action research.
  • To provide professional learning and development that supports personal goals, well being and career advancement.
  • To support professional learning for leadership and succession planning.
  • To support Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) and Victorian Institute of Teaching (V.I.T.) initiatives through professional growth of staff.
  • To provide the wider school community with information and training sessions to strengthen home and school partnerships.

The Process will:

  • Focus on improving student outcomes.
  • Focus on, and be embedded in, teacher practice.
  • Be supported by internal and external personnel, research and effective learning and teaching.
  • Be collaborative, involving reflection and feedback.
  • Be ongoing, supported and fully integrated into the culture and operations of the school and linked to Regions, Central Office and its Networks.
  • Entail both an individual responsibility and a collective responsibility at all levels of School operation. Professional Learning should include planned participation in individual, team, cross team and whole school learning and improvement activities.
  • Ensure (through the Professional Learning Co-ordinator) that the professional growth of staff is developed cooperatively, resources are used effectively and program evaluation occurs regularly.
  • Be data-driven to measure improvement and impact on student outcome, teaching practices and welfare.

 

Andrew Crossett        James Fitzpatrick

School Principal         School Council President

 

School Council - November 2012