Wendy Coustley, Rosebud Secondary College
On taking up her position as Literacy Leader at the College in 2021, Wendy began an extended period of research and diagnosis to better understand the literacy challenges faced by students.
Applying the Framework for Improving Student Outcomes cycle, she implemented key literacy initiatives to address deficits in students' reading, spelling, and comprehension skills. Establishing partnerships with local primary schools, education support staff, and her peers, she built a culture of collective ownership of student learning that is successfully improving the college’s literacy levels.
Ensuring all members of the student population are supported to improve their literacy skills and can access opportunities for success, Wendy supports students with disabilities and works with vulnerable parents and students with compassion and integrity to improve literacy at every level of learning.
Wendy’s dedication to inclusive, system-wide literacy improvement is having a profound impact on the college’s learning environment and ensuring much-improved literacy outcomes for students and teachers.
Lianna Beeching, Preston High School
Subject leader, mentor, and educator Lianna Beeching’s contribution to secondary education at Preston High School has been inspiring and generous.
Revolutionising student learning through data-driven practices, differentiated instruction, and the skilled use of rubrics, Lianna is leading her peers and the network in the system-wide development of learning and teaching in Maths.
Creating a culture of shared learning and innovation through collaboration, professional development, and community engagement, she is elevating teaching quality at her own school and in many schools across Victoria.
Lianna’s promotion of excellence in the practice of Mathematics has also found voice and impact in presentations at the Mathematical Association of Victoria and within the online community of Mathspace, including over 300 participants across the country.
Lianna’s system-wide sharing of her practices and her provision of coaching and ongoing support has influenced and inspired change at a broader level and is testament to her great capacity to lead innovation through education.
Chloe Cook, Suzanne Cory High School
A Learning Specialist at Suzanne Cory High School, Chloe Cook has demonstrated exceptional dedication and innovation in fostering student learning and wellbeing at the school.
Understanding the correlation between positive relationships and improved learning outcomes, Chloe is successfully creating learning environments where every student feels valued and supported.
Chloe's teaching excellence is evident in her differentiated instructional approach, innovative assessment methods, and her leadership of curriculum development. Her proactive adoption of high-impact wellbeing strategies, informed by data and research, ensures her focus on student wellbeing results in sustained improvement in both students’ academic and wellbeing outcomes.
Chloe's commitment to community engagement, such as the Outreach Program for high-ability students from diverse backgrounds, is testament to her inclusive teaching approach. Her collaborative approach in coaching her peers, developing school-wide initiatives, and engaging with the community, ensures that the inclusion of all voices is informing a culture of continuous and collaborative whole-school improvement.
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