Recording

Resources

Slides

Background

We were excited to welcome back Principals and APs/DPs for our third Principals’ Forum this year, on 23rd August 2022.

We will hear from the team at Riverwood Public School, including Principal Anne Davis.

Riverwood Public school is a small school located in a low socio-economic community in south-western Sydney. A focus on evidence-based wellbeing and learning practices has underpinned the school’s improvement work. We are committed to Explicit Direct Instruction as a key pedagogical approach and our literacy practices are aligned with the research from the science of reading. The school’s wellbeing framework articulates a twin focus on staff and student wellbeing. Our approach adopts a trauma informed model of support for students, a wellbeing curriculum and a Positive Behaviour for Learning framework which are responsive to student need. Staff wellbeing is supported through professional development and wellbeing plans, which work towards enhanced individual and collective professional growth and self-care.

Principals & APs/DPs

Anne Davis has worked in education for nearly 20 years, holding senior school leadership and relieving principal roles for 5 years prior to being appointed the principal at Riverwood Public School in 2018. She is a committed learner herself, completing 2 masters degrees in education and instructional leadership. Anne has also worked in the area of student engagement at Western Sydney University for 5 years. She has a strong interest in working in schools in low socio-economic areas due to her strong belief that education is an equity leveraging opportunity. At Riverwood Public School, Anne has led the school to develop a strong learning centred culture, which has supported the development of shared understandings in evidence-based wellbeing, learning, teaching and leadership practices to bring about significant improvement.

About the Host

Steven Capp, Principal

Steven Capp is the Principal of Bentleigh West Primary School in Melbourne, which has become recognised for its adoption of evidence- based teaching practices, particularly in the area of reading and mathematics. He has worked across the primary and secondary school sectors as an educational leader for the past 15 years. He has a Masters of School Leadership from Melbourne University and has worked with school leaders to explore bridging the gap from research to practice.