annual report primary template 2010 #3 · st. thomas more school, mt. eliza 2012 annual report to...

[Insert picture]

2012 ANNUAL REPORT TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY

St Thomas More Primary School

Mt. Eliza

REGISTERED SCHOOL NUMBER: 1822

St. Thomas More School, Mt. Eliza

2012 ANNUAL REPORT TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY PAGE 1

Contents

Our School Vision ....................................................................................................................... p.2

School Overview ......................................................................................................................... p.3

Principal’s Report ....................................................................................................................... p.4

Education in Faith ....................................................................................................................... p.5

Learning & Teaching .................................................................................................................. p.6

Student Wellbeing ...................................................................................................................... p.8

Leadership & Management ...................................................................................................... p.10

School Community ................................................................................................................... p.12

Financial Performance.............................................................................................................. p.14

Future Directions ...................................................................................................................... p.15

Contact Details

ADDRESS 313 Canadian Bay Rd Mt. Eliza 3930

PRINCIPAL Mrs. Pat McConvill

PARISH PRIEST Father Laurie Pearson

SCHOOL BOARD CHAIR Mr. Chris Young

TELEPHONE (03) 9787 7788

EMAIL [email protected]

WEBSITE www.stmmtlza.catholic.edu.au



Our School Vision

Following the example of our patron, St. Thomas More, we believe our school should be a

place where we encourage loyalty and faith:

All members of the community are encouraged to respect each other’s differences of opinions, beliefs and customs.

As part of a Parish family, each member experiences hope, justice, faith, peace and reconciliation.

Values are communicated through the interpersonal and sincere relationships of its members.

Working in co-operation, school and parish groups model the Gospel message, in the common mission of service to God.

In recognition of parents, as the child’s first and most influential educators of faith, together we continue the faith journey in the teaching of the beliefs and traditions of the Catholic Church.

We develop students who are responsible and inner directed, capable of choosing freely in accordance with their conscience.

The dignity of each child is respected, and the curriculum recognises that each child, created and loved by God, is unique.

Policies and programs are designed to be stimulating and challenging to provide quality experiences and outcomes in order that each child achieves his/her full potential.

We provide a happy, safe and stimulating learning environment.

In joint partnership, parents and teachers form and implement policies that have as their focus, the development of the whole child as an individual.

Current policies and programs are constantly monitored and evaluated in the light of changing needs.

There is an ongoing commitment to excellence in education.



School Overview

St. Thomas More’s Parish Primary School is situated on a twenty-three acre site, in an

attractive, rural setting in Canadian Bay Road, Mt. Eliza. It was originally opened in June

1981 with 126 students from the parishes of St. Macartan’s, Mornington and St. Francis

Xavier’s in Frankston. Today, the parish provides guidance and pastoral care to over 1000

Catholic families in the Mt. Eliza community.

The school population has grown steadily to 354 students at the beginning of 2012. These

children from 221 families are mostly of Anglo-Saxon descent and the school has a high

socio-economic index rating of 111, establishing it as a community of children with high

educational advantage. The school is committed to the teaching of the Catholic faith and to

the provision of quality programs, which foster the full and balanced development of each

child.

In 2012, the school had 14 grades with 30 teaching and non-teaching staff, who are highly

skilled and dedicated to the ethos of Catholic education. Co-operation, respect and shared

responsibility are values fostered throughout the school. The most important learning area is

Religious Education, which is reflected in all of the other teaching programs.

At St. Thomas More’s we recognise that parents are the first and most influential educators

in the faith of their children. In partnership, we strive to continue their faith journey through

the teaching of the traditions and beliefs of the Catholic Church. Parents are encouraged to

take responsibility for their children’s faith education, through events and activities which

involve family participation and opportunities for liturgical celebration.

St. Thomas More’s is an open, friendly school. Parents are encouraged to participate in their

child’s educational programs and to join in the many social events organised by the active

Parents’ Association. Matters of educational and financial policy are overseen by the Parish

Education Board, which meets on a monthly basis to advise the parish priest and principal.

Mutual respect and shared responsibility are values that underpin the relationships between

staff, students and parents.

Both the parish and the school community have a positive image in the Mt. Eliza community.

Together, we participate in ecumenical services, community service projects and local

business patronage. St. Thomas More’s is viewed as a community united by beliefs and

traditions and committed to the Gospel message of service and love.



Principal’s Report

In many ways, 2012 was a year of consolidation in learning and in building community.

The focus on learning for the year was again on mathematics, with our second year of staff

participation in the Contemporary Teaching and Learning of Mathematics project. This

included staff participating in a professional learning program through the Catholic Education

Office Melbourne, in association with the Australian Catholic University. The program

occurred across the whole year, and has developed a cohesive and collaborative process

for teaching and learning of Mathematics.

The use of technology at St. Thomas More was consolidated with the use of the MacBooks

in the senior unit and the use of the green room in the middle and senior units. The teachers

are to be congratulated on their uptake in technology and its inclusion in their planning,

teaching and assessment of learning. A group of teachers investigated the use of 1 to 1

mobile devices in other schools, with a view to gauging their effectiveness within learning for

our school.

In 2012, use of the gymnasium was extended to more sporting groups and to different

groups within the school. It is certainly a well-used resource. Major building works across

2012 were the upgrading of student facilities in the Prep and Junior learning blocks. The

walkway from the staff area to the resource area was also upgraded.

We pride ourselves on being a community school and that was very evident in 2012 when

some staff and families experienced serious illness and hardship. The community rallied

around to support and care for each other. Of course, we are always very appreciative of the

relationship between school staff and parents – it is dynamic, innovative and supportive.

I take this opportunity to thank Father Laurie and the staff for their commitment to the school,

for their hard work, and their support during 2012. A special thank you to our wonderful

students who continue to inspire us in the work we do.

I look forward to a very exciting and productive 2013.

Mrs. Pat McConvill

Principal



Education in Faith

Goals & Intended Outcomes

1. That student engagement in religious education will improve.

2. That the school’s involvement in social justice issues will be strengthened and parent

understanding and support of social justice activities will be enhanced.

3. That students will improve their capacity to demonstrate the gospel values of fairness,

trust, respect, and forgiveness

Achievements

Our enrolment data shows that 96% of our students are baptised Catholics, with the Catholic

Prep enrolment over the past 5 years varying between 96% and 100%, and the majority of

our students are residing in the Mt Eliza Parish.

The school displays a strong Catholic Identity and has a commitment to prayer, Sacraments

and the Liturgy as well as social justice within our community and extended to the global

community.

The Catholic ethos is strongly promoted by staff in their relationships with colleagues,

parents and students, therefore building relationships of mutual respect with Christ as our

model.

The 2012 Religious Education Pedagogy Teacher Tool Survey showed a moderate to high

display of teacher professional learning and dialogue, supporting and enabling the learner as

well as engaging the learner in the contemporary world. The student survey also showed

that a majority of students agree that they are engaged, supported and challenged in

Religious Education.

Promotion of Social Justice is strong and survey results show growth in understanding of

Social Justice. The school was involved in professional learning in developing Catholic

Culture. Professional development for staff in this area was conducted to develop

understandings in Commutative, Distributive and Social Justice. This will be used in

Religious Education programs to develop student understandings. The parent section of the

Catholic Culture questionnaire about Social justice showed improvement from 2011 to over

80/100. St. Thomas More School encourages support in St. Vincent de Paul Christmas

Appeal, Winter Appeal, backpacks for our sister parish in East Timor, Interact units with

Social Justice focus, our sponsor child in the Philippines, Caritas through Project

Compassion in Lent and Oxfam Christmas donations in the middle and senior school.

Our Sacramental program remains strong with high attendance levels at all programs

offered. The Sacramental Program continues to span from Prep to Year Six with links to the

Parish, where students not attending St. Thomas More join in with our Sacramental

preparation.

The school community gathers weekly to celebrate Mass that is prepared by different

classes throughout the school. The students participate with respect and reverence for our

Catholic Traditions demonstrating understandings of our faith community which permeates

through their relationships with others.



Learning & Teaching


1. That improved student outcomes will be achieved in Mathematics.

2. That improved student outcomes will be achieved in English particularly in Writing and

Reading Comprehension

3. That improved student perceptions of themselves as learners will be achieved.

Achievements

All staff continued their involvement in the Contemporary Learning and Teaching of

Mathematics program through the CEO and in association with ACU. This involvement was

further enhanced by the School Maths Leader having 1 day a week release to drive the

program in school. Staff and students consolidated changes in planning, teaching and

assessment which focused their understanding of Maths on the key ideas, problem solving

and catering for individual needs within the classroom.

Led by the learning and teacher leader, a whole-school approach to assessment and

recording of formative assessments was supported by a software program, Student

Progress Analyser. Firstly, an assessment schedule was established and implemented from

Prep to Year 6. This included the use of computer-based OnDemand testing. This was

complimented by pre and post testing to give a triangulation of data. Time was given to staff

to analyse this data.

English was supported by the introduction of a Scope and Sequence Prep-6, developed to

incorporate the Australian Curriculum. This met a staff need to ensure coverage of the

literacy curriculum. Eight students participated in the Reading Recovery program showing

excellent results, and ERIK literacy support program was implemented in the middle years

for students needing extra intervention.

To cater for individual learning needs, the school has implemented teacher directed focus

groups, supporting both students at risk and students who need extension. This is capably

supported by the inclusion of teaching aides within the rooms.

Peer support was a focus. Staff participated in peer coaching and giving feedback and this

was supported through professional dialogue at dedicated meeting time. Surveys show that

staff engagement is high with both teamwork and ownership being rated 4/5 on average.

Student learning confidence has grown significantly over the past 4 years, with surveys

showing an average rating of 4 out of 5. It is believed this is directly related to the

introduction of more interactive learning units.

Our Literacy results in the junior school are as follows:

93% of Preps reached the expected standard of level 5 or above, and 48% were at

level 15 or above.

98% of Year 1 children attained their expected standard of Level 15, with 94% of them

reaching level 20, and 67% going higher to Level 28.

At the end of Year 2, 94% of students had reached level 28.



STUDENTS MEETING THE MINIMUM STANDARDS IN YEAR 3 &

5

NAPLAN TESTS 2010 2011 2010–2011 changes

2012 2010–2012 changes

YEAR 3 READING 100%

100% 0 % 100%

0 %

YEAR 3 WRITING 100% 100% 0

%

100% 0 %

YEAR 3 SPELLING 96.4% 100% +

3.6%

100% 0 %

YEAR 3 GRAMMAR & PUNCTUATION

100% 97.8% -2.2% 97.1% -0.7%

YEAR 3 NUMERACY 98.2% 97.8% -0.4% 100% +2.2%

YEAR 5 READING 100%

100% 0 %

100% 0 %

YEAR 5 WRITING 98% 100% +2

%

100% 0 %

YEAR 5 SPELLING 98% 100% +2

%

98% -2 %

YEAR 5 GRAMMAR & PUNCTUATION

100% 98.2% -1.8

%

86% -12.2 %

YEAR 5 NUMERACY 100% 100% 0 % 96% -4 %

Year 3 and 5 Student learning outcomes:

At Year 3, the graphs show that Reading, Writing, Spelling and Grammar & Punctuation

continue to be strengths for the children, with the median and top percentiles being well

above State and National results.

At Year 5, Reading is well above State results. Results in Writing, Spelling and Grammar &

Punctuation are closer to State achievement rate. This will be formative in our focus for

teaching and learning for 2013.

Our Numeracy results both Year 3 and 5 are closely aligned to State results, which is a

slight drop from previous years. It is believed this is an adjustment to the new way of

teaching Maths through the contemporary teaching and learning approach which is more

focused on problem solving. Teachers have identified this as an area for further

development.



Student Wellbeing


1. That student learning confidence and motivation to learn will be strengthened.

2. That classroom behaviour will be conducive to an effective learning environment.

3. That the school will provide a safe environment for all students.

Achievements

Planning, which includes whole school units of learning, supports student connectedness

within and between classes, and has strengthened links between classroom learning and

real life.

All Year 6 students were involved in the Student Leadership Program. Closely aligned with a

leadership teacher, each group developed activities to co-ordinate for the betterment of the

school. Students were also involved in the Student Representative Council, where whole

school issues are discussed and solutions resolved. Class meetings are held weekly for

student input around positive reinforcement of behaviours and developing strategies to

resolve classroom and playground situations.

Providing a safe environment is of paramount importance. The school has a Buddy Program,

matching a Year 5 student to a Prep student. The focus for this activity is building Prep

safety and by-products are the relationships developed and the confidence built. New tables

were placed around the edge of the school oval for some quiet time during recess and lunch

break; these are very well utilised. In the SRC surveys data, student and parent responses

on safety remain high, scoring over 80.

Two parent sessions were held during the year focusing on raising children in a safe

environment. In Term 2, Andrew Fuller, acclaimed psychologist, spoke to parents about

Valuing Girls, and in Term 3, a presenter from Australian Communications and Media

Authority informed parents on the many issues of Cyber Safety.

A Friendship Tree was designed and installed in the sails area by the Year 6 Leaders in

conjunction with the Art Teacher. The concept of the tree is to provide a safe haven for any

students who are feeling sad or lonely; older students are situated there to look after them.

Students at risk were monitored through Wellbeing Team meetings each term. Staff had the

opportunity to discuss the physical, social and emotional issues relating to students in their

class. Students in need of extra support were referred to CEO Student Services.

Value-added activities across the year:

Year 5/6 students enjoyed their Rumbug Camp in Foster as part of their leadership

unit of work. Following the camp, the Camp policy was reviewed to increase the

opportunity for students to participate from Years 3-6 annually. This will be

implemented in 2013.

Cool Clubs for Kids was offered in Term 4 with Year 6 leaders leading the groups.

Students were provided with the opportunity to visit the Library during lunch breaks,

organised by the Library Leaders.



The school held many different sporting days, curriculum based days, i.e. Italian Day,

Talent of Talents as well as fun nights were organised in conjunction with the Parent

Association.

The Seasons program was offered to students dealing with grief and loss; the eight

students who attended were enthusiastic and appeared to benefit from these

sessions.

Student Satisfaction

The student attendance rate of 96% would indicate that a majority of students are happy to

attend St. Thomas More Primary School. In 2012 student learning confidence and motivation

was high with scores of 82 for student confidence and 83 for motivation. The student

engagement index for 2012 was 80.5, in the top 25% of schools.



Leadership & Management


1. That role clarity will be improved for the leadership team.

2. That the staff will be supported in professional learning and in working in teams.

3. That teachers and all teams will embrace professional learning and incorporate

contemporary practices.

Achievements

The 2012 school year commenced with 354 students, maintaining the numbers from the

previous year. There were 14 classes with 30 teaching and non-teaching staff. During 2012,

the curriculum was based on the Victorian Essential Learning Standards, and the Australian

Curriculum was introduced in History, Science and Mathematics. Children learnt with

specialist teachers about music, visual art, library, technology, physical education and Italian.

The staff at St. Thomas More School are very committed to their teaching and learning craft

and to their students. They place themselves in the top 25% of schools for team-based

practices and teaching and learning. This is supported by time allocated weekly to unit level

planning. All staff participated in learning walks, visiting each other’s rooms to support and

challenge current practices. There is a high attendance rate per staff member; in 2012 it was

93.66%. The staff retention rate from 2012-2013 was also high 95.65%. As St. Thomas

More staff are the most important resource in the children’s education, their attendance and

retention impacts on student outcomes. Staff morale is around 70, and teachers show they

are happier when working in their teams than by themselves. Team protocols were

developed and followed.

We achieved a slight improvement in role clarity across 2012 with survey results rising from

76 to 78. This was gained by staff being provided with role descriptions at the beginning of

the year, including staff with leadership responsibilities. Each leadership member accepted

responsibility for a school sphere and was empowered with implementing the set goals for

that area. This empowerment was not, however, reflected in the staff survey with a slight

drop in responses.

All staff are qualified to teach with

the qualifications ranging from

Diploma to Masters. All teachers

are registered with the Victorian

Institute of Teaching and hold

current criminal record checks.



Professional development is offered to all staff. The major focus again for 2012 was

Contemporary Teaching and Learning of Mathematics. Fourteen teachers attended 5 days

across the year and worked with School Adviser Mathematics on 9 other days.

Providing feedback was another focus for staff development, with learning about individual

needs, providing feedback within teams and across unit levels. As whole staff, we again

worked with EmQ to ensure all emergency management processes were in place. The

majority of staff attended a Cybersafety session with Leslie Harrison, from the Australian

Communications and Media Authority.

Individual staff members attended professional learning to cater for their own development.

Some of these were around literacy, religious education, first aid, learning disabilities,

physical education, and behaviour management. Leaders in specific areas participated in

regional network meetings for principals, deputy principals, religious education, learning &

teaching, Literacy, Maths, and Student Wellbeing. The average cost per staff member was

$1701.

Teacher satisfaction

The Insight SRC survey response for Empathy, Clarity, Engagement and Learning,

indicating staff culture, was 72.5, placing the school in the middle 50% of schools surveyed,

which is slightly down from previous years. Within the same survey, staff recorded an

average of 4 out of possible 5 for each of School Morale, Supportive Leadership, Role

Clarity, and Teamwork.

Staff responses to the survey closely aligned with 2011 responses. There was one

significant improvement in the area of Team Processes; this indicates staff feeling of

improvement in curriculum processes, which is whole school effective communication in the

planning of the curriculum.



School Community


1. That the school community connection will be further developed.

2. That communications with parents will be enhanced.

3. That the communication and involvement with the local Mt. Eliza community will be enhanced through each class year level.

Achievements

The school community connection continued to be developed through activities such as the

Welcome Picnic in Term One, which was an opportunity for new families to interact with

other parents. Grandparents’ Day was again well attended with grandparents and special

visitors attending Mass in the gym, participating in morning tea and enjoying visits to the

classroom to engage in activities with the children.

Value-added activities to build and maintain our school community:

Dads and Kids Nights – an indoor movie night in Term 2 and a camping weekend on

the oval in Term 4. Our Dads group also held a successful Barefoot Bowls session in

Term 1.

The social component of the Parents’ Association organised several functions – an

outdoor movie night, a race night, year level morning teas and dinners, and assisting

at the Mornington Market.

Toddlers’ group continues to meet weekly to build relationships for like-minded families

within our school community.

In 2012, the school website was updated and improved with further development of the

Parents MyClasses page. The school newsletter was moved to an online format, ensuring

that information was available to all in an environmentally friendly way. In Term 4, parents

were also able to download an app to access newsletters and notes on their phones or other

mobile devices.

There was a greater promotion of information through the newsletter with a particular focus

on the school’s social justice program and the introduction of the Australian curriculum.

Involvement with the local community was enhanced. Students from the junior school made

several visits to Domain by the Bay and Lorikeet Lodge Aged Care facilities to read, sing

and present Christmas cards to the residents. The choir and Year Six Leadership Team also

visited Domain by the Bay to interact with the residents in discussion and song.

The school invited guests, and reached out to the community in the following ways:

Students attended St Patrick’s Day Mass at the cathedral as part of the Melbourne

Catholic community.

Year Five/Six students involved in a geo-caching activity, making visits to the Mt Eliza

area.

A member of the parish community speaking about dealing with grief to Year 5/6

Invitations extended to two retired teachers from the local community to speak with

students in the Junior School about what life was like during the 1950s.



The annual Year Six musical production, held at Mt. Eliza Community Centre, provided

the wider community with an opportunity to view the talents of the students at St.

Thomas More.

Within our own school community, the working bees, held each term, provided an

opportunity for parents and families to interact and undertake repairs and improvements to

the school, such as repairing decking, fixing pathways, and mulching gardens. In Term Four,

the working bee was extended to incorporate the parish, with some cleaning and gardening.

This further enhanced the connection between school and parish.

Parent Satisfaction

The parent satisfaction index was 71.2, maintaining the standard from the previous year.

Responses to the general satisfaction question averaged 5.4 on a scale of 1 to 7, with just

under 70% rating either 6 or 7. On most other factors surveyed, parents marked the school

in the middle 50% of schools surveyed.



Financial Performance

REPORTING FRAMEWORK MODIFIED CASH $

Recurrent income Tuition

School fees 178,286

Other fee income 254,839

Private income 48,181

State government recurrent grants 648,373

Australian government recurrent grants 1,822,153

Total recurrent income 2,951,832

Recurrent Expenditure Tuition

Salaries; allowances and related expenses 2,094,336

Non salary expenses 491,745

Total recurrent expenditure 2,586,080

Capital income and expenditure Tuition

Government capital grants -

Capital fees and levies 248,534

Other capital income 44,000

Total capital income 292,534

Total capital expenditure 180,373

Loans (includes refundable enrolment deposits and recurrent,

capital and bridging loans)

Total opening balance 576,875

Total closing balance 460,625

Note that the information provided above does not include the following items:

System levies charged to individual schools, intra-systemic transfers and diocesan supplementary capital fund (SCF) supported borrowings for primary schools. The information provided is not comparable with other educational sectors. The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) is in the process of reviewing the Financial Questionnaire (FQ) during 2010 that may ultimately change the method of reporting these exclusions. This VRQA template is not comparable to the ACARA school-level income reporting requirements which are to be reported on the MySchool website later this year. ACARA school level reporting requirements will require system level income from Government grants and some private income to be allocated by school. This will be a small adjustment in relation to the total level of school resources. At this stage, recurrent income from Government sources, school generated income and capital expenditure are to be reported by schools. Additionally when assessing the private income of the school include both recurrent and capital school fees.



Future Directions

In 2013, the school will focus on the following areas:

Effective data to inform religious education teaching. This will be gained from a survey

conducted with students and teachers.

Participate fully in a whole school review, commencing with self-reflection and moving

in to external review and development of a 2014-2017 School Improvement Plan.

Further promotion of sustainability awareness through the Environmental Sustainability

project. The focus will be waste reduction and a teacher will be appointed to co-

ordinate the project.

Continue to implement AusVELS across the 4 key areas, and align these standards

with reporting processes.

Informed data analysis and goal setting to focus teachers and children on learning

progression.

Develop further the use of e-learning in the curriculum.

annual report primary template 2010 #3 · st. thomas more school, mt. eliza 2012 annual report to...

Documents