Strathmore Secondary College

　　In 1958 the school began to publish a newsletter soon to become known as the “Glamis Gazette”. We will hear more of this over the next few months.

　　At Strathmore we think it is important that students have the opportunity to learn in a physically attractive environment. Over the last decade we have received five architectural awards for the quality of buildings designed for the College. Students have access to a wide range of facilities designed to support teaching in specific curriculum areas. There is also an extensive array of spaces developed to complement our teaching program. Our facilities have been developed to reflect our commitment to providing a learning environment that fosters the success of our students.

　　When students enter Strathmore they are welcomed into one of our five college teams; Argyll, Burnet, Chisholm, Dunlop or Stirling. The coordinators of each team are responsible for its day to day management, organisation of activities and events, liaising with parents and fostering the personal growth of students.

　　Senior students continue in a team structure that recognises their growing independence and aims to support students as they face the increasing demands of VCE.

　　Our team structure is particularly valuable in allowing coordinators to know students as individuals. It allows us to provide both academic and social support to our students and is an important part, of effective communication between the college and families. Teams are also integral to the college’s approach to student welfare. We believe that knowing our students and their families well helps us to identify and resolve issues quickly and in the most appropriate way.

　　We complement our student team structure with a comprehensive student support service team who aim to provide additional support to students and parents.

　　There is a strong body of International research that has identified characteristics of high performing schools.Central to these findings is the role of teachers.At Strathmore we look to the best International practice to guide our work. Our aim is to establish a shared or common language describing good instruction. We recognise the centrality of evidence and the need for a research base to support the validity of proposed actions.

　　We value teachers and recognise the complexity of their work. Our focus is on learning and on building teacher capacity to enhance that learning. In our work we have emphasised the importance of using research based classroom strategies and encouraged the use of a common lesson format. We understand the benefits of a clearly articulated, well sequenced and appropriately assessed curriculum and the importance of feedback in the learning process.

　　We employ a team of Instructional Coaches to support teachers in reflecting upon their classroom practices and we facilitate teacher collaboration and collegiality through the use of professional learning communities.