The school strives to build a school-wide, professional team of highly able teachers who work together as a professional learning community to meet the diverse range of students in their school. Teachers are supported to be knowledgeable and skilled practitioners, accountable for improving standards of achievement of their students in ways that will engage their interest in learning. Building teacher capacity, both as an individual and as part of the school’s teaching team, is critical to the success of the school. Reflection on teaching practice is important to their role as an educational practitioner. All staff contribute to, and benefit from, the establishment of a culture of continuous professional inquiry and improvement that includes mentoring and coaching processes.
The Characteristic’s named attributes are:
- the attraction and recruitment of the best teachers available;
- the retention, capacity building and development of a highly skilled teaching community;
- the school is committed to developing professional learning communities amongst its staff, particularly teachers whose ultimate goal is improved student learning;
- the school’s leadership team are instructional and transformational leaders who share their knowledge, skills and practices to build a community of leaders among teachers;
- there is a deliberate commitment to raise staff morale by focusing on staff well-being;
- uninterrupted and sustained periods for teaching and learning typify the daily routine;
- teaching programs linked to and integrated to applicable syllabus as approved by the Bishop (religious education) the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority and TCEO Plans and Policies which are aligned to the Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration [December 2019];
- teachers have deep knowledge and skill set to cater for differentiated learning for their students;
- all teachers are resolute to continuous professional improvement of their own teaching and focused on the development of knowledge and skills required to improve learning for all students, including those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds;
- all teachers recognize and strive for success as they move from graduate – proficient – highly accomplished – lead teachers in alignment with the AITSL teaching standards;
- unsatisfactory performance is addressed using the appropriate agreed industrial framework;
- teachers utilise Catholic pastoral care frameworks based on Gospel Values to ensure dignity, equity, social justice, respect and high expectations;
- the teachers ensure positive relationships are nurtured to facilitate the best of student engagement e.g. Personalised Learning Plans for Indigenous students;
- all teachers have accreditation to teach in a Catholic school;
- all teachers of RE gain a formal qualification in spirituality/R.E./Theology/Scripture;
- the school has effective Teacher Appraisal strategies in place that are cyclical in nature;
- the principal and other school leaders build networks of support in a spirit of co-responsibility;
- school leaders ensure that opportunities are provided for reflective practice amongst teachers so as to learn from each other;
- the school effectively utilizes School Officers - Assisting Student Learning;
- the school has in place a professional learning strategy and associated budget to support local and, where appropriate, system priorities to build teacher capacity.
