Professional Learning Communities Focus: Self-Regulated Learning

This year in the Professional Learning Communities the College is focusing on enhancing self-regulated learning strategies.

Self-regulated learning (SRL) is essential for success in a rapidly changing, technology-driven world. As the pace of change accelerates, students need more than content knowledge – they require the capacity to adapt, think critically and respond creatively to new and complex challenges. SRL equips learners with these capabilities.

Globally, the importance of self-regulation is increasingly recognised. The Future of Jobs Report (2023) identifies skills associated with SRL among the most in-demand for the future workforce. This reinforces that the ability to manage one’s own learning is no longer optional – it is a critical capability for life beyond school.

At its core, SRL empowers students to take an active role in their learning. Students develop an awareness of how they think, what motivates them and how to respond when they encounter difficulty. Through goal setting, monitoring progress and applying effective strategies, learners gain greater ownership and agency, enabling them to direct their learning in ways that align with their aspirations.

Importantly, SRL is strongly linked to improved learning outcomes. Students who can effectively plan, monitor, and evaluate their learning consistently demonstrate higher levels of achievement. Beyond academic success, SRL fosters positive learning behaviours such as persistence, resilience, and independence – qualities that underpin lifelong learning.

This focus is also aligned with global educational priorities. The OECD’s Future of Education and Skills 2030 project highlights self-regulation and metacognition as essential competencies for thriving in an uncertain future.

Most significantly, within our own College community there is a shared belief among staff, parents and students that thinking and learning skills are crucial graduate dispositions. By embedding self-regulated learning across our practice, staff are deliberately equipping our students with the skills they need not only to succeed now, but to thrive in the future.

Thriving Schools Index – Partnering for Growth

Kilbreda College will once again be partnering with McCrindle, a leading social research agency, to gain deeper insights into our school community. For nearly ten years, McCrindle has supported schools across Australia and New Zealand in gathering meaningful feedback and have developed the Thriving Schools Index (TSI) – a comprehensive tool that helps schools understand their strengths and identify areas for growth. The TSI measures effectiveness across seven key domains:

• Catholic Identity
• Student Development
• Teaching
• Student Wellbeing
• Schooling Experience
• Connection and Belonging
• Leadership

The Index also provides national benchmarking data, offering valuable comparisons with other schools based on feedback from parents, students, and educators.

By participating in the TSI, Kilbreda College aims to uncover the unique strengths of our school and explore new opportunities for continuous improvement. After completing the survey in 2025 and reflecting on feedback from students, parents and staff, Kilbreda has implemented programs that focus on enhancing a consistent language to address the wellbeing needs of our community as well as emphasising the importance of metacognition and critical thinking in our learners. More than just data, this initiative will continue to guide our strategic direction and support Kilbreda’s ongoing commitment to excellence in education and wellbeing for every student.

We invite parents and carers to take part in this short, anonymous survey that will help Kilbreda College continue to grow. The survey takes just 10 minutes to complete and can be accessed on any device.

The survey will take place from Monday 18 May to Friday 29 May via a link that will be emailed to families.

Students will also participate in this survey during this time.

Thank you for your support of this important initiative. This valuable feedback contributes to the ongoing development of Kilbreda College.

Clare Kelly

Assistant Principal: Performance and Development