2019 arndell school annual report › doe-nsw-schools › ...page 3 of 15 arndell school 5538 (2019)...

Arndell School2019 Annual Report

5538

Printed on: 31 May, 2020 of 15 Arndell School 5538 (2019)

Introduction

The Annual Report for 2019 is provided to the community of Arndell School as an account of the school's operations andachievements throughout the year.

It provides a detailed account of the progress the school has made to provide high quality educational opportunities forall students, as set out in the school plan. It outlines the findings from self–assessment that reflect the impact of keyschool strategies for improved learning and the benefit to all students from the expenditure of resources, including equityfunding.

School contact details

Arndell SchoolBadajoz RdNorth Ryde, 2113www.arndell-s.schools.nsw.edu.auarndell-s.school@det.nsw.edu.au9888 3737


School background

School vision statement

Arndell School is a School for Specific Purpose (SSP) that provides short–term education programs for primary schoolstudents with mental health conditions. We provide opportunities, support and pathways for students to thriveacademically, socially and emotionally. We support and build the capacity of parents/carers and census schools toenable our students to engage with education in mainstream settings, surrounded by their peers, and being activemembers of their communities.

School context

Arndell School is located on the grounds of the Macquarie Hospital in North Ryde and works in partnership with the CoralTree Family Service. 60% of students at Arndell are enrolled through the Coral Tree Family Service Clinical School andFamily Admission Programs.

The school provides a stimulating curriculum for students aged 5–13 years, with support and extension programs inliteracy, and numeracy founded on a strong commitment to equality of opportunity.

The school operates as a four day program (Tuesday – Friday), with Mondays operating as an integration day, enablingstudents to build capacity to succeed in their census schools.


Self-assessment and school achievement

This section of the annual report outlines the findings from self–assessment using the School Excellence Framework,school achievements and the next steps to be pursued.

This year, our school undertook self–assessment using the School Excellence Framework and participated in an externalvalidation. The Framework is a statement of what is valued as excellence for NSW public schools, both now and into thefuture. The Framework supports public schools throughout NSW in the pursuit of excellence by providing a cleardescription of high quality practice across the three domains of Learning, Teaching and Leading.

Each year, we assess our practice against the Framework to inform our school plan and annual report. Every five years,our school undergoes an external validation process.

During the external validation process, an independent panel consisting of a Principal School Leadership and a peerprincipal considered our evidence and assessment of our school's progress against the School Excellence Framework.

Our self–assessment and the external validation process will assist the school to refine our school plan, leading to furtherimprovements in the delivery of education to our students.

For more information about the School Excellence Framework:https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching–and–learning/school–excellence–and–accountability/school–excellence

Self-assessment using the School Excellence Framework

Elements 2019 School Assessment

LEARNING: Learning Culture Sustaining and Growing

LEARNING: Wellbeing Sustaining and Growing

LEARNING: Curriculum Delivering

LEARNING: Assessment Delivering

LEARNING: Reporting Sustaining and Growing

LEARNING: Student performance measures Delivering

TEACHING: Effective classroom practice Sustaining and Growing

TEACHING: Data skills and use Delivering

TEACHING: Professional standards Delivering

TEACHING: Learning and development Sustaining and Growing

LEADING: Educational leadership Sustaining and Growing

LEADING: School planning, implementation andreporting

Sustaining and Growing

LEADING: School resources Sustaining and Growing

LEADING: Management practices and processes Sustaining and Growing


Strategic Direction 1

Engaged Learners

Purpose

Arndell School serves a cohort of students who for various reasons have not engaged successfully in schooling. Our aimis to help students re–engage with education both at Arndell and in their mainstream setting, so that they can access andbenefit from all the opportunities that our school education system can provide.

Improvement Measures

The data collection tool will show that all students are developing independence as learners, and increasedengagement in learning

Feedback collected from census schools will indicate that the Arndell program has improved their capacity to supportstudents who are on a shared enrolment with Arndell.

Feedback collected from census schools and parents/carers show that students are able to maintain their engagementwith mainstream schooling for at least 12 months following placement at Arndell.

Survey/Interview data will show that student's have an improved view of themselves as learners over their time atArndell

Progress towards achieving improvement measures

Process 1: Teachers will participate in a program of professional learning to develop skills in Project BasedLearning.

Project Based Learning pedagogy will be trialled in classrooms, evaluated and further refined in order todevelop a model of pedagogy that is successful in ED settings.

Evaluation Funds Expended(Resources)

By the end of 2019, staff had developed what appear to be two effectivemodels for project based learning, that resulted in high interest andparticipation from students. In 2020 staff will incorporate both models intotheir regular practice and collect data to evaluate their usefulness inimproving student engagement.

Process 2: Methods of measuring and tracking student engagement will be researched by staff. A prototype tool formeasuring and tracking engagement over time will be developed in collaboration with CESE. This willbe trialled by teachers, evaluated, and refined. Data generated from this tool will be used to identify theskills individual students require to engage successfully in learning, develop individual learning plansand to monitor progress of students over time. The tool will be shared with census schools to enabletriangulation of data, and to enabled continued targeted support for students following their Arndellplacement.


A number of practical tools for tracking student evaluation were identified foruse in 2020.

Process 3: The transition process for students entering and exiting Arndell School will become more flexible, able tobe adapted to the individual needs of students, their families, and their census schools. Thepost–placement support for students and census schools will be reviewed and re–designed to facilitateon–going success for students in mainstream settings. .


Feedback from families, partner schools, partner agencies and Arndell Staffindicated that the case management model was a successful way to engage

School Funded assistant principal..



all stakeholders in planning and supporting student transitions. However, thisfeedback was not consistent for all students and settings. The coachingmodel provided for schools attempting to transition students with verycomplex needs back into their communities, resulted in safe and successfulreturns for some students who had previously been considered high risk andunlikely to be able to re–join their school communities. Again, this approachwas not effective in all cases, indicating a need for continued work in thisarea.

Learning and Support Teacher.

Funding Sources: • Operational Funding ($35000.00) • Quality Teaching, SuccessfulStudents (QTSS) ($18000.00)

Process 4: Improvements will be made to the student award system to enable greater recognition of studentsuccess and attainment of personalised learning goals.


Students received regular public and private acknowledgement of theirachievements throughout the year.

Printing, certificates, ribbons andtrophies

Funding Sources: • Operational Funding ($1000.00)

Next Steps

Project Based Learning will continue to be used as a practice in 2020. The projects will be evaluated to determine if thehigh interest, high participation by students observed in 2019 is maintained, and if this translates into improved learningoutcomes.

A practical method for tracking engagement will be developed and used throughout 2020 with the results used to informstudent learning and support plans and to assist in evaluating the effectiveness of our various programs.

The case management of students transitioning in and out of Arndell School will be extended into 2020, and professionalsupport for partner schools will be further developed. A systematic evaluation fo the effectiveness of these initiatives willtake place, and, if successful, options for ongoing funding will be explored. Barriers to successful inclusion of students atmainstream schools will continue to be examined and partnerships partners schools, Department of Education Learningand Wellbeing Teams and external agencies will be formed to develop improved practices and outcomes.

Student recognition will be increased in 2020. Students will regularly achieve personal learning goals, and their progresswill be tracked and celebrated. Public recognition assemblies will occur each term to acknowledge the efforts andachievements of students. Daily feedback will be provided to families which will include recognition of student success.


Strategic Direction 2

Connection and Belonging

Purpose

Students referred to Arndell are frequently disconnected from their mainstream school and the broader community, andcome to Arndell with a strong sense of alienation. We aim to turn this sense of alienation around. We aim to help ourstudents form strong connections with Arndell School, their census school, and with their wider community so that theyfeel valued, safe and secure, and know that they make a positive contribution to their communities as active citizens.

Improvement Measures

Feedback from the student wellbeing survey will indicate that students have developed a sense of belonging with theclass, school and greater community.

There will be increased participation in community events for students, parents/carers, Arndell staff and othercommunity members.


Process 1: A student wellbeing survey will be developed to track students' feeling of value and worth. .


The wellbeing mapping tool provided by the Specialist Support Team was notan effective means of tracking student wellbeing outcomes. It did provide auseful overview/audit of the school wellbeing programs. This project willresume in 2020.

Specialist Support Team wellbeingofficer and mapping tool.

Process 2: Teachers will organise events to assist Arndell students, along with families and staff, to feel part of theschool community and to participate and connect with the wider community.


This process was completed in 2018. In 2019, we continued to provideopportunities developed as a result of this process, such as a family day outat the AFL, hosted by the Sydney Swans, and the Variety Club ChristmasExcursion.

Process 3: Specific events will be organised to celebrate student achievements and contributions to our schoolcommunity.


This process was completed in 2018. The practices we developed, includingthe more regular awards assemblies to publicly acknowledge studentachievement in a range of areas continued throughout 2019.

Process 4: Community agencies that provide access to opportunities for students at Arndell school will beidentified. Funding sources such as grants will also be identified.


In 2019 we developed greater links with organisations and agencies includingAthletics Australia, Ryde Local Area Police Command, Ryde Council andBunnings. Through these connections we were able to provide opportunitiesfor our students including the development of a kitchen garden, theacquisition of new sporting equipment, basketball hoops and soccer goals,and the opportunity for students to receive support from and build positiveconnections with the Police Youth Liaison team.


Next Steps

The school will develop an internal method of tracking wellbeing outcomes to inform decision making and evaluate theeffectiveness of our programs. We will seek support from an academic partner to ensure the measure is valid andreliable. The school will also participate in large scale surveys, such as the Tell Them From Me survey, which provides'snapshot' information on wellbeing at particular points in time.


Key Initiatives Resources (annual) Impact achieved this year

Aboriginal background loading $1500 Literacy was identified as an area of priorityfor our students of Aboriginal and TorresStrait Islander background in 2019. Dailytuition using the MultiLit program wasprovided for this group of students, andproduced markedly improved skills in readingand spelling.


Student information

Student enrolment profile

Enrolments

Students 2016 2017 2018 2019

Boys 9 15 21 13

Girls 3 4 0 5

The data above is drawn from a single census day and does not reflect our true numbers. A total of 169 studentsenrolled and attended Arndell School in 2019. Of these, 153 students were enrolled in the Coral Tree Family Admissionand Clinical School Programs (54 girls and 99 boys), and 16 students (2 girls and 14 boys) were enrolled as supportclass students through the Department of Education.

Management of non-attendance

Attendance at school has a big impact on longer term outcomes for children and young people. When a child is not atschool they miss important opportunities to learn, build friendships and develop their skills through play. Regularattendance at school is a shared responsibility between schools and parents. By working together we can have a positiveeffect on supporting our children and young people to regularly attend school.

Our teachers promote and monitor regular attendance at school and all our schools have effective measures in place torecord attendance and follow up student absences promptly. They are guided by the School Attendance policy whichdetails the management of non–attendance.


Workforce information

Workforce composition

Position FTE*

Principal(s) 1

Assistant Principal(s) 1

Classroom Teacher(s) 4.75

Teacher Librarian 0.2

School Administration and Support Staff 6.61

*Full Time Equivalent

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce composition

The Department actively supports the recruitment and retention of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander employeesthrough the use of identified positions, scholarship opportunities to become a teacher and by providing a culturally safeworkplace. As of 2019, 3.9% of the Department's workforce identify as Aboriginal people.

Workforce ATSI

Staff type Benchmark1 2019 Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander representation2

School Support 3.30% 7.20%

Teachers 3.30% 2.90%

Note 1 – The NSW Public Sector Aboriginal Employment Strategy 2014–17 introduced an aspirational target of 1.8% by 2021 for each of the sector'ssalary bands. If the aspirational target of 1.8% is achieved in salary bands not currently at or above 1.8%, the cumulative representation of Aboriginalemployees in the sector is expected to reach 3.3%.

Note 2 – Representation of diversity groups are calculated as the estimated number of staff in each group divided by the total number of staff. Thesestatistics have been weighted to estimate the representation of diversity groups in the workforce, where diversity survey response rates were less than100 per cent. The total number of staff is based on a headcount of permanent and temporary employees.

Teacher qualifications

All casual, temporary and permanent teachers in NSW public schools must hold a NSW Department of Educationapproval to teach. Teachers with approval to teach must be accredited with the NSW Education Standards Authority, andhold a recognised teaching degree. All NSW teachers must hold a valid NSW Working With Children Check clearance.

Professional learning and teacher accreditation

Professional learning is core to enabling staff to improve their practice.

Professional learning includes five student–free School Development Days and induction programs for staff new to ourschool and/or system. These days are used to improve the capacity of teaching and non–teaching staff in line withschool and departmental priorities.


Financial information

Financial summary

The information provided in the financial summary includes reporting from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019. ThePrincipal is responsible for the financial management of the school and ensuring all school funds are managed in linewith Department policy requirements.

2019 Actual ($)

Opening Balance 431,119

Revenue 1,624,122

Appropriation 1,620,485

Grants and contributions 1,789

Investment income 1,848

Expenses -1,643,386

Employee related -1,534,044

Operating expenses -109,342

Surplus / deficit for the year -19,264

Figures presented in this report may be subject to rounding so may not reconcile exactly with the bottom line totals,which are calculated without any rounding.


Financial summary - Equity loadings

The equity loading data is the main component of the 'Appropriation' line item of the financial summary above.

2019 Approved SBA ($)

Targeted Total 958,541

Equity Total 2,281

Equity - Aboriginal 811

Equity - Socio-economic 1,469

Equity - Language 0

Equity - Disability 0

Base Total 399,393

Base - Per Capita 15,697

Base - Location 0

Base - Other 383,696

Other Total 59,328

Grand Total 1,419,544

Figures presented in this report may be subject to rounding so may not reconcile exactly with the bottom line totals,which are calculated without any rounding.


Parent/caregiver, student, teacher satisfaction

A survey of staff and community was conducted by the Specialist Support Team (SST) in early 2019. Results of thissurvey showed that there was considerable variance amongst staff regarding their confidence in managing challengingbehaviours, beliefs about how best to respond to oppositional or aggressive behaviours, and their confidence in thestaff's ability to safely respond to crises. A follow up survey towards the end of 2019, showed much higher confidenceacross all staff groups to manage challenging behaviours or respond in a crisis situation. Their confidence to safelyrespond to crises had improved, and beliefs about how best to manage challenging behaviours were more consistent.

Parents provided feedback about the quality of communication from the school. While most were generally satisfied withthe communication they were receiving from the school, many commented that they would value daily, rather thanweekly feedback about their children's behaviour. Another theme that emerged from their feedback was that informationabout their children's behaviour at school was sometimes not specific enough, and in a few cases, they were not madeaware of serious issues with behaviour in a timely enough manner. Arndell School will make efforts to improve this areaof communication in 2020.


Policy requirements

Aboriginal Education Policy

The responsibility for enacting the Aboriginal Education Policy rests with all Departmental staff. The policy shouldunderpin and inform planning, teaching practice and approaches to educational leadership in all educational settings.

Evidence of effective implementation of the policy included: • Establishing, building and strengthening relationships with the Local Aboriginal Education Consultative Group,

Aboriginal people and communities. • Providing, in partnership with Aboriginal people and communities, education which promotes quality teaching, is

engaging, and is culturally appropriate and relevant. • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students will match or better the outcomes of the broader student population. • Implementation of Personalised Learning Pathways for all Aboriginal students in a school culture of high

expectations.

Anti-Racism Policy

All teachers are responsible for supporting students to develop an understanding of racism and discrimination and theimpact these may have on individuals and the broader community. Principals are responsible for examining schoolpractices and procedures to ensure they are consistent with the policy. All schools have an Anti–Racism Contact Officerwho is trained to respond to concerns in relation to racism.

Multicultural Education Policy

Teachers address the specific learning and wellbeing needs of students from culturally diverse backgrounds throughtheir teaching and learning programs. Principals are responsible for ensuring that school policies, programs andpractices respond to the cultural, linguistic and religious diversity of the school community, and provide opportunities thatenable all students to achieve equitable education and social outcomes.


2019 arndell school annual report › doe-nsw-schools › ...page 3 of 15 arndell school 5538 (2019)...

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