Margaret Hendry School, Taylor, ACT

Margaret Hendry School, Taylor, ACT

Margaret Hendry School, the first ACT government school built to address the Future of Education Strategy, empowers children to become autonomous change agents within their own learning and community.

Here, children are organised in multi-age, multi-stage learning neighbourhoods (K-2 and Y3-6), enabling them to learn at a pace that is meaningful to them. Learning needs, not age, determine content and curriculum, with educational plans and learning timetables targeting children’s specific points of need.

Each year, students explore four over-arching concepts – me, we, nation, and world – through authentic learning experiences; lines of inquiry that integrate curriculum and essential skills for learning, such as collaboration, communication, and self-management; and lenses, such as sustainability and cultural integrity, allowing for spiral thinking and deep learning. Learnt skills and content are further integrated through the use of digital technologies and the arts in delivering play- and project-based pedagogies.

Guiding the students through their learning journey are learning coaches. They stand by the children’s side, giving advice and asking questions, giving them enough space and time to navigate their own learning pathway. They also serve as “rovers,” conferencing with children around individualised learning goals and providing feedback on essential skills.