Learning is at our core and covers all subject disciplines, co-curricular pursuits, personal development and interest areas. Helping our Toowoomba Grammar School boys view learning as a disposition that goes well beyond the classroom context is incredibly important. Learning has a life-long value in all we do. We also acknowledge that learning can be challenging at times, and it can be uncomfortable, but also wonderfully inspiring and fulfilling.

Appreciating the full range of feelings and emotions associated with learning is helpful for everyone, but particularly students for developing a sense of their own journey when approaching new concepts or working through material they are still developing their skills and competencies in, whether it be through a music piece, maths concept, sentence structure in writing, bowling in cricket or writing code. At TGS Junior School we use the analogy of “the learning pit” which illustrates the feelings and emotions when beginning to learn a new concept through to mastery; visibly going down into a pit then up and out the other side to successfully achieving new knowledge, skills or understanding. Travelling through these feelings takes courage, particularly when the learning material becomes challenging.

The learning pit commences when learning is first engaged. This can be an exciting and interesting experience but we also recognise that, for some, it can be a time of nervousness. We begin to learn and inevitably experience new information which can challenge us, stretch us, be complicated or contradict what we thought we knew. The visible line of the learning pit at this point is tracking down and our feelings and emotions may feel like that too – frustrated, overwhelmed, confused. At this point we organise the information, make sense of what we are learning about and build confidence in constructing the understanding. Our learning pit line at this point begins to turn up. When we engage support, strategies and practice, the learning pit line moves further north, our confidence compounds and we see our progress develop until we feel a sense of achievement and accomplishment in our new knowledge or understanding. Visibly seeing the learning pit journey can be very helpful for a student to understand where they are on that timeline and have the confidence to continue through the challenging sections towards success.

There are many more tools that can assist us all through the learning process, including clearly defined objectives, modelled examples, scaffolded supports, criteria for success, frequent and timely feedback, data and self-review to name a few. These are all tools in our teacher's toolkit to help our students understand their own learning. The learning pit is a nice analogy though for understanding the feelings and emotions associated with the learning journey and assuring that we do come out the other side with support, guidance and self-confidence.

- Ken Raven, Head of TGS Junior School


Latest Blog

The Arts
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Tuesday, 19 Dec 2023

A Musical Reflection

As Director of Performing Arts, there is perhaps no bigger undertaking than a School musical. It requires an enormous effort from a huge team of teachers and students, and to get all these moving parts heading in the same direction is certainly no mean feat. The 2023 co-production of Footloose was my first time involved in a Toowoomba Grammar School and Fairholme College musical, and I found it to be a very rewarding, though exhausting, experience. The process began in Term 3, 2022, as my…

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Sports & Activities
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Tuesday, 19 Dec 2023

TGS Success in GPS Sport

In 2023, Toowoomba Grammar School witnessed a remarkable resurgence in several of our sports programs, marking a year of triumph and growth. Although an elusive GPS premiership did not fall our way, a number of our 1st teams competed to the final whistle in Round 9 of their respective competitions, vying for their premierships. The achievements of our boys on the field and court were nothing short of exceptional, reflecting the commitment, dedication and character development that participation…

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Teaching & Learning
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Wednesday, 13 Dec 2023

An Exceptional Learning Experience

As a member of the Junior School Leadership Team at Toowoomba Grammar School, my role involves ensuring that the Junior School’s Teaching and Learning programs are designed, implemented and managed effectively. This role is grounded in the vision, mission, and values of TGS and is crucial in supporting the Head of Junior School and the Director of Studies in providing an exceptional learning experience for our boys. At TGS Junior School, we prioritise the use of explicit teaching to ensure that…

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Teaching & Learning
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Wednesday, 06 Dec 2023

An Inclusive Education

Toowoomba Grammar School is proud to introduce the newest addition to our education team, Amanda Gibson. Amanda commenced in Term 4, 2023 in the pivotal role of Head of Diverse Learners and will bring new direction and focus to the position in alignment with our commitment to inclusive education, aligning seamlessly with our Strategic Plan 2022-2026 and the Inclusive Education Policy. “I am very excited about developing this role,” said Amanda. “I have a passion for fostering environments where…

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Senior School
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Friday, 01 Dec 2023

Get Involved in Everything

As Senior Prefect at Toowoomba Grammar School, I have had the opportunity to witness the benefits of being an all-rounder firsthand. With the various activities and programs the School offers, the ability to be involved in as many things as possible is not only enjoyable but brings about numerous benefits that extend far beyond the school years. Ranging from sports to drama and debating, participating in anything the School has to offer is an excellent way to make friends and build networks of…

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Teaching & Learning
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Wednesday, 22 Nov 2023

The Importance of Knowledge

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always enjoyed traveling great distances. As a child growing up in rural New South Wales, this was inevitable. The region was speckled with towns, some more vibrant than others, and diverse landscapes where hillside ruins whispered tales of bygone eras. Over time, these landscapes and towns transformed into familiar scenes, with even minor changes in the community and environment growing more noticeable during each visit. Education parallels this journey, as…

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Senior School
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Wednesday, 22 Nov 2023

Senior TGS Students' Advice for Starting Senior School

Starting at a new school can be a time of mixed feelings – very exciting, but also quite daunting and challenging. Here are some tips from some Year 7 Grammar boys who started Senior School in 2023. Get involved in different sports and activities Toowoomba Grammar School provides many sports and activities that any student can participate in. As a current Year 7 student, I highly recommend trying out as many different sports and activities as you can. Throughout my first year in high school, I…

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Senior School
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Wednesday, 22 Nov 2023

Transition to Senior School at TGS

Starting at a new school can be a time of mixed feelings – very exciting, but also quite daunting and challenging. Irrespective of whether your son is joining us from the TGS Junior School, or if they are just starting at Toowoomba Grammar School, this is the start of a long and special journey. Your son will have a lot to digest with a new, possibly larger campus to navigate, different teachers and lessons, making new friends, where to go and what to do at morning tea and lunch. There can be a…

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Senior School
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Tuesday, 14 Nov 2023

The Transition to Year 7 - from a Parent and Staff Member's Perspective

Regardless of your history with the school, you are all equally welcome here and should feel comfortable in knowing that we value every family and their son’s contribution to our School. Toowoomba Grammar School was built by the community, for the community and it is a School that I am immensely proud of. In 2025 we will celebrate our sesquicentenary or Grammar 150 and your sons will play a vital role in those celebrations. Our pedagogy is modelled on explicit instruction which has its roots in…

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