Swan Hill PLC Cluster

1. Swan Hill PLC Cluster Swan Hill Specialist School - 112 Swan Hill Primary School - 540 Lake Boga Primary School - 74 Nyah District Primary School - 59 Woorinen District Primary School - 91

2. Where it began…. Five principals had a vision and the department threw some money at them! The principals tapped people on the shoulder, asking them to become instructional leaders with an open mind…and we were off!

3. And so it started… In October 2016, the principals of our five schools committed to working together as a cluster, as part of the department funded PLC Pilot. However we were unique! As the only cluster model in our region, we needed to be flexible, adaptable and prepared to overcome challenges to ensure that the PLC model met our needs. Over the last 20 months, we have continued to refine, reshape, rediscover and reinvigorate our work as a cluster. We could not have predicted the opportunities, learnings, collaboration and impact that this would have.

4. We don’t mind a mind map…

5. Once we had our cluster structure organised, it was time to begin our Improvement Cycle. First we identified our focus area for improvement of student achievement, engagement and wellbeing. By sharing and analysing our Literacy and Numeracy data across the five schools, we recognised that writing was a common area of need. Students were not making expected growth in their NAPLAN results and the Victorian Curriculum Achievement Standards. Teachers reported that writing was the domain in which they felt less confident teaching and in which many students were the least motivated.

6. This goal became part of the AIP for all five schools. By working together to equip our staff with the best evidence-based teaching practices, we aimed to improve student learning across all five schools. “To work collaboratively as a cluster to improve student outcomes in writing - by building teacher capacity and consistency” So together we developed our team’s vision:

7. We sought out opportunities to work with the Country Education Partnership (CEP). This partnership clarified our direction and challenged us to set ambitious targets, which would maximise the potential of a cluster model to achieve widespread and long-lasting impact. We networked with other clusters and rural schools, sharing and learning from each other’s challenges and successes. Our PLC cluster was established on a strong foundation of mutual trust, commitment and a shared belief that “all students are our students”.

8. We have a collective responsibility to empower the students and teachers in our community to reach their potential, with every student achieving sustained growth in writing. We shared the belief that this could be accomplished by the five schools collaborating at all levels – principals, instructional leaders, teachers, education support staff and students.

9. 2017 was a big year! • Students participated in the Pivot survey. We shared our individual school’s data and worked closely with Pivot so they could provide us with cluster data, which enabled us to see what our strengths and areas of growth were. • We collected baseline data on where we were as a cluster on the PLC Maturity Matrix. • We worked with Sharon Walker through Bastow to improve our capacity as Instructional Leaders.

10. We implemented Cold Write writing assessment and moderated writing samples across all schools. • We joined a CEP initiative called “Enhancing Education Opportunities through Clustering and Partnering” working with Phil Brown and internationally renowned leaders in education, Maggie Farrar, Tom Bentley, Steve Munby, Sir John Jones and Helen Timperley. • We had a change in instructional leaders.

11. The instructional leaders took the principals to The Escape Room where we participated in team building activities. • We implemented the use of 6+1 traits of writing in each school. • We rolled out the use of the writing continuum on Sentral. This was modified to suit the needs of the Specialist School. • We took part in Instructional Rounds and Learning Walks in each school. • Due to close geographic proximity, the two Swan Hill schools implemented Triads with a focus on writing.

12. The students participated in a writing survey that was developed by the Instructional Leaders. Data was collected and shared as a cluster. • We collaborated with the Swan Hill Library, Swan Hill Secondary College and local media though The Guardian and Facebook, to start a writing competition that was open to all schools in the area. • We discussed and shared ideas on how to implement the HITS. • We planned and delivered a PLC Cluster launch day bringing every staff member in our five schools together. https://vimeo.com/241487358

13. 2018 saw us grow and build momentum… …and make another mind map!

14. We looked at our data and decided that reading was an area of concern. We asked ourselves why the students were not gaining the 12 months growth for a year of education? To help staff delve into the data and put a face to the data, we started the journey of data walls and improving conversations about student growth. The aim was to not only improve reading but hopefully improve all areas across the curriculum.

15. We started a book study ‘Putting the Face to the Data’ by Lyn Sharrattand explored data walls. We were able to use the improvement cycle model by researching, discussing, reflecting, trialling and measuring impact and then seeing this unfold in our schools. It was exciting! This started deeper conversations about individual students, consistency in teacher judgements and the accountability of each child. The teachers responded well to the accountability of ‘putting a face on the data’, with collective responsibility moving from the student’s class teacher, to all of the teachers.

16. Teachers celebrated the growth students were making and worked together to identify their needs and develop strategies for students who weren’t making the expected growth. The Specialist School recognised it was difficult to have a data wall, but have lifted the collection and analysis of data with their staff. This has included the introduction of case management meetings to improve student outcomes. This is a work in progress but it’s really exciting to see how we can use each other’s expertise and know it’s ok if you want help with a student/s.

17. We know that collective efficacy is really important in a school culture. We all own each other’s students and we are not alone in making a difference to every student. This will lead into more work with Lyn Sharratt and reading her new book ‘Clarity’ which is based on case management meetings. We started a Graduate PLC Cluster group that is guided by the Instructional Leaders.  Graduate teachers meet once a term for professional development and to support each other. This has been very successful. We have two grads who have taken on leadership roles and now there is interest from outside the cluster for all grads in the region to participate.

18. Triads has been a valuable collaborative process over the last couple of years for SHPS and the Specialist School. The success of working together in a peer coaching sense is very exciting. All staff learnt so much and improved teaching practice in the area of writing, reading and the HITS. The success of this led to the other three schools in the cluster to have the triad process implemented over a year. What a success story that the small schools, even though a 45 minute drive apart, can participate in such a great learning experience. To have the support from the principals to manage this and give it time has been amazing. Now we set our eyes on to next year and to have all PLC cluster schools involved over the year.

19. Where to now? Since beginning in 2016 we have come a long way. As a group of educators and leaders we are continually reflecting and reviewing our work. In a collaborative manner, we hold one another accountable through discussion, sharing and allocation of tasks. We have grown as a team, which now has a working document with actions, accountabilities and timelines to ensure the initiatives of PLC cluster will continue to be undertaken and sustained into the future.

20. We will continue to work with CEP to enhance our PLC cluster. Their ability to provide quality PD, advice for rural schools along with human personnel as mentors is highly valued. In 2019, we are all excited by the possibility of establishing a cluster data wall to build on the ‘Faces of Data’ work undertaken this year. Cluster data will allow us to collectively work on achieving our vision – ‘To work collaboratively as a cluster to improve student outcomes by building teaching capacity and consistency.’

21. Across our five schools the belief that “all students are our students” is an underlining focus of the work that we will continue to undertake. Our collaborative work is ongoing.