Wednesday 12 March 2025
Eight Catholic primary schools from Bendigo and surrounds participated in a leadership masterclass presented by Knowledge Society, aimed at equipping school leaders with the tools to foster positive learning environments. Held at the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership in Bendigo on Wednesday 12 March 2025, the one-day workshop was led by Knowledge Society trainer and Classroom Mastery expert, Sara Wiggins.
School principals and leaders from St Monica’s School Kangaroo Flat, St Mary’s School Inglewood, St Joseph's School Rochester, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School Elmore, St Kilian’s School Bendigo, St Mary’s School Cohuna, St Therese’s School Kennington and St Francis of the Fields School Strathfieldsaye took part in the intensive professional learning experience which supports our new educational intervention - Magnify Sandhurst.
The workshop covered a consilience approach to behaviour, the development of school-wide behaviour curriculum, and the refinement of teacher skills, coaching and implementing Classroom Mastery. The day provided school leaders with a framework to align behaviour expectations and instructional strategies across their schools, ensuring consistent and predictable learning environments for students.
“It’s the really simple kind of stuff, but it’s about nutting it out and getting it into explicit routines so that everyone is on the same page,” says Daisy Antonowicz, Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader, St Kilian's School Bendigo.
Carly Bannan, Mental Health in Primary Schools Leader, St Mary’s School Inglewood, echoed this sentiment, noting, “It will benefit students by ensuring consistency across the board. In every classroom, they’ll be receiving the same message.”
For Miggy Podosky, Deputy Principal, St Kilian's School Bendigo, the importance of a whole-school approach was clear: “When our entire school is working in the same direction, we can better support student outcomes.”
Sara emphasised the critical role of leadership in shaping effective classroom environments.
“This is our Leader's Masterclass, where we work with school leadership teams to explore the theory behind Classroom Mastery.
“We’re developing their school behaviour curriculum which is aligning all the components that contribute to a positive school culture. We also unpack teacher skills and discuss how we're going to do drop-ins to do some observation of feedback strategies to establish whole-school, consistent routines.”
Stephen O’Shannessy, Principal, St Mary’s School Inglewood, highlighted the benefits of this approach: “It allows our teachers and educators to be on the same path, creating predictability for students and ensuring school-wide expectations are clear.”
Classroom Mastery: A research-backed approach
Developed by Knowledge Society in collaboration with classroom management expert Dr Tim McDonald, Classroom Mastery provides evidence-based professional learning and resources to create engaged, structured and positive learning environments. Grounded in the Science of Learning. human behaviour and cognitive science, the program empowers educators to:
- Establish consistently productive and calm learning environments.
- Improve student wellbeing through a foundation of belonging, mastery, generosity, and responsibility.
- Reduce disruptive behaviours proactively, enhancing classroom and school safety.
- Increase student engagement, leading to improved learning outcomes.
- Apply structured coaching and feedback strategies to enhance teaching practices.
With Australian classrooms among the most disruptive globally, initiatives like Classroom Mastery offer essential tools for fostering structured, supportive and high-performing school cultures. By investing in leadership development and teacher coaching, Catholic schools in the Sandhurst Diocese continue to prioritise student success and wellbeing through evidence-based approaches.
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