Academic Care works best when the learning programs and the pastoral supports are aligned and mutually supportive. When students feel confident within themselves, can embrace their strengths and weaknesses, and are strongly connected to others then the best learning can happen.
Our Approach to Teaching and Learning
Academic Program
The academic program is the core business of any school and the teaching staff at Barker College are committed to a whole-school approach to curriculum development and delivery; the material of the curriculum being various and flexible enough to cater for the needs of every student. Barker has prioritised a curriculum that supports our mission to encourage students to thrive.
A focus on inquiry
The Barker approach to inquiry seeks to enrich and extend students as they move to the more subject-based setting of Middle and Senior schools. A feature of the curriculum in Years 7 to 10 will be units of inquiry that connect and enrich subjects through shared content and concepts. These units will be delivered in a Blended Learning environment. As the curriculum becomes more prescriptive in Years 11 and 12, students can use the inquiry mindset and skillset they have developed to complete assignments, major works, and to continue to support their learning by making connections between subjects rather than seeing them in isolation.
The value of subject knowledge
A focus on inquiry is often misrepresented as undervaluing subject knowledge and overlooking the value of explicit teaching. At Barker, we do not see these approaches as mutually exclusive. Effective inquiry learning rests on students being knowledgeable and being open to seeking deeper knowledge through asking questions. A knowledge-rich curriculum that promotes deeper thinking is at the heart of the Barker curriculum.
Teaching and Learning Framework
The Barker College Teaching and Learning Framework seeks to translate Barker’s mission, vision and values into a practical guide for teachers, students and parents. This is essential to give the language of teaching and learning a set of clearly understood definitions and a consistent experience in teaching and learning environments across the School. The document also has the twin aims of capturing and defining a language of teaching and learning that is already in play and, at the same time, to be sufficiently ambitious to consider how teaching and learning will evolve and how we wish to influence the evolution of teaching and learning at Barker College, so that every learner can grow and develop their God-given gifts, talents and interests.
The Teaching and Learning Framework at Barker College is framed by our Mission, Vision and Values:
The Teaching and Learning Framework captures the essential elements of teaching and learning at Barker College. The framework provides a common language for staff, students and parents, that focuses on the learning environment, the importance of subject knowledge, and the role of feedback and reflection to move the learner forward. These elements combine with the School’s Thrive Framework to create a rigorous and engaging learning environment for every student.
Contact Us
Greg Longney
Director of Teaching and Learning
GLongney@barker.nsw.edu.au
Telephone: (02) 8438 7999
