Holy Spirit College Bellambi

The School Context: ​

Holy Spirit College is a large co-educational Catholic secondary school in the northern suburbs of Wollongong, operating within the Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW). With over 1,250 students, 108 teaching staff, and 42 support staff, the College is committed to lifting standards through modernised teaching practices, high expectations, and alignment with CEDoW’s Faith, Learning and Wellbeing (FLW) Framework.

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Over the past eight years, Holy Spirit has pursued a clear improvement agenda, embedding reflective practice and student voice into the fabric of the school’s operations. Since 2023, the Pivot Student Survey on Teaching has become a key tool in driving this culture shift.

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From Compliance to Culture 

The Pivot Journey Prior to 2022, Pivot was used sporadically at Holy Spirit. Uptake was limited to small groups of staff, primarily early career teachers or those working toward accreditation. Student voice data, when collected, was used individually rather than strategically.

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In 2023, the school used Pivot to review its enrichment program, collecting over 370 student responses across 10 teachers. This small-scale trial revealed the potential of group-level student feedback and sparked interest among middle leaders.

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Crucially, this shift coincided with the introduction of CEDoW’s cyclic inquiry model for school improvement. No longer a four-year review cycle, schools were now expected to engage in ongoing reflection, monitoring, and adjustment. Middle leaders at Holy Spirit recognised that Pivot could provide meaningful data to support this work.

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Strategic Planning and Collective Ownership:  

Strategic planning days in 2023 marked a turning point. Rather than isolated team goals, middle leaders at Holy Spirit aligned around a shared AIP goal: to deepen student engagement through reflective pedagogical practice.

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This whole-school focus was reinforced through Professional Development Plans (PDPs), with all teachers committing to a common SMART goal linked to engagement. Pivot feedback became a key form of evidence.

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In Term 1, 2024, the Principal launched the new Annual Improvement Plan (AIP) and publicly positioned Pivot as central to school improvement. Dedicated staff time, clear communication, and visible leadership support helped embed this shift.

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System Alignment in Action 

Holy Spirit’s use of Pivot reflects the priorities of the FLW Framework and the CEDoW School Improvement Cycle. Specifically, the school has:

• Aligned staff PDPs and faculty planning to shared improvement goals

• Positioned middle leaders as drivers of reflective practice

• Used student voice to measure impact and inform action

• Moved from sporadic data collection to structured, school-wide engagement

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As Matt Kent, Academic Care and Enrichment Coordinator, noted: “It’s no longer just a tool that we use; it’s becoming what we do.”

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Impact and Growth 

By 2025, the cultural shift was clear:

• Staff participation in Pivot increased by 70% in one year

• Student responses doubled

• Middle leaders embedded Pivot into their fortnightly meetings

• Feedback is consistently described as “invaluable” by staff

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Importantly, data is now used not only to assess current teaching practice, but to inform faculty planning and school-wide strategic direction. Faculties have identified key areas for improvement, implemented changes, and seen the results reflected in subsequent cycles.

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Advice from Other schools 

Matt Kent’s advice to other CEDoW schools? Start with your middle leaders.

“If they understand the value of student voice and reflective practice, they’ll drive the change. If it feels top-down, you’ll get resistance. But if middle leaders believe in it, the message spreads naturally.”

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Conclusion 

Holy Spirit College demonstrates what’s possible when student voice, teacher reflection, and strategic alignment come together. Within the context of the CEDoW’s Faith, Learning and Wellbeing Framework and school improvement cycle, Pivot has moved from an optional survey to a core enabler of school improvement.