Surveying our Community
Step 1 - survey
We wanted to find out what was most important to our community. During term 2, we surveyed parents, staff and students, asking them what they considered to be the most important skills and understandings that a student should have by the time they left Weetangera Primary School.
Student Responses
You should know how to speak publicly and write in general. You should also know maths so when you have a job you can tell how much money you get. It is very important that you make some friends, although it may be hard.
-year 5 student
You should know how to socialise with others, and learn to give people second chances.
-year 4 student
How to socialize, make friends, subject knowledge, do stuff for yourself, get to school on time, take care of yourself, kindness, friendliness, and teamwork.
-year 6 student
How to do maths. How to write different words. How to not get distracted.
-year 1 student
Parent/Carer Responses
I would like my children to be problem solvers, resilient in times of personal struggle, confident participants in learning areas, and the school community, someone who enjoys learning with great curiosity, belief in themselves as a reader/writer, and as a user of mathematical strategies and thinking tools. Mostly though, I want my children to have a love of learning and a strong belief in themselves as independent learners.
Independence, high self esteem, kind, caring, friendly, ability to stand up for what they believe in, ability to learn, inquisitive, critical and creative thinker.
Confident with reading, writing and maths. Basic understanding of different areas of science. Aware of and actively engaged in climate action/sustainability learning, global issues/topics and creative areas. Should be socially comfortable with themselves and with others, and actively engage in problem-solving to find solutions.
Staff Responses
Read fluently and basic understanding of numbers. Be a good human. know their own self-worth and their true identity. A burning desire to continue learning/ love of learning
Respectful student who strives to achieve their best. Satisfactory skills in at least Maths and English to allow them to operate in society. Adequate social skills to be able to make connections with others when they start high school.
To be active citizens with a focus on supporting local and global causes that matter, Kind and respectful to others, literate and numerate, Information literate/digitally aware, independent and active learners to seek out knowledge, environmentally conscious, culturally aware and respectful of all, ability to self-reflect and self-regulate, good mental health profile and strategies to help themselves and others through difficulty, to be empowered and trusted with responsibility.
Key words and Phrases
We surveyed staff, parents and students. In some cases they used different words, but we think they were saying the same things. To help us understand and visualise this data, where it is not self-explanatory we have brought together some of these themes under common key words (you’ll see these in the word clouds):
Arts: Music, Visual Art, Drama, Dance, Media skills.
Literacy: reading, writing, speaking and listening skills, spelling, grammar, punctuation.
Information Literacy: research skills, critical analysis of information, ability to evaluate sources, inquiry skills.
Numeracy: knowledge of mathematical concepts, understanding of number, time, money, measurement.
Social Skills: the ability to make and keep friends, solve problems with others, interact with a range of people, resolve conflict.
Collaboration: teamwork, working in a group.
Confidence: self-efficacy, belief in themselves as learners, self-esteem, growth mindset, willingness to try new things.
Communication: communicating with a range of different people, understanding their audience, effective communication skills.
Community-minded: active in the community, thinks of others, good citizen.
Cultural Understanding: understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, understanding of different traditions, cultures and histories from across the world.
General Knowledge: understanding of areas such as history, geography, government, issues (e.g. climate change)
High School Ready: academically ready, socially ready, time management and organisation skills, knows what to expect from high school.
Inclusive: accepts people as they are despite age, gender, disability, race etc.
Love of Learning: lifelong learner, motivation and enthusiasm for learning, self-starter.
Problem Solving: the ability to solve personal or academic problems.
Self-care: personal hygiene, how to cook, how to deal with money.
STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics skills.
Environmental Awareness: understanding of sustainability, care for the environment etc.
What about the next most important things?
We also asked about the 'nice to haves'. Many of the same responses came up, but there was also a focus on learning additional skills, such as music/arts, languages, sports and fitness skills. Many people also mentioned global and environmental awareness, financial literacy, and good handwriting.