"I never used to think that I was a very good learner but [now] I know I am. I couldn’t read before I came to MSA and now I am reading chapter books"
The Springfield campus of Mastery Schools Australia has recently taken the NIFDI Education Awards by storm. In a world first, the school was announced as the winner of all three categories at the recent 50th National Institute for Direct Instruction Awards ceremony in Eugene, Oregon, USA. The school won the ‘Wesley Becker – Excellence in Education’ Award, teacher Zoe Anlezark, won the ‘Siegfried Englemann Excellence in Education’ Award, and year 6 student Jackson Willis won the ‘Wayne Carnine Student Improvement’ Award.
Mastery Schools Australia is a school for students who have disengaged from learning or who are at risk of disengaging in the future. The Springfield campus opened in 2022 and since opening, it has been reinvigorating a love of learning into their students.
< Here is a heartwarming clip of Jackson talking about his improvement in reading since attending MSA
Principal, Sharyn Angel, is one of the nation’s most highly awarded school leaders. She has spent her career breaking down barriers for disadvantaged and disengaged students. In reflecting on the immense growth and success of the school over the past two years, Sharyn said, ‘Mastery Schools Australia is using an approach that is revolutionising learning for students who have previously struggled. We are using the recent neuroscience research to create individualised plans for students. These programs use placement tests to find the exact starting point for each student and then through exceptional teaching we are able to rapidly move each student forward in their learning. This has allowed our students to improve on average more than two years each calendar year and improve their confidence and self-belief.’
Year 6 student, Jackson Willis, who won the award for ‘Most Improved Student’, improved by over six years in his reading comprehension and over three years in his mathematics. Jackson said, ‘I just can’t believe that I won this award, it’s just amazing. I never used to think that I was a very good learner but know I know I am. I couldn’t read before I came to MSA and now I am reading chapter books’.
Zoe Anlezark was announced as the winner of the Siegfried Engelman Excellence in Education Award. Zoe was one of the foundation Assistant Teachers at MSA Springfield when it opened in 2022. Since then, she has graduated from University and has been transforming students lives in the classroom. Zoe said, ‘it is such a privilege to work at MSA and for us to be recognised in all three categories for the work we are doing makes us all so proud’.