Transcript - Early Adopter Schools the journey continues (5 minutes and 3 seconds)

[On screen text] Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that this video may contain the images, voices and names of people who have passed away

[music]

[On screen text] The Early Adopter School journey continues...

HIGH POTENTIAL and GIFTED EDUCATION.

Voice over: The New South Wales Department of Education High Potential and Gifted Education Policy was launched in June 2019. Implementation commenced in government schools’ Term 1 2021. To support the new policy, teachers and leaders from a range of schools representing metropolitan sites through to rural and remote sites, including networks, came together as early adopter schools to give staff time to trial, act, reflect and share what they've learned through their various school journeys.

[On screen text] Megan Lockery, Principal – Lindfield Public School

Megan Lockery: And it showed success. It meant that the teachers were taking on board the things that we were talking about

Voice over: Through the challenges of COVID 19 and school lockdowns these teachers forged ahead with their plans to embed the new policy into their practice.

Voice over: Penrith Selective High School concentrated on teacher professional development, using action research, providing time to work with academic mentors and celebrating success with a sharing circle.

[On screen text] Jaclyn Cush. Deputy Principal – Penrith Selective high School

Jaclyn Cush: One of the key focus points for us was really around how we start to develop collective teacher efficacy.

Voice over: Their focus was on exploring the social – emotional domain with the aim to improve student outcomes.

[On screen text] Mark Long. Principal – Penrith Selective High School

Mark Long: It's just incredible the depth of what they're doing. But those conversations. So we've been strategic. We've allocated time and worked through that. We've learned a lot. And sometimes you lose some skin in those leadership positions. But I think deep down, you go, we know this is going to be worth it because it's been a really consistent 5 or 6 year journey.

Voice over: Leeton High School put particular effort into communicating and supporting the aims of the new policy with their whole learning community. As a result, they saw increased engagement across the domains and improvement in academic results,

[On screen text] Sally Doig. Teacher – Leeton High School

Sally Doig: Guiding students to really take the right path for them based on their potential.

Voice over: Lindfield Public School focused on differentiation by building creativity and applying the strategies in the differentiation adjustment tool to their programming.

[On screen text] Megan Lockery. Principal – Lindfield Public School

Megan Lockery: We're seeing policy now going into practice. We didn't dwell on the policy. We've got straight into practice. That's what's having the impact.

Voice over: The initiative was supported by whole school planning to identify and develop creativity in students,

[On screen text] Libby Hamilton. Teacher – Lindfield Public School

Libby Hamilton: Reflecting on the learning environment that you'd set up, reflecting on the programming that you've done. And now let's see how we can embed some critical and creative thinking.

Voice over: Seven schools around Dungog in rural New South Wales worked together as a network. They familiarised their teachers with the policy and are focusing on the ‘assess and identify’ key action.

[On screen text] Michael Kelly. Teacher – Dungog High School

Michael Kelly: We've been really well supported by the department, particularly through the evaluation and planning tool. That's been a huge amount of work, but absolutely invaluable for assessing where we're at now, identifying some of the strengths that we have and didn't know we had, and also obviously for identifying some areas for development.

[On screen text] Gillian Manning. Learning Coordinator – Dungog High School

Gillian Manning: I think it's definitely about a collegial support and also sharing of skills and expertise, not having to reinvent the wheel all the time. If somebody in a bigger school has already worked something out in a program, the willingness to share that across the community and to support our smaller schools and make sure that all of our students have equal outcomes

Voice over: By working on distinct areas of implementation and then coming together to share experiences, the early adopter schools are creating these illustrations of practice, as well as PowerPoints located on the (High Potential and Gifted Education) HPGE web section so other schools can reflect and be supported on their policy implementation journey.

Michael Kelly: In implementing any sort of a change in a school, it's really important that all staff feel comfortable in being able to take risks knowing that their line managers, their deputies and their principals trust them. That allows them to take that educational risk to really create something that's, that's unique and matches the particular needs of their students.

[title on screen] Find the talent— Develop the potential— Make the difference

[title on screen] NSW Government logo

[title on screen] © 2021 NSW Department of Education

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