School plan 2018-2020Burke Ward Public School 1432

Printed on: 12 April, 2018Page 1 of 5 Burke Ward Public School 1432 (2018-2020)

School background 2018–2020

School vision statement School context School planning process

To Improve educational outcomes in an environment ofhigh expectations, academic rigour and engagingteaching. 

Burke Ward Public School is a proud and well respectededucational institution located in the Far West of NewSouth Wales in the regional centre of Broken Hill.Established 1895, Burke Ward has a long history ofproviding quality education, innovation of curriculum andengaging community. Burke Ward caters for approximately300 students from kindergarten to year six (includingstudents enrolled in the Tutorial Centre, from grade five tograde ten). The school has a mix of aspiring leaders,experienced, established and beginning staff andincorporates a Multi–Category (MC) class catering forstudents with diverse  disabilities. Burke Ward has aninclusive school structure where students with disabilitiesare encouraged to either be enrolled in mainstream classesor be integrated from our MC class to mainstream lessonsand activities. Sixteen per cent of the school’s students arefrom an Aboriginal background and the school caters forstudents from a wide range of socio–economic andNon–English speaking backgrounds. Burke Ward has afocus on enhanced learning environments where thelearning space is stimulating and engaging. Classesregularly occur outside and incorporate our multi–sensoryequipment and stimulating sustainable environments.Burke Ward is leading the way in technological innovationand implementation in the Far West. Students arecontinually immersed in multi–modal experiences. TheBurke Ward Fife and Drum Band has been part of our richschool history and has continued to entertain ourcommunity for over 100 years.

The writing of the school plan commenced in 2017 withstaff, students and parents discussing:

•    What sort of school do we want to be?

•    What sort of students do we want to produce?

•    What do we want our students to experience?

•    What context are our students headed for beyondschool and are we currently preparing them for that?

      •    Are our teachers able to provide learningexperiences that prepare our students for life beyondschool?

     

The findings were presented to the P & C anddiscussed.Students and the wider community were thensurveyed, asking for feedback about findings presentedand opinions of future directions of the school. A face toface feedback session was conducted with parents. OurAboriginal Education Officer (AEO) also conductedinterviews of our Aboriginal families to get their opinionsand gather feedback.As a result, two key strategicdirections were identified as a basis for a sharedcommitment to future development and will drive a wholeschool culture of educational and organisationalexcellence. 

The directions are:

1.    Quality Teaching

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School strategic directions 2018–2020

STRATEGICDIRECTION 1

Quality Teaching

STRATEGICDIRECTION 2

Learning Culture

Purpose:

To build teaching capabilities through the effective use of data analysis, collaboration andreflection ensuring ongoing development of all teachers. 

Purpose:

To apply evidence based practices to promote student wellbeing that improve social,emotional and academic outcomes and meet the needs of all learners.

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Strategic Direction 1: Quality Teaching

Purpose

To build teaching capabilities through theeffective use of data analysis, collaborationand reflection ensuring ongoingdevelopment of all teachers. 

Improvement Measures

Improved scores in data skills and use asreflected in survey responses. 

Increased collaborative teaching practicesacross all stages. 

Improved quality teaching practices inliteracy and numeracy.

People

Students

Respectfully communicate specific,constructive and truthful feedback. 

Parents/Carers

Establish active partnerships with parents,working collaboratively to ensure continuityof learning for students. 

Community Partners

Engage in conversations about data andevidenced based practices to improvequality teaching. 

Staff

Honestly communicate their needs, beopen to feedback and have a growthmindset around desired improvements. 

Leaders

Apply a whole school approach to provideexpertise and support to improve teachingquality.  

Processes

Use of evidence informed pedagogy toimprove teaching of literacy and numeracy.

Develop data collection and analysisprocesses where data is used to reflect onteaching effectiveness.

Develop explicit processes for collaborationand feedback to sustain quality teachingpractices. 

Evaluation Plan

Improvement Measure 1:

• Tell Them From Me Survey

• Staff Survey

• Teaching Collaboration

• NAPLAN Data

• Literacy & Numeracy Progressions Data

Improvement Measure 2:

• Class Observations

• Meeting Minutes

• Collaborative Planning

• PDP Goals

• Tell Them From Me Survey

Improvement Measure 3:

• PDP Goals

• Classroom Observations

• Mentor AP & Instructional Leaderrecords

Practices and Products

Practices

Staff consistently and effectively use datato inform teaching and differentiatedinstruction. 

Utilising experience of Literacy andNumeracy Mentor AP's and InstructionalLeader to improve collaborative teachingpractices. 

Facilitating regular and purposefulfeedback to teachers to improve teachingpractice in literacy and numeracy. 

Products

Systematic approach to collecting andanalysing data to drive teaching andlearning and to improving the consistencyof teacher judgement. 

Staff collaborate effectively to providetargets and goals to reinforce explicitlearning intentions.

Feedback utilised to improve the teachingof literacy and numeracy. 

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Strategic Direction 2: Learning Culture

Purpose

To apply evidence based practices topromote student wellbeing that improvesocial, emotional and academic outcomesand meet the needs of all learners.

Improvement Measures

Increase of Benchmark of Quality Scoresand SET scores (Positive Behaviour forLearning)

Personalised plans are used to informprogramming. 

Feedback from parents, staff and studentsare used to inform school programs andinitiatives. 

People

Students

Build and maintain relationships to supportthemselves to communicate their needs.

Community Partners

Are supportive of whole school approachesaimed at improving student wellbeing andstudent outcomes.

Parents/Carers

Support the positive changes to thelearning environments by openlycommunicating and working in partnership.

Staff

Have skills to use data to adjust teachingstrategies to maximise student outcomes.

Establish a success criteria through explicitinstruction.

Leaders

Establish a culture where all staff areencouraged to reflect on their currentpractice and identify areas forimprovement.

Processes

Implement behaviour managementprocesses to improve the conditions forquality teaching. 

Implement differentiation practices in allclassrooms to meet the needs of alllearners.

Develop effective consultation practices to improve student, staff and parentcollaboration and feedback.

Evaluation Plan

Improvement Measure 1: 

• PBL Evaluation

• Benchmark of Quality (BoQ)

Improvement Measure 2:

• Teacher programs

• IEP / PLP documentation

• Transition Plans

• Attendance Data

Improvement Measure 2:

• Survey results (parents & students)

• SRC minutes

• P&C minutes

Practices and Products

Practices

Develop a consistent approach anduniversal language for Positive Behaviourfor Learning.

Develop differentiated support interventionsbased on student needs e.g. LaST, attendnace and transition plans

Develop regular practices to engage withstaff, student and parents to gatherfeedback.

Products

Consistent practices to acknowledgestudents, explicitly teach expectations andreduce inappropriate behaviour (PositiveBehaviour for Learning).

Differentiated social, academic andbehavioural curriculum informed by dataand student needs

Regular, timetabled opportunities forfeedback from all stakeholders.

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