aspirational intention
Aspirational Intention: To provide a teaching and learning culture that promotes the highest standards in boys' education and inspires academic excellence.
Strategic focus
Strategic Focus Elaboration | Recognised as a leader in boys' education
Through research, current practices and strategic partnerships, be a leader in the education of boys and share that knowledge with our staff, parents and the wider community.
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Strategic Focus Elaboration | Establish the Villanova Learning Institute
The Villanova Learning Institute will be the home for the professional and personal development of staff in order to assist all staff to become proficient in boys' education, Augustinian pedagogy and catholic spirituality.
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Strategic Focus Elaboration | Innovative Learning Environments
Develop learning environments that are modern, innovative and flexible. These environments will be research-based and align strongly with the College's Teaching and Learning Framework.
- Innovative Learning Environments and Teacher Change"This project will investigate how teachers can use the untapped potential of Innovative Learning Environments (ILEs) to improve learning outcomes for students. It will identify whether there is a link between quality teaching and effective use of ILEs and develop practical tools to assist teachers to adapt their teaching practices to maximise deeper learning ... "
- Considering Learners' Perceptions in Designing Effective 21st Century Learning Environments for Basic Education in Flinland"Focusing on so called Key Competences or 21st Century Skills urges educational organizations to redesign their psychosocial and physical learning environments. Inspired by studies indicating that considering learners’ perceptions of learning environments can have a positive impact on learning and wellbeing, our study aims at developing design principles for involving learners in the learning environment design. This pilot case study analyzed 7- to 14-years old Finns’ (n = 80) perceptions by using web questionnaires and design workshops. The results are in line with research indicating that Finnish learners value aspects such as safety and peacefulness, the possibilities for rest and physical activity, the presence of nature, and good social relations. They also value versatile, personally meaningful and collaborative learning situations, including both traditional and novel tools and spaces for learning. The study offers educational administrators tools and data for redesigning learning environments."
- Beyond the Building. Reconceptualising Learning Environments: A Literature Review"The policy intent of the New Zealand Ministry of Education to develop innovative learning environments (ILEs) is underpinned by the belief that changing the physical environment will change pedagogy by enabling collaborative teaching and learning (Benade, 2017b). This policy intent is driven by the pressure to prepare students with '21st-century skills' to assist them in navigating an unknown future (Bolstad & Gilbert, 2012) ... "
- The OECD Handbook for Innovative Learning Environments"How might we know whether our schools or system are set up to optimise learning? How can we find out whether we are getting the most from technology? How can we evaluate our innovation or think through whether our change initiative will bring about its desired results? Teachers and educational leaders who grapple with such questions will find this handbook an invaluable resource. It draws on extensive reports and materials compiled over a decade by the OECD in its Innovative Learning Environments (ILE) project. Its four chapters – The learning principles; The innovative learning environment framework; Learning leadership and evaluative thinking; and Transformation and change - each contain a concise, non-technical overview introduction followed by a set of tools. The handbook makes good the ILE ambition not just to analyse change but to offer practical help to those around the world determined to innovate their schools and systems. “If there has been one lesson learnt about innovating education, it is that teachers, schools and local administrators should not just be involved in the implementation of educational change but they should have a central role in its design.” Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for Education and Skills ... "
- Teach the Children Well"In the time of our grandparents, there was a fairly well-accepted notion of what a school looked like. It typically consisted of rows of identical, spacious but rather boxlike rooms, linked by wide corridors. Classrooms were high-ceilinged, had large windows to provide ample light and fresh air, and gave easy access to ablutions. One teacher looked over 30 kids and the environment prioritised routine, cleanliness and good order. Set against other buildings of its time, an old classroom block most resembled the type of a hospital ward ... "
- What is a Modern Learning Environment? Are They All the Same? Redefining the MLE Classroom"The article offers the author's insights regarding modern learning environment (MLE) or innovative learning environment. Topics include the definition of twenty-first century learning, MLEs at Stonefields School in Auckland and Haeata school in Christchurch, New Zealand, and the personalisation of learning ... "
- Flexible learning spaces facilitate interaction, collaboration and behavioural engagement in secondary school"Globally, many schools are replacing traditional classrooms with innovative flexible learning spaces to improve academic outcomes. Little is known about the effect on classroom behaviour. Students from nine secondary schools ... were observed via momentary time sampling for a 30 minute period, in both a traditionally furnished and arranged classroom and a flexible learning space containing a variety of furniture options to accommodate different pedagogical approaches and learning styles. The teaching approaches in both conditions were documented. In traditional classrooms the approach was predominantly teacher-led and in the flexible learning space it was student-centred ... "
- Leading change to co-teaching in primary schools: a “Down Under” experience"Traditional conceptions of teaching are being challenged as many schools, especially in New Zealand and Australia, are designing and implementing multi-class flexible learning environments. These de-privatised, innovative learning spaces provide opportunities for teachers to work differently in collaborative co-teaching teams to collectively address diverse learners’ needs. This mixed method study investigates the perspectives of teachers’ and principals’ experiences of transitioning to a co-teaching environment and highlights some of the emerging opportunities and challenges that leaders face in supporting teachers to work effectively in these collaborative contexts ... "
- Learning Spaces in Australia and New ZealandWhat types of learning spaces, teaching and learning are prevalent in Australian and New Zealand schools?
- A Systematic Review of the Effects of Innovative Learning Environments on Teacher Mind FramesThe overall objective of the systematic review was to identify studies which provide evidence that innovative learning environments have an effect on teacher mind frames.
- Teaching in contemporary learning spaces"Academic and consultant Julia Atkin discusses how a teacher’s perception of their own role can influence their design approach when it comes to creating learning environments."
Innovative classroom
Visible Learning
intention and elaborations
Strategic Focus Elaboration | Critical Thinking and Creative Inquiry
Empower our students to think with a critical, curious and open mind in the passionate pursuit of knowledge and ideas. Our students will be equipped with a confident and resilient mindset to work both independently and collaboratively to succeed in their chosen learning pathway.
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Strategic Focus Elaboration | Partnerships
Establish and build strong educational partnerships with tertiary institutes, local workplaces and agencies including parental and Old Boys communities to enrich the educational experience of both staff and students.
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Strategic Focus Elaboration | Transforming teaching through digital pedagogy
Implement a College-wide digital pedagogy platform to heighten student engagement and responsiveness to learning tasks through the use of innovative and effective digital pedagogies. Our students will be self-directed, independent learners.