At Balaklava High School, we’re thrilled to share our 2025 Site Learning Plan, part of our commitment to helping every student thrive. This year, we’ve embraced a new approach, guided by the Department for Education’s Cycle of Inquiry. In 2024, we explored our unique community, establishing a clear context for our work by analyzing data, surveys and student feedback to create a clear goal: “As a community, we will improve outcomes for every student by building resourceful and resilient learners.”

We’re now full steam ahead in the “give it a go” stage. New initiatives include connecting families and our community, in recognition of the important role played in supporting students to be successful. Across the school, we’re aligning with the new South Australian Curriculum, offering high-quality resources and teaching students to use them confidently. Senior School students will tackle a “Resourcefulness Sprint” in Term 2, mastering problem-solving, smart risk-taking and learning from setbacks. Junior and Middle School students are diving into “Resilience Sprints,” learning to push through tough moments and support each other.

Parents and families play a vital role in this journey! If you want to learn more, contact us at school or watch the Department’s short explainer video at YouTube Together, let’s support our students to thrive!

Junior School Term 2 Focus

Resilience and Growth Mindset

This term, the Junior School are focusing on Resiliency. Homegroup teachers have been working with their Year 7 and 8 students to understand what Resilience means and looks like from a learning perspective. Subject teachers are co-designing resiliency 'backpacks' with students to help them identify and build upon the support networks and tools they carry with them to help them navigate tough situations. In week 4 the focus will extend to unpacking what constitutes a Growth Mindset and how this mindset is essential to create lifelong learners. Additional resources will be constructed by students throughout the term, including a year 7 and 8 tree-themed mural with each leaf representing a student's resilience story.

Middle School Term 2 Focus

In Term 2, our Middle School students are concentrating on building resilience, not only within the classroom but also in their social interactions and daily lives. The beginning of the term has been dedicated to helping students gain a comprehensive understanding of resilience before applying it practically in classroom settings.

We are eager to share our insights and learnings with the school and wider community in various formats throughout the term and provide resources that will enhance our collective understanding of resilience.

Below is a poster available to students throughout the school, serving as a reminder of the diverse strategies for developing and nurturing resilience.

Senior School Term 2 Focus

Resourcefulness = Problem Solving + Growth Mindset + Tackling challenges

This term, the Senior School are focusing on Resourcefulness, beginning their work with this YouTube clip by Tony Robbins: A Lack of Resources is NOT Your Problem. Homegroup teachers have been explicitly working with their Year 11 and 12 students to understand what Resourcefulness means, and looks like, from a learning perspective. Subject teachers are making sure Daymap lesson notes are clear and concise, guiding students to resources and helping them understand exactly what is expected in a lesson. A Focus Group of students will be meeting in Week 4 to discuss resources being provided by subject teachers and which ones they find particularly useful. This feedback will guide Subject teacher drafting strategies, task sheet design and Daymap/Teams use.