Camberwell Grammar School

Story recorded in 2001

At Camberwell Grammar School, the Gatehouse Project framework for promoting connectedness and belonging through enhancing security, communication and positive regard, has informed the process of developing and extending existing programs and processes. Originally located in English classes, the work of the Gatehouse Project has subsequently provided a focus to assist in the co-ordination of a range of initiatives, programs and policies across the whole school.

Background

Established in 1886, Camberwell Grammar School is an independent Anglican school for boys, from Pre-Preparatory to Year 12. 1,190 students attended the school in 2001. The school is committed to the all round development of the individual and strenuous efforts are made to ensure that every boy fulfils his personal potential in studies, on the sports field, in service activities and in cultural and recreational pursuits. The curriculum has been developed as a cohesive program that begins in the Junior School (Pre-Preparatory to Year 5), continues through the Middle School (Years 6, 7 and 8) and into the Senior School (Years 9, 10, 11 and 12). There is a rich co-curricular program in which all boys are encouraged to participate, according to their interests and capacities.

How was a team established?

Initially, the team working on the Gatehouse Project comprised Year 8 English staff, the Student Counsellor and Sara Glover from the Centre for Adolescent Health. In the following year, the work included Physical Education staff. In 2000, a broader team was established to extend the focus from delivery through curriculum, to a review of processes and activities within the school that contribute to students feeling safe, connected and valued. The Gatehouse Steering Committee, chaired by the Headmaster, included Sara Glover, the Head of Middle School, the Student Counsellor, the Director of Sport, a House Master who focused on transition and a teacher who was undertaking postgraduate study in Adolescent Health. This team met fortnightly for 12 months. A key feature of this review process was a staff development day at which teachers used the themes of security, connectedness and positive regard as a set of lenses to explore further processes, policies and programs for maintaining a positive learning environment, enhancing transitions at various points across the school and tackling bullying and harassment. The team has overseen the development of initiatives arising from these review processes.

How did the school use data from the student survey and audit processes to inform planning and determine priorities?

Data was used to inform planning and action. A meeting was held with all House Masters to discuss the first wave of data. This group looked at the School's data and the state-wide data to help identify important areas for further work. The data helped reaffirm that the themes addressed by the Gatehouse project were important issues in all schools. Examination of this data underpinned the necessity of continuing to work on boys feeling connected, safe and engaged. Together with other research, the Gatehouse Project data highlighted the particular importance of these issues at times of transition, not only from Year 6 to Year 7, but at all key transition points within and beyond the school. It helped to confirm a priority of developing new ways of supporting boys through these transitions, by making sure, for example, that they have opportunities to get to know older boys before they move into the next stage of the school.

What strategies did the school use to address identified priorities?

Opportunities for professional development were important, in developing both curriculum and whole school strategies. This involved guest speakers and workshops, but equally important were opportunities for staff to meet together, often over food and refreshments, to discuss priorities and action within their departments. For example, in developing the curriculum approach of the Gatehouse Project, members of the relevant departments met to discuss implementation. In English, this included discussion about texts that could be used to integrate the Gatehouse Project activities and themes into the existing curriculum. In Health and Physical Education, this included planning and implementing the SEPEP program that provided a range of roles for boys in sports activities, emphasising the importance of teamwork and all team members' contributions. In the development of the Safe Environments policy, there were staff development days and meetings, at which staff worked with each other to explore and address key questions and issues. This process allowed the school to build on the Community Relations Charter that had been developed some years earlier and develop a new policy document and procedures for working with students on use and interpretation of the document. The establishment of the Steering Committee and subsequently a student working-group, helped support the broadening of ownership of the development of this strategy. Other strategies included developing transition activities, parent evenings and visits by drama groups. Again, the key aim was to develop connectedness to school.

What role have teachers, parents and students had in developing and implementing these strategies?

Teachers have been involved in professional development days, staff development days and in implementation of curriculum strategies and policy initiatives. It has been important to recognise that not everyone engages with the project at the same level at the same time. Flexibility is therefore important, as is developing processes for staff to reflect upon the issues and contribute ideas, for example, by facilitated discussion groups feeding back ideas to the Steering Committee.

Students have been involved in curriculum activities and more recently in the ongoing process of developing the Supporting Safe Environments policy. Thirty two students from Year 4 to Year 12 have worked closely on the development of this policy. There were two half-day sessions, including morning tea and lunch, during which the boys worked in both cross-age groups and same age groups to begin the process of planning. Six months later, another half day was spent developing wording and design, after which a mock-up was presented to School Council. Over the next 12 months drafting continued. Since December 2000, the final draft and print have been produced and a staff development day held where the Head of Middle School outlined the process for developing the document. A boy from both Year 6 and Year 11 described perceptions of how the process had worked. The Counsellor described how staff professional development would take place to support staff introduce and work with the document. There has also been an early evening meeting of all staff with Sara Glover to discuss documents, data, and hypothetical scenarios related to the Safe Environments Policy. At the beginning of 2002, all families will receive a copy of the document and staff will be working with students on its interpretation and use. The aim is for the process to continue so that the policy is a living, breathing document, open to further review and change by the school community.

Parents have had a more limited direct involvement with the Gatehouse Project's work. The Camberwell Grammar School Parents' Association has received information about the project and the next step in developing the Safe Environments Policy will be to familiarise parents with the development and implementation of this policy.

What strategies implemented by this college might be useful for other school communities?

A strong lesson from Camberwell Grammar's experience with the Gatehouse Project is to allow enough time to develop processes and outcomes, especially to involve as many staff and students as possible in contributing to discussion, planning and implementation. The development of curriculum and whole school strategies has taken place over four years and the processes are continuing. A strong framework to support the process and some funding to seed initiatives has also been important. Guest speakers, both about the project and about areas identified as priorities, have been helpful. Social interaction in conjunction with professional development has been facilitated by provision of food and refreshments and has helped contribute to the connectedness of staff. Transition activities have included Year 5 and 6 barbecues, Year 7 orientation sessions, camps, and Year 8 boys meeting Year 9 boys prior to moving into the Senior School. Curriculum strategies have been developed in English, Health and Physical Education, and Science. The process for developing the Safe Environments Policy has been effective in involving a range of members of the school community and this process will continue in 2002.

Return to schools' stories