Nangiloc Colignan & District Primary School places a high priority on Agency in Learning with a belief that learner agency and passion is the main “navigator of learning”. In other words, engagement and learning is enhanced when there is genuine agency and a whole school approach to teaching, learning and assessment. One of the key strategic intentions at Nangiloc is to achieve authentic learner engagement through elevating agency in learning across the school.  Inquiries are often used to develop learner agency by allowing learners to explore their own interests and questions, take ownership of their learning, and develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Nangiloc works to ensure a positive climate for learning and nurture partnerships with families with an appreciation that when the families connect to the learning environment, optimum learning is possible within the classroom. Nangiloc works not only on strengthening the home-school relationship but also on identifying opportunities to broaden and strengthen local community partnerships. Learners demonstrate their ability to ‘transfer’ their learning through real-world experiences and performance tasks meaningful to their lives and local communities. In addition to opportunities through C.O.L (Celebration Of Learning), the PIN (Passions, Interests and Needs) Workshops are designed and delivered by students and are supported by parents and staff.

With the advantage of being a small school and knowing every student well, the school has been able to improve on learning and assessment practices. Teachers at Nangiloc-Colignan Primary School incorporate a range of assessment strategies that go beyond traditional tests and exams. These include formative assessments, peer and self-assessments, and authentic assessments that reflect real-world situations. There is a shared understanding of transformative assessment among staff, students, and parents, and the school keeps its community informed of the benefits of new assessment practices.

Nangiloc seeks opportunities to build partnerships and collaborate with other schools and experts, to broaden and enrich curriculum and learning, and refine the use of assessment tools. Learners are encouraged to articulate their understanding through SOLO taxonomy and the school has also integrated the General Capabilities across the Learning Areas and LMS sites. When unpacked, a key pillar of the school’s vision, ‘Lead’ details how the competencies are integrated into the curriculum.

The school works on a whole-school approach to track student performance over time and utilise data to inform planning and teaching for all learners. Staff capability building aligns with this way of working.  Teacher needs are reviewed and matched to professional learning that support and embed new assessment practices and foster a whole-school approach to learning and assessment.

Over the past 3-4 years, the school has developed a bank of supportive learning and assessment resources including learning progressions, Learning Management Systems (LMS) sites populated with learning intentions, success criteria and YouTube videos, with a long-term goal to use these platforms to streamline assessment and feedback.

Since the school has adopted transformative assessment practices, it has enabled staff to gain a deeper understanding of learners’ knowledge and skills and resulted in a more targeted and personalised approach to learning to meet students’ individual needs. With greater agency in their learning, and with families taking part, learners are engaged and motivated to learn, and the school is making significant inroads to confidently teach, assess and report on the complex competencies their learners need to thrive at school and beyond.