Teaching & Learning
Dear Parents & Careers
I’m writing this report from Singapore where I’m currently attending the IB conference with IB Coordinator Peter Ryan. Our IB programme, in its third year, is one which complements our whole school academic programmes at Auburn High School. As an IB alumni myself, I frequently reminisce on the opportunities and frames of thinking that my IB programme provided me. From having independent opportunities to tailor the direction of my internal assessments in my subject areas, to engaging authentically with the world through elements that compliment a balance for both the world and my life through creativity activity and service, I was cognitively and conceptually challenged through the core program in Theory of Knowledge and the most thought provoking experience came from the Extended Essay which allowed me to harness my interest in a very complex topic while I strengthened research and critical thinking skills that I still use in my profession today. Today we attend pre-conference workshops which are in-depth sessions on elements of the IB program. On Friday and Saturday, we attend a variety of sessions that will complement and enhance our current programme and support our readiness for an extra strategic direction. We’re excited to share our learnings with you when we return and begin to excite our newest IB cohort for 2026.
Alongside our IB program we our Victorian Curriculum, VCE and VCE (Vocational Major) programs in the Senior School. Since last year our staff has been engaging with the new Victorian Curriculum 2.0 and considering how we might reimagine our curriculum at Auburn High School to enhance learning opportunities and readiness for students’ futures beyond school. By the end of this term staff and students will submit submissions for opportunities to reimagine what Year 9 and Year 10 could look like in our 2026 so that all our students have authentic learning opportunities that foster the learning programmes they can experience from Year 11. Not only do we hope that these changes will strengthen their readiness, but we also are highly aware of the need to continue to refine learning opportunities at Auburn High School in line with real world context so that students can connect their learning to their lives.
We have just finished or first session of Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences for Term 1 in 2025. With just over 50% of our families making bookings we have nearly 3000 opportunities for parents carries students and teachers to interact in purposeful conversations to strengthen each student’s learning program. Thank you to those families who attended the 860 conferences on Wednesday. Our staff reflect positively on these conferences as a way to review the impact of their teaching and learning programs for each of our students. We value the opportunity to strengthen our partnerships with our families to support student growth. Your commitment and feedback helps to shape this our supports for all students in addition to progress data on Compass (Learning Behaviour, attendance and CAT/SAC feedback).
I encourage families who are yet to book to ensure that they prioritise their bookings before 5:00pm on Wednesday the 26th of March so that they can help me opportunity to support their child throughout Semester 1.
If you have any follow up questions from your conferences, we encourage you to directly contact your child’s teacher. Additionally, if there is contextual information (e.g., family dynamics, medical diagnosis, mental health concerns) for your child that would beneficial for all of their teachers please contact your child’s Year Level Leaders
Our Pivot Student Feedback surveys on Teaching and Learning have closed and students will soon begin to discuss their classroom data with their teachers. Through these collaborative conversations, students can see the areas of strength and areas for growth in their classes. We highly value student involved in the classroom discussions that now follow so that they can provide thoughtful and tangible ideas to enhance their learning experience. A discussion about what we can keep doing, start doing and perhaps stop doing across the next term increases transparency and trust between our student-teacher relationships.
Thank you to all the students who completed their Pivot surveys, Jess Hayes for leading this student voice program and all our teachers who are in the processing of reviewing their Term 1 data.
It was fantastic to see these three statements as our highest as a school in Cycle 1. We can see that each statement occurs from a different section of the Pivot survey, identifying that Auburn High School has diverse strengths in our teaching and learning programs. These are also consistent factors that support the development of a learning community early in the year.
| Instruction | This teacher knows a lot about the topics in this class |
| Classroom Environment | I know how I am supposed to behave in class |
| Relationships | This teacher respects me for who I am |
Trends we are seeing if different year levels and are identifying areas for growth are:
- Year 7: Supporting them to set individual learning goals and make appropriate choices about the work they do in the application phase of the lesson.
- Year 8: Supporting them to work with others and supporting them through diversity in the learning delivery and application phases of each lesson.
- Year 9: Responding to their feedback about how we can enhance learning opportunities across the year as well as supporting them to make choices about the world that they do.
- Year 10: Supporting them to set goals for their learning in each of their subjects that are tangible and follow a SMART goal model alongside their My Learning Growth.
- Year 11: Providing clear and actionable feedback to support them to track their progress more closely in class and feel success throughout a teaching phase.
- Year 12: Providing up to date and precise information to support students to know how well they are doing in their classes, both during teaching phases, but to support long-term planning for their revision through reteaching.
Careers education in the Senior School
Careers education supports our students to make informed choices throughout their school.
Students work on their Career Action Plans throughout the year, supporting them to refine their plans for the future as they explore career ideas, identify study and training options and think about actions to achieve their goals.
At Auburn High School, students in Year 10 complete a one-week placement block at the end of Term 2 (Week 11). Information has been disseminated to students in E4L, encouraging them to review their student interests and Morrisby results (from Year 9) to decide on an industry they would like to experience.
All Senior School students will attend the Careers Expo at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre in Week 2 of next term. At the Careers Expo students can speak directly with student advisors and ambassadors from universities (Victoria and interstate), TAFEs and RTOs, explore careers in the ADF, Police and Ambulance services, chat with key industry representatives, learn more about apprenticeships, traineeships, and cadetships, explore employment and gap year options and gain study advice through subject specific seminars. We are also in the process of confirming a university visit where Year 10, 11 and 12 students will have the opportunity to learn about study options and pathways, campus life, student experiences, and get a small taste of university life for themselves. We remind all families to pay and provide consent on Compass as soon as possible for this incredible opportunity.
Kindest Regards,
Ella Price
Senior School Assistant Principal