Clair Goodall

EXCELLENT LEADERSHIP IN TEACHING AND LEARNING

Clair has only been teaching for four years, and in that short time she has led the implementation of a new curriculum in the Prep years at Canterbury College, with dramatic academic results.

Canterbury College Head of Junior School Bill Garland says when he started his role as Head of Junior School, he needed someone to take the Prep team on a different journey.

“She has led the implementation of play-based curriculum…has worked with staff to assist them with the implementation phase, and has also assisted us in rolling this approach out into Year 1,” Bill says.

Clair’s play-based approach has had an exceptionally positive impact on student learning outcomes and literacy development. As a result of her efforts, there has been an improvement in student data whereby the cohort has shifted from 29 per cent of students achieving above average results, to 51 per cent of students achieving above average results, in only 12 months.

Clair’s journey in this regard is not complete; she has evaluated the structure of Kindy at the school and has identified ways to re-align it to ensure students are at the centre of student learning. Her engagement with the school leadership team in this endeavour is a testament to her leadership capabilities and commitment to supporting her students.

In her role as the Kindy and Prep Academic Care Coordinator, Clair is empowered to oversee staff and work with them in order to shift their mindsets and preconceptions about student learning. As a younger teacher, this is invariably challenging; however, Clair approaches her work with care and integrity.

As a result of her efforts, many parents seek Clair out for her professional opinion. Her deep understanding of childhood development means she is a source of knowledge for parents, community and colleagues.

“Clair is inspiring. She is full of integrity and all the decisions she makes has the children at the forefront of her thinking,” Bill says.

“She has led the implementation of our i-Time, play-based curriculum with aplomb and her caring nature means she has the support of staff and the wider community. Many parents seek Clair out for parenting advice as she as an amazing understanding of early childhood development. She provides a great link between our Kindy program and Prep classes as she has worked across both areas. This allows her to support parents through the early years of their child's education,” Bill says.

Congratulations Clair on being shortlisted for the TEACHX Excellent Leadership in Teaching and Learning Award.