St Lucy’s SchoolAnnual Report 2017

21 Cleveland Street, Wahroonga, NSW

Excellence in education for children with intellectual disabilities

Annual Report 2017 Page 2

MESSAGE FROM KEY SCHOOL BODIESPrincipal’s MessageThe Annual Report to the School Community provides information about school performance, initiatives and developments during the year and achievements arising from planned development.

The report draws together information of major interest and importance to the school community and demonstrates accountability to Dominican Education Australia and Government regulatory bodies. This report complements and is supplementary to the School newsletter and other regular communications. Further information about St Lucy’s and/or this report is available from the school.

St Lucy’s is dedicated to students with an intellectual disability. The school’s mission is to provide “an excellence in education that empowers students with the values, knowledge, attitudes and skills to flourish and participate fully in society”.

Success of this Mission is achieved within the framework of the one year strategic plan developed for the incoming Principal for 2017. The activities undertaken in each of the areas of focus are detailed below:

Capacity Building – introducing staff development plans for teachers, building leadership capacity of staff and ensuring an effective transition into new leadership by the new Principal and new Religious Education Co-ordinator both appointed for the start of 2017, further raising the profile of donating funds to the School via the work of the Community Development Office staff, implementing reduced class sizes of 9 students at Wahroonga and 10 students at the satellite classes. Meetings were held with Ku-ring-gai Council officers in pre-DA meetings and our representatives to flesh out the detail of these DA submissions in line with our Master Plan prior to final submission in November 2017. We await the news of the progress of these DAs through Council in due course.

Catholic Identity and Mission in the Dominican Tradition – consolidating already strong relationships with the local parish, through school representation on the Parish Pastoral Council, as well as the Broken Bay Diocese. As well, more closely linking our Dominican values and spirituality into our everyday practice with the children and community of the School especially through visits by Sister Sheila Flynn and Ms Marg O’Shea as Promoters of Dominican Charism. Additionally, the whole school staff attended a faith formation Staff Development Day, facilitated at Rosary Lodge, Santa Sabina Strathfield. New Religious Education teaching and learning units have been drafted to assist teaching staff in providing rich and meaningful learning experiences for the students. Continuation of the school-based Sacramental Program which saw 8 students and 2 siblings receive all three Sacraments – Confirmation, Reconciliation and First Eucharist.

Student and Staff Wellbeing – supporting students and families at home and staff in School through the expanded roles of our psychologist position, running a Respite afternoon for parents on a weekend each year, further workshops in Mindfulness for families and staff and establishing Wellbeing Week for staff each term in Week 7 through the year. Additionally, a Wellbeing Team was established with cross-representation of all staff across all campuses, with a focus on staff wellbeing.

Physical Resources and Sustainability – developing a 3 year Information Communication Technology plan, further development and implementation of the Master Plan for the redevelopment of classrooms at Wahroonga including a secure underground car park for staff and secure “kiss and drop” area for parents and their children, purchase of 10 Billyard Avenue neighbouring the Wahroonga campus, CBGA funding proposals submitted for Stage 1 of the Master Plan.

Annual Report 2017 Page 3

Teaching and Learning – improve the use of ICT by teachers in class via the ICT Staff Committee, enhanced resources for teaching Integrated Work Units of study with a focus on Science and Technology via the staff Curriculum Team, enhancing support for students using Alternative Augmentative Communication (AAC) and staff in using Key Word Sign and ProLoquo2go, employment of three “travelling aides” so all such Aides are now shared across two classes not three.

Remembrance - As we know the tragic death of Maria, Eli, Martin and Fernando was deeply felt by the whole St Lucy’s community. In 2017 we marked the 6 month anniversary with a special liturgy, and the first year anniversary with an exhibition of Eli and Martin’s art works and invited Laser Beak Man, Tim Sharp to open the Exhibition and dedicate the Art Studio in their honour. We were thrilled that Maria Lutz’s family flew in from Colombia to join us on this celebratory occasion honouring the remarkable artistic talent of the children. Parents banded together to develop a beautiful bench seat in honour of Maria and this was also dedicated at the Exhibition and is installed in pride of place in the grounds for all to enjoy. The students and staff at School also enjoyed a whole school Friendship Liturgy and Creative Arts’ Day in memory of Eli and Martin.

Literacy and Numeracy - The Reading Tutor Program implemented with a team of volunteers continues to produce improvements in communication, reading and writing. The Mathematics with Meaning program was further developed and implemented with Stage 3 students and has produced improvements in numeracy and practical application of Number to real life situations.

Therapy Team – this group of staff including our psychologists, speech pathologists, occupational therapist and aide continued to provide a focus on therapy services to the early years. The Therapists work with class staff to team teach and provide small group therapy to students. Communication skills were enhanced through increased opportunities for students who use AAC. Workshops were delivered to members of our community and external professionals in Triple P, Key Word Sign, NDIS and Sarah Starr’s Fussy eating workshop (funded by a Carers NSW grant).

The initiatives described above provide a brief summary of some of the innovative work that has been undertaken at St Lucy’s during the past year. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the staff, the parents, the volunteers and the wider school community and our Board and Trustees for your collective support of the School and all its endeavours this year. Your commitment and hard work ensures the goal of St Lucy’s to provide “an excellence in education for children with disabilities” is alive and well here.

David Raphael Principal 1 March 2018

Annual Report 2017 Page 4

Chair of the St Lucy’s School BoardAt the beginning of the 2017 school year, St Lucy’s welcomed its new principal, David Raphael. Mr Raphael came to us after a very successful principalship at William Clarke College, Kellyville where he had been for 15 years. He very quickly became part of the St Lucy’s community meeting the children as they arrived and left and on the playground and getting to know the staff, parents and volunteers. Mr Raphael has worked very well with the Board of Directors and has taken on the Master Plan with commitment and enthusiasm.

At the first Board meeting of 2017, the St Lucy’s Board approved the Master Plan which had been developed by our architects, Stanton Dahl and Associates and committed to the carrying out of the Plan over the coming years. The first task was to apply to the Catholic Block Grant Authority for a much-needed capital grant to assist us. This was followed by the appointment of a Project Manager who is working on behalf of the School to take the development forward.

It was at this point of the development when we learnt that the property adjacent to the School was for sale. We were very fortunate in being able to buy this property but it did mean that we had to go back to the drawing board and consider how we would incorporate our new purchase into our plans. It is only now as I write this Report in 2018 that we are able to inform the St Lucy’s community of the full development outlined in the Master Plan.

The St Lucy’s community in 2017 has continued to support each other in the aftermath of the tragic deaths of the Manrique-Lutz family the previous year. There have been a number of new initiatives including the establishment of a Men’s Support Group which runs once a term. Warren Hopley who instigated the group has continued to lead the group over the year. The School has also engaged additional psychological support to assist in the grieving process.

Maria Lutz was awarded posthumously an award by the NSW Parents Council and at the presentation there were a large number of St Lucy’s staff and parents. In October 2017 there was a special event which remembered the Manrique-Lutz family with an art exhibition of Ellie and Martin’s art works, the dedication of the St Lucy’s Art Studio to honour Eli and Martin and the unveiling of Maria’s Bench in memory of her great contributions to the School. In addition, a Bursary has been set up which will assist other St Lucy’s families who are experiencing financial hardship to access after school and holiday creative arts programs and excursions.

The Annual General Meeting of St Lucy’s in 2017 was the time to say farewell to the Dominican Sisters who had established and run the School since its inception. Sr Judith Lawson OP, the Prioress of the Congregation attended the AGM and was presented with a painting. This was another step in the process of the change of governance from the Sisters to Dominican Education Australia. Another significant event was the first DEA Conference which was held at Siena College in Melbourne. This was attended by Directors, Principals and staff from all the ministries who form part of DEA. The keynote speaker at the Conference was Father Timothy Radcliffe OP, a former Master of the Dominicans. This provided a great opportunity for members of the St Lucy’s Board and the Leadership Team to meet others in equivalent positions at the other schools/ministries governed by DEA.

St Lucy’s School has been blessed by the generosity of so many groups and individuals over the past year and I thank you once again for this. St Lucy‘s has been fortunate in that the change to government funding for schools has seen an increase in funding for the School. However, we still require the support of all our donors to be able to provide the range of curriculum offerings to meet the diverse needs of our students. I thank also the members of the Foundation Advisory

Annual Report 2017 Page 5

Council who, each year, organise the Parliamentary House lunch which is a great fundraiser for us. This year our guest speaker was Ziggy Switkowski AO, the Chair of the NBN.

Finally, I would like to thank my fellow directors for their strong commitment and dedication to St Lucy’s School. They give generously of their time and expertise. Thank you to Steven Graham, Paul Reid, Jack Flanagan, Sr Rosemary Lewins OP, Nick Ogden, Miriam Stiel and Jim Verco. I would particularly like to thank and acknowledge Jack Flanagan who concluded his term as Director at the AGM and Miriam Stiel who resigned at the end of 2017.

Kitty GuerinChairSt Lucy’s Board of Directors

President of the Parents and Friends AssociationDuring 2017, the P&F Volunteer team was primarily focussed on further cementing our broader community relationships and bringing together our geographically spread St Lucy’s school community with a major fundraiser to benefit our school. We also hosted Mother’s Day and Father’s Day stalls’ giving the children valuable opportunities to practise shopping skills among other school related events thanking the staff and volunteers.

While we had plenty to do in 2017, we all made time to come together with the sad 1st anniversary of the passing of the Manrique-Lutz family. We celebrated the lives of our friends Maria, Eli and Martin with a dedication of a beautiful reflection area in their name with a purpose built bench that the P&F donated the funds to build. We had a wonderful evening at the school as a community and we shared our happy memories.

The Parent Information Night at the beginning of the year is always terrific fun as we met all our new families and were reacquainted with old friends. The night provided opportunities to socialise which can often be difficult due to the wide geographical spread of our families. We organised the Friendship list that was distributed via the class parents at the beginning of the year to promote families in getting together with their class and getting to know each other. Due to the lists we were able to create many opportunities to gather through both class dinners and evening catchups.

Our P&F meetings have been very well attended, primarily as a reason to socialise and share ideas. The main focus was arranging the 80’s Trivia Night which was a massive success – we raised over $12,000 which was an outstanding achievement. The core Trivia night committee were amazing and due to the overwhelming success of the night, we have been asked to stage the event again this year in 2018.

The P&F of 2017 recognise that at the core of our work are the students of our wonderful school. All our volunteer efforts are made worthwhile by seeing their beautiful smiling faces.

Ashlee BallPresident, St Lucy’s Parents and Friends Association

Annual Report 2017 Page 6

CONTEXUAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL Mission Statement St Lucy’s School is a Catholic school in the Dominican tradition for students with disabilities. We provide excellence in education that empowers students with the values, knowledge, attitudes and skills to flourish and participate fully in society.

ValuesThe values of St Lucy’s School are based on the teaching of the Catholic Church and St Dominic. These values are modelled by our behaviour, expressed in our decisions, practised in our relationships and taught to the children.

TruthTruth (Veritas) is St Lucy’s motto. God is truth and we find what is true through open discussion and attention to the knowledge and thinking of others, reflected on through study and prayer.

CommunityWe are open to all, especially the stranger, the unwanted and the unnoticed, welcoming and caring for the Christ in each other. We value the uniqueness of each individual. We enable all to participate actively and contribute to the community of St Lucy’s.

IndividualityEvery individual is precious as each has been uniquely made in the image of God. We rejoice in and celebrate difference, know and accept each one’s gifts and acknowledge the life and faith journey of each.

JoyfulnessThe experience of joy is a way to God. Our own experiences of joy call us to assist in the transformation of the suffering and pain of those who do not know the fullness of joy.

JusticeChrist calls us to stand compassionately with those in need to help them seek for themselves their rights and dignity when these are denied.

KnowledgeWe see complexities and contradictions as capable of ultimate resolution within God. The Dominican value is to thirst for understanding and life meanings. We evaluate new thoughts, ideas and movements carefully before passing judgement.

Peace and peacefulnessPeace in Dominican terms is developing right and just relationships with others. We are committed to healing and reconciliation between peoples based on justice, responding with Christ’s compassion and forgiveness to all.

The aestheticWe view all people, including ourselves, as a work of God’s art. We value and explore creative and artistic expression as an expression of God’s being. We foster the imagination and creativity within each individual.

Unity of creationThe interdependence of all God’s creation calls us to collective stewardship of our earth. We believe that the entire world’s people should be able to access its natural and manufactured goods. As part of creation, we accept our responsibility for a just sharing of resources.

Annual Report 2017 Page 7

Contemplation and prayerWe seek to nourish the children’s inner spiritual life and to satisfy the hunger for the sacred in us all, exploring forms of prayer and worship that are meaningful to the children and pleasing to God.

SCHOOL PROFILESt Lucy’s School Wahroonga is an incorporated body owned by Dominican Education Australia and managed by a Board of Directors. St Lucy’s is an independent, primary, co-educational special school, registered (Years K-6) by NESA.

St Lucy’s caters to primary-aged students on our main campus in Sydney’s Wahroonga and in satellite classes on the Northern Beaches. At St Lucy’s, we view each child individually to unlock their unique potential and encourage them to become independent. We provide a holistic education, offering outstanding academic programs taught by special educators. Access to the programs is achieved through the involvement of the Therapy Services Team. The Therapy Services Team comprise Speech Pathologists, Occupational Therapists and Psychologists. It is part of our mission to raise awareness of issues pertaining to disability in the wider community.

Teaching and LearningThe St Lucy’s curriculum is based on the NESA Key Learning Areas and is delivered at our main campus in Wahroonga and satellite classes by specialist staff including teachers, teacher’s aides, therapists and creative artists.

Planning and programming in each learning area requires a high level of differentiation, with teaching and learning strategies selected to meet the strengths and needs of individual students within each class. St Lucy’s staff utilise the latest research to inform teaching and learning and view collaboration between teams of staff and parents as key to successful outcomes for students. Each student has an Individual Education Plan which is informed by parent’s priorities and detailed assessment information. St Lucy’s acknowledges the role of parents as primary educators of their children and supports them as partners in learning.

Additional programs are offered to further develop each student’s academic, creative and social skills. These include the Reading Tutor Program, Mathematics with Meaning, Handwriting Without Tears, Creative Arts’ scholarships, play programs and after school programs.

Professional learning is provided to parents, external educators and therapists by our expert staff.

Spiritual Life of St Lucy’s A special liturgy and commemorative bookmark was created to mark the 150 year anniversary of the arrival of the Irish Dominican Sisters in Australia, back in 1867. The story was communicated to the St Lucy’s community and a replica trunk lid was made by two staff members, Steve Davies and Marci Ordonez, to remind us of the journey these founding Sisters made.

Staff attended a faith formation day at Rosary Lodge, Santa Sabina, which reconnected them to the rich tradition of the Dominican Order and the Charism that forms a strong spiritual foundation for the community of St Lucy’s. The day was facilitated by Sr Sheila Flynn and Ms Marg O’Shea, and tied in relevantly to the 150 year anniversary of the Dominican Sisters arrival in Australia.

The newly appointed Religious Education Coordinator Vanessa Dillon, continued to strengthen ties with our local parish, Holy Name Wahroonga, through her presence as a member of the Parish Pastoral Council, as well as ongoing connections through the school-based Sacramental Program, Family Masses, HOPE Masses and significant liturgies and feast days.

Annual Report 2017 Page 8

The Sacramental Program saw eight students and two siblings receive the Sacraments of Confirmation, Reconciliation and First Eucharist. We also had one student and two siblings baptised at one of the Holy Name HOPE Masses.

Many whole school liturgies were celebrated throughout the year, along with the Feast of St Dominic, which saw joint activities shared between the students of St Lucy’s and the students of Prouille. A special liturgy was included to commemorate the memory and legacy of the Manrique family at the 6 month and 12 month anniversary.

Pastoral Care Pastoral Care at St Lucy’s extends to families as well as the students enrolled at the school. All staff see their role as being one of support and understanding. The Religious Education Coordinator, Sr Helen our School Chaplain and the School Psychologists, work in collaboration with the School Executive Team and Registrar to assist parents, grandparents, carers and children at risk.

This year, various support groups have continued to operate including the Men’s Group with Mr Warren Hopley and the OASIS Group which is a support network for our Satellite families. We also continued to promote the support and collegiality of the parish-formed HOPE Group, and supported our OASIS Meals Team who provide a number of meals for us to use in emergency situations.

New initiatives were introduced which included a Mum’s Evening hosted at the school which included food and pampering and a social networking opportunity, as well as a Family Respite weekend where staff made themselves available to supervise students and siblings for a 4 hour period enabling parents the chance to use this time as they wished. As well, families identified as being in particular need over the Christmas period, received a personalised Christmas hamper donated by one of the local churches in Wahroonga.

As well, the St Lucy’s Holiday Program continued to operate at the end of Terms 1, 2 and 3 for the first week of the holiday period and was well attended and greatly appreciated by parents. Additionally, our annual Siblings’ Day and Grandparents’ Day had many in attendance and fun activities shared in the classrooms with our students.

There was also a response to the need within some members of the school parent community to highlight the issue of Family and Domestic Violence. An information evening was organised within White Ribbon Month, November, and facilitated by Lifeline. As well, parish-based events throughout White Ribbon Month were promoted, including a talk by representatives from the Hornsby Women’s Shelter.

Additionally, in partnership with the Therapy Services team, free information evenings were facilitated on a range of topics relevant to the needs of the children and families of St Lucy’s, such as CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy), toileting and sleeping workshops, and NDIS guidance and support.

Parents frequently express gratitude for the enormous support offered by the staff at St Lucy’s School.

Annual Report 2017 Page 9

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE STUDENT BODY

Students by Primary Disability

Primary Disability Boys Girls Total

Autism Spectrum Disorder 50 16 66

Cognitive Disability: mild 10 5 15

Cognitive Disability: moderate-severe 26 9 35

Cognitive Disability: Severe 10 5 15

Physical 1 1

Hearing 1 1

Mental Health 1 1

Grand Total 98 36 134

Students by Gender and Year2017 KG Y1 Y2 Y3 Y4 Y5 Y6 TOTAL

Girls 8 4 5 3 5 4 7 36

% 22% 11% 14% 8% 14% 11% 20% 100%

Boys 21 25 11 8 12 11 10 98

% 22% 26% 11% 8% 12% 11% 10% 100%

TOTALS 29 29 16 11 17 15 17 134

% 22% 22% 12% 8% 13% 11% 12% 100%

STUDENT OUTCOMES IN STANDARDISED NATIONAL LITERACY AND NUMERACY TESTING In 2017, 21 of the 25 students in Years 3 and 5 who were eligible for NAPLAN (National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy) were exempted under the provision for students with disabilities. Four St Lucy’s students took part in the NAPLAN with 3 students in Years 3 and 1 student in Year 5. Achievement for Year 3 is reported from Bands 1 to 6 with the National Minimum Standard being Band 2. Achievement for Year 5 is reported from Bands 3 to 8 with a National Minimum Standard of Band 4. The students scored at or above the minimum standard for 6 of the 20 tests

SENIOR SECONDARY OUTCOMES (STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT) This part of the report is not relevant to St Lucy’s School.

Annual Report 2017 Page 10

TEACHER QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL LEARNING Teacher AccreditationThe following table provides details of the Accreditations of St Lucy’s teaching staff who were employed during 2017.

Level of Accreditation Number

Pre-2004 Teachers 7

Provisional 3

Proficient Teacher 10

Total Number of Teachers 20

Teacher qualifications and professional learningThe following table provides details of the teacher qualifications and professional learning of St Lucy’s teaching staff who were employed during 2017.

Teachers Qualifications Number

Graduates in Teaching or Special Education 8

Post-graduate Special Education Qualifications 2

Masters Degree 10

Total Number of Teachers 20

Professional Learning The following table provides information pertaining to the professional learning provided by external providers undertaken by St Lucy’s staff during 2017.

Training Category Staff Attending

Administration and Support 4

Augmentative Communication 10

Compliance - Course 2

Compliance - School All-Staff

CPR/First Aid - School All-Staff

Spiritual & Personal Development All-Staff

Spiritual & Personal Development - Course 1

Teaching and Learning 9

Technology 4

Therapy 1

Vision & Hearing 3

WHS/Safety All-Staff

WORKFORCE COMPOSITION

Annual Report 2017 Page 11

The table below shows the workforce composition in 2017.

Staff Category Head Count Full-Time Equivalent

Teachers 20 17.8

Teachers’ Aides 26 22.2

Admin, Business Office & IT 6 5.7

Artists in Residence 6 1.8

Development Office 3 2.1

Therapists 7 4.7

PE 1 1.0

Pastoral 1 0.3

Maintenance 1 1.0

Total 71 56.6

STUDENT ATTENDANCE RATESThe student attendance rate in 2017 was 93.71% , which is an average of 11.6 days absent per student.

Student attendance rates by year group

Year Percentage attendance

K 91.43

1 87.5

2 84.11

3 91.48

4 92.52

5 87.71

6 86.93

Management of non-attendance St Lucy’s monitors and keeps appropriate attendance records thus meeting its obligations with regard to student’s education, safety, protection and well-being. Student attendance is recorded daily on the student management database. Parents/guardians email absent@stlucys, as well as the class staff if their child is away to notify of absence, and provide the reason. All cases of unsatisfactory attendance and unexplained part or full day absences from school are investigated promptly. Unexplained absences will be acted upon as follows:

Names of children with an extended, unapproved absence (more than 5 days) or who are regularly absent are reported to the Principal and Registrar by the class teacher and administration person on front desk. This also applies for children who are frequently late (on more than 5 occasions) without an acceptable reason. The Principal will act upon unsatisfactory attendance by organising a meeting with or sending correspondence to the parents/guardians. The attendance issue and any action taken will be recorded, as appropriate, on the student file. In cases where a student has an unexplained absence

Annual Report 2017 Page 12

that exceeds 30 days in 100, the Principal accesses the mandatory reporters section of the Keep Them Safe website to determine whether a report is required.

Enrolment Policy St Lucy’s School is an independent Catholic Special School which is part of Dominican Education Australia (DEA). St Lucy’s provides for children with a wide range of disabilities that include cognitive impairment, autism and/or language disability. “The School’s policies are made pursuant to the registration requirements set out in section 47 of the NSW Education Act and the Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards.”

PurposeThis Policy and appendices detail the guiding principles, eligibility criteria and procedures for enrolment.

ScopeThis Policy document is provided to parents or carers who are considering enrolment of their child at St Lucy’s School or whose child is enrolled at the School.

The School is committed to ensuring that it complies with the requirements of the following Legislation:

• Disability Discrimination legislation• Child Protection legislation• Workplace Health and Safety legislation• State and Commonwealth Education legislation

The PolicySt Lucy’s was established as a Special School for Catholic children, but is open to children from other faith backgrounds provided that the Catholic ethos of the school is accepted and respected. It is expected that students and their families will participate in the liturgical and spiritual life of the school.

Where places are available, enrolment will be accepted provided that the applicant’s needs can be met by the pedagogical philosophy and strategies of St Lucy’s and the availability of placement in the appropriate class or student group where the relevant vacancy exists.

Enrolment is at the sole discretion of the Principal, who will take into consideration the School’s capacity to educate and provide for the appropriate care of the student. The need to avoid unjustifiable hardship to other students or the School will also be considered.

• Comprehensive information regarding the student’s eligibility for enrolment must be provided, together will full disclosure of the student’s support needs. This includes those required to support behaviour management and other specific requirements and/or adjustments. Failure to comply with this responsibility to disclose may jeopardise an offer, or continuation, of enrolment.

• Proof that the student meets the enrolment criteria, and any other documentation requested by the School, must be supplied.

• If the applicant is from overseas, the Principal or Registrar must be able to sight his/her ORIGINAL passport, visa and citizenship documents. The applicant must meet all other enrolment requirements and all supporting documents must be accompanied by certified copies in English.

If Government funding does not apply to the student, his/her parents/guardians must agree in writing to meet the full cost of the student’s education for enrolment to proceed.

Annual Report 2017 Page 13

OTHER SCHOOL POLICIESStudent Welfare and Discipline The St Lucy’s Pastoral Care of Students and Positive Behaviour Support policies provide processes by which St Lucy’s seeks to provide a safe and supportive environment to support the mental, physical and emotional wellbeing of students. St Lucy’s School, as a Catholic school, recognises that the Gospel values of love, compassion, reconciliation and justice foster an environment which caters to the needs of all members with student’s needs being of primary concern. We recognise and respect the worth of every individual, helping all to achieve their full potential. St Lucy’s adopts a positive behaviour approach in the management of students which consists of reinforcing appropriate behaviour and ignoring inappropriate behaviour which is not injurious.

When a student’s behaviour becomes injurious to the student or others, a functional assessment of the student’s behaviour is undertaken to identify the triggers and likely reinforcers so that the environment can be adjusted accordingly. Consequences for continuing inappropriate behaviour range from time-out to loss of privileges such as a favoured activity. When inappropriate behaviour continues to concern staff, parents are informed and a team approach to positive behaviour support is undertaken. Corporal punishment is not used at St Lucy’s under any circumstances.

Exclusion from school is used very rarely and only when a child’s behaviour is such that the safety and well-being of other children is compromised and the school needs time to put appropriate behavioural responses in place. This will only be after an extended period of documented intervention.

Occasionally it becomes apparent that St Lucy’s is not the right place for a particular child, either because they need more intensive supervision than St Lucy’s pedagogy and staff structures can provide or because the St Lucy’s academic, social or physical environment is judged to be inappropriate for the student. Such a decision will be taken by the school in consultation with parents and often with external professionals or service providers.

The full text of the school’s Pastoral Care of Students, Discipline and Positive Behaviour Support policies can be accessed by request from the Principal or from the school.

Anti-bullying The school Bullying: Preventing and Responding to Bullying Policy provides processes for responding and managing allegations of bullying. The full text of the school’s Anti-bullying policy can be accessed by request from the Principal or from the school.

Complaints and grievancesIf a parent or staff member or member of the public has a complaint, the first step is for them to meet with the staff member most involved to discuss the issue of concern. If the complainant remains dissatisfied, the second step is to put the complaint in writing to the Principal who will then respond. If still dissatisfied, the complainant may write to the Principal who will pass it on to the School Board. The Board’s response will depend on the circumstances and nature of the complaint. Where appropriate, external expertise will be called upon. St Lucy’s School is committed to the principles of due process, procedural fairness and transparency.

Annual Report 2017 Page 14

SCHOOL DETERMINED PRIORITY AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT Goals for 2017

Building Master PlanThe Board, Executive and community of the School have been consulting and developing the Building Master Plan over a two year period. The November 2017 Board Meeting approved the Building Master Plan. It has since been communicated to the parent body, staff and Trustees.

Review the implementation of Professional Learning PlansThe implementation of Professional Learning Plans was reviewed with teachers and therapists, with the feedback being overwhelmingly positive. The teachers and therapists communicated the benefits of being able to identify and plan their own learning and utilising the expertise that exists in the school, in addition to external Professional Development. As a result, it was decided that Professional Learning Plans would be implemented across the whole staff.

Review existing initiatives to enhance the well-being of staffThe Leadership Team undertook a mental health audit of the school to determine the wellbeing needs of staff. Out of this, staff were invited to nominate themselves as a representative on a newly formed Staff Wellbeing Team. The members of this team include teachers, admin staff, teacher aides, executive members, therapy team members and satellite staff so as to ensure cross-representation and collective input from all stakeholders so as to develop and ensure intentional, targeted and purposeful initiatives are made available.

Implement the Handwriting Without Tears programFollowing 3 staff members (one Teacher and two Occupational Therapists) attending a two day Training session in the Handwriting Without Tears Program, all staff were trained in a half day PD training session in January 2017 with the goal of developing teacher skills and beginning to roll out the program into the classrooms . At this training teachers were given time to develop personal goals of how this would look in each classroom , based on individual learning needs. A box of resources was developed and given to each class teacher, so that they could deliver the program using the researched strategies. The Occupational Therapist has been working closely with teachers and students to implement this program effectively into each classroom. Students have engaged thoroughly with the early writing character known as Mat Man - which teaches all the strokes needed to form letters of the alphabet. We have monitored this process and seen fantastic results. A team was put together as part of Curriculum meetings to brainstorm, plan , adapt and implement further strategies for the classroom teaching of this program and to assess its progress and iron out its challenges. A further training session took place at a Curriculum meeting in Term 4, 2017.

Orientate the new appointed Principal for 2017This was completed.

Orientate the newly appointed Religious Education CoordinatorThis was completed.

Goals for 2018Moving towards K-12Implement Master Plan ProjectIntroduce Professional Learning Plans for Admin & Support StaffIncrease effectiveness of technology use in the classroomImplement and review new Religious Education units of work

Annual Report 2017 Page 15

INITIATIVES PROMOTING RESPECT AND RESPONSIBILITY The School rules were implemented, modelled, and reinforced to students. The rules are Be Kind; Be Safe; Be Your Best. Positions of responsibility for students that promote respect and responsibility are embedded in activities undertaken in the classroom and whole school initiatives.

Students from several high schools and universities were welcomed into the school in 2017, to participate in practicum sessions and community service. Each of these students were taken through an induction to St Lucy’s and disability and given the opportunity to work closely with our teachers and students.

Parent satisfactionParent satisfaction was measured by a school improvement survey of parents.

47 parents completed the online survey; a response rate of 35%. The survey provided evidence that parent satisfaction pertaining to many aspects of the School’s operations and service delivery was high. An analysis of the data obtained from the survey is used to ensure continued school improvement. In addition to the school improvement survey, exit surveys of parents whose children were leaving were undertaken to determine satisfaction levels of these parents.

From the School Improvement Survey the results were:• 85% of parents feel that the teachers expect their child to do his/her best.

• 89% of parents feel that Individual Education Planning meetings with my child’s teacher are useful.

• 86% of parents feel that teachers at St Lucy’s provide my child and me with useful feedback about his/her school work.

• 90% of parents feel that teachers at St Lucy’s treat students fairly.

• 87% of parents feel that I can talk to my child’s teachers about my concerns.

• 86% of parents feel that teachers at St Lucy’s motivate my child to learn.

• 85% of parents feel that my child is making good progress socially at St Lucy’s.

• 86% of parents feel that St Lucy’s works with me to support my child’s learning.

• 68% of parents feel that they are happy with the academic progress their child has made this year.

• 92% of parents feel their child is safe at St Lucy’s.

Student satisfactionThe use of a school improvement survey to measure student satisfaction is not an appropriate tool to measure the satisfaction of the majority of St Lucy’s students. At St Lucy’s, student satisfaction can reasonably be measured by parent report. The majority of parents, when surveyed, report that their child is very happy at St Lucy’s.

Staff satisfactionStaff satisfaction was measured by a school improvement survey of staff conducted on-line at the end of 2017. 44 staff completed the survey; a response rate of 62%. The survey provided evidence that staff satisfaction pertaining to many aspects of their employment at the school was high and that staff would recommend St Lucy’s as a place to work. An analysis of the data is used to ensure ongoing school improvement.

Annual Report 2017 Page 16

SUMMARY FINANCIAL INFORMATION Finances State and Commonwealth grants contributed 45% of St Lucy’s total revenue in 2017. The primary component of ‘Fees and Private Income’ and ‘ Other Capital Income’ is donations and fundraising which provided a total of 48% of overall income.

The Revenue and Expenses for the 2017 year are shown in the graphs below:

St Lucy’s Expenses for 2017

Salaries, allowances and related Expenses 42%

Non Salary Expenses 11%

Capital Expenditure, 47%

St Lucy’s Revenue for 2017 Fees and

Private Income, 7%

CommonwealthRecurrent

Grants, 26%

StateRecurrent Grants,

19%

Other Capital Income, 48%

Annual Report 2017 Page 17

PUBLICATION REQUIREMENTS The 2017 St Lucy’s Annual Report will be published by 30 June 2018. The Annual Report will be made available to the NESA online. The report will be published in hard copy and made available from the School. It will also be made available to the public online, on the School’s website.

In addition to formal requirements for publication relating to the Annual Report, St Lucy’s School notes that information may be requested at any time by the NSW or Australian Governments and in order to meet the requirement to have policies and procedures that will facilitate the provision of data to the Minister if any additional information is required at any time (Ref: Registered and Accredited Individual Non-Government Schools (NSW) Manual 3.10.2). Additional information that is requested by the Minister will be provided to the NESA in an online or appropriate electronic form.