Principals visit from around the world to discover South Coogee’s secrets
For several years no principal at South Coogee Public had stuck around for too long and pupil behaviour left a lot to be desired. But now the school is being held up as an example to others.
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Trish Fisher became principal of South Coogee Public in 2015.
For several years no principal had stuck around for too long and pupil behaviour left a lot to be desired.
Fast forward three years and the school has been awarded the NSW Secretary’s Award for Outstanding School Initiative and principals from around the world have visited to discover the secrets behind the success.
“The school felt very unsettled when I arrived,” Ms Fisher said. “In the classroom they were not behaving and lunchtime was short enough for them not to kill each other but long enough for the teachers to get a cup of tea.”
Before she could tackle what students were doing in the classroom she had to build their resilience and teach them how to cope with difficult emotional and social problems in the playground and beyond.
Pupil buddy programs were introduced and she worked hard on building trust between pupils and teachers.
“We’ve had plenty of bumps along the way but collectively as a group (teachers) we are strong.
“They know I’ve got their backs. They know I will go to the nth degree and lose my job if it means I’m going to support what is best for the school.”
“I don’t believe in wasting time or reinventing the wheel. I wanted focus on what works and this was all based on research.”
One she had turned the corner on pupil behaviour and their resilience she could look at what was happening — and not happening — in the classroom.
She started reading research papers and came across the work of New Zealander Prof John Hattie.
Prof Hattie undertook what is perhaps the biggest ever analysis of educational research, which took in many thousands of studies. He painstakingly picked through the good and the bad before emerging with his visible learning concept.
Ms Fisher predicts that it will one day be adopted by all schools.
But what is it? Visible learning is all about clarity. At the start of each lesson pupils are told what they will be learning, why they are learning it and what are they learning next. They are also told what constitutes success is that lesson.
“This is at the start of every lesson and it is on the board, so it is visible learning.
“Clarity is vital and the feedback is constant. Do you understand, do you need more help? This stops teachers wasting time teaching content they already know.”
Errors at the school are celebrated. “If you know everything then why do you come to school? Challenges are fun and important.”
If pupils are puzzled then they are encouraged to delve into the learning pit.
And students are not called students at South Coogee, they are learners.
“A student is a person who just turns up to school. Anyone can be a student. But a learner is someone who engages in learning.”
It may sounds simple but it works.
“Behaviour has changed, the school culture has completely changed and the passion for teaching and learning has changed. Just the feeling of the whole school and energy levels …”
Word is spreading. Earlier this year they won the NSW Secretary’s Award and researchers are currently presenting them as a case study.
Schools from as far away as Johannesburg and Korea have visited and Ms Fisher has been made a mentor to schools in Tamworth and Hawkesbury.
If, as Ms Fisher predicts, visible learning will one day be adopted by all schools, then South Coogee has a great head start.