I visited an extremely innovative school today. It features trasnformed teaching spaces and a broad range of subject areas. Independent thinking and inquiry are both encouraged. Its results are quite low in all the major data indicators that DEECD measures.

I also heard about another school (not far from the first) that has a very narrow academic focus. Its results are outstanding in all the major data indicators that DEECD measures.

So which is the better school. Which approach should other leaders see as the preferred model? I suggest that we should not have to choose. Surely we don’t need to choose one or the other.

When it comes to teaching and learning we need to follow Batman’s lead. He always had his utility belt ready. On it was range of tools to use in a range of situations. The more strategies we use the more students we engage. This encourages academic rigour across the breadth and depth of the curriculum. So get your utility belt on when you step into the classroom and engage all your kids across a range of subjects with deep levels of thinking.