Hybrid learning supports students across different school campuses to study a broader range of subjects with teachers who are leaders in their field. It also embeds skills that prepare students for success beyond Year 12.
Latin may have been part of school curriculums for centuries, but at Haileybury the classic language is taught using 21st century technology. VCE Latin is one of several niche subjects taught using a hybrid learning model.
While students across different campuses sit at desks in their respective classrooms, they learn together in an online classroom, led by their teacher who also joins the class remotely. A suite of online resources and activities supplement each lesson to help bring Latin to life.
Mary Triantafyllou has taught Latin across Haileybury’s Melbourne campuses since the beginning of 2025. She previously taught at a boys’ school in New South Wales. Her Latin classes are an amalgamation of students at the same year level who are based at any one of the school’s four campuses.
This week, in one Year 9 class, students reviewed their homework and prepared for an exam. Mary created a series of virtual breakout rooms and students joined according to where they were currently at with their revision.
“There was a room for students who wanted to do individual revision, a room for students with questions to ask me, and a room for students who wanted to do practice exercises,” explains Mary.
“For the first 20 minutes, students elected what test preparation they wanted to do and then we came back together, I shared my screen, and we went through some theory. The session ended with a game so everyone could consolidate what they had learned.”
Choices for the future
Haileybury has embraced hybrid learning for more than a decade and currently uses it to deliver Latin, Data Analytics, Chinese Culture and Society, Music Composition and Algorithmics which combines computer science, mathematics and problem-solving. Haileybury CEO|Principal, Derek Scott, believes it is particularly beneficial for students in Years 11 and 12.
“It brings students a wider range of subject choices and prepares them for a model of learning that they are likely to encounter after they leave school,” says Derek.
“Of course, having great teachers in the classroom with students is very effective — but it’s not the only learning model students should be exposed to. Most of our students go on to universities that use a range of teaching models, including hybrid teaching and these days, there is more to university than turning up to a lecture or a face-to-face tutorial.
“We are keen to deliver more subjects in this way because it’s helping our students be better prepared for the hybrid study and work that they will encounter in the future.”Derek Scott , Haileybury CEO | Principal
Haileybury’s hybrid learning model empowers the school to offer a broader range of subjects than would otherwise be possible. By connecting students across multiple campuses in a single online class, the model enables the delivery of niche or low-enrolment subjects that might not be feasible in a traditional setting. For example, teaching 20 students from different campuses online is far more viable than running a face-to-face class for just two students. This approach has allowed Haileybury to offer close to 50 VCE subjects, significantly enhancing student choice and academic opportunity.
More than subject knowledge
Beyond allowing students to follow subjects that inspire, Anna Sever Deputy Principal (Teaching & Learning), agrees that hybrid learning builds skills beyond subject knowledge.
“Hybrid learning at Haileybury is designed to prepare students for the future; it’s a dynamic and enriching educational experience, not a compromise. The outcomes speak for themselves: student results consistently demonstrate the effectiveness of this model.” says Anna.
For the past few years, students in hybrid classes have received Premier’s VCE Awards that recognise top-performing students from across the state who excel in their VCE studies.
Key to an effective hybrid teaching model is supporting educators to use tools and techniques that create engaging content and enhance the experiences of students when they are online. The teacher remains at the centre of the delivery and engagement with students while guiding, inspiring and ensuring learning stays dynamic and interactive.
Ideas and innovation
“I think hybrid teaching works well at Haileybury because of the capacity of our teachers to evolve their practice, to take advantage of the technology available, and to challenge themselves to improve the essence of what teaching is,” says Anna.
“Essentially, it’s about great content knowledge, great relationships and engagement with students, and providing them with useful feedback.”
Mary has no regrets about switching to hybrid teaching. She enjoys being part of a diverse team that is afforded flexibility in how and where they learn from.
“There’s a cross-pollination of ideas and experiences and we are a passionate and innovative team,” she says.
“Hybrid teaching and the technology creates an environment that brings out the innovative side of teaching. It’s rewarding to find new ways to present material and to make the work we do engaging”.
“I think the future is going to be asynchronous and hybrid and our job as teachers isn’t to pretend that technological hybrid learning doesn’t exist. For me, part of our role is to teach students how to learn effectively without needing a teacher standing next to them. We’re teaching a subject, and we are teaching students to be responsible, collaborative and proactive learners.”
Looking ahead
Derek says hybrid learning will have an increasingly visible role at forward-thinking schools like Haileybury.
“Ideally, I’d like to see every student have one subject across Years 11 and 12 delivered in this hybrid form,” he says.
“We already offer one of the biggest ranges of VCE subjects and this ensures we can keep that range of subjects and grow it further. It also continues to develop our teaching practice and helps grow our young people to be future ready.”
In the spirit of reconciliation, Haileybury acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.
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