2018 Taree West Public School Annual Report...These have included assisting with staff recruitment,...

Taree West Public SchoolAnnual Report

2018

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Printed on: 29 May, 2019 of 19 Taree West Public School 3909 (2018)

Introduction

The Annual Report for 2018 is provided to the community of Taree West 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.

Donna Bensch

Principal

School contact details

Taree West Public SchoolWingham RdTaree, 2430www.tareewest-p.schools.nsw.edu.autareewest-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au6552 1910

Message from the school community

TWPS P&C President's Report 2018

The P&C committee have been very busy throughout the year 2018 providing assistance for various school events andprojects. These have included assisting with staff recruitment, running the athletics carnival canteen, providing morningtea for Grandparents Day, Easter raffles, Mum & Dad day stalls, meat tray raffles held at Taree West Bowling Club,lamington & pie drive, school socials and many more. The year ended with our glow stick night for the staff, students andtheir families. It was a fun night to enjoy.

Annually, the committee donates $1000 for a school music scholarship to TWPS. This covers the cost for the whole yearfor 1 student or 2 half yearly scholarships for 2 students. The P&C have assisted the families of many members of ourschool sporting teams and academic events with accommodation and travel costs when they have been selected torepresent our school at a State and National level. We are very proud of all our students' achievements.

The committee also provides the school bucket hats, to the new kindergarten students starting in 2019 as a welcominggift. The P&C volunteers run our school uniform shop with a lay–by service available. The uniform shop was open duringthe school holiday and it was very successful. Many thanks to those who volunteered over the holidays. We are lookinginto opening the uniform shop for 1 afternoon a week.

The canteen is run by the P&C with our paid canteen supervisor, Leanne. We welcomed Leanne as our new supervisorin Term 1, 2018. Leanne has introduced many new healthy and fresh menu items and the canteen has never been sobusy. She has also brought many new volunteers into the canteen. A huge thank you to Leanne and the tireless canteenvolunteers who do an awesome job. The online canteen ordering system via Flexi schools has been very successful. Theorders just keep growing!!

The P&C acknowledges the contribution of all the parents, carers, families, TWPS staff and community members, andTaree businesses, which have supported the school and our fundraising events throughout the year. Without yoursupport it would not be possible to run these activities. All the funds raised throughout the year are reinvested back intoour school to fund improvements. These items will benefit our students, staff and visitors to our school now, as well asinto the future.

The P&C in 2018 have been a dedicated team of volunteer parents, carers, teachers and community members who areparamount in achieving our goals for Taree West Public School. I would personally like to thank all the committeemembers and volunteers over the last 6 years during my time as the TWPS P&C President. I have enjoyed working incollaboration with the Principal and staff at TWPS. We have worked together to help improve our school for the manystudents and staff.


A final huge thank you to the volunteers for their time and efforts throughout 2018. Without these wonderful helpers wecould not achieve what we have done. Well done everyone!

Vanessa Bergan – President TWPS P&C 2018

Message from the students

School Captains Address

We are so proud to have had the opportunity to represent our school as School Captains for 2018. It has been anamazing experience for both of us.

Our school has had so many great achievements this year such as our Girls Basketball Team making it to state level andplacing 2nd and our Boys Touch Team placing 3rd at the Hunter finals. This year has also been an amazing yearacademically with many competitions and our Debating Team making it to the grand final in the Lower North CoastDebating Competition.

Our school camps this year have been fantastic! Many memories were made and won't be forgotten. Stage 2 attendedthe Great Aussie Bush Camp and Stage 3 visited Canberra.

We have enjoyed wearing our school badges with pride and honour and loved listening to the student representativeshave their say in Parliament. We have also loved having the opportunity to initiate change.

Being School Captains for 2018 has been a really big achievement for us and we will remember every second of it.

Jasmine Hill and Josh Hopkins


School background

School vision statement

At Taree West Public School we are committed to providing a safe, engaging, culturally supportive and inclusive learningenvironment where there is a strong sense of belonging across the community.

We provide student centred, engaging and innovative learning experiences to achieve and increase high qualityacademic, social, emotional, creative, cultural and spiritual outcomes.

Our school community works collaboratively to equip our students for the ever–changing world through the developmentof creativity, critical thinking and problem solving skills in becoming responsible global citizens.

School context

Taree West Public School provides high quality educational programs to meet the needs of 545 students from theManning area, including 110 Aboriginal students. Taree is a regional town of 48,000 people with a mix of urban and ruralsettings. The school is held in very high regard by the local and wider community.

We provide outstanding educational opportunities for every child. Our school offers a wide breadth of curriculum andextra curricula opportunities including innovative creative arts and sport programs. We provide a culture of support,inclusion, high level student well–being and individualised quality teaching.

Taree West Public School has the strongest commitment to the teaching of literacy and numeracy and we are part of theEarly Actions for Success initiative. The ongoing and regular monitoring, assessment and the plotting of children’sprogress ensure that literacy and numeracy skills, knowledge and understandings are well developed across all subjectareas.

We actively target, through the Resource Allocation Model funding source and the Early Action for Success initiative,continued growth and improved literacy and numeracy outcomes for all children.

Excellence in teaching and learning is achieved and demonstrated by our highly skilled, professional teaching team. Ourteachers undertake ongoing professional development thereby ensuring the delivery of high quality teaching programs inevery classroom.

Our strong and growing partnerships with our families and the wider community contributes positively to maintaining aninvaluable support network and an open and welcoming school environment.

Taree West Public School is a Positive Behaviour for Learning school. The core values of respect, responsibility and care are explicitly taught, modelled and embedded in our rich, diverse school culture.

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.

In the Learning Domain, we have judged that our school is Sustaining and Growing, however we are working towardsexcellence, as our judgments indicated that we achieved excellence in one of the Learning elements. Our school planimprovement measures, under Strategic Direction 1, have been determined for a three year period. They are regularlyreviewed and monitored to ensure a consistent progression of improved student outcomes.

In the Teaching Domain, we have judged that our school is Sustaining and Growing. Our school commitment toexcellence in teaching is driven by our belief and responsibility, to ensure that our school provides the highest possible inquality teaching and professionalism thereby ensuring the highest possible in student educational outcomes. Furtherdirections for 2019 will include an increased focus on staff professional learning of the explicit teaching of the writingprocess using principles of visible learning, L3, and curriculum differentiation, as well as the explicit teaching of numbersense and working mathematically.


In the Leading Domain, we have judged that our school is Sustaining and Growing. Our school has strong strategic andeffective management systems, procedures and practices in place which serve the overarching vision of the schoolwhere every child is equipped to meet their full potential. These systems, practices and processes underpin ongoingschool improvement, improved student outcomes and the professional effectiveness of all school members. Activeschool community partnerships will continue to be fostered and strengthened in the provision of high quality learningexperiences and improved educational outcomes.

Our self–assessment process will assist the school to refine our school plan, leading to further improvements in thedelivery of education to our students.

For more information about the School Excellence Framework:

https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching–and–learning/school–excellence–and–accountability/sef–evidence–guide


Strategic Direction 1

Provision of care, meaningful opportunities and high expectations to engage all learners

Purpose

Every student is actively engaged and challenged in their learning, developing deep content knowledge, a strongfoundation in literacy and numeracy and confidence in their ability to learn, adapt and be responsible citizens.

Overall summary of progress

The school has continued to provide a quality learning environment for students. Through a collaborative approach usingconsistent teacher judgment of student writing – school wide results demonstrate that 77% of students achieved 1 yearsgrowth in writing over the school year. K–3 value added data indicates a movement from delivering to sustaining andgrowing in 2018. School attendance data compares favourably to Similar School Groups (SSG) and state norms.

Progress towards achieving improvement measures

Improvement measures(to be achieved over 3 years)

Funds Expended(Resources)

Progress achieved this year

The value added data in SCOUTindicates a movement fromdelivering to sustaining andgrowing K–3 by 2020

4 Curriculum leaders

2 Instructional leaders

Evaluation tools for TPLand curriculum leadership

Time allocated for in–schoolTPL through RFF TPL BTRoster Teaching programs

RAM Aboriginal funding toemploy teacher – AboriginalPrograms TTFM studentsurvey

• The Semester 1 and 2 TPL and IL/CL practiceevaluations demonstrated that 50.75% of teachersrated the quality of school teacher professionallearning as excellent, 47.72% rated it as good and1.51% as average. • In relation to the impact on student outcomes theaverage result demonstrated over the year that28.97% stated that the TPL was extremely helpful,52.82% stated that it was very helpful and 36.1%stated that it was somewhat helpful. • The findings indicate a significant difference inSemester 2 with 62.5% of S2 and S3 teachersfinding the PL impact on student outcomes beingonly somewhat helpful, whereas ES1 and S1teachers all rated it as either extremely helpful orvery helpful. • Term 3 Learning Meeting data and follow upTerm 4 demonstrated that 79.35% of parents haveattended learning meetings with their child. • CL and IL class/student support data and learningwalks demonstrated that 81% of teachers K–6 areusing learning intentions, 72% are attempting toembed feedback, 91.5% are using studentpersonalised goals and 67.5% are using successcriteria in literacy and numeracy. • K–3 value added data indicates a movement fromdelivering to sustaining and growing in 2018. Weaim to maintain this level of achievement in 2019.

Increase the proportion ofstudents in the top two NAPLANbands for reading and numeracyfrom 29.2% in 2017 to 35% in2020





RAM Aboriginal funding toemploy teacher – AboriginalPrograms TTFM student

• 25.34 % of students are in the top 2 bands forreading and numeracy. Our Target for 2020 is 35%of students. We will continue our focus in 2019towards our goal in 2020.






Increase the proportion ofstudents in the top two NAPLANbands for reading and numeracyfrom 29.2% in 2017 to 35% in2020

survey • 25.34 % of students are in the top 2 bands forreading and numeracy. Our Target for 2020 is 35%of students. We will continue our focus in 2019towards our goal in 2020.

Increase the proportion ofAboriginal students in the top twoNAPLAN bands for reading andnumeracy from 16.7% in 2017to 19% in 2020






• 20.52% of Aboriginal students are in the top 2bands for reading and numeracy. • Our Target for 2020 is 19% of students thereforewe have met this target within one year. We willcontinue our focus and will aim to sustain and grow.

All students will achieve at least 1years growth in writing asdetermined by syllabusoutcomes, achievement againstlearning progressions andIndividual learning plans.






• Through a collaborative approach usingconsistent teacher judgment of student writing,school wide results demonstrate that 77% ofstudents achieved 1 years growth in writing over theschool year.

Next Steps

Executive staff will collaborate with stage teams to plan and implement high quality Teacher Professional Learning toincrease the impact on student outcomes.

School based strategies will continue to be implemented across the school in 2019 to continue to increase parentengagement/participation in the learning meetings.

Student writing samples will be used as a baseline to track writing progress over the year and for future years.



Focussed, persistent and collaborative development of innovative quality teaching and leadership practices

Purpose

Sustained focus on professional learning to increase staff skill and capacity, enhancing a school culture where every staffmember is engaged in relevant, evidence informed practices, thereby maximising student outcomes.


The school continues to support all staff in the achievement of their professional goals. Teachers are supported throughthe provision of Teacher Professional Learning which directly targets the needs of the teachers, the needs of the schooland the needs of individual students. The development of personalised learning goals for students has been significant.Teachers have developed Performance Development Plans which are relevant and supportive of improved professionalpractice. Teachers have become increasingly skilled in the use of visible learning principles, success criteria and qualityfeedback processes.





An increase in staff skill andcapacity to excel in teachingliteracy and numeracy.

PDP TPL Survey ILs andCLs

ILs and CLs Learningprogressions and PL time

TPL and timetabled in classsupport Teacher programs

• 95.2% of teachers effectively completed allrequirements of the Performance and DevelopmentPlan (PDP). Teacher PDPs demonstrated thatProfessional Learning over Semester 1 and 2 wasrelevant and supportive of their goals. • Semester 1 and 2 PL survey results indicated that100% of teachers found the Teacher ProfessionalLearning offered was relevant and supportive of theschool strategic directions and 90.3% stated that itsupported their identified PDP goals.

An increase in Staff ProfessionalLearning satisfaction andProfessional Learning coherencefrom 2018 baseline to enablestaff to map student achievementagainst the Literacy andNumeracy Learning Progressionsusing consistent teacherjudgement.




• All teaching staff used PLAN 2 to record and plotstudent progress in Creating Texts and AdditiveStrategies. All teaching staff have been providedwith Professional Learning in the Literacy andNumeracy progressions. • 29.15% of staff reported that the ProfessionalLearning about visible learning in Semester 1 and 2was extremely effective and 70.8% stated that itwas effective in supporting student learning andimproved outcomes in their classroom.

All classroom practices willdemonstrate growth in the visiblelearning principles of explicitteaching intentions, successcriteria, personalised learninggoals and quality feedbackprocesses in writing from 2018baseline.




• Teacher Professional Learning and in classsupport, including demonstration lessons havebeen implemented for all classroom teachers.Evidence of practice is observable in all K–2classes and most Year 3–6 classes. • End of year data indicated a significant shift inrelation to K–6 teachers implementing the principlesof visible learning in their classrooms. An averageof 81% of teachers are using learning intentions,67.5% are using success criteria and 90.5% areproviding students with personalised learning goals.

Next Steps

The Executive team will ensure that teachers Professional Learning needs are relevant and supportive of continuedgrowth. Additional support is to be provided to ensure that 100% of teachers complete all requirements of the PDPprocess.


Ongoing support is required for all staff in the use of the Learning Progressions and PLAN 2 to ensure a manageableand effective data entry and formative assessment strategy.

Continued Professional Learning, support and monitoring to be provided for all teaching staff in the principles of VisibleLearning with a significant focus on Quality Feedback in 2019. Four teaching staff members will also undertakeProfessional Learning and research in Quality Teaching rounds in 2019.



Provision of an inclusive and supportive school culture fostering whole school community partnerships and parentengagement

Purpose

Student learning and wellbeing outcomes will be optimised through significant, respectful and culturally inclusiverelationships, with ongoing communication, consultation and participation within and across the school community.


There are indications of increased feelings of acceptance and belonging within the student community at Taree WestPublic School. There has been a significant shift in parent engagement as evidenced by the increased number of parentsattending learning meetings.





From 2018 baseline increase thepercentage of students who havea positive sense of belonging atschool, have positiverelationships with their peers andwho are interested and motivatedin their learning to meet orexceed NSW Governmentnorms as identified in the TellThem From Me survey.

PBL procedures

School based data

Parents

• Trend data revealed a 3% increase in thepercentage of students who felt a positive sense ofbelonging at school. • There is evidence of revised PBL procedures inevery classroom promoting a consistency inlanguage. • Issues Management data indicates that the PBLfocus is communicated regularly in the newsletter.

Improve parent engagement instudent learning, as indicated byan increase in the percentage ofparents attending andparticipating in student learningmeetings from 20% in Term 12017 to 85% by 2020

PBL procedures

School based data

Parents

• Learning meeting data as at end of Term 4demonstrates that 79.35% of parents have attendedlearning meetings with their child. Feedbackobtained through the school P&C and StaffFeedback indicated an overwhelming positiveresponse to the change in process. • Data from the TTFM survey indicates that 89% ofparents either strongly agree or agree that thelearning meetings provided a valuable opportunityfor sharing information about their child. • An average of 90.5% of parents indicated thatthey were able to share information about theirchild's learning and well–being. and 84% of parentsstated that they have a clear understanding of theirchild's progress. • Parent satisfaction with the school was evident inthe results of the TTFM survey which indicated thatparents rated the school higher than the state meanin all aspects of fostering positive relations betweenthe school and community.

Next Steps

The PBL focus will also be included in Facebook notifications for 2019 and students will explore creating video snippetsof positive school interactions.

Further strategies will be implemented across the school to maintain the positive results and to continue to increaseparent engagement/participation in 2019 learning meetings. Information has been placed in the newsletter each week,and parents will be contacted directly by teachers to encourage participation during 2019.


Key Initiatives Resources (annual) Impact achieved this year

Aboriginal background loading $123 441 Taree West Public school has 110 Aboriginalstudents which make up 21% of the schoolpopulation. One Aboriginal Education Officer(4 days per week) and an AboriginalResource Teacher (5 days per week) havebeen employed to facilitate AboriginalPrograms. The Aboriginal Resource Teacherhas developed and facilitated the program"Our Voice" which contains a cross–curricularapproach which strategically aligns with allKey Learning Areas (KLA's) at differentstages of the program. This program ispredominantly a localised curriculum basedcultural immersion program that explicitlyidentifies Biripi culture and the Gathanglanguage.

Diagnostic, formative and summativeassessment have demonstrated significantimprovement regarding engagement andretention of knowledge and overall culturalcompetency with 83.3% of students retaining60% or greater of unit content. This issubstantial considering the majority of thesechildren have never been exposed to Biripiculture and the Gathang language before.Furthermore, as a result of classroomteachers being active participants in thisprogram, an inclusive culture whereAboriginal people, culture and values arecelebrated is clearly evident.

English language proficiency $5 976 Students who are learning English anAdditional Language or Dialect(EALD) areprovided with explicit, needs–based support,to develop their English language and literacyskills. This enables them to participate fully inschool activities and achieve equitableeducational outcomes.

Low level adjustment for disability $233 781 as a staffingallocation

Learning support is viewed as a keyresponsibility shared by all. Stage leaderscollaborate closely with their teams, with othermembers of the executive, with parents andwith outside agencies to ensure that students'needs are met. Teachers have developedIndividual Learning Plans for studentsrequiring adjustments. These have beendeveloped in collaboration with parents andcarers and service providers and are regularlyreviewed. Several students have additionaltherapeutic support services delivered atschool.

Quality Teaching, SuccessfulStudents (QTSS)

$91 099 as a staffingallocation

Assistant Principals deliver In class supportand interventions in writing. They haveprovided additional support for the attendanceand wellbeing of students.

Socio–economic background $450 879 As an identified EaFS (Early action forSuccess) school we have used funding tosupport quality classroom practices and thedevelopment of resources across Literacyand Numeracy programs and initiatives.


Socio–economic background $450 879 Additional teachers were employed to providelearning support within classrooms and fundswere also allocated for Professional Learningin L3 and intervention strategies to supportstudent outcomes through research basedquality programs.

Support for beginning teachers $61 842 The beginning teachers at Taree West PublicSchool have been provided with multipleopportunities to build on their quality teachingknowledge, skills and strategies throughtargeted professional learning and thepromotion of reflective practices.

The Department of Education has continuedto provide extra professional learning fundsfor permanent beginning teachers andtemporary engagements. These fundsprovide access to targeted externalprofessional learning, in school support,mentoring and additional opportunities forreflection and peer feedback.

In 2018 beginning teachers set goals throughthe development of their ProfessionalDevelopment Plans in consultation withschool executive, ensuring goals were directlylinked to the teaching standards and schoolmanagement plan.

Beginning teachers are further encouraged toengage in professional dialogue during stagemeetings and learning meetings to reflectupon personal growth in their teachingpractice.


Student information

Student enrolment profile

Enrolments

Students 2015 2016 2017 2018

Boys 230 253 247 256

Girls 246 256 274 280

Student enrolment numbers have continued to increasewith 21 classes being formed this year.

Student attendance profile

School

Year 2015 2016 2017 2018

K 94.6 94 95.1 91.7

1 92.2 93.4 93.8 93.9

2 94.5 91.4 93.5 91.1

3 93.5 94.5 91.6 91.1

4 92.7 93.6 93.4 90.7

5 92 91.3 92.7 92

6 90.7 91 92.5 90.7

All Years 92.9 92.7 93.2 91.6

State DoE

Year 2015 2016 2017 2018

K 94.4 94.4 94.4 93.8

1 93.8 93.9 93.8 93.4

2 94 94.1 94 93.5

3 94.1 94.2 94.1 93.6

4 94 93.9 93.9 93.4

5 94 93.9 93.8 93.2

6 93.5 93.4 93.3 92.5

All Years 94 94 93.9 93.4

Management of non-attendance

Parents are required to inform the school if their child issick or unable to attend school. Student attendance isregularly monitored and followed up by class teachers,school executive and the Regional Home SchoolLiaison Officer. The school will continue to review andstrengthen its processes to monitor and support studentattendance in 2019.

Class sizes

Class Total

ES1B 20

ES1S 22

ES1M 20

ES1G 22

ES1C 20

S1G 23

S1C 23

S1H 26

S1B 24

S1S 24

S1A 24

S2M 29

S2H 30

S2B 30

S2T 30

S2S 30

S3P 29

S3N 29

S3L 31

S3U 30

S3S 29

Structure of classes

In 2018 there are 21 mainstream classes. One of theseclasses is an enrichment class catering for students inYears 5 and 6. As far as possible, the remainingclasses are organised on a stage basis. Considerationis given to student wellbeing when classes are formed.


Workforce information

Workforce composition

Position FTE*

Principal(s) 1

Deputy Principal(s) 1

Assistant Principal(s) 4

Classroom Teacher(s) 20.66

Teacher of Reading Recovery 0.63

Learning and Support Teacher(s) 1.5

Teacher Librarian 1

School Counsellor 1

School Administration and SupportStaff

3.96

Other Positions 1.4

*Full Time Equivalent

Three teaching staff identify as being of Aboriginal andTorres Strait Islander decent. Taree West Public Schoolenjoys a close and productive relationship with our localAboriginal Educational Consultative Group.

Teacher qualifications

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

Teacher qualifications

Qualifications % of staff

Undergraduate degree or diploma 94.5

Postgraduate degree 5.5

Professional learning and teacher accreditation

Significant amounts of professional learning wereundertaken by Taree West Public School staff in 2018.Instructional leaders and curriculum leaders coordinateand/or deliver targeted professional learning, incollaboration with school executive to provide in–classsupport, demonstration lessons and lesson studyprocesses in the implementation of English K–6Syllabus and Mathematics K–6 Syllabus. There hasbeen an ongoing focus on the teaching of writing.Teachers collaborate within and across stages toensure consistency of curriculum delivery, includingstrategies for differentiation and consistency of teacherjudgement.

Twenty–eight teachers from TWPS completed the TellThem From Me Teacher Survey in September 2018.

Survey results indicated that teachers recognised thatthe school provided levels of leadership andopportunities to collaborate which were beyond statenorms.

Thirty–one teachers are maintaining accreditation at theProficient stage of the Australian ProfessionalStandards for Teachers.

Eight teachers are in the process of gainingaccreditation at the Proficient stage of the AustralianProfessional Standards for Teachers with an additionalteacher gaining accreditation during 2018.

Financial information

Financial summary

The information provided in the financial summaryincludes reporting from 1 January 2018 to 31December 2018.

2018 Actual ($)

Opening Balance 586,911

Revenue 6,019,467

Appropriation 5,867,055

Sale of Goods and Services 259

Grants and Contributions 148,759

Gain and Loss 0

Other Revenue 1,767

Investment Income 1,627

Expenses -5,997,099

Recurrent Expenses -5,997,099

Employee Related -5,557,907

Operating Expenses -439,191

Capital Expenses 0

Employee Related 0

Operating Expenses 0

SURPLUS / DEFICIT FOR THEYEAR

22,368

Balance Carried Forward 609,279

The responsibility for the School Financial Managementis the Principal's responsibility although the day to dayaccounting work is undertaken by the SchoolAdministrative Manager. The Annual FinancialStatement is linked to the School Plan in line with thebudget set by the Financial Committee who work withthe School Executive who plan ad monitor the incomeand expenditure against the budget on a regular basis.Funds available will continue to manage salaries,school teaching and learning resources, school


maintenance, utilities, administrative resources andcontract agreements.

The school is refining its financial managementprocesses and governance structures to meet financialpolicy requirements as it migrates from OASIS to thenew system.

Financial summary equity funding

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

2018 Actual ($)

Base Total 3,671,893

Base Per Capita 100,745

Base Location 3,502

Other Base 3,567,646

Equity Total 814,077

Equity Aboriginal 123,441

Equity Socio economic 450,879

Equity Language 5,976

Equity Disability 233,781

Targeted Total 387,016

Other Total 770,277

Grand Total 5,643,264

Figures presented in this report may be subject torounding so may not reconcile exactly with the bottomline totals, which are calculated without any rounding.

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.

From 2018 to 2020 NAPLAN is moving from a papertest to an online test. Individual schools are migrating tothe online test, with some schools attempting NAPLANon paper and others online.

Results for both online and paper formats are reported

on the same NAPLAN assessment scale. Anycomparison of NAPLAN results – such as comparisonsto previous NAPLAN results or to results for studentswho did the assessment in a different format – shouldtake into consideration the different test formats andare discouraged during these transition years.

Literacy

In 2018 Taree West Public School students moved tothe online test in aspects of literacy. Online testing ismore engaging for students and gives them a greateropportunity to demonstrate what they know. There maybe variability in the results this year which wasunexpected and not consistent with previous years. • 31% of Year 3 students were in the top 2 bands

for reading. • 29% of Year 3 students were in the top 2 bands

for writing. • 24% of Year 5 were in the top bands for grammar

and punctuation. • 22% of Year 5 students were in the top 2 bands

for spelling.

Numeracy

In 2018 Taree West Public School students moved tothe online test in numeracy. There may be variability inthe results this year which was unexpected and notconsistent with previous years. • In Year 3 the percentage of students in the top

two bands for numeracy was well above theschool average of the previous 3 years.

• In Year 5 6.5% of students were in the top twobands for numeracy.

The My School website provides detailed informationand data for national literacy and numeracy testing. Goto http://www.myschool.edu.au to access the schooldata. As schools transition to NAPLAN online, the banddistribution of results is not directly comparable to bandaverages from previous years. While the 10 banddistribution available to schools who completedNAPLAN online is a more accurate reflection of studentperformance, caution should be taken whenconsidering results relative to what was formerly a sixband distribution. As the full transition of NAPLANonline continues, the most appropriate way tocommunicate results for NAPLAN online is by scaledscores and scaled growth. This is the reporting formatagreed by state and territory education ministers, and isreflected on the myschool website.

Premier's Priorities: Improving education results

Reading

In Year 3, 31% of students are the top two bands forreading which was consistent with the school averageof the previous 3 years.

In Year 5, 14% of students were in the top two bandsfor reading.


Numeracy

In Year 3, the percentage of students in the top twobands for numeracy was well above the school averageof the previous 3 years at 27%.

In Year 5, 6.5% of students were in the top two bandsfor numeracy.

State Priorities: Better services – ImprovingAboriginal education outcomes

20.52% of Aboriginal students were in the top twobands for reading and numeracy. Our target for 2020 is19% of students therefore we have met this targetwithin one year. We will continue our focus and will aimto sustain and grow.

Parent/caregiver, student, teachersatisfaction

Each year schools seek the opinions of parents,students and teachers about the school. Taree WestPublic School uses the Tell Them from Me survey toolas one method of gathering data.

This year there was a significant increase in thenumber of respondents with 144 parents completing thesurvey, compared with 27 parents in 2017. The surveyincludes seven separate measures which are scored ona ten point scale. The school mean was higher than thestate mean on all seven measures. Parents indicatedthat they feel welcome in the school and theyacknowledged that the school supports positivebehaviour.

Students indicated that they try hard to succeed in theirlearning and they display positive behaviour at school.Student survey results show that the number ofstudents who participate in schools sports andextracurricular activities could be strengthened. Theschool will consider ways to meet this need in the 2018plan.

Teachers completed a Tell Them From Me surveyduring September 2018. Teachers rated the school wellabove state norms in the areas of Leadership andCollaboration. 100% of teachers either agreed orstrongly agreed that school leaders support teachers increating a safe and orderly school environment. 97% ofteachers either agreed or strongly agreed that theschool provides opportunities for teachers to sharestrategies that increase student engagement at TareeWest Public School.

Policy requirements

Aboriginal education

The school's Aboriginal Education Team held meetingstwice a term to discuss and review Aboriginal programsand support for Aboriginal students. This committeeconsists of five Aboriginal parents and eleven staffmembers. Some Aboriginal students attend thesemeetings on occasion. This year the school's Aboriginal

Education Team developed a vision statement "We arecommitted to providing support and initiatives so thatAboriginal Education at Taree West Public School isinclusive, engaging and culturally valid for all students,staff and community." To support this, the teamdeveloped a three year plan to improve outcomes inAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education at TareeWest Public School. This plan was endorsed by theTaree AECG and was identified by other schools andleaders in Aboriginal Education as a quality documentthat supports Aboriginal Education. This plan is linkedto our School Plan Strategic Directions.

The school is consistently represented at the Tareelocal Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (AECG)meetings each month. Two staff members are currentlyon the Executive committee as President and VicePresident. The school currently has 3 Associatemembers and 2 Full members

In Term 2 NAIDOC Week was celebrated across theschool in class groups. Two days of celebration andactivities involving parents and community took place.Female Elders and community members facilitatedsome of the activities as well as staff. At our NAIDOCAssembly 7 Aboriginal students were recognised fortheir achievements at school. The totems of ourAboriginal students were recognised and someAboriginal students gave the Acknowledgement ofCountry in Gathang language. Our boys and girlsAboriginal dance groups performed at the assembly aswell as our Stage 1, Stage 2 and Stage 3 choirsperforming songs in language. Sixty students fromYears 3–6 participated in a video conference to learnabout some influential Aboriginal women. This wassignificant as it supported the theme of this year"Because of her we can".

Indigenous dance has been injected into TWPSthrough a variety of mediums. The Aboriginal ResourceTeacher has facilitated localised knowledge throughincorporating localised dances. These dances are thenexplicitly identified through analysing how Indigenousdance can and has been used to share culturalknowledge. The school's dance group "Djarii WakaWanggaliyn" consists of 23 Aboriginal students; 10boys and 13 girls ranging from year 1 to 6. During2018, Djarii Waka Wanggaliyn has not only performedat formal assemblies at TWPS but also communityevents including the annual NAIDOC concert at TareeHigh School. From this group, 5 students weresuccessful in application to attend the 2018 ArtsInitiatives NSW Public Schools Primary AboriginalDance Workshops at Adamstown, NSW.

All staff participated in a cultural immersion day at alocal significant site during a staff development day.Staff participated in activities to raise their culturalawareness and improve their local knowledge of Biripiland, the Biripi people and their history.

In NAPLAN this year, our Year 5 Aboriginal studentresults demonstrated growth greater than or equal tothe expected growth in Grammar–Punctuation andSpelling.

The Yayngil Wirray program during 2018 has provided


all Year 3–6 Aboriginal students with the opportunity toparticipate in cultural visits to local significant siteswhere Elders shared the stories of these special areasand lore of the Biripi people. This occurred inpartnership with TIDE (Taree Indigenous Developmentand Employment) as part of the PaCE (Parent andCommunity Engagement Program) to improveAboriginal student attendance, to support the ongoingprogress of community/school partnerships and providethe opportunity for all Aboriginal students to build theirunderstanding and knowledge of their culture and localsignificant sites.

The school coordinated with Biripi Medical Centre toconduct medical health checks (vision, hearing anddental screenings) for all Aboriginal students in 2018.

Average attendance of Aboriginal students for 2018was 89.91%.

The Aboriginal Resource Teacher has facilitatedGathang workshops after school hours for parents,community members and staff members. This hasproven to provide a cultural pathway to engage parentand community members in the school which hasincluded Elders, parents, teachers from TWPS andother schools, departmental Community EngagementOfficers, Aboriginal Community Liaison Officers,Aboriginal Education Officers, students from TWPS andother schools, Aboriginal community members andemployees from Government agencies andnon–government agencies. It is envisaged that theoutcome of these sessions will continue to strengthenthe revitalisation of the Gathang language and promoteparents to engage in TWPS through the culture andlanguage available for their children at TWPS.

Multicultural and anti-racism education

Multicultural perspectives are integrated across all KeyLearning Areas in all classes. Units of work are linkedto the achievement of outcomes through the study ofcountries, cultures and world events. A greaterawareness of other cultures was reflected in thecelebration of Harmony Day by all students and staff.Students K–6, participated in in–class activities and awhole school assembly was held. Teaching andlearning programs support the celebration of majorcultural events as reflected in the community.Anti–racism programs are actively promoted across theschool as part of the ongoing teaching and learningprograms. The school participated in the MulticulturalPerspectives Public Speaking Competition. The schoolhas one trained Anti–racism Contact Officer.

Other school programs

Other School Programs

Early Action for Success

Instructional Leaders have led quality evidenced basedteaching programs. They have worked in classrooms

alongside teachers to model best practice and helpbuild teacher capacity.

Instructional Leaders delivered a range of professionallearning to K – 2 teachers. This included the newLiteracy and Numeracy Learning Progressions andPLAN 2, principles of Visible Learning with a majorfocus on teacher to student feedback, engagingstudents in quality number talks, mathematical problemsolving and inquiry based learning, Language, Learningand Literacy (L3) and Targeted Early Numeracy (TEN).

Four teachers participated in TEN training. OneInstructional Leader and four classroom teacherscompleted Stage 1 L3 training and one classroomteacher completed Early Stage 1 L3 training. Oneteacher completed the first year of Early Stage 1 L3training. One Instructional Leader and two classroomteachers completed the first year of Stage 1 L3 training.13 teachers on K – 2 now have full L3 and TENaccreditation.

Instructional Leaders have participated in leadershiptraining, 'Leading and sustaining a quality learningculture: an action learning cycle' and have beendelivering professional learning to the school executiveteam.

Instructional Leaders, stage leaders and K – 2 teachersanalysed student numeracy and literacy data every 5weeks. Instructional Leaders guided teachers throughcycles of inquiry. Student data was used to identifyat–risk students and these students were tracked andmonitored closely. A reading recovery teacher wasemployed five days a week to work with identifiedstudents. An intervention teacher was employed threedays a week to implement programs with targetedstudents. These programs included Lessons in PhonicsInstruction, on–going booster reading recovery lessonsfor students who successfully completed the readingrecovery program and early arithmetic strategies withYear 2 targeted students. Year 5 and 6 students weretrained as reading buddies to work with K – 2 students.

Instructional Leaders, Early Stage 1 Assistant Principaland classroom teachers visited all of the localpre–schools to meet prospective Kindergarten studentsand make initial observations. Prospective studentsparticipated in four Kindergarten transition visits andstudents with additional needs took part in extra visits.Instructional Leaders and teachers deliveredStory–Time in the library throughout Term 4 forpre–school children and parents.

68% of Kindergarten students are on track in reading.39% of Kindergarten students are reading at Levels 12and above. More students are reading at these higherlevels than in previous years. 84% of Year 1 studentsand 64% of Year 2 students are on track in reading. Itneeds to be identified the state office Early Action forSuccess team raised the end of year reading targets forYears 1 and 2 this year.

As the school has been transitioning from recordingdata in PLAN 1 to PLAN 2 it has been difficult to collatesummative data for writing and aspects of numeracy.


Through a collaborative approach using consistentteacher judgment of student writing – school wideresults demonstrate that there has been a significantshift in pedagogy in relation to writing and higherexpectations by teachers. Based on formativeassessment and teacher judgement there has been anotable improvement in students' writing across K – 2with 77% of students achieving 1 years growth inwriting over the school year. Children aredemonstrating greater writing stamina, producinggreater volume and there is strong evidence that mostchildren are using richer vocabulary. Spelling will needto be a focus K – 2.

In numeracy, there is evidence of significantimprovement in students' ability to articulate theirmathematical thinking and reasoning and applystrategies more flexibly to solve problems. Countingbackwards and using non count by one strategies willneed to be focus areas across K – 2.

Reading Recovery

During 2018 1 Reading Recovery trained teachersupported the school community. • A total of 14 students received one–to–one

Reading Recovery support. • Of this total cohort, 12 students successfully

completed Reading Recovery and reached theaverage level of their class in reading and writing.

• 1 student was referred for further specialist help. • 1 student did not have time to complete Reading

Recovery and will be carried over to complete theprogram next year.

• On average, students took 55 lessons spreadover 15 weeks to successfully complete ReadingRecovery.

• The male/female proportion of studentsparticipating in Reading Recovery was 8 maleand 6 female.

Positive Behaviour for Learning

Taree West Public School is proud to be a PositiveBehaviour for Learning (PBL) school. PBL employs awhole school, tiered approach to promoting positiveexpectations of behaviour thereby maximisingacademic and social success. By adopting the PositiveBehaviour for Learning (PBL) framework we are able toimplement strategies and systems that best support thewellbeing of our students. Through our tiered approachwe implement targeted group supports andinterventions such as the Playground Support groupand the Rock and Water program and individualisedsupports and interventions such as behaviourmonitoring charts, individual reward systems andbehaviour plans. In 2018 we have continued to embedPBL into our school systems and ethos. We have acommitted PBL team who meet regularly to evaluate,refine and improve our systems and processes. Weinvolve our students, parents, community members andall staff in the decision–making processes and in ourongoing evaluation and review of practice.

This year our school completed The School–wideEvaluation Tool (SET). The SET is an annual

assessment that aims to determine how accuratelyschool–wide PBL is being implemented into our schoolsetting. In the elements and the sub–scales that wewere assessed on, our quantitative measure was 94%.We are in the second year of the Tier 2 phase of PBLas well as consolidating our behaviour expectations forclassrooms.

Our PBL Coordinators delivered quality professionaldevelopment to our whole staff focusing uponconsistent management of behaviour and use ofproactive strategies. The social skills program, BounceBack, was taught in all K–6 classrooms to support thedevelopment of the skills and behaviours needed tobuild positive relationships, resilience and self–esteem.

Deriving from the regular collection and analysis ofbehaviour data, a focus rule is identified and a lessonplan is developed and taught each fortnight within allclassrooms and discussed in the newsletters andassemblies. Students are regularly acknowledged andrewarded for following expectations through valuedreward systems. These include: 'Eagle Tokens', pizzaparties, computer time, prizes and games. Our PBLEagle Awards are presented each term to a selectedstudent from every class. These students receivespecial recognition for their outstanding behaviour witha certificate, a Principal afternoon tea and their photo inthe newsletter and on the school Facebook site. OurPBL systems and practices contribute greatly to anestablished positive learning culture.

Choir

Our school was well represented in the choir section atthe Taree and District Eisteddfod again this year. Ourchoirs performed beautifully and with great discipline.The Stage 3 choir learnt a variety of new songsthroughout the year, performing at end of term andpresentation assemblies. Many choir members alsodemonstrated their community spirit by performing atTaree Carols in the Park.

Public Speaking

It has been another successful year for our school inPublic Speaking. In Semester 1, students from Stage 2and Stage 3 were selected to represent our school atthe local level of the Multicultural Perspectives PublicSpeaking competition held at Cundletown PublicSchool. Although none of our representativesprogressed beyond this level, the quality of speakingfrom the competitors was very high and our studentspresented prepared and impromptu speeches of anexceptional quality.

In Semester 2, the school held a very successfulclass–based public speaking competition involving allPrimary students that culminated in highly entertainingfinals for each year.

ICASCompetitions

The International Competitions and Assessments forSchools, or ICAS Competitions, are organised each


year by the University of New South Wales and provideopportunities for students to test their skills in a varietyof subjects and have their results compared withstudents of the same grade from all over Australia. Thisyear we had students from Year 2 to Year 6 entercompetitions in Digital Technologies, Science, Spelling,English and Mathematics. Our students wererecognised highly with 11 Credit and 14 Meritcertificates being awarded.

Dance Program

Students were provided with a variety of occasions toparticipate in a range of dance opportunities andperformances. The primary dance group participatedand performed at the Glasshouse in Port Macquarie atthe Lower North Coast Dance Festival. The selectedgroup of students rehearsed a contemporary–styledance with intent of finding the balance between usingtechnology and living our everyday lives. The dancegroup was additionally selected to perform on theShowcase night of the Lower North Coast DanceFestival and at our school's medallion assembly. Aweekly optional dance opportunity was offered to allprimary students where all students who camecelebrated dance as an art form and enjoyed a range ofdance styles.

Rock and Water

The Rock and Water program promotes and guidesself–control, self–reflection and self–confidence,delivered to a small focus group.

Approximately 40 students from Years 3 to 6participated in the Rock and Water program in 2018.Rock and Water is a program which aims to apply aphysical/social approach to assist children in theirdevelopment by increasing their self–realisation,self–confidence, self–respect, boundary awareness,self–awareness and intuition. This means that thephysical starting point is a basis for teaching andlearning mental and social skills. The children weretaught to control and focus their energy. A range ofphysical forms of communication helps them to learnother communicative skills.

Guitar Program

2018 saw the continued development of a school guitarprogram at Taree West Public School. The guitarprogram was run by a member of the teaching staffwho provided the students with explicit tuition on guitarwhich was held in the students' lunch breaks. Theprogram focused on lifting the profile of music within theschool and community and also developing the skillsand techniques of the students on guitar. The programwas a great success with over 50 students participatingin the lessons throughout the year. The guitar groupperformed at a number of formal events throughout theyear including a performance at our Creative Artsassembly.

School Concert Band

The school concert band program continued to develop

in partnership with the Mid North Coast Conservatoriumof Music. The program, in its sixth full year was a greatsuccess as students were able to receive explicitmusical direction and tuition from our band master MrRoger Griffiths on their chosen instruments.

We now have students playing instruments includingsaxophone, clarinet, trumpet, percussion and flute.Several of our school band students also receivedMusic Scholarships which were kindly donated fromvarious businesses, groups and individuals in the areaand our school community. This provided opportunitiesfor students to participate in the 12 month program.


2018 Taree West Public School Annual Report...These have included assisting with staff recruitment,...

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Transcript of 2018 Taree West Public School Annual Report...These have included assisting with staff recruitment,...