At Cannon Hill Anglican College (CHAC) in Brisbane, there’s always something happening. Sport, music, debating and a busy classroom life keep more than 1,300 students from Prep to Year 12 on the move.
Too many places to look
But with information shared through email, letters and Microsoft Teams, families weren’t always sure where to look. Teachers organised content in their own way, and students met a different platform in almost every class. So the College set out to bring its whole community to one place.
“That was the impetus for us to look at a solution that was going to bring those three stakeholders to a place where they could find everything they need to know about CHAC.”
Holly O’Sullivan Williams, Deputy Principal
That place is CHAC Home, the College’s own school-branded Schoolbox experience. It brings learning, community and pastoral care together in one connected platform.
A change all staff understood
CHAC didn’t rush the change. The rollout was gradual, transparent and shared. Teacher champions, a steering committee and Digital Projects Officer Kat Upton shaped every step, so staff understood the why before being asked to change the how.
The first place everyone goes
Today, CHAC Home is the first place staff go each morning, the start of every student’s day in homeroom and the first port of call for parents.
For teachers
Assessment is marked in CHAC Home, and teachers add reporting comments as they go.
For students
Every school day at CHAC starts in homeroom on CHAC Home, and what students see is the same across all classes.
“For teachers, it means being able to deliver learning and assessments in a consistent format, ensuring what students see is the same across all classes.”
Peter Holmes, Head of Faculty (Science)
For parents
With assessment and reporting comments in one place, Holly says CHAC Home has reduced the emails and phone calls from parents asking how their child is tracking.
Support that continues after go-live
For CHAC, go-live was only the beginning. The College stays in close contact with their Schoolbox School Engagement Manager Krystal Goudge, and recently hosted the South East Queensland User Forum to share ideas with other Schoolbox schools across the region.
CHAC hosted the Schoolbox South East Queensland User Forum, bringing together 160 educators from across the region.
“Schoolbox isn’t something that you set up and you walk away from. It’s something we’re continuously improving upon, bringing in new features and making sure that we continue to upskill the teachers to get the most out of the platform.”
Kat Upton, Digital Projects Officer
Ask anyone at CHAC where to find something, and the answer is always the same: “It’s on CHAC Home.” The College built that habit together, one step at a time.
Planning a change? See what a rollout could look like for your school.
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