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Kemblawarra Public School

Annual School Report 2013

Kemblawarra Public School & Preschool

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1

Gender 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Male 55 46 39 41 27 45 46

Female 28 33 33 32 26 40 37

Messages

Principal’s message

2013 has been a busy year at our school. We have consolidated our strengths of teaching and learning, student welfare, technology and the performing arts. In an effort to pursue continual improvement the school constantly reviews, assesses and analyses student performance, teaching and learning programs, technology, school organisation and the best management of resources, funds and personnel.

The many achievements listed throughout this report are the result of our students, staff and families working together as a great team with a clear focus on learning for all. This report also outlines future challenges and directions for our school as we seek sustained and collective improvement.

I certify that the information in this report is the result of a rigorous school self-evaluation process and is a balanced and genuine account of the school’s achievements and areas for development.

Eleanor Thompson – Principal

P & C and/or School Council message

In 2013 the Kemblawarra Public School P&C elected Jeanette Charlesworth as President of the P&C, along with Katie Welsh and Karessa Smith as Vice Presidents, and Elle Burze as Secretary. 2013 also saw many fundraisers organised and carried out by the P&C and brought a great sense of community with its first Fete in a number of years. Even though it did not make as much money as we would have liked to help with items for the school, it was a fun day for all who helped and attended. We had another dirt bike donated to us for our Christmas raffle. The P&C also did a number of BBQ’s for different fun days and at the end of the school year, every student received a small gift from the P&C for a great year.

Jeanette Charlesworth - President Katie Welsh & Karessa Smith – Vice Presidents Elle Burze – Secretary, Julian Makin – Treasurer

Student representative’s message

The Student Representative Council (SRC) worked

together with teachers and senior students to

organise and run successful school celebrations

and fund raising activities. These included events

such as ‘Harmony Day’ and Halloween

celebrations. They have allowed us to raise

money for a variety of charities and the purchase

of school resources.

Stephenie V – K, Tristian A – Y1, Cohen T, Ronan

O, Nicholas R – Y2, Corey G – Y3, Ashaya A – Y4,

Bryce B, Kelan T, Jack W, – Y5, Tom B, Patrick F,

Danielle R - Y6

School Context

Kemblawarra Public School is a small school on

the south coast of NSW situated near Port

Kembla who caters for children to attend pre-

school through to Year 6. On site there is a two

unit, full day preschool, three fully equipped

special education classes and 4 classrooms to

cater for Kindergarten through to Year 6.

Teachers, School Learning Support Officers, the

Aboriginal Education Officer, administrators and

parents work together to help children reach

their full potential as learners. Kemblawarra

Public School has an enthusiastic P&C who

support the students and school and actively

involve members of the community.

Student information

It is a requirement that the reporting of information for all students be consistent with privacy and personal information policies.

Student enrolment profile

Student Enrolment

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Year 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

S

cho

ol

K 91.4 88.1 92.0 89.1 94.5

1 92.4 90.7 90.1 90.0 89.1

2 84.2 87.9 89.8 93.2 91.9

3 90.3 85.3 88.7 93.5 92.8

4 81.9 87.9 92.6 92.4 92.9

5 90.7 88.9 91.5 91.8 88.8

6 89.0 87.6 91.2 87.9 87.8

Total 89.6 89.4 88.1 90.7 90.9 90.9

R

eg

ion

K 94.3 94.5 94.4 94.3 95.0

1 93.4 93.9 93.9 94.0 94.2

2 93.9 94.0 93.7 93.9 94.4

3 93.9 94.3 93.6 94.0 94.5

4 93.7 93.9 93.7 93.9 94.4

5 93.7 93.8 93.3 93.7 94.1

6 93.2 93.6 93.1 93.4 93.7

Total 93.7 91.8 94.0 93.7 93.9 94.3

S

tate

DE

C

K 94.3 94.7 94.7 94.3 95.0

1 93.7 94.2 94.2 93.9 94.5

2 94.0 94.4 94.2 94.2 94.7

3 94.1 94.5 94.4 94.4 94.8

4 94.0 94.5 94.3 94.3 94.7

5 94.0 94.4 94.2 94.2 94.5

6 93.6 94.0 93.8 93.8 94.1

Total 94.1 92.1 94.4 94.3 94.2 94.7

Stu

den

ts

100

80

60

40

20

0

Enrolments

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Year

Male Female

student absences, communicating with parents, strengthening student engagement with the school and with their own learning, rewarding students who attend regularly and referring students to the HSLO when necessary. The HSLO is able to assist families experiencing difficulties, explain the law in relation to student attendance and may recommend further action if required.

Activities have been successfully developed and implemented to encourage attendance and engagement on specific days of the week. Regular and consistent school attendance is essential for student achievement and social development.

Student attendance profile

Class sizes

Primary class sizes are included in the annual school report in order to provide parents with as much local information as possible. The following table shows our class sizes as reported at the 2013 Class Size Audit conducted in March during Term 1, 2013.

Kemblawarra Public School Class Sizes Roll class Year Total in class Total per year HB2 1 11 17 2 6 17 HB3 2 2 15 3 2 15 4 5 15 5 2 15 6 4 15 HB4 3 4 15 4 2 15 5 7 15 6 2 15 HB1 1 7 16 K 9 16

Management of non-attendance

Teachers and executive staff monitor full and partial absences closely. Absences causing concern are referred to the Learning Support Team who liaise with the principal, parents and then the Home School Liaison Officer (HSLO) to devise and implement strategies to support students and the family.

The schools Learning and Support Team, together with the Attendance Committee, has developed an attendance plan which uses both formal and informal strategies to manage non-attendance. There is a focus on identifying and monitoring

Structure of class

All classes as shown previously were multi-aged, mixed ability. The two preschool classes, not shown in the table above, provided school readiness opportunities for children who had reached the age of four or who turned four by the end of July. During Term 1, 2013 a new Special Education class was created, making a total of three Special Education classes.

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Date of financial summary 30/11/2013

Income $

Balance brought forward 263252.35

Global funds 114724.68 Tied funds 119760.78 School & community sources 19845.61 Interest 7748.12 Trust receipts 40247.30 Canteen 16279.80

Total income 581858.64

Expenditure 44006.25

Teaching & learning Key learning areas

Excursions 2300.56 Extracurricular dissections 5364.86

Library 1799.22 Training & development

Tied funds 122448.19 Casual relief teachers 19850.28 Administration & office 29616.16 School-operated canteen 24542.22 Utilities 27605.48 Maintenance 9335.48 Trust accounts 42937.20 Capital programs 14697.00

Total expenditure 344502.90

Balance carried forward 237355.74

Workforce information

It is a requirement that the reporting of information for all staff must be consistent with privacy and personal information policies.

The school had 9.38 teaching positions allocated in 2013. This includes 2 executives and 7 permanent, full-time teaching positions. The school also had 1 School Administrative Manager, 1 Aboriginal Education Officer, 2 School Administrative Officers and 5 permanent School Learning Support Officers. 23.2% of the school workforce is Aboriginal.

Workforce composition

Teacher qualifications

All teaching staff meet the professional requirements for teaching in NSW public schools.

Qualifications % of staff Degree or Diploma 100%

Financial summary

This summary covers funds for operating costs and does not involve expenditure areas such as permanent salaries, building and major maintenance.

Position Number

Principal 1

Deputy Principal(s) 0

Assistant Principal(s) 1

Head Teachers 0

Classroom Teacher(s) 6.73

Teacher of Reading Recovery 0.25

Learning and Support Teacher(s) 0.2

Teacher Librarian 0.2

Teacher of ESL 0

School Counsellor 0.2

School Administrative & Support Staff 7.66

Total 17.24

The Australian Education Regulation, 2013 requires schools to report on Aboriginal composition of their workforce. In 2013 there were four permanent Aboriginal members of staff.

Workforce retention

Kemblawarra Public School has retained 100% of permanent teaching staff from 2012. Our full time teaching staff increased by one in 2013 with the creation of an additional special education class. The teacher appointed to this role was Mr Calum MacLeod. During the school year Ms Rebeka Schroder was appointed as Assistant Principal Special Education. The position of Learning and Support Team Coordinator was filled by Mrs Nicola Josevski at the beginning of Term 1, 2013.

A full copy of the school’s 2013 financial statement is tabled at the annual general meetings of the School Council and/or the parent body. Further details concerning the statement can be obtained by contacting the school.

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School SSG State DEC

Average score, 2013 458.6 456.7 500.6

Skill Band Distribution

Band 3 4 5 6 7 8

Number in Bands 1 1 5 4 1 0

Percentage in Bands 8.3 8.3 41.7 33.3 8.3 0.0

School Average 2009-2013 4.9 17.1 36.6 14.6 12.2 14.6

SSG % in Bands 2013 5.3 24.6 35.2 22.6 9.1 3.3

State DEC % in Bands 2013 2.2 11.2 24.3 28.2 20.3 13.8

School performance 2013

Academic achievements

NAPLAN

In the National Assessment Program, the results across the Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 literacy and numeracy assessments are reported on a scale from Band 1 to Band 10.

The achievement scale represents increasing levels of skills and understandings demonstrated in these assessments.

Year 3: from Band 1 (lowest) to Band 6 (highest for Year 3)

Year 5: from Band 3 (lowest) to Band 8 (highest for Year 5)

The My School website provides detailed information and data for national literacy and numeracy testing (NAPLAN).

Visit http://www.myschool.edu.au and enter the school name in the Find a school and select GO to access the school data.

NAPLAN - Year 3 - Literacy (including Reading, Writing, Spelling and Grammar and Punctuation)

Narrative summaries are used when there are less than 10 students in a group as summary statistics or graphical representation of student performance cannot be used.

In Reading 84% of students were at or above national minimum standard of which included 100% of Year 3 boys.

In Writing 100% of Year 3 students were above national minimum standard. This is an increase from 91% in 2011 and 86% in 2012.

In Spelling 84% of students were above national minimum standard. This included 75% of Year 3 girls and 100% of year 3 boys of which 50% were in the top band 6.

In Grammar and Punctuation 100% of students were above national minimum standard.

NAPLAN - Year 3 - Numeracy

Narrative summaries are used when there are less than 10 students in a group as summary statistics or graphical representation of student performance cannot be used.

In Numeracy 100% of Year 3 students were at or above national minimum standard. 66% of all Year 3 students performed above national minimum standard (bands 3-6).

NAPLAN Year 5 - Literacy (including Reading, Writing, Spelling and Grammar and Punctuation)

Year 5 NAPLAN Reading

http://www.myschool.edu.au/

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Average score, 2013 481.1 444.6 501.3


Band 3 4 5 6 7 8



School Average 2009-2013 11.9 21.4 14.3 19.1 23.8 9.5

SSG % in Bands 2013 17.6 23.0 29.6 15.3 10.7 3.8


Year 5 NAPLAN Writing


Average score, 2013 456.5 431.4 476.6


Band 3 4 5 6 7 8



School Average 2011-2013 13.0 17.4 39.1 21.7 4.4 4.4

SSG % in Bands 2013 19.1 18.4 38.3 17.5 5.0 1.6


Year 5 NAPLAN Spelling

Year 5 NAPLAN Grammar and Punctuation


Average score, 2013 469.7 448.9 499.7


Band 3 4 5 6 7 8



School Average 2009-2013 11.9 4.8 21.4 21.4 21.4 19.1

SSG % in Bands 2013 19.3 16.7 28.5 22.1 9.7 3.7


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Average progress in Writing

between Year 3 and 5*

2011-2013

School 32.6

SSG 53.3

State DEC 55.2


Average score, 2013 429.0 436.2 490.1


Band 3 4 5 6 7 8



School Average 2009-2013 5.0 22.5 42.5 20.0 7.5 2.5

SSG % in Bands 2013 16.9 32.5 28.5 13.9 4.7 3.5


Average progress in Reading


2008-2010 2009-2011 2010-2012 2011-2013

School 38.4 135.0 102.8 68.2

SSG 81.3 75.6 79.0 97.3

State DEC 83.7 74.0 79.2 85.7

Average progress in Grammar & Punctuation


2008-2010 2009-2011 2010-2012 2011-2013

School 1.6 121.2 55.9 97.4

SSG 94.9 89.7 75.0 87.0

State DEC 96.6 82.7 81.3 79.4

Pro

gres

s

Pro

gres

s P

rogr

ess

NAPLAN Year 5 - Numeracy

Year 5 NAPLAN Numeracy

Average progress in Writing between Year 3 and 5

100

50

0

2011- Sch2o01o3l SSG State DEC

Average progress in Spelling


2008-2010 2009-2011 2010-2012 2011-2013

School 28.3 134.5 70.2 59.9

SSG 85.6 80.5 95.6 88.0

State DEC 84.5 75.4 95.4 84.9

Average progress in Spelling between Year 3 and 5

200

100

Progress in Literacy 0


Average progress in Reading between Year 3 and 5

200

100

0

2008-2010 2009-2011 2010-2012 2011-2013 School SSG State DEC

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Percentage of Year 3 students achieving at or

above minimum standard (exempt students

included)

Reading 83.3

Writing 100.0

Spelling 83.3

Grammar & Punctuation 100.0

Numeracy 100.0

Percentage of Year 5 students achieving at or

above minimum standard (exempt students

included)

Reading 91.7

Writing 83.3

Spelling 83.3

Grammar & Punctuation 91.7

Numeracy 91.7

Pro

gres

s P

rogr

ess

200

Average progress in Grammar & Punctuation between Year 3 and 5

100

0

2008-20102009-20112010-20122011-2013 School SSG State DEC

Progress in Numeracy

Average progress in Numeracy


2008-2010 2009-2011 2010-2012 2011-2013

School 45.6 139.7 113.5 44.8

SSG 84.8 95.4 91.2 84.5

State DEC 89.6 95.8 98.2 89.7

Average progress in Numeracy between Year 3 and 5

200

100

0

2008-20102009-20112010-20122011-2013 School SSG State DEC

Minimum standards

The Commonwealth Government sets minimum standards for reading, writing, grammar and punctuation, spelling and numeracy for Years 3, 5, 7 and 9.

The performance of the students in our school in the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy is compared to these minimum standards. The percentages of our students achieving at or above these standards are reported below.

Other achievements

Festival of Choral Music – Australia’s Concert. In 2013 our choir performed at Wollongong Town Hall showcasing their talents in this state wide concert organised by the NSW Performing Arts Unit.

Year 6 organised a successful Market Day

to help raise funds for the year 6 farewell. Students and parents were involved providing an array of engaging stalls and games to raise money and include the whole school community.

A number of students were involved in

the District Cross country.

Kemblawarra Public School was involved in a number of interactive educational incursions including visits from the local NRL Team - The Dragons, the local fire service and lifeguards.

The students and staff at Kemblawarra

were able to display their many creative talents during the school’s first Talent Quest and a live broadcast karaoke working with the local radio station Wave FM. Both were an enormous success as

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all students, teachers and parents thoroughly enjoyed both events.

In 2013 all students from Preschool to

Year 6 were involved in, and provided with opportunities to participate in a number of school excursions. This included excursions to Shoalhaven Zoo, Jamberoo Water Park, Wollongong Science Museum and Wollongong Gala Theatre for a Christmas movie.

Significant programs and initiatives

During 2013 Kemblawarra Public School continued to participate and implement a number of initiatives and special programs dedicated to providing the students with a range of opportunities to meet their social and learning needs and to broaden their experiences. The school was involved in a range of programs through the National Partnership Program supporting our students and the local community. These include programs in Aboriginal education and multicultural education and student engagement and attendance.

Aboriginal education

One of the specific targets the school has focused on using Low SES School Communities National Partnerships funding continues to be to improve the educational outcomes and attendance for our Aboriginal students and continue the implementation of the Aboriginal Education and Training Policy. Some of the programs implemented using this funding include focusing on the key areas of Connected Learning, Engagement and Retention, Attendance, Literacy & Numeracy, Leadership and Quality Teaching. To achieve this target the following was implemented.

All staff at Kemblawarra Public School completed the final modules in the No Gap, No Excuse cultural awareness training package. St aff indicated an increased understanding of cultural awareness and connections and an increase in confidence in eliminating the performance gap between indigenous and non- indigenous

students. Kemblawarra Public School has a trained facilitator to deliver the modules and the staff benefit from having a local Aboriginal community member in attendance during the module presentations to embellish the content and enhance understanding.

All Aboriginal students continue to have Personalised Learning Plans (PLP’s) which are developed in consultation with the teacher, AEO, parent and student. There is a strong emphasis on the setting and tracking of academic goals and creating a joint ownership and responsibility for the students learning.

The Wadi Wadi language program delivered by the Aboriginal Education Officer was a great success. It was used as a tool to engage and motivate Aboriginal Students and as a cultural awareness activity for all students. The program linked with all current class themes and included the common interests of all students.

National observances were celebrated by all staff and students including NAIDOC week, Sorry Day, Reconciliation week and Harmony day.

Some of the achievements made by Aboriginal Students include;

All Year 3 and Year 5 Aboriginal students achieved NAPLAN results in Reading above national minimum standards.

All Year 3 Aboriginal students achieved NAPLAN results in Writing above national minimum standards. All Year 5 Aboriginal students showed an average growth of 1.6 bands in Writing.

All Year 3 and Year 5 Aboriginal students achieved NAPLAN results in Spelling above national minimum standards.

All Year 3 and Year 5 Aboriginal students achieved NAPLAN results in Grammar and Punctuation at or above national minimum standards.

In all the NAPLAN Numeracy aspects all Year 3 and Year 5 Aboriginal students achieved at or above national minimum standards.

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Multicultural education

Kemblawarra Public School has a rich culturally diverse collection of students, staff and local community members. We maintain a strong focus on providing learning opportunities for all students, staff and community members to integrate their cultural background and knowledge with contemporary Australian culture. All cultures are formally acknowledged and celebrated at events including Harmony Day and NAIDOC Week activities and during regular school assemblies. The school ensures that it is engaging, inclusive and sensitive and free of all forms of discrimination including racism in its learning and working environments, practices, communication and procedures. An ESL teacher is currently temporarily appointed to provided expertise teaching students from non-English backgrounds in the areas of oral language acquisition and the building of English vocabulary. At Kemblawarra Public School we:

• Develop and implement learning programs and experiences across all KLA’s to enhance understanding of cultural and religious similarities and differences within the community.

• Organised a number of school events and

activities which brought the community together to experience the range of backgrounds within our school. Some of these included regular assemblies, Easter celebrations, NAIDOC week celebrations and Harmony Day. These events include an opening ceremony and involve a diverse range of students from all cultures and backgrounds.

• Incorporated values into our school rules and character education. Actively teach content relating to current issues such as racism and bullying.

English as a Second Language (ESL)

In 2013 the English as a Second Language (ESL) allocation was 1 day per week. Out of t h e t o t a l school population, 5 . 6 % of the children have a language background other than English. The ESL teacher, Mrs Karen Johnston, worked in the classroom to support the teacher and those students from a non-

English speaking background. Mrs Johnston also withdrew students individually and in small groups for specific individualised instruction in all aspects of literacy (talking and listening, reading and writing).

Equity funds

Funding has enabled the school to continue its successful Individualised Intervention initiative the focus of which is continuous improvement in literacy and numeracy through quality teaching, individualised attention and supplementation of resources.

This has been incredibly beneficial and has produced pleasing results achieved not only in the NAPLAN but students have also made progress as evidenced by school conducted standards based and standardized testing. Our data demonstrates:-

87% of Kindergarten working at grade

appropriate outcomes in Reading.

100% of Kindergarten working at grade appropriate outcomes in Writing.

87% of Kindergarten working at grade appropriate outcomes in pattern and number structures and fraction units as indicated in Aspect 3 and Aspect 6 on the numeracy continuum.

100% of Kindergarten working at or beyond grade appropriate outcomes in Unit structure of length, area and volume as indicated in Aspect 7 on the numeracy continuum.

62% of Year 1 working at or beyond grade appropriate outcomes in Reading and Writing.

100% of Year 1 working at grade appropriate outcomes in pattern and number structures and Unit structure of length, area and volume as indicated in Aspect 3 and Aspect 7 on the numeracy continuum.

95% of Year 1 working at or beyond grade appropriate outcomes in fraction units as indicated in Aspect 6 on the numeracy continuum.

100% of Year 2 working at grade appropriate outcomes in Reading.

50% of Year 2 working at grade appropriate outcomes in Writing.

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67% of Year 6 working at grade

appropriate outcomes in Reading. 100% of Year 6 working at

grade

100% of Year 2 working at grade appropriate outcomes in pattern and number structures and unit structure of length, area and volume and fraction units as indicated in Aspect 3, Aspect 6 and Aspect 7 on the numeracy continuum.

43% of Year 3 working at grade appropriate outcomes in Reading.

29% of Year 3 working at grade appropriate outcomes in Writing.

57% of Year 3 working at grade appropriate outcomes in unit structure of length, area and volume and fraction units as indicated in Aspect 6 and Aspect 7 on the numeracy continuum.

29% of Year 4 working at or beyond grade appropriate outcomes in Reading and Writing.

43% of Year 4 working at grade appropriate outcomes in pattern and number structures as indicated in Aspect 3 on the numeracy continuum.

57% of Year 4 working at grade appropriate outcomes in unit structure of length, area and volume and fraction units as indicated in Aspect 6 and Aspect 7 on the numeracy continuum.

63% of Year 5 working at grade appropriate outcomes in Reading and Writing.

88% of Year 5 working at grade appropriate outcomes in pattern and number structures as indicated in Aspect 3 on the numeracy continuum.

38% of Year 5 working at grade appropriate outcomes in fraction units as indicated in Aspect 6 on the numeracy continuum.

63% of Year 5 working at grade appropriate outcomes in unit structure of length, area and volume as indicated in Aspect 7 on the numeracy continuum.

appropriate outcomes in pattern and number structures and unit structure of length, area and volume and as indicated in Aspect 3 and Aspect 7 on the numeracy continuum.

50% of Year 6 working at grade appropriate outcomes in fraction units as

indicated in Aspect 6 on the numeracy continuum.

Low SES School Communities National Partnership

Kemblawarra Public School receives a funding allocation through National Partnerships. This is the Low Socio-economic Status School Communities National Partnership (LSESNP). This partnership allows the school to target explicit aspects of the school plan. In 2013 the particular focus was on strategies aimed at improving student’s abilities in Literacy, as well as professional development to assist further improvement in Teacher Quality. In addition to this there was a focus on improving student engagement and retention, connected learning and the attendance and educational outcomes of Aboriginal students. National Partnership funding continued to provide significant time for teachers and staff to implement these strategies and improvements.

A number of programs and strategies were devised under the partnership to improve student’s abilities in Literacy. All teachers in mainstream and special education classes participated in extensive school based professional learning focusing on the new English syllabus and online professional development training sessions to explore and develop programs based on the implementation of the Literacy continuum and new English Syllabus. Teachers agreed that their knowledge and ability to produce quality lessons and experiences has been enhanced and feel better equipped to create and implement quality literacy programs to increase their student learning outcomes.

Teachers were provided with professional learning to further their knowledge on effective and innovative methods of using a variety of information communication technology. As result in the increase in the use of a variety of modes of ICT there has been an increase in student interest, enthusiasm and engagement.

Another strategy that has developed leadership within the school has been regular staff meetings of learning / support teams to engage in professional dialogue and plan for the betterment of our students. These teams focus

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on all KLA subject areas, community engagement, welfare, and assessing and reporting to ensure that the school is up to date with current issues and leading the way for the best opportunities for all students.

Restorative strategies continue to be developed and implemented that assist in the creation of a school culture and classroom environments that enhance cultural and social awareness, build social capital and promote social discipline through participatory learning and decision making. The whole school community has recognised the positive changes the Restorative Approach has achieved. Peer Mediation continues as part of our Restorative approach where senior students are trained to control and resolve any student conflicts in the playground. In addition to reducing playground conflicts this also created a sense of responsibility and self-worth.

Kemblawarra Public School continues to host a number of information workshops for parents to attend relating to developing school policies and programs. These include sessions on restorative approaches, homework and ICT programs to allow parents to understand the schools expectations of the students and engage more avidly with their child’s learning at school and at home.

Teacher capacity to improve student outcomes was strengthened. An overview and timetable of individual professional learning has been developed. Teachers are now using SMART data to inform their teaching and learning programs and to meet the particular needs of individual students. The release of the Teaching Principal has provided opportunities for staff to be supported in their classrooms and to receive in- school mentoring and coaching in the areas of student management, Restorative Practices, Technology and the use of school based assessment data and SMART data.

School planning and evaluation 2012—2014

School evaluation processes

NSW public schools conduct evaluations to support the effective implementation of the school plan. The processes used include:

Teacher, student, parent and staff surveys

Analysis of school assessment data

Interviewed members of the school community, including, members of staff, students, parents and family members and focus groups.

Analysis of current policies, programs, assessment information, plans, and budgets.

Conducted classroom observations by principal and teachers.

School planning 2012—2014: progress in 2013

As part of our school plan each year we set improvement targets. In 2013 our targets covered improvements in Literacy and Numeracy, Aboriginal Education, Curriculum & Assessment, Leadership & Management and Engagement & Attainment.

School priority 1

Literacy and Numeracy

Outcomes from 2012–2014

Improve student achievement of outcomes in Literacy

Evidence of progress towards outcomes in 2013:

Our 2013 NAPLAN achievements:

83.3% of Year 3 students achieved at or above National Minimum Standard for Reading.

100% of Year 3 boys achieved at or above National Minimum Standard for Reading.

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Year 3 boys achieved above state average results for band 6 in Spelling. o All Kindergarten students will achieve

minimum Reading Recovery level 6 by Term 100% of Year 3 student National Minimum

s achieved above Standard for

o

4, 2014. 83% of Y3 students to achieve at or above

Year 3 girls achieved above state average results for bands 5 and 6 in Reading.

100% of Year 3 students achieved above National Minimum Standard for Writing.

25% of Year 3 girls achieved the highest Band 6 for Writing.

Year 3 students achieved above state average results across all bands above National Minimum Standard for Writing (Bands 3-6).

83.3% of Year 3 students achieved above National Minimum Standard for Spelling.

50% of Year 3 boys achieved the highest Band 6 for Spelling.

Year 5 average growth was 2 skill bands in Reading.

Year 5 average growth was 1 skill band in Spelling.

Our targets for 2014 are:-

Reading

o Increase percentage of Y1-2, 4 and 6 students who are able to read texts and demonstrate efficiency as identified in grade appropriate clusters on the Literacy continuum;

o Y1 - Increase from 88% in K to 100% o Y2 - Increase from 56% in Y1 to 61% o Y4 - Increase from 43% in Y3 to 57% o Y6 - Increase from 63% in Y5 to 75%

Grammar and Punctuation.

91.7% of Year 5 students achieved at or above National Minimum Standard for Reading.

100% of Year 5 students achieved at or above National Minimum Standard for Reading.

83.3% of Year 5 students achieved at or above National Minimum Standard for Writing.

100% of Year 5 girls achieved above National Minimum Standard for Writing.

Year 5 girls achieved above state average results for band 8 in Writing.

83.3% of Year 5 students achieved above National Minimum Standard for Spelling.

100% of Year 5 girls achieved above National Minimum Standard for Spelling with 42.9% in the highest bands 7 and 8.

Year 5 boys achieved above state average results for bands 7 and 8 in Spelling.

91.7% of Year 5 students achieved at or above National Minimum Standard for Grammar and Punctuation.

80% of Year 5 girls achieved above National Minimum Standard for Grammar and Punctuation.

NMS in NAPLAN. o 71% of Year 5 students achieving at or above

NMS in NAPLAN.

Comprehension

o The percentage of students able to write texts and demonstrate efficiency with the aspects of comprehension as identified in grade appropriate clusters on the Literacy Continuum;

K – 100%

Y1 – 88%

Y2 – 61%

Y3 – 100%

Y4 – 57% Y5 – 57%

Y6 – 75%

Writing

o Increase percentage of Y1-2, 4 and 6 students who are able to write texts and demonstrate efficiency with the aspects of writing as identified in grade appropriate clusters on the Literacy Continuum;

Y1 - Maintain 100% from K

Y2 - Increase from 61% in Y1 to 67% Y4 - Increase from 29% in Y3 to 43%

Y6 - Increase from 63% in Y5 to 75%

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o All Kindergarten students are able to write texts and demonstrate efficiency with the aspects of writing as identified in grade appropriate clusters on the Literacy Continuum

o 50% of Y3 students to achieve at or above NMS in NAPLAN.

o 71% of Year 5 students achieving at or above NMS in NAPLAN.

Strategies to achieve these outcomes in 2014:-

100% of classroom teachers will use an increasing amount of interactive information communication technology to present literacy concepts to their class such as iPads, computers and interactive white boards.

All teachers will use a variety of activities including Studyladder, PM Readers and other interactive resources to teach all areas of literacy.

All teachers in mainstream and special education classes will participate in school based professional learning focusing on the new English syllabus.

Teachers and SLSOs will become familiar with school literacy resources to be better equipped to implement quality literacy programs to increase student learning outcomes.

The Community of Schools school coordinating teacher conducted in school training to 100% of classroom teachers focusing on writing, based on professional learning programs conducted by the Warrawong Community of Schools.

Infant classes have access to utilise THRASS (Teaching handwriting, reading and spelling skills) program and resources.

School priority 2

Literacy and Numeracy


Improve student achievement of outcomes in Numeracy


Our 2013 NAPLAN achievements:

100% of Year 3 students achieved at or above National Minimum Standard for Numeracy.

50% of Year 3 boys achieved band 5 in Data, Measurement, Space and Geometry.

100% of Year 3 students achieved at or above National Minimum Standard for Number, Patterns and Algebra.

91.7% of Year 5 students achieved at or above National Minimum Standard for Numeracy.

Year 5 average growth was 1.5 skill bands in Numeracy.

91.7% of Year 5 students achieved above National Minimum Standard for Data, Measurement, Space and Geometry.

100% of Year 5 boys achieved above National Minimum Standard for Data, Measurement, Space and Geometry.

Our 2014 targets are:-

Numeracy



Data, Measurement, Space & Geometry

o Increase percentage of Y1-2, 4 and 6 students

who are working within stage appropriate clusters of Aspect 7 (Measurement) on the Numeracy continuum;

Y1 - Maintain 100% in K

Y2 – Maintain 100% from Y1

Y4 - Increase from 58% in Y3 to 72% Y6 - Increase from 63% in Y5 to 78%

o All Kindergarten students are working within stage appropriate clusters of Aspect 7 (Measurement)



Number, Patterns & Algebra

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o Increase percentage of Y1-2, 4 and 6 students

who are working within stage appropriate clusters of Aspect 3 (Pattern & Number Structure) on the Numeracy continuum:

Y1 - Increase from 88% in K to 100%

Y2 – Maintain 100% from Y1


Y6 - Increase from 88% in Y5 to 100% o All Kindergarten students are working within

stage appropriate clusters of Aspect 3 (Pattern & Number Structure)



o Increase % of Y1-2, 4 and 6 students who are working within stage appropriate clusters of Aspect 6 (Fractions) on the Numeracy continuum.

Y1 - Increase from 88% in K to 100%

Y2 – Increase from 95% in Y1 to 100%


Y6 - Increase from 38% in Y5 to 50% o All Kindergarten students are working within

stage appropriate clusters of Aspect 6 (Fractions)

Strategies to achieve these outcomes in 2014:

All teachers K-6 to implement and track their student’s progress using the Planning for Literacy and Numeracy (PLAN) program including; regular data input and reviewing of the IEP’s provided.

All staff to complete Online Count Me In Too (CMIT) training to effectively understand and implement strategies, grouping of children within the Learning Framework In Number (LFIN), the use of the Early Learning Continuum and how it links with CMIT;

Time given to create and organise CMIT resources developed initially using the developing efficient numeracy strategies resources and to familiarise staff with activities.

All K-2 teachers to attend professional learning for ‘Targeting Early Numeracy’ (TEN) to support the needs of student

experiencing substantial difficulty in learning numeracy in the early years.

Implement whole school scope and sequence and math’s program.

Create and implement across stage, ability focused math’s groups based on Best Start and Count Me In Too assessment analysis.

All teachers K-6 and special education classes to incorporate the interactive web-based programs of Mathletics and Studyladder into lessons to improve students’ abilities in all areas of numeracy.

All teachers in mainstream and special education classes will participate in school based professional learning opportunities focusing on numeracy

NAPLAN data used to develop IEP’s for specific students and enhance teaching programs in line with syllabus outcomes;

Utilising a variety of text books that enhance concepts taught in Literacy and Mathematics.

Building teacher familiarity through in school training with the New Mathematics Syllabus and numeracy continuum.

Analysis of the Schedule for Early Number Assessment (SENA) results in terms of the LFIN and identifications of suitable teaching and learning activities.

School priority 3

Aboriginal Education


Improve students outcomes by 2014 that match or better outcomes of the broader student population.

Increase Aboriginal parental engagement in supporting their child’s learning.

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100% of Aboriginal students have Personalised Learning Plans which have been developed in consultation with the AEO, parent/caregiver, teacher and student and which are reviewed each semester.

The number of Aboriginal students enrolled at the school has increased and the attendance of each student has increased by 0.6 days per term.

Some of the NAPLAN achievements made by Aboriginal Students include;

All Year 3 and Year 5 Aboriginal students achieved NAPLAN results in Reading above national minimum standards.

All Year 3 Aboriginal students achieved NAPLAN results in Writing above national minimum standards. All Year 5 Aboriginal students showed an average growth of 1.6 bands in Writing.

All Year 3 and Year 5 Aboriginal students achieved NAPLAN results in Spelling above national minimum standards.

All Year 3 and Year 5 Aboriginal students achieved NAPLAN results in Grammar and Punctuation at or above national minimum standards.

In all the NAPLAN Numeracy aspects all Year 3 and Year 5 Aboriginal students achieved at or above national minimum standards.


Reading

Increase percentage of Y1-2, 4 and 6 students who are able to read texts and demonstrate efficiency as identified in grade appropriate clusters on the Literacy continuum.

o Y1 - Increase from 66 in K to 100% o Y2 - Increase from 50% in Y1 to 67% o Y4 – Maintain 100% from Y3 o Y6 - Increase from 50% in Y5 to 100%

100% of Y3 students to achieve at or above NMS in NAPLAN.

50% of Year 5 students achieving at or above NMS in NAPLAN.

Writing

Increase percentage of Y1-2, 4 and 6

students who are able to write texts and demonstrate efficiency with the aspects of writing as identified in grade appropriate clusters on the Literacy Continuum.

o Y1 - Maintain 100% from K o Y2 – Increase from 50% in Y1 to 67% o Y4 – Maintain 100% from Y3 o Y6 - Increase from 50% in Y5 to 100%

100% of Y3 students to achieve at or above NMS in NAPLAN.

50% of Year 5 students achieving at or

above NMS in NAPLAN.

Numeracy

100% of Y3 students to achieve at or


50% of Year 5 students achieving at or



Same strategies for whole school literacy and Numeracy.

Teacher review and develop Individual Learning Plans and Personalised Learning Plans in consultation with the Aboriginal Education Officer (AEO), parents/ carers and student.

Information sessions, class visits, meetings with teachers, formation of social support groups based on interests and needs are organised for Aboriginal community members.

Aboriginal Education Officer in conjunction with the classroom teacher to deliver The Wadi Wadi language program to students P-6.

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All teachers engage in training

opportunities to enhance their

School priority 4

Engagement and Attainment


Improve students engagement and attainment P- 6 through differentiated teaching and learning practices.

Strengthen relationships between school and community that support all students.


Parents have been involved in classes and contributing to their child’s school community and discussions have reported that they feel more confident to support their children’s learning at home with an increased feeling of involvement in their child’s education and schooling.

professional development and increase their students engagement and learning outcomes.

Continued commitment by the CoS group to create positive learning experiences for all students and all schools working in a common direction to support student high school transition.


Strengthened teacher capacity in the use of innovative practices using ICT to improve student learning

Creation of a school culture and classroom environments that enhance cultural and social awareness, build social capital and promote social discipline through participatory learning and decision making.


Continue a P-6 Restorative Practices approach emphasising individual worth, respect and accountability.

Continue student training and implementation of the Peer Mediation Program

Conduct parent education classes on a range of issues to help parents engage more fully with their child’s learning at school and home.

Continued development, revision and implementation of school welfare policy.

Provide staff and students access to digital educational resources, including additional iPads, and the expertise of other staff.

School priority 5

Curriculum and Assessment


Strengthen teacher capacity to implement new K- 10 syllabuses in 2014.

Enhance teacher capacity to utilise assessment data to identify and plan for aspects of student underperformance.


All staff participated in numerous professional development opportunities to prepare and plan for the new curriculum in Literacy and Numeracy.

All teachers participated in in-school training in the use of in the PLAN software.

Students with identified support needs and academic underachievement have Individual Learning Plans to support their individual learning needs.

Strategies to maintain these outcomes in 2014:

Continued in school professional development opportunities to further develop teachers knowledge and ability to program and deliver the new syllabus documents.

Individual Education Plans for all students identified based on assessment data

Whole school use of Planning for Literacy and Numeracy program to record, track

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and program individual students progress.

Staff continue to improve and update their ICT skills through professional learning sessions at school.

Collaborative development of a scope and sequence for all aspects of all KLAS.

Collaborative development of an assessment schedule and package for all KLAS.

Collaborative development of a resource package to support the scope and sequence and assessment requirements.

School priority 6

Leadership and Management


Improve teacher leadership capacity for school improvement.


Creation of school teacher roles and responsibilities groups allowing teachers to make informed decisions and take ownership of changes relating to aspects of school management and running.

Allocation of responsibilities allowed for a number of teachers to experience the development of a number of different school policies and procedures.

Regular TARS, EARS and PARS to allow for teacher feedback and discussion.

Regular whole school and stage meetings enable effective communication and opportunities for teachers to develop their leadership skills.

Strategies to maintain these outcomes in 2014:

Principal consults with each teacher to develop an overview and timetable of individual professional learning plans.

Teachers are given the opportunity to present specific prepared information at

in-school professional development days to other staff members.

Continue to have teacher roles and responsibility groups to further allow for growth and ownership of changes relating to the specific school areas.

Professional learning

All teachers participated in extensive professional learning throughout the year in line with the 2012 school plan.

All staff members completed a number of online training certificates with face-to-face assistance from external trainers. These included Autism Online, Anaphylaxis and e-Emergency care. In addition to this a number of in-school professional learning were conducted, including:-

Every Student, Every School, Module 2 - Learning and Support Teams.

Disability standards for education.

Child Protection update.

CPR

Teachers K-6 completed a number of in-school professional learning sessions to assist with planning and programming in line with the current regulations and the new Australian curriculum for 2014. This training included.

Introduction to the new curriculum for Literacy and Mathematics.

The learner and the new curriculum.

A process for planning a unit of learning, K-6 English.

Programming for quality teaching and assessing.

Teaching for the new curriculum.

No Gap, No Excuses, Module 4, Aboriginal cultural training course.

Every Student, Every School, Module 1 -

Making a difference.

In addition to whole school professional learning

sessions the preschool teachers have been

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provided with time off of class to allow for

programming and planning and have attended a

number of seminars concerning the Early Years

Learning Framework (EYLF).

As part of the Community of School network,

professional learning was delivered to all staff

relating to the new Syllabus documents and the

use of Technology in the classroom.

During 2013 Kemblawarra Public School had 4

new scheme teachers both permanent and

temporary working towards their NSW Institute

of Teachers accreditation. There were an

additional 2 permanent new scheme teachers

maintaining their NSW Institute of Teachers

accreditation at Professional competence level.

All P-6 teachers benefited from Teacher

Professional Learning funds of $7598.50 with the

average expenditure for each teacher being

approximately $690.77.

Parent/caregiver, student, and teacher satisfaction

In 2013, the school sought the opinions of parents, students and teachers about the school as a whole. The information was collected through a variety of surveys, discussions and reviewing of anecdotal records.

Their responses are presented below.

There continues to be an increase of parent attendance at whole school events and assemblies. Parents are extremely willing to be involved in whole school events including our Christmas concert where most students, Pre- school to Year 6 participated, in an evening performance of Christmas Carols.

Previous evaluations indicate that some parents feel that they miss out on the school newsletter as it was only available online due to internet inaccessibility. In 2013 the school re-introduced a hard copy of the newsletter to each family within the school. Parents feedback was that they were happier with this as they do not miss out on any special news and events and can follow the school community news easier. They can also see the achievements of many of the students including their own children.

Parents are expressing great satisfaction with the teacher and SLSO allocations and arrangements within the school. This allows for integration between pre-school, support classes and mainstream classes. Parents have also expressed positive feedback stating that these arrangements allow for more whole school events and responsibility to individual teachers creating positive opportunities and experiences for all students.

Parents, students and staff are all extremely positive about the students wearing uniforms from pre-school to Year 6. Parents express how good it looks on the students and that it gives all children, both in the Pre-school and primary school a feeling of pride and unity.

Parents, students and staff were incredibly positive about the increase in, and caliber of whole school events. In particular the whole school Talent Quest and Christmas Carol concert where all school members offered their talents for the enjoyment of the school community. These events created a buzz of excitement and a great time was had by both entertainers and spectators.

New school initiatives for technology continue to be introduced to the school. Enormous satisfaction with these have been expressed by parents, staff and students. Students enjoy using different modes of technology for learning and to create their work where as parents state their pleasure as their children are learning the required skills for post school. Teachers are enjoying using different modes of technology to engage students across all KLA’s

Program evaluations

NSW Public schools conduct evaluations to support the effective implementation of the school plan. In 2013 our school carried out an evaluation of the whole school homework program. We also sought to evaluate aspects of the pre-schools progress towards gaining their accreditation.

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Homework needs to be relevant,

interactive and purposeful. Use technology, student interest and

Curriculum Evaluation – Whole school homework program.

Background

It is a requirement of the Department of Education that all students receive homework. The amount of time that students are expected to spend on homework will depend upon the age, ability, home environment and extracurricular activities of students, including family and cultural obligations. It is expected that all schools, in consultation with their communities, will review their existing school homework policy to ensure it is relevant to the needs of their students. It was noted that only a small percentage of students were completing their homework. Due to this, teachers, parents and students were surveyed and opinions sought to review Kemblawarra’s current homework policy to ensure that all students are receiving quality homework relevant to their needs and learning requirements.

Findings and conclusions

Teachers, parents and students were all surveyed about their current homework. The findings are as follows:

Although most K-6 students stated that they ‘sometimes’ completed their weekly homework only 31% always completed it. The majority of students surveyed actually wanted to receive it.

The majority of students claimed that the homework was too easy but also stated that they needed help to complete it. The suggestions from the students stated that they would like to see sport, cooking and creative arts included in the homework content.

86% of teachers agreed that the students should take homework home with an equal percentage opinion of what this should include. This covered reading, computer / laptop / iPad activities, times tables, a grid for homework, a homework sheet and a project.

The opinions and suggestions of the teachers were noted and are summarized as follows:

Homework should tie in with parent

needs coupled with student’s needs. Thus

it can be as flexible as possible.

Teachers do not want homework to

create a rift between students and their

parents if the students need support to

complete their homework.

Students should complete homework in

Maths and reading daily. Maths needs to

include basic number facts including

addition, subtraction and multiplication.

Small hands on or design and make

projects work well.

Homework should be a reflection of

learnt concepts and a revision. Not all

students should have the same

homework as it won’t match ability. It

should not be more than 10-15 mins per

day on top of at least 10 mins reading out

loud each day.

whatever extra-curricular activities they are involved in outside of school to deliver homework and as part of the homework.

100% of parents stated that they wanted their

child to continue receiving homework with the

following opinions and suggestions,

The homework grid is good as we can do

it on a specific day that suits.

Homework is an important part of a

child’s learning and also a form of

revision at home.

Have a week plan of different type of

homework for each day e.g. Math one

day, reading the next

Homework should be fun to engage

children.

Email a copy of the homework to the parents to ensure that they receive it and then the parent can assist is completing it.

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Future directions

As a result of the findings a number of changes regarding homework will be implemented in 2014.

Each individual child will receive a book pack to take home on a daily basis with work that is based on their ability. In the book pack there will be a reading book/s to be read daily and a question for Maths relating to what was learnt during the day. In addition to this there will be a homework grid for the whole term. The grid will contain an array of differing activities covering content across all KLA’s which the students can choose from to ensure that all learning types, styles and interests are covered. It is important that students of all ages have opportunities for free time, leisure and physical activities outside of school and the homework grid encompasses this.

Educational and management practice Evaluation – Working towards pre-school accreditation

Background

Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority have developed a practice called the Early Years Learning Framework to ensure children receive quality education programs in their early childhood setting. This is a vital time for them to learn and develop.

The Framework‘s vision is for all children to experience play-based learning that is engaging and builds success for life.

The framework is a guide for early childhood educators: preschool teachers, who work with children from birth to five years. They will use the Framework in partnership with families, children’s first and most influential educators, to develop learning programs responsive to children’s ideas, interests, strengths and abilities, and recognise that children learn through their play.

It is expected that Kemblawarra Pre-school will develop their own strategy to implement the Framework. The Framework is part of the Council of Australian Governments’ reform agenda for early childhood education and care. It is a key component of the Australian Government’s

National Quality Framework for Early Childhood education and care. It underpins universal access to early childhood education.

(National Quality Framework Resource kit, www.acecqa.gov.au)

Kemblawarra Pre-school is working towards their accreditation to fall in-line with the Early Years Learning Framework and have implemented a number of changes and strategies to comply with the regulations.

Findings and conclusions

A number of technologies have been installed within both of the pre-school classrooms to create a comfortable, safe learning environment for the children. This is conducive to safe learning through play. These technologies include:

A back to base alarm system connected to the main school security systems.

An inverted reverse-cycle air conditioning system has been installed in each learning space to create a comfortable room all year round.

An interactive SMART board has been installed in each classroom which is used during class time daily to cater for the

children’s 21st century learning requirements.

Each class has been provided with a Wi- Fi enabled computer to use within the classroom.

Staff interviews revealed that 100% of the preschool teachers and support staff are happy with the new technologies. 100% of teachers and/or Support staff indicated that they use all of the new technologies on a daily basis to create a safe, fun learning environment conducive of learning through play. The teachers stated that the children are particularly engaged with learning opportunities that involve the SMART board and would benefit from individual computer systems.

In addition to this the preschool teachers been provided with release from class to develop daily timetables and learning activities / opportunities to comply with the play-based learning that is engaging and builds success for life. These learning programs were developed in response to children’s ideas, interests, strengths and abilities.

http://www.acecqa.gov.au/

http://www.acecqa.gov.au/

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The data in this report was collected through a number of formats. These include observations and anecdotal records, interviews with parents and staff, reviews of current policies. The P&C also had an input into which changes were a priority and how they could help implement them.

Future directions

As a result of the findings both preschool classrooms will be provided with a number of iPads / tablets during 2014 to allow each student

to individually explore and learn during their 21st

century learning time.

Both teachers will also be provided with ongoing release time to create, develop and familiarize themselves with new policies and procedures relating to the National Quality framework and Early Years Learning Framework.

About this report

In preparing this report, the self-evaluation committee has gathered information from evaluations conducted during the year and analysed other information about the school's practices and student learning outcomes. The self-evaluation committee and school planning committee have determined targets for the school's future development.

Eleanor Thompson, Principal

Debra Smith, School Administration Manager

Rebeka Schroder, Assistant Principal, Special

Education

Amy Murray, Assistant Principal

Nicola Josevski, Learning & Support Teacher

Carol Speechley, Aboriginal Education Officer

School contact information

Kemblawarra Public School

Cnr Northcliffe Drive and Shellharbour Road

PORT KEMBLA. NSW. 2505

Ph: 4274 2024

Fax: 4276 2871

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.kemblawarr-p.nsw.edu.au

School Code: 4083

Parents can find out more information about Annual School Reports, how to interpret information in the reports and have the opportunity to provide feedback about these reports at: http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/asr

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.kemblawarr-p.nsw.edu.au/

http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/asr

annual school report 2013 - kemblawarr …€¦ · kemblawarra public school annual school report...

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