This year saw the trial of innovative digital additions to Meriden’s teaching and learning strategies, as well as the new must-have accessory — the Meriden face mask.
When Meriden’s 2021 prefects buried a time capsule that immortalised life in 2020, staff and students reflected on how grateful they felt to have been members of the Meriden community during such a tumultuous year.
One of the items buried in the time capsule, which is to be opened in 100 years’ time, was a Meriden face mask, the most recent, and unexpected, addition to the school uniform but one that is likely to be here to stay. The face mask is not the only item necessitated by the pandemic that will remain with the school: Meriden utilised the period of online learning in 2020 to trial innovative digital additions to its teaching and learning strategies and the success of these additions has seen them adopted for sustained use in classrooms.
One of the digital tools that continues to support student learning is Meriden’s custom-built online learning platform, which houses digital resources that students access to enhance and consolidate their understanding in each key learning area.
Timetable flexibility is another feature of online learning that has been permanently implemented in the school. Senior School students and their parents reported that having more downtime enhanced student performance, and that older girls experienced success in independently managing some aspects of their learning. In response to this feedback, Meriden implemented “Day 2i”, where the “i” represents the opportunity provided for independence. Years 11 and 12 students now have one Day 2i scheduled in their timetable each fortnight. This flexible day allows students the option of working either at home or school and provides the opportunity to spend sustained periods on challenging or time-consuming tasks of their choice, including extension HSC subjects, assessments and major works.
The effectiveness of the online learning period at Meriden is partly due to the school’s method of supporting the individual learning needs of every student. Whether in the classroom or online, teachers ensure each girl receives timely, targeted feedback that allows her to build her competencies and, with this approach, every student was able to continue to experience academic success and growth during the period of online learning.
The Association of Independent Schools, together with the University of Technology Sydney, recognised Meriden’s online learning practice as exemplary and wrote a case study on the school’s approach as part of their research. The release of the 2020 HSC results saw Meriden ranked, once again, among the top independent girls’ schools in the state and a record number of Meriden students named among the state’s Top Achievers. These results demonstrated not only the strength of the school’s online learning program, but also the depth of the girls’ learning throughout the year.
Meriden is an Anglican day school for girls from Pre-Kindergarten to Year 12. Meriden offers a high-quality and balanced education […]