The award-winning Smart Study program is now in its third year, and has been expanded to cater to the self-regulated learning needs of all senior school students from Year 7 to 12. I caught up with coordinator Ms Lara Harvey to talk about how the program has evolved since its conception in 2022.
The program began in 2023 with an intensive course in Years 9 and 10, which illuminated the cognitive science behind memory and the study strategies that are proven to work. Years 9 and 10 are a key time when academic stress can begin to spiral. But with the support of the program, we saw an uplift in indicators of academic wellbeing like student competence and enjoyment of school, and a reduction in study anxiety.
In consultation with teachers and the students themselves, the Smart Study program has been adapted to meet students where they need support the most. Students are regularly asked about the changes they have made to their study habits, suggesting that the impacts we saw over the past two years continue to grow.
I asked Lara how the program differs for Year 7. She mentioned the challenges of transitioning from a junior or primary school environment and how Smart Study can help.
“Even for Year 7, it's essential to have a program in place that models the self-regulated learning habits that students need to pick up. They’re coming from quite a protected environment.
They're guided through everything they do. And yes, they have lots of different times where they can be independent, but it’s a big step up.
They're moving around the school, and they've got lots of different subjects to juggle. They haven't got that constant support of the same teacher, the same environment. All of a sudden, they're thrown into a timetable with homework from all different subjects. They can be quite lost and wondering, where do I start?
So with Year 7, the term’s focus is on those key organisational and planning skills. Time management is huge. As the term goes on, teaching students how to seek support in Year 7 will be key, for example, knowing how to ask for help,” she says.
I asked Lara how the program differs for Year 11 and 12, who have developed foundational study skills as a result of participating in the intensive course.
“There's a lot of pressure for our Year 12 students: they want to do well, but that doesn't necessarily mean they've got all the skills to do that. In the world they’re entering, AI and technology are key to aiding their study. So they’ve received sessions on how to use those tools properly.
And there are still opportunities to refine those high-utility strategies. It’s great that they’re making study notes and engaging in practice testing, but what are students doing with those notes? How can they more effectively engage in practice testing?” she asks.
The program has garnered attention from many other schools, locally and even overseas. We regularly share advice with wellbeing leaders, with the hopes of influencing a shift in the sector that enables teachers to focus on preventative measures. The Smart Study report, published at the end of 2024, captures the research, strategies, implementation advice, and outcomes of the program, and has been instrumental in spreading the word to other schools.
I asked Lara why Smart Study is categorised as a wellbeing—rather than just academic—program.
“It absolutely belongs in the realm of wellbeing, because our data tells us that we've got a cohort of girls that do struggle with mental health and there's a lot of anxiety at Queenwood and elsewhere around assessments. If you look at the McCrindle Report, for instance, the number one cause of stress in schools is assessments and exams.
There’s a knock-on effect of alleviating academic stress. If a girl feels prepared, they feel happy academically, then that promotes good wellbeing. Instead of spending a lot of time and effort once anxiety or mental health issues have occurred, we can turn that on its head and ask, what can we do before that happens? Smart Study is the answer to that question,” she says.