Published on November 7, 2018
As a teaching and learning community we value and promote the idea that our students continue to be lifelong learners as they graduate and move into further study and the work force. We have a remarkable staff who not only teach this to our young learners but who also role model what it is to be a lifelong learner.
Teachers are preparing our young people to be creative, problem solvers and active participants in a changing world. Therefore, they must stay well-informed of the shifting context of learning in the 21st century and engage with professional learning opportunities that contribute, either directly or indirectly, to improved student learning outcomes.
Beyond the formal professional learning activities that see the staff collaborating and learning from guest experts in the field, the School also has a continuum of learning, researching best practice, working in collaboration with colleagues, observing each other regularly and hearing from our own home-grown educational experts.
This year has seen Junior School teachers embark on explicit learning and focus in literacy, working with experts from the Association of Independent Schools and regularly observing and sharing with their HVGS peers. In the Senior School, teachers are working in Professional Learning Communities, where teams of staff participate in action research in a chosen focus area, become an expert in that area and then present their research to all staff. Again, there has been a focus on best practice, collaboration and lesson
observation to help share feedback and learn new initiatives in the classroom.
As the only Hunter school endorsed by the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) as a School-Based Provider of Professional Development, this is an exciting space and we regularly enjoy the opportunity to invite our colleagues from surrounding schools to share their experiences, learn from our teachers and participate in learning at HVGS.
Combined with the work of our Director of Teacher Accreditation and Development, Lorraine Keith, in establishing a strong and well-supported collaboration with several universities in teacher education and training, Hunter Valley Grammar School is being recognised as a truly exceptional hub of professional learning and teacher development