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2016 Annual Report to the School Community

School Name: Westbreen Primary School

School Number: 4158

Tony Cerra

Name of School Principal:

Colleen

Colleen Martin

Name of School Council President:

March,

20 March, 2017 Date of Endorsement:

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About Our School

School Context

Westbreen Primary School was established in 1923 and is located in the northern suburbs on the border of Pascoe Vale and Glenroy. The school population represents a diverse range of socio-economic, cultural and language backgrounds. This diversity provides a unique learning environment for students and staff and reflects the wider community of the City of Moreland. In 2016 the student population of 265 was made up of 121 females and 144 males. The 2016 Student Family Occupation (SFO) index of 0.72 has been fairly constant over the past 4 years. 63% of students have a Language Background other than English and 10 students are eligible for Program for Students with Disabilities (PSD) funding. The school has a total staff of thirty three in both full and part time positions with eighteen staff having direct teaching responsibilities. Parents are an integral part of the school's educational program, supporting their children, participating in areas of the curriculum including classroom helpers, maintenance of facilities, and fundraising activities. The community benefits from the experience of parents and links with local community. Staff at Westbreen Primary work collaboratively in Professional Learning Teams (PLTs) to provide learning programs in accordance with the Australian National Curriculum (AusVELS). The Early Years (Foundation -2) program is supported by the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework and there is a strong emphasis on the five learning outcomes identified for all children. Instructional models are used to support program planning, to inform conversations and to guide the observation, critique and reflection of classroom practice. The school has adopted a multi-age class structure, based on the belief that learning is developmental and that this structure provides greater opportunities for individual growth and achievement. We strive to develop all students’ capacity as learners through our commitment to teaching excellence and differentiating the curriculum to cater for the special abilities and needs of our students. At Westbreen all students are valued and differences are accepted within a supportive school environment, which promotes self-esteem, fosters participation and provides tools to explore their learning. At Westbreen Primary, there is a strong belief that true learning must be relevant, meaningful and rigorous for all students. Classes facilitate the development of positive student teacher relationships and differentiation of learning programs. Specialist programs in LOTE (Italian), Performing Arts, Visual Art, Science and Personalised Learning provide intervention and enrichment opportunities for all students. Education School Support staff members undertake a range of support services including administration, integration teacher aides, library technician and canteen manager. The school is equipped at a computer to student ratio of 1:1.5 and is fully networked across the school. Each classroom has an interactive whiteboard. Westbreen Primary School is continually evaluating student and school needs and planning future developments. It is dedicated to delivering excellence in the curriculum and providing the best education for our students. The school buildings include three sub schools -an Early Years, Middle and Senior. Specialist rooms include, library, music, art and a hall. The school grounds are well maintained with shaded areas, grassy play areas, excellent play equipment, asphalted areas and synthetic grass areas. General Service Standards: The school fosters close links with parents and the broader school community through its commitment to open and regular communications. The school commits to the active sharing of its vision and goals to ensure school community engagement in the school's strategic plan. Westbreen Primary School will provide all students access to a broad, balanced and flexible curriculum including skills for learning and life. The school provides a safe and stimulating learning environment to ensure all students can achieve their full potential. All students will receive instruction that is adapted to their individual needs. Specific Service Standards:

Westbreen will build an innovative Information Communication Technology (ICT) environment to enhance learning, motivation and engagement. Staff will Personalise Learning for our students via the implementation of Individual learning Plans. Staff will provide timely and targeted feedback to students on their work and effort. Staff will be available to communicate with Parents on a regular basis both formally and informally.

Framework for Improving Student Outcomes (FISO)

Our “Building Practice Excellence” Key Improvement Strategy for 2017 will focus primarily on building teacher capacity in Numeracy and Writing by:

Embed the strategies learnt in partnership with Ann Angelopoulos (Writing coach & consultant) via “The Writing Model” program

Continue partnership with Mathematics Coach (Kathy Palmer) in implementing best practice in the teaching of Mathematics.

Raising the bar and closing the gap of student literacy and numeracy competency

Striving for academic excellence developing expertise in giving and receiving feedback supporting teachers to collaborate modelling and sharing effective practices through peer observation Use data gained from our Assessment Schedule to inform teaching programs redesigning assessment tasks to better track student progression against both the expected levels

and individual targets setting and communicating clear targets and expectations to students monitoring and reporting on student performance

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Our “Curriculum Planning and Assessment” Key Improvement Strategy for 2017 will focus primarily on building Curriculum & Assessment Strategies in Numeracy and Writing by:

Personalised learning goals

Self-assessment and responsibility for learning

A guaranteed and viable curriculum that meets the needs of each individual student

An acknowledgment that learning is a developmental process

Empowering learners by developing skills in metacognition, self-regulation, organisation, planning and reflection.

Emphasis on curiosity and challenging experiences in order to provide students with lifelong skills in confidence, self-esteem, risk taking, independence and resilience

Enable students to understand their own performance data that informs personalised goal setting providing professional development on the Victorian Curriculum achievement standards for

implementation in 2017. developing expertise in establishing student entry points for learning and establishing student

learning goals using student assessment data and other feedback – including feedback from students, teachers and

school leaders – to evaluate student progress and the impact of their teaching regularly monitoring and adjusting learning programs based on analysis of performance data and

other information sources moderating assessments of students’ learning to ensure they are based on consistent professional

judgments and evaluate the impact on student learning providing teachers with the knowledge and skills required to successfully implement self-evaluation practices amongst students

Achievement

Teacher assessment data of English and Mathematics, in 2016, is at a similar level to other schools after accounting for background characteristics. Program for Students with Disabilities (PSD) students have achieved at least the expected levels based on their learning plans. The NAPLAN results in 2016 for Year three students in Reading and Numeracy indicate the school is achieving similar results to other Victorian Government Schools. The Year five NAPLAN results in 2016 for Reading and Numeracy indicate that students are performing at a higher level to other Government Primary Schools. However over a four year average the school performed at a similar level to other Victorian Government School. Comprehensive planning and programs in the teaching of Literacy and Numeracy and incorporating the use of ICT will continue to be the focus of targeted improvement in 2017.The school has continued the employment of a Numeracy and Literacy Consultant who will work with individual and teams of teachers with the view of improving their learning by enhancing the work and approaches of Teacher Professional Learning Teams. In 2017 the school will focus on the continued implementation and resourcing of personalized learning plans for all students. Instructional Rounds will form the basis of peer observation and feedback. It is our aim to provide high quality instructional practice to achieve high level student learning through effective use of Professional Learning Teams. Teachers work in collaborative teams to ensure high levels of program delivery and student achievement. In 2017 we will continue to provide children with rich learning experiences and assessment tasks in accordance with the Victorian Curriculum.. The school will continue to develop a comprehensive program that provides all children with breadth and depth of experiences in all aspects of incorporating ICT into all school programs, with a particular emphasis on Literacy and Numeracy.

Curriculum Framework implemented in 2016

Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework

x

AusVELS

Victorian Curriculum

A Combination of these

Engagement

In 2016 student absence data showed that our school’s attendance rate was lower to other Victorian School. High levels of student attendance are promoted and celebrated. The Students' Attitudes to School Survey indicate that our Grade 5 and 6 children are highly engaged and have a strong sense of belonging and connectedness to school. Connectedness to Peers, Learning Confidence, School Connectedness, Stimulating Learning, and Student Motivation all came out in the fourth quartile, indicating that our students are engaged and motivated to learn. In 2016 Westbreen Primary School plans to continue to improve student engagement through the continued personalisation of learning. This will include continued levels of support for high achievers and greater student responsibility for learning. The school continues to promote a positive sense of student connectedness to school through the identification of individual learning styles and learning preferences across the school. Teachers are allocated a 1.5 days for planning for the following term in collaborative teams. Area teams work together to plan and develop stimulating learning activities in line with the Victorian Curriculum documentation. To ensure individualised learning, teachers develop an Individual Learning Plan for all students.

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Wellbeing

Student Attitudes to School Survey for 2016 indicates a high level of wellbeing in our Grade 5 and 6 students. Results in the areas of Student Morale, Student Distress, and Connectedness to Peers, Learning Confidence and Student Motivation all appear well into the fourth quartile. At Westbreen a strong emphasis is placed on student wellbeing which is promoted through a sense of responsibility through our School Values. In 2016 Westbreen Primary School continued its accreditation as an ‘ESmart” school, which encompassed staff professional development, and student workshops. The emphasis will continue to be on school wide practical strategies to support the development of a resilient child. Classroom programs are enhanced with a variety of resilience techniques and activities including STRIVE, Family Time and classroom Social Skills program. The school continues to promote a positive sense of student connectedness to school through the identification of individual learning styles and learning preferences across the school. There is a shared commitment to ensure a safe, caring and nurturing environment. All children adhere to the Westbreen Code of Conduct which is emphasised with all students across the school. Social skills activities promoting fairness, confidence, caring and compassion, tolerance and inclusions are included in our integrated units of work. Children, teachers and parents work cooperatively and supportively as a school community.

For more detailed information regarding our school please visit our website at www.westbreen.vic.edu.au

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Performance Summary

The Government School Performance Summary provides an overview of how this school is contributing to the objectives of the Education State and how it compares to other Victorian government schools.

All schools work in partnership with their school community to improve outcomes for children and young people. Sharing this information with parents and the wider school community will help to deliver community engagement in student learning in the school, which is a state-wide priority of the Framework for Improving Student Outcomes.

Accessible data tables are available for all schools separately – please refer to 'AR_Appendix_Data_Tables' which can be found on the School Performance Reporting website.

School Profile

Enrolment Profile A total of 264 students were enrolled at this school in 2016, 122 female and 142 male. There were 64% of EAL (English as an Additional Language) students and 1% ATSI (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) students.

Overall Socio-Economic Profile Based on the school's Student Family Occupation and Education index which takes into account parents' occupations and Education.

Parent Satisfaction Summary Average level of parent satisfaction with the school, as derived from the annual Parent Opinion survey. The score is reported

on a scale of 1 to 7, where 7 is the highest possible score.

School Staff Survey Measures the percent endorsement by staff on School Climate derived from the annual School Staff Survey. The percent endorsement indicates the percent of positive responses (agree or strongly agree) on School Climate from staff at the school. Data are suppressed for schools with fewer than three respondents to the survey for confidentiality reasons.

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Performance Summary

Achievement

Teacher judgment of student achievement Percentage of students in Years Prep to 6 working at or above age expected standards in:

English

Mathematics

For further details refer to How to read the Performance Summary.

Student Outcomes

School Comparison

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Performance Summary

Achievement

Student Outcomes

School Comparison

NAPLAN Year 3 The percentage of students in the top 3 bands of testing in NAPLAN at Year 3. Year 3 assessments are reported on a scale from Bands 1 - 6.

NAPLAN Year 5 The percentage of students in the top 3 bands of testing in NAPLAN at Year 5. Year 5 assessments are reported on a scale from Bands 3 - 8.

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Performance Summary

Achievement

Student Outcomes

School Comparison

NAPLAN Learning Gain Year 3 - Year 5 Learning gain of students from Year 3 to Year 5 in the following domains; Reading, Numeracy, Writing, Spelling and Grammar and Punctuation. NAPLAN learning gain is determined by comparing a student's current year result to the results of all ‘similar’ Victorian students (i.e. students in all sectors in the same year level who had the same score two years prior). If the current year result is in the top 25%, their gain level is categorised as ‘High’, middle 50%, is ‘Medium’ and bottom 25%, is ‘Low’.

NAPLAN Learning Gain does not require a School Comparison.

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Performance Summary

Engagement

Student Outcomes

School Comparison

Average Number of Student Absence Days Average days absent per full time equivalent (FTE) student per year. Common reasons for non-attendance include illness and extended family holidays. Absence from school can impact on students’ learning. A school comparison rating of ‘lower’ indicates that the absence rate in this school is greater than what we would estimate, given the background characteristics of their students. Average 2016 attendance rate by year level:

Low absences <------> high absences

Low absences <------> high absences

Prep Yr1 Yr2 Yr3 Yr4 Yr5 Yr6

92 % 87 % 91 % 90 % 90 % 89 % 88 %

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Performance Summary

Wellbeing

Student Outcomes

School Comparison

Students Attitudes to School - Connectedness to School Measures the Connectedness to School factor derived from the Attitudes to School survey completed annually by Victorian government school students in Years 5 to 12. The school's average score is reported here on a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 is the highest possible score.

Students Attitudes to School - Student Perceptions of Safety Measures the Student Perceptions of Safety factor derived from the Attitudes to School survey completed annually by Victorian government school students in Years 5 to 12. The school's average score is reported here on a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 is the highest possible score.

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How to read the Performance Summary

What are student outcomes? Student outcomes show the achievements of students in this school in English and Mathematics. They also show results in national literacy and numeracy tests and, for secondary colleges, the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) examinations. They provide important information about student attendance and engagement at school. For secondary, P-12 and specialist schools, the Performance Summary also provides information about how many students at this school go on to further studies or full-time work after leaving school. You can see these results for the latest year, as well as the average of the last four years (where available).

What is a School Comparison?

The School comparison is a way of comparing school performance that takes into account the different student intake characteristics of each school. A School comparison takes into account the school’s academic intake, the socio-economic background of students, the number of Aboriginal students, the number of non-English speaking and refugee students, the number of students with a disability, and the size and location of the school. The School comparison measures show that most schools are doing well and are achieving results that are ‘similar’ to what we

would estimate given the background characteristics of their students. Some schools are doing exceptionally well with the students they have, and have ‘higher’ performance. Some schools have ‘lower’ performance after taking into account their

students’ characteristics – these schools will receive targeted support to ensure that there is improvement.

Looking at both the student outcomes and school comparisons provides important information about what a school is doing well and the areas that require further improvement. More information on school comparison performance measures can be found at: http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/principals/manage ment/pages/performreports.aspx

What is the meaning of ‘Data not available’?

For some schools, there are too few students to provide data. For other schools, there are no students at some levels, so school comparisons are not possible. Newly opened schools have only the latest year of data and no averages from previous years. The Department also recognises the unique circumstances of Specialist, Select Entry, English Language and Community Schools where school comparisons are not appropriate.

What is this school doing to improve?

All schools have a plan to improve outcomes for their students. The ‘About Our School’ statement provides a summary of this school’s improvement plan.

The Performance Summary also allows you to compare student outcomes for students at this school with the outcomes of students in all other Victorian government schools.

Additionally, NAPLAN learning gain charts are provided for each of the NAPLAN domains. These compare a student's current year NAPLAN result to the results of all ‘similar’ Victorian students (i.e. students in all sectors in the same year level who had the same NAPLAN score two years prior). If the current year result is in the top 25% their gain level is categorised as ‘High’, the middle 50% is categorised as ‘Medium’ and the bottom 25% is categorised as ‘Low’.

What are the changes in student achievement? The Victorian Curriculum F–10 has been developed to ensure that curriculum content and achievement standards enable continuous learning for all students, including, students with disabilities. The objectives of the Victorian Curriculum are the same for all students. The curriculum offers flexibility for teachers to tailor their teaching in ways that provide rigorous, relevant and engaging learning and assessment opportunities for students with disabilities. The ‘Towards Foundation Level Victorian Curriculum’ is integrated directly into the curriculum and is referred to as ‘Levels A to D’.

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Financial Performance and Position

Financial performance and position commentary

Westbreen Primary School is committed to delivering an annual budget with all expenditure reflecting identified school priorities. These priorities are highlighted within the School’s Strategic Plan, Annual Implementation Plan and detailed Program Budgets. These Budgets are evaluated and reflect the needs identified to maximize student learning opportunities. The School is also mindful of its responsibility in providing a physical environment that provides improved learning facilities for our students. Westbreen primary School has committed $160,000.00 to support the Capital Works currently being undertaken. It is expected that these funds contribute to air conditioning, landscaping and securing Westbreen’s grounds. Westbreen Primary School continues to manage its finances in the responsible manner expected by our community. All financial decisions are made in the interest of providing a stimulating environment and maximising student learning.

Financial Performance - Operating Statement Summary for the year ending 31 December, 2016

Financial Position as at 31 December, 2016

Revenue

Actual

Funds Available Actual

High Yield Investment Account $272,208

Official Account $25,821

Total Funds Available $298,029

Student Resource Package

$2,228,172

Government Provided DET Grants $610,482

Government Grants Commonwealth $15,322

Government Grants State $18,136

Revenue Other $6,934

Locally Raised Funds $151,016

Total Operating Revenue

$3,030,062

Expenditure

Financial Commitments

Operating Reserve $11,900

Maintenance - Buildings/Grounds incl SMS<12 months

$160,000

Revenue Receipted in Advance $51,476

School Based Programs $74,653

Total Financial Commitments $298,029

Student Resource Package

$2,168,038

Books & Publications $4,640

Communication Costs $5,407

Consumables $71,607

Miscellaneous Expense $172,867

Professional Development $12,189

Property and Equipment Services $117,643

Salaries & Allowances $126,138

Trading & Fundraising $52,941

Utilities $21,472

Total Operating Expenditure

$2,752,941

Net Operating Surplus/-Deficit

$277,121

Asset Acquisitions

$0

Student Resource Package Expenditure figures are as of 06 March 2017 and are subject to change during the reconciliation process. Misc Expenses may include bank charges, health and personal development, administration charges, camp/excursion costs and taxation charges. Salaries and Allowances refers to school-level payroll.

All funds received from the Department, or raised by the school, have been expended, or committed to subsequent years, to support the achievement of educational outcomes and other operational needs of the school, consistent with Department policies, School Council approvals and the intent/purposes for which funding was provided or raised.