Junior School Curriculum
Refining the Student-Led Conference Experience: Learning from Feedback
At Oxley College, we are committed to gathering and acting on data. As part of this process, we recently asked for feedback from students, teachers and families on the recent ‘Student-Led Open Classroom’ sessions in the Junior School that we trialled as an alternative to the usual Term 3 Student-Led Conferences. From this feedback, it’s clear that this year’s sessions fostered pride, independence and meaningful engagement between students and their families. Overwhelmingly, students confidently guided their families through their work, showcasing classroom displays and explaining their daily routines.
Many families appreciated the transparency of the classrooms being truly ‘open’, and felt this format helped them feel more connected to their child’s school experience. In the feedback, most families stated the relaxed, unrushed atmosphere encouraged open communication, with their children being more willing to discuss themselves as a learner and share their learning journey than they have been in the past. Having a reflection page that students had pre-prepared, provided a structured but engaging way for students to present their learning, and parents appreciated the opportunity to look through all books and wall displays, rather than feel constrained by sitting at a table with only a few work samples and a short time frame.
Students reported that they enjoyed the relaxed and informal atmosphere, which allowed them to share their work with confidence. The ability to guide their parents through classroom displays and daily routines, as well as discuss feedback, was empowering for students, and many appreciated the length of time which allowed for in-depth sharing of work both in books and on display. One student was so eager to show off their progress in Maths that they started giving their parents a full lesson, complete with equations on the whiteboard!
However, as with any educational initiative, there’s always room for improvement. Some parents expressed a preference for traditional one-on-one parent-teacher meetings to gain more direct feedback on their child’s progress. A few families noted challenges when visiting the specialist classrooms, while others mentioned discomfort with the group format, sometimes leading to comparisons between students’ work. Some students found the sessions awkward at times, particularly in the older grades, where indicated that they were self-conscious with their peers in the room, and perhaps felt like parents/carers compared their work to others’. Issues like running out of things to show or feeling as though there was not enough access specialist classrooms also emerged as challenges for students.
This openness and willingness to share feedback is critical for continuous improvement and allows us to refine future experiences to better meet the needs of our families. In response, we’re committed to using this feedback to improve the format of future Term 3 student-led sessions.
Suggestions we are considering include:
- Hosting a mix of student-led open classroom sessions combined with one-on-one meetings with teachers to discuss specific progress and areas for growth,
- Allowing students to choose whether they participate as part of a group of students in the room or on their own,
- Clear communication about time limits and expectations,
- Provision of guidelines for managing siblings during the sessions,
- Encouragement for parents/carers to request a meeting with their child’s teacher at any time throughout the year,
- Implementing a digital platform to share ‘snapshots’ of students’ work more frequently throughout the year,
- Ensuring specialist classrooms are accessible and that staff are on hand to speak with families,
- Bringing work done in specialist classes into the classroom to reduce the need to visit multiple rooms, and
- Provision of more flexible times for sessions, especially for families with multiple children.
While biannual written reports are the only formal requirement for student reporting in NSW, at Oxley College Junior School, we believe that continuous communication is key to supporting your child’s learning. Throughout the year, we keep families connected with regular updates, including Term 1 parent-teacher conferences, ongoing messages via the school diary and direct contact between teachers and families through email. Additionally, we encourage parents and carers to request meetings with their child’s teacher at any time, ensuring an open dialogue and reinforcing our commitment to providing continuous feedback and support.
At Oxley, we believe in the importance of “learning through feedback,” a principle supported by current educational research. Reflecting on feedback from all stakeholders allows us to continuously improve and ensure our practices support every child’s growth and development. We look forward to refining the Term 3 Student-Led experience further, making it as valuable, enjoyable and inclusive as possible for all families, and thank you for your honest feedback and support.
Warm regards
Alison Rasheed
Director of Curriculum P-6