Staff engaged in professional learning

Professional learning

Our school prides itself on facilitating research and evidence-informed professional learning to cultivate high expectations for teaching and learning at all levels of education.

High Impact Professional Learning

Ryde Secondary College draws upon the High Impact Professional Learning model which is informed by global research and supports the professional growth of all teaching and non-teaching staff, strengthening teaching practice to improve student growth and performance. Our school is committed to pursuing excellence and providing high-quality educational opportunities so that all students experience growth, achievement and joy in learning. The school’s deep engagement with School Excellence Cycles drives the planning, delivery and evaluation of school practice, and contributes to vision of school-wide improvement and operational excellence.

High impact professional learning infograph

The cycle of professional learning for principals, executive and teachers at our school focuses on deepening teaching practice for ongoing growth in student learning, underpinned by the following 5 elements:

Data-informed and current
Professional learning is designed to meet student needs, identified through analysis of current system, school and classroom data about growth and performance.
Leader-driven and applied
Leaders create the culture and structures, including supporting resources, that build a cycle of professional learning; an inclusive environment that enables learning and growth in every teacher in which new learning is applied to teaching practice.
Collaborative and ongoing
Teachers work together, propelled and critically challenged by expert input, to learn, shape and strengthen teaching practice for ongoing student growth and performance.
Continuous and coherent
Effective professional learning is aligned to system, school and individual performance and development goals. It supports teachers and school leaders to deepen their practice by focusing on sustained evidence-informed approaches.
Evaluative and responsive
Teachers and school leaders evaluate how adjustments in their practice following professional learning impact on student growth and performance, regularly recalibrating and refining to ensure ongoing progress and achievement for students.
School Excellence Framework
In schools that excel, professional learning is informed by the professional needs of teachers and aligned with the School Excellence Plan. Its impact on the quality of teaching and student learning outcomes is evaluated. There are explicit systems for collaboration and feedback to sustain quality teaching practice.
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What Works Best

Our school is committed to giving teachers essential knowledge to deliver teaching practices strongly grounded in evidence. The school values the Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation (CESE) to inform professional learning, which stands at the forefront of advancing excellence in evidence, insights and policy to support data-driven decision making, so every student learns, grows and belongs. What Works Best outlines 8 themes of the most effective practices from the growing bank of research on what works to improve student learning and wellbeing.

What Works Best wheel

High Expectations

Engage students and challenge them to learn new things. Establish clear and consistent expectations for their learning and behaviour, support them to meet those expectations. Tailor your teaching to meet their needs, and engage with parents and carers to encourage them to hold high expectations of their children.

Explicit teaching

Clearly explain to students why they are learning something, how it connects to what they already know, what they are expected to do, how to do it, and what it looks like when they have succeeded.

Effective feedback

Be detailed and specific. Focus on how students performed on a particular task, where mistakes were made, and what needs to happen to improve in future.

Use of data to inform practice

Collect data from a wide range of sources, including your observations, class tests, formal exams, student work samples and responses to informal questions.

Assessment

Make assessment an integral part of your teaching and learning program. Establish learning intentions, create success criteria and provide effective feedback. Teach your students how to peer and self-assess and to set individual goals.

Classroom management

Develop high-quality student-teacher relationships. Provide structure, predictability and opportunities for active student participation in the classroom. Actively supervise students to keep them on task, respond to disengagement or disruptive behaviours, and support students to re-engage with learning.

Wellbeing

Create a safe environment. Increase student's sense of belonging, value students' opinions and perspectives, encourage interest in learning, and promote social and emotional skills.

Collaboration

Connect with colleagues and experts from outside the school. Work together to plan lessons and teaching programs, observe each others' lessons and provide feedback. Engage in professional discussion and reflection.

Mandatory training

Under the NSW Department of Education Professional Learning, Performance and Accreditation, and Mandatory Training policies, all teachers undertake professional learning for maintaining skills and competence. Mandatory training:

Mandatory training works alongside other forms of professional learning to maintain high expectations of teaching practice

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Additional learning support

Find out how we support students with disability or additional learning needs.

Parent portal

Use our parent portal apps to make a payment, view reports and record absences.