The School Excellence Framework Version 3 guides NSW public schools in pursuing equity and excellence through evidence-based practices. It outlines 14 elements across Learning, Teaching, and Leading domains, supporting schools in continuous improvement and achieving better student outcomes.
Overview of the Framework
The School Excellence Framework Version 3 provides a structured approach to guide NSW public schools in achieving equity and excellence. It is centered around three key domains: Learning, Teaching, and Leading, which collectively define the core business of schools. The framework includes 14 elements across these domains, offering a clear roadmap for schools to assess their practices, identify areas for improvement, and develop strategic plans. It emphasizes evidence-based practices, collaboration, and continuous growth, ensuring schools can deliver high-quality education and improve student outcomes. The framework also supports schools in fostering a culture of excellence and accountability, enabling them to meet the diverse needs of their students and communities effectively.
Key Domains: Learning, Teaching, and Leading
The School Excellence Framework Version 3 is organized around three interconnected domains: Learning, Teaching, and Leading. These domains represent the core areas of focus for schools striving to achieve excellence. The Learning domain emphasizes high expectations, explicit teaching, and student wellbeing, ensuring students develop the skills and knowledge needed for success. The Teaching domain focuses on instructional strategies, professional development, and classroom management, equipping teachers with the tools to deliver high-quality education. The Leading domain highlights strategic leadership, collaboration, and accountability, empowering school leaders to create a culture of excellence and continuous improvement. Together, these domains provide a comprehensive approach to enhancing student outcomes and fostering a culture of excellence in NSW public schools.
Domain 1: Learning
Domain 1 focuses on student-centered practices, emphasizing high expectations, explicit teaching, and effective feedback. It prioritizes wellbeing and inclusion to ensure all students achieve their full potential.
High Expectations
High expectations are foundational to student success, emphasizing the belief that all students can achieve excellence. Teachers’ high expectations are critical in fostering a culture of ambition and motivation. The framework encourages setting challenging yet attainable goals, ensuring all students, regardless of background, are supported to meet these standards. High expectations are not only about academic achievement but also about developing resilience, critical thinking, and a growth mindset. Schools are encouraged to use evidence-based practices to monitor progress and adjust strategies to meet individual student needs. By maintaining high expectations, schools create an environment where every student is empowered to reach their full potential, leading to improved outcomes and a stronger foundation for future success.
Explicit Teaching
Explicit teaching is a cornerstone of effective instruction, focusing on clear, structured, and intentional lessons that ensure all students understand key concepts. It involves the use of evidence-based strategies to deliver content systematically, with teachers modeling, demonstrating, and guiding students through learning processes. Explicit teaching emphasizes clarity, precision, and opportunities for practice, ensuring students can build on prior knowledge and skills. Teachers provide explicit feedback and scaffolding to support students in mastering concepts. This approach is particularly beneficial for diverse learners, as it reduces ambiguity and ensures equitable access to learning. By prioritizing explicit teaching, schools can enhance student engagement, understanding, and academic outcomes, fostering a culture of clarity and purpose in the classroom.
Effective Feedback
Effective feedback is a critical component of student learning, providing clear insights into progress and guiding future efforts. It involves ongoing, two-way communication between teachers and students, ensuring understanding and alignment with learning goals. Feedback should be timely, specific, and actionable, addressing strengths and areas for improvement. The School Excellence Framework emphasizes the importance of feedback in informing instruction and fostering student agency. Teachers use evidence-based practices to deliver constructive feedback, while students are encouraged to reflect on their learning and set achievable targets. This reciprocal process enhances student outcomes, promotes a growth mindset, and strengthens the teacher-student relationship. By prioritizing effective feedback, schools empower learners to take ownership of their education and strive for continuous improvement.
Wellbeing and Inclusion
Wellbeing and inclusion are integral to fostering a supportive learning environment, ensuring all students can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. The School Excellence Framework emphasizes the importance of promoting student wellbeing through positive relationships, safe learning spaces, and tailored support structures. Inclusion is prioritized by addressing diverse needs, ensuring equitable access to resources, and celebrating individual differences. Schools are encouraged to implement practices that enhance social-emotional learning, mental health support, and cultural responsiveness; By embedding wellbeing and inclusion into everyday practices, schools create a foundation for students to feel valued, confident, and empowered to succeed. This focus not only enhances student outcomes but also builds a compassionate and inclusive school community that supports the whole child.
Domain 2: Teaching
The Teaching domain focuses on quality instructional strategies, teacher professional development, effective classroom management, and data-driven instruction to enhance teaching practices and improve student outcomes.
Quality Instructional Strategies
Quality instructional strategies within the School Excellence Framework Version 3 emphasize evidence-based practices that promote student engagement and deep understanding. These strategies are designed to meet the diverse needs of learners, ensuring equitable access to high-quality education. They include explicit teaching methods, differentiated instruction, and the integration of technology to enhance learning outcomes. Schools are encouraged to adopt practices that foster critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills, aligning with the frameworkâs focus on continuous improvement. By implementing these strategies, teachers can create learning environments that are inclusive, challenging, and tailored to individual student needs, ultimately driving improved academic achievement and personal growth.
Professional Development for Teachers
Professional development for teachers is a cornerstone of the School Excellence Framework Version 3, ensuring educators are equipped to deliver high-quality instruction. The framework emphasizes ongoing, evidence-based training that aligns with school priorities and student needs. Teachers engage in targeted professional learning opportunities, including workshops, mentoring programs, and collaborative peer networks. These initiatives focus on enhancing instructional skills, integrating technology, and addressing diverse student needs. By fostering a culture of continuous improvement, the framework supports teachers in staying updated with best practices and educational research. This, in turn, strengthens teacher effectiveness and contributes to improved student outcomes. Professional development is tailored to individual and school-wide goals, ensuring a cohesive approach to achieving excellence in education.
Classroom Management
Classroom management is a critical component of the School Excellence Framework Version 3, focusing on creating a structured and supportive learning environment. The framework emphasizes the importance of establishing clear expectations, fostering positive student behavior, and minimizing disruptions to maximize learning time. Schools are encouraged to implement evidence-based strategies that promote student engagement and accountability. Effective classroom management also involves leveraging data to identify and address individual student needs, ensuring personalized support. By fostering a culture of respect and responsibility, teachers can create an environment where students feel safe, motivated, and focused on achieving their academic goals. The framework provides guidance on developing and maintaining these practices, ultimately enhancing student outcomes and overall school performance.
Data-Driven Instruction
Data-driven instruction is a cornerstone of the School Excellence Framework Version 3, emphasizing the use of evidence to guide teaching practices and improve student outcomes. The framework encourages schools to collect and analyze data on student learning to identify strengths, gaps, and areas for improvement. By leveraging data, teachers can tailor instruction to meet individual student needs, ensuring targeted and effective learning strategies. The framework also highlights the importance of ongoing assessment and the use of progress monitoring tools to track student growth over time. This approach fosters a culture of continuous improvement, where data informs decision-making at both the classroom and school levels. Ultimately, data-driven instruction ensures that teaching practices are aligned with student needs, leading to enhanced academic achievement and equity in education.
Domain 3: Leading
Domain 3 focuses on strategic leadership, collaborative culture, and community engagement to drive school improvement. It emphasizes accountability and continuous improvement to achieve educational excellence and equity.
Strategic Leadership
Strategic leadership in the School Excellence Framework Version 3 emphasizes the importance of school leaders in setting a clear vision and goals aligned with the school’s mission. Leaders are expected to drive continuous improvement by fostering a culture of excellence and collaboration. They must use data and evidence to inform decision-making, ensuring resources are effectively allocated to support student learning and teacher development. Strategic leadership also involves building capacity within the school community and engaging stakeholders to achieve shared objectives. Effective leaders promote a growth mindset, encouraging innovation and adaptability to meet the diverse needs of students. By prioritizing strategic planning and accountability, leaders play a pivotal role in advancing school excellence and improving student outcomes.
Collaborative School Culture
A collaborative school culture fosters teamwork, shared goals, and collective responsibility among teachers, students, and the community. It promotes open communication, mutual respect, and a commitment to achieving excellence together. This culture encourages professional collaboration among staff, enabling the sharing of best practices and supporting continuous improvement. Students benefit from a sense of belonging and inclusive learning environments, while families and communities are actively engaged in supporting student success. A collaborative culture aligns with the School Excellence Framework’s emphasis on evidence-based practices, ensuring that all stakeholders work together to enhance teaching, learning, and leadership. By fostering collaboration, schools create a supportive and dynamic environment that promotes student well-being, academic achievement, and lifelong learning.
Community Engagement
Community engagement is a vital component of the School Excellence Framework, fostering strong partnerships between schools, families, and local communities. It ensures that schools are inclusive and responsive to the needs of all stakeholders. By engaging with parents, local organizations, and businesses, schools can access resources, expertise, and support that enhance student learning and wellbeing. Community engagement also promotes shared responsibility for student success, encouraging active participation in school activities and decision-making processes. This collaboration strengthens the connection between schools and their communities, creating a cohesive environment that supports academic achievement and social development. The framework emphasizes the importance of meaningful engagement to ensure schools are aligned with community values and aspirations, ultimately contributing to improved student outcomes and a stronger sense of belonging.
Accountability and Continuous Improvement
Accountability and Continuous Improvement are cornerstone principles of the School Excellence Framework, ensuring schools are responsible for student outcomes and strive for ongoing enhancement. This domain emphasizes the importance of transparency, with schools held accountable for the quality of teaching, leadership, and student progress. Continuous improvement is fostered through regular self-assessment, data analysis, and annual reporting, allowing schools to identify areas for growth and implement targeted strategies. The framework encourages a culture of accountability, where schools are empowered to take ownership of their performance while being supported by evidence-based practices. By integrating accountability with continuous improvement, the framework ensures that NSW public schools not only meet but exceed expectations, fostering a culture of excellence and equity for all students.
Benefits of Implementing the School Excellence Framework
Implementing the framework enhances student outcomes, improves teacher effectiveness, and fosters a culture of excellence. It ensures equitable education, driving continuous improvement and accountability across NSW schools.
Improved Student Outcomes
The School Excellence Framework Version 3 is designed to significantly enhance student outcomes by fostering high-quality learning environments. By focusing on evidence-based practices, schools can ensure that all students, including those from diverse backgrounds, achieve their full potential. The framework emphasizes high expectations, explicit teaching, and effective feedback, which are critical for improving academic performance and personal growth. Additionally, the framework’s emphasis on data-driven instruction and wellbeing ensures that schools can identify and address individual student needs more effectively. This targeted approach leads to better academic results, increased student engagement, and improved social and emotional development. Ultimately, the framework equips students with the skills and confidence needed to succeed in their future endeavors, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and excellence across NSW public schools.
Enhanced Teacher Effectiveness
The School Excellence Framework Version 3 prioritizes teacher effectiveness as a cornerstone of student success. By providing professional development opportunities, the framework ensures teachers are equipped with the latest evidence-based instructional strategies. This focus on quality teaching practices enables educators to deliver targeted, impactful lessons tailored to student needs. The framework also emphasizes classroom management and data-driven instruction, empowering teachers to create structured, engaging learning environments. Additionally, the framework fosters collaboration among teachers, encouraging shared best practices and peer support. By enhancing teacher capacity and confidence, the framework directly contributes to improved student outcomes, creating a positive cycle of growth and achievement in NSW public schools.
Implementation and Monitoring
The framework is implemented through annual reporting and self-assessment surveys, ensuring schools track progress and align practices with strategic goals for continuous improvement.
Annual Reporting and Progress Assessment
Annual reporting and progress assessment are critical components of the School Excellence Framework Version 3. Schools are required to submit annual reports that detail their progress against strategic goals and priorities. These reports are aligned with the framework’s 14 elements across the three domains of Learning, Teaching, and Leading. The process involves a comprehensive review of school practices, student outcomes, and the effectiveness of improvement strategies. Progress assessment ensures accountability and provides insights into areas of strength and those requiring further development. This iterative process supports continuous improvement and helps schools stay focused on achieving equity and excellence for all students.
Self-Assessment Survey (SEF S-aS)
The Self-Assessment Survey (SEF S-aS) is a critical tool within the School Excellence Framework Version 3, enabling schools to evaluate their performance and progress. Designed to align with the framework’s 14 elements across Learning, Teaching, and Leading, the survey supports schools in identifying strengths, areas for improvement, and strategic priorities. Schools use the SEF S-aS to reflect on their practices, measure alignment with the framework, and inform their improvement plans. This process fosters a culture of continuous improvement and accountability, ensuring schools remain focused on achieving equity and excellence for all students. By engaging with the SEF S-aS, schools can systematically assess their progress and make data-driven decisions to enhance student outcomes and overall school performance.
Role of School Leaders in the Framework
School leaders play a pivotal role in driving excellence by setting strategic directions, promoting high expectations, and fostering collaborative cultures that prioritize student success and continuous improvement.
Leading by Example
Leading by example is a cornerstone of effective school leadership within the School Excellence Framework Version 3. School leaders who model the behaviors and values they expect from their staff and students create a culture of accountability and shared purpose. By demonstrating a commitment to excellence, leaders inspire and motivate their communities to strive for continuous improvement. This includes fostering a growth mindset, embracing innovation, and prioritizing student-centered practices. Leaders who lead by example also build trust and credibility, which are essential for collaboration and collective action. Ultimately, their actions set the tone for a school environment that values learning, teaching, and leading, ensuring that the framework’s goals are lived out in daily practice. This approach is critical for achieving improved student outcomes and sustaining a culture of excellence.
Fostering a Culture of Excellence
Fostering a culture of excellence within schools is a fundamental principle of the School Excellence Framework Version 3. This involves creating an environment where high expectations, collaboration, and continuous improvement are deeply embedded. Leaders play a pivotal role in promoting a shared vision and values that prioritize student success and wellbeing. By encouraging a growth mindset and recognizing achievements, schools cultivate a sense of pride and shared responsibility. The framework emphasizes the importance of evidence-based practices and innovation to drive excellence. When a culture of excellence is nurtured, it inspires teachers, students, and the broader school community to strive for their best, leading to sustained improvement and equitable outcomes for all learners.
The School Excellence Framework Version 3 provides a clear roadmap for NSW schools to achieve equity and excellence, ensuring improved student outcomes through evidence-based practices and continuous improvement.
Future of School Excellence in NSW
The School Excellence Framework Version 3 sets the stage for a brighter future in NSW education. By focusing on equity, evidence-based practices, and continuous improvement, it ensures that schools are well-equipped to meet the evolving needs of students. The framework emphasizes innovation, collaboration, and a commitment to excellence, paving the way for NSW schools to lead in educational outcomes. As schools align with this framework, they will foster a culture of high expectations, effective teaching strategies, and strong leadership, ultimately preparing students to thrive in an ever-changing world. The future of NSW education is poised for growth, with the framework serving as a guiding tool for sustained success and student achievement.
