Providing public education

In 2022–23, we provided professional learning for principals and emerging leaders.

The Leading School Improvement suite of programs for school leadership teams had 536 participants. The programs are designed to strengthen schools’ approaches to whole school improvement and build cohesive, high‑functioning leadership teams.

The Emerging and Team Leader program was delivered to 467 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 2022–23:

• 38 participants completed Explore: A Career in School Leadership, an online program for teachers and team leaders to help them better understand the role of the principal.
• 49 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.
• 123 principals completed the Newly Appointed Principal Induction program, which aims to increase understanding of key operational aspects of being a principal and provide opportunities to forge connections with system leaders.
• 47 principals completed the Launch: New Principal program, designed to fast‑track learning for principals who are in their first 3 years or have a fixed‑term contract of 6 months or longer. The program supports their transition to principal and includes one‑on‑one executive coaching sessions and mentoring with an accomplished principal for 12 months.

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 2022–23, 222 principals sought to engage with a collegiate principal, 100 (45%) from regional locations and 122 (55%) from metropolitan schools. At 30 June 2023, the collegiate principals were actively working with 476 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 addition to supporting the professional development and growth of principals, the process also provides assurance to the Director General that every principal is meeting or exceeding expectations. The Principal Professional Review was fully rolled out in Term 3, 2022, following the completion of 2 trials. In 2022–23, 175 reviews were completed.

We fund enrolments in a Graduate Certificate of Education Business Leadership from Deakin University for managers corporate services and school leaders. Thirty places were offered in 2023.

In 2022–23, 308 staff completed a professional learning program in the career pathway suite for managers corporate services. We significantly subsidised the programs to support and develop business leaders.

In 2022–23, we expanded flexible learning for corporate services staff in schools by increasing online learning offerings and providing virtual presentations.

In 2023, the Rising Leaders Program: Emerging Women in Leadership for women in the initial stages of their leadership journey had 25 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 2023, 17 aspirant Aboriginal leaders continued to participate in the program.

In 2022, 12 school psychologists completed our Development Program for Aspiring School Psychology Leaders. The program, designed to build skills and competencies towards this role, supports replenishing our lead school psychologist workforce.

We continued to develop resources and provide professional learning to encourage greater interest and competence in STEM.

Building on the previous program that converted 200 existing classrooms into purpose‑built science classrooms, in 2021 the state government committed to classroom conversions at a further 135 schools. As part of this Primary School Science program, upon completion of the conversions, the schools will also receive $25,000 to purchase science equipment and resources. Tranche 1 of the program delivered 32 primary school classroom conversions, tranche 2 will deliver 52 conversions and planning for the delivery of the final schools in tranche 3 has commenced.

In 2022–23, as part of the Secondary Science program, 5 district high schools received a secondary science classroom upgrade. The STEM program saw 2 secondary schools receive a refurbished STEM laboratory.

The Two‑way Science Initiative supports schools to build partnerships with Aboriginal communities to connect local Aboriginal knowledge with the science curriculum in an integrated teaching and learning program. In a statewide community of practice, the initiative has developed a co‑design process that supports schools to create place‑based, culturally valuable learning experiences. In 2022–23, Two‑way Science engaged 21 schools across 4 education regions. The Two‑way Science Conference, held in November 2022, convened schools, community members and Aboriginal leaders as well as local industry, government and community organisations to showcase the work of schools and communities engaged in the initiative.

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Two-way Science - Principal's cutdown
An overview of Principal Pauline Wray's experience of the Two-way Science Initiative at Quairading District High School.

Access the video as a transcript.

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The PRIMED project is an initiative of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, the Department of Training and Workforce Development and the Department of Education and is delivered in partnership with the primary industries sector. PRIMED aims to prepare students in Years 7 to 10 for careers in primary industries in Western Australia. The project provides resources aligned to the Western Australian curriculum and has trained 28 teacher leaders to deliver related professional learning. In 2023, teacher leaders and other staff delivered 26 PRIMED professional learning events attended by 884 participants across all 8 education regions.

In 2022, 30 Teacher Development Schools assisted with implementing the Western Australian curriculum through 151 online and face‑to‑face professional learning events with 6,905 attendances. They also provided targeted professional learning, with 1,158 attendances in response to 192 requests for support.

In 2022, the Western Australian Centre for Excellence in the Explicit Teaching of Literacy internship program was extended for a second iteration, with the first round to begin in Term 3, 2023. The 4‑term program aims to strengthen evidence‑based explicit literacy practices in public schools with primary‑aged students. It provides teachers with professional learning, support and mentoring opportunities.

During 2022, the Phonics Initiative began building 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.

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 2022, 34 assistants supported teachers in 6 languages.