2016 keiraville public school annual report · 2017. 4. 28. · 2016 saw our school’s transition...

Keiraville Public SchoolAnnual Report

2016

2271

Printed on: 28 April, 2017 of 18 Keiraville Public School 2271 (2016)

Introduction

The Annual Report for 2016 is provided to the community of Keiraville Public School as an account of the school'soperations and achievements throughout the year.

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

David O'Connor

Principal

School contact details

Keiraville Public SchoolGipps RdKeiraville, 2500www.keiraville-p.schools.nsw.edu.aukeiraville-p.School@det.nsw.edu.au4229 4117


Message from the Principal

2016 was a fabulous year of learning and growth for Keiraville Public School. It was also a wonderful recognition of theschool’s great history as we celebrated our 125th anniversary since the school opened its doors in 1891. Our anniversarycelebrations highlighted the very special bond past and present students and families have with our school.

Our comprehensive annual school self–evaluation process highlighted the wonderful progress we have made towardsthe strategic directions of our current School Plan and helped to inform priorities for 2017. Importantly, our evaluationhighlighted the high levels of satisfaction held across our school community from students, parents and staff. Our schoolcontinues to be recognised and appreciated as an excellent place for teaching and learning.

Academic performance strengthened further in 2016 with some excellent results achieved in many areas. Kindergarten,Year 1 and Year 2 reading and writing results were outstanding as we continue to make L3 pedagogy a focus to meetthe individual learning needs of our students. Year 3 and Year 5 NAPLAN results were also very good, especially inliteracy where our school performed well above state averages in every aspect. Monitoring of student progress along theliteracy and numeracy continuums shows positive growth from all of our students.

While academic performance continues to be very important, our most important work is around developing good, activeand informed citizens, ready for what the world holds for them now and into the future. Our students regularly engage inlearning around our school values which are the backbone of our student focused welfare practices. Our classrooms aresettled and productive learning environments and our students have many opportunities to be involved in extra–curricularactivities. Features in 2016 included, but were not limited to, our band and instrumental programs, junior and seniorchoirs, our comprehensive sports program, public speaking, debating, environmental programs and a variety of campsand excursions.

2016 saw our school’s transition to Learning Management and Business Reform (LMBR) which saw a complete changeto the administration and financial management systems we use in our daily school operations. This major changepresented many new challenges, especially for our school administration staff. These challenges were approachedpositively and our school migrated successfully to the new systems.

Our OOSHC facility run by Camp Australia expanded in 2016 to include before school care as well as after school care.Our before and after school care facility continues to be accessed by many students and parents and provides awonderful service to our families.

Our close collaboration with the University of Wollongong saw many pre–service teachers continue their learning in ourschool under the expert guidance of our teachers. We also participated in a number of research studies in associationwith the university as we maintain our conviction to contribute to the growth and development of the teaching profession.

Local enrolment numbers have grown steadily over the past five years and 2016 was no exception. Further growth isprojected for 2017 and this is a reflection of the great teaching and learning opportunities we provide to students at ourschool and the high levels of satisfaction achieved from all aspects of our school community. As always, the effort andenthusiasm of our fabulous staff team, in close collaboration with our supportive parent body, continues to provide aschool environment that so many local Keiraville families want to be a part of.


School background

School vision statement

Keiraville Public School is committed to providing excellence, innovation, opportunity and success for all students in asafe, caring and nurturing environment. We strive to ensure equity for all students and provide each student with the bestopportunity to achieve their academic and social potential. At the very heart of what we do is an absolute focus onhelping to shape and develop good citizens who will have the necessary skills to contribute positively to 21st Centurysociety and the capacity to live fulfilling lives. In order to achieve this, our school will be an open, friendly, welcoming andsafe place for the whole school community. Our classrooms will be positive, productive places that are conducive tolearning. Our teachers will deliver a differentiated curriculum, constantly reflecting on their work and engaging in ongoingprofessional learning in the pursuit of quality and excellence in teaching practice. Our focus on quality teaching andteacher quality, combined with setting high expectations for staff and students, will assist us in the achievement ofexcellence in teaching and learning. Our school leaders will set and model high standards and lead the school throughcurrent education reforms with a focus on improving student outcomes. Our five school values will be visible across theschool and will be reflected in all that we do and say in our interactions with others. At Keiraville Public School, we willstrive to equip our students with the skills and qualities required to live fulfilling and productive lives.

School context

Keiraville Public School, established in 1891, has an enrolment of 334 students including 36% from non–Englishspeaking backgrounds. Enrolment numbers have grown steadily over the past 5 years. The school is located close toWollongong city and only minutes from the University of Wollongong. There is a strongly established tradition ofachieving excellence in all aspects of school life. While there is a focus on the core academics, providing a balancedschool experience is a priority, allowing all students to shine and excel. Priorities include literacy and numeracy,differentiated teaching and learning, quality teaching practices and the use of technology in teaching and learning. Thereis a clear focus on the development of teacher quality and targeted professional learning plays a big role in the ongoingdevelopment of our staff. The school highly values music, including our comprehensive instrumental and band programs,environmental education, sport and extra–curricular opportunities for students. We have strong links with the localcommunity and enjoy the support of an active Parents and Citizens Association that works tirelessly to provide additionalopportunities and resources for all members of the school community. Our school is a proud member of the WollongongCommunity of Schools (CoS). Several initiatives, including enrichment classes and transition to high school experiencesare a feature of our collaboration.We have a close association with the University of Wollongong, regularly participatingin research projects and strongly supporting the development of graduate teachers through professional experienceplacements and providing additional workshops and professional learning opportunities for pre–service teachers.


Self-assessment and school achievement

Self-assessment using the School Excellence Framework

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

This year, our school undertook self–assessment using the School Excellence Framework. The framework supportspublic schools throughout NSW in the pursuit of excellence by providing a clear description of high quality practiceacross the three domains of Learning, Teaching and Leading.

Learning

There is a demonstrated commitment within the school to strengthen and deliver on learning priorities. Positive,respectful relationships are evident among students and staff, promoting student well–being and ensuring goodconditions for student learning. Feedback through our annual survey clearly highlights this area as a strength. Monitoringof student growth through the literacy and numeracy continuums was a priority in 2016 and all teachers reported feelingconfident with this process. Curriculum provision is enhanced by learning alliances within the Wollongong Community ofSchools and also with the University of Wollongong. We have established strong transition programs as studentstransition to Kindergarten and to high school. Personalised transition programs are utilised where required. Students andparents are involved in planning for learning through informal and formal meetings throughout the year. Our school'sLearning and Support Team operates effectively to identify specific student learning needs and provide directions tocater for those needs. In 2016, we also supported greater teacher collaboration and consistent teacher judgementpractices through planned collaboration time. Our school's comprehensive self–evaluation process includes processesfor a detailed analysis of data to inform future teaching and learning priorities. Parents report high levels of satisfactionaround assessment and reporting and students at Keiraville Public School continue to achieve good academic results.

Teaching

Teachers regularly review and revise teaching and learning programs through planned Stage Team meetings. Ourclassrooms are well–managed and annual survey feedback reflects high levels of satisfaction around our classroommanagement and student welfare practices. Teachers use a range of data to understand the learning needs of students.In 2016, teacher training in the use of SENA 3 and 4 further developed our capacity to collect and use data in the area ofNumeracy. K–2 teachers update PLAN data every 5 weeks and 3–6 teachers update this data at least once per term.Our data collection and analysis processes help to keep teachers well–informed about student growth and individualstudent learning needs at any given point in time. Formal mentoring and coaching processes are supported for teachersat all levels and many teachers are engaging in these opportunities for collegial learning and professional development.The Building Blocks for Numeracy Program undertaken in 2016 as part of the Improving Numeracy Outcomes Project,has begun a renewed focus on the teaching and learning of numeracy at our school. Teachers have been given addedsupport in 2016 to develop teaching skills in this area following data analysis and teacher feedback. This will continueinto 2017. All teachers engaged in the first full year of the Professional Development Framework implementation throughthe Professional Development Plan process. Teachers undertook training and development in goal–setting to meet theindividual needs of teachers that best supports their professional growth.

Leading

Developing quality leaders is one of the three strategic directions within the School Plan. In 2016, a new expandedLeadership Team was developed to distribute leadership tasks, provide opportunities for leadership development andestablish broader consultation on whole school decision–making. Student leadership was a priority in 2016 with arevision of the operations of the Student Representative Council (SRC). In 2016, the SRC met regularly and led severalschool initiatives across the year. The school has built strong relationships with the broader community, especially withthe University of Wollongong, sporting agencies, Aboriginal Elders and the AECG, to improve educational opportunitiesfor students. Students, parents and staff are engaged in the school self–evaluation process and participation rates wereexceptionally high from all stakeholders in 2016. The newly formed Leadership Team was actively involved in regularmonitoring of the School Plan milestones and aligning our practice with the School Excellence Framework. Many staffhave responsibilities in the management of school resources through established teams with assigned budgets. Teamsmeet regularly to ensure the smooth operation of the school. The school's Leadership and Executive Teams havedemonstrated responsiveness to school community feedback through actions following the self–evaluation process.

Our self–assessment process will assist the school to refine the strategic priorities in our School Plan, leading to furtherimprovements in the delivery of education to our students.

For more information about the School Excellence Framework:

http://www.dec.nsw.gov.au/about–the–department/our–reforms/school–excellence–framework


Strategic Direction 1

Ensuring Quality Teaching and Teacher Quality

Purpose

The biggest school–based influence on student achievement is the quality of the teacher. It is our intention to ensure thatevery student at Keiraville Public School has equitable access to quality teaching and a differentiated curriculum everyyear, no matter which class they are in. Professional learning and development of teachers must meet individual needsin order to maximise growth as quality teachers. Teachers should demonstrate a concerted effort towards ongoingimprovement and alignment with both the NSW Quality Teaching Model and the Professional Standards for Teachers.Quality teaching begins with the development of teacher quality and the two work interdependently.

Overall summary of progress

At the end of 2016, all teachers reported that they felt confident in the use of every aspect of both the Literacy andNumeracy Continuums. This was demonstrated in the collection and monitoring of PLAN data across the year, as well asthrough teacher collegial discussions in consistent teacher judgement sessions. QTSS funding provided opportunities forteachers to engage in mentoring practices and lesson observations. Collegial feedback was a particular focus throughthese processes. Supporting professional development was differentiated for teachers according to their identified needs.In 2016, these needs were established in part through the Professional Development Plan process.

Progress towards achieving improvement measures

Improvement measures(to be achieved over 3 years)

Progress achieved this year Funds Expended(Resources)

All teachers have a PDP thatreflects quality SMART goalsaligned to the School Plan,Professional Teaching Standardsand the NSW Quality TeachingModel.

Teachers undertook training in the establishment ofSMART goals. All teachers completed theProfessional Development Plan process in 2016.The establishment of teacher goals included areflection on their alignment to the ProfessionalTeaching Standards and the elements of the NSWQuality Teaching Model.

$4,700 (TeacherProfessional Learningfunds)

70% of students achievinggreater than or expected growthin NAPLAN from Yr 3 to Yr 5 inLiteracy and Numeracy.

71% of students achieved greater than expectedNAPLAN growth in reading, 68% in spelling and56% in grammar and punctuation. Comparable datawas not available for writing. 56% of studentsachieved greater than expected NAPLAN growth inNumeracy.

$5,000 (Literacy Teambudget)

$5,000 (Numeracy Teambudget)

Next Steps

The school will continue a focus on differentiating teaching and learning to cater for the individual needs of our students.The school's Learning and Support Team will identify particular target areas for student support to improve growth ratesfurther. In 2017, the school will look to prioritise opportunities for teachers to collaborate regularly to identify at riskstudents and negotiate the best ways to support their growth. Continuation of the Improving Numeracy Outcomes Projectand the implementation of initiatives related to that project will continue to support staff development in the teaching ofnumeracy. Beginning teachers will again be supported in 2017 through structured mentoring and observation practices.Follow–up training for staff in 2017 around goal–setting will further support development of personal goals that worktowards improved alignment to the Professional Teaching Standards.



Developing Quality School Leaders

Purpose

Strong, strategic and effective leadership is the cornerstone of school excellence. Quality school leadership provides thevehicle for ongoing school improvement and the implementation of current education reform. We aim to adopt carefullyplanned and strategic measures to ensure the development of leadership at all levels. Quality leadership should beevident in the student, staff and parent bodies and strong links between all school leaders will contribute to the wholeschool community working towards our school vision. Potential leaders need to be identified and sustainable leadershipdevelopment practices should be employed to ensure that effective school operations are not dependent on thepresence of individuals.


Our Student Representative Council (SRC) operated very effectively in 2016. The SRC Presidents and Vice Presidentsattended the GRIP Leadership Conference early in the year to develop their leadership capacity and prepare them fortheir role. The SRC led and contributed to several initiatives throughout the year. Further student leadership wasdemonstrated in the newly created positions of Leaders in Sport. These students assisted the sports house captains andvice captains in managing the sports shed and assisting with sports carnivals and events. The development of theexpanded staff Leadership Team provided additional staff, outside of the school's Executive Team, with opportunities tocontribute to the leadership of the school and promote their own leadership development and growth. Targeted coachingand mentoring arrangements also contributed to leadership development for various staff members. One staff membercompleted the Art of Leadership course in 2016 and another was involved in the Principal Leadership Program as afacilitator. Both these programs focus on high level leadership development.




School self–evaluation datareflects 85% or higher satisfactionrate with school leadership andmanagement.

In the annual self–evaluation survey, over 93% ofparents indicated high levels of satisfaction withschool leadership and management which was afurther improvement on 2015 data. 82% of studentsand 91% of staff indicated high levels of satisfactionin this area. 88% of students felt they hadopportunities to develop leadership skills and 91%of parents agreed.

$4,150 (LeadershipDevelopment funds)

All teachers clearly demonstratealignment to the ProfessionalTeaching Standards with schoolleaders aligning to HighlyAccomplished and Lead levels.

Reflection on alignment to the ProfessionalTeaching Standards is now embedded in theProfessional Development Plan process that allteachers engaged in throughout 2016. For schoolleaders, this includes alignment to the standards atHighly Accomplished and Lead levels. Threeteachers are actively investigating optionalaccreditation at the Highly Accomplished level.

$4,500 (Teacherprofessional Learningfunds)


Next Steps

Data gathered in the 2016 annual school self–evaluation process indicated very high levels of satisfaction in schoolleadership which we would like to maintain in 2017. It is important that leadership development continues to be a focus atall levels to build sustainability and identify new leaders moving forward. In 2017 we will look to consolidate theoperations of the newly expanded staff Leadership Team and additional staff will be offered opportunities to take part.We will look to distribute the leadership of curriculum across the school by sharing key curriculum roles and supportingthose teachers in their leadership development. Our school will be well represented in the Wollongong CoS CurriculumLeaders project in 2017. Another staff member will complete the Art of Leadership course in 2017 and AssistantPrincipals will be offered specific training and development around the Relieving Principal's role.



Quality Curriculum Delivery

Purpose

Current education reform includes the implementation of the new Australian Curriculum. This involves the introduction ofnew syllabus documents, posing significant challenges for teachers. The delivery of curriculum must meet the needs of21st Century learners and provide students with the skills and qualities that will allow them to be life–long learners andgood, productive citizens. Learning environments need to be engaging, inspiring and challenging for the effective deliveryof a quality curriculum.


In 2016, our curriculum delivery focus moved to full implementation of the new history syllabus and preparation for theimplementation of the new geography syllabus in 2017. Teachers engaged in professional learning around these newsyllabus documents and shared their early implementation experiences. This work was further supported by our activeinvolvement in the Wollongong CoS Curriculum Project, through which our teachers collaborated with staff from otherschools in our CoS around curriculum delivery. 'Classroom walk–throughs' are a feature of staff collaboration at ourschool and provide opportunities for teachers to learn from each other, giving collegial feedback about teaching practice.In 2016, all teachers presented a classroom walk–through for their colleagues in Term 1.

L3 continues to be a pedagogical focus at our school to provide students with differentiated teaching and learning inliteracy. All K–2 teachers were involved in ongoing L3 training in 2016 and the L3 data collected throughout the yeardemonstrated outstanding literacy progress from all students. The Reading Recovery program for targeted Year 1students also contributed to improved literacy results for participating students.

In 2016, our school received a grant to take part in the Improving Numeracy Outcomes Project. This involved theformation of a delivery team that led staff through a series of professional learning workshops with a clear focus on theexplicit teaching of numeracy skills. Using quality assessment practices in numeracy was a feature of the professionaldevelopment to help inform where students need to head next in their numeracy learning. This project will continue into2017.




All new syllabus documents areimplemented in accordance withDoE timelines and teachers aresupported before, during andafter mandatory implementationperiods.

All teachers were using the new history syllabus in2016. Teachers reflected on their early experiencesteaching from this syllabus document and sharedtheir practice with colleagues through organisedworkshops. All teachers completed additionaltraining in Semester 1 to support theirimplementation of the new history syllabus.

In Semester 2, teachers participated in professionallearning around the new geography syllabus inpreparation for implementation in 2017. All teacherstrialed a unit of work in Semester 2 and shared theirreflections in Stage Teams.

$880 (History/GeographyCurriculum budget)

85% of K–2 students achieve orexceed school benchmarkreading levels at the end of eachyear.

88% of Year 1 students exceeded benchmarkreading levels. 67% achieved higher than level 22by the end of the year, exceeding expected exitlevels. 98% of Year 2 students exceededbenchmark reading levels by the end of 2016.These results represent outstanding literacy growthand development. Progression along the literacycontinuum in reading, writing and comprehensionfor all students in Year 1 and Year 2 was alsoexcellent.

$40,000 (Literacy andNumeracy funds)


Next Steps

2017 will see the full implementation of the new geography syllabus. Teachers will revisit their learning around the newsyllabus at the School Development Day at the beginning of Term 1. Teachers will reflect on their implementation of thegeography syllabus and share their experiences with colleagues.

The school will maintain current L3 practices in all K–2 classrooms, providing appropriate levels of training for all K–2teachers. One teacher from the school will be trained as an L3 trainer, helping to build sustainability to the long termimplementation of this quality pedagogy.

In 2017, there will be a shift in resource focus to Year 3–6 teachers to support their delivery of high quality, differentiatedteaching and learning in literacy and numeracy. The school's Leadership Team will coordinate a professional learningprogram to target improvements in student growth in Stages 2 and 3.


Key Initiatives Impact achieved this year Resources (annual)

Aboriginal background loading An Aboriginal Community EngagementOfficer was employed by the school to workwith ATSI students, their families and thebroader Aboriginal community. Results of thisinitiative included closer connections betweenhome and school, improved attendance ratesamongst Aboriginal students and a closerassociation with the broader Aboriginalcommunity.

Personalised Learning Plans were in place forall Aboriginal students and parents wereinvited to be an integral part of thedevelopment, monitoring and evaluation ofthe plans.

Parents of Aboriginal students, as well aslocal Elders and members of the NorthernIllawarra AECG, were consulted to establishtheir views and hopes for their students andfor Aboriginal education across the school.This helped to inform initiatives within theSchool Plan.

$2,612 flexible funding fromAboriginal Background equity loading (RAM)

$6,000 School funds tosupport AboriginalEducation

English language proficiency 39% of our student population are fromnon–English speaking backgrounds andmany are new arrivals. Our school engaged afull time trained English as an AdditionalLanguage/Dialect (EAL/D) teacher using RAMfunds. This teacher worked with childrenwithin classrooms as well as in withdrawalgroups to focus on accelerating their Englishlanguage development. English languageprogression was very positive with allstudents achieving excellent progress.

An additional staffing resource was allocatedto improve English language proficiencythrough extra L3 sessions for targeted EAL/Dstudents. In these sessions, targeted studentsreceived very explicit and differentiatedinstruction in reading and writing.

The multi–cultural nature of our studentpopulation is a positive feature of the schooland community satisfaction around how wesupport these students is reflected in ourannual survey.

0.4 (2 days per week)EAL/D teacher

0.7 (3.5 days per week)New Arrivals Support foradditional EAL/D teachertime.

$28,440 flexible funding(RAM) to support Englishlanguage proficiencydevelopment programs.

Low level adjustment for disability Low level adjustments for students with adisability were supported in many ways. OurLearning and Support Team met three timeseach term to discuss individual student needsand monitor their progress. A Learning andSupport Teacher, employed three days perweek, assisted classroom teachers in theprovision of support structures for studentswith additional needs. School Learning andSupport Officers (SLSOs) were engaged towork in classrooms to support teachers andstudents.

0.6 (3 days per week)Learning and SupportTeacher allocation.

$18,063 flexible funding(RAM) for additionallearning and supportstaffing (SLSOs).

Quality Teaching, SuccessfulStudents (QTSS)

Our QTSS allocation increased from 0.11(half a day) in Semester 1 to 0.22 (just overone day) in Semester 2. This time was used

0.11 (0.2 = 1 day) staffingallocation in Semester 1.


Quality Teaching, SuccessfulStudents (QTSS)

to support formal mentoring arrangementsbetween teachers. Teachers were givenopportunities to watch demonstration lessonsand give and receive feedback about theirteaching. In some instances, teachingepisodes were filmed and used as a stimulusfor discussion in Stage Team meetings aboutquality teaching practices. Some of this timewas used to support early career teachers intheir alignment to the professional teachingstandards and in their progression toaccreditation.

0.22 staffing allocation inSemester 2.

Socio–economic background Students from low socio–economicbackgrounds were supported in several waysthroughout 2016. Our highly successfulBreakfast Club continued every Wednesdaywith over 100 students enjoying a healthybreakfast at school each week. Familiesexperiencing financial hardship weresupported to meet the cost of excursions andschool activities as required. AdditionalSchool Learning Support Officer (SLSO) timewas used to support targeted students in theirlearning.

$8,478 flexible funding(RAM) socio–economicequity loading.

Support for beginning teachers In 2017, we had one teacher in their first yearas a permanent teacher and another in theirsecond year. Those teachers receivedadditional release time each week to supporttheir growth and development. Additionally,the first year teacher was supported by amentor who was also released for an houreach week to support that teacher's growth.All early career teachers at the school areallocated a mentor who meets periodicallywith the teacher to monitor their progress andsupport their alignment to the professionalteaching standards.

$17,459 staffing allocation(QTSS funding)

Targeted student support forrefugees and new arrivals

In 2016, the school received a small amountof funding to support refugee students.Refugee students were also supportedthrough the English language proficiencyinitiatives.

New arrival support varied throughout theyear from one day per week at the beginningof the year to 2.5 days per week by the end ofthe year. This fluctuation in staffing allocationoccurs due to the changing nature of newarrival enrolments across the school year.

$711 targeted funding

0.2 (one day) New ArrivalsSupport staffing allocationincreasing to 0.5 (2.5 days)by Semester 2.


Student information

Student enrolment profile

Enrolments

Students 2013 2014 2015 2016

Boys 142 149 150 163

Girls 137 145 153 177

Student enrolments continued to grow in 2016 to 340.Enrolments look set to rise again slightly in 2017 beforeplateauing in 2018 and beyond.

Student attendance profile

School

Year 2013 2014 2015 2016

K 97.1 95.6 96.3 96.4

1 96.1 95.4 94.3 95.9

2 96.9 96.6 93.6 95.8

3 95.5 97.4 95.7 94.8

4 95.9 95.2 94.6 95

5 96.1 95 92.6 96.3

6 94.3 95.5 94.5 93.2

All Years 96.1 95.9 94.6 95.4

State DoE

Year 2013 2014 2015 2016

K 95 95.2 94.4 94.4

1 94.5 94.7 93.8 93.9

2 94.7 94.9 94 94.1

3 94.8 95 94.1 94.2

4 94.7 94.9 94 93.9

5 94.5 94.8 94 93.9

6 94.1 94.2 93.5 93.4

All Years 94.7 94.8 94 94

Management of non-attendance

Student attendance data continues to be higher thanstate averages as it has been for the past five years.

Workforce information

Workforce composition

Position FTE*

Principal 1

Assistant Principal(s) 3

Classroom Teacher(s) 11.05

Teacher of Reading Recovery 0.42

Learning and Support Teacher(s) 0.6

Teacher Librarian 0.8

Teacher of ESL 0.4

School Administration & SupportStaff

2.82

Other Positions 0.11

*Full Time Equivalent

The Australian Education Regulation, 2014 requiresschools to report on the Aboriginal composition of theirworkforce.

In 2016, the school staff included one Aboriginalteacher and one Aboriginal Community EngagementOfficer.

Teacher qualifications

All teaching staff meet the professional requirementsfor teaching in NSW public schools.

Teacher qualifications

Qualifications % of staff

Undergraduate degree or diploma 100

Postgraduate degree 21


Professional learning and teacher accreditation

As a school, we recognise the importance of ongoingprofessional learning in the delivery of a high qualityeducation experience. The school places greatemphasis on the need for targeted professionallearning and significant funds are allocated for thispurpose. A large proportion of funds in 2016 wereallocated to L3 training for teachers in Kindergarten,Year 1 and Year 2, as well as supporting theprofessional growth of school leaders. Communicationto parents about staff engagement in professionallearning has continued in 2016. Fortnightly newslettersdetail teacher engagement in professional learning andthis is further reported at monthly P&C Meetings.Supporting teachers in the accreditation processcontinued in 2016 with one teacher submitting theirevidence for accreditation. Teachers have begun theprocess of preparing for mandatory accreditation for allprimary teachers which will occur from the beginning ofthe 2018 school year. All teachers already use theAITSL Professional Standards for Teachers by aligningtheir practice to the standards in collaboration with theircolleagues and supervisors.

Financial information (for schoolsusing both OASIS and SAP/SALM)

Financial information

The three financial summary tables cover 13 months(from 1 December 2015 to 31 December 2016).

The financial summary consists of school incomebroken down by funding source and is derived from theschool Annual Financial Statement.

Income $

Balance brought forward 232 817.11

Global funds 218 054.02

Tied funds 199 918.07

School & community sources 252 845.31

Interest 4 731.09

Trust receipts 9 094.05

Canteen 0.00

Total income 917 459.65

Expenditure

Teaching & learning

Key learning areas 48 660.00

Excursions 26 268.82

Extracurricular dissections 110 825.97

Library 6 034.83

Training & development 25 621.30

Tied funds 149 674.95

Short term relief 42 924.67

Administration & office 53 393.54

School-operated canteen 0.00

Utilities 23 881.99

Maintenance 26 446.69

Trust accounts 12 668.03

Capital programs 26 626.82

Total expenditure 553 027.61

Balance carried forward 364 432.04

The information provided in the financial summaryincludes reporting from 1 December 2015 to 31December 2016.


2016 Actual ($)

Opening Balance 0.00

Revenue 406 913.30

(2a) Appropriation 372 937.30

(2b) Sale of Goods andServices

5 079.99

(2c) Grants and Contributions 28 576.08

(2e) Gain and Loss 0.00

(2f) Other Revenue 0.00

(2d) Investment Income 319.93

Expenses -170 447.40

Recurrent Expenses -170 447.40

(3a) Employee Related -69 449.47

(3b) Operating Expenses -100 997.93

Capital Expenses 0.00

(3c) Employee Related 0.00

(3d) Operating Expenses 0.00

SURPLUS / DEFICIT FOR THEYEAR

236 465.90

Balance Carried Forward 236 465.90

There is no opening balance recorded in the SAPfinance table. The opening balance for the school forthis reporting period is recorded as the BalanceBrought Forward in the OASIS table.

The OASIS Balance carried forward amount (ie, fundson date of migration) is included in the (2a)Appropriation amount in the SAP table.

Any differences between the OASIS Balance carriedforward and (2a) Appropriation amount is the result ofother accounts and transactions being included in the(2a) Appropriation amount.

Financial summary equity funding

The equity funding data is the main component of the'Appropriation' section of the financial summary above.

2016 Actual ($)

Base Total 2 152 656.84

Base Per Capita 16 324.58

Base Location 0.00

Other Base 2 136 332.25

Equity Total 162 004.15

Equity Aboriginal 5 001.85

Equity Socio economic 8 478.33

Equity Language 69 248.44

Equity Disability 79 275.53

Targeted Total 28 690.88

Other Total 56 786.07

Grand Total 2 400 137.93

A full copy of the school’s financial statement is tabledat the annual general meetings of the parent and/orcommunity groups. Further details concerning thestatement can be obtained by contacting the school.

School performance

NAPLAN

In the National Assessment Program, the results acrossthe Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 literacy andnumeracy assessments are reported on a scale fromBand 1 to Band 10. The achievement scalerepresents increasing levels of skillsand understandings demonstrated in theseassessments.

The My School website provides detailed informationand data for national literacy and numeracy testing.Click on the link My School and insert the school namein the Find a school and select GO to access the schooldata.

In 2016, 69% of Year 3 and 53% of Year 5 studentsachieved the top two bands in reading which is wellabove state average. In numeracy, 38% of Year 3 and31% of Year 5 students achieved the top two bandswhich is at state average.


Parent/caregiver, student, teachersatisfaction

Each year schools are required to seek the opinions ofparents, students and teachers about the school. Theirresponses are presented below.

247 parents responded to the annual survey onsatisfaction. This represents almost 99% of all familieswhich was a huge response, providing accurate dataacross our school community. All students from Years2–6 and all teachers also responded to the survey.Results were overwhelmingly positive with very highlevels of satisfaction recorded from all groups.

99% of families indicated that they were proud to bepart of the Keiraville Public School Community. 97% ofparents said their children like coming to school, whichwas a slight increase on 2015 data. Pleasingly, 98% ofparents were satisfied with student progress andlearning which was a 5% improvement on the alreadypleasing results from 2015. When asked aboutcommunication effectiveness, 91% of parents and 87%of students indicated they were happy with the way theschool communicates with them. Again, this was a 4%improvement on 2015 data. Most students, teachersand parents understand the Student Welfare andDiscipline Policy and think the way it is applied is botheffective and fair. A significant number selected ‘didn’tknow’ which may be attributed to the fact that moststudents have never experienced aspects of theschool’s discipline policy due to their consistent positivebehaviours and conduct. In 2017, the school will put inplace additional strategies to communicate with parentsabout the Welfare Policy and how it works.

It was encouraging to see that 92% of students and100% of parents value the teachers at the school.Pleasingly, almost all parents, teachers and studentsfeel welcome when they come to school andoverwhelmingly, people feel safe and happy at school.Over 97% of parents felt they had opportunities to beinvolved in the life of the school and over 95% felt thatstudent behaviour reflects the school’s values.

High satisfaction rates achieved in 2015 weremaintained or improved upon which was pleasing giventhat almost every family participated in the annualsurvey and evaluation process. However, even smallnumbers of negative responses were analysed carefullyand discussed at length by the School Self–EvaluationTeam. The highest levels of dissatisfaction fromstudents and teachers came in the area of ICT, mainlyin the availability of reliable resources, specificallylaptop computers. There will be an emphasis on thepurchase of new hardware and infrastructure in 2017,along with training and development for staff in theeffective integration of technology into teaching andlearning. Further exploration of issues affecting smallnumbers of students, parents and teachers, and howthese might be resolved, will also be addressed in2017.

Policy requirements

Aboriginal education

In 2016, we had 6 Aboriginal students from 4 familiesattending the school. This year, our Community ofSchools all contributed to and benefited from a newstaff position, an Aboriginal Community EngagementOfficer (ACEO), who liaised with schools, students andtheir families and the broader Aboriginal community tobetter cater for the needs of our Aboriginal studentsand increase awareness about Aboriginal educationacross the whole school community. Our ACEO wasinvolved in developing and reviewing students’Personalised Learning Plans. She attended reviewmeetings with the students, parents, classroomteachers and an Aboriginal teacher to set goals andestablish an individualised plan on how we can all workcollaboratively to support ATSI students to achieve theirgoals.

Two of our Aboriginal students were successfulapplicants in an external literacy program this year andare to be congratulated on their improvement andsuccess in this program. With the implementation of thenew History Curriculum, Stage 2 were enriched by avisit from an Elder in the community, Aunty BarbaraNicholson. She spoke to students about a range ofinteresting topics including creation stories from thisarea, how Aboriginal people traditionally lived in thisarea and read the signs of the seasons to know theright times for fishing, collecting specific foods and artand the impact settlement had on the area culturally.

Reconciliation week was celebrated across the schoolwhere students participated in cultural activities in theclassroom. Some classes shared what they had beenlearning about at our daily assembly throughoutReconciliation week. All our Aboriginal students, somefamily members, student school leaders and twoteachers attended the Reconciliation walk at BellambiPublic School for the first time this year. This was aproud moment for all participants and it was great tosee the community coming together. Four studentsattended the annual Reconciliation morning tea at theNovotel and experienced inspirational talks from twoAboriginal Rugby 7 players and several high schoolstudents who have achieved high results in their majorprojects in Aboriginal studies.

We celebrated NAIDOC Week when school returned inTerm 3 with an incursion from Warradjah Dreaming(means waratah in Dharawal). Jody Edwards and herson shared cultural experiences including bush tucker,bush medicine, language, dance and music in twoperformances for K–2 and Years 3 to 6. Following thepresentation, students participated in a variety ofindigenous games including Gorri Gorri, Kolap andWana. In the afternoon, all students were given theopportunity to paint a mini boomerang.

Several teachers attended the NIAECG (NorthernIllawarra Aboriginal Education Consultative Group)meetings twice a term, in order to connect with thecommunity and further incorporate Aboriginalperspectives across a range of Key Learning Areas tosupport student understanding of Aboriginal culture


within our school community. Teachers continued toprovide classroom programs and learning activitiesincorporating knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres StraitIslander history, culture and contemporary issues, inparticular, how they relate to our local community.

Two of our Aboriginal students were the recipients ofthe first NIAECG Deadly Encouragement Awards fortheir effort and commitment to their schooling this year.Three of our Aboriginal students performed in a specialAboriginal dance ensemble in a Southern Starssegment recognising the multiple cultural stories thatmake up the unique heritage of our region.

Our commitment to Aboriginal students, their familiesand the broader Aboriginal community continues to bea focus and in 2017, we aim to build on our currentwork as we strive to improve outcomes for ourAboriginal students and increase awareness ofAboriginal Australia within our school community.

Multicultural and anti-racism education

Keiraville Public School considers itself fortunate tohave many children from a number of culturally,linguistically and religiously diverse backgrounds. Theschool places a strong emphasis on developingintercultural understanding, acceptance and respect. Itis important that we acknowledge the cultural heritageof the families attending the school.

Keiraville Public School has once again seen a steadygrowth in the number of students enrolled with alanguage background other than English (LBOTE). In2016 the student population consisted of 115 LBOTEchildren speaking over 26 different languages. Theneeds of students from LBOTE are addressed throughthe school's English as a Second Language/Dialect(EAL/D) program. The EAL/D staffing allocation steadilyincreased to five and a half days as the yearprogressed. This allowed teachers to work both in theclassroom with EAL/D students and also to withdrawthem for small group lessons. The EAL/D teacherensured that these children were provided withopportunities to develop all three areas of languagecompetence throughout the school curriculum. Parentsand caregivers are welcomed into the school andwhere necessary, are supported through the use ofinterpreters so they are able to discuss a range ofissues including student progress, welfare and generalschool matters.

The cultural diversity of our school is celebrated byeveryone and there is great harmony across the wholeschool community. This is a feature of the school that ishighly valued by all members of our community.

Other school programs

125th Anniversary Celebrations

This year Keiraville Public School celebrated its 125thanniversary. The organising team coordinated anumber of activities and celebrations across the school.

These included an open day attended by hundreds ofpeople with a fabulous historical display, food stalls andentertainment; a formal dinner; a whole schoolassembly attended by many former teachers andstudents; laying of a time capsule; re–production of the100th Anniversary Year Book; publishing of a schoolcommunity cook book; creation of a tile–art mural thatall students contributed to; restoration of the historicalschool well pump; organising aerial photographs of thechildren and the school; filming and production ofanecdotes and stories from ex teachers and students;organising digital archiving of historical documents andphotographs; and the production of commemorative teatowels.

The organising team worked with outstandingdedication and passion over a twelve month period.These celebrations engaged students, parents andteachers and have further strengthened the communityof Keiraville Public School, honouring its proud and richhistory. Over the course of the 125th Anniversarycelebrations, ex students and staff from as far as Perthin the west to New Zealand in the East, attended thevarious functions and events and feedback fromeveryone who visited was excellent. The organisingcommittee involved all key stakeholders in thecelebrations and activities, ensuring that all current andprevious members of the school community wererepresented and catered for.

The success of the 125th anniversary would simply nothave been possible without the extraordinary effort,dedication and enthusiasm of the organising committeeand their band of willing volunteers and helpers. It wastruly a successful community event celebrating ourgreat school.

Sport and Healthy Lifestyle Programs

Keiraville Public School continued to offer opportunitiesfor students to participate in a wide variety of sportsand fitness activities throughout the year. 2016 wasagain a successful year with students participating ingrade, school, district, regional, state and nationalsporting events. Senior students were involved indifferent NSW PSSA State Knockouts including a boys’basketball and a girls’ soccer team. Rugby leagueteams participated in the Wishart and McGregorShields in the district knock–out competitions. Studentsparticipated actively in all three major CentralWollongong District PSSA carnivals with studentsrepresenting our school in swimming, cross country andathletics. In the South Coast regional carnivals,Keiraville was again represented strongly. Severalstudents participated at the NSW State Swimming andAthletics Carnivals at Homebush. In Term 1, Years 3 –6 were involved in district trials. In Terms 2 and 3,Keiraville participated in the Central Wollongong PSSAinter–school sports in soccer, netball, dragon tag, rugbyand Auskick. In Term 4, the whole school continued toparticipate in the school's Alternative Sport Programwith surfing being introduced to students in Years 3–6.The Kindergarten to Year 2 sport and fitness programcontinued to operate successfully on a Friday with afocus on the Fundamental Movement Skills.


Throughout the year, development officers wereinvolved with stage groups in many different sports.This program was funded by the Sporting SchoolsGrant. Skills and rules of the games were taught forcricket, AFL, rugby union, soccer, rugby league andDragon–tag. A before school surfing program wasintroduced in Term 1, also funded through the SportingSchools Grant. The 5 week ‘Weet–Bix Surf Grom’program was conducted by Australian Surf Tours.Students received back–packs, rash vests, sunscreenand private group lessons throughout the program.

A whole school gymnastics program was run byGymsports and was partially funded by the SportingSchools Grant. The eight–week program enabledchildren to develop the strength, skill and confidence tocomplete gym routines in a safe environment.

Debating

This year Stage 3 students were provided with theopportunity to learn the skills and basics of debatingevery week during their lunchtime. The Debating Clubstarted with over 20 students and eventually 2 teamswere chosen to represent KPS in the Premier’sDebating Challenge. Both teams, The Word Wizardsand The Word Warriors, performed well andrepresented KPS proudly. The Word Warriors went onto become zone winners and advanced to the nextround of the competition. This was an excellentachievement given that over 110 teams entered thePremiers’ Debating Challenge.

Band

Keiraville PS continues to offer students in Years 2 to 6the opportunity to be part of a well–established Bandand Instrumental Program. Students are given theopportunity to learn an instrument and be part of theschool’s junior and senior bands. In 2016, the band wasconducted by the skillful musician and music teacher,Mr David Rooney with the support of Karyn Grant. Theoverall coordination of the Band and InstrumentalProgram was led by Katrina Thompson. All the musictutors delivered expert music instruction to students onbrass, percussion, wind and string instruments. Everyweek all students attended small group tutorialsessions and many also took part in the Junior Band orSenior Band rehearsals. The students in the programparticipated in a number of performances within theschool and also outside the school throughout the year.These included; the Wollongong Combined SchoolsInstrumental Festival held at the University ofWollongong Hall; the Festival of Instrumental Music(violins) ‘Mimosa’ Concert held at the Sydney OperaHouse; the Conservatorium of Music ShowcaseEvening held at the Wollongong Town Hall; the Bandand Strings Performance Evening; the School ViolinConcert and the Keiraville PS 125th Anniversarycelebrations. In 2016, our School Band also played atthe inaugural Wollongong North Network Staff AwardsCeremony, where the staff involved in delivering ourband program were acknowledged with an award. Theschool's Band and Instrumental Program is highlyvalued within the whole school community. We lookforward to developing this further in 2017.

Dance

This year, saw the continuation of the KPS DanceGroup that started in 2015. This dance group is run forstudents to have a fun, enjoyable dance opportunity atlunchtime at school. It was well–attended by more than25 students from Stages 2 and 3 each week. Many ofthese students went on to participate in our highlysought after dance group for Southern Stars. 30students from KPS in years 4, 5 and 6 had the privilegeof participating in four performances held at the WINEntertainment Centre in August. A student in Year 4successfully auditioned and performed in the SouthernStars Performing Company in Primary Dance. SouthernStars, in association with Wollongong City Council,produced a segment recognising the multiple culturalstories that make up the unique heritage of our region.Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from thewider Wollongong area were invited to participate in aspecial dance ensemble to perform a contemporarydance piece celebrating Wollongong’s cultural heritage.Three students in our school participated in the firstAboriginal Dance Ensemble for this event. All studentswho participated in Southern Stars did an amazing job.They worked hard rehearsing each week andrepresented our school with pride.

School Chaplaincy

In 2016, a School Chaplain was employed through theNational School Chaplaincy Program (NSCP). ThisProject Agreement is a four–year (2015–2018)Commonwealth–funded initiative to provide chaplaincyservices in government, Catholic and independentschools. The Program aims to support students throughthe provision of pastoral care services and thepromotion of strategies that support the emotionalwell–being of students and the broader schoolcommunity. Pastoral care is defined in the agreementwith the Commonwealth as “the practice of looking afterthe personal needs of students, not just their academicneeds, through the provision of general spiritual andpersonal advice.” Our School Chaplain joined KPSmidway through the year and has developed strongrelationships with students through his involvement inour weekly breakfast program, working 1:1 withstudents in the classroom and interacting with studentsduring break times. The School Chaplaincy Programwill continue in 2017.


2016 keiraville public school annual report · 2017. 4. 28. · 2016 saw our school’s transition...

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