At Tootgarook Primary School, a quiet revolution is taking place. Classrooms are buzzing with purpose, educators are energised by evidence, and most importantly—students are engaged. A committed team of leaders and educators here have embraced the shift to explicit instruction and are seeing transformational results, not just in literacy.
“We knew we needed to change,” says Assistant Principal Adele Read. “Back in 2021, we had this push to focus on comprehension and for students to read independently for 15 minutes a day—but they couldn’t actually read yet. We realised the entire system needed rethinking.”
Adele, who has been at the school for over a decade, first as a Foundation teacher and now in leadership, was joined in the transformation by Year 1 teacher and Learning Specialist Billy Morrison. Both have been pivotal in steering the school away from outdated literacy practices and towards evidence-based instruction.
Billy recalls the moment things clicked: “I did the Science of Language and Reading course at La Trobe and thought—wow, we’re just not doing this in our classrooms. We were asking students to sit in silence and read books they couldn’t decode. It was eye-opening.”
Supported by Mornington Peninsula Foundation and literacy coach Steph Murphy, Tootgarook PS began to implement systematic phonics instruction and explicit teaching strategies across all year levels.
“The Foundation year changes started early,” Adele says. “Then we looked at middle and senior years and realised what we were doing in the junior school was totally disconnected. The shift had to happen across the whole school.”
With MPF’s support, the school was able to secure high-quality programs like Little Learners Love Literacy and Initialit. “It was a game changer,” says Billy. “Instead of asking teachers to find and create resources, we could say: here’s what we’re doing, and this is why.”
The results have been outstanding.
“Our latest NAPLAN data shows 100% of our Year 3 writers in the top two bands,” Billy says proudly. “And then to have Rosebud Secondary School telling us that our students are arriving more prepared than ever before. That’s the real impact. It’s making changes for the kids that are going to change their lives into the future.”
But the gains go beyond academic results. Wellbeing and engagement are on the up too.
“Literacy and engagement and wellbeing all go hand in hand. We’re seeing the same students who needed behaviour support now thriving in class because they can actually access the learning,” Adele explains. Billy adds, “We’re setting kids up to succeed, not just in reading but also in writing, in humanities, in science, in every area because they’re not just sitting in class feeling like they can’t do the work.”
A key driver of the change has been the school’s inclusive approach to professional development. Education Support (ES) staff are involved in training, strategy sessions, and even leading extension groups.
“Our ES staff are phenomenal,” Adele says. “Many are pre-service teachers, and we treat them as partners in teaching. They know the strategies, they use the same language, and they take initiative.”
Billy agrees: “They’re emailing timetables, analysing data, suggesting improvements—it’s because they’re empowered. At the end of the day, we all have an aligned goal, it’s about the development of the child and seeing every child succeed.”
Adele and Billy highlight the trust and support from Principal Leigh McQuillen, has allowed the changes in teaching to continue gaining momentum.
“When Leigh came on board as Principal, he gave us the green light to keep going and believed in what we were doing,” Billy reflects. “That trust made all the difference.”
MPF is proud to support Tootgarook PS, where committed educators are ensuring all children receive excellence in education. Tootgarook PS is part of the Mornington Peninsula Learning Guarantee, a cluster of 7 primary and 2 secondary schools on the Peninsula supported by MPF. Thank you to Adele, Billy, and the entire Tootgarook team for their dedication. And to our generous donors, in particular the Alan and Kate Gibson Foundation a key supporter of Tootgarook PS.