The Silkwood Difference

Stepping onto the Silkwood path is a considered decision, a decision to select a school designed with a different purpose than traditional schooling – one designed with these ten 21st century outcomes for our students, at its heart:

• Use creative, innovative, and critical thinking to make a difference;
• Use their passions, talents, and skills to create a future that excites them and contributes positively to our world;
• See the adventure, opportunity, connections, and possibilities in life;
• Act with respect towards themselves, others, and our world;
• Create their own financial independence in win/win ways;
• Turn dreams and ideas into reality;
• Accept life’s challenges with a resilient and flexible attitude;
• Create a happy and healthy life balance;
• Communicate with empathy, openness, and integrity;
• Embrace fun and live with curiosity.  

With a unique and innovative educational approach, The Silkwood Way is purposefully designed to support young people to achieve these outcomes by creating personalised learning pathways for every child, valuing their learning time and individuality.

This stands Silkwood apart from traditional schooling, a traditional model whose purpose is to deliver standardised subjects and ‘one size fits all’ testing to drive academic outcomes. 

It’s a powerful difference – one that can make an equally powerful difference to a young person’s future. 

At Silkwood we offer:  

• Personalised Learning Plans (PLP) for each student; 
• A dedicated Advisor (Teacher) for each student, who supports them through a two year learning cycle; 
• A unique program with a variety of learning styles designed to develop the capabilities needed for success in the 21st-century;
• Life preparation through real-world learning opportunities, connections and mentors; 
• Small classes, called Advisories, with a maximum of 18 students; Student-led assessment and exhibitions;  
• A unique High School assessment process called a 'Graduation Portfolio'; 
• Personalised pathways to tertiary study or post-school life. 

We focus on student self-management through:

• A partnership approach with the family, student and their Advisor (Teacher);
• Developing a student’s awareness of themselves, others and our world;
• Ensuring students feel connected to and responsible for their learning plan; Demonstrated progress relating to their learning goals;
• Supporting the student to find the best way to achieve their learning goals;
• Developing meaningful pathways to future work.

Whilst we do have lovely facilities, located in a wonderful Hinterland setting, this is not where we focus our attentions. Silkwood invests in keeping the student to teacher ratio low, we avoid learning that has no clear purpose to the student and we value real-world learning. This means Silkwood does not look or feel like other schools.

You will not see...

subject teaching with specialist teachers (except for Music and Italian in the Primary School).

You will not see...

exams and tests as a way of measuring our student’s success. 

You will not see...

traditional school infrastructure, facilities and resources, we use the world as our campus.

You will not see...

year level teaching which is the same for every student regardless of their needs.

You will not see...

standard traditional school pathways to tertiary education.

We are uncompromising on our differences. They are what sets us apart and we proudly stand strong on these.  

Enrolling at Silkwood means you are saying YES to The Silkwood Difference!