Leading Literacy

Develop a school-wide literacy improvement strategy.  

Leading Literacy is designed for vertical school teams to develop their knowledge and capability to plan and lead evidence-informed whole-school improvement in literacy practices and learning outcomes.  

Teams will gain insights using contemporary research and evidence-informed approaches aligned with:

• the Victorian Curriculum English 2.0
• the Department of Education’s Victorian Teaching and Learning Model (VTLM) 2.0
• Victoria’s approach to teaching reading F–2
• Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools’ Vision for Instruction
• Magnify Sandhurst. 

To support whole-school improvements to literacy teaching and learning, your team will:

• lead in-school program and practice evaluations
• critically reflect on school-wide practices using a range of evidence, school observations and research
• identify improvement practices for your context
• inform the development of a school literacy improvement plan, and the priority practice enhancements needed for measurable and sustainable change.  

The program draws on the Academy Leadership Excellence Framework (ALEF) to build teams’ and individual participants’ capability to lead this work. 

Audience 

Roles

Designed for school teams, optimally consisting of 3 people, comprising:

1. One principal-class leader committed to progressing their own learning, as well as supporting the learning of the team. This participant will ensure an evidence-informed, whole-school approach to change is developed, supported and enacted.
2. One literacy leader or learning specialist who has leadership responsibilities for literacy learning or that leads a literacy-focused team. This person should be enthusiastic about embracing and bringing about positive change in literacy practice.
3. One classroom-based teacher who is willing to investigate, learn and further develop their literacy practice and generate evidence of student learning to inspire their colleagues. This participant will provide leaders with valuable insights into student and teacher learning, as well as perspectives on what teachers' need from leaders.

This team structure supports a whole-school approach to leading literacy improvement in your school context.

Small schools are welcome to collaborate and form a team of 3 across schools.

School sectors  

This program is available to the following school sectors:

• Victorian government
• Catholic
• independent.

Some content may contain information aligned with Department of Education priorities or initiatives. 

Structure of program

Over 4 months, you will actively engage in and contribute to:

• 2 face-to-face workshops (6 hours in duration for each)
• 3 online workshops (2.5 hours in duration for each)
• 1 day face-to-face final summit (4 hours in duration)
• 5 in-school learning tasks captured in a program workbook (between workshops)
• the development and presentation of a school literacy improvement plan (SLIP). 

The overall learning commitment is approximately 35 hours. 

Learning outcomes 

You will gain knowledge and understanding of:

• how to engage in school-based learning to inform future priorities for annual planning
• how to enact leadership priorities to support a deliberate culture of literacy improvement and progress
• how contemporary research relates to the learning and teaching of literacy for your context
• yourself as a leader of literacy learning in the context of your current role
• how to build relational trust by aligning actions with shared goals (a key ALEF capability).

Completion requirements

To successfully complete this program, you need to:  

• attend and participate in all workshops
• complete all required pre- and post-workshop activities
• submit your school literacy improvement plan (SLIP).

Fees and financial support

Department of Education subsidises Victorian government schools. 

Additional financial support for government schools

Victorian school participants may be eligible for additional subsidies.

Fees and financial support