Hume Central Secondary College
Case study snapshot
The challenge
Hume Central Secondary College is located in Broadmeadows, a low SES region in Victoria. The College relies heavily on employing early career teachers to fill staffing positions.
The response
To support and develop early career teachers, the College has created an Explicit Instruction Model. This provides a structured framework to deliver quality induction and mentoring practices to early career teachers.
The takeaways
Structured inductions and quality mentoring assist the professional development of early career teachers. These practices are especially necessary in low SES schools.
‘When I first started, knowing I was going to a disadvantaged area, I felt like the first two years were going to be an exercise in survival. The idea that I might be able to focus on refining my teaching practice was almost secondary because I thought it would just be a whirlwind. I thought that I would just be dealing with challenging students all the time. But the support I’ve received from Hume Central Secondary College and Teach For Australia has been extraordinary. It’s meant that I’ve grown enormously in my practice, and I’m seeing the results in my students.’ – Gus Wight, Hume Central Secondary College
In 2007, HCSC was formed from the amalgamation of three underperforming schools in the Broadmeadows region. Serving a low SES area undergoing significant population growth, HCSC currently educates 1120 students. Of this student body, 65% of have a language background other than English. To therefore establish and maintain a successful school, the Principal, Glenn Proctor, and the leadership team were clear about its most important resource – quality teaching staff.
In attracting quality staff, HCSC relied heavily on the recruitment of early career teachers (ECTs). HCSC has also been accepting Teach For Australia (TFA) Associates since the first cohort in 2009. With a significant reliance on ECTs, the support and development practices offered by the school have been essential. These practices have included mentoring, coaching, and an Explicit Instruction Model to ensure the quality Induction of ECTs. In only seven years, HCSC have built a school culture that’s supporting and developing excellent ECTs.
