What an amazing term it has been at Seaford Primary School. There have been so many wonderful events organised by our staff and community, including the fantastic Winter Solstice celebration organised by our parent-led Events Team. Thank you to everyone who contributed to making these opportunities possible for our students and families.
A reminder that school finishes at 2:30pm this Friday, with our final assembly commencing at 1:40pm. Students return for Term 3 on Monday 13 July.
Assembly Changes
Following consultation with our staff consultative committee, assemblies will move to a fortnightly schedule from next term.
As many families know, our Year 6 students and staff organise and run assemblies, including preparing presentations and coordinating the event. While this provides valuable leadership opportunities, it also requires investment of learning time. Moving to fortnightly assemblies will allow students to continue producing high-quality assemblies while reducing the impact on classroom learning. The 1st assembly will be in week 1.
Teaching and Learning Update
Seaford Primary School is currently in a very exciting phase of growth and development. We have been working closely with two Department of Education Education Improvement Leaders, as well as a former Executive Director of the Department, to strengthen teaching and learning practices across our school. While much of this work happens behind the scenes, I wanted to provide families with an overview of what has been taking place and what is planned for next semester.
Whole School Instructional Model
This year we have implemented and are now embedding a whole-school instructional model based on the Gradual Release of Responsibility framework.
This approach follows the sequence of:
Research shows that explicit teaching, combined with supported practice, helps students develop deeper understanding, confidence and independence as learners. Having a consistent approach across all classrooms also helps students know what to expect as they move through the school.
Planning and Data-Informed Practice
Assistant Principal Kirsten McCalmont and I have been working alongside teaching teams during their planning release time to strengthen consistency across year levels.
In addition, each team has been provided with one hour per week dedicated to data meetings. Kirsten joins these meetings to support teachers in using assessment data to identify student needs, monitor progress and plan targeted instruction. We have already seen substantial growth in staff confidence when using assessment information to make decisions about teaching and learning.
Student Engagement Strategies
Kirsten McCalmont and Learning Specialist Jess Pike have also been supporting teachers to consistently implement three key engagement routines:
These engagement norms increase participation by ensuring every student has opportunities to think, discuss and respond during lessons, rather than only a small number of volunteers contributing. Staff have participated in ongoing professional learning throughout the year to embed these practices.Next semester we will build upon this work through a focus on checks for understanding, a key formative assessment practice that helps teachers identify misconceptions and adjust instruction in real time.
Learning Objectives and Success Criteria
Jess Pike and our Education Improvement Leader, Kylie, have worked closely with staff to strengthen the use of Learning Objectives and Success Criteria. Learning Objectives clearly communicate what students are learning, while Success Criteria outline how students can demonstrate their learning. When students understand both the learning goal and what success looks like, they are more likely to achieve success. We have also been conducting regular learning walks to monitor progress and ensure these practices are being implemented consistently across classrooms.
Victorian Teaching and Learning Model (VTLM 2.0)
Kylie has worked extensively with our leadership team to support implementation of the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model (VTLM 2.0).
VTLM 2.0 provides an evidence-based framework that brings together the latest research on effective teaching practices. It supports teachers to plan and deliver lessons that maximise student learning through explicit instruction, cognitive science and formative assessment. Most staff members have completed professional learning with educational researcher Dr Nathaniel Swain, whose work focuses on evidence-informed teaching practices aligned with VTLM 2.0. Several staff members will continue with more in-depth training and will then support colleagues in implementing these approaches across the school.
Curriculum Trials
Our second Education Improvement Leader, Sarah, has been working closely with teams trialling the Victorian Lesson Plans. Sarah was a member of the team that helped develop these resources for teh Department of Education, so having access to her knowledge, expertise and first-hand understanding of the materials has been invaluable for our staff. Sarah will continue to work alongside our teams next term as we evaluate the trials and consider future curriculum decisions. The Victorian Lesson Plans are curriculum-aligned teaching resources developed by the Department of Education to support consistent, evidence-based instruction across schools. They provide teachers with clear guidance on what students should learn, suggested lesson sequences, worked examples and assessment opportunities. By providing greater clarity around the "what" of teaching, teachers are able to spend more time focusing on the "how" – adapting lessons to meet the needs of their students, providing targeted support and delivering high-quality instruction. As part of this work, our Years 3–6 students have also been trialling novel studies. To support this approach, we have purchased individual copies of class novels to enhance learning opportunities and student engagement.
Literacy
We are continuing to strengthen literacy instruction across the school. In Foundation to Year 2, we have embedded Decodable Readers Australia as our synthetic phonics program. This approach provides a structured and systematic sequence for teaching letter-sound relationships, enabling students to develop the foundational decoding skills required for reading success. Staff have continued to build their knowledge and confidence in delivering explicit phonics instruction, ensuring students receive consistent teaching across the early years. In Years 3–6, students have continued with PhOrMeS, a program that explicitly teaches morphology, orthography and etymology to improve spelling, vocabulary and reading comprehension.
This year we have introduced CUBED assessments across the school. Informed by extensive empirical research, CUBED measures multiple critical dimensions of literacy, including listening comprehension, reading comprehension, expressive language, phonemic awareness, word identification, decoding, decoding fluency and writing. This provides teachers with a much more comprehensive understanding of each student's literacy development, allowing us to accurately identify strengths and areas for growth, monitor progress over time and provide targeted teaching and intervention.
Positive Classroom Management Strategies (PCMS)
Our Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader, Deanne Laver, and Lead Teacher, David North, have been leading our implementation of Positive Classroom Management Strategies (PCMS). Throughout the year we have trialled a range of classroom routines, including morning routines and classroom entry routines. Following this work, our School Improvement Team has selected a consistent whole-school approach that will be implemented across all classrooms. Consistency is important because it creates predictable learning environments, supports positive behaviour and allows students to focus on learning.
PCMS focuses on eight key areas with the first four being:
This semester we have focused primarily on Classroom Rules and Expectations and Classroom Procedures and Routines. Next semester our work will expand into Encouraging Expected Classroom Behaviour and Discouraging Inappropriate Behaviour. This work aligns closely with our instructional model and VTLM 2.0, helping to create calm, predictable and engaging learning environments across the school.
I would like to acknowledge the dedication and commitment of our staff throughout this journey. Change is not always easy, and our staff have embraced significant professional learning, new approaches and ongoing reflection on their practice. The progress we are already seeing is a direct result of their willingness to work collaboratively and remain focused on achieving the best possible outcomes for our students.
Looking Ahead
Next term, following our curriculum trials and continued work with our Education Improvement Leaders, we will make whole-school decisions regarding our future approaches to English and Mathematics. Our focus will be on ensuring strong alignment between reading and writing instruction, while also implementing evidence-based mathematics approaches that provide consistency for students and staff across the school. While much of this work occurs behind the scenes, it is already making a positive difference in classrooms. We are excited about the direction Seaford Primary School is heading and look forward to sharing our continued progress with families throughout the year.
Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership.
Have a safe and enjoyable holiday break.
Charlotte Wilders
