Partnership Case Study
Melrose High School: Study 3
Melrose High School’s Dance in Advertising project challenged students to fuse creative movement with persuasive communication. The aim was to bring together choreography, media literacy, and design thinking in a way that encouraged students to lead their own learning. The result was a vibrant, student-driven experience that blended creativity with critical analysis.
Our PARTNER
Melrose High School
SETTING
Urban School
Pearce, Canberra
ENGAGEMENT
Multi-year partnership
FOCUS AREAS
Whole-staff implementation of the Culture of Excellence Program
From Traditional Dance Tasks to Confident, Creative Communicators
Case Summary
Students analysed real advertisements, identified what made them memorable, and then designed original ads integrating dance. The project strengthened ownership, collaboration, and expressive confidence. Teachers observed learners engaging with purpose, experimenting boldly, and producing highly inventive, unexpected work — all grounded in thoughtful, intentional choices.
The learning design helped students take greater ownership of their work.
98%
The project structure provided clarity and practical frameworks for teachers.
96%
Students demonstrated deeper creative and critical thinking throughout the project.
98%
The work strengthened relationships and collaboration across the school.
97%
Overall, this was a positive and valuable learning experience for our school community.
100%
(Percentages reflect staff who agreed or strongly agreed.)
In Their Words
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“The shift toward student ownership has been incredible — learners were far more invested because the work felt meaningful and genuinely theirs.”
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“These projects pushed my students to think, question, and create with a level of courage and clarity I hadn’t seen before.”
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“The framework helped me guide rather than direct. I felt myself becoming a better facilitator, not just a better teacher.”
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“Students’ creativity surprised me every single day. They produced work far beyond what I would have expected at the start.”
John Doe
Combo Interactive -
“This experience helped reconnect our team with why we teach — seeing students step up with agency was energising for all of us.”
John Doe
Combo Interactive
“This work helped our teachers step back so students could step forward. The level of engagement, ownership, and creative confidence our learners demonstrated has been extraordinary — and it has strengthened our whole school culture.”
Simon Vaughan, Principal, Melrose High School