A new suite of case studies has been produced and released by the AISNSW School Improvement team. The series presents the school improvement process of five NSW independent schools. The five schools involved in the case study series are:

  • St Philip’s Christian College (Waratah)
  • Al-Faisal College
  • Hurstville Adventist School
  • Emmanuel Anglican College
  • Lakes Grammar – An Anglican School

AISNSW Assistant Head of Regulations and Programs, Michael Bignill said of the project, “The case study videos and accompanying reports were created to share the unique journeys of independent schools as they embarked on the process of school improvement.”

“Each of the five case studies shows how school improvement has been carried out within a particular school context." Michael explained.

"Where the films are so valuable is they illustrate the research and theory behind effective school improvement, but also show how this is applied, practically, in the real world of schools, and in genuine decision-making situations.”


This sentiment is echoed by Lisa Weingarth, Primary Curriculum Leader at Emmanuel Anglican College: “There’s an expectation now that we want to improve. Wherever we are at—we want to get better. We want to look at research and see how that research can realistically inform what we are doing to improve student outcomes at our school.”

Emmanuel Anglican College - Co-constructing strategies for impact


A common theme between many of the case studies is the increased use of data to guide decision making within schools. Helen Lee, Assistant Principal – Teaching and Learning at St Philip's Christian College (Waratah) said, “While it’s important to ask 'what kinds of data matter for school improvement?', maybe the more important questions are 'how we use the data?' and "how we bring the data together?' Triangulation of data is very important. We're not looking at just one or two sources. Now we’re looking at multiple sources so that we know where students are, where we are going and if we actually got there.”

St Philip's Christian College (Waratah) - Leading high impact strategies


For the broader independent school community, AISNSW School Improvement Consultant, Dr Kate Bertram, said, “We think these resources may help to inspire other independent schools to begin their own process of school improvement. The series offers everyone the opportunity to explore school improvement through the lens of growth, regardless of where you may be starting.”

The full range of case study videos and accompanying reports are now available via the School Improvement Case Studies Series page. 

If your school is interested in support from AISNSW for your own school improvement journey, please contact Michael Bignill, AISNSW Assistant Head of Regulations and Programs to find out how.