Advisory structure

We are organised into eight advisory groups of approximately 15-19 students. The school is small enough for everyone to know everyone else. We come to feel that our advisory group is like a second family. We develop a close relationship with our advisor, who supports us to develop learning goals and plans. Our advisor helps us set up internships and liaises with our internship mentors. Through regular monitoring, assessment and feedback we and our advisors ensure our learning is progressing.

Personalised Learning and Individual Learning Plans

Our advisor (teacher) works with a group of 15–19 students every day. We learn how to become increasingly responsible for developing our individual learning goals and plans. Our learning is relevant because we are able to pursue our interests and passions. Advisors teach us how to become improved thinkers and how to conduct inquiry projects. We are continually challenged to deepen our learning and improve our performance. When we graduate we are committed lifelong learners.

Learning Through Internships - LTI

One of the main features of Launceston Big Picture School is that we get to learn in the real world. A key component of our learning is the Learning Through Internship (LTI). Our LTIs are linked to our future career pathways. In an internship we learn and work with an expert mentor in areas of interest to us. We can spend a day or more each week on internship. Internships will change as our interests and learning needs evolve.

Assessment and feedback is different and essential

We each present four exhibitions a year to demonstrate what we have learnt. We encourage parents, mentors and other students to attend our exhibitions. Assessment is frequent, involving self and peer assessment. Advisors, mentors, our peers and other learning experts constantly provide feedback based on our current learning.

Small by design

A maximum of one hundred students are enrolled at Launceston Big Picture School. The small enrolment ensures that everyone is known by every member of the school community. We feel that the school community is really one big family. While we really like attending a small school, we like how we are encouraged to connect with learners beyond Launceston Big Picture School.

Families are enrolled too

The support, interest and involvement of our parents in our learning is very important. My parents become more informed about my learning. We encourage parents to join in learning goal planning discussions, to attend learning exhibitions and to participate in school experiences.

Connected to community and partners

We are highly connected to the local and global community. We are encouraged to make a positive contribution to our business partner organisations. We learn about citizenship and make positive contributions to our community, starting locally, extending globally.

Learning in many ways and from a variety of people and sources

We get learning advice, coaching, consultation and expert input from a broad range of people within and beyond Launceston Big Picture School.

A highly flexible and adaptable facility

Launceston Big Picture School is a ‘state of the art’ facility. We have our advisory space as well as a whole school meeting space, along with comfortable learning and socialising spaces. We can make the space fit whatever learning arrangement we need to create. We look for opportunities to share our space with others.

Location

Launceston Big Picture School is located at Inveresk, near the Academy of the Arts, the School of Architecture, Aurora Stadium, the Museum and the CBD of
Launceston.

Technology Rich including One to One Digital Device Learning Access

We learn in a 21st century technology rich environment. We are able to access portable digital devices, enabling learning anywhere and anytime. We are encouraged to bring and use our own computers and technology. Technology creates opportunities for learning beyond anything we have been able to do in the
past.

School Expectations – we are a place for learning

Launceston Big Picture School is a learning environment where we have high expectations regarding learning and behaviour. Personalised learning is our absolute focus every day. At Launceston Big Picture School we want to ensure that our young people have the very best opportunities to lay the foundations for a good life. To do this, we build our school as a place where every student is be able to learn without interruption from others and every teacher is able to teach without interruption from others. We have three very clear School Wide expectations that determine how everyone is expected to focus at our school:

• Relationships
• Relevance
• Rigorous and Highly Personalised Learning

We expect that parents support their children in following these expectations in all interactions both in and out of Launceston Big Picture School. This supports the learning outcomes for every single student and ensures that students have positive experiences and become lifelong learners.