Our model
A different approach to school
Aviva is intentionally different from what school usually looks like.
Guided by our Philosophy of Education, the College’s work spans three primary domains: Education, Community and Recovery.
This three-domain approach helps us understand and balance our work to maximise its impact for students. We recognise that safety and belonging precede learning, and that social and emotional regulation and recovery are foundational to sustained learning and growth. We therefore work to build a safe community where students belong, support regulation and recovery, and engage students in meaningful learning that they can consolidate over time.
Our model reflects our origins. Founded by a school principal and enriched by the work of a psychologist and church pastor, Aviva brings together education, community and recovery. We know this balanced approach makes a difference in the lives of students who need a different experience of school.
Together, they create an environment designed to help students engage with learning and take meaningful steps forward.
Education
Quality education, shaped around the student.
Learning at Aviva begins with understanding where each student is at.
The College team works with students to develop learning pathways that respond to their individual needs, capabilities and goals, while providing the quality education they need to progress.
Our smaller learning environments also allow staff to respond more personally to each student, providing support and challenge as they move through their learning.
Community
Connection and belonging are part of how Aviva works.
Our learning communities are intentionally small, with spaces designed for learning, connection and recreation.
This creates opportunities for students and staff to build strong relationships and for young people to participate in a community where they are known and have a place.
Each location has its own character, but community is central to them all.
Recovery
Progress can begin in different places.
Education doesn’t happen separately from the rest of a young person’s life.
Students may also be building confidence, developing trust, strengthening relationships, establishing routines or becoming more comfortable participating in a learning community.
The College team makes space for this progress alongside academic learning, recognising and encouraging the steps each student takes.
Learning
pathways
Aviva provides programs and pathways designed to meet students at different stages of their secondary education.
Our Middle School curriculum is designed to be fully compliant with ACARA version 9.0. Offering integrated studies covering the eight learning areas of the ACARA curriculum students are supported to reconnect with learning in rich and meaningful ways. At Aviva we recognise that young people with interrupted learning experiences require thoughtfully scaffolded supports to re-engage successfully in learning. We endeavour to meet students where they are and journey with them on each step of their learning journey.
Our Senior School offering is comprised of three distinctive programs designed with specific student groups in mind. All programs deliver Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) approved curriculum and offer pathways to Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) and Queensland Certification of Individual Achievement (QCIA) completion.
The Standard Senior Program suits students who are ready to attend a classroom done differently. Students enrolling here enter an active classroom environment that focuses on being a small and safe relational learning community. Subjects on offer include:
- Short Course in Literacy
- Short Course in Numeracy
- Essential English
- Essential Maths
- Religion & Ethics
- VET Courses (various and offered in a “year on” / “year off” arrangement)
- Cert II Outdoor Rec
- Cert II Hospitality
- Cert II Automotive
- Cert III Business
- TAFE @ Schools Courses
- Duke of Edinburgh International Award
- The College’s very own Personal Recovery and Community Building Course (QCAA Recognised Study)
Typically catering for students who have significant anxiety in relation to school attendance, the ConnectEd Senior Program provides individualised socio-emotional and educational support for students who need extra care and attention. Each student is allocated a “ConnectEd Chaplain” who accompanies the student as they begin and progress through their journey with Aviva. Curriculum offerings mirror those in the “Standard Senior Program”
This program suits students who require a highly individualised educational pathway, may have a diagnosed disability and who are unable to complete a QCE. Students in this program usually have a history of individualised learning pathways and require support with foundational literacy and numeracy skills. Student learning consists of goals and progress in each of the following curriculum areas:
- Communication and technologies
- Community, citizenship and the environment
- Leisure and recreation
- Personal and living dimensions
- Vocational and transition activities
- High staff to student ratios and highly individualised learning programs characterise this College offering.
This may include opportunities for students to work towards academic qualifications, vocational pathways and preparation for life beyond school.
Why our model matters
The model allows the College team to respond to the student in front of them, bringing together education, personal growth and community in ways that support their learning and next steps.