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From several data points to one point of view.

Harnessing the power of data at Our Lady of the Way Primary School.

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School spotlight

When you step into Our Lady of the Way, you’re not just entering a school—you’re becoming part of a close-knit, faith-driven community.

Jennifer Bryan, a dedicated educator at this Catholic school, describes it as a place where students, staff, and families come together like a family, supporting each other through challenges and celebrating successes. “It’s this deep sense of connection and belonging that I love most,” she says.

But like many teachers, Jennifer faced a significant challenge: the overwhelming administrative burden of data analysis.

 The challenge: data overload and burnout.

 In every classroom, teachers are tasked with identifying where their students stand academically and supporting their wellbeing. But knowing where students are and figuring out how to help them advance are two very different challenges. “We had all the platforms to tell us where students were, but manually sifting through that data to pinpoint specific gaps in knowledge was time-consuming,” Jennifer recalls.

This process was more than just tedious—it was stealing time away from what mattered most: teaching.

Balancing this data analysis with lesson planning and meaningful student engagement often left gaps unaddressed. “You might know that a student is struggling with addition in Grade 5, but without diving deep into the data, you might miss the foundational gaps that stretch back to earlier years,” Jennifer explains.
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Enter Elastik

In 2023, Jarrod Main, a representative from the Elastik, visited Our Lady of the Way to present the platform’s capabilities. His presentation struck a chord with the teachers, earning him a standing ovation. “The promise of a tool that could give us back our time while helping us better support our students was huge,” Jennifer recalls.

The initial days of using Elastik weren’t without their challenges. Jennifer and her colleagues had to familiarise themselves with the new technology but with the help of Elastik’s responsive support team, they quickly got the hang of it. “It was a learning curve, but the team was so helpful,” Jennifer says. “They made those first steps much smoother.”

The impact: more time, more teaching

Once they integrated Elastik into their daily routines, the benefits became clear. Jen found that the platform allowed her to adjust teaching strategies on the fly, based on real-time data. “It’s not just about understanding my class better—it’s about seeing the bigger picture for the whole school,” she explains.

Elastik’s ability to bring together multiple data sources and present them in an easy-to-understand format was a game-changer. It allowed teachers to make data-driven decisions with confidence, alleviating the pressures of teaching and data analysis.

But perhaps the most significant impact was on the students themselves. Jennifer started using Elastik not just as an assessment tool, but as a way to review and reinforce learning. Every week, she would select five questions from previously covered content, giving students the opportunity to engage with the material without the stress of formal testing. “It’s a non-judgmental space where they can reflect on what they got wrong and why,” she explains.

This approach has helped build a supportive, reflective learning environment that reduces anxiety and boosts confidence.

Advice for fellow educators.

Jennifer knows that the idea of integrating new technology into the classroom can be daunting, especially when it comes to something as complex as data analysis. “It’s not a skill that comes naturally to everyone,” she acknowledges.

But her experience with Elastik has shown her that these tools can be transformative. “By embracing technology and using it to streamline our processes, we free up more time to focus on what really matters—teaching.”

 

Her advice to other educators? Take the leap. “It’s worth exploring how tools like Elastik can benefit your school,” she says.
“Insightful. Effective. Informative”.
Jennifer Bryan

Our Lady of the Way Primary School

When asked to sum up her experience with Elastik, Jennifer doesn’t hesitate: insightful, effective, transformative.