Holy Cross Catholic Primary School Mickleham acknowledges that education is one of the most precious and significant gifts that we can pass on to all within our community.
We are passionate about learning and strive to develop a culture where all students, teachers and support staff are committed to becoming the best that we can be.
In a world that is constantly changing, Holy Cross Mickleham recognises that education is not stagnant, but rather is constantly evolving and it is therefore essential that it caters for the diverse needs and skills of all learners so that they can effectively function in the future.
Holy Cross Mickleham is accountable to the provision of an inclusive and rigorous learning environment that aims for constant and continuous student growth in learning. Our curriculum challenges and engages all students to grow as passionate learners. We provide a high quality learning environment that supports, enables and engages the learner in the contemporary world.
We are committed to building the necessary knowledge and skills for students to thrive, flourish and learn.
The Vision and Learning philosophy at Holy Cross Mickleham emerges from a wide range of theory, research and best practice. Central to our approach is in ensuring that learning is made visible to students. Learning progressions, analysis of data and goal setting work towards empowering our learners to understand themselves as learners as well as the processes of learning. Developing students’ competencies to think creatively and critically, to problem solve and to reflect, are the essential components of our learning and teaching approach.
Principles of Learning at Holy Cross
Learning at Holy Cross Mickleham is student-centred, rigorous, collaborative and above all else engaging. The curriculum is carefully constructed and embeds the following principles:
- We value the wellbeing of all learners and understand that healthy relationships and a focus on the person helps to build learner confidence and success.
- We are committed to an evidence based approach to learning which aims to develop self regulated learners who set and work towards clear goals and reflect upon and evaluate their learning in an engaging environment.
- We value a whole school approach where a consistent approach supports diverse learner needs and encourages learner passions.
- We support students with diverse learning needs by making appropriate adjustments and tailoring an individualised program.
- We are committed to optimising learning for all through utilising a wide range of emerging technologies.
Spotlights on Learning at Holy Cross
Our learning principles are realised and enacted through our 4 Spotlights:
High-Quality Standards-Based Curriculum:
This includes:
- Planning and using collaboratively agreed upon essential learnings and standards, as a basis for unit and lesson foundations
- Identifying and connecting learner prior knowledge to current content and understandings
- Incorporating a variety of print and digital resources into lessons
- Demonstrating extensive content knowledge – building staff expertise prior to instruction
- Providing progressively meaningful and challenging learning experiences – building upon current knowledge
- Planning lessons and using materials that are challenging, engaging, and supportive of the objectives
Highly Effective Instruction:
This includes;
Process
- Fostering the belief that success and achievement is for every learner and is a result of effort and persistence
- Establishing consistent procedures and clear rules for learning and behaviour
Pedagogy
- Selecting appropriate high-impact teaching strategies
- Providing enabling and extending prompts for learners
- Providing rubrics and examples of expected and quality work of what success looks like.
- Providing timely and appropriate feedback
- Promoting the development of thinking and metacognitive skills
- Using data informed instructional groupings to cater to student needs and levels of learning
Student – Focussed Targeted Response to Learning:
This includes:
- Setting high academic expectations for every student
- Providing scaffolding for support so all students can achieve their set learning goals
- Using knowledge about students (obtained through data) to differentiate content, process, and product
Balanced and Reliable Measurement & Informed Instruction:
This includes:
- Using pre-assessments, formative assessments, and summative assessments
- Providing both oral and written academic feedback that is focused and high quality and achievement of set standards
- Consistently applying agreed upon criteria to judge the progress and achievement of student work related
- Reporting student progress and achievement to families