Avondale ranks highly in survey of independent schools
Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia
Avondale College ranks highly in a survey measuring how many independent schools in New South Wales partner with higher education providers to support student learning.
Nineteen per cent of the 101 schools surveyed by the Association of Independent Schools of New South Wales reported partnering with Avondale to support school-based action research, student learning improvement programs and teacher education programs. Thirteen per cent reported partnering with Avondale to support teacher education practicums. Only The University of Sydney, Macquarie University and Charles Sturt University ranked higher, which put Avondale above 14 other higher education providers.
Dr Peter Kilgour, a lecturer in the Faculty of Education and a member of the Independent Schools National Partnership Management Council, attributes Avondale’s high ranking to the quality of its students. “The correspondence we receive shows the schools love our students,” he says. Some 408 students are completing teaching practicums this midyear. “They spread themselves nationally and internationally and make quite an impact,” says Peter.
National Partnerships are a new form of payment established by the Council of Australian Governments to fund projects and to reward states delivering on nationally significant reforms. The National Education Agreement partnerships signed by the New South Wales Government focus on three areas: teacher quality; literacy and numeracy; low socioeconomic status school communities.
Avondale does not receive funding under the agreement, “but it does play a major role in supporting National Partnerships by providing quality teachers,” says Peter. “Given our small size, we’re making a significant impact substantiated by reportable data.”