Inaburra School

- published October 2009

School profile

Inaburra School is an independent, interdenominational Christian school located in Bangor, a southern suburb of Sydney, New South Wales. It is a K–12 school with 895 students and a staff of 100 including 75 teachers. The school’s motto is ‘Add to faith, knowledge, and to knowledge, love’. Committed to Christian values and beliefs, Inaburra aims ‘to create a culture within our community that values respect for others and taking responsibility for oneself’.

School website: www.inaburra.nsw.edu.au

Principal, Paul Burgis

The teaching and learning of Mandarin has added a new and exciting dimension to Inaburra. We recognise the importance of incorporating global and intercultural dimensions into school programs and practices. Systematic delivery of an Asian language is a practical expression of our commitment to helping students gain knowledge and understanding of other cultures and belief systems and their responsibilities as global citizens. My participation in the Leading 21st Century Schools: Engage with Asia (L21CS) project has enabled me to reflect on our current practices and given me the opportunity to engage with colleagues in the sharing of ideas and practices. At Inaburra we have focused on language teaching and learning, approaches to global education, and the incorporation of learning about Asia across the curriculum. Our five-year strategic plan includes goals for the establishment of a bilingual (English–Mandarin) program for students, and the expansion of our Global Education program to include a study/service experience for students in China.

View video of an interview with Paul Burgis at the 2009 L21CS Forum

Our first step

When I started as Principal of Inaburra in 2006, the school taught French. For various reasons it did not attract sufficient numbers to run elective classes for students at Year 9 and above. During a working visit to the UK, I reflected on a BBC report highlighting the impact of Asia, and in particular China, on the world, and the implications of globalisation for the future of schools and schooling.

In 2006, I reviewed our school language policy in the context of the growth of China as a world power; our proximity to Asia; lack of schools in the Sutherland Shire providing well-known Asian languages; and our proximity to Hurstville, a recognised hub of Asian languages in the region.

I decided that the school should adopt Mandarin as its Language other than English. The school board accepted my recommendation and the necessary steps were taken to introduce Mandarin into the curriculum.

Consolidating the Mandarin program

Mandarin is provided to students as part of the core curriculum in Years K–8 and is now in its third year in the junior school. It is offered as an elective subject in Years 9–11. In 2010, it will be offered for the first time to HSC students.

Our Mandarin teachers demonstrate high levels of commitment, energy and enthusiasm. Both come from China – one from Hong Kong and the other from Beijing. They ensure that aspects of Chinese culture are brought into their classroom programs. They are also key resources for other teachers who are encouraged to relate their teaching programs to Chinese culture and the learning that takes place in the Mandarin lessons.

The K–6 Mandarin teacher recognises that an experiential approach to learning and the linking of language learning to regular classroom programs is necessary.

The parent body is very supportive of the teaching of Mandarin. A group of parents meets weekly to participate in Mandarin classes conducted by one of our Mandarin teachers. It is our intention to offer teachers the opportunity to learn Mandarin also.

At Year 7, students, as part of their Mandarin lessons, are provided with learning activities designed to develop an understanding of aspects of Chinese culture. This enables comparison of students’ own experiences with those displaying a Chinese perspective.

From time to time native Mandarin speakers are invited to share cultural experiences with students. We have completed a funding submission to enable Chinese people with a range of skills to be brought into the school to work with small groups and individual students. Again, this will serve to create strong links between language learning and Chinese culture. We believe this will add value to an increasingly engaging language program.

Moving to a bilingual program

In 2008, through our School leaders, we developed the 2009–2013 Strategic Plan for Inaburra. We discerned that our Mandarin program was operating very effectively, in the context of increasing commitment to the incorporation of global and international perspectives into school programs. With strong leadership and commitment from the Head of Junior School and the K–2 Coordinator it was decided to take a major step forward and introduce a bilingual program in Years K–1.

Now in its first year, students participate in human society and its environment (HSIE) lessons in both English and Mandarin with the regular classroom teacher participating with the students. Topics from the New South Wales HSIE syllabus provide the content.

For us this represents a significant school innovation and is an indicator that Mandarin is not simply an ‘add-on’ to the curriculum.

It has prompted planning for a specialist Chinese facility, an additional Chinese classroom and an increase in the use of Chinese characters, symbols and decorations around the school.

Importantly, it has led to the employment of a third Mandarin teacher who will strengthen our language teaching program and enable the expansion of the bilingual program beyond the early years.

Developing staff knowledge and awareness

I believe that for studies of Asia to be effectively delivered, we require teachers with knowledge and understandings of Asia who are connected with Asia in some way. To date we have sent four teachers to China to gain first-hand knowledge of aspects of Chinese life and culture. In 2008, two teachers from Years K–1 participated in a study tour partly funded through our L21CS grant and partly through school funds. Their experiences are directly impacting on classroom practice and provide significant strength to the bilingual program. They have also presented reports to the school board and staff. Links with Chinese schools have been created. This will assist us in our aim of establishing strong connections with a Chinese school.

Expanding our Global Education program

As a Christian school we are strongly committed to providing students with opportunities to engage in reciprocal relationships with communities both overseas and at home. There is a strong service element to these projects (for 2009 there will be five options open to students) as well as the opportunity to gain deep knowledge and understanding of other people and their cultures. Each year, 40 Year 10 students participate in special projects in Vietnam. We are now planning to expand the program to include China, giving us a further opportunity to build on our current Mandarin and Chinese culture programs and activities. This program is widely promoted in the Inaburra school community by our dedicated Global Education Coordinator. Students prepare reports on their experiences and make presentations through special events and school assemblies.

Distributed leadership within the school

Through the school leadership team we have built up a clear expectation that studies of Asia and, in particular China, are an integral component of school programs and practices. This is now evidenced in the 2009–2013 Strategic Plan which sets out the framework and objectives for establishing and growing the bilingual program, expansion of the Global Education program and the infusion of studies of Asia into teaching and learning programs and school activities.

Heads of the junior, middle and senior schools, and coordinators, actively encourage teachers to incorporate Asia-focused activities into their classroom programs. For example, students in Year 8 focus on Chinese history and in Year 9, with a focus on globalisation, students explore Chinese culture and Buddhism. In Years 9–11 elective studies include The Rise of Genghis Khan, China in the Middle Ages and Archaeology in China.

In many respects, our approach to implementation of studies of Asia is an organic one. There is a culture of sharing and collaboration among staff and it is through these processes that staff ownership is developed in the context of our strategic plan.

Involving parents and the school community

We regularly communicate and celebrate our achievements through newsletters to parents, special events and our annual school presentation night. Asia-focused displays of creative arts are a normal part of school life and reinforce our inclusive approach to studies of Asia. Chinese dancing was a feature of our 2008 presentation night and a DVD showcasing this performance has been produced.

We are planning to start a program enabling parents to learn Mandarin alongside their children.

Links to the community

Sutherland Shire has a sister-city relationship with Chuo city in Japan. We have hosted students from a school in Chuo city. The students participated in school activities and shared their Japanese experiences with our students. We are seeking to strengthen this relationship through reciprocal visits.

Sharing with other principals

I have valued the collegiality offered through the L21CS project and the support of the State Asia Education Advisor. Participation in the project has enabled community-wide discussion of the implications for schools of the National Statement for Engaging Young Australians with Asia in Australian Schools. I have shared our progress in the L21CS forums and gained much from my colleagues. I have also presented to the Christian Schools Association Conference held in Melbourne. Making such presentations has helped to clarify further my own hopes and expectations for Inaburra.

Our next steps

Through progressive implementation of our five-year strategic plan we will consolidate and expand our bilingual and Global Education programs and continue to support teachers to incorporate Asian content into their teaching and learning programs.

We will continue to provide resources for teachers and seek further ways to publicise and promote our programs focusing on Chinese language and culture within the school and the broader community.

We will provide further opportunities for teachers to undertake Asian study tours.

To enhance our capacity for the teaching of language and culture, and to increase the visibility of our commitment to Asian studies, we will create an Asian classroom as a teaching space and resource centre for staff and students.

We aim to establish connections with a Chinese school to further develop students’ Mandarin language skills and their knowledge of Chinese culture.