Ivanhoe East Primary School, Vic

The School Environment

• Primary school: Prep to Year 6 located in the City of Banyule, Victoria

• The school uses both of the Pivot programs: the Student Survey on Teaching and Wellbeing for Learning to support their teaching and wellbeing initiatives. 

The Opportunity

Ivanhoe East Primary School is a dynamic and community-centered school that prioritises student engagement, learning, and holistic growth. The school fosters a collaborative environment among staff, students, and parents to create the best educational experiences for all students. At the heart of its decision-making process is a student-first approach, with a focus on both academic and social-emotional learning. The environment is built on respect, care, and high expectations, encouraging students to become active, cooperative, and independent learners, while progressively taking responsibility for their own learning journey.

The school vision, collaboratively crafted by students, staff, and parents, is to cultivate a learning environment where every student is known, cared for, and given the opportunity to be challenged and supported to succeed. To realise this vision, the school focuses on three key principles:

• Building respectful relationships with all members of the school community.

• Fostering collaborative practices and shared responsibility to ensure high levels of student growth and wellbeing.

• Utilising purposeful assessment and feedback, incorporating student voice and individual goals to guide teaching and learning effectively.

The Approach

Student wellbeing:

Ivanhoe East Primary School adopts a comprehensive and holistic approach to student well-being, ensuring that all aspects of a student's development—academic, social, emotional, and physical—are addressed. This integrated strategy promotes a more inclusive and balanced learning environment, where every student's needs are considered.

To gain a comprehensive understanding of student learning and well-being, the school utilises both Pivot’s Wellbeing for Learning program and the Student Survey on Teaching. These tools provide valuable insights that complement the data from NAPLAN and the Victorian Department of Education’s Attitudes to School Survey.

Weekly well-being meetings are held, during which teachers and wellbeing team leaders review data from the Wellbeing for Learning program. They focus on identifying students who may be struggling, show unusual response patterns, or may benefit from additional support or interventions. 

At the whole-school level, the leadership and wellbeing team monitor trends in student responses, particularly any decline in well-being, and engage with parents or families when necessary. For example, a recent check-in cycle indicated that a third to a quarter of students were not getting enough sleep, and this information is then shared with families with some suggested support and recommendations for supporting better sleep patterns. 

The Wellbeing for Learning program serves as a crucial bridging tool that enhances the school's overall social-emotional support for students.

Teaching practice:

Principal Tom Boyle said the highly professional teaching teams are integral to the success of their learning program. They work together to plan so that the teaching and learning is responsive and targeted to the needs of individual students.

Tom outlines the collaborative and reflective approach the school employs to enhance teaching and learning:

1. Collaborative Planning: Teachers work as teams to ensure teaching is responsive to students' needs.

2. Reflection on Professional Practice: Teachers use data from the Student Survey on Teaching to identify areas for improvement and share their strategies for enhancing classroom practice with the principal.

3. Accountability and Engagement: Feedback from students influences teaching methods, ensuring a focus on accountability and student engagement.

4. Transparency and Growth: Pivot data is shared with the school community, highlighting professional growth and student well-being. Even when growth isn’t seen, explanations are provided, promoting a culture of transparency and continuous improvement.

This approach supports both teacher development and student success through ongoing feedback and reflection.

The Impact

Ivanhoe East Primary School places a strong emphasis on student-centered learning, focusing not only on academic success but also on the social and emotional development of its students. By incorporating data from the Student Survey on Teaching and Wellbeing for Learning, the school supports the continuous improvement of both teaching practices and student well-being.

The use of Pivot student feedback data seems to be instrumental in guiding decisions related to teaching strategies and student support. This data-driven approach helps facilitate important conversations between teachers, parents, and students, empowering students with greater agency in their learning process. This collaborative, feedback-based model reflects a commitment to fostering a positive and inclusive school environment where students are active participants in shaping their educational experiences.

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