Providing public education

In 2023–24, we provided professional learning for principals and emerging leaders.

The Leading School Improvement suite of programs for school leadership teams had 463 participants. The programs are designed to strengthen schools’ approaches to whole‑school improvement and build cohesive, high‑functioning leadership teams.

The Emerging and Team Leaders program was delivered to 693 participants. The program for emerging and team leaders in primary and secondary school settings is also offered in 3 modified formats to deputy principals, student services staff and staff supporting students with special educational needs.

In 2023–24:

• 32 leaders completed the Aspirant Principal Preparation program. The program provided targeted leadership development for effective leaders who have the aptitude, performance and readiness to prepare for the principal role.
• 73 principals completed the 2‑day residential Newly Appointed Principal Induction program to increase their understanding of the key operational aspects and management essentials of being a principal.
• 53 principals completed the 4‑day Launch: New Principal program, designed to fast‑track learning for principals in their first 3 years of the role or have a fixed‑term contract of 6 months or longer. The program supported their transition to principal and included one‑on‑one executive coaching sessions and 12 months of mentoring with an accomplished principal.

Collegiate principals provide feedback and personalised support to increase the instructional leadership capacity of principals across Western Australia and their impact on student learning. In 2023–24, 227 principals sought to engage with a collegiate principal, 112 (49%) from regional locations and 115 (51%) from metropolitan schools. At 30 June 2024, the collegiate principals were actively working with 463 principals.

The Principal Professional Review assists principals to self‑reflect on their professional practice. The process is based on an ongoing reflection cycle, with a scheduled validation and assurance process conducted by a review team. In 2023–24, we completed 175 reviews.

We fund enrolments in a Graduate Certificate of Education Business Leadership from Deakin University for managers corporate services and school leaders. In 2024, 20 participants will graduate.

In 2023–24, 206 staff completed a professional learning program in the career pathway suite for managers corporate services. We subsidised the programs to support and develop business leaders.

In 2023–24, we expanded flexible learning for corporate services staff in schools by increasing online learning offerings and providing virtual presentations.

In 2024, the Women in Leadership: Dare to Lead program for women in the initial stages of their leadership journey had 19 participants. The partially funded program is designed to enhance women’s leadership capabilities through personal and professional growth.

The Djiraly‑ak djinda bidi ‘North Star’ program for aspirant Aboriginal leaders identified career and leadership goals and the support required to achieve those goals. In 2024, 13 aspirant Aboriginal leaders continued to participate in the program.

We continued to develop resources and offer programs to encourage greater interest and competence in STEM.

The Primary School Science program, transforming existing classrooms into purpose‑built science classrooms for our primary students, is nearing completion, with 125 conversions completed and the remaining 8 still to be delivered. As part of the program, each school also receives $25,000 to purchase equipment and resources for their new science classrooms. This 2021 election commitment built on the previous program that converted 200 existing classrooms into purpose‑built science classrooms.

In 2023–24, as part of the Secondary Science program, 2 schools received a secondary science classroom conversion under tranche 1 of the program, with a further 8 schools either commencing construction or in planning.

The STEM program aims to improve the functionality of existing education facilities through a range of new constructions, upgrades and refurbishments. Commencing in 2022 and being delivered over 3 tranches, a STEM laboratory will be established at 75 targeted secondary schools and district high schools, 15 of which are being delivered as part of a major upgrade. Seventeen STEM laboratories have been delivered at schools so far, while a further 58 are in various stages of planning, design or construction.

The Ngaparrtji Ngaparrtji Two‑way Science program supports schools to build partnerships with local Aboriginal communities to develop integrated, culturally responsive learning programs that connect Aboriginal knowledge with the Western Australian science curriculum. In 2024, 40 schools across all education regions are participating. The program was acknowledged at the 2023 Institute of Public Administration Australia WA Achievement Awards by winning the category of Best Practice in Corporate Social Values.

The PRIMED project, which concluded on 30 June 2024, was an initiative of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, the Department of Training and Workforce Development and the Department of Education and was delivered in partnership with the primary industries sector. PRIMED aimed to prepare students in Years 7 to 10 for careers in primary industries in Western Australia. The project provided resources aligned to the Western Australian curriculum and related professional learning. From Semester 2, 2021, to the conclusion of the project, 1,273 participants attended professional learning delivered by teacher leaders.

In 2023, to support the delivery of the Western Australian curriculum, 25 Quality Teaching Strategy lead schools and 5 DigiTech schools supported teachers to evaluate the impact of their practice and extend and strengthen their range of teaching strategies. These schools provided 279 professional learning events to 4,387 participants. Of these events, 216 were in response to direct requests from schools.

In August 2023, the School Curriculum and Standards Authority published revised Kindergarten curriculum guidelines to support teachers in developing curriculum to facilitate the optimal learning and development of Kindergarten students in Western Australia. The guidelines align with the revised nationally approved Belonging, being and becoming: the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia, which came into effect in 2024. We have worked closely with the School Curriculum and Standards Authority to support schools in implementing the guidelines and framework through professional learning for Kindergarten teachers and education assistants, and school leaders.

In 2024, the first round of teachers completed internships through the second iteration of the Western Australian Centre for Excellence in the Explicit Teaching of Literacy internship program. The 4‑term program aims to strengthen evidence‑based explicit literacy practices in schools with primary‑aged students. It provides teachers with professional learning, support and mentoring opportunities.

During 2023, the Phonics Initiative continued to build staff capacity through the delivery of professional learning and school leader consultations. This work has focused on effective phonics instruction and assessment, and building teachers’ knowledge, skills and understanding of phonics and phonological awareness. We also launched the Leading Phonics in Schools series aimed at developing the capacity of instructional leaders to embed a consistent approach to phonics instruction within schools.

The Language Assistant Program provides support for school language programs, based on a co‑funded model of delivery, with schools contributing 50% of costs to host a language assistant. In 2023, 28 assistants supported teachers in 6 languages.