Evaluation Of Granville Boys High School - 3711 Words

OVERVIEW OF GRANVILLE BOYS HIGH SCHOOL For my Professional Engagement placement, I was assigned to a UNSW ASPIRE program school, Granville Boys High School (GBHS), an single-sex government school situated in South Western Sydney. Due to its geographical location in one of the most multicultural regions in Sydney, with 95 per cent of the school’s total of 488 enrolments classified as Language Background Other Than English (LBOTE) students. Most students attending the school live in the surrounding Holroyd/Auburn area, with a large majority of students from Arabic or Muslim backgrounds. Additionally, there are recently arrived students from Africa and students with South Pacific Islander backgrounds. As well as being classified as a†¦show more content†¦Currently, there are a total of 114 students enrolled in Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses The Australian Government’s Productivity Commission (PC) highlights the importance of schools to minimise disadvantage in schools. It is crucial for schools to adapt teaching and learning programs that respond to the individual needs of students by recognising and addressing underachievement. In addition to quality tailored programs, quality teaching by highly trained staff is also quality learning. (PC, 12) As a school, GBHS tries to cater to the needs of students and support them. The school employs teachers, librarians, a careers advisor, counsellor and a Learning Services faculty (My School, 2014). Within the Learning Services Faculty, Learning Support teachers work to build inclusive classrooms that cater to the needs of students. They work in collaboration with subject teachers, and they help by teaching ESL programs, and using diagnostic assessments such as Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT) to determine learning difficulties and student progress. GBHS aids students by identifying the ways in which factors can influence learning. Early identification is important as it helps schools provide opportunities and tailor specific pedagogic strategies to compensate for the lack of support students get on their own. (PC 2012). This is done through early testing and assessments that monitors