St John's Primary School, RiverstonePO Box 20, Riverstone 2765Principal: Mrs Patricia CharltonPhone: 9627 2588 Fax: 9627 2699Email: Riverstone@parra.catholic.edu.auhttp://www.stjohnsriverstone.catholic.edu.au

Introduction

About the Annual School ReportSt John's Primary School is registered by the Board of Studies Teaching and EducationalStandards (BOSTES) NSW, as a member of the Catholic system of schools in the Diocese ofParramatta.

The Annual School Report provides parents and the wider school community with fair, accurateand objective information about various aspects of school performance and development. TheReport describes achievement of school development priorities in 2014 and gives informationabout the 2015 priorities.

This Report is a legislative requirement under the Schools Assistance Act, 2008 and the EducationAmendment Act 2004.

The information in this Report is complemented by the school website where other schoolpublications and newsletters can be viewed or obtained from the school.

St John's Primary School, Riverstone Page 1

Key Messages

PrincipalI am proud to present to you the 2014 Annual School Report for St John’s Primary School,Riverstone.

St John’s is a dynamic, innovative Catholic School where each child is known, cared for,understood and learns to the best of their ability. We are proud to belong to a community whichis alive with the teachings of Christ. Our Catholic faith underpins the teaching and learningcurriculum and school activities to support the faith development of students and staff. Ourschool motto, Strive to Achieve guides us in all aspects of school life.

Our purpose is to provide a secure, educational environment which develops independent,lifelong learners.

At St John’s Primary School we value the importance of maintaining and building upon highacademic standards, striving for personal excellence within our community of learners,encouraging a highly professional and dedicated staff and developing an effective and collegialpartnership between home, school and parish.

At St John’sPrimary School our teachers are well-trained and committed to their own learning toimprove the teaching and learning outcomes for the diverse need of all students.

As a small school in a semi-rural area, we provide a nurturing community for students, ensuringthey appreciate God's gift of creation and the uniqueness and self-worth of themselves and theirpeers.

St John's Primary School community places a high value on justice, respect, inclusion and equity.

ParentSt John's Primary School is involved with the Local Community in a number of ways:

ANZAC Day Dawn Servicechoir performance - for example International Women's DayRiverstone FestivalVoice of YouthCatholic Schools WeekCommunity Outreach programscombined churches Christmas carolsmovie night to celebrate learningsupport for the parish with the Sacramental program

Parents are an important part of our learning community. At St John's Primary School we areblessed to have wonderful parents who are so involved in many activities in the life of theschool.

There are many opportunities for the parents to become involved in the school community:assisting in the libraryassisting in the classroomsserving in the 'Snack Shack' (canteen)representative sport (soccer, netball, touch football)school sport (cross country, swimming carnivals, athletics carnivals)excursionsfundraising activities (Mothers Day and Fathers Day, Easter raffles)various committees - Parents and Friends (P&F), book club, working bee, parent forums

St John's Primary School, Riverstone Page 2

'Meet and Greets' at the beginning of the yeargoal setting meetingsparent/teacher interviews

Parents are encouraged to attend all school events and celebrations of learning. In term 1 wewelcome all our existing and new families to a Welcome Barbecue. Throughout the year parentsare invited to walk through the children's learning space to witness the children participate inlearning on a day-to-day basis. Children look forward to their parents, grandparents and friendsvisiting their learning spaces.

We are fortunate to have a Parents and Friends Association who meet regularly to raise moneyto purchase much needed resources for the community of St John's Primary School.

StudentAt St John's Primary School Riverstone, we are very fortunate to have great subjectsand technology which makes the learning fun. We have laptops and iPads; we use them forresearch, writing and doing assignments

We have great teachers, staff and P&F. Our teachers help us and support us in lots of things;helping us do our work, helping us with issues and lots more. The P&F help by fundraising to buythings for our great school.

We have lots of sports at our school, for example; soccer, football, basketball and lots more. Weeven have gala days for soccer, touch football, basketball and netball. We also have a swimmingprogram at the end of term 4.

We also have excursions and incursions to help us with learning. Overall, St John's PrimarySchool is an awesome school and is full of opportunities for all the students. What makes StJohn's Primary School special is that all the students know each other. I am proud of our school.

Student Representative Council (SRC) LEADER 2014

St John's Primary School, Riverstone Page 3

Who we are

History of the schoolSt John’s Primary School has a rich tradition and history. St John's parish was formed in 1951,with Fr Keogh appointed as the first parish priest.

The church was built in 1904 and it still serves the St John’s parish community today.

In 1950 the Order of St Clare sisters began teaching. The parish hall was the first school building,with two classrooms. The James Mason Memorial School building was built in 1954 and thenearby building, closest to Garfield Road, was constructed in 1958.

Our two storey office building, canteen and classroom block were constructed in 1978. Anextensive building program, which included the refurbishment of the Kindergarten classroomsand the administration area, and the construction of a new, three-stream library was completedin 2001.

Since 2008 the school has had some significant refurbishments. Learning spaces were upgradedcreating 21st century learning environments that allow St John’s Primary School to offer aprogressive and innovative learning environment.

In September 2010 we blessed and opened our new school hall thanks to the funding from thefederal government's Building the Education Revolution (BER) program.

In 2014 the Stage 1 and Stage 2 learning spaces were refurbished.

Location/drawing areaSt John's Primary School is a dynamic, innovative Catholic school where each child is known,cared for and understood. We are proud to belong to a community which is alive with gospelfaith. St John's Primary School currently caters for over 100 students from Kindergarten to Year 6.

St John’s Primary School is an inclusive and welcoming learning community. We offer a positivelearning environment, dedicated to living the gospel values in our daily lives. St John’s PrimarySchool is equipped with up to date learning technologies and state of the art learning facilities.

Our school is located in tranquil semi-rural surrounds on the corner of Garfield Road andMcCulloch Street, Riverstone, offering spacious play and sporting areas. We draw students fromRiverstone, Marsden Park, Box Hill, Rouse Hill, Oakville, Schofields and Vineyard.

St John's Primary School, Riverstone Page 4

Workforce Composition

Category Numberof Staff

Number of teachers who hold teaching qualification from a higher educationinstitution within Australia or as recognised within the National Office of OverseasSkills Recognition (AEI-NOOSR) guidelines

14

Number of teachers who have a bachelor degree from a higher education institutionwithin Australia or within AEI-NOOSR guidelines but lacking formal teacherqualifications

0

Number of teachers accreditated to teach Religious Education 11

Number of teachers currently undertaking accreditation to teach Religious Education 0

Number of non-teaching staff (includes teachers' aides) 4

Percentage of teachers who are indigenous 0

The average teacher attendance for 2014 95

Percentage of 2014 teaching staff who were retained from 2013 100

Catholic Identity and Religious Education

St John's Primary School, Riverstone Page 5

Catholic Identity and Religious Education

Prayer, Liturgical Life and Faith ExperiencesLiturgical celebrations included:

Opening School Mass incorporating a commissioning ceremony for school leadersAsh WednesdayHoly WeekGrandparents DayFeast of the Sacred Heart Mission WeekFeast of the AssumptionMothers DayFathers DayANZAC DayRemembrance DayCatholic Schools Weekdaily praying of The Angelussupporting the parish with the Sacramental programChristmas Pageant Reconciliation for Stages 2 and 3parish mass participation

All meetings began with prayer and every staff member was responsible for preparation ofprayer a few times throughout the year. Staff prayer was held weekly where volunteers werecalled to prepare a small prayer and or reflection, using Lectio Divina for the forthcoming Sundaygospel.

Year 6 students participated in a Reflection Day to celebrate their faith journey in primary school.With support from parish and school, students planned for their Year 6 Farewell Mass.

Social JusticeSt John's Primary School works closely with the St Vincent de Paul chapter of our parish. Inwinter, families and school staff donated non perishable foods and warm blankets on the Feastof the Sacred Heart. Prior to Christmas, gifts for children and adults with non perishable foodsitems were donated. A Heart for Cans was formed during the ceremonial donations.

During Lent the social justice student leaders organised fund raising events for Caritas Australia.

As well as raising funds, the social justice leaders raised awareness of social justice issues in ourlocal community and further afield. The students worked hard to help students to understandthat there were people in our own community that needed our support - the homeless, drugaffected, marginalised and the poor.

Stage 3 participated in a Winter Sleepout to save money for the homeless and create awarenessof their needs.

The social justice student leaders also educated the students and staff about the problems facedby our brothers and sisters who are homeless or marginalised.

School home and parish partnershipsWe enjoy a strong association with the parish community. We invite parishioners to attend ourliturgical events and celebrations. The parish-based Sacramental program is well-supported bythe school, sharing resources and ideas as well as representative attendance at the Sacramentalmeetings. Both parish and school publish a weekly newsletter where information of events and

St John's Primary School, Riverstone Page 6

meetings. Both parish and school publish a weekly newsletter where information of events andactivities are shared and invitations extended.

Parents responded in large numbers to participate in liturgy, celebrations and fund raisingevents. Parent support and involvement was strong in extra-curricular activities that enabled StJohn's Primary School to be represented at various sporting gala days organised throughout theyear.

Parents appreciated, and have been regular visitors to, St John's Primary School website. Parentsenjoyed the opportunity to view the many photos taken throughout the year. We also developeda Facebook page in August to enhance our communication between school and home.

Parents were involved in many ways at St John's Primary School. As we see ourselves as acommunity of learners, we enjoyed the relationship we shared at our family curriculum eveningswhere we shared the gifts and talents of all members of the community.

Parents are invited to participate in a prayer session once per term Reflect And Pray (RAP).

Religious EducationReligious Education at St John's Primary School is a key element to how we live our faith. Westrive to lead children to know and love God by the teaching and example set here. The ReligiousEducation curriculum is based upon the Parramatta Diocesan syllabus, Sharing Our Story.

Throughout the year, teachers consistently reviewed their Religious Education program to ensureall outcomes were met and that the learning experiences were comprehensive, prayer rich,gospel focused and reflective of the shared Christian praxis.

The teaching and learning scope and sequence is based on a two year cycle for Stages 1, 2 and 3.The scope and sequence for Early Stage 1 is based on a one year cycle.

St John's Primary School continues to use To Know, Worship and Love, a resource from the SydneyDiocese. This program supplements our own Religious Education program, Sharing Our Story, toenrich the learning opportunities for students.

Religious Education is not confined to a 30 minute lesson each day. Rather, our whole teachingprogram is based on gospel values where each person and their gifts and contributions arewelcomed and valued. In particular, we acknowledge that the ways we interact and the ways wetreat each other as Christ would have wanted us to, are showing witness to what we learn in ourformal Religious Education lessons.

Professional Learning of staff in Religious EducationTeachers participated in regular professional learning in Religious Education which linked back tothe formation implementation goal: to deepen our knowledge and understanding of the role ofthe Christian story and vision in the praxis model. There were four designated staff meetings onaspects of Scripture linking it with the Religious Education units taught in all Stages. Staff prayeroccurred weekly where teachers volunteered to lead the staff in prayer and reflection of thegospel, using the Lectio Divina strategy.

In term 3 staff participated in a Staff Development Day in order to enhance their use of currentpedagogical practices and strengthen good literacy practices in the teaching of ReligiousEducation.

Teachers worked collaboratively on the planning, programming, implementation and assessmentof Religious Education at St John's Primary School. In particular we focused on use of currentpedagogical practices as suggested by the Catholic Education, Dioceseof Parramatta (CEDP) including; use of good literacy practices in the teaching of ReligiousEducation, developing Scriptural word walls, context of Scripture passage, use of Information andCommunication Technologies (ICT) in Religious Education and comprehension strategies in theunderstanding of Scripture (On the line, Between the lines and Beyond the lines).

St John's Primary School, Riverstone Page 7

Learning and Teaching

National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN)Students in Year 3, Year 5, Year 7 and Year 9 across Australia participated in National AssessmentProgram – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) in May 2014. The purpose of this test is to provideinformation to parents and teachers about the achievements of students in aspects of Literacyand Numeracy. The test provides a measure of the student’s performance against establishedstandards and against other students in Australia. Each year the results are analysed by theschool to inform teaching with a view to improving student performance.

The Commonwealth Government sets minimum acceptable standards for literacy, numeracy,reading, writing, grammar, punctuation and spelling at particular ages. These are referred to asnational minimum standards. Student performance in NAPLAN in our school is compared tothese standards. The percentages of students achieving at or above these national minimumstandards, and the percentages of students in the top three bands are reported in the tablebelow.

NAPLAN RESULTS 2014

% of students at or abovenational minimum

standard

% of students in top threebands

School Australia School Australia

Year3

Grammar and Punctuation 92 94 77 71

Literacy 92 94 62 69

Reading 85 94 62 69

Writing 100 94 38 69

Spelling 100 93 46 67

Numeracy 100 95 54 64

NAPLAN RESULTS 2014

% of students at or abovenational minimum

standard

% of students in top threebands

School Australia School Australia

Year5

Grammar and Punctuation 95 93 55 62

Literacy 100 92 55 56

Reading 95 93 50 60

Writing 100 90 35 46

Spelling 95 93 55 61

Numeracy 95 93 55 54

Students in bottom two bands in all aspects of Literacy and Numeracy were identified. TheReading Recovery teacher looked at past reading recovery students in the lowest two bands forreading. Three out of seven reading recovery students were in the lowest two bands for readingin 2014.St John's Primary School, Riverstone Page 8

There has been improvement in both Year 3 and Year 5 writing performance with no students inthe lowest band for writing. There has been an overall improvement in grammar andpunctuation. However, spelling performance is an area of challenge.

There were no Year 3 students who were below the National Minimum Standards (NMS) inwriting, spelling and Numeracy and no Year 5 student was below NMS in writing. In Reading (Year3) two students were below NMS and in grammar and punctuation one student was below NMS.In Year 5 one student was below NMS in reading, spelling, grammar and punctuation andNumeracy. While the number of students at or below NMS is as follows: Year 3: reading (three);writing (two); spelling (five); grammar and punctuation (three) and Numeracy (four). Year 5:reading (two); writing (four); spelling (six); grammar and punctuation (four); Numeracy (five).

Strategies implemented to support learning and improve performance:ongoing analysis of dataprofessional learning in the area of best practice for the teaching of spellingYear 3 and Year 5 students targeted by both classroom teachers and lead teachersadditional release time allocated for teachers to work with lead teacher and teachereducator in using the data more effectively and in analysing student work samplesteacher educator/lead teacher supporting teaching and learning in the learning spaceNumeracy results mapped with the growth point data to create a more comprehensiveprofiledevelopment of personalised student plansprofessional development in the areas of data analysis, building teacher capacity in theteaching of writingongoing investigation of best instructional practice

School curriculumThe learning and teaching programs reflect an inclusive model of education providing a platformto improve the outcomes for all students in all Key Learning Areas (KLAs).

The learning and literacy support team, along with the teachers aide, works with class teachers inproviding a rich and engaging literacy program.

Enhanced learning in technology is also provided and supported by our learning technologysupport teacher (LTST) and teacher librarian. The teacher librarian is also involved in cooperativeteaching/learning.

An Early Stage 1 Transition and Orientation program is run, comprising three afternoon visits forstudents to become familiar with the learning community and the school environment; parentinformation sessions; a buddy system; and individual interviews with the principal and teacher toensure a smooth transition into St John's Primary School for new students and their families.

The Year 7 coordinator from our feeder secondary school visits Year 6 each year to talk aboutenrolment procedures and transition. The learning support team supports particular students inmaking a smooth transition to secondary school.

During 2014 the teaching and learning programs for students, particularly for the morevulnerable students, were either maintained or established. The Reading Recovery and ExtendingMathematical Understanding (EMU) programs continued and the L2 program and Stage 1Intervention program was established.

In 2014, the school was involved in a number of co-curricular activities including:sporting activities, swimming athletics, cross country, soccer, touch football, netball andbasketballcultural activitiescharity days

St John's Primary School, Riverstone Page 9

Young Leaders DayRiverstone FestivalANZAC Day commemorationHoly Week reflectionChristmas concertvisiting guest speakersincursion workshops and entertainmentVoice of Youthschool choir performances in the local community

Initiatives to promote respect and responsibilityIn accordance with the federal government's initiative to promote Australian values in ourschools, a Values program was developed, involving all students, from Kindergarten to Year 6.This program worked specifically on values that we, as a school community, believed we neededto address. It entailed whole-class discussions, group activities and a whole-school focus,culminating in the recognition of student efforts through weekly values awards.

Professional LearningProfessional learning undertaken by staff in 2014 included:

weekly professional learning meetings, including learning and teaching inquiries aimed atbuilding teacher capacity (data analysis, writing, numeracy)staff development days to facilitate learning in numeracy, literacy, spiritual formation,implementation of the national curriculum and NAPLAN data analysisEarly Stage 1 and Stage 1 teachers' participation in Focus 160 professional learning, EarlyYears Assessment implementation and Running Record trainingattendance at the Religious Literacy Assessment training day by the Stage 2 teachers andthe Religious Education coordinatorleadership team attendance at the system based professional learning days principalattendance at the principals' master classtraining one teacher as an EMU specialist teachertraining a teacher in implementation of the L2 programfour teachers attending the leaders training days in Writing Connectionsgaining a deeper understanding of the new English curriculumpersonalised plans trainingReligious Literacy Assessment trainingprincipal's attendance at Principal's Masterclassleadership team attendance at analysing Quality Catholic Schools dataleadership team attendance at the system-based professional learning daysinstructional walks National Improvement Tool Framework (for analysing school improvement/effectiveness)Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and anaphalyxis traingingnumeracy - space and measurementL2 training of staffFACES trainingEMU leader reconnector coursestraining in developing personalised plans

St John's Primary School, Riverstone Page 10

School Improvement

Annual school prioritiesPriority 1 Our first priority was to improve learning outcomes in numeracy with

particular focus on place value.

Reason for priority 1 This priority supports the the Catholic Education Diocese ofParramatta (CEDP) Strategic Goal for improving student learningoutcomes in numeracy. The school has undertaken the Extending MathematicalUnderstanding initiative. The place value focus stems directly from the student data.

Steps taken to achievepriority 1

Every student was assessed using the Mathematical AssessmentInterview tool.Teachers created numeracy profiles for every student andidentified their point of need.Professional learning sessions were conducted to build teachercapacity.Data wall was constructed to track student growth in each ofthe domains.

Status of priority 1 Achieved

Priority 2 Our second priority was in literacy with a focus on writing structuredtexts for audience and purpose.

Reason for priority 2 This priority supports the Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta(CEDP) Strategic Goal for improving student learning outcomes inliteracy.

The focus on writing was as a result of analysis of writing data fromonsite sources and standardised tests eg NAPLAN.

Steps taken to achievepriority 2

Professional learning sessions were conducted to build teachercapacity in teaching writing.Teachers utilised writing profiles to analyse writing samples.The literacy continuum was introduced to teachers as a tool forthe analysis of writing data.A literacy data wall was constructed in order to plot and trackstudent development.

Status of priority 2 Ongoing

St John's Primary School, Riverstone Page 11

Priority 3 To further enhance spirituality of staff and students through Scripture

Reason for priority 3 After analysing the 2014 Religious Literacy Assessment (RLA) results,prayer and Scripture are the components that need furtherdevelopment.

Steps taken to achievepriority 3

Professional learning staff development day to focus ondeepening understanding of Scripture.Utilising intentional strategies for teaching of Scripture(eg Lectio Divina, Scripture word walls, meditation)gospel action of the week for students and teachersReflect and Pray - gospel reflection for parents

Status of priority 3 Ongoing

St John's Primary School, Riverstone Page 12

Projected school prioritiesPriority 1 Improve student outcomes in numeracy

Reason for Priority 1 This priority was chosen as a result of the school implementation planwhich is based on the Mathematical Assessment Interview (MAI) trenddata.

We will continue the Numeracy Implementation Plan Goal of improvingstudent outcomes in numeracy with a focus on place value.

Steps taken to achievePriority 1

focused staff professional learningstaff administering and analysing MAI datalearning profiles developed for all studentsdevelop differentiated learning programsconduct case management for the most vulnerable students

Priority 2 Our second projected priority is to continue to focus on all studentswriting detailed texts for an intended audience and purpose.

Reason for Priority 2 Having built teacher capacity through the previous year thepriority now switches focus to embedding the gained knowledgein teacher practice.We will have going analysis of writing data in situ and fromstandardised test data.

Steps taken to achievePriority 2

This will be achieved by:continued support for teachers in building their knowledge,understanding and skills in the teaching of writing throughcollaborative planning, modelling, and ongoing reflectionteacher educator and school leadership team engaging withteachers in the work around 'best practice'providing feedback to teachers at fortnightly Literacy Feedbacksessions (attended by teacher educator) and professionallearning meetings

St John's Primary School, Riverstone Page 13

Priority 3 To enhance the spirituality of staff and students through Scripture

Reason for Priority 3 Religious Literacy Assessment results and ongoing monitoring ofteacher and student understanding and knowledge of Scripturedemonstrates a need in this area.

Steps taken to achievePriority 3

promotion of professional learning opportunities in Scriptureongoing reading and analysis of text Forming IntentionalDisciplesmaking the link between the word of the Scripture and socialjustice issuesinvestigation and application of the theological background ofreligious units of work to be taughtgreater use of reflective practice, in particular meditationongoing engagement with the gospels

Community Satisfaction

St John's Primary School, Riverstone Page 14

Community Satisfaction

Parent satisfactionDuring 2014, Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta, once again, engaged Insight SRC toconduct the Quality Catholic Schooling (QCS) survey to provide feedback from parents, studentsand staff about our school. This survey is conducted annually.

The QCS data that was collected and analysed indicated that parents were generally satisfiedwith the school. This was evident from the information given by parents in the domains of staffengagement and student engagement. Parents felt connected to the school and believed thatteacher morale was high. Parents were also satisfied with the quality of the teaching andlearning programs; recognising that the school provided stimulating learning experiences andthat students were motivated to engage in their learning.

Parents were extremely satisfied with the Catholic culture of the school; it was noted as a majorstrength. Parents expressed their belief that the school offered many opportunities for thepractice of the Catholic faith which was evident by the compassionate behaviour of the staff andstudents and by the importance the school placed on social justice.

Student satisfactionThe QCS data showed that students felt connected to the school and felt a strong sense ofbelonging, as a result of this, they viewed the school in a most positive light. Students also noteda relatively positive relationship with their peers and were confident in their own learning. Thedata also indicated that the students believed that their learning experiences were stimulatingand the teaching was effective. The students' responses demonstrated the importance theyplaced on the Catholic culture and being a part of a Catholic school.

Teacher satisfactionThe QCS data showed that working in partnership with families and parish in the school contextwas important to the teachers. They valued the opportunity to deepen their faith andexperienced positive relationships with peers in an environment that displayed compassion andsupported social justice activities.

Teachers felt that there was a positive tone in the school and they valued working withcolleagues as a part of a team.

Teachers indicated that their classroom practice was engaging and stimulating for their group oflearners.

Throughout the year there was a need to explore further teacher perceptions of how to managestudent behaviour.

St John's Primary School, Riverstone Page 15

Student Profile

Enrolment PolicySt John's Primary School follows the Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta (CEDP) document,Enrolment Procedures in Parramatta Catholic Systemic Schools, September 2014. This documentcan be obtained from the school office or is available on the CEDP websitehttp://www.parra.catholic.edu.au/policy-central

Current and previous years' student enrolmentYear Boys Girls Total

2012 66 54 120

2013 52 55 107

2014 50 57 107

Student attendance ratesThe table below shows the percentage of student attendance by Year level and school average.

Kindergarten 96.2

Year 1 94.3

Year 2 94.3

Year 3 95.3

Year 4 93.7

Year 5 93.1

Year 6 94.1

School Average 77.3

Characteristics of the student bodyThe table below shows the number of students in each of the categories listed.

Language background other than English (LBOTE) 16

Students with disablities (SWD) 5

Indigenous 0

Managing Student Non-attendanceRegular attendance at school is essential if students are to maximise their potential. Schools inpartnership with parents and guardians, are responsible for promoting the regular attendance ofstudents. The compulsory schools age is 6-17. Parents and guardians are legally responsible forthe regular attendance of their children, explaining the absences of their children in writingwithin several days to the school, and taking measures to resolve attendance issues involvingtheir children. School staff as part of their duty of care, monitor part or whole day absences.They maintain accurate records of students attendance, follow up unexplained absences throughwritten and verbal communication, implement programs and practices to address attendanceissues when they arise, and provide clear information to students and parents regarding

St John's Primary School, Riverstone Page 16

issues when they arise, and provide clear information to students and parents regardingattendance requirements and the consequences of unsatisfactory attendance. The principal ortheir delegate, may grant permission for late arrival or early departure from school, leave orexemption from attendance only in individual cases, on written request from parents andguardians. The principal/delegate will undertake all reasonable measures to contact parentspromptly if an unexplained absence occurs. If truancy is suspected, the principal will contact theparents/guardians to ascertain the reason for the absence. If a satisfactory response is notreceived, the matter will be referred to the relevant staff at the Catholic Education Office,Diocese of Parramatta who will follow up unexplained absences as per legislative requirements.

St John's Primary School, Riverstone Page 17

Student wellbeing

Student welfare, discipline and anti-bullying policies and pastoral careThe Student Welfare policy was implemented in 2005. The document is underpinned by theschool's Mission Statement and has at its foundation, the shared beliefs of what parents, staffand students value about St John's Primary School.

The document includes a detailed discussion of the rights and responsibilities of all of theschool's stakeholders: parents, students and staff. It specifically outlines: strategies for behaviourmanagement; specific school rules; the school's reward and acknowledgement system; and acontinuum of consequences associated with poor choices in behaviour.

Each year, the staff revisits the document to ensure that it reflects the culture and practice of ourschool community.

During 2014 the Student Welfare/Management policy was reviewed. The outcome of the reviewsaw a reduction in school rules and the introduction of a Student Management Flowchart whichnames the steps in the management of student behaviour. A number of key stakeholders [schoolcounsellor, Catholic Education, Diocese of Parramatta (CEDP) student service officers, staff,parents, and students contributed to the development of the flowchart]. The steps in theflowchart are continually monitored and have been adjusted when necessary. In order toimprove practices and procedures further the Helping Hands program was alsointroduced; a bullying audit was undertaken and playground incident folders were introduced.The folders provide valuable data on what is happening on the playground during recess andlunch time.

The school has an anti-bullying policy in line with the system policy. The school has a counsellorone day a week to support families and students in need.

The full text of student management, welfare and discipline policies can be obtained from theschool office.

Complaints and grievances policyThe school has formal written protocols in place to address complaints and grievances. Theseprotocols are in line with the Catholic Education, Diocese of Parramatta Complain Handlingpolicy. A copy of the school policy is available from the school office or is available on the CEDPwebsite http://www.parra.catholic.edu.au/policy-central. There were no changes to the policyduring 2014.

St John's Primary School, Riverstone Page 18

Section Eleven: Financial Statement

Income Expenditure

Commonwealth (64.9%)Capital (0%)State (24%)Fees (9.2%)Other (2%)

Capital (2.8%)Salary (73.2%)Non-Salary (24%)

RECURRENT and CAPITAL INCOME

Commonwealth Recurrent Grants 1 $1,364,733

Government Capital Grants 2 $474

State Recurrent Grants 3 $503,985

Fees and Private Income 4 $192,822

Other Capital Income 5 $42,266

Total Income $2,104,280

RECURRENT and CAPITAL EXPENDITURE

Capital Expenditure 6 $57,102

Salaries and Related Expenses 7 $1,481,135

Non-Salary Expenses 8 $485,108

Total Expenditure $2,023,345

1. Commonwealth relates to Commonwealth Recurrent Grants including per capita fundingand special purporse grants.

2. Capital relates to Government Capital Grants.3. State relates to State Recurrent Grants including per capita funding, interest subsidy and

special purpose grants .4. Fees relates to diocesean and school based fees, excursions and other private income

from fundraisers.5. Other refers to Other Capital Income including drawdowns from the Diocesean School

Building Fund to fund Capital Expenditure.6. Capital refers to Capital Expenditure including School Buildings, Furniture and Equipment.7. Salaries refers to to the total of all Salaries, allowances and related expenses such as

superannuation, workers compensation and leave.8. Non-Salary refers to all other Non-Salary Recurrent Expenses.

9.2%

24%

64.9%

■■■■■

24%

73.2%

■■■

St John's Primary School, Riverstone Page 19

St John's Primary School, Riverstone Page 20