Quality Teaching

We employ highly skilled, innovative and passionate teachers who are excited about opportunities to continually grow in their ability to support and extend the learning of all students in their classes.

The school is an endorsed provider of NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) Registered Professional Development, and is committed to providing high-quality professional learning opportunities for all teachers to nurture their ongoing development and to build a vibrant learning community. There is a strong learning culture among the staff, who partner with each other as they develop their skills as excellent classroom practitioners.

• Goals and professional learning. All staff work on learning goals that are connected to the school’s Educational Framework and the Australian Professional Standards. These include individual and/or communal goals. Regular whole-school or group professional learning sessions centre around these goals.
• Lesson observation. Teachers work as partners to critically review each other’s lessons and to identify opportunities for growth.
• Videoed lessons. With the support of a facilitator, the filming process encourages teachers to reflect on their strengths and to devise new strategies in areas that will benefit from growth.
• Student surveys. Student feedback helps teachers understand the way students are responding to their classroom practices.
• Data analysis. Analysis of data from HSC results, NAPLAN and other testing provides information that allows teachers to target areas for growth in specific students and individual subjects, as well as across classes and stages.

In addition to in-school professional learning opportunities, staff at Illawarra Christian School engage in a broad range of courses provided by external organisations and presenters.

Teaching staff across different faculties are employed by NESA as Higher School Certificate examination markers. This experience provides outstanding professional development opportunities in terms of consolidating course knowledge, setting standards and developing collegial networks.