At Dowerin District High School, we are committed to delivering a consistent, high-quality education through a low variance curriculum and impactful teaching in every classroom. We set high expectations for all our students, ensuring they receive the best possible learning experience.
Our teachers deliver engaging lessons using an explicit teaching approach. By focusing on critical content and minimising cognitive load, we ensure effective and meaningful learning. Lessons are carefully designed to be clear, structured, and centered on key concepts, enabling students to grasp complex ideas. This approach enhances student understanding and retention, leading to deeper learning experiences.
Daily Reviews reinforce essential concepts previously taught, ensuring that students retain crucial knowledge. During these reviews, students practice skills and enhance their fluency while receiving valuable feedback. The structure of these reviews is designed around three key components: revise, recall, and apply (using worked examples). By following this approach, we maximise the transfer of information from short-term to long-term memory, ultimately allowing for more efficient ‘automation’ of knowledge and reducing the cognitive load on working memory.
Aligned with the Department of Education’s strategic direction and the ‘Teaching for Impact’ tool, we strive to equip our students with essential skills, capabilities, and understandings for success in today’s world. We prioritise development through whole-school programs such as Talk4Writing, Seven Steps to Writing Success, Let’s Decode, and Spelling Mastery. In Mathematics, we utilise Paul Swan Maths resources to provide a solid foundation in mathematical concepts and skills.
Our teachers continually engage in professional learning to ensure that the programs we deliver reflect current best practices, supporting improved learning and progress for all students.