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Kotara School Annual Report

5738

2015

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Introduction

The Annual Report for 2015 is provided to the community of Kotara School as a

record of the school’s operations and achievements throughout the year.

It provides a detailed account of the progress the school has made in providing

high quality educational opportunities for all students as identified in the

school plan. The information is derived from self-assessment and reflects the

impact of key school strategies targeting improved learning to benefit to all

students. These strategies were facilitated by expenditure of resources from

sources such as equity funding.

The Annual Report describes the school’s high quality practices across the three domains of the School Excellence

Framework of Learning, Teaching and Leading. For more information about the School Excellence Framework

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

School contact details:

Kotara School

Crn Seaview and Park Av

Kotara, NSW 2289

www.kotara school.com.au

[email protected]

02 49573274

Message from the Principal

The positive culture at Kotara School is partly a result of setting high expectations and then recognising, acknowledging, celebrating and promoting student and staff achievements. This report is a part of that process and is a testament to the effectiveness, diversification and relevance of programs at Kotara School.

Kotara School services the needs of primary aged students and also runs an outreach class in the Nexus Unit at John Hunter Hospital.

The primary purpose of enrolment at Kotara School is the assistance of students to develop greater academic and social skills as well as the development of emotional literacy. This last area is a key component of the Kotara program and comprises the domains of self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, social skills and motivation.

Kotara School has an extensive network of partnerships with other service providers and agencies in Newcastle and its surrounding areas. We have developped quality relationships with partner schools and provided a range of professional learning opportunities to support them although the core stakeholders in the program remain our students, parents, home schools, AECG and Kotara School staff. In addition to this we receive invaluable support from Hunter Institute of Mental Health (HIMH), Health, Housing, Police, FACS, Impact and Allambi.

Kotara School endeavors to provide a therapeutic environment with a multi-disciplinary approach to special education and individual student needs. The school, where possible, emulates mainstream school policies and practices to facilitate a smooth transition process back to a mainstream setting as well as to increase student self-esteem and expectations.

Brendan Rodd

Principal

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

School background

School vision statement

Education is a pathway to success for all students. At Kotara School we provide a quality teaching framework, quality environment and a quality wellbeing program. These strategies are supported by our Positive Behaviour for Learning system based practices. Our Kotara School motto is:-

“Courage to Learn, Courage to Change”

We believe that no matter what you have done in the past everyone has the chance to change. The Kotara program equips students with new strategies and skills that they can use to empower themselves to become the people they want to be and build the courage to change their future and its direction.

This vision is closely aligned to Melbourne Declaration’s goal that all young Australians will become successful learners, confident and creative individuals and active and informed citizens.

Our school plays a vital role in promoting the intellectual, physical, social, emotional, moral, spiritual and aesthetic development and well-being of young Australians. Kotara School shares this responsibility with students, parents, carers, families, the community and other education providers.

Our vision is further underpinned by our core Positive Behaviour for Learning values

1. Safe

2. True

3. Respectful

School context

Kotara School provides the opportunity for every student to achieve success in all aspects of their life and to provide an environment that supports students to find the ‘courage to learn’ and the ‘courage to change’.

Kotara School is a school for specific purposes on two sites. The school has a student enrolment of 35. Students are placed by a regional panel of psychologists, principals and consultants. At any time Kotara School’s population can comprise up to 60% of students from an ATSI background. As a result Kotara school embed Aboriginal Education across all aspects of the school plan.

The Kotara program aims to create behavioural change in order for students to return successfully to their mainstream settings. We draw students from the Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Port Stephens areas.

Kotara School is staffed with a school Principal, two Assistant Principals, three Classroom Teachers, five Student Learning and Support Officers and a School Administration Manager.

At our main site Kotara School caters to students in Years 3 to 6 with emotional disturbances and behavioural disorders. Kotara School also operates an outreach class in the Nexus Unit at John Hunter Hospital. Nexus is a specialist 14 bed inpatient unit accepting both voluntary and involuntary patients. It provides services for children and young people aged 5 to 18 years who present with mental health disorders that are conducive to inpatient observation and/or treatment.

Kotara School has extensive partnerships with other service providers and agencies in Newcastle and its surrounds. We have developed quality relationships with partner schools and provides a range of professional learning opportunities to support them.

Self-assessment using the School Excellence Framework

This section of the Annual Report outlines the findings from our own self-assessment using the School Excellence Framework. It covers our school achievements and the next steps to be pursued. The Framework supports public schools throughout NSW in the pursuit of excellence by providing a clear description of high quality practice across the three domains of Learning, Teaching and Leading.

During our professional development meetings and teacher meetings in Term 4, staff reflected on the progress being made across the school, based on the expectations from the School Excellence Framework. We examined the school plan, mapped our milestones and gathered evidence. This gave us the necessary information to make a determination on the level we are currently operating at in each of the domains in regards to the three levels of achievement represented in the School Excellence Framework.

In the domain of Learning, our efforts have primarily focused on Wellbeing, Curriculum and Learning. The strong performance of the school in creating a positive and productive learning culture amongst staff and students has been a feature of our progress. The fundamental importance of the Wellbeing area is demonstrated in providing an outstanding system to build a culture of trust, respect and valuing of each other. These results were evident in the way that students related to each other and importantly, in the increased engagement of students in learning. Attention to individual learning needs has been another component of our progress throughout the year. Students with high learning needs are being identified early and their learning programs differentiated to adapt to their individual learning needs.

This year our major focus in the domain of Teaching has been on Data Skills and their Use and Effective Classroom Practice. Staff collaborated on whole school learning practices to enhance engagement. High engagement strategies were undertaken by Kotara School staff. Continued use of formative feedback to all students in an individualised feedback model was highly effective in keeping students on task whilst remaining engaged with the lesson. All students received pre and post assessment throughout the year. Formal review meetings were carried out each semester, data was collect and used to assist with the authenticity of their individual education plan or personalize learning plan which in turn drove individualized instruction. The use of technology for learning, the importance of data analysis to inform decision-making and the growth of teaching practice through classroom observations and reflection have all highlighted a teaching culture that is moving student learning to a new level.

In the domain of Leading, our priorities have been to progress leadership and management practices and processes. There has been strong leadership throughout this year ensuring all staff knew the priorities and directions from the school plan. The consistency and effectiveness of implementation of our key strategic directions throughout the year has been due to a strong foundation of leadership capacity-building across the school. This approach recognises that leadership development is central to the achievement of school excellence. The leadership team has been successful in leading the initiatives outlined in this report as well as building the capabilities of staff to create a dynamic school learning culture.

The achievement and progress of Kotara School are outlined in the following pages of the annual school report. Our self-assessment process will further assist the school to refine the strategic priorities in our School plan leading to further improvements in the delivery of education to our students.

Strategic Direction 1

Quality Teaching and Learning Programs

Purpose

To promote, build and sustain the professional learning of all staff members, by creating systems for all teachers and leaders to learn from each other which allows for the alignment of policies and practices and provides feedback on current performance in order to enhance student outcomes

Overall summary of progress

Increase Literacy and Numeracy results from pre and post testing for all students corresponding with time spent at Kotara School. All students have been assessed and we have current data for all students for PM benchmarking. Individual teachers have been professionally developed and have the capacity to administer their own testing for PM benchmarking and Schedule for Early Number Assessment (SENA).

Staff confidently implemented new Teacher Pedagogy within their classrooms. We successfully introduced the Innovated Teachers Companion (ITC) diary and within, a range of High Order Thinking strategies (HOT) of blooms taxonomy to support teaching and learning. Staff engaged well with the process and there was evidence of the strategies being used in classrooms as demonstrated by staff presenting student work samples at meetings. We did not purchase the electronic proforma as planned as staff indicated that they were confident preparing their own resources. At Kotara School we have seen an increase in student engagement.

Accelerated literacy continues to form a large part of our literacy framework. Utilising professional learning to assist us in developing simple and easy-to-read programming documents that have facilitated whole staff utilisation of key documents and policies and incorporate these into their instruction.

Count Me In Too implementation has also improved teacher pedagogy and provided a platform for assessment and remediation in numeracy. 100% of teaching staff participate and completed the course. This participation was conduct outside school hours. This course was a catalyst for revision and reformation of our numeracy assessments systems. Through this process we are better able to provide feedback to census schools at regular Learning Support Team meetings or review meetings.

Staff engaged with the new Performance and Development framework and met the requirements of the Australian Professional Teaching Standards. 100% of teaching staff have engaged in the PDP process in 2015 and completed this process in Term 4. Both Assistant Principals undertook professional learning about accreditation at the higher levels and are confident to support staff to engage with the process should they aspire to. 100% of teaching staff have completed the AITSL ‘reflection of practice’ tool.

Progress towards achieving improvement measures Resources (annual)

Improvement measure (to be achieved over 3 years)

Progress achieved this year <$>

Increase literacy and numeracy results from pre and post testing for all students corresponding with time spent at Kotara School

In 2015 Kotara School implemented improved assessment systems and the development of baseline data for 100% of students. All staff are fluent in current procedures for assessment in literacy and numeracy. 100% of assessment results were analysed and the data utilized to program for individualized student learning needs. All teaching staff have been successful in completing Count Me In Too training and implementation. The implementation of Peer Coaching has been deferred.

$15,000 – IT resources, Staff Relief


Teacher Pedagogy All staff participated in professional learning in Higher Order Thinking (HOT) strategies to enhance student engagement and develop higher order thinking skills in each class. Teachers were provided with a specific daily planner to assist with implementation. We are working towards all programs reflecting evidence of higher order strategies and providing clear links to the Quality Teaching Framework.

$8000 – Resources, Teacher Relief, It Resources

Staff engaged with the new Performance and Development framework and met the requirements of the Australian Professional Teaching Standards

The professional development framework was introduced in 2015. As such all staff engaged with the development of a Professional Learning Plan to support achievement of their individual goals. Staff completed the process during Term 4. All professional learning was directly related to the school plan and their Personal Learning Plan. One member of staff completed their first maintenance cycle in 2015.

Next steps

This section includes future directions for 2016 and ensures the 3-year plan remains on track to provide high quality educational outcomes.

Focus areas for 2016:

Assessment and Reporting for all students is a main focus at Kotara School. All staff will increase their capacity to maintain assessment data through Sentral and engage with the continuums to inform the teaching cycle in both literacy and numeracy.

To assist teacher pedagogy by providing professional learning to support teachers to consolidate their use of higher order thinking strategies to improve literacy and numeracy outcomes for students.

To further develop collaborative programming to continue the development of staff fluency in programming and assessment particularly in relation to whole class programs. It is anticipated that peer mentoring and coaching is introduced in 2016 as part of this initiative’s implementation.


Development of social, emotional and somatic literacy

Purpose

To actively engage all students in meaningful and challenging learning experiences through personalised and differentiated learning opportunities.


Considering all current research and data, Kotara School investigated several emotional literacy packages that we could use or further develop for our students. From community and staff surveyed results we found that this was an area that we needed to enhance.

Kotara School is a Positive Behaviour for Learning School which helped with the structure of our school rules and discipline & welfare policy. The school purchased the You Can Do It program and are using the 5 domains (Getting along, Organisation, Persistence, Confidence, and Resilience) to educate and help build strategies for all students to use. Staff have reframed the program to assist its efficacy when delivering it to Kotara School students. Kotara School staff have delivered 2 modules of this emotional intelligence program so far.

Kotara School were looking to develop a behaviour continuum much like a literacy or numeracy continuum. We investigated this further and found that there was one already that we could use. Staff were put through an introduction of this and have continued to adapted it to the Kotara School setting. This professional learning is assisting the staff to continually improve our Individual Education Plan IEP or Personalised Learning Plans processes.




Collegial development of emotional literacy modules.

100% of staff participated in professional learning and have continued to collaborate in the distribution of Kotara School based lessons. These modules have been delivered throughout 2015 and will continue across 2016.

$7000 Resources, Staff Relief

Construction of a behaviour continuum.

100% of staff were professionally developed in the Australian General Capabilities Framework. This document assists in the development and authenticity of Kotara Schools IEP’s and PLP’s.

Next steps



Kotara School will continue to deliver the emotional literacy modules. Continually reworking and revising the program for the local context.

Kotara School will embark on the Neurosequential Model for Education (NME) where 4 staff members will become trainers of the model.

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Quality Systems and Practices

Purpose

To develop and maintain quality systems and practices within the school to facilitate student engagement and participation; and increase social and academic success in both the mainstream and Kotara School context and to support teachers to deliver quality pedagogy.


Semester reviews of Kotara School programs have been conducted throughout the year, Personalised and Differentiated learning has continued through 2015 successfully. This has been evident through the decrease of incidents in the classroom.

Individual Education Plans / Personalised Learning Plans (IEP/PLP’s), Behaviour Management Plans (BMP’s) and Risk Assessments (RA’s) and semester reports have been used in the differentiation of the learning programs for all students at Kotara School. These milestones were achieved and ensured that each student received a personalised and relevant education plan. As part of the semester review process student’s transition program was formally reviewed.

Transition at Kotara School was implemented and measured through several methods. Weekly communication to schools was maintained through emails to the students Learning Support Teams (LST). A fortnightly phone call to parents and carers was established mid-term 2 and maintained through the year. All phone communication with parents and carers whether successful or missed calls were tracked on Sentral.

Functional Behavioural Assessment’s (FBA’s) were planned for all students entering Kotara School prior to their arrival. This was not sustained as the referral process and student’s attendance prevented this from being a realistic process.

Implementation of a 5-0 model for new students was introduced in 2015 successfully. 100% of staff have seen the benefit to student learning through the introduction of this process. This has system will be maintained into the future and will be continually monitored. A reflection survey for census schools was to be sent out Term 4 2015. This reflection will occur this year at a more appropriate time for schools.




100% of students have quality constructed and evaluated IEP’s or PLP’s

All students at Kotara School had quality constructed and evaluated IEP’s and PLP’s in time for their review meeting each semester.

$5000 - Resources, Staff Relief

100% of all students have Formal Review each semester Process with key stakeholders including carers, home schools and other agencies

All students had a review of their program in semester 1 and 2 of 2015.

$1000 - Teacher Relief


Next steps



The implementation of school procedures covering Professional Learning Procedure created and implemented across Kotara school, Finance procedures and systems investigated and streamlined. Whole school Teaching and Learning procedures audit and streamlining. The revision of whole school programing and implementation of standardised programming template for new curricula across whole school. Whole school scope and sequence investigated, created and implemented.

Key initiatives and other school focus areas

Key initiatives (annual) Impact achieved this year Resources (annual)

Aboriginal background funding

Kotara School used the funding to support all students at Kotara School with the employment of an Aboriginal Education Officer.

Through this initiative the school was able to deliver specialised cultural programs to the whole school.

Every student at Kotara School was able to experience Aboriginal Culture through dreamtime stories, Yidaki, painting and bush tucker garden.

100% of students were engaged throughout these lessons.

Total Funding received = $5001

$4000 – AEO

$1001 – Program Funds

English language proficiency funding

N/A

Targeted students support for refugees and new arrivals

N/A

Socio-economic funding

Equity funding has enabled teachers to be allocated planning days with a literacy consultant to assist with the development of literacy programs, quality teaching strategies and a whole school scope and sequence development. It has enabled teachers to assess all students within the school both pre and post data testing.

Train, design and implement a resilience behaviour program to all staff, to help supplement our PBL framework. Explicit teaching of resilience behaviour strategies to assist the student’s transition back to their census schools.

It resources were also purchased to assist in the delivery of these programs

Total Funding received = $36,000

Recourses – $2000

AEO - $17,000

IT Recourses - $7000

Teacher Relief - $10,000

Next

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Low level adjustment for disability funding

N/A

Support for beginning teachers

N/A

Other school focus areas Impact achieved this year Resources (annual)

Other, including Early Action for Success

N/A

Student information

4 Classes of 7 students and the outreach Class at Nexus Unit at John Hunter Hospital

Student enrolment profile

Students at Kotara School are shared enrolled with their home school. Students attend Kotara School for 5 days per week for their first term. The student continues at Kotara School 4 days per week and attends their census school 1 day per week in the initial stages of their individualised program. Continued transition is decided on an individualised process.

Student attendance profile

Students who attend Kotara School remain enrolled at their census school. Contact is maintained by having students attend their home school at least one day per week. Integration back to their home school is gradually increased as the student’s behaviour improves. During this time Kotara staff support the home school by regularly visiting the student and providing advice to the home school teachers and support staff. During 2015, 6 students were returned full-time to their home schools.

Workforce information

Reporting of information for all staff must be consistent with privacy and personal information policies.

Workforce composition

Position Number

Principal 1

Assistant Principal(s) 2

Classroom Teacher(s) 3.8

School Counsellor 0.2

School Administrative & Support Staff 5.97

Other positions 0

Total 12.97

The Australian Education Regulation, 2015 requires schools to report on Aboriginal composition of their workforce.

We are privileged to have Uncle Perry Fuller working with us at Kotara School over the past 3 years. Uncle Perry has assisted in the teachings of Aboriginal Culture to staff and students, and has also performed at school ceremonies such as NAIDOC Week, Reconciliation Week and school assemblies. He continues to teach Kotara School about traditional knowledge and contemporary and traditional indigenous art.

In 2015 Kotara School gained a new principal, assistant principal, and classroom teacher, Brendan Rodd, Angus Draffan and Sarah Osborne through the DEC merit selection process.

Teacher qualifications

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

Qualifications % of staff

Undergraduate degree or diploma 100%

Postgraduate degree 80%

Professional learning and teacher accreditation

All Kotara School staff engaged in professional learning throughout 2015. Professional learning has involved teachers utilising the Quality Teaching Framework as a key instrument to improve student outcomes. Staff have also been professionally developed in the areas of high order thinking strategies based on the Blooms Taxonomy to increase student engagement.

Kotara School has two new scheme teachers on the maintenance phase of their accreditation. Professional Development was undertaken in the areas of Quality Teaching for Syllabus implementation including:

Count Me in Too

Accelerated Literacy Development days and

course.

There has been continued support and

training for staff in the effective use of

technology in the classrooms

Professional learning in Higher Order

Thinking (HOT) strategies to enhance

student engagement and develop higher

order thinking skills in each class.

Google apps in education

M-Goals

Continued Welfare through:

Positive Behaviour for Learning training

Understanding the neurobiology of complex

trauma: Building a framework for effective

practice in the protection, education,

placement and support of children and

young people.

You Can Do It, training and professional

learning

Leadership training to update information

to assist the two new scheme teachers on

maintenance phase and for those teachers

aspiring to leadership positions in the future

Health Care involved the training of all staff

in Asthma, Anaphylaxis and Health Care

Procedures to ensure everyone is capable of

assisting the health needs of our students.

One staff member was trained in the

Stronger Smarter Leadership Program which

aims at students having high expectations of

achievement for indigenous/all students.

Professional learning for all staff has been

accessed through a combination of state,

regional, local and school based

professional learning opportunities during

2015.

Financial information

Financial summary

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

A full copy of the school’s 2015 financial statement is tabled at the annual general meetings of the parent and/or community groups. Further details concerning the statement can be obtained by contacting the school.

School performance

NAPLAN

Students who were in years 3 or 5 participated in

NAPLAN testing at their home school during 2nd term. Kotara School requested their results from home schools and these were utilised in the development of IEP’s and PLP’s to target specific learning areas and further develop students academically.

Parent/caregiver, student, teacher satisfaction

In 2015, the school sought the opinions of parents, students and teachers about the school.

Their responses are presented below.

- 90% of parents believe that teachers have a positive influence in all areas of student learning.

- Staff are satisfied with the support that they received throughout 2015.

- Students are happy, valued and feel safe when they are at Kotara School.

Policy requirements

Aboriginal education

Kotara School has a strong commitment to promoting the educational achievements of indigenous students and enhancing student’s knowledge of Aboriginal Australia. Throughout the program, significant emphasis is placed on reconnection with land and cultural education as the real foundation of social and emotional development for children and of literacy and learning. Whilst many of our students experience disconnect and displacement within the wider community, the indigenous program encourages the embedding of Aboriginal studies into all school curricula. This is achieved through consultation with our local AECG member, Uncle Perry Fuller who facilitates the Aboriginal Education program at the school three days per week. The bush tucker garden, cultural walk, dance circle and art classroom are established sites within the school grounds where the Aboriginal Education program at Kotara School takes place. The garden features an artefact area, timbered area, petroglyph stories, bush tucker and medicine sections and a dry creek bed with totemic rocks. A major achievement within the Aboriginal Education program in 2015 has been the commencement of the introduction of language. Uncle Perry has been provided permission to be able to teach this language by the local Aboriginal Land Council Group. Acknowledgement of Aboriginal ceremonial days such as Sorry Day, NAIDOC Week and Reconciliation Week are an integral part of the Aboriginal Education program. Uncle Perry engages the students in a varied learning program which includes Yidaki, traditional aboriginal dance and sports,

Date of financial summary 30/11/2015

Income $

Balance brought forward 173146.44

Global funds 85154.29

Tied funds 90149.36

School & community sources 2849.73

Interest 3898.46

Trust receipts 0

Canteen 0

Total income $182,081.84

Expenditure

Teaching & learning

Key learning areas 7472.25

Excursions 0

Extracurricular dissections 2319.83

Library 125.00

Training & development 80.00

Tied funds 95912.03

Casual relief teachers 19186.82

Administration & office 31001.44

School-operated canteen 0

Utilities 10974.81

Maintenance 18410.60

Trust accounts 0

Capital programs 11096.36

Total expenditure 196579.14

Balance carried forward 158649.14

traditional and modern aboriginal art and dreaming stories. He also shares his story, history and cultural beliefs of his people with our students. Kotara School will continue to liaise closely with the local aboriginal community, continuing to build new partnerships and strengthen existing ones with the assistance of Uncle Perry in the promotion of a cohesive Aboriginal Education Program.

Multicultural Education and Anti-racism

Kotara School has an Anti-Racism officer (ARCO) who works with staff, students and our school community. As part of our school Positive Behaviour for Learning lessons, all students were involved in lessons regarding safe, true and respectful values and behaviours in the context of Kotara School and the wider school community. Multi-Sports Day gave students the opportunity to be involved in a number of well-known sports based activities from different countries. All students involved thoroughly enjoyed the day and were given an insight into the sporting cultures of nations around the world. Throughout 2015, students at Kotara School, families and staff have participated in whole school and class based activities.

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