Department of Education - Victoria

Oberon High School is located in the Geelong growth corridor of Armstrong Creek, we are a co-educational secondary school with an enrolment of 1080 students, however there is expected to be significant increase in student enrolments for the foreseeable future.

The SFOE of the school is 0.37 rating the school as medium in terms of the socio-economic background of our students and families. 

The Oberon High School student population is from the southern suburbs of Geelong, the Surf Coast and Armstrong Creek.  All students are encouraged to build on their talents, expand their horizons and develop a culture of learning through participation in a variety of academic, applied learning, sporting, artistic and social programs.  This is reflected in the school mantra of `Shape Your Future Go One Better'.

Oberon High School provides a learning environment in which students strive for and respect high achievement, and they develop social skills based on the principles of tolerance and understanding. 

The school has a belief that all students have the ability to learn and should be progressed in their learning at a faster rate than which is occurring across the state, no matter what their socio-economic background or their educational capability.  This philosophy is also reflected in the school mantra.  

To support this philosophy and ensure greater consistency in teaching practice the school has an effective learning framework `The Oberon Good Lesson'.  This  framework is based on the Professor David Hopkins `Powerful Learning Framework' and incorporates elements of John Hattie's research including teaching strategies that have proven to achieve large effect sizes on student learning outcomes.  

Reflection of the implementation of this framework occurs through once a term classroom observations and also from being a pivotal point in teacher performance reviews.  To monitor student learning outcomes and to ensure that differentiation of student learning is occurring in all classes for all students, staff are expected to use an approach called `Target 3'.  This approach involves staff members identifying three students within each of their classes, one who is below the expected level, one at the expected level and one above the expected level with a focus on ensuring that the work/tasks that are being set are challenging all students no matter what their ability level.

This approach to learning has resulted in above average growth in NAPLAN from Years 7-9 and very good results/outcomes in VCE (well above the state and regional results).  The teacher quality variables in the student attitude to school survey reflect high quality teaching occurring within the school.  

Whilst academic results are a priority of the school and are always emphasised within the school community, the development of social skills including communication, tolerance, empathy, fundraising for social disadvantage and positive interactions is also a priority.  

The school has a very positive culture which exists between staff, students and parents.  This is reflected in the student attitude to school results, parent opinion and the staff opinion survey.  All results are above the state average, whilst staff opinion survey is in the top quartile in all areas, indicating the importance of ongoing staff professional learning for teachers, underpinned by the ability to learn from each other and regularly observe implementation strategies associated with the learning framework. 

 

SC1    Demonstrated knowledge of the relevant curriculum, including the capacity to incorporate the teaching of literacy and numeracy skills. Demonstrated capacity to respond to student learning needs.

SC2    Demonstrated capacity to implement high impact teaching strategies, guided by how students learn, and evaluate the impact of learning and teaching programs on student learning growth. 

SC3    Demonstrated capacity to monitor and assess student learning. Demonstrated capacity to use data to inform teaching practice and to provide feedback on student learning growth and achievement to students and parents.

SC4    Demonstrated interpersonal and communication skills. Demonstrated capacity to establish and maintain collaborative relationships with students, parents, colleagues and the broader school community to support student learning, wellbeing and engagement.    

SC5    Demonstrated behaviours and attitudes consistent with Department values. Demonstrated capacity to reflect upon practice and engage in professional learning to continually improve the quality of teaching.