Toorak Primary School

2016 Annual Report to the School Community

Toorak Primary School

School Number: 3016

Name of School Principal: Julie Manallack __________________ Name of School Council President: Michelle Osborne __________________ Date of Endorsement: __________________ All Victorian government school teachers meet the registration requirements of the Victorian Institute of Teaching (www.vit.vic.edu.au). This school meets prescribed minimum standards for registration as regulated by the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) in accordance with the Education and Training Reform Act 2006, inclusive of those schools granted an exemption by the VRQA under the 'Student enrolment numbers' and/or 'Curriculum framework for schools - languages program' minimum standards until 31 December 2015.

Toorak Primary School

About Our School

School Context

The buildings and grounds at Toorak Primary School have been fully refurbished to provide an attractive, functional learning environment for all students. The wider community also utilises the array of facilities on offer at Toorak Primary School. Enrolments have increased sharply over the past few years with projected enrolments for 2016 to be in excess 450 students. Five specialist programs, French, Physical Education, Music, Visual and Performing Arts and Library are offered to all students throughout the year. Other languages available at Toorak Primary School include German, Greek, Mandarin and Swedish. During 2016, a French immersion program involving a study tour to New Caledonia will take place in support of the school’s language program. Innovative programs on offer comprise a sailing program at The Boatshed on Albert Park Lake and a snow sports program, including interschool skiing competitions, offered during the winter months at Mt Buller. As part of the Performing Arts Program, a whole school production is staged every second year with the 2015 musical production, “The Little Mermaid” performed in September 2015. Toorak Primary School community is particularly proud of the sustainability program on offer which includes the school’s gardens as a focal point. In line with the Education State, Toorak Primary School teaches to the Victorian Curriculum. Single levels operate across the school from foundation through to grade 6 where possible. The well- equipped multi- media centre is a focal point for future learning with the implementation of Multi Modal Literacy across the school. The school draws on highly acclaimed paraprofessionals from the local community to support teaching and learning. Staffing profile is varied in terms of both gender and teaching experience with 30.40 equivalent full time staff including 2 principal class members, 24.60 teachers and 3.80 education support staff.

Achievement

In 2015, year three NAPLAN results indicated students were performing above both state and national levels in literacy and numeracy across all elements. Year five data showed reading, grammar, punctuation and numeracy to be significantly above state benchmarks while writing and spelling are similar to the state but trending upwards. In both year three and year five numeracy, more than 94% of students achieved above the National Minimum Standard. NAPLAN relative growth between year three and year five in reading shows approximately 83% of students with medium to high growth while numeracy results indicate 91% of students received medium to high growth, a significant improvement from 2014. However, the relative growth for writing for the same period, declined from 83% achieving medium to high relative growth to 67% achieving medium to high relative growth. Over the course of the review period, 2015 -2019, Toorak Primary School aims to improve the number of students achieving A and B in literacy and numeracy. Utilising a rigorous assessment schedule will ensure all students are accurately evaluated throughout the year enabling each student to be taught at their point of need. In literacy, there will be a school wide focus on developing and improving the skills of writing involving extensive professional development of all staff throughout the year. Introduction of VCOP and “Big Write” as well as participation in Bastow courses will support the whole school approach to improvement.

Engagement

The 2015 Attitudes to School trend data for years 5 and 6 revealed positive student morale as well as substantial improvement in both student learning confidence and motivation. Various programs and strategies introduced during 2015 contributed to the improved results. Locally developed surveys were administered years three to six students to determine the level of student engagement within the school. In order to provide greater opportunities for students and families to engage in learning experiences, the school website, Compass program and blog became useful means of communication. Provision of student voice and authentic leadership opportunities were offered through the Junior School Council to support recommendations for school improvements. Student voice opportunities expanded to include, class captains as well as music, library, art and multi- media captains. Reflection Room data which is filed on Compass, provided valuable information regarding student safety and student behaviour in the school grounds. To support student engagement, extra- curricular activities such as veranda club, open library, drawing clubs and team sports successfully relieved pressure on limited playing spaces. An emphasis on ‘positive learning environments’ was developed where classroom expectations were displayed in each classroom for both teachers and students and an agreed set of non-negotiable displays supported a consistent approach to classroom practice. Attendance data continues to cause concern as the number of student absences increase in most classes. Strategies put in place to improve attendance across the school include:

Direct parent access to Compass to record student absences and reasons

Families being encouraged to take holidays during school holidays rather than during the school term

Absences recorded on student semester reports

Parents collecting a late pass before proceeding to class for all students who arrive after 9.00am

Individual study plans provided for all students taking extended holidays Future directions include: extending the reflection room process to classroom behaviour as well as continuing to offer a range of extra-curricular activities such as choir, homework club and sporting activities. Student voice opportunities will expand to include codes club, civics and citizenship prospects and a core student leadership group established to facilitate communication with the wider community through the school news broadcast.

Toorak Primary School

Wellbeing

Data from the Student Attitudes to School Survey shows that students in years 5 and 6 are well connected to peers and feel safe in school. Reinforcing the Toorak Primary School values of Tolerance, Persistence and Success has been embedded into classroom practice as well as included in student of the week awards to build a common language and positive relationships. Meditation has been consolidated throughout all year levels using the online program, Smiling Mind. Philosophy and Ethics lessons were introduced in the senior years to produce critical, caring, creative and collaborative thinkers. The Bounce Back Program was introduced to teach resilience to students throughout all year levels. To support the Bounce Back Program, ‘Bully proof’, a whole school anti-bullying incursion, was incorporated to continue to develop and provide opportunities for students to become resilient. Student behaviour management processes are procedurally fair, consistently applied, monitored and reviewed for effectiveness. The implementation of a thorough process, where all incidents are reported and tracked on Compass has helped monitor repeated behaviours and behavioural trends within the school. In order to successfully transition from Kindergarten to school, several transition sessions were conducted. A whole school internal transition day was also held to ensure students transitioning to new classes, do so with minimum distress. To prepare students for secondary school, parent information sessions are conducted providing detailed information about the process involved when transitioning from year 6 to year 7. Developing relationships with local government secondary

schools has been fostered through language immersion programs and “open days’. To further prepare students for secondary school,

past students are invited to share their secondary school journey with the current level 6 students. The school’s actions have contributed to a steady improvement in the Attitudes to School Survey variables - Student Distress and Student Morale. In order to improve student engagement, a focus has been on sustainability and the environment by incorporating the school garden into the curriculum. Inquiry units integrating various aspects of the garden have proven successful in engaging students in their learning. The sustainability program has also proven beneficial as a conduit for student voice opportunities. Future directions will include the provision of opportunities for students to participate in programs that further improve social skills so

that they develop increased resilience. These include:

Life Education Van provision for the whole school in order to educate students in personal safety, cyber safety and nutrition.

Developing the mantra of what it means to be a Toorak Primary School citizen

Expanding the Philosophy and Ethics program to grade three and four classes

Forging greater cultural awareness within the school community

Productivity

With a focus on differentiation of students’ learning tasks, teaching and learning coach, Lesley Tulloch, was employed to work with staff to develop a whole school approach to curriculum planning, delivery and assessment. As a result, a successful whole school approach to student learning now exists , ensuring consistency in pedagogy. Allocation of funds to purchase the Compass communication program has successfully improved communication within the school community as well as with the wider community. With the ever increasing number of EAL (English as an Additional Language) students enrolling at Toorak Primary School, a thorough identification process has been implemented to ensure students are readily identif ied and resources provided to address the needs of EAL students. Children with insufficient English are referred to the English Language School on arrival, returning when their language has reached the required level. An EAL consultant was engaged through the professional learning budget, to ensure staff members understand of the needs of EAL students and the continuum for reporting purposes. A specialist teacher was employed to ensure students received support to access the curriculum. Professional development provided by the school network as well as provision for visits to exemplar schools, to share best practice was provided. Resource kits for all classes have been developed with the support of the English Language School. As a result of improved identification of all EAL students, increased funds are now available to resource the program. Over the course of the year, there have been several changes to the Assistant Principal position which has required strategic management to ensure continuity of programs across the school. Each person undertaking the role, has embraced the Strategic Plan to support whole school and individual goals. A substantive appointment was made in term three 2015. A diverse staffing profile has provided a sound foundation for a rigorous and engaging curriculum where the needs of all students are taken into consideration in order to improve student learning outcomes. A thorough performance review process supports a culture of high expectations for all. 2015 has been another highly successful year for the Toorak Primary School community.

For more detailed information regarding our school please visit our website at http://www.toorakps.vic.edu.au

Toorak Primary School

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.

School Profile

Enrolment Profile A total of 419 students were enrolled at this school in 2015, 214 female and 205 male. There were 18% of EAL (English as an Additional Language) students and < 10% ATSI (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) students.

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

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.

Toorak Primary School

Performance Summary

Achievement

Student Outcomes

School Comparison

Teacher Assessments from the Australian Curriculum/Victorian Essential Learning Standards (AusVELS) Percentage of students in Years Prep to 6 with a grade of C or above in:

English

Mathematics

The grades are the same as those used in your child's end of year report. A 'C' rating means that a student is at the standard expected at the time of reporting.

Towards Foundation Level AusVELS is not used for the School Comparison.

Towards Foundation Level AusVELS Learning gain of students, relative to expectation in a year, for all students working within Towards Foundation Level AusVELS (AusVELS A to D).

Data will not be displayed where less than 10 student assessments were provided.

Toorak Primary School

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.

Toorak Primary School

Performance Summary

Achievement

Student Outcomes

School Comparison

NAPLAN Learning Gain does not require a 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’.

Toorak Primary School

Performance Summary

Engagement

Student Outcomes

School Comparison

Prep Yr1 Yr2 Yr3 Yr4 Yr5 Yr6

93 % 94 % 94 % 95 % 92 % 93 % 92 %

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 2015 attendance rate by year level:

Toorak Primary School

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.

Toorak Primary School

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 colleges, 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).

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.

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.

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’.

Results for students working within Towards Foundation Level AusVELS (AusVELS A-D) show the percentages of these students making progress below, at and above the expectations of their schools.

Toorak Primary School

Financial Performance and Position

Financial Performance - Operating Statement Summary for the year ending 31 December, 2015

Financial Position as at 31 December, 2015

Revenue

Actual

Funds Available Actual

High Yield Investment Account $67,501

Official Account $28,365

Other Accounts $112,441

Total Funds Available $208,308

Student Resource Package

$2,814,442

Government Provided DET Grants $384,639

Government Grants Commonwealth $17,881

Government Grants State $1,000

Revenue Other $17,829

Locally Raised Funds $693,210

Total Operating Revenue

$3,929,000

Expenditure

Financial Commitments

Operating Reserve $78,914

Maintenance - Buildings/Grounds incl SMS<12 months

$100,000

Other recurrent expenditure $29,394

Total Financial Commitments $208,308

Student Resource Package

$2,394,383

Books & Publications $7,772

Communication Costs $15,243

Consumables $102,659

Miscellaneous Expense $274,149

Professional Development $17,364

Property and Equipment Services $350,507

Salaries & Allowances $155,252

Trading & Fundraising $57,796

Travel & Subsistence $536

Utilities $17,847

Total Operating Expenditure

$3,393,506

Net Operating Surplus/-Deficit

$535,494

Asset Acquisitions

$22,464

Student Resource Package Expenditure figures are as of 21 March 2016 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.

Financial performance and position commentary

Toorak Primary School completed 2015 in a financially sound position with $208,308 being carried forward to the new

year. There was a Net Operating Surplus of $76,176. This surplus is due to several factors including a steep increase in

student enrolments, sound workforce planning and some items of expenditure being held over until 2016. The school’s

commitments were closely monitored by the School Council. Some of the expenditure for 2015 related to painting of the

interior of the main school building, a new phone system and a security upgrade for the administration area of the school.

Maintenance of buildings and grounds, the cost of leased equipment and innovative curriculum initiatives continue to be

significant items of expenditure. The school community contributes to the maintenance of the buildings and also provides

Toorak Primary School

funds for educational resources across the school. The funds carried forward will be expended in upgrading the

staffroom/community centre, general office, the staff/community restroom and a major overhaul of the air conditioning

system in the original building. Toorak Primary is committed to continuing the provision of high quality educational

opportunities as well as maintaining the facilities at the current high standard.