National Innovative School Award Winner

In July 2022, The Educator invited schools across Australia to participate in the publication’s 5-Star Innovative School Awards. Now in its eighth year, this report recognises the schools at the forefront of change and innovation.

Entries were open to all educational professionals who believe their school is pioneering a new direction in education. From teaching approaches to learning spaces and curriculum design, the report looks at schools reshaping the future of education.

The College Submission: 

Enterprise Workshop partnership with the University of Tasmania: held in July 2022.

The idea for this workshop grew out of Scotch Oakburn College and the University of Tasmania working in partnership. Both organisations recognised the value of fostering entrepreneurial mindsets through experiential, project-based learning opportunities.  The shared aim was to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in young people – in this instance Year 9 and 10 students. The Enterprise Workshop, a pilot for future years, recognised the investment in the all-important skills of creativity and problem-solving and highlighted the benefits of contextualised learning. Scotch Oakburn College’s Learner Attributes, including curiosity, innovation, agility and collaboration, were particularly relevant to this program.

The outcomes of this initiative were affirming. Students established connections to Tasmanian business leaders and became familiar with an entrepreneurial thinking model that they can use across a variety of disciplines and experiences once back in a school context.

The entries were narrowed down to the country’s most forward-thinking schools, which make up The Educator’s 5-Star Innovative Schools 2022 list.

“Scotch Oakburn College is again proud to be acknowledged, alongside its peers, as one of the country’s most innovative schools. Building on from wins in 2016 – 2018 and now, again in 2022”, said Principal, Andy Müller.

There could not be a more apt time for innovative education. The Productivity Commission, the Australian government’s advisory body on economic and school affairs, has delivered its interim report, part of a five-year inquiry into national productivity.

“Education is ripe for disruption”, says Productivity Commission Deputy Chair Alex Robson. “The traditional model in schools or universities could change drastically over the next 10 or 20 years. What we saw during the pandemic is that different methods of teaching and online classes can work.”

Joel Brewer
Director of Marketing and Community