School culture, leadership, and key competencies

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Culture: Do we value the key competencies?

Leadership of the key competencies requires a school culture that signals that those competencies are important and valued. Importance can be signaled through goals for teaching and learning, through the explicit and implicit values of the school, through traditions, and through the things that are celebrated by the school.

Goals and targets

• To what extent are existing targets and goals aligned with the key competencies?
• Do any existing goals relate to students thinking; relating to others; using language symbols and text; managing self; participating and contributing?
• Are the goals well-crafted, and the conditions conducive to achieving the goals?

Values and traditions

• To what extent do traditional school events support students’ development of key competencies?
• What new traditions could be established that reflect key aspects of the key competencies – for instance critical thinking, self-motivation, negotiation, contributions, interpretation?
• To what extent are students actively involved in making decisions and carrying out purposeful roles in traditional school events (school trips to particular places, school social/community-building events for instance)?

Celebrations of progress and success

• What do current celebrations and recognitions of success signal about what is most valued in the school community?
• How might students’ capabilities in thinking; using language, symbols, and texts; managing self; relating to others; and participating and contributing be recognised and celebrated?
• How might teachers’ strengths in developing capabilities in thinking; using language, symbols, and texts; managing self; relating to others; and participating and contributing be recognised and celebrated?