How we teach at BHHS

Guaranteed Curriculum

Our Box Hill High School Teaching & Learning Program means that all students have access to the same essential learning. It ensures that every child is taught the key knowledge, skills, and understandings outlined in the curriculum, and that no matter where they are placed within the school, they receive a consistent and high-quality education. This approach supports equity, helps track student progress more effectively, and ensures that all students are well-prepared for future learning.

The program is built on key principles:

  • high-quality teaching and assessment are most effective when developed collaboratively.
  • Student learning is understood as a progression, with both teachers and students needing to clearly identify where each student is on that learning journey.
  • Deep knowledge of the curriculum, supported by collective teacher expertise, is essential for delivering meaningful and impactful learning experiences.

Developmental Rubric steps out the skills and knowledge that students will progress through as they learn and grow.
At BHHS, we use a developmental framework for Teaching and Learning. It helps teachers, students and parents know the developmental steps that students go through when they are learning.

Developmental rubrics benefits are:

  • A rubric supports students learning as it breaks up complex learning into smaller steps for teachers and student to use.
  • Make learning visible by describing increasing sophistication as students learning progresses
  • Effectively communicates where a student is at and what they need to do to achieve the next step.
Box Hill High School history class

Common Assessment tasks (CATs)

Common Assessment tasks are summative tasks that allow students the opportunity to demonstrate the skills and knowledge that they acquired throughout the unit of work. Teachers assess students’ performance of their skills and knowledge against the achievement standards set out in the Victorian Curriculum 2.0 and VCE Study Design.
Feedback will be uploaded to Learning Tasks on Compass to provide students and parents with feedback about students’ achievement and learning growth including what they can do/know, what the next level of achievement/growth represents and an action or strategy the student should undertake to achieve the next step

Learning Task on Compass

All CATs will have learning task with the relevant assessment components, task sheet, BHHS achievement standards, Improvement comment and developmental rubric.

BHHS Lesson Structure

Teachers at Box Hill High School are committed to providing high-quality, evidence-based instruction that fosters improved learning outcomes and empowers students to take ownership of their learning. By integrating a variety of effective teaching strategies, teachers create a supportive and engaging classroom environment that promotes student agency and ensures academic success.

BHHS Lesson Structure is a consistent approach all teachers use to structure their lesson to support an optimal environment for students to learn. The BHHS lesson structure aligns with the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model (VTLM), with a strong focus on the Science of Memory and Learning. Teachers use the lesson plan to consider what the goals are of the lesson and how structuring a lesson may lead to more successful outcomes

Beginning of lesson

Teachers establish clear learning intentions and activate students prior learning

Middle of the lesson

Teachers explicitly teach and allow for time for students to apply their understanding

End of the lesson

Capture student learning and connect back to learning intentions

Box Hill High School food tech class cooking

Box Hill High School Learner Behaviours

BHHS learners develop student agency by actively participating in class, building self-regulation skills, and adopting a growth mindset.

Teachers support students in developing agency by fostering the following:

  • Active participation: Providing opportunities for students to collaborate with peers and engage meaningfully in class discussions and activities.
  • Growth mindset: Encouraging the belief that abilities can be developed through effort, perseverance, and constructive feedback. Students learn to track, measure, and take ownership of their learning progress.
  • Self-regulation: Helping students take responsibility for their learning by promoting focused attention, persistence, and the ability to set and work toward goals independently.

Homework

At our Box Hill High School, we believe that homework plays an important role in supporting and consolidating the learning that takes place during school hours. Setting and completing homework, as well as engaging in home study and revision, are all considered essential parts of learning. These homework tasks help reinforce and enrich the curriculum and promote a culture of excellence.

Average homework expectations per week

Homework can encompass tasks such as pre-reading or pre-watching content prior to class, projects that require additional work completed from home, research tasks, summarising information into revision notes, practice CATs, SACs and exams, and more.

For additional examples of homework tasks, see the school’s Homework Policy.

Year 7 Students In Semester 2, 4 hours
Year 8 Students6 hours per week
Year 9 Students7 Hours per week
Year 10 Students10 hours per week
Year 112 hours per weeknight and 4-6 hours on weekend (2-3 hours per subject per week)
Year 122-3 hours per weeknight and 6-8 hours on weekend (3-4 hours per subject per week)

Students are encouraged to revise regularly throughout the term to deepen their understanding of content or master new skills.

Box Hill High School Box Hill High School March 2017 14

Ad Altiora Certamus
"we strive for higher things"

The school’s motto suggests that the future of Box Hill High School is exciting. Our school is constantly evolving, valuing the rich traditions of the past and embracing the challenges of the future.