Big Picture Academy
A new personalised learning opportunity
Ballina Coast High School has partnered with Big Picture Learning to bring their personalised design for learning to young people in the region.
Research tells us that we learn best when we are personally motivated. Where there is passion for what we are doing, deep knowledge evolves naturally. In Big Picture, students learn through their personal interests and design their own learning around a unique set of passions, needs, preferences and goals.
Students are supported to learn outside school on regular internships with expert mentors in the community, to test-out their interests, grow their network of contacts and to plan their future pathway to employment, training or study.
What is the Big Picture design for learning?
Passion
Each student has a personalised learning plan designed around their interests and passions, with links to the curriculum.
Projects
Students take courses and work on a variety of projects in areas of personal interest that they design and manage.
Support
Students learn in small groups of 17 known as an 'advisory' where there is a culture of belonging, support and respect.
Community
Students complete practical projects while on internship with an expert mentor in the community, to gain experience in a field of interest.
Exhibitions
Students regularly present evidence of their learning at a public exhibition. This is the basis of their assessment throughout school rather than sitting exams.
Post-school pathways
The International Big Picture Learning Credential is awarded to all senior students on pathways to employment, training and university.
"At Ballina Coast High School students are at the centre of what we do. Our personalised approach allows for our strategy of innovation, excellence and individualised learning to equip students to be problem solving individuals who can create their own pathways through the world outside school."
Peter Howes, Principal Ballina Coast High School
Personalised learning
What if I could choose what, when and how I learn?
In Big Picture, we design our own learning plans and projects around things that interest us. We manage our own time and go as deep as we wish into a topic.
What if my school genuinely knew about me, my interests and talents?
In Big Picture, we believe in 'one student at a time in a community of learners'. Each student is unique, but not alone. We learn in a small advisory class of 17 with a single teacher. There is time to get to know each other and our capabilities really well. Families are regularly involved in our learning.
What if I could pursue my passions instead of waiting until I finish school?
In Big Picture, we regularly learn on internships with expert mentors who have the same interests as us and can show us the latest thinking and technology. We can also complete external courses so that we already have some qualifications upon leaving school.
What if I could make, create and experiment with ideas that interest me?
In Big Picture, we encourage active learning where we design the experiment, come up with the exercise regime, film the documentary, select the maths operations we need, research the history, write the song, stage an event, build the computer from scratch, or design the fashion label... to name just a few possibilities.
What if I could learn in a personalised way and still get to where I want to go after school?
In the Big Picture, we have the opportunity to undertake the International Big Picture Credential (IBPLC) in Years 11 and 12 which unlocks non-ATAR entry to 17 universities around Australia and provides meaningful information about our skills, qualities and knowledge to employers, colleges and universities.
Want to know more about our Big Picture Academy?
Big Picture Learning Australia is a not-for-profit company established in 2006. Over 50 mostly public schools around Australia work with us to implement the Big Picture design for learning in urban, regional and remote settings.
Contact us to speak with our Big Picture Co-ordinator.
For further information go to: