The Big Picture Design

Jabiru Community College implements Big Picture Education Australia’s design principles for schools.  The key elements of this design are:

Personalisation: One student at a time

With the help of their Community Group Coordinator and parents, each student develops a learning plan that explores their interests and passions, and identifies personal learning goals, authentic project work and wider curriculum requirements. This plan is reviewed and updated regularly.

Academic rigour: Head, heart and hand

Big Picture schools have a strong intellectual purpose for each and every student. Students are continually challenged to deepen their learning and improve their performance across five learning goals: quantitative reasoning, empirical reasoning, social reasoning, communication skills and personal qualities. A high standard of academic work is expected of all students.

Leaving to learn: Learning through internships

Students work up to two days a week in an interest-based internship with a mentor from the community on an intellectually rigorous real-world project that is connected to their learning goals.

Authentic assessment

Each term the students exhibit their portfolios of work to a panel made up of the Community Group Coordinator, family, peers, the mentor, and others from the community. They provide evidence of progress against their learning goals and they reflect on the process of their learning.

Collaboration for learning

Students work in one-on-one or small group learning environments around their interests both inside and outside the school. Through internships, the community plays an integral role in the education of the students.

Learning in Community Group

Students are in a Community Group group of no more than 17 students and a Community Group Coordinator. They stay in the same Community Group for much of their secondary education. The Community Group Coordinator manages each student’s learning plan and ensures that all learning goals and the National Curriculum are covered.

Trust, respect and care

Big Picture schools work hard to create cultures of trust, respect and care between students and adults, as well as among students themselves.  At JCC we work hard to build a learning community that is an expression of our 5 core values (our ‘5 Rs) – Respect, Relationships, Responsibility, Rights and Reflection.

Everyone’s a leader

At JCC leadership is shared among the principal, staff, students, family, and community partners. Opportunities for leadership are created for everyone.

Families are enrolled too

JCC aims for real family engagement. Parents or carers are regarded as essential members of the learning team, beginning with the application process and progressing through to learning plan development, exhibitions and graduation.

Creating futures

All of our students are expected to graduate from JCC into further learning. They are prepared for, and connected to, opportunities for learning through employment, at TAFE, at university and/or other further education.

Staff are learners too

New ideas constantly emerge as part of the learning cycle process. All the staff at JCC regularly attend to new ideas and learn new ways of working. They develop reflective practice and find ways of sharing this learning with others.

Diverse and enduring partnerships

Like all Big Picture schools, JCC has a strong focus on building and creating external partnerships. These include partnerships with: the family, mentors, local councils, businesses, universities, TAFE colleges and other training providers. These partnerships give students the opportunities to pursue their learning and achieve their goals.