School plan 2018-2020Merewether High School 8510

Printed on: 11 April, 2018Page 1 of 6 Merewether High School 8510 (2018-2020)

School background 2018–2020

School vision statement School context School planning process

Merewether High School is an inspirational model of publiceducation. We challenge our students to engage invigorous, collaborative learning and support them toachieve excellence.  Staff nurture and enhance theindividual talents of students, leading them to theirpotential. Merewether High School emphasises a culture ofacademic excellence, and a rich cultural andextra–curricular experience.

Merewether High School is an academically  selective highschool located in Newcastle.  Our core values of integrity,diversity and  excellence underpin a broad, balanced andrelevant curriculum focusing on  high expectations ofstudent academic achievement.

The school caters for 1072 students from a  widegeographical area including 16 Aboriginal and Torres StraitIslander students.  The school has high expectations of allstudents, consistent with each  student’s ability and thebelief that all students can achieve their personal  best. Ourstudents are encouraged to participate in leadership,creative and  performing arts programs and sportingpursuits along with a range of  extra–curricular activities.

Our 88 experienced staff support the learning  andwell–being needs of our academically gifted and talentedstudents. 

Significant features of the school are our  active andsupportive parent body and a community committed toexcellence,  diversity and fostering individual talents.

Merewether High School has established a  number ofimportant links with the community to strengthen studentoutcomes  by supporting student academic and welfaredevelopment.

An  evaluation of the 2015 – 2017 School Plan wascompleted in 2017, along with  the self–assessmentagainst Version 2 of the School Excellence framework.The  evaluation included:

·          surveys with parents, staff and students

·          focus groups – staff, students and parents

·          data analysis – NAPLAN, ESSA, ICAS,HSC,  internal assessment data, destination data,attendance reports, retention  data

·          document analysis – 2015, 2016, 2017Annual  School Reports, Registration of GovernmentSchools analysis

·          analysis of the context of the school –  attendance atteacher/parent nights, formal assemblies, principalrecognition  assemblies, parent learning groups, courseinformation evenings, Year 7  Welcome BBQ

The findings from  these evaluations were used to informthe school’s 2018 – 2020 School  Plan. 

The plan and school  vision was developed in consultationwith key stakeholders, students, staff,  parents and carers,including the school Aboriginal and Torres Strait  IslanderParent Advisory team and representation at local AECGmeetings  participating in discussions, current directions, tomeet the needs and  develop the aspirations of ourstudents.

The school plan implementation  will be monitored by theschool executive and the school improvement team,in  conjunction with the P&C. Our school executive staff willhave direct  responsibility and accountability for theimplementation of the annual school  plan, as well asannual evaluation reports.

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School strategic directions 2018–2020

STRATEGICDIRECTION 1

Student growth and success aslearners and leaders

STRATEGICDIRECTION 2

Staff leading innovativepractice, connecting and

collaborating

STRATEGICDIRECTION 3

Strong, strategic and effectiveleadership

Purpose:

To grow self–motivated learners who are confident,resilient and creative individuals developing learning skills,deep knowledge and the ability to learn, adapt and beresponsible citizens.

Purpose:

To ensure teachers share responsibility for studentimprovement and contribute to a dynamic learning culture,demonstrating commitment to improving practice and planfor the ongoing learning of each student in their care.

Purpose:

To build distributed leadership and a commitment tofostering a school wide culture of high expectations and ashared sense of responsibility for student engagement,learning, development and success.

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Strategic Direction 1: Student growth and success as learners and leaders

Purpose

To grow self–motivated learners who areconfident, resilient and creative individualsdeveloping learning skills, deep knowledgeand the ability to learn, adapt and beresponsible citizens.

Improvement Measures

95%of students in Year 9 achieve withinthe proficient bands for numeracy(201794%), 90% for reading (2017 86%)

Greater than 90% of Year 9 NAPLANwriting results achieving or exceedingexpected growth in writing (2017 87%)

75%of HSC students results at band 5 and6 level (2017 74%)

People

Students

Actively engage to develop skills increativity, critical thinking and problemsolving which enhance quality learning.

Use quality formal and informal feedback toguide continuous improvement.

Build specific writing skills relevant to eachKLA and stage of learning.

Staff

Enhance student group work, collaboration,creativity and critical thinking throughexplicit instruction.

Use effective quality feedback to promoteacademic buoyancy and improve studentperformance

Lead students to write for purpose relevantto stage and audience.

Parents/Carers

Promote and support students to acquirelearning and leadership skills to buildindependence and emotional intelligence.

Leaders

Guide resourcing, support and professionallearning.

Build staff expertise and infrastructurewhich promotes autonomy in learning andopportunity for all students to excel.

Processes

Creative Critical Learners

Develop explicit strategies to effectivelyteach and assess creative and criticalthinking skills, which are refinedthrough learning.

Provide ongoing consultation andpartnerships with parents and students tosupport learning growth.

Quality Practice Underlines Success

Quality feedback on assessment as, of andfor learning drives student growth inunderstanding. This includes:

• Peer and self–assessment practices

• Faculty specific focuses on writing skillsto build depth, complexity and writing forpurpose

Strong Well–Being Support and Growth

Proactive whole school wellbeing programssupport student leadership development,focus on growth mindset, mental healthengagement and wellbeing programsembedded which promote studentleadership, resilience, academic buoyancyand positive respectful relationships.

Service learning groups and externalproviders, guide and mentor students toimproved outcomes.

Evaluation Plan

SEF Analysis, NAPLAN Data, Student/StaffSurvey

Practices and Products

Practices

Students access leadership pathwayswithin and external to school.

Student voice features in the school andconsultation in decision making isembedded.

Feedback for students is targeted, effectiveand informs future learning.

Staff guide students to understand theirlearning, adopt a growth mindset and buildexpertise in thinking skills and effectivewriting.

Products

Student results reflect creative and criticalthinkers who write effectively for audienceand purpose.

Quantitative results in HSC place>75% ofstudents in Bands 5 or 6.

Student enrichment features cultural,sporting, academic extra–curricularactivities.

NAPLAN data demonstrates success andYear 9 students meet HSC standards innumeracy, writing and reading.

Effective programming, teaching,assessment and resourcing feature in newHSC implementation.

Collaboratively developed IEPs supportindividualised student learning growth.

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Strategic Direction 2: Staff leading innovative practice, connecting andcollaborating

Purpose

To ensure teachers share responsibility forstudent improvement and contribute to adynamic learning culture, demonstratingcommitment to improving practice and planfor the ongoing learning of each student intheir care.

Improvement Measures

All programs reflect data analysis ofinternal and external data.

Improve/sustain high levels of growth forYear 9 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanderstudents in NAPLAN

• Reading Domain70% (2017 60%),

• Writing Domain85% (2017 80%)

• Numeracy Domain Sustained (2017100%)

People

Students

Engage with differentiated learningprograms which are evidenced based toaddress their needs.

Understand areas to improve and impacton their learning.

Staff

Engage in learning to achieve theirprofessional learning goals and improvestudent learning.

Analyse and use data to ensure teachingand learning is evidence based.

Increase Aboriginal and Torres StraitIslander cultural awareness and implementgenuine strategies to enrich curriculum.

Parents/Carers

Connect and engage with a broad range ofcurricula and extra curricula learningprograms that are embedded within theschools culture.

Community Partners

Support and collaborate with the school tobuild strong learning programs andrelationships.

Leaders

Use research, evidence based strategiesand innovative thinking to design andimplement programs for improved practice.

Processes

Data Skills and Use:

Staff trained and highly skilled in dataanalysis using packages including RAP,VALID, Smart, ICAS.

All staff collaboratively use data to informplanning, programming, teaching,assessment and resourcing.

Professional Learning:

Targeted professional learning supportsquality teaching and is based on evidenceand research.

Model of collaborative practice investigatedand implemented to support practice.

ETAMS used to track and monitor PL forstaff accreditation and learning.

Aboriginal Education:

Staff and students access ongoing culturalimmersion experiences.

Professional learning in effective strategiesfor Aboriginal and Torres Strait IslanderEducation feature across the school.

Curriculum mapping of Aboriginal andTorres Strait Islander content andprocesses are embedded into teaching andlearning programs.

Evaluation Plan

Milestone evaluation, SEFSelf–assessment, Feedback, Dataanalysis, PLP, PDP, Surveys, Programanalysis, Classroom observation.

Practices and Products

Practices

Every teacher uses data to inform anddifferentiate their teaching and learning.

Staff collaborate to monitor and assessstudent progress and reflect on teachingeffectiveness.

Professional learning is aligned to theschool plan and implemented throughsystems of collaborative practice.

Leadership capacity is strengthenedthrough professional learning andmaintaining teacher accreditation.

Staff, parents and students workcollaboratively to embed AboriginalEducation strategies which maximisesstudent outcomes.

Every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanderstudent is supported by a PersonalisedLearning Pathway.

Products

Collaborative data analysis is embeded inprograms and informs learning andassessment.

Australian Professional TeachingStandards guide staff performance and aprocess of continual development ofpractice.

Teaching and learning programs reflectAboriginal and Torres Strait Islandercultural understanding and appropriatestrategies.

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Strategic Direction 3: Strong, strategic and effective leadership

Purpose

To build distributed leadership and acommitment to fostering a school wideculture of high expectations and a sharedsense of responsibility for studentengagement, learning, development andsuccess.

Improvement Measures

All staff demonstrate understanding,ownership and application of all policiesand procedures.

Increase the number of staff undertakingleadership roles within faculty andschool wide programs.

Increase the engagement of stakeholdersthrough enhanced communicationplatforms.

People

Students

Demonstrate an understanding of schoolexpectations and programs to supportlearning and holistic development.

Experience increased success across allaspects of their schooling.

Staff

Understand accreditation practices andprocesses and develop their leadershipcapabilities.

Communicate their practices andprocesses effectively to stakeholders.

Parents/Carers

Understand and support schoolmanagement practices and processeswhich are communicated effectively and ina timely manner.

Leaders

Guide the administrative systems,structures and processes, which underpinschool improvement.

Model instructional leadership and highexpectations in building leadershipcapacity.

Processes

Management Practices and Processes

Evaluate and embed exemplarymanagement practices and processes tomeet community and Departmentof Education expectations.

Leadership Density

Provide leadership opportunities andpathways for development throughstructured systems of support andmentoring.

Communication Strategies Enhanced

Increase effectiveness of communication tostakeholders on policy, procedures andopportunity.

Enhance technology impact on effectivecommunication.

Evaluation Plan

Leadership and management survey,Communication evaluation, SEF analysis,Interviews and surveys, Policy andprocedures analysis/feedback.

Practices and Products

Practices

Evaluative thinking is used to monitor theimpact of educational programs andpractice is improved.

Distributed instructional leadership helps tosustain a culture of evidence–basedteaching and ongoing improvement.

Stake holders utilise high–levelcommunication practices across all facetsof the school.

Management practices and processes arecontinually evaluated and responsive toschool community needs.

Products

Policies and procedures are understoodand demonstrated by all staff.

Enhanced leadership capacity, greatercollaboration, higher expectations of staffand cohesive school teams.

Enhanced communication mediumsenabling all stakeholders access ofinformation and provide feedback.

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