2022 Victorian Education Excellence Awards Finalists

Outstanding School Improvement

The Outstanding School Improvement award recognises exceptional school staff within a Victorian government school who have demonstrated excellence to improve whole-school outcomes through strategic planning and improvement initiatives, and have made a significant contribution to developing effective partnerships with the broader community to improve overall school performance.

Warrnambool West Primary School

The path to improvement under new leadership at Warrnambool West Primary School required courage, vision and commitment. Despite the challenges of 2020 and 2021, the improvement team has transformed Warrnambool West into a high performing school, significantly reducing the impact of disadvantage that is present among the students and families the school serves.

Led by new principal Clare Monk, a small leadership team came together to enable necessary improvements in students’ achievement and wellbeing at the school.

Aligning resources and actions to key student-centred priorities, the team employed a cycle of inquiry into improvement. Consistent professional learning supported the implementation of a new instructional model and organisational processes. Building the capability of staff to understand the impact of trauma on students was key to nurturing trust and students’ sense of belonging.

The improvement team’s establishment of purposeful relationships with staff, community, students and their families has resulted in the school’s transformation and much-improved learning and wellbeing outcomes for students.