Matong Public School

Annual School Report

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Messages

Principal’s message

Matong Public School is located sixty-six kilometres north-west of Wagga Wagga, in the Riverina Region of New South Wales. Our small, rural school directly caters for the educational needs of our students from Kindergarten to Year 6 and enjoys a reputation for solid achievement in literacy, numeracy and working with technology. Current enrolments total thirty-nine students, with two full-time teachers, one part-time teacher (responsible for RFF and library), a part-time School Administration Manager, a part-time School Learning Support Officer and a school chaplain. The teaching staff is committed to continually strengthening its capacity to deliver a broad and high quality curriculum to all students in an enjoyable, supportive and stimulating learning environment. This commitment, combined with strong support from the parents and wider community and our ability to join with other local small schools, enables us to successfully work towards our objectives and ensure that our size and isolation do not have a negative impact on our students’ education.

I certify that the information in this report is the result of a rigorous school self-evaluation process and is a balanced and genuine account of the school’s achievements and areas for development.

Ian Lucas

P & C message

I would first like to thank the P & C committee members - a merry band of helpers who do a great job and make my job as president most enjoyable. Also, I must thank our wonderful teaching staff - Ian Lucas, Valerie McKelvie and the rest of the staff - for their teaching, support and encouragement of our children and our school community. Matong P & C has had a very productive and full year including the paving, cementing and new planter boxing around the palm tree at the front of the school - a very big job that involved many man-hours of labour. Thank you to all involved, including those community members not directly involved in the school but who still helped us out. Our major fundraiser for the year was the “Minute To Win

It” spectacular which was a great night and a fantastic social and financial success. Again, we subsidised the Stage 2/3 excursion to Lake Mungo and sponsored the Year 6 Farewell dinner. Coolamon Rotary must be thanked for their generous donation to the school which went towards the school purchasing a new video camera. The wood raffle was on again and we thank Warren Evans and David Booth for their efforts in supplying, cutting and delivering the wood. The money donated by Wagga Mutual Credit Union enabled us to purchase a new PA system for use by the whole community. This year we say a sad goodbye to Kerry Symons. After eleven years of service to the school you have certainly earned your long service and retirement. Thank you for your contribution to our school and our children. Congratulations to all on another successful year and I look forward to working with you again next year.

David Currie

Student representative’s message

It has been an honour to have had the opportunity to lead our school this year and we have done it in the best way we could. At the start of the year we travelled to Sydney with the captains of each of the schools in our small schools’ network to attend the Young Leaders’ Conference. Along with Miss McKelvie, we were invited to morning tea with the deputy mayor and councillors from the Coolamon Shire Council where we joined other school leaders to share our ideas on what could be done to improve our community. Other events we have enjoyed this year include leading our school at the Anzac Day march; fundraising for Stewart House; Jump Rope For Heart; and Happy Hat Day. We have participated in sporting events; Enviro Champs; the City of Wagga Wagga Eisteddfod; and many other exciting activities. We organised “Smiles Day” and raised nearly two hundred and fifty dollars for children less fortunate than us within Australia and around the world. We would like to thank all the staff at our school, who come with smiles on their faces every day and try to make our learning and school life as enjoyable as possible. Thanks to everyone involved with Matong P.S. for the opportunities you provide us. We wish you all the very best for the years ahead.

Abby Lenord and Emily Walsh

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School context

Student information

It is a requirement that the reporting of information for all students must be consistent with privacy and personal information policies.

Student enrolment profile

Matong Public School had an enrolment of forty students, comprising nineteen boys and twenty-one girls, when student numbers were collated this year. Ten students travel to our school from nearby centres. Enrolment figures have increased by seven over the past twelve months, due to a large kindergarten intake and families moving into the district.

Gender 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Male 13 15 19 14 19

Female 20 24 26 20 21

Student attendance profile

Student attendance rates at Matong Public School continue to be very good, scoring well above the regional and state averages. The accompanying graph and table indicate this has been an ongoing trend over several years. A school community that appreciates the benefits of regular school attendance by all students, coupled with regular checks of student absences by staff will ensure this trend continues.

Sch

oo

l

Year 2008 2009 2010 2011

K 96.5 94.4 96.2

1 93.1 96.9 89.1

2 94.1 95.5 95.7

3 94.7 95.4 97.3

4 95.3 96.9 95.1

5 98.2 94.3 98.7

6 93.2 96.4 97.2

Total 95.3 95.1 95.9 96.3

Reg

ion

K 93.8 94.1 93.6

1 93.3 93.9 93.6

2 93.2 93.8 93.8

3 93.6 93.9 93.6

4 93.4 93.8 93.4

5 93.2 93.6 93.4

6 92.9 93.4 93.1

Total 93.4 91.4 93.8 93.5 St

ate

DEC

K 94.3 94.7 94.7

1 93.7 94.2 94.2

2 94.0 94.4 94.2

3 94.1 94.5 94.4

4 94.0 94.5 94.3

5 94.0 94.4 94.2

6 93.6 94.0 93.8

Total 94.1 92.1 94.4 94.3

0

10

20

30

40

50

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Stu

de

nts

Year

Enrolments

Male Female 0

25

50

75

100

2008 2009 2010 2011

Att

en

dan

ce r

ate

Year

Student attendance rates

School Region State DEC

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Management of non-attendance

Overall, non-attendance at our school is not an issue. However, the following processes are in place for those few students whose attendance may, on occasions, cause concern:

parents are contacted and the student’s attendance record is discussed

DET attendance requirements are explained

the student’s attendance is closely monitored, including partial attendance

if attendance patterns do not improve, the matter is referred to the HSLO (Home School Liaison Officer).

Class sizes

Primary class sizes are included in the annual school report in order to provide parents with as much local information as possible. The following table shows our class sizes as reported at the 2011 Class Size Audit conducted on Monday 21 March 2011.

Roll class Year Total per year Total In class

KINDER K 8 8

STAGE 1 1 1 7

STAGE 1 2 6 7

STAGE 2/3 3 4 22

STAGE 2/3 4 8 22

STAGE 2/3 5 5 22

STAGE 2/3 6 5 22

Structure of classes

Matong Public School has two mainstream, multi-age, multi-stage classes. Our Stage 1 class consists of students in Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 whilst our Stage 2/3 class consists of students from Years 3 to 6. Our part-time staff member is employed four days per week to assist with literacy and numeracy groups, release our Stage 1 teacher for New Arrivals Programme (NAP) tuition, take library lessons and to provide teachers with their release from face-to-face teaching entitlement.

Staff information

It is a requirement that the reporting of information for all staff must be consistent with privacy and personal information policies.

Based on our school classification, student numbers and New Arrivals Programme special funding allocation, our 2011 staffing entitlement was 3.332, the breakdown of positions being indicated in the table below.

Staff establishment

Position Number

Principal 1

Classroom Teachers 1

Part-time Teacher 0.168

Teacher Librarian 0.084

Teacher of ESL 0.3

RFF Teacher 0.084

School Administrative & Support Staff 0.696

Total 3.332

The National Education Agreement requires schools to report on Indigenous composition of their workforce.

There is currently no indigenous staff member employed at Matong Public School.

Staff retention

Our temporary part-time teacher position was filled by three different ladies during the year for a variety of reasons. The teacher we had for the last term of this year has indicated her willingness to fill this position again in 2012. Our School Administration Manager took leave for term one in 2011 and has indicated that she will be taking leave from the start of 2012 until her retirement sometime during the year. Her position was and will be filled with a casual until a permanent appointment is made following her retirement.

Teacher qualifications

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

Qualifications % of staff

Degree or Diploma 100%

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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 2011 financial statement is tabled at the annual general meetings of the parent body. Further details concerning the statement can be obtained by contacting the school.

School performance 2011

Staff at Matong Public School endeavour to ensure that all students are exposed to as wide a range of relevant academic, sporting, social and cultural experiences as possible in an effort to provide them with a well rounded education that includes a variety of extracurricular activities.

Achievements

Arts

The school provides students with varied opportunities to foster talent in the creative and performing arts. Achievements for 2011 include:

participation in the Regional Waste and Recycled Art Project (WRAP) by our Stage 2 students. All entries were of a high standard and three were selected for display at the regional final

all Stage 2-3 students competed in the choral verse speaking at the City of Wagga Wagga Eisteddfod, where they took out a very creditable second place in the small schools’ section

all Stage 2-3 competed in the Multicultural Perspectives Public Speaking Competition. Ella Barrow, Rosie Currie, Abby Lenord and Kiarah Lenord represented our school at the next level, with Ella receiving a “Highly Commended” award for her section

a ten week dance programme was undertaken by all students which culminated in our Education Week concert item and end-of-year presentation night performance

students performed a singing and dancing item at a community concert raising funds for “Relay For Life” cancer research

Date of financial summary 30/11/2011

Income $

Balance brought forward 38149.13

Global funds 54706.73

Tied funds 20854.42

School & community sources 12149.47

Interest 2805.01

Trust receipts 15980.70

Canteen 0.00

Total income 144,645.46

Expenditure

Teaching & learning Key learning areas 14207.82 Excursions 1093.00 Extracurricular dissections 1523.48

Library 573.27

Training & development 1342.69

Tied funds 26616.12

Casual relief teachers 1526.44

Administration & office 25783.26

School-operated canteen 0.00

Utilities 8687.48

Maintenance 4368.39

Trust accounts 2620.00

Capital programs 0.00

Total expenditure 88,341.95

Balance carried forward 56,303.51

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all students from Kindergarten to Year 6 entered the John O’Brien Festival Writing Competition in Narrandera, with several enjoying success in the poetry and prose sections of this competition: Emily Walsh – 1st – Yr 5-6 Prose

Abby Lenord – 2nd – Yr 5-6 Poetry

Alex Costello – 1st – Yr 3-4 Poetry

Daneka Hatty – 2nd – Yr 3-4 Poetry

Kiarah Lenord – 2nd – Yr 3-4 Prose

Tyler Smith – 1st – Infants Poetry

fortnightly visits by the mobile library continued throughout the year, allowing the students access to a much wider range of reading materials, DVD’s, CD’s and videos than can be offered by the school

a highlight of the year was the Arcona Small Schools’ Network Education Week Concert held before a packed house at the Beckom Hall. The concert involved students and staff from Beckom Public School, Ganmain Public School, Grong Grong Public School and Matong Public School performing in individual school items, stage items and massed choir items, all of which delighted the enthusiastic audience and ensured the success of the evening

students from Kindergarten to Year 6 attended a variety of live performances including an Easter Pageant in Narrandera, “The Wizard of Oz” at Coolamon Central School and “The Dragon Returns” at Ganmain

as part of Book Week, our Stage 1 students and pre-schoolers were treated to a morning of literacy activities organised as part of the Coolamon Library’s Outreach Storytelling Programme. This was followed by all students participating in our Book Week parade and Book Fair, that was extremely well-supported by parents and community members

all students performed in a variety of acting, singing, instrumental and dancing items at the end-of-year presentation night.

Sport

The school’s emphasis on fitness and skills based sporting activities again resulted in some fine sporting efforts and achievements in 2011:

our school successfully competed in the Coolamon-Ardlethan Zone PSSA Small Schools’ and Zone swimming, cross-country and athletics carnivals

Jessica Barrow, Daneka Hatty, Abby and Kiarah Lenord and Fraser Menzies represented our school at the Riverina cross country carnival

Jessica Barrow, Bao Tran Dang, Kylie Fairfull, Nick McCorry and Daneka Hatty represented our school at the Riverina athletics carnival

all students participated in the end-of-year intensive swimming programme, resulting in significant gains in water confidence and swimming skills

Jump Rope for Heart was, again, an integral part of our fitness program and proved popular with students, staff and the wider community, whilst also raising funds for the Heart Foundation

Stage 2/3 students competed in the Coly Super 8 cricket gala day

students tried out for district and regional teams in netball, AFL and boys cricket. Fraser Menzies and Max Hatty were successful in gaining selection into the district AFL team

a combined Ganmain PS, Matong PS and St Brendan’s team competed in the Paul Kelly Cup – an AFL gala day competition for primary students

students and staff participated in the Premiers Sporting Challenge with all participants achieving at least to the criteria of the bronze level. Our school average for students was silver and for staff, gold.

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Other

ten Stage 2/3 students took the opportunity to participate in this year’s University of NSW Global academic competitions and met with a good deal of success: Jessica Barrow earned distinctions in spelling and mathematics; Amelia Altoft and Emily Walsh were awarded distinctions in computer skills; Rosie Currie received credits in English, spelling and mathematics; and Bao Tran Dang gained a credit in mathematics

our students and staff participated in the community Anzac Day march in Ganmain, where school captains, Abby Lenord and Emily Walsh, read the Prayer for the Nation. There was also a Remembrance Service held at the school

Year 6 students attended a Peer Support Leadership training day at the beginning of the year then capably led our school’s Peer Support programme throughout term one

Year 6 students, Abby Lenord and Emily Walsh, attended virtual classroom activity days that were provided at Kooringal PS

weekly religious instruction took place throughout the year and featured an inter-denominational Easter scripture service and an end of year combined Christmas service

students participated in a variety of learning activities including National Walk To School Day, Schools Clean Up Australia Day, National Ride2School Day and Bike Education Day, Life Education Van, Operation Christmas Child, Apple Quest, a major Stage 2/3 excursion to Hay - Balranald - Lake Mungo – Booligal, celebration activities for Education Week, Book Week, Science Week and National Literacy and Numeracy Week

our school captains attended the Young Leaders’ Conference held at the Entertainment Centre in Sydney and a forum for school leaders hosted by Coolamon Shire Council

Year 5 and Year 6 students attended science days at the Riverina Environmental Education Centre whilst Stage 1 students were involved in a Responsible Pet Safety programme

Amelia Altoft was selected to attend Stewart House and enjoyed her two week stay in Sydney

the school purchased five iPod touch units which have become a part of literacy and numeracy sessions across all stages

video-conferencing facilities have been used for a variety of purposes by students across all stages, staff and the school’s parent body

personal development lessons related to “Our Changing Body” were provided for stage 3 girls from Matong PS and Grong Grong PS

our Year 6 students, under the mentorship of Mrs Evans, participated in this year’s Enviro Champs project and, as a result, we now have a functional waste management system in place, a thriving vegetable garden and a developing native plant area.

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Academic

In the National Assessment Programme, the results across the Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 literacy and numeracy assessments are reported on a scale from Band 1 to Band 10.

The achievement scale represents increasing levels of skills and understandings demonstrated in these assessments.

Yr 3: from Band 1 (lowest) to Band 6 (highest for Year 3)

Yr 5: from Band 3 (lowest) to Band 8 (highest for Year 5)

Yr 7: from Band 4 (lowest) to Band 9 (highest for Year 7)

Yr 9: from Band 5 (lowest) to Band 10 (highest for Year 9)

Due to the low number of students in classes at our school, percentages do not give a meaningful picture of performance, as one child can make a difference of up to twenty-five percent. As individual students could be identified from such information, percentages will not be used in this section of the report. Instead, a general overview of results and progress will be made, as well as identification of areas for improvement.

Nine students sat the NAPLAN tests this year - four in Year 3 and five in Year 5. The literacy test assesses reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation. The numeracy test assesses number, patterns and algebra and measurement, data, space and geometry. Data provided to the school compares individual and school results with state and Statistically Similar Groups (SSG) averages.

Literacy – NAPLAN Year 3

Year 3 students performed quite well in the literacy assessment tasks, with a spread of results across all bands in reading, writing, spelling and grammar and punctuation. Our strongest area again this year was reading, with half those sitting the test achieving Band 5 and Band 6 and our school average being well above both the state and SSG averages. Spelling was very close to both the state and SSG averages, however, results indicate that we need to concentrate on the learning activities we provide in relation to writing and grammar and punctuation.

Numeracy – NAPLAN Year 3

Year 3 students performed quite well in the numeracy assessments with half attaining a Band 5 or Band 6 grading and the remainder being spread across Bands 2 and 3. Whilst our overall average results in numeracy were well above both those of the state and Similar School Groups (SSG), teaching staff are mindful of keeping all strands of numeracy a priority in their teaching and learning programmes.

Literacy – NAPLAN Year 5

Year 5 individual literacy results were good, with our school average being equivalent to that of both the state and SSG in reading, writing and grammar and punctuation. Spelling is an area where our results indicate further concentration is required.

Numeracy – NAPLAN Year 5

Overall Year 5 individual numeracy results were good with the majority of students achieving in the top three bands.

Progress in literacy

Students in Year 5 who sat NAPLAN tests at our school in Year 3 had this year’s literacy results (with the exception of writing) compared with their Year 3 efforts. Positive movement was indicated for all students who could be tracked, with the most impressive progress being made in the areas of reading and grammar and punctuation. Progress in spelling was well above the state and SSG averages.

Progress in numeracy

As for literacy, students in Year 5 who sat the NAPLAN tests at our school in Year 3 had this year’s results compared with their Year 3 efforts. Progress for nearly all students was evident, with our school average above that of our SSG average and just below that of the state.

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Minimum standards

The Commonwealth Government sets minimum standards for reading, writing, grammar and punctuation, spelling and numeracy for Years 3, 5, 7 and 9.

The performance of the students in our school in the National Assessment Programme – Literacy and Numeracy is compared to these minimum standards. The percentages of our students achieving at or above these standards are reported below.

Percentage of Year 3 students in our school achieving at or above the minimum standard in 2011

All students in Year 3 who sat the NAPLAN tests this year achieved above the national benchmark for reading, grammar and punctuation, writing, spelling and numeracy.

Percentage of Year 5 students in our school achieving at or above the minimum standard in 2011

All students in Year 5 who sat the NAPLAN this year achieved above the national benchmark for reading, spelling, grammar and punctuation and writing. Most achieved above the national benchmark for numeracy.

Significant programmes and initiatives

Aboriginal education

COGS (Connected Outcomes Groupings) units studied during the year by both classes have continued to have an Aboriginal perspective where possible and practicable, giving students a range of opportunities to expand their

understanding of Aboriginal culture, whilst at the same time presenting them with opportunities to appreciate Australia’s history from the Aboriginal point of view.

As part of NAIDOC Week celebrations, Aboriginal students and staff from Mt Austin High School, as well as parents and community members from our school, joined us for a special day of interactive activities that focused on aspects of Aboriginal culture – storytelling, art, craft, singing and dance. Sessions led by the Mt Austin students were thoroughly enjoyed by all present. The day culminated with a dance demonstration by the high school students, with our students joining in towards the end.

“Acknowledgement of Country” continues to be included at the beginning of all formal school activities and functions.

Multicultural education

Multicultural perspectives continue to be integrated into units of work in COGS, resulting in a growing awareness of other cultures and their importance and contribution to Australia as a multicultural society.

A highlight of our school year was Harmony Day, where we were treated to many aspects of Vietnam, homeland of a recently arrived family to our school. Bao Tran Dang (Year 5 student) and her mum, Thu Hang Do, started the day with a most informative and interesting presentation on a range of aspects of the history and geography of Vietnam and what it is like to live in that country. Students then rotated through various activities explaining aspects of Vietnamese culture. The culminating activity was a traditional banquet, prepared by the students under the watchful eye of Thu Hang and eaten with chopsticks, whilst sitting barefooted on the floor. The day was an outstanding success and gave all present an insight into Vietnamese life, an understanding of cultural difference and the opportunity to show respect and tolerance towards others.

The current affairs programme, “Behind The News”, is watched each week by Stage 2/3 and stories relating to the multicultural nature of Australia are regularly aired. These are used as a springboard for class discussions.

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Other programmes

School Chaplaincy

The role of school chaplain at Matong PS continues to be an integral part of the successful operation of our school. Neena Evans, who has very capably filled the role of chaplain since its inception nearly four years ago, continues to build her skills and develop her network of contacts with the growth of the work she does within our school and local community. The plethora of tasks she undertakes is amazing, yet she never appears fazed by her workload. She continues to work under the philosophy of ‘if I see a need, I fill it,’ which is greatly appreciated by colleagues in the workplace. The benefits of this service at our school are many fold, with the chaplain providing pastoral care and personal assistance for students, staff, parents and community members; assisting in the implementation of all facets of our welfare programmes and anti-bullying initiatives; networking with the welfare services and other agencies in the local and wider community to provide an ever broadening range of support services to the school community; and, supporting staff with school activities as required.

Formal and informal feedback from all sections of the school and wider communities continue to indicate that the school chaplain’s position at our school is held in very high esteem.

We have successfully applied for, not just a continuation of, but also an increase in, funding for this position for a further three-year term. We look forward to continuing to embed this role into the school’s welfare infrastructure.

Peer Support and “You Can Do It”

Our Peer Support programme continued during semester one of this year, under the capable leadership of our Year 6 students, and once again proved popular with all students from Kindergarten to Year 6. A very successful training day was held at the beginning of the year to prepare our Year 6 students for the group leadership roles they were expected to undertake. This training was again organised and facilitated by staff from Matong Public School and took place off-site with senior students from surrounding small schools also participating. The feedback from the participants and facilitators was very positive.

Stage 1 students continued with the “You Can Do It” programme, emphasising a range of skills for success which include resilience, organisation, confidence, persistence and being friends.

Learning Assistance

Our school receives limited Learning Assistance Programme funding which allows for a School Learning Support Officer to be employed for one and a half hours per week to support students experiencing difficulty with their learning. We have also received a little additional funding to support students with special needs. The staff members employed with this funding have done a wonderful job with the students in their care and the extra assistance given has ensured classroom teacher time has been able to be accessed by all students.

Progress on 2011 targets

Target 1

All students in Year 5 will show growth by at least the state average in reading, writing and overall literacy when comparing Year 3 and Year 5 NAPLAN results

Our achievements include:

NAPLAN data indicated positive movement for all Year 5 students who could be tracked, with the most impressive progress being made in the areas of reading and grammar and punctuation. Progress in spelling was well above the state and SSG averages. Due to the change of text type being assessed in the writing section of NAPLAN - from

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narrative to persuasive text - no comparison of progress was available from the data received.

in-school assessment and anecdotal evidence indicated positive progress from students across all stages within our school

staged maths groupings have been used during maths sessions, four days per week

professional learning opportunities in teaching literacy, with a focus on writing and spelling, were provided throughout the year, with our Stage 1 teacher successfully undertaking intensive training in the L3 literacy teaching model.

Target 2

Seventy-five percent of students in Year 5 will show growth by at least the state average in numeracy when comparing Year 3 and Year 5 NAPLAN results

Our achievements include:

NAPLAN data, standardised tests, internal assessment data and student work samples demonstrate that syllabus outcomes are being met by most students in all substrands of mathematics

Year 5 individual NAPLAN numeracy results were quite good and our school average was close to the state and SSG averages

positive progress was evident for the Year 5 students who sat NAPLAN tests at our school, with most of them exceeding the state and SSG averages.

Target 3

All students will display stage appropriate competencies when using IWB (Interactive Whiteboard) technology

Our achievements include:

students, staff and parents have been provided with opportunities to develop their understanding and ability to use technology within the school environment

peer tutoring has been used as a method of providing students with opportunities to develop their IWB knowledge and skills

all students are working towards stage appropriate competencies when using IWB technology.

Key evaluations

It is a requirement for all NSW public schools to conduct at least two annual evaluations – one related to educational and management practice and the other related to curriculum. In 2011 our school carried out evaluations of Planning, Creative Arts and our School Chaplaincy programme.

Educational and management practice

Planning

Background

Planning was evaluated this year in order to determine the school’s strengths and find areas requiring further development. All Stage 2/3 students, all staff and seventy-two percent of families responded to a School Map survey addressing key areas of Planning.

Findings and conclusions

Analysis of the responses received indicated:

all staff and the vast majority of students and parents were aware that the school had a management plan which made sense, reflected the needs of the students, was responsive to emerging needs and its main purpose was to improve student outcomes

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many parents and students were unaware of the content of the school plan, especially those who did not attend our parent information night at the start of the year or are not regular attendees of P & C meetings

whilst all staff agreed they were involved in the formulation and development of the school plan, only seventy-seven percent of families felt they had the opportunity for input and well over fifty percent of students felt the same way

allocation of funding for resources was well understood by staff and over ninety percent of parents and all students indicated they were aware of school purchases and why these purchases were made. However, a small percentage of parent responses indicated they would like to know of some purchases prior to them arriving at school.

Future directions

Whilst survey results revealed that parents, students and staff were aware of the planning mechanisms within our school and responses and comments were positive, there were some points raised that need addressing so as to improve the “ownership” of our school planning system. These include ensuring all stakeholders are aware of what is included in our school plan and how they can make a meaningful contribution to its formulation and ongoing evaluation and development; where possible, advise parents and students of anticipated purchases of school resources outside of the traditional forum of P & C meetings; and, actively encourage parents and students to refer to our Annual School Report so they can see how our school planning is closely related to this reporting document.

Curriculum

Creative Arts

Background

A cyclical plan has been developed to ensure each of the Key Learning Areas (KLA’s) is evaluated over a period of time. Creative Arts – incorporating visual arts, music, drama and dance - has been evaluated this year. Parents, students and staff were asked to complete questionnaires to ascertain how they view the teaching and learning of these Creative Arts at our school. There were eight questions to be answered plus the opportunity for written comments at the end. All students and staff and seventy-two percent of parents responded.

Findings and conclusions

Survey responses revealed:

all respondents either strongly agreed or agreed that Creative Arts is an important Key Learning Area and that students generally enjoy the activities provided

whilst staff were of the opinion that sufficient time was spent on the various sub-strands of this KLA, some parents and many students felt otherwise

a general consensus amongst staff was that following the Creative Arts sections of our COGS units severely limited their opportunities to engage students in additional, meaningful Creative Arts activities, with the possible exception of dance, which has been well-catered for over recent years

staff, students and parents indicated that money should be allocated in the school budget to upgrade the range and quality of musical instruments available for student use during music activities

staff generally felt somewhat lacking in expertise in some areas of Creative Arts and were looking for professional learning

the suggestion was made by a parent that the school look at giving students the opportunity to be accompanied by “live” music, as opposed to CD of recorded music, when learning songs.

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Future directions

staff expertise is to be assessed and utilised so as to maximise student outcomes in all substrands of the creative arts

a full stocktake of the school’s music resources is to be undertaken and necessary purchases made from the Creative Arts budget. If the allocated amount to this dissection is found to be insufficient, funds will be transferred from other areas of the budget

staff are to be encouraged to critically evaluate the Creative Arts component of COGS units being studied and, where possible, replace suggested activities with ones more meaningful to their students

staff are to be actively encouraged to participate in any Creative Arts professional leaning activities they might find relevant

staff will continue to source expertise from within the community to assist with maximising student outcomes in all sub-strands of this KLA.

Other evaluations

School Chaplaincy

Background

School Chaplaincy has been operating at our school for four years and applications for grants to continue this programme were called for towards the end of 2011. We reapplied and were successful in obtaining funding for another three years. Staff, students and parents were asked to complete a short survey in order to evaluate the school community’s perception of, and satisfaction with, this service. Again, all staff and students completed the survey as did seventy-two per cent of parents.

Findings and conclusions

one hundred percent of respondents indicated their awareness of the school having the services of a chaplain

all staff, ninety-one percent of students and forty-five percent of parents indicated they have used the chaplain’s services – either formally or informally – since the programme began

comments regarding the implementation and effectiveness of this service were glowing from all sectors of the school community, with virtually no suggestions being made as to how it might be improved, apart from making it a full-time position!!!

Future directions

funding has been granted for a further three years, increasing the hours provided by twenty-five percent

in line with the guidelines of the renewed funding for this position, our chaplain will undertake the mandatory training required

we will continue to look at ways of maximising the effectiveness and efficiency of this role to all sectors of our school community.

Parent, student, and teacher satisfaction

In 2011, the school sought the opinions of parents, students and teachers about the school.

Their responses are presented below.

Surveys covered a wide range of school-related activities including the school’s rapport with the local community, its commitment to the environment, school discipline, student behaviour, technology, student welfare, extracurricular programmes, resources, staff, uniform as well as school buildings and grounds.

All students and staff and seventy-two percent of parents responded to the survey, with overall responses being very positive and supportive of current programmes and policies.

All respondents – students, parents and staff – either agreed or strongly agreed that Matong PS is a good school that is attractive and well-resourced. It is staffed by competent teachers who teach the students well and are approachable regarding concerns about student progress. The respondents agreed that Matong PS maintains a focus on literacy and numeracy, offers challenging programmes for its students and achieves high academic standards.

Our welfare programmes and promotion of positive core values met with the approval of all respondents and they agreed that fair discipline exists within the school.

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There was agreement that our students are the school’s main concern, however, a couple of parent responses intimated some students could look at their behaviour and respect for themselves and others.

Access to technology opportunities was deemed to be good by most respondents, although a couple of parent responses indicated they would like to see more done in this area. Most acknowledged that a range of extracurricular programmes are offered and that extra support is provided to most students who require it. The majority felt we have a friendly school that is tolerant and accepting of all students. They felt we promote a healthy lifestyle, are connected to our community and we welcome parental involvement. There was full support for our uniform policy.

Again this year, one parent respondent felt that we did not have a strong commitment to the environment, despite all the work that has been put into our Enviro Champs projects and our successful application for a grant under the National Schools Solar Programme (NSSP).

All responses to these surveys have been noted and areas for improvement and development have been included, where appropriate, in our 2012 School Plan.

Professional learning

Teaching and non-teaching staff at Matong Public School have been provided with a range of professional learning opportunities to ensure they are able to keep abreast of current educational and administration trends. All staff members have willingly taken up these training opportunities, which have taken place during school time, after hours, on weekends and in holiday periods. The expenditure on professional learning for teaching staff in 2011 was $5 103.33 from Tied Funds, plus $1 342.69 from the school’s global funds. Professional learning programmes included school development days, after school teaching forums, L3 (Stage 1 literacy), Best Start, school chaplains’ conference, SASS conference, principals’ meetings and conferences, as well as mandatory updates in CPR, Emergency Care, Code of Conduct and WHS issues. In conjunction with the Northcott Foundation, an informative and well-attended Autism Spectrum Disorder seminar for staff, parents and community members was held at the school.

School planning 2012—2014

The school planning policy provides direction for the preparation and implementation of school plans including the identification of priority areas, intended outcomes and targets that are consistent with the NSW State Plan and the Department’s planning documents.

School priority - Literacy

Outcome for 2012–2014

All students show an increase in their reading fluency and comprehension of texts read and consistently produce quality written texts using correct spelling, grammar and punctuation.

2012 Targets to achieve this outcome include:

all students will show at least one year’s growth in their reading age

all students will show at least one year’s growth in their spelling age

All Year 5 students sitting the Naplan tests will show an improvement of at least the state average in all aspects of literacy

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Strategies to achieve these targets include:

data from Naplan results, standardised tests and student work samples will be analysed against syllabus outcomes in literacy so as to identify individual and whole school areas of weakness

these areas will become the focus for our literacy learning programme

support will be directed to identified students through individual programmes delivered by our School Learning Support Officer

our stage one teacher will continue with the L3 training and programme implementation

teaching staff and School Learning Support Officer will participate in the after-school Focus on Reading training being offered for our small schools’ network.

School priority - Numeracy

Outcome for 2012–2014

All students show development in all areas of numeracy, with an emphasis on the substrands of numeracy and working mathematically.

2012 Targets to achieve this outcome include:

all students will advance at least one Early Arithmetical Strategy (EAS) level

All Year 5 students sitting the Naplan tests will show an improvement of at least the state average in all aspects of numeracy

Strategies to achieve these targets include:

data from Naplan results, standardised tests and student work samples will be analysed against syllabus outcomes in numeracy so as to identify individual and whole school areas of weakness

these areas will become the focus for our numeracy learning programme

teaching staff will be actively encouraged to participate in any relevant professional learning opportunities in the area of numeracy that are offered

support will be directed to identified students through individual programmes delivered by our School Learning Support Officer.

About this report

In preparing this report, the self-evaluation committee has gathered information from evaluations conducted during the year and analysed other information about the school's practices and student learning outcomes. The self-evaluation committee and school planning committee have determined targets for the school's future development.

David Currie P & C President

Valerie McKelvie Classroom Teacher

Kerry Symons School Admin. Manager

Carmel Walsh School Admin. Manager (Relieving)

Neena Evans School Chaplain / SLSO

Abby Lenord School Captain

Emily Walsh School Captain

Ian Lucas Principal

School contact information

Matong Public School

5649 Canola Way, Matong N.S.W. 2652

Ph: (02) 69277824

Fax: (02) 69277877

Email: matong-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Web: www.matong-p.schools.nsw.edu.au]

School Code: 2501

Parents can find out more information about Annual School Reports, how to interpret information in the reports and have the opportunity to provide feedback about these reports at:

http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/asr

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