Best practice

Middle years students look to new horizons

Showcase Award for Excellence in the Middle Phase of Learning

September 19 2012

Glenden State School is Creating New Horizons with a school-based initiative which focuses on student achievements, wellbeing and confidence.

Introduced in 2009 at the Prep to Year 12 campus 165 kilometres north west of Mackay, Creating New Horizons sees Year 7 students actively engage in secondary school as part of their everyday learning. It includes year-level camps, leadership camps, home room teachers mentoring students and forming productive relationships with parents, school-based youth health programs, a schoolwide positive behaviour plan, an active role for the school council in shaping school change, student involvement in coordinating school events and a whole-school approach to literacy and numeracy from Years 5 to 9.

Gin Gin State High School's 'Above and Beyond Literacy and Numeracy' is its pathway to literacy and numeracy success.

Classified as a low socio-economic school community, Gin Gin's students were performing below the national mean in all areas of NAPLAN testing before the program was developed to improve literacy and numeracy results for students in Years 8 and 9. Data is collated and analysed and strategies then put in place to improve student results, raising awareness of numeracy and literacy across the curriculum. The program is focused on the belief that students can improve their NAPLAN results, which in turn provides the basis for whole-school growth and enrichment in literacy and numeracy.

The Kids' STEM Convention in Brisbane is an innovative and successful learning initiative designed to engage Years 6 to Year 9 students from a number of schools by challenging their thinking in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to innovate and contribute to a sustainable world.

The three-phase convention, which comprises eight Brisbane schools and Nudgee Beach Environmental Education Centre, immerses students in a real-life conference experience. Students are introduced to world-class research and thinking from academics and industry professionals with the aim of encouraging students who seek out new challenges in their learning and to study science and mathematics in Years 11 and 12. It also benefits teachers by providing quality professional development.

The Showcase Award for Excellence in the Middle Phase of Learning
will be one of eight awards presented at the 2012 Showcase Awards for Excellence in Schools Gala Dinner on Friday 12 October at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.

For a list of all finalists see the Showcase Awards website.