Martindale Public SchoolAnnual School Report

2011

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Our school at a glance

Students

The average student enrolment for the 2011 academic year at Martindale Public School was 17 students. This comprised 5 females and 12 males. Martindale Public School had 35% Aboriginal student enrolment in 2011.

Daily attendance for the school was 97% which was well above the regional and State attendance rate of 93.9% and 94.3% respectively. Attendance rates have continued to improve over the last three years moving up from 93.2% in 2008.

Staff

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

Martindale Public School has a dedicated teaching and ancillary staff committed to providing relevant, engaging learning programs in a pleasant supportive environment. Student learning was optimized with a teaching principal, a part time teacher, a permanent part-time school learning support officer and three casually employed school learning support officers, a permanent part-time school administration manager and a general assistant.

All teaching staff meet the professional requirements for teaching in NSW Public Schools.

Significant programs and initiatives

Martindale Public School is a National Partnership Low Socio-economic school and as such receives additional funds to help eliminate the achievement gap between students. The funds enable us to purchase relevant resources, host parent workshops and employ additional staff so that withdrawal groups can operate in the critically important literacy and numeracy block. This is allowing us to provide wonderful individual support for all students.

Student achievement in 2011

We had three Year 3 students sit the NAPLAN test in 2011 and no Year 5. There were some pleasing individual results with an average of Band 4 in literacy and an average of Band 3 in numeracy. No results will be reported in this document as they would identify individual students.

Messages

Principal’s messageDeveloping strengths and providing opportunities for both staff and students has been the order for 2011.

Strengths we have built on are literacy and continuing to develop our Accelerated Literacy program. New staff were trained and opportunities sought to immerse staff in proficient AL classrooms. The students have benefited greatly and consequently they are beginning to grow with their writing skills.

Staff have been trained in Targeted Numeracy Teaching (TNT) and becoming confident with more powerful maths lessons. The students are enjoying the hands on approach to maths.

The structure and nature of our school allows for close monitoring of student progress and implementation of individual learning plans as, and when, appropriate.

July holidays saw the erection of a COLA between the new building and the old. This project was a 50/50 funded project with the Department and has provided our students with much needed shade, covered bag area and a dry area in time of rain. The project was completed very quickly and has made a huge impact on the outdoor activity potential for our students.

The completion of our BER saw us moving into our new library/office/administration area on the first day of school for 2011. The new area is wonderful and allows our school to carry out its

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various functions in a much more professional setting. Our completed project was opened by the Honorable Joel Fitzgibbons in September. The opening was well attended by parents , community members and media.

Martindale Public School continues to be the focus of our small community and is blessed with enormous amounts of help whenever we need it for a variety of purposes. We have been most fortunate in getting access to past students to come back and help out with various things such as bike-a-thons, computer education, sport coaching, art workshops, music tuition and dance. This has also allowed our students to be exposed to a broader perspective of future studies and careers as well as more engaged learners.

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.

Sharon Rivers

P & C message2011 was another very busy and productive year for the Martindale P & C.

The P & C worked very hard on many diversified fundraising activities including cake stalls, raffles, pie drives, body shop parties, tea towel drives and our annual shopping trip to Tuggerah. For the first time, this year the P & C catered for the Denman Motorcycle Club race days. As these race

days proved very profitable, Martindale P & C will be looking at catering the days again in 2012.

The P & C donated money towards the Great Aussie Bush Camp overnight excursion for primary and infant students. On all accounts this excursion was a great success, thoroughly enjoyed by staff and students alike. Donations were also made towards books for book week and the Christmas Tree book prizes.

In 2012 the P & C look forward to another busy year of fundraising and working together with the school to purchase a new rubber playing surface for underneath the new COLA and any other improvements to the school as they arise.

2011 P&C President

Mrs Michelle O’Hara

Student representative’s message2011 has been a great year at Martindale Public School.

I was voted School Captain which made me very proud. I tried to do my best in the role and help other students with their learning and problems.

Martindale Public School won the Pittman Cup athletics which was really cool and a lot of our school did really well.

Year 6 had lots of responsibilities including helping with the opening of our new building.

Excursions were awesome! We went to Sydney by train to see the Terracotta Warriors, Aussie Bush Camp and the Reptile Park. Aussie Bush Camp was the best ever. We got to do heaps of cool things like the flying fox and canoeing. The food was pretty good too.

I have enjoyed my time at Martindale and have learned lots of things to help me be ready for High School. I think it’s a great school where everyone gets a fair go.

School Captain 2011, Hayden Moxey

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School context

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

Student enrolment profile

Gender 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011Male 8 12 13 11 10Female 4 5 8 8 5

0

5

10

15

20

25

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Stud

ents

Year

Enrolments

Male Female

Student attendance profile

0

25

50

75

100

2008 2009 2010 2011

Atten

danc

e ra

te

Year

Student attendance rates

School Region State DEC

Management of non-attendance

While parents are legally responsible for their child’s regular attendance at school, the school records all whole and part day absences. Parents are required to notify the school regarding reason of absence. Our attendance data is monitored by the Home School Liaison Officer and referrals are

made if there is a pattern of regular non-attendance.

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 YearK-6 K

K-6 1K-6 2K-6 3

K-6 4K-6 6 18

Total In class18

181818

18

Total per year4

513

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Structure of classes

Internal funds and some National Partnership money allow for the operation of two classes so that intensive literacy and numeracy groups may operate.

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

Staff establishment

Position NumberPrimary Teaching Principal 6 1.0

Primary Part-time Teacher 0.084Primary Teacher RFF 0.042

Primary Teacher Librarian 0.084

School Learning Support Officer 0.296Primary School Administrative Manager 0.496Total 2.002

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

There were no Indigenous teachers included on the Martindale Public School staff.

Staff retention

A relieving principal has been employed for the entire 2011 year. This has necessitated a new temporary teacher to be employed. This staff member has been extremely dedicated and keen to educate the children at Martindale Public School.

Teacher qualifications

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

Martindale Public School has dedicated, competent and caring teachers that bring a broad range of experiences and energy to our small school.

Supporting the teaching staff is an outstanding team of SLSO’s, administration and ground staff. All take great pride in our school and play an important role in supporting students, teachers and parents.

Qualifications % of staffDegree or Diploma 100%

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

Date of financial summary 30/11/2011

Income $ Balance brought forward 96524.10 Global funds 42094.38 Tied funds 20250.50 School & community sources 10282.40 Interest 3959.06 Trust receipts 3174.45 Canteen 0.00 Total income 79760.79 Expenditure Teaching & learning

Key learning areas 5694.47 Excursions 3071.84 Extracurricular dissections 3488.95

Library 5528.71 Training & development 1097.65 Tied funds 45907.50 Casual relief teachers 0.00 Administration & office 30747.52 School-operated canteen 0.00 Utilities 6139.84 Maintenance 14338.52 Trust accounts 3150.12 Capital programs 3585.03 Total expenditure 122750.15 Balance carried forward 53534.74

A full copy of the school’s 2011 financial statement is tabled at the annual general meetings of the School Council and/or the parent body. Further details concerning the statement can be obtained by contacting the school.

School performance 2011

AchievementsArts

All students Kindergarten to Year 6 participated in a diverse music program over a term with a talented professional music teacher funded by X-Strata Coal.

Selected students participated in a combined Upper Hunter Schools Drama instruction day at Scone, taught by drama teachers from Young Peoples Theatre Group.

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Selected students participated in a combined Upper Hunter Schools drumming workshop with professional drumming instructors from Newcastle.

All students participated in the end of year Christmas Tree Concert. They performed drama, singing, dance, recorder, drums and flute. The concert was a great success and highlighted our students’ performance talents.

Our school combined with Jerry’s Plains Public School, hosted Musica Viva concerts, to broaden the childrens experience of music and performance. The visiting shows in 2011 were “Jacana” and “Mara”.

Students entered a range of artworks in the local Upper Hunter Show with great success. This provides valuable outside acknowledgement of talent and allows all children to have their work exhibited in a public space.

The Jordan Wallace Art Creativity Competition was another great opportunity for our students to display their talents and we were lucky with many awards including overall Small Schools first place awarded to one of our students.

Sport

One hundred percent of our students participated in the Premiers Sporting Challenge in 2011. All of these students received a Diamond Award Certificate for their level of participation.

Students were able to participate in combined small schools carnivals with a cross country carnival at Cassilis, a swimming carnival at Singleton and two athletic carnivals, one at Sandy Hollow and one at Belltrees. This allows our children the opportunity of experiencing competition at their age group level. A number of students went on to represent our school at Zone cross country and athletics.

Once again in 2011 Martindale Public School was a participant in Active After Schools Sports. This federal government initiative gives us the financial ability to employ coaches to either come to our school to teach or transport us to a local venue to be taught there. The sessions are varied and action packed! The year saw such activities as dance, soccer, archery, tennis, martial arts, lawn bowls and swimming.

Other

100% of students successfully completed the Premiers Reading Challenge with two students receiving their gold awards for successfully completing four years of the challenge.

Students from stage 2 and 3 participated in the Science Discovery Challenge Day hosted by Newcastle University and Coal and Allied at Muswellbrook.

Excursions

Our school continued its policy of cyclic excursions to broaden the experience and perspectives of our students both within our local area and the much broader community. In 2011 we:

• took a group of students to the NSW Art Gallery in Sydney to experience the visiting Terracotta Warrior Exhibition from China;

• had a whole school camp at Aussie Bush camp where the children not only experienced many wonderful, outdoor activities like; canoeing, flying fox, low ropes, archery, bush craft, rainforest walks, sand dune activities and rockwall climbing, but they also learnt many wonderful skills like; responsibility, understanding, conquering fear, team work and respect.

• travelled to the Reptile Park at Somersby to get up close with lots of Australian wildlife, learning how they are cared for in facilities and also some of the research that is being done to protect our future wildlife populations.

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Academic

In the National Assessment Program, 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)

Literacy and Numeracy – NAPLAN Year 3

NAPLAN results should not be reported in a manner which enables the results of individual students to be identified. Accordingly, percentage in band, three year school average, and average progress information should not be reported if results are available for less than ten students. The 2011 Year 3 cohort at Martindale Public School was less than ten students.

Literacy and Numeracy – NAPLAN Year 5

There were no Year 5 students at our school in 2011, so there are no results available for publishing.

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 Program – Literacy and

Numeracy is compared to these minimum standards. The percentages of our students achieving at or above these standards are reported below.

100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0

ReadingWritingSpellingGrammar & PunctuationNumeracy

Minimum Standards dataPercentage of Year 3 students achieving at or above minimum standard (exempt students

included)

Significant programs and initiativesAboriginal education

Our school in 2011, continued to implement class and school programs designed to educate all students about Aboriginal history, culture and contemporary Aboriginal Australia. Aboriginal perspectives are integrated within all KLA’s.

Our school community has a number of indigenous members who are assisted by personalized learning plans. We also had a number of our primary students attend the flag raising ceremony during Reconciliation Week with 2 of our indigenous students participating in this event. To celebrate NAIDOC week our whole school participated in indigenous art and also attended a special NAIDOC week assembly with a local SIPS school.

Indigenous students are encouraged to participate in all events and to take on leadership roles in an equal manner to non-indigenous students. A number of our Indigenous students were very successful in achieving numerous awards across the year in areas such as science, literacy, numeracy, leadership, citizenship, art, music and sport.

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All formal assemblies incorporate “Acknowledgement of Country” and for the first time ever our local Aboriginal elder, Mr Barry French, was invited to our school to do a “Welcome to Country”.

Multicultural education

Our school continued its philosophy of multicultural education by ensuring its continued focus on perspectives across all areas of the curriculum. Some aspects of specific focus were:

• visiting the Terracotta Warriors exhibition in Sydney and completing an accompanying unit of work on China;

• learning about multicultural influences on Australia for Harmony Day;

• providing the opportunity to visit a display by a performing African storyteller;

• continued our whole school LOTE program in Japanese;

• exposure to involvement in a number of multicultural celebration days;

• performing music on multicultural instruments as well as watching musicians perform on multicultural instruments

National partnership programs

The National Partnership program is a Commonwealth Government initiative from the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. This initiative funds school improvement in the effective and evidence based teaching of literacy and numeracy, while developing strong

leadership and whole school engagement in literacy and numeracy.

In 2011 new staff were trained in Accelerated Literacy and Targeted Numeracy Teaching. New literacy resources were purchased and parents supported in their understandings through parent workshops in literacy and numeracy.

School /home /community partnerships were fostered through continuing our Fathers Day Breakfast Program and introducing our Mothers Day Luncheon in 2011. Families were continued to be encouraged to become familiar with whats going on in the classroom.

The majority of our funding support was geared towards providing staff so that groups can be withdrawn for intensive literacy and numeracy sessions to enable the very best educational opportunities for each child.

Respect and Responsibility

Values Education is an essential part of effective schooling and underpins every area of school life at Martindale Public School. We have done this by:

• continuing with our Student of the Week program whereby a student is recognized for their demonstrated excellence in respect and responsibility

• learning about the efforts of our soldiers past and present and honouring them by marching in the Denman RSL Anzac Day March and participating first hand in the service; joining with Sandy Hollow Public School to commemorate Remembrance Day and share some written thoughts about the day;

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• holding various fundraising days throughout the year to support various charities

Environmental Education

The children have continued to learn about sustainable living through the continued progress of our vegetable and herb gardens. Digging for potatoes or being the first to discover a new strawberry are always favourite activities. Our previous years grant was utilized to build the chicken coop and the students are now actively engaged in caring for our chickens, recycling scrap foods to either the chickens or worms and eagerly collecting the eggs.

Cattle Care

Once again our school was selected to participate in the Upper Hunter Beef Bonanza. This meant we were sponsored an Angus steer from Waverley Station and provided with pellet feed from a Rural Produce store sponsor. The children once again enjoyed having their own steer and initial catching of our “Braveheart” provided them with much amusement! Neighbouring farmers provided much assistance with the initial quietening and later handling of our steer. Our two Yr 6 boys went off to finally show him and learn a lot about cattle presentation and showing at Scone Beef Bonanza.

LOTE-Japanese

Our school continues its long history of teaching Japanese K-6. The children enjoy learning both the culture and the language- both oral and

written. Martindale students continue Japanese in both of our feeder High Schools and experience excellent results once there.

Progress on 2011 targetsTarget 1

To improve student outcomes in reading and writing

Our achievements include:

100% of students improved their fluency and reading levels with 68% reaching Regional Targets for reading

100% of students sitting NAPLAN performed at or above minimum standards with an average performance of Band 4 which corresponds with National figures

Observable increase in quality writing samples in student portfolios and on display in classrooms with some very strong NAPLAN results in writing

Target 2

To improve student outcomes in numeracy

Our achievements include:

• incorporating training and implementation of Targeted Numeracy Teaching in the Infants group

• parent workshops conducted by maths consultant to provide strength and support for current maths practices at school

• NAPLAN results with an average performance of Band 3. 81% of students have met stage appropriate outcomes for numeracy

Target 3

Continued development of the use of technology to assist learning

Our achievements include:

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• competent use across school and within KLA’s of electronic media to enhance learning

• Year 6 taught to produce brochures to ready them for High School requirements

• establishment of email contact with past students in a variety of locations

Key evaluationsIt 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 teaching and student writing.

Educational and management practice

Background

As part of our school planning process for the 2012-2014 school plan parents’, teachers’ and students’ opinions were sought regarding the quality of student learning in our school. This was done by survey and by focus groups.

Findings and conclusions

All participants felt that the classrooms were an interesting and stimulating environment where children are encouraged to become responsible for their own learning. The school community were confident that teaching staff were committed to ongoing professional learning. It is felt that students need to develop greater ability to reflect on their own learning and engage more with self assessment of their own progress.

Future directions

Reflection time will be incorporated into the classroom routine so that learning becomes relevant and valuable. Opportunities will be developed where children can make assessments and judgements of their own work.

Curriculum

Background

As part of our school planning process for the 2012-2014 school plan parents’, teachers’ and students’ opinions were sought regarding the quality of student learning in our school. This was done by survey and by focus groups.

Findings and conclusions

Professional development was planned and co-ordinated in Accelerated Literacy to enable this model to be taught across the school. AL is seen as an integrated approach to the improvement of Literacy that will see results over time. Any new staff will require training and support and further mentoring opportunities will be sought to help embed quality professional learning practices and further promote success in writing.

Future directions

Results from the survey and discussion forums indicate that 2012 will need to consolidate the work already done in writing. The writing rubrics need to be utilized for planning and assessment both by staff and students. Reinforcement of the agreed protocols would also support progress in writing.

Parent, student, and teacher satisfactionIn 2011 the school sought the opinions of parents, students and teachers about the school.

Their responses are presented below.

Students felt that their school is special and that they have great access to resources. They found our school to be friendly, tolerant and accepting of others. 100% of students feel that computer access is important to them and they value our participation in the Active After Schools Sports program and the access this gives them to new and different sports. They feel that the staff are supportive and they are able to develop positive relationships with them.

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Staff felt that their needs were well catered for with support and encouragement to attend pertinent training courses. They also felt that our school is a unique and special place where the students are individually catered for to reach their very best potential.

Parents are very supportive of the staff and their efforts to engage and teach their children. It was generally agreed that the school promotes a healthy lifestyle and challenging programs for the students. They valued the opportunity to participate in parent workshops and would like more in 2012. The parents and community feel keen to help maintain and indeed even improve our schools standing in the community.

Professional learningDuring 2012 all staff had access to approved professional learning activities. These courses were organized by the department and our local public schools. All professional learning activities support the achievement of the school targets and school improvement planning.

All staff participated in the school development days at the beginning of term 1, term 2 and term 3 and the additional two days at the end of term 4. Relieving principal completed the Internal Review Training sessions to support the drafting of the 2012-2014 School Plan.

School planning 2012—2014The 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 1Outcome for 2012–2014

LITERACY

2012 Target to achieve this outcome include:

All students achieve 80% of learning goals set against stage outcomes within set time frames for reading and writing in literacy K-6.

Strategies to achieve this target include:

Quality teaching and learning programs exist in all classes

Consistent assessment practices developed

All students will reach expected growth from Yr 3-5 and from Yr 5to Yr

School priority 2Outcome for 2012–2014

NUMERACY

2012 Targets to achieve this outcome include:

All students achieve 80% of learning goals set against stage outcomes for numeracy K-6.

Strategies to achieve these targets include:

Quality numeracy teaching and learning programs exist in all classes

Consistent assessment practices developed

All students will reach expected growth from Yr 3 to Yr 5 and from Yr 5 to Yr 7

School priority 3Outcome for 2012-2014

TECHNOLOGY

2012 Target to achieve this outcome:

• All students and staff will show movement along the ICT Matrix by at least one level.

Strategies to achieve this target include:

• Technology integrated into all teaching and learning programs

• Students developing a network of other students to communicate with, in local area and beyond

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• Competent and confident staff and student users of all IT resources available in the school

About this reportIn 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.

Mrs Sharon Rivers: Relieving Principal

Mrs Kerry O’Hara: Senior Administrative Manager

Mrs Michelle O’Hara: P&C President

School contact information

Martindale Public School

670 Martindale Rd

Via Denman NSW 2328

Ph: 02 6547 3502

Fax: 02 6547 3546

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

Web: www.martindale-p.schools.nsw.edu.au

School Code: 2492

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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