Rooty Hill High School

Case study snapshot

The challenge
Rooty Hill High School, a low SES school in Western Sydney, employs 10 graduate teachers each year on average. Of the 80 current teaching staff, 65 have less than 5 years of experience.

The responses
The early career teachers regularly undergo observation, appraisal and feedback practices. They also receive mentoring support and participate in facilitated early career teacher meetings.

The takeaways
Methods of observation, appraisal and feedback are effective in developing quality early career teachers. This helps the early career teachers and the school to create a professional community of practice.

Rooty Hill High School (RHHS) is located in the Western Suburbs of Sydney serving over 1000 students. Of this student body, almost half have a language background other than English. Christine Cawsey, the Principal at RHHS, explained that of the 80 teaching staff, 65 have less than five years of experience. On average there are 10 new graduate teachers that start at the school every year.

This reliance on early career teachers prompted the RHHS leadership team to build a framework of support and development. The purpose of these support and development mechanisms is to ensure that every class is led by an effective teacher. As a result, the in-school mentoring and professional development opportunities available to early career teachers are exceptional. They are reducing staff attrition rates, improving early career satisfaction, and contributing to the positive student outcomes that RHHS enjoys.