“When Teachers Grow, Students Grow Too”: Loreto Normanhurst on Supporting the Next Generation of Educators
Step inside a school where teachers learn from each other every week, and see how it’s boosting wellbeing, reducing burnout, and improving classroom outcomes.
Sydney, NSW - 21st October 2025
In the month of World Teacher’s Day, Loreto Normanhurst is showing how rethinking professional development can help tackle the growing teacher burnout and retention crisis.
With stress levels among teachers now 40 per cent higher than the average worker and up to 30 per cent of educators considering leaving the profession, the need for sustainable solutions has never been more urgent.
Rather than relying on one-off training, Loreto Normanhurst has woven ongoing and structured professional growth into the heart of its strategy. The school has introduced a suite of initiatives designed to strengthen teacher wellbeing, collaboration, and excellence, including its Open Learning Circle (OLC) program, instructional coaching and TeachMeets.
From 2026, Instructional Coaching will provide personalised, one-on-one support to teachers, while the integration of Quality Teaching Rounds (QTRs) in 2025 has given teachers the opportunity to observe peers, exchange constructive feedback, and build confidence through a structured, research-based framework. TeachMeets bring together educators from Loreto Normanhurst and other schools, alongside student voices, to share strategies and reflect on teaching practice in a positive and collaborative environment.
“Every person wants to strive towards becoming the best version of themselves, and teachers are no different. With these initiatives we are trying to establish the infrastructure and situational conditions that can allow this to occur. Think of it like teachers, teaching teachers” says Marco Scali, Head of Professional Practice and Growth at Loreto Normanhurst.
“Teaching is a profession that requires constant giving to your students, but to allow this to function at its optimal level, teachers also need to be given mindful attention and opportunities to grow both personally and professionally,” he adds.
The Open Learning Circles (OLCs) are fortnightly peer groups that have formed the backbone of Loreto Normahurst’s growth culture since 2023. In 2025, the OLCs have been utilised to provide all teaching staff regular exposure to Quality Teaching Rounds (QTRs), which involve staff observing each other’s practice using the Quality Teaching (QT) coding scale.
During observations, staff, in small groups, observe a lesson of one of their group members and code their performance across the eighteen elements that make up the Quality Teaching (QT) Model. After this, staff discuss their respective codes in their OLCs during what is called “coding discussions.” Staff who taught the lesson also code their own performance against the QT criteria and present this self-assessment alongside their peers during the coding discussion.
The integration of QTRs into the OLCs have been a success in 2025. With 93% of staff agreeing that they have found the QT Model interesting, 90% feeling that the QTRs have a direct relevance to their teaching practice and teaching staff rating the QTR professional learning experience a 4.21 out of 5.
Staff at Loreto Normanhurst shared:
“QTR's have been really engaging and have allowed me to make strong connections with my colleagues. The observation process was smooth and not scary at all. Coding was really professional” and “the quality teaching rounds has been one of the most beneficial professional development opportunities I have experienced at Loreto.”
Loreto Normanhurst’s unique collaborative and research-based approach to professional learning is beneficial for all teachers but especially tailored to the expectations of today’s teachers, particularly the next generation who place greater value on growth, wellbeing, and a sense of belonging.
The impact of Loreto Normanhurst’s teacher growth initiatives is already clear. One teacher said:
“The support I’ve felt as a new teacher at Loreto Normanhurst, having this professional team outside the classroom has boosted my sense of belonging and my authentic feeling that I am growing more professionally myself.”
Scali emphasises how investing in teachers, not just in their skills, but in their wellbeing and growth, ultimately has a positive impact on their students’ learning and engagement:
“World Teachers’ Day is a reminder that to value teachers properly, we must also value their growth. That’s how we ensure teachers thrive, and when teachers thrive, students do too.”
Loreto Normanhurst Principal Marina Ugonotti says the program is as much about retention as it is about excellence:
“World Teachers’ Day is an important opportunity to celebrate the gift of the teaching vocation to both individuals and the community. Our teachers are outstanding educators who share their knowledge and expertise generously and lovingly guide our students to discover who they are and who they might become. At Loreto Normanhurst, we are committed to building a culture of excellence where teachers feel supported and connected, and where their own love of learning is nourished. That is how we will retain great educators and sustain a thriving profession into the future.”
As the school marks World Teachers’ Day on Wednesday, 22 October, Loreto Normanhurst is celebrating the role of teachers and reflecting on the importance of their growth, wellbeing, and collaboration.
With plans in place through to 2028, Loreto Normanhurst’s professional growth framework is not only sparking more conversations about pedagogy, collaboration across classrooms, and openness to feedback, but is also helping retain talented teachers and ultimately enriching students’ learning and growth.
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About Loreto Normanhurst
Loreto Normanhurst is an independent Catholic, day and boarding school for girls in Years 5 - 12.
It offers an award-winning model of learning, an extensive extra-curricular program, a modern faith, and a strong sense of community.
With 128 years of excellence in educating girls, Loreto Normanhurst graduates are independent, articulate, compassionate women who are seekers of truth and doers of justice.
Shannon Muscolino