A systems approach to holding space for students with diverse abilities and recognising authentic learning in the South Australian Certificate of Education.

How do you test if a newly developed compulsory subject is inclusive? Can you write curriculum that values learner agency, self-efficacy and self-regulation without penalising students for their individual starting points? These were some of the challenges faced by the SACE Board of South Australia as they embarked on a revitalisation, then a wholesale redesign, of two compulsory elements of the SACE. What emerged was a pair of subjects designed to hold space for all students to explore who they are, what they want for their future, and how they will move through their senior secondary education as thriving learners.

Through the specific inclusion of students with diverse abilities in the piloting process, and a design collaboration capturing the experience of marginal voices, a unique “One subject, two pathways” model of inclusion was created. Innovation in these subjects required a pivot away from the existing model of valuing goal setting and task completion, to valuing and focusing on achieving learning for a purpose, and utilising natural evidence of learning for assessment.

This presentation will outline the key intent and principles used to safeguard the learning entitlements of students with diverse abilities across the SACE system and explore how diverse voices were included to carefully manage change for vulnerable communities.

Key takeaways:

• The importance of having marginalised student voices represented in piloting and subject design spaces
• Motivation to take a risk to leave the classroom and step into policy roles where your voice is needed.

This presentation explores the effects of arts-based learnings and youth at risk. The literature overwhelmingly asserts that learning through, in and with the Arts has copious benefits for young people and in particular those who are disengaged. Seminal work by Robyn Ewing, James Catterall, Robert Fiske and Anne Bamford demonstrates both the intrinsic and extrinsic benefits of the Arts. Students come to school for the Arts and stay for the rest. As such, it made sense to adopt a philosophy and strategy within a SAS school setting that nurtures the Arts along with the individual needs, interests and abilities of our young people. The College seeks to offer an individualised, inclusive and innovative approach to education, through a variety of unique learning opportunities. Through the lens of the Arts, curriculum is delivered in an innovative way, empowering young people to guide their own learning journeys and become successful learners and functioning young adults. The College embeds Arts-based pedagogies within multiple KLAS, community service and Adventure-Based Leaning to re-engage all students.

Key takeaways:

• Alternative Strategies to support Youth at Risk
• Embedding the Arts into everyday practice
• Positive outcomes for students and educators

Join us on a 30-minute journey through Holy Spirit College's transformative experience with Individual Learning Plans (ILP) devised to honour our young people. Explore the history of ILP development at Holy Spirit College - a special assistance school for disengaged and disenfranchised youth, understanding its roots in addressing the unique needs of each young person. Discover why and how Holy Spirit College embraced ILPs, placing them in the centre of their College Vision & Purpose. This presentation will delve into an ILP Data Harvest phase, where data collection, theming, planning, and programming converge to provide a tailored educational approach. Uncover the realities and challenges faced by staff in utilising ILPs as intended, navigating the complexities of data harvesting applications.  This presentation aims to provide delegates with insights into honouring young people through ILPs, emphasizing a commitment to their individual learning pathways. Attendees will gain a nuanced understanding of the ILP process, from its conception through the challenges faced in examples of practical applications. Take away valuable lessons on bridging the gap between vision and reality in young person-centred educational planning and programming.

Key takeaways:

• Journey with ILP: Understand Holy Spirit College's ILP evolution, exploring its historical development and integration of the NCCD framework to create a young person-centred plan.
• Change and Purpose: Grasp the reasons behind Holy Spirit College's ILP shift, linking it to the school's Vision & Purpose, and learn how the change enhances educational outcomes.
• ILP Navigation: Navigate the ILP process, including a Data Harvest to programming process, gaining insights into how each phase contributes to a tailored educational approach for students.
• Reality of ILP Use: Confront practical challenges in ILP application, addressing staff struggles and examining the tangible outcomes achieved in pursuit of student success.

Feeling unsafe for an extended period of time affects healthy development (Cantor et al., 2019; Cohen & Espelage, 2020). Hence it is crucial for alternate schools to establish safe schooling environments for all. Currently research focuses on safety for certain groups of young people e.g. race (Thibodeaux, 2013), School Boarders (Lester & Mander, 2015) and Gender and sexual diversity (Ward, 2011). There is also a dominate discourse on bullying, but this is only one aspect of student safety (Cohen & Espelage, 2020). A gap exists in current research on student perceptions of safety in Australian alternate schools. 

Often as leaders we write policies and procedures based on what we see as ensuring safety and these are based off our prior experiences. However, the world is different, and do students view safety differently? 

This presentation will present findings from research at 2 alternate schools in Queensland. It aims to outline: What do students in alternate schools perceive as safe?

Key takeaways:

• What students identify made them feel unsafe at their last school.
• What makes them feel safe now. 
• Do we need to consider changing how we write policies?

A specialist and targeted approach to overcoming barriers in accessing mainstream education for young men in the justice system.

The Ignatius Learning Centre (ILC) is a Catholic Specialist Secondary school located in Richmond, Melbourne. It was established in 2021 by Jesuit Social Services. The ILC offers a specialised and holistic learning environment for young men aged 15-18 years who are involved in the criminal justice system.

Young people who have contact with the justice system often have a range of complex and intersecting needs that prevent them from engaging in education including trauma backgrounds, conduct disorder, mental health and substance use issues. Prolonged school absences, low self-confidence, and mistrust of authority further exacerbate difficulties. Recent custodial experiences and ongoing court matters are common among young men who attend the school.

The ILC employs an holistic approach drawing from evidence-based frameworks such as trauma-informed practice, attachment theory, and harm minimization strategies. Engagement is tailored to each participant, with a particular focus on building trust, creating a supportive environment, and relational engagement. A unique feature of the model is integration of an assertive outreach team informed by the High Impact Engagement Strategies (HIES) framework.

Drawing from evaluation data, including student feedback, and professional learnings from the first two years of the school's establishment, we will discuss some of the successes and challenges of the model.

Key takeaways:

• High Impact engagement strategies
• Holistic approaches
• Engaging justice system involved young people

This presentation offers a model to support the scaling of Special Assistance Schools, that are increasingly popular in a post-covid world, through targeted coaching and a professional development framework with clear aspirational expectations. Whilst research into these schools has increased in the last few years, the focus tends to be on the impact on students rather than the leadership structures that enable the work (Brunker & Lombardo, 2021; Corry et al., 2022; Miller et al., 2022) . We will present how a School Principal of an Independent, fee free, inner-city Melbourne Special Assistance School (sometime referred to as a flexi school), worked in an intentional way to identify and rapidly build capacity in her middle and senior leadership team. 

Doing education differently, has become the rally cry of 21st century educational leaders. Human centred, Innovative, Enterprising and Entrepreneurial are key words are scattered through glossy prospectuses and across school websites. The reality is for most educational institutions, despite two years of enforced experimentation in pedagogy and learning environment, business as usual with little real change in how schools operate beyond some specialised programs (Watterston & Zhao, 2023). 

The flexi-school context is a high-pressured environment, with numerous critical incidents, teaching, educational intervention and wellbeing staff work together; as part of a multi-disciplinary team to create learning opportunities for young people who are disengaged from the traditional system of education.  The Principal was keen to develop an organisational focus through a lens of aspirational futures for the students, often a challenging task in a space that attracts staff who focus on care and acceptance, rather than growth and learning. She knew there would need to be change the culture and expectations of both staff and the students in order to make the necessary shift. As an experienced school leader, the Principal knew she couldn't implement and sustain change alone.

Using a dialogical and reflective process situated in a case study methodology, we collaborated to combine bespoke leadership training and individual coaching, enabling the Principal to identify, recruit and build a middle and executive leadership team able to support a distributed leadership model and her change agenda. Through moving away from a flat, almost non-existent leadership structure, to one with clear and tiered responsibilities, the school was able to develop a culture based on clear expectations of learning, grow and care, offering a robust and relevant curriculum for students. Succession planning was actioned and opportunities for shadowing and learning from the internal school experts exists for professionals from a myriad of professional backgrounds - education, social and youth work and allied health.

The process of an intentional leadership development process, that includes targeted coaching and tailored leadership awareness offers significant benefits for school leaders with a strong improvement, high expectations and master plan for growth and expansion. 

Working in partnership with external expertise in educational leadership and coaching supports change, enables rapid pace setting and benefits the career trajectories of aspiring and  emerging, middle and senior leaders which furthers the improvement agenda of the school and offers a model for other similar settings.

Key takeaways:

• How to create a sustainable leadership program
• How to build a sustainable school
• The role of professional learning and coaching

This yarning circle is an opportunity to share, discuss, build community, and bring to the light the experiences of Systemic & Structural Racism, Disablism and Stigmatization in the Australian education system. We/I would like to lead a culturally safe yarn about the impact this is having on the futures of our Aboriginal & Torres Strait children, particularly those living with a disability and in the out-of-home care system.

The Knox LGBTIQA+ Action Group are a passionate group of young people from Knox who plan and run events for other young people within the municipality. In 2022 the group identified the need to better educate secondary school staff on the challenges faced at school by LGBTIQ+ young people, with the aim to increase safety and acceptance within local schools so that LGBTIQA+ young people don't feel excluded and discriminated against in daily school life. The group created a presentation to be delivered either online or in person at schools that was interactive and informative and encouraged school staff to look at their current practices and identify ways they could be more inclusive. The group delivered the sessions to 8 schools.

Key takeaways:

• Some of the barriers and challenges young LGBTIQA+ face at school and simple things schools can do to overcome them.
• Tips to make schools more inclusive and welcoming of LGBTIQA+ young people
• How to be an ally within the school setting

1. Trauma-informed careers education - Kirra Greaves Uni of Melbourne
2. Don't judge a book (distribution program) by its cover, Megan Hall, Life Without Barriers
3. Searching for HOPE: An ethnographic approach to researching the HOPE (Healing Orientated Approach to Education) Model at Hester Hornbrook Academy (Victoria, Australia) Alyssa McNeilly
4. Supporting Young Parents into Education & Employment, Mary Tresize-Brown 

Flexi Schools associated with Edmund Rice Education Australia exist across the country in almost every state and territory in metro, regional and remote areas. Foundational to their operation are practices derived from a deep connection to the tradition of outdoor education, including the use of working agreements, operation by principles and the concept of common ground, reflective practice and the power of a group circle. We know that such practices increase engagement and build a sense of belonging, leading to better attendance, learning outcomes and the building of transferable skills.

In this workshop we will share wisdom and use Pambula Beach FLC as a case study to outline the key steps, plans and methods that can support growth of an adventure-based learning program in your school. Through the voices and experiences of young people, we will showcase the transformative power of a well-structured ABL program. 

Key takeaways

• the power of shared experiences to create positive connections, outcomes and school culture
• the rationale and some practical steps to support the growth of ABL in your community
• explore some of the challenges and solutions
• hear the voice of young people who have experienced the transformative power of ABL programs
• how to maintain a trauma informed approach to adventurous programming.

An education model to challenge the narrative and landscape that enables educational disadvantage for children that are excluded.

Despite access to education being firmly established in international children's rights and embedded within current legislative and policy frameworks to education in Australia, some students - particularly those from the most marginalised backgrounds - find themselves persistently disconnected and excluded from school. Focusing on children with child protection and youth justice systems involvement, this presentation will briefly examine ways in which the contemporary legislative and socio-political landscape can produce and perpetuate structural issues within the Victorian education system that may contribute toward disengagement and exclusion from school for some groups of students.

The presentation will then introduce a new model of education that is being piloted in a regional area of Victoria, called Goldfields Education, and discusses how the model's cross-sector partnership design integrates the services involved in students' lives to formally recognise authentic learning that occurs outside of traditional school walls. Evaluation of the model is in progress; however, important learnings have emerged through the model's implementation to date which are discussed. Sure to provoke rich interest and following discussion, this presentation will challenge the way we understand these children's relationship with education, and our collective responsibility to this critical issue.

Key takeaways:

• School exclusion & contributing structural factors
• Discuss the legislative backdrop surrounding school inclusion and a child's right to access education
• Place-based and partnership approaches to tackle complex social issues such as school exclusion
• Introduction to an inspiring Victorian based model of Education which works within existing systems and structures to creatively to include students in formal education who have otherwise been excluded.

Sharing our success as a Trauma-Informed specialist assistance independent school who work with students that are at-risk of disengaging from education and community. This session seeks to explore and discuss the ongoing struggle of finding the balance between 'enough'  academic engagement and 'enough' wellbeing support. Together our Director of Teaching and Learning and Wellbeing Leader will present on strategies that we have implemented to support our students by taking into consideration their neurodiversity, diagnosis and lived-experience of intergenerational, collective &/or individual trauma. With insights from our students, and their families, we will explain how we have been able to navigate situations where the balance has been found and moments where equilibrium could not be established.

Key takeaways:

• Classroom strategies that have been implemented successfully
• Successful individualised strategies that have been used for specific students
• How the wellbeing team and teaching team work together to support students

This yarning circle is an opportunity to share, discuss, build community, and bring to the light the experiences of Systemic & Structural Racism, Disablism and Stigmatization in the Australian education system. We/I would like to lead a culturally safe yarn about the impact this is having on the futures of our Aboriginal & Torres Strait children, particularly those living with a disability and in the out-of-home care system.

St Joseph's Special Assistance School in North Melbourne has launched a program called BlendED. The program is aimed to address the significant increase in School Refusal since the COVID pandemic. It focuses on providing high quality personalised learning opportunities to young people who have been presented with significant barriers to accessing mainstream schooling. The program has taken the 'silver lining' from the COVID lockdown period and provides high quality teaching and learning in a virtual classroom, with on the ground, wrap around, wellbeing support. 

BlendED, works for students whose presenting barriers make it difficult for them to access a tradition on site learning program. To access the program, students must either have a diagnosed disability, are being supported to get a diagnosis or are presenting with clear evidence of a disability. In addition, to access the online program, guardians need to demonstrate that the young person has a history of school refusal and minimal access to activities beyond the home.

In this full-time education program, students do not physically attend school, rather they access their curriculum and instruction via the internet. At times, offline activities and instructional materials may also be provided depending on the year level of the student and each individual student's circumstances. Students work within a negotiated weekly timetable with their learning being facilitated, monitored, and assessed by virtual teacher(s) who interact with students via the internet, email, phone, web conference, and the Learning Management System. 

Teachers and youth workers facilitate community gatherings where students routinely come together in their local community to build their capabilities: Personal and Social, Ethical, intercultural and Critical and Creative Thinking.

Key takeaways:

• Tackling school refusal 
• Re-thinking the geography of schooling 
• Taking the 'silver lining' from the COVID lockdowns to rethink how we do traditional school

Young Families Connect (YFC) Outreach Program

Pregnant and parenting students face unique challenges to remain engaged in education. Balancing the responsibilities of parenthood with the pursuit of academic excellence can be an overwhelming task. This abstract provides insight into the YFC Outreach Program virtual classroom designed specifically to support the 1600 young parents that give birth each year across Queensland, providing students a flexible and supportive educational environment. Research states that only 4.8% of pregnant and parenting students remain engaged in education post birth, the YFC Outreach Program is determined to change this. 

This innovative approach to education takes into account the specific needs and circumstances of young parents unable to attend the onsite YFC Program based at Ipswich SHS.  This unique program allows students to continue their education while caring for their children. The virtual classroom employs a combination of online resources and tailored support systems to provide a well-rounded and accommodating educational experience.

Key elements of the Young Families Connect Outreach Program include:

1. Flexible Scheduling: This program enables young parents to access their education at their convenience, accommodating their unique schedules and responsibilities as caregivers.
2. Virtual Classrooms: Students participate in interactive online learning with their teacher and other students, fostering engagement, collaboration, and peer support, while reducing the need for physical attendance. Any young parent throughout Queensland can access the program.
3. Specialised Curriculum: The curriculum is designed to address the academic needs of young parents, offering a mix of subjects and life skills that can be applied to their daily lives.  
4. Supportive Environment: Comprehensive support services from the Young Families Connect Program Outreach Program and the BRAVE Foundation that includes parenting support and resources from services in their local community.  This support is readily available to ensure that young parents can succeed academically and personally.
5. Individualised Learning: Tailored learning plans are developed to meet the specific needs and learning styles of each student, fostering personal growth and academic achievement.  Students can work towards their Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) or select a Transition to Work pathway.

By implementing this virtual schooling model, the YFC Outreach Program is empowering young parents throughout Queensland to complete their education without compromising their responsibilities as caregivers. 

This abstract highlights the potential of such a system to improve the well-being of both young parents and their children, ultimately contributing to a more inclusive and equitable educational landscape.

Questions to 2-3 young parents will wrap up the presentation.
Q1:    Young parents often face unique challenges, and are misunderstood when they leave school due to their pregnant and parenting responsibilities.  What would you say to educators on how to make schools a welcoming and supportive experience for young parents?
Q2:    Can you help other young parents gain some insight into your experience as a young mother who is studying or has completed your studies, and why it is worth the effort?

St Joseph's Geelong worked with APRA SongMakers in 2023 to develop a pilot program that, over the course of six weeks, provided young people with the opportunity to write and record music with industry professionals. APRA SongMakers has historically worked with government schools, providing a condensed two-day program to schools all over Australia. In addition to songwriting, the pilot program was designed to provide some insight into whether songwriting can help young people to improve emotional literacy and emotional regulation. 

The experience was profound. There were lots of laughs (and some tears) as young people were supported by mentors to work outside of their comfort zones, exploring and expressing their thoughts, emotions and exposing their vulnerabilities through performing and recording. By the end of the six weeks, young people had written and recorded three songs. However, more importantly, they had formed some invaluable relationships with the mentors and experienced success in the face of significant challenges and high expectations. Anecdotal survey data from the program showed that the young people had developed confidence to express themselves through songwriting and that it could be a vehicle to help them process and communicate their emotions.  

Music and songwriting are a powerful way to help our young people learn to understand and communicate their emotions. It can help them develop self-confidence, self-efficacy and stamina when faced with challenging situations. It can also help them to understand the power of positive relationships, the importance of working collaboratively and how exposure to this in our school community can shine a light on a more positive future for young people.  

This presentation will showcase the songmaker's songs, and processes used and provide opportunity for conversation regarding music, well-being and agency

The Victorian State government through the Department of Education established the LOOKOUT Centres in 2016 to address the educational disadvantage of children and young people in Out-of-Home Care (OoHC) and raise the profile of the Out-of-Home Care Education Commitment: A Partnering Agreement. 

The Partnering Agreement strengthens the shared commitment between partners to improve education, health and wellbeing outcomes for children and young people in OoHC.

More recently LOOKOUT has increased its remit into early childhood, supporting the delivery of the Early Childhood Agreement for Children in Out-of-Home Care. This agreement works to ensure that all Victorian children have access to high quality early childhood services, regardless of circumstance.

This session will cover the role of the LOOKOUT teams across the state in working to support schools to improve the educational outcomes of students in OoHC.

Key takeaways:

• Participants will learn about the OoHC Education Commitment - A Partnering Agreement and its role in supporting students in OoHC to better educational outcomes.
• Participants will hear about the role, the LOOKOUT teams play in supporting the implementation of the OoHC Partnering Agreement
• Participants will hear how Trauma Informed Practise is linked to the work of the LOOKOUT teams.

Wouldn't it be great to know more about our student's views on goals, learning, and success? And to know what staff think about this too so we could compare? Understanding the perspectives of students and staff on educational goals, learning processes, and success criteria is crucial for improving the quality of education. This session presents the findings of a research project that surveyed over 100 students and staff in a flexible learning (special assistance) school in Western Australia that caters for students from Year 7 to Year 12. The speaker will explain the research methodology and the key insights that emerged from the data analysis. The session will also discuss possible next steps as a result of the research findings.

Key takeaways:

• Ideas on how to do research in a flexi-learning context
• The views of students and staff on goals, learning, and success outcomes in a flexible learning school (student and staff voice)
• Similarities and differences between students and staff on their perceptions of student goals, learning, and success. 
• Next steps as a result of action research, formats for sharing with staff and developing learner profiles

Carinity Education Shalom, with a significant 96% representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in its cohort, has embarked on a transformative journey in delivering the QCAA Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Languages 2019 short course. Our primary goal is the preservation and promotion of the language of the First Nation people upon which our school is built. We aim to empower senior students by giving them curriculum choices that celebrate the culture of our First Nation people.

Our curriculum decisions aim to cultivate a culturally strong environment among our students. This course allows us to extend the P-10 curriculum's general capabilities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures into our senior curriculum and to have a stronger and more meaningful connection with the traditional owners of Townsville. This initiative holds profound significance in tailoring a curriculum that resonates deeply with the cultural heritage and educational needs of our predominantly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student body. It also provides our non-Indigenous students with a better understanding of our shared history and ongoing story.

With full implementation scheduled for Semester 2, 2024, our groundwork underscores the fundamental connections between language, identity, and land. Although in its initial stages, our journey highlights the complexities and value of embracing linguistic heritage while fostering an inclusive educational environment. This presentation aims to share insights into our educational initiative's challenges, successes, and anticipated impact within a predominantly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student community. 

Join us as we share our evolving journey in nurturing a curriculum that authentically represents cultural diversity, community engagement, and academic enrichment within our school's unique context, centred around Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

Key takeaways:

• Establishing Authentic Relationship: A way to actively engage with Traditional Owners
• Educational Enrichment: The advantages of studying Indigenous languages extend beyond Indigenous students. 
• Cultural Identity and Well-being: The positive impact of language preservation on fostering cultural identity, pride, and overall student well-being. 
• Cultural Respect and Protocols: The significance of respecting cultural protocols, seeking permission, and establishing meaningful relationships with traditional owners.

A co-designed employment model for youth with disabilities

Rationale: Getting a job after leaving school is challenging given persistently low employment rates of youth with disability in Australia. While having a job during the final years of school is a key predictor of post-school employment, existing funding and program structures provide limited support in this area. A three-year NDIA funded project has developed a two-stream employment program co-designed through regular consultations with a Subject Matter Expert Group. The resulting model focuses on improving interagency collaboration to support employment outcomes through the 'Working Together' steam, and a skills-based stream for students with disability, 'Getting Jobs'. 
 
Objective: The model was piloted in one metropolitan region of Victoria to gain preliminary evaluation data to inform subsequent iterations and roll out of the model in three other regions. 
 
Method: 'Working Together' participants attended workshops focused on evidence-based strategies to enhance interagency collaboration over a 12 month period. 'Getting Jobs' participants completed an established 'steps to employment' program delivered at school and received early access to disability employment services to help them get and keep a job while at school. Piloting of the model is explored through interviews with a student participant, their parent, teacher, SILOs connector, and employment consultant. 

Results: All stakeholders highlighted that the Breaking out of the Silos program provided opportunities for employment which would not have been otherwise available. In addition to securing a part-time job, student outcomes included skills development, personal development, and empowerment. A range of enablers and barriers to successful implementation of the model were identified by participants. 
 
Conclusion: This pilot evaluation identifies key factors impacting the success of Breaking out of the Silos employment model. Program evaluation data, including pre and post- program surveys, interviews and focus groups with key stakeholders, and an economic analysis of the model as it rolls out across four geographical regions aims to influence future policy and service systems redesign to support positive school to work transitions.

Cutting Edge are Makers in Residence as artists and engineers with youth and social work qualifications and experience they share their skills and knowledge with students and teachers in flexible and inclusive sites through hands-on workshops and projects. Working in Flexible and inclusive sites they bring an outsider perspective into the sites and their work with teachers and students. This workshop outlines the development of an open-ended program "tinkering, making, engineering" across two very different sites and the expansion of the program into pre-service teacher education with a series of workshops.

The tinkering, making, engineering program integrates sustainability, creativity and both high- and low-tech taking students from where they are at with an open invitation to explore their own creativity. The workshop explores the need to connect "hands on learning" to a curriculum that has meaning for the students and the sites and how makers can bring and add value to learning program. The workshop highlights the benefits of collaboration where students have a voice and a choice in their learning, and building strong relationships between the makers, the teachers, and the students.

The pursuit of student success in educational settings is a multifaceted endeavour. Image a world where every student, despite their circumstances, can succeed with the support and the resources they need. Unfortunately, we're far from that reality, and many students face challenges that hinder their success. As educators, it's our responsibility to change this narrative.

Student success is more than 'getting good grades'; it's about supporting our students to be leaders, innovators, and problem-solvers so they develop the skills to navigate the challenges and complexities of life. Nurturing the potential within every young mind and creating opportunities for them to thrive is paramount for success.

Our presentation explores the fundamental aspect of nurturing student achievement in Numeracy and Literacy at school. It delves into key strategies educators and educational institutions can use to enhance teaching and learning success.

We unpack strategies for developing motivated and adaptable learners. We'll provide insights into how easily accessible real-time data for educators can inform creating personalised learning experiences and further opportunities to grow the skills and understanding of each student.

Key takeaways:

• Learn strategies to develop motivated, adaptable and assessment capable learners.
• Share insights from schools how accessible real-time data is being used to transform numeracy and literacy growth.
• Explore the ways how educators can easily create personalised learning experiences for each student.

This session will present how River Nile School uses collaboration between the student wellbeing team and class teachers to develop engaging and relevant curriculum projects. We will showcase how this collaboration has led to the development of an engaging and relevant Health & Wellbeing unit. By harnessing insights from our wellbeing team about students' concerns, we've crafted an integrated curriculum project. This project not only educates students about health & wellbeing but also empowers them to create a student-led Health Expo to share their newfound knowledge.

Key takeaways:

• Using insights from wellbeing staff to inform curriculum for young women from refugee backgrounds.
• Effective collaboration between teachers and wellbeing staff. 
• Developing hands-on and challenging learning experiences for students with different levels of English language proficiency.

The 'Furniture for Change' Project was first delivered by The Centre Education Programme at Kingston in late 2019. The Project began with a $2500 grant and strong stakeholder engagement with key community partners, prioritising First Nations partnerships. The idea was for young people to contribute to community by building flatpack furniture for donation to families in need. The project attracted further grants of more than $20000 from funding partners over the next 2 years allowing our young people to donate over 400 pieces of furniture to community. Originally, the project was born out of feedback from our seniors indicating that they wanted better transition pathways into employment.

Through student led discussions, deliberate curriculum planning, and development of common ground with local stakeholders, the project has resulted in 32 employment outcomes for marginalised young people. Moving into 2024, the project has now become fully sustainable with the support of our stakeholders without need for grants or school funding to support the delivery of the project. From it's inception, intentional planning towards sustainability was the goal through a prototyping strategy that allowed staff and stakeholders to 'learn as they go' and use funding to develop the project as it rolled out. Sharing our experiences at the Doing School Differently Conference will be an opportunity to provide proven project-based learning strategies that can lead to sustainable outcomes for young people using Furniture For Change as the example.

Key takeaways:

• Strategies to start developing sustainable school-based projects with young people
• Linking projects to curriculum outcomes
• Building common ground relationships with stakeholders that lead to employment outcomes for young people.

In this presentation, we will share what we have learnt in our ten years of establishing the YPEP and engaging young parents back to education, the features of an education model that retains young parents and supports them to transition onto further education, training or employment. Embedded within the YPEP is the Young Mothers Transition Program, a case management model using a coaching approach that incorporates co-designing an Education to Employment Plan.

Young parents and their babies require a unique approach and by sharing what we know, we aim to assist others to offer education for young parents. Inclusions in our presentation will detail:

• Young Mothers Transition Program
• Early Parenting Support Practitioner 
• Independent Evaluation & Advocacy
• YPEP Steering Group

Key takeaways:

• The key features of an education model that re-engages and retains young parents
• Inclusive education for young parents and their babies
• The Educators and Early Parenting Support roles
• Young Mothers Transition Support
• Leadership & advocacy

Carinity Education Shalom, with a significant 96% representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in its cohort, has embarked on a transformative journey in delivering the QCAA Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Languages 2019 short course. Our primary goal is the preservation and promotion of the language of the First Nation people upon which our school is built. We aim to empower senior students by giving them curriculum choices that celebrate the culture of our First Nation people.

Our curriculum decisions aim to cultivate a culturally strong environment among our students. This course allows us to extend the P-10 curriculum's general capabilities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures into our senior curriculum and to have a stronger and more meaningful connection with the traditional owners of Townsville. This initiative holds profound significance in tailoring a curriculum that resonates deeply with the cultural heritage and educational needs of our predominantly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student body. It also provides our non-Indigenous students with a better understanding of our shared history and ongoing story.

With full implementation scheduled for Semester 2, 2024, our groundwork underscores the fundamental connections between language, identity, and land. Although in its initial stages, our journey highlights the complexities and value of embracing linguistic heritage while fostering an inclusive educational environment. This presentation aims to share insights into our educational initiative's challenges, successes, and anticipated impact within a predominantly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student community. 

Join us as we share our evolving journey in nurturing a curriculum that authentically represents cultural diversity, community engagement, and academic enrichment within our school's unique context, centred around Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

Key takeaways:

• Establishing Authentic Relationship: A way to actively engage with Traditional Owners
• Educational Enrichment: The advantages of studying Indigenous languages extend beyond Indigenous students. 
• Cultural Identity and Well-being: The positive impact of language preservation on fostering cultural identity, pride, and overall student well-being. 
• Cultural Respect and Protocols: The significance of respecting cultural protocols, seeking permission, and establishing meaningful relationships with traditional owners.

St Edmund's College Wahroonga is a school for young people with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities.  Young people attending the College have complex needs, including those diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).  In this workshop, two special educators will lead delegates through 8 guiding questions framed from the perspective of a young person.  These questions help educators evaluate and plan supports for students with ASD.  Delegates will get a better understanding of the simple strategies and changes they can make in their setting to support these students.  Delegates will also have an opportunity to ask questions related to their settings.

Key takeaways:

• Gain a better understanding of support needs for students with ASD
• Introduced to eight guiding questions to evaluate what support is needed 
• Gain practical tips and resources to implement in flexible settings

This session presents an update on the progress of the Linkage Project (190100398) Supporting teachers and teaching in flexible and non-traditional schools. Led by Chief Investigators from Griffith University, QUT and SCU, this research has been undertaken in partnership with AAFIE, Jabiru Community College (Qld.) and Youth Inc. (SA). This project aims to address a critical gap in knowledge about the experiences and conditions of people who teach in flexible and non-traditional schools in Australia. Using a mixed-methods approach, this project is generating new knowledge about the experiences and needs of these teachers.

Expected outcomes include detailed understanding of support needs for this workforce. This will significantly benefit teachers, sponsors and principals through recommendations on best practice management of this important work, along with evidence-based training artefacts for staff recruitment and retention. This presentation has a focus on the use of photographic data provided by participants as they try to represent the nature of their work. There will be a chance for the audience to participate in meaning-making from this data.

SAS are mainly small relational schools where young people can reconnect to education and can find a place of connection research shows, however, that formal outcomes are few and far between.

This workshop explores a collaboration between SASY (Specialised Assistance School for Youth), Finders University with the support of the South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) Board to explore how the holistic model of Special Assistance Schools could be brought into alignment to increase the number of students who gain a formal accreditation through engagement with authentic, relevant integrated holistic learning.

SASY is a fee free independent secondary Specialised Assistance School (SAS) operating specifically for vulnerable and disengaged young people who have complex needs. SASY offers a safe place for young people to reignite their learning through holistic practices that help to rebuild young people's health and social-emotional wellbeing as the precursor to personal growth and community engagement. The school has developed a holistic framework encapsulated by the SASY 5C's: Connection, Character, Culture, Capacity and Celebrate.

The traditional subject and task-based organisation of the SACE was at odds with the way that SASY embeds meaningful connection to young peoples learning to place education and wellbeing at the heart of the holistic outcomes.

Building from the SASY 5C's staff have successfully trialled two integrated programs that place young persons learning and wellbeing at the heart of authentic, collaborative programs in Music and Adventure. Staff have ensured young person learning are demonstrated through authentic experience and purposeful outcomes. We look forward to sharing it with you.

Key takeaways:

• learning occurs through experiences: accumulated hands on knowledge and skills demonstrated authentically.
• deepen outcomes by layering curriculum through authentic engagement
• capturing 'learning journey' evidence and sharing the story to celebrate growth of and for young people.

The design of a school environment can significantly boost student engagement—or it can feel like an unchangeable barrier that limits the effectiveness of teaching and learning. The Berry Street School, which specialises in trauma-informed education, has been reviewing its facilities to test their fitness-for-purpose and identify opportunities to evolve them into a more trauma-informed learning environment. This review commenced when we identified a mismatch between our school's educational philosophy and the learning environment which was placing unnecessary limits on our school's effectiveness - a challenge experienced by many flexible schools which do not operate from purpose-built facilities. 

Our journey has spanned the full spectrum of facility improvements from designing a new 'model school' campus on a greenfield site, through to making small and incremental - but altogether meaningful - tweaks to existing facilities in areas such as lighting, wayfinding, and furniture. In this workshop, we will share how we self-assessed our existing facilities against external standards from the Trauma-informed Design Society. We will also show how we designed a new 'model school' to incorporate the principles of a trauma-informed design as well as our learnings from implementing trauma-informed practice over a long period of time. Participants will gain an understanding of how to perform their own self-assessments of existing facilities; how to identify immediate improvements that any campus could enact despite their own current opportunity limitations (both large and small); and how the layout of a school campus can profoundly impact the functioning of a flexible school.

Key takeaways:

• Learn the significance of aligning a school's educational philosophy with its physical learning environment to optimise effectiveness.
• Gain valuable knowledge on conducting self-assessments against trauma-informed design standards and integrating these principles into school facilities.
• Discover actionable strategies for improving existing school facilities, whether through small tweaks or envisioning purpose-built campuses, and recognise how minor changes can significantly impact the functionality of flexible schools.

Kellie and Marie, Edmund Rice Education Australia Flexible Schools, will present a workshop focussing on the development of the Skills for Lifelong Learning (SkiLL) program. The world of work and life requires a range of skills that are transferable. Transferable skills enable our young people to help shape a shared future built on the wellbeing of individuals, community and the planet. The SkiLL program was developed in response to growing trends in the future of work and life, including growth in the demand for human and thinking skills. These transferable skills are essential for young to develop and be able to evidence. The SkiLL program being developed and implemented by EREA Flexible Schools follows a model that places young people at the centre. It is designed around young people owning the language and understanding of skills so that they can collect the evidence to demonstrate and make them visible to themselves and others. 

The increasing recognition of micro-credentials and skills badges enables us to make our young people's broad knowledge and capabilities built both within and outside of the school setting obvious to a range of audiences, including young people themselves.   Through the progressive collection of evidence, young people are assessed at multiple points (as many as required) over time according to the Human Capabilities Standards of Creativity, Problem Solving, Cultural Awareness, Digital Smarts, Communication, Empathy, Customer Focus and Cultural Awareness. A digital platform will enable blended learning and interactive feedback between young people, staff, families and industry friends and support the gathering of the fullness of a young person's learning into a single learner profile as a 'digital backpack' that travels with them in whatever future learning and employment context they pursue.

Key takeaways:

• Transferable skills enable our young people to help shape a shared future built on the wellbeing of individuals, community and the planet.
• A program that builds skills is designed around young people owning the language and understanding of skills so that they can collect the evidence to demonstrate and make them visible to themselves and others. 
• Digital tools enable young people in collaboration with staff to build a portfolio of demonstration of skills to support broader recognition.

The secret sauce to connection and belonging.

Youth Workers have been a common feature of alternate education in Australia.  In Queensland Youth Workers are now being deployed in state education in ever-increasing numbers.  But what is it about youth work that so steadfastly supports engagement in school communities and classroom learning?  What is the secret sauce that youth workers activate to build genuine connection and a sense of belonging?  This workshop will explore the unique and significant contribution that youth work brings to classrooms and school communities.  Share experiences and wisdom with the group, have a go at forming a new connection and join the real-time feedback loop to take your skills to the next level.

Key takeaways:

• Consider what's different about youth work and why it is so important in schools. 
• Talk about the importance of unconditional positive regard along with its lethal enemy - unconscious bias
• Experience genuine connection and uncover how you can grow your own practice with everyday strategies

This yarning circle is an opportunity to share, discuss, build community, and bring to the light the experiences of Systemic & Structural Racism, Disablism and Stigmatization in the Australian education system. We/I would like to lead a culturally safe yarn about the impact this is having on the futures of our Aboriginal & Torres Strait children, particularly those living with a disability and in the out-of-home care system.

Breaking the Cycle - rising to the challenges of raising students’ aspirations.

Young People performance