A leading independent girls’ school in Melbourne is partnering with University of Newcastle to transform classroom practice through collaborative, evidence-based professional learning strategies.
When a PE teacher and specialist teacher observed each other’s classes at Lauriston Girls’ School, the PE teacher learned how sound impacts neurodiverse children, while the specialist gained insights into engaging physical education techniques.
For Dr Natalie Bunn, Lauriston’s Deputy Principal of Learning and Innovation, this moment of interdisciplinary collaboration exemplifies Lauriston’s ongoing commitment to professional learning.
“Teaching is an art and a science. It’s crucial that teachers continuously learn and refine their craft,” she says. “Professional learning is about staying informed of educational research, curriculum updates, and pedagogical strategies and drawing upon contemporary and evidence-based research.”
This philosophy pulses through the class and staff rooms at Lauriston, a K-12 school with 1,072 students and approximately 250 staff members spread across two campuses; Armadale, an inner south-eastern suburb of Melbourne, and Howqua, near Mansfield in rural Victoria.
Here, professional learning isn’t a box-ticking exercise – it’s an authentic and comprehensive approach that places collaboration and continuous improvement at its heart.
Ms Kate Hehir, Assistant Principal of Lauriston’s Junior School, brings 18 years of experience to this mission. “We talk a lot about lifelong learning for children,” she explains, “but we believe the same applies to our teachers. If we help support them to continue being passionate about their craft, that’s what retains teachers and creates engagement in the classroom.”
The school’s transformative journey with Quality Teaching can be traced to 2019, when Ms Hehir and a colleague travelled to Sydney for foundational training by the Quality Teaching (QT) Academy.
Established by the University of Newcastle, the QT Academy provides training and support for a collaborative, evidence-backed approach to professional development. It allows educators to analyse, reflect on, and improve teaching practice across different subjects and grade levels.
“Our experience with QT began by being introduced to the 18 elements and the coding process,” Ms Hehir recalls. “We quickly realised that the strength of QT centred around the comprehensive analysis of the teaching within the observed lesson. This means that the focus of QT is not on critiquing the teacher or the content but instead the emphasis is on coding the learning taking place, specifically looking at intellectual quality, quality learning environment and significance.”
The following year, the school invited QT Academy founder Laureate Professor Jennifer Gore AM to its Armadale campus, where she ran a two-day Quality Teaching Rounds workshop with Lauriston’s leadership team. It was so well-received, they invited her back again in 2021.
In Term 4, 2024, Ms Michelle Ware, a Senior Quality Teaching Adviser at QT Academy, delivered a strengthening program design workshop for Lauriston’s staff. She returned at the beginning of this year to run a workshop for all senior school teachers to ensure that the entire teaching cohort had full training.
What distinguishes the QT Academy approach is its rigorous, research-backed methodology, Ms Hehir says.
“We are very respectful of the 20-year research history,” she notes. “The University of Newcastle continues to pose questions and gather data, which we find reassuring.”
Dr Bunn, who brings a fresh perspective having recently joined Lauriston, says professional learning develops teacher confidence, their effectiveness in the classroom, and their ability to meet the diverse needs of students.
“As a school, Lauriston has been renowned for cultivating professional learning, and we play a critical role in facilitating and supporting teachers to engage in different professional learning opportunities.”
In the junior school, Lauriston has developed Professional Learning Communities comprising three teachers from different areas – lower primary, upper primary, and specialist teachers.
Using the example of the collaboration between the specialist teacher and PE teacher – largely brought about by the QT Academy approach – Ms Hehir says this speaks volumes. “The PE teacher was running a noisy ball-sports activity, and the specialist teacher could offer insights about how sound might impact neurodiverse children – something that might not have been on the PE teacher’s radar,” she says.
Dr Bunn agrees, emphasising the power of connection. “The best professional development is going into classrooms and seeing learning through different eyes. It’s about building capacity within staff and creating a culture of sharing and reflection.”
The school’s professional development support for teachers goes beyond more traditional models by valuing and supporting broader professional learning. “We encourage staff to pursue further education, whether that’s Masters or Doctorate programs. We don’t want to lose talented teachers – we want to support their growth and passions.”
This year, Lauriston is taking its commitment even further by developing a bespoke teaching and learning framework grounded in the University of Newcastle’s Quality Teaching principles.
“We’re also aligning our teaching and learning framework with our school values and contemporary educational research such as the University of Melbourne’s New Metrics project and drawing on the OECD Unlocking High-quality Teaching,” Dr Bunn explains. “What makes our approach unique is that we’re not aware of another school basing their framework on Quality Teaching principles.”
The framework will integrate with the school’s wellbeing approach, creating a holistic educational model that supports both teachers and students.
For independent teachers or those in smaller teams, like Junior Art and library specialists, the Quality Teaching Rounds have been transformative.
“Teachers have shared about how much they value making connections across faculties and seeing how children operate in different classroom contexts. QT builds teacher morale because there is recognition for what you are doing well and opportunities for sharing and celebrating your teaching,” Ms Hehir says.
Lauriston’s commitment hasn’t gone unnoticed. The school has been recognised as a partner of the University of Newcastle’s QT Academy, a testament to their innovative approach.
“It’s about keeping teachers motivated, and looking at things with fresh eyes,” Dr Bunn says. “We’re tapping into best practices and providing a global lens for our educators.”
The impact extends beyond individual classrooms. In the senior school, they’ve experimented with different approaches to Quality Teaching Rounds, mixing teachers from various experience levels and faculties.
“We’ve tried putting a more experienced teacher with someone newer to the profession,” Dr Bunn says. “Each year, we see different benefits from these configurations.”
Ms Hehir reflects on the broader implications. “We don’t want teachers to feel isolated in their teaching practice,” she says. “QT rounds break down those barriers. We’re creating opportunities for teachers to learn from each other, to see beyond their own classroom walls.”
“We want to support staff to continue being passionate about their craft,” Ms Hehir says. “That’s what keeps teachers excited and engaged.”
Lauriston’s model offers a compelling vision of professional development. By prioritising collaboration, research-informed and evidence-based strategies, and continuous learning, they’re not just supporting teachers – they’re transforming education.
“Teaching is about lifelong learning,” Ms Hehir reflects. “And that applies to both our students and our teachers.”
