How collaboration can help close the gap for regional and rural schools

For many regional and rural teachers, planning can be extremely difficult. They balance multiple subjects, high turnover, and fewer specialist colleagues. Additionally, they may be asked to deliver subjects that they aren’t even trained for. Much of what works is carried in experience and memory. When a teacher leaves, that knowledge can vanish overnight.

This isn’t about effort. Regional teachers do incredible work every day. The challenge is structural. Research shows that consistent curriculum sequencing, clear progression, and shared understanding of learning goals are critical to student success. Wiggins and McTighe’s Understanding by Design highlights how starting with the end in mind makes planning more focused and effective. Hattie’s meta-analyses also show that teacher clarity and well-structured programs have some of the largest effects on student learning.

One way to strengthen planning and reduce the risk of losing expertise is building communities of practice between schools. When teachers collaborate across schools, they share ideas, strategies, and resources. Wenger, McDermott, and Snyder show that communities of practice allow knowledge to move beyond individual teachers and become part of the culture of multiple schools. Evidence from Australian networks suggests that inter-school collaboration improves the quality and consistency of curriculum and assessment.

Here’s a framework that reflects this research and practice:

1. Start with shared learning goals - The outcomes themselves are already set by our curriculum authorities. The real work is agreeing on what they mean in practice, that is the knowledge, skills and evidence teachers expect to see. When schools build a shared interpretation of the syllabus, students get a more consistent experience, even when teachers or schools change.

2. Sequence collaboratively - Teachers from different schools map learning experiences together, building coherent sequences that reflect best practice while adapting to local context.

3. Share and reflect on what works - Regular meetings, shared digital spaces, and moderated discussions allow teachers to analyze student work, refine approaches, and adopt strategies that have been successful elsewhere.

4. Iterate based on evidence - Collect student work, reflect as a community, and adjust plans. Collaborative reflection strengthens teaching practice across all schools involved.

Why this works

• Students experience consistent, coherent learning across schools and classes.
• Teachers reduce workload by drawing on colleagues’ expertise instead of starting from scratch.
• Schools build lasting institutional knowledge that survives staff changes.
• Collaboration improves overall teaching quality (and therefore outcomes) across community of practices

Regional and rural teachers already do remarkable work. The challenge isn’t effort, it’s system-level support and collaboration. Communities of practice turn isolated expertise into collective wisdom. They make high-quality curriculum sustainable and equitable, giving every student access to the best possible learning.

We are building Planuva with this in mind. Our goal is to make quality education accessible to all students, no matter where they live. We want all schools to join forces to deliver the best possible education for their students.

If you want to help us build the future, join up at https://planuva.com