Partnerships – The Secret Ingredient? 

Ms Kieryn Bateman | Director of Learning

Current educational theory and research loudly advocates for the strength and value of strong student-teacher relationships. Our work as a school in Deep Learning has reinforced our commitment to fostering strong learning partnerships with students, as evident in the words of Fullan et al “We…see that when teachers and students engage in deep learning, they partner with each other in more personal and transparent learning processes, where high expectations are mutually negotiated and achieved through challenging deep learning tasks. The focus becomes ensuring that students master the process of learning.” 

On any given day, as one traverses the classrooms and corridors of Loreto Normanhurst, it is easy to garner all the evidence required to support this theory. It is the trust and strength of the relationships that Loreto students have with their teachers that underpins the success of our school. By success, I do not simply mean the remarkable academic results that the students consistently produce, but rather the depth of character that is evident in our graduates. Our students emerge from Loreto as independent, compassionate, articulate and committed human beings. They are equipped to grapple with the challenges that await them, thanks to the holistic education that their parents have chosen for them.   

This week I have had the privilege of watching our Year 12 graduates engage with their first Higher School Certificate examinations. I have marvelled at their composure, confidence and even their felicity, as they are faced with this milestone in their schooling careers. These Year 12 students are the embodiment of the Loreto Normanhurst Student Growth Model; they reveal the power of the model that the school community has embraced and championed for the past 20 years. Their approach to these exams is representative of the culmination of hard work, persistence, parental and family support and the unique and remarkable relationships that have been fostered with their teachers.   

There is always a great deal of media attention at this time of the year regarding HSC examinations and our education system in NSW, along with debate over the ongoing value of what is often perceived as a conservative and out-dated model of assessment. Examinations are often demonised; however, they can provide clear benefits if we equip our students with the appropriate tools with which to tackle them. Our students have been primed to engage in repetitive practice, honing their skills over time to apply their knowledge to unseen questions and problems, drawing on their own voices and ideas to craft arguments and develop solutions under pressure. This experience provides them with the opportunity to persevere and to build their confidence in a broader academic arena, as they have the chance to showcase their skills beyond the confines of the Loreto Normanhurst context. This point was driven home to me today when chatting with two students after the HSC English examination. When I asked them for their reflections on the examination process, they confidently reflected that “While it has felt that we have been building up to the HSC for 13 years, there is somewhat of a sense of excitement to open the page and put everything on the table, thanks to the help of our peers and teachers! The HSC has profoundly tested us in more ways than one, but we have learnt not only so much content, but so much about ourselves and the strength in working together. The HSC is certainly a journey… but there is something so special about finally putting the pen down and realising how far we have all come.”  

As our HSC graduates embark on the next stage of their lives, they must remind themselves that are in a remarkable position; it is the invaluable partnerships that they have built with their teachers and peers that will set them apart from the 70,000 other candidates in New South Wales, providing them with unique qualities that will serve them well in their future lives and careers. Go well Year 12!