From trepidation to triumph: How Busby Public School embraced Quality Teaching Rounds

What started as trepidation has turned into enthusiasm at Busby Public School, where teachers who once resisted Quality Teaching Rounds (QTR) now champion the program. This remarkable shift is due in part to the Thriving Schools project – a partnership between the University of Newcastle’s Teachers and Teaching Research Centre (TTRC) and the Paul Ramsay Foundation (PRF), delivered through the QT Academy.

Busby is a proudly diverse school in Western Sydney, welcoming 244 students and a dedicated team of teachers. With 86% of students from non-English speaking backgrounds and 17% identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, the school reflects Australia’s rich cultural heritage. Principal Ena Lakisoe sums up the spirit of the community: “So many times people judge depending on where you come from or what you look like. At Busby, we want to encourage people to believe they can be anything.”

As an emergency vehicle races past the school gates, Ena speaks candidly about the challenges her community faces. “Sirens are normal for us. We live below the poverty line… but boy, are we rich in the wealth of personality, character, diversity and culture.”

Far from being discouraged, these challenges fuel the passion of Busby’s educators.

“The team that we have are professionals that work hard to make sure every kid is seen and valued,” Ena shares – something that’s evident the moment you step into this vibrant school.

Thriving Schools: Turning evidence into impact

Busby is one of 20 schools participating in the Thriving Schools project, launched in 2024 by the TTRC and supported by the PRF. The initiative aims to help schools in disadvantaged communities deliver better outcomes for teachers and students.

At its core, Thriving Schools engages staff in evidence-backed Quality Teaching professional development while also providing ongoing support from QT Advisers. The model builds on the success of a previous partnership with Cessnock High School, which resulted in some of the most significant improvements in NAPLAN and HSC results in NSW.

This work follows a PRF-funded research program (2018-2023) that demonstrated the positive impact of Quality Teaching on teachers and student achievement.

Breaking barriers, building confidence

For Busby’s teachers, the program has been transformative. “It’s been such an amazing partnership”, says Ena, reflecting on the support from QT Academy Advisers. “They’ve made us believe that we can make a difference.”

She recalls the initial reaction when introducing QTR to her staff: “[There were] people running for the hills; there were people eye rolling; somebody actually said, ‘No way, I’m not doing this.’”

But rather than give up, Ena saw this as an opportunity to lead with courage and present QTR in a way that addressed her team’s concerns.

The biggest hesitation? A lack of support staff. With teacher shortages and no one to cover classes, the idea of leaving classrooms for live observations felt impossible.

Ena presented an idea: what if lessons were filmed instead of observed live? This approach gave teachers control over what they shared and eliminated the need to leave their classrooms.

The result was powerful. Not only did it save time, but it also gave teachers the chance to reflect on their own practice – an unexpected bonus that deepened professional growth.

Alice, a relieving APCI with over 30 years of experience spoke of the value she gained from participating in QTR. “It gives you an opportunity to look back a what you’ve been able to achieve and where you need to further develop. It also takes away that stress of having other teachers in the classroom observing you and distracting the students.”

More broadly, QTR broke down barriers. Teachers connected with colleagues they’d never spoken to before, gaining insights into practices across the school.

Jasmin, a special education teacher shared how safe she felt being able to share and collaborate with her colleagues: “I loved having the opportunity to really showcase what we do in special education, because, working for 17 years in the world of special education, I’ve never really had the chance to showcase what it is that we do in our engine rooms in terms of making modifications and targeting the individual needs of our students.”

Ena is confident this has made a significant difference in her school, “How do I know it’s made an impact?” she says. “They went from feet-dragging into the room to skipping down the halls.”

Celebrating courage and collaboration

On 19 November 2025, the QT Academy hosted a special breakfast at Busby to celebrate the achievements of Thriving Schools.

The event brought together key leaders and partners, including Distinguished Laureate Professor Jenny Gore, Steve Hannan, University Chancellor the Hon Patricia Forsythe AM, and local federal and state MPs, Anne Stanley and Charishma Kaliyanda. Their presence highlighted the shared commitment to improving educational outcomes through collaboration.

Dr Drew Miller, Deputy Director of TTRC and lead for Thriving Schools, highlighted the importance of the PRF partnership: “Partnering with the Paul Ramsay Foundation has given us the opportunity to do things in educational research that just aren’t possible for the majority of educational researchers in this country.”

Echoing this sentiment, Chancellor Forsythe said, “We can’t do what we do without the support of broader groups in the community. We wouldn’t be here at this breakfast if it weren’t for the support of the Paul Ramsay Foundation.”

Busby’s journey shows what’s possible when courage meets collaboration. What began with hesitation has evolved into a culture of curiosity, connection and confidence – proof that when teachers feel supported, they can transform not only their practice, but the future of their students. Through Thriving Schools, Busby has demonstrated that even in the face of challenges, belief and evidence-based practice can turn trepidation into triumph.