2016 wallacia public school annual report · of computer coding and extended this to all students...

Wallacia Public SchoolAnnual Report

2016

3346

Printed on: 5 April, 2017 of 21 Wallacia Public School 3346 (2016)

Introduction

The Annual Report for 2016 is provided to the community of Wallacia Public School as an account of the school'soperations and achievements throughout the year.

It provides a detailed account of the progress the school has made to provide high quality educational opportunities forall students, as set out in the school plan. It outlines the findings from self–assessment that reflect the impact of keyschool strategies for improved learning and the benefit to all students from the expenditure of resources, including equityfunding.

Mark Davies

Principal

School contact details

Wallacia Public School1573-1585 Mulgoa RdWallacia, 2745www.wallacia-p.schools.nsw.edu.auwallacia-p.School@det.nsw.edu.au4773 8433

Message from the Principal

It has been a pleasure to have led Wallacia Public School throughout 2016. Over the last 12 months we have continuedto build upon a strong platform, which has been developed over the last few years, with a focus on student learning, staffprofessional learning and parent and community engagement.

In looking back over student achievements throughout the 2016 school year, I am again reminded of the enormousefforts of the staff, both in teaching and administrative roles, who work tirelessly to arrange and organise opportunities forour students. As I have frequently mentioned, smaller schools do not have the volume of staff that many larger schoolsare able to draw on; however, once again, Wallacia Public School students still enjoyed many of the opportunities onoffer at larger schools.

During 2016 our students were offered extra–curricular opportunities in choir, performing at the Penrith Valley PerformingArts Festival and at several school based events; in dance, performing at the Blue Mountains Nepean Dance Festival,and for the second time, in debating, competing in the Sydney Debating Challenge, where one of our teams the madethe semi–finals. Our students also participated in a range of Penrith Cup Gala Sports Days including cricket, soccer andnetball where they were extremely competitive and displayed excellent sportsmanship as usual. Once again, I wouldlike to take this opportunity to personally thank the staff and parent transporters, on behalf of the students and thecommunity for these efforts that ensure our students do not miss out on opportunities on offer in some larger schools.

With reference to curriculum, we continue to offer multi–stage classes with a focus on differentiation and group work.Throughout 2016, all staff have completed training in the Taking Off With Numeracy (TOWN) Program which focussedon developing teacher capacity to cater for the learning needs of all students in a group based learning environment.

In our school planning processes, we recognised the need to prepare our students for the jobs that they may do in thefuture, and explicitly taught the skills of team work, resilience and critical thinking. As such, we continued to implementthe explicit teaching method of Self Organised Learning Environments (SOLE) across Stages 2 and 3. This teachingmethod has provided our students with opportunities to direct their own learning, to work in cooperative groups toproduce a collaborative result which they present to the rest of the class. Students assess each other’s efforts andarticulate these assessments publicly. This initiative has been extremely successful, with students demonstratingimproved ability to work together to achieve a common goal, whilst improving their abilities to use technology as a tool toaccess and evaluate information for accuracy and validity. To the same end, we have also continued the explicit teachingof computer coding and extended this to all students K–6 and this has been highly successful, with many of our studentsdemonstrating a high level of interest and aptitude in this area.


2017 will see me leaving Wallacia Public School. As I go, I would like to thank the community for their willingness to actas partners in their children’s education. It has been an absolute pleasure to have worked side–by–side with the schoolcommunity, to improve outcomes for our students. I would like to think that I leave Wallacia Public School well preparedfor the continuing journey of improvement in delivering a world class education to our students. I would like to thankthose who have worked tirelessly on our P&C to raise funds to support our students, those who have driven children tosporting events, those who have assisted in classrooms, those who have assisted in covering guided reading books, andto those who have taken the time to simply drop in for a chat to talk about the great things we do at Wallacia PublicSchool.

I look forward with eagerness to the coming 2017 school year knowing that we will continue to ensure the best possibleoutcomes for the students in our wonderful school. In looking forward, I would like to wish Mr Trevelian Mason all thebest as he takes over the reins in leading Wallacia Public School forward. Mr Mason has several years' experience as aprincipal in NSW Public Schools and will bring a ‘fresh set of eyes’ that will bring new and innovative ideas into what isalready a great school.

Mark Davies

Message from the school community

Wallacia Public School’s P&C Annual Report– 2016 • We had our books audited by ELG Accountants. • We held a very successful outdoor movie night with wood–fired pizzas, slushies, popcorn and drinks. Members

from the entire community attended. We had a lot of businesses sponsor this event raising $ 2,500. • We held an Easter raffle and raised $614.30 • We held stalls for Mother's Day and raised $20 (with a lot of stock left over for next year) and Father’s Day

stall which raised $237.60 • We held a fantastic AMF bowling night for school members and friends with a Wallacia Cup bowling trophy award

raising $130. • A student was selected to represent Sydney West Touch Football and Rugby league, so we assisted the family with

a $300 donation. • We held a Bunnings BBQ raising $1028. • On Election Day we raised $ 662 from a BBQ and $523.15 from a cake stall. • We organised Interrelate to hold 2 sessions for children from Stage 2 in the evening with their parents. The topics

were “Where do I come from?” & “Preparing for Puberty”. We plan to organise this program every two years. • We presented several students with a WPS badge for being successful in achieving regional representation for

regional swimming, cross country and athletics. • We have applied for a grant with Community Builders Partnership as we are seeking a new Interactive Whiteboard

for one of theclassrooms. • A student made State Athletics so the P&Cacknowledged their effort with a NSW Jumper. • We paid for the bus transport to Warragamba Public School for the children to rehearse their Christmas Concert at

a cost of$680. • We held a Sausage Sizzle at our Christmas Concert and raised $400. • We held a Christmas raffle drawn at school Presentation Day through which we raised $500 • At Presentation Day, we farewelled the leaving Year6 families and thanked them for their help and services during

their time atWPS. We gave flowers to Mr & Mrs Haly and Mr & Mrs Merchant as a thankyou. We also gave flowersto Mrs Mullen and Mrs Wilson for their assistance throughout the year.

• We presented Mr Davies with a farewell gift at Presentation Day, thanked him for all his help and support andwished him all the best in the future.

• We provided a photographer for the Year 6 Farewell with all year 6 children receiving a DVD of the photos. • We continue to provide school banking with the CBA as this is very successful and we receive a commission on the

funds banked.

The P&C have been very busy this year raising a significant amount money. We have saved most of the funds thisyear with the possibility of assisting the school in the future with a computer lab in the library. We maintain acommunity environment and receive a lot of assistance from parents , teachers and the local business community.

We appreciate everyone’s contribution to the P&C this year.

Jody Smith

P&C President


School background

School vision statement

At Wallacia Public School we are committed to providing effective learning in an environment that is safe, caring,supportive and inclusive. Our vision is to cooperatively instil attitudes and values that will ensure our students areconfident, inclusive, respectful, resilient and independent.We set high academic expectations in learning and arecommitted to providing an environment where each member of the school community feels empowered to strive toachieve their personal best.

We seek to develop and implement learning programs that explicitly teach our students to become safe, respectful andindependent learners who are emotionally equipped to enter an increasingly complex society.

We endeavour to facilitate opportunities for students to engage in critical and creative thinking as well as with a variety oftechnologies to assist them to become informed, discerning learners capable of making sound judgements.

We are inclusive of the whole school community, and value the input of all stakeholders as we believe partnerships withparents and the community are a vital component to successful learning.

All staff actively encourage resilience, resourcefulness, empathy, optimism, autonomy and independence in all aspectsof school life and believe that the promotion of these traits will provide the best platform for our students to be successfulglobal citizens in the 21st century.

School context

Wallacia Public School is a small school located in a rural setting in the town of Wallacia. Our students travel from bothwithin the area and the surrounding towns. The school was established in 1856 and today caters for many second andthird generation students whose parents and grandparents proudly wore the school colours.

Wallacia Public School is committed to developing student potential in all areas of the curriculum and towards developinglifelong attitudes and values in our students that allow them to become successful adults in today’s complex society. Weendeavour to empower students to take responsibility for their learning and to become respectful, safe, learners.

Our students’ abilities and talents are well catered for in a wide range of curriculum areas that are relevant to eachindividual’s stage of learning. The curriculum is comprehensive and innovative with a strong emphasis on embeddingliteracy, numeracy and technology skills into all Key Learning Areas, including the Creative and Performing Arts andSport.

The school and community work closely together to form a partnership that supports all of our students. All members ofthe school community are welcome and encouraged to be actively involved within the school wherever possible. Thiscreates an environment of mutual trust and respect whereby student learning is placed at the centre of all decisionmaking and interaction.

The school is a foundation member of the Nepean Valley Small Schools Network (NVSS). This link with our surroundingsmall schools provides enhanced opportunities for staff professional learning, as well as shared social and sportingactivities for both our students and staff.

The school has a small, but extremely experienced and dedicated, team of professionals who work tirelessly to providehigh quality education for all of our students.

Self-assessment and school achievement

Self-assessment using the School Excellence Framework

This section of the Annual Report outlines the findings from a self–assessment process undertaken by the staff atWallacia Public School using the School Excellence Framework. It identifies our achievements and the next steps to beundertaken. The Framework supports public schools throughout NSW in the pursuit of excellence by providing a cleardescription of high quality practice across the three domains of Learning, Teaching and Leading.

This year, the staff at Wallacia Public School have continued to discuss the School Excellence Framework and itsimplications for informing, monitoring and validating our pursuit of excellence in learning, teaching and leading. Staff


meetings were set aside to examine the Framework and to continue to annotate a copy digitally with examples thatidentified how Wallacia Public School was either Delivering, Sustaining and Growing or Excelling across the LearningElements, Teaching Elements and the Leading Elements. As a result, the staff have continued to reflect on the progressbeing made across the school as a whole, based on the expectations identified in the Framework. This provides animportant overview to ensure that our improvement efforts align with these high level expectations.

In the domain of Learning, we have continued to focus primarily on wellbeing, curriculum implementation and inquirybased learning. In the area of wellbeing, we have focussed on the establishment and maintenance of a positive andproductive learning culture amongst staff and students and this has been a feature of our progress. The fundamentalimportance of wellbeing continues to provide the perfect vehicle to build a culture of trust, respect and valuing of eachother, and has been central to the establishment of Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) expectations, that have beenexplicitly taught to all students under the banners of ‘Safe, Respectful, Learners’. In 2016, we have also begun thejourney of implementing the Kids Matter initiative. This initiative will provide our students with strategies to assist them tomaintain a positive self–esteem and assist them to develop strategies in resilience. The results of both of theseinitiatives has been evident in the way that students are able to relate to one another and resolve conflict when it arisesas well as in the increased engagement of students in their learning.

Attention to developing processes to identify, address and monitor student learning needs has continued to be anothercomponent of our progress throughout the year. Our Learning and Support Team continues to identify students withlearning needs early, and develops, in consultation with parents and caregivers, strategies to support them. The area ofAssessment and Reporting has remained a priority at Wallacia Public School throughout the 2016 with the consolidationof explicit processes to collect and analyse both internal and external student assessment data. This has ensured thatteachers are aware of individual students' specific learning needs and therefore able to differentiate lesson content for allstudents.

Our major focusses in the domain of teaching have continued to be the implementation of inquiry based learningpractices, the use of effective assessment practice to inform planning, the growing of teaching practice throughclassroom observations and the use of data analysis to inform decision–making . With regards to inquiry based learningpractices, we have continued to implement Self Organised Learning Environments (SOLE) which has been highlysuccessful in terms of raising student engagement levels, and in providing an avenue for students to take responsibilityfor their own learning. Staff were provided with opportunities to observe each other implementing SOLE lessons, and toprovide reflections and feedback to each other to improve classroom practice. As a result, staff are continuallyevaluating, modifying and delivering quality teaching to all of our students, and reflecting on and evaluating the impact oftheir teaching in line with our school plan and its strategic directions.

In the domain of Leading, our priorities have been to progress leadership and management practices and processes.The consistency and effectiveness of implementation of our key strategic directions throughout the year has been due toa strong foundation of leadership capacity building throughout the year. More specifically, staff were provided withleadership opportunities to lead the school in the areas of English and Mathematics, with a focus on data analysis inthese key areas to inform planning for whole school initiatives to improve student outcomes. The Nepean Valley Smallschools also provided staff with leadership opportunities as stage based groups of teachers were established, with aview to providing them with collegial networks of teachers who were working on the same stage. This allowed our staffto cooperatively plan, and also to apply consistency of teacher judgement when assessing student work.

The new approach to school planning, supported by the new funding model to schools, continues to make a majordifference to our progress as a school. The achievements and identification of our next steps are outlined in the followingpages of this report. Our self–assessment process will further assist the school to refine the strategic priorities in ourSchool Plan, leading to further improvements in the delivery of education to our students.


Strategic Direction 1

Student Learning

Purpose

The purpose of Strategic Direction 1 is to facilitate a learning environment in which students are expected to takeresponsibility for their own learning and achieve to the best of their ability in all areas of the curriculum.

Within this environment, students will learn the skills to be productive and ethical users of technology equipping them forlife in the 21st century.

Also within this environment, students will be nurtured and challenged to become resourceful, empathetic and resilientlifelong learners.

As a result of Strategic Direction 1, our students will be prepared to think critically and make appropriate decisions in thewider environment beyond school.

Overall summary of progress

Our focus on inquiry based learning practices has continued to enable us to achieve significant progress in this strategicdirection. Continued targeted teacher professional learning has led to a continuing shift in teaching pedagogy thatprovides our students with opportunities to take responsibility for their own learning, and to evaluate it against specificcriteria. Success criteria have been introduced in classrooms as a means to allow students to evaluate their ownlearning.

The implementation of Self–Organised Learning Environments has continued to be a key program to assist our progresstowards this strategic direction, and has led to measurable improvements in our students’ abilities to direct their ownlearning whilst working in group learning environments. In the same environment, students have learnt to use technologyethically and effectively to complement their learning.

The development of Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) expectations has continued to mesh well within this strategicdirection and has led to a synergy between student wellbeing and our learning culture. It has led to the use of aconsistent approach to teaching and learning of appropriate behaviours in various school contexts including how to workeffectively as a member of a team.

Overall, the effect of Strategic Direction 1 has been improved student outcomes in all Key Learning Areas, as studentsdemonstrate the ability to work collaboratively to achieve open ended tasks. At the same time, students have improvedtheir skills in English and Mathematics as evidenced by their achievement of the improvement measures listed below.

Progress towards achieving improvement measures

Improvement measures(to be achieved over 3 years)

Progress achieved this year Funds Expended(Resources)

In 2016, 90% of all students K–6to make progress of at least 2cluster markers on the LiteracyContinuum if operating belowcluster 8. Students in clusters8–11 will display 1 cluster growthon the Literacy Continuum (PLANdata.)

95% of all students made progress of 2 clustermarkers on the Literacy Continuum if operatingbelow cluster 8. 85% of students in clusters 8 – 11made progress of 1 cluster marker on the LiteracyContinuum.

85% of students in clusters 8–11 made progressof1 cluster growth on the Literacy Continuum.

$3500 – PLAN dataresources and professionallearning

In 2016, 90% of students toindicate they feel empowered tomonitor and evaluate their ownlearning (student surveys.)

Student surveys conducted in 2016 indicatethat95% of students agreed that the implementationof SOLE had provided them with a vehicle to direct,monitor and evaluate their own learning. 65% ofstudents indicated that they enjoyed participating inInquiry Based Learning and would like to continuethis in 2017.

$0

Documented evidence of scopeand sequence implementation

Scope and Sequence documents developed forScience, Geography and History syllabuses.

$0





and curriculum content relevantto the Science, Geography andHistory syllabuses as theybecome mandatory.

Scope and Sequence documents developed forScience, Geography and History syllabuses.

$0

In 2016, 90% of students toachieve benchmarks against theMathematics Continuum of KeyIdeas assessmentdocument(School based

92% of students achieved benchmarks against theMathematics Continuum of Key Ideas assessmentdocument (School based assessments).

$200 – MathematicsContinuum of Key Ideas

Next Steps

• Milestones for 2017 to be shared with the P&C for consideration and adjustment if necessary. • Continue to implement SOLE in Stage 2 and 3 classrooms and refine teachers' skills in delivering curriculum based

on inquiry based learning practices. • Investigate additional inquiry based learning methods for implementation in 2017. • Refine and implement mathematics scope and sequence based on the Mathematics Continuum of Key Ideas and

develop a more efficient and effective tracking system to track student progress and measure effectiveness ofTOWN implementation.

• Continue the development of Scope and Sequence for History, Geography and Science syllabi throughout 2017.



Staff and Leader Learning

Purpose

The purpose of Strategic Direction 2 is to develop a culture of reflective teaching practices based on negotiated goalsand the development of Teacher Professional Learning Plans, as well as the creation of a network of ‘like’ schools todevelop a collegial community of learners who are able to share best practice with one another on a regular and ongoingbasis. This will provide high quality professional learning across our network of schools leading to teaching thatdemonstrates curriculum innovation and differentiation, as well as quality teaching and leadership capability that inspireslearning.

This professional learning will build leadership capacity using the Australian Professional Standard for Principals and theAustralian Standards for Teachers.


With the implementation of the Performance and Development Framework for all teaching staff in 2016, it was necessaryto provide extensive professional learning to staff on this process. This involved several sessions specifically on thePerformance and Development Plan framework to allow staff to engage with the process efficiently and effectively andtherefore to improve educational outcomes for the students at Wallacia Public School.

To facilitate this process, staff engaged in several professional learning opportunities on the process of developing andsetting professional goals that were specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time bound. This professional learningprovided all staff with the groundwork to engage in the Performance and Development Framework and to developperformance plans that improved staff pedagogy in line with the school plan. As a result, staff developed professionalgoals that were aligned to the school plan and that supported the achievement of the targets set within it.

A common goal set by all staff was to engage in professional learning in order to implement the Taking Off WithNumeracy (TOWN) program. The purpose of this initiative was to improve pedagogy in the area of mathematics teachingacross the school. This was a joint initiative between the Nepean Valley Small schools comprising Orchard Hills, Mulgoa,Luddenham and Wallacia Public Schools. Participation in this professional learning has led to TOWN practices beingevident in all classrooms and teaching programs with teaching staff reporting increased confidence in curriculumdifferentiation when teaching mathematics, and a clearer understanding of the need to group students according to abilitywithin each strand taught of the K–10 Mathematics Syllabus.

Also this year, the Nepean Valley Small Schools comprising Orchard Hills, Mulgoa, Luddenham and Wallacia PublicSchools, continued to strengthen the relationship as a community of schools (COS). This year we scheduled combinedprofessional learning sessions in consistency of teacher judgement in writing (CTJ), induction to the Geography syllabusand other sessions as required by stages. As a COS, these schools facilitated the organisation of stage based teachinggroups to support staff who might otherwise have been the only teacher on a stage within their individual small school.These stage based teams met 2 times per term with support being offered in programming, CTJ and syllabusimplementation.




100% of staff meet or exceedtheir professional goals asidentified in their ProfessionalDevelopment Plans.

75% of staff met or exceeded their professionalgoals as identified in their Performance andDevelopment Plans.

$0

All staff demonstrateresponsibility for theirprofessional learning viadocumentation in ProfessionalLearning Journals.

75% of staff provided detailed evidence to supportthe attainment of their goals in their Performanceand Development Plans.

$0

100% of staff meet theaccreditation requirements of theAustralian Institute of Teachers

100% of staff met or exceeded accreditationrequirements of the Australian Institute of Teachersrelevant to their accreditation status.

$0





relevant to their accreditationstatus.

100% of staff met or exceeded accreditationrequirements of the Australian Institute of Teachersrelevant to their accreditation status.

$0

100% of staff participate in allprofessional learning offered bythe NVSS.

100% of staff participated in all professionallearning offered by the NVSS.

$0

Stage Teams established withinthe NVSS under the leadership ofselected staff members, toprovide a Stage based Teamenvironment for our staffs.

Stage Teams established and 100% of staffattended their respective stage meetingsthroughout the year.

$0

Next Steps

• Milestones for 2017 to be shared with the P&C for consideration and adjustment if necessary.

• Teaching staff will develop Performance and Development Plans including professional goals to support theachievement of targets set for the 2017 school year.

• Teaching staff will identify and map the professional learning required throughout 2017 to assist them to developprofessionally and to meet targets identified in the 2017 School Plan as well as to ensure ongoing accreditation withBOSTES.

• Principal will source relevant professional learning opportunities for all staff in alignment with Performance andDevelopment Plans and as determined to allow staff to meet professional goals, accreditation requirements and 2017school targets.

• Principal to provide further professional learning on the practice of teacher observations. Observations of teachingpractice will be scheduled, and occur annually, in line with the Performance and Development Framework.

• Principal will continue to foster a strong relationship with the Nepean Valley Small Schools to provide staff withopportunities to collaborate on aspects of programming, assessment and other areas where appropriate to benefitstudents and staff.

• Stage based groups to develop an action plan that will articulate its purpose for the 2017 school year.



School Learning

Purpose

The purpose of Strategic Direction 3 is to stimulate an environment where the whole school community operates in acollaborative and sustainable manner by:

Consulting with the community to develop system of values to be taught to our students. These values will be reflectiveof community attitudes and will ensure a culture of mutual respect and success.

Reflecting upon our practices and planning at a whole community level and to welcome effective and meaningfulpartnerships where stakeholders are empowered to contribute positively to the school community and to studentlearning.

Ensuring that our shared values extend through the delivery of effective student welfare programs that creates anenvironment that celebrates student success, encourages inclusivity and develops an attitude of caring and toleranceacross the school and its community.


Wallacia Public School continued to build on and nurture relationships with the wider school community throughout 2016.Our P&C continues to be actively involved in fundraising that directly supports the school to achieve targets set in theSchool Plan.

During 2016, further consultation on the development of the School Plan took place. This consultation occurred duringP&C meetings and led to the continued implementation of a School Plan endorsed by the school community.Communication of our progress towards milestones was, and will continue to be, communicated at P&C meetings.

During 2016, a partnership was established between Luddenham and Wallacia Public Schools to begin theimplementation of the Kids Matter initiative across our two schools. At this stage, an action team has been establishedand an action plan drafted. This initiative will be fully implemented in both school contexts in 2017.

Throughout 2016 the school hosted several key events that were scheduled to maximise parent and communityinvolvement. These included an Easter Hat Parade, Grandparents Day, Multicultural Day, Harmony Day, an EducationWeek concert, parent workshops on supporting students in learning Mathematics; a parent thank you celebration andfortnightly assemblies where parents of students receiving awards received a personal invitation to attend. These eventswere most successful, with parents and community members in attendance commenting on their enjoyment, and howthey particularly liked to see the students performing

In order to further understand community expectations, areas for improvement and things we do well, the schoolparticipated in the 2016 Tell Them From Me initiative. Students provided comprehensive feedback early in the year,allowing us to adjust programs to best meet student need. This year we had an excellent response to the parent surveywith in excess of 20 families completing it. This has provided excellent data on what we do well, and identified areas forimprovement in 2017.




Evidence–based andcollaboratively developed SchoolPlan, 2015–2017, published andreported on annually.

School Plan collaboratively developed inconsultation with staff and students through staffmeetings and student surveys..

School Plan collaboratively developed andsanctioned by the school community through P&C.

Milestone evaluation shared with the schoolcommunity through P&C.

$450 – 1 casual day

20% family representation atparent workshops.

Parent participation and representation hasexceeded 10% at all school events in 2016. We will






20% family representation atparent workshops.

continue to implement strategies to increase thisparticipation and representation in 2017.


90 % of students are able toarticulate PBL values andbehavioural expectations acrossall school contexts and schoolbehaviour referrals reduce by10% year on year.

95% of students, in a school based PBL survey,were able to articulate and describe our schoolvalues in all school contexts.

$0

LMBR successfully implementedacross the school.

LMBR was successfully implemented in 2016. $4051 – Administrationrelief

The school complies with allaspects of the AZT PolicyImplementation initiative.

School policies in Protecting and SupportingChildren and Young People, and Working WithChildren Check in place to comply with AZT Policyimplementation tool.

$0

Next Steps

• Milestones for 2017 to be shared with the P&C for consideration and adjustment if necessary.

• Implementation of the Kids Matter initiative throughout 2017.

• Expand our PBL program to include expectation signage in all school contexts and introduce PBL expectations intothe classroom context.

• Expand PBL program to include specific classroom lessons with an intention to further clarify Safe RespectfulLearning behaviours both in and out of the classroom.


Key Initiatives Impact achieved this year Resources (annual)

Aboriginal background loading • All students have an individual learningplan (PLP) and are making appropriateprogress across the literacy and numeracycontinuums.

• 1 Days release for PLP consultation

• Purchase of LED panels for classrooms

$2257 – total

$450

$1807

English language proficiency Additional Learning and Support Teacher timeto support students with English languageproficiency.

$2737

Low level adjustment for disability All students requiring adjustments andlearning support are catered for within classprograms and other whole school strategies.The school’s Learning and Support Teachersupports all staff to best support students. Alladjustments are discussed formally withparents and carers prior to implementation,and recorded within class programs.

$4494

Socio–economic background Purchase of LED panels for classrooms $3549


Student information

Student enrolment profile

Enrolments

Students 2013 2014 2015 2016

Boys 45 47 41 50

Girls 36 35 25 34

Student attendance profile

School

Year 2013 2014 2015 2016

K 95.6 94.6 93.9 87.2

1 93.3 94.7 90.1 89.8

2 94 96.7 95.2 95

3 94.2 92.6 92.1 95.9

4 93.6 95 95.3 94

5 94.2 95.9 94.7 92.2

6 92.6 90.5 95.1 89.8

All Years 94.2 94 94.3 91.9

State DoE

Year 2013 2014 2015 2016

K 95 95.2 94.4 94.4

1 94.5 94.7 93.8 93.9

2 94.7 94.9 94 94.1

3 94.8 95 94.1 94.2

4 94.7 94.9 94 93.9

5 94.5 94.8 94 93.9

6 94.1 94.2 93.5 93.4

All Years 94.7 94.8 94 94

Workforce information

Workforce composition

Position FTE*

Principal 1

Classroom Teacher(s) 3.34

Learning and Support Teacher(s) 0.2

Teacher Librarian 0.2

School Administration & SupportStaff

1.41

Other Positions 0.02

*Full Time Equivalent

There were no Aboriginal staff employed at WallaciaPublic School in 2016.

Teacher qualifications

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

Teacher qualifications

Qualifications % of staff

Undergraduate degree or diploma 75

Postgraduate degree 25

Professional learning and teacher accreditation

Professional learning (PL) for staff remained a highpriority at Wallacia Public School in2016. Allprofessional learning that takes place is strategicallyplanned and aligned to the School Plan to ensure thatteachers and administrative staff are best placed tomeet targets as identified in the School Plan.

During this year, teaching staff in Stages 2 and 3completed training in Taking Off With Numeracy(TOWN). This 20 hour course provided them withopportunities to improve the way they differentiatecurriculum, particularly in Mathematics, and cater forthe range of students within their classrooms. Whilstthe focus of this professional learning was onnumeracy, the skills that were developed as a result ofthis PLenable these teachers to differentiate moreeffectively across the primary curricular.

Professional learning also took place to facilitate theKids Matter initiative to be implemented in 2017. Thisprofessional learning was planned to address teacherand community concerns that students wereincreasingly presenting to school with issues relating totheir well–being.This professional learning led to theformation of a Kids Matter Action Team that will drivethe implementation of this initiative during 2017.

In Term 3, all teaching staff across the NVSSparticipated in a school development day whereaspects of Aboriginal Education were covered. This daywas facilitated by Vicki Bowen (Aboriginal Educationand Well Being Officer), Aunty Fay Carroll(AboriginalCommunity Liaison Officer, Arncliffe Office)and Lesley Marks (Aboriginal Community LiaisonOfficer, Glenfield Office). On this day, staff coveredModule 1– Building understanding ofAboriginal culture,Module 2– Embedding Aboriginal and Torres StraitIslander Content across the KLA's and Module 3–Connecting with Aboriginal communities.

With reference to Strategic Direction 3 of the SchoolPlan, the principal and administrative staff undertook


significant professional learning to support theimplementation of the Local Management BusinessReform (LMBR). This involved 15days of PL foradministrative staff and 5 days of PL for the principal.The result has been a smooth transition to the LMBRfinance and students well–being system.

In addition to the above, staff have also participated ina variety of in–house professional learningopportunities including sessions on the SchoolExcellence Framework, setting professionaldevelopment goals, implementing the Geographysyllabus and consistency of teacher judgement inassessing writing. Stage 2 and 3 staff have alsocontinued to observe each other teaching SelfOrganised Learning Environment (SOLE) lessons andprovided feedback on ways in which this teachingpedagogy could be improved.

Professional learning will remain a priority for the staffat Wallacia Public School in 2017 to ensure that ourteachers and administrative remain at the cutting edgeoftheir profession and be best placed to see the targetsin the School Plan achieved.

During 2016, 3 teachings taff members sought, andwere successful in achieving accreditation at the levelof Professional Competence.

Financial information (for schoolsusing both OASIS and SAP/SALM)

Financial information

The three financial summary tables cover 13 months(from 1 December 2015 to 31 December 2016).

The financial summary consists of school incomebroken down by funding source and is derived from theschool Annual Financial Statement.

Income $

Balance brought forward 105 341.50

Global funds 86 015.89

Tied funds 53 103.86

School & community sources 38 076.69

Interest 2 044.85

Trust receipts 1 385.72

Canteen 0.00

Total income 285 968.51

Expenditure

Teaching & learning

Key learning areas 5 541.33

Excursions 7 354.62

Extracurricular dissections 14 768.57

Library 1 546.82

Training & development 676.88

Tied funds 30 961.39

Short term relief 4 786.89

Administration & office 17 931.52

School-operated canteen 0.00

Utilities 13 216.85

Maintenance 8 275.97

Trust accounts 617.00

Capital programs 0.00

Total expenditure 105 677.84

Balance carried forward 180 290.67

The information provided in the financial summaryincludes reporting from 1 December 2015 to 17October 2016.


2016 Actual ($)

Opening Balance 0.00

Revenue 187 886.09

(2a) Appropriation 179 731.71

(2b) Sale of Goods andServices

0.00

(2c) Grants and Contributions 7 985.68

(2e) Gain and Loss 0.00

(2f) Other Revenue 0.00

(2d) Investment Income 168.70

Expenses -45 742.18

Recurrent Expenses -45 742.18

(3a) Employee Related -18 924.91

(3b) Operating Expenses -26 817.27

Capital Expenses 0.00

(3c) Employee Related 0.00

(3d) Operating Expenses 0.00

SURPLUS / DEFICIT FOR THEYEAR

142 143.91

Balance Carried Forward 142 143.91

There is no opening balance recorded in the SAPfinance table. The opening balance for the school forthis reporting period is recorded as the BalanceBrought Forward in the OASIS table.

The OASIS Balance carried forward amount (ie, fundson date of migration) is included in the (2a)Appropriation amount in the SAP table.

Any differences between the OASIS Balance carriedforward and (2a) Appropriation amount is the result ofother accounts and transactions being included in the(2a) Appropriation amount.

Financial summary equity funding

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

2016 Actual ($)

Base Total 697 590.25

Base Per Capita 3 506.91

Base Location 1 857.46

Other Base 692 225.88

Equity Total 33 441.90

Equity Aboriginal 2 257.34

Equity Socio economic 3 549.07

Equity Language 2 737.32

Equity Disability 24 898.18

Targeted Total 11 879.99

Other Total 2 053.42

Grand Total 744 965.56

A full copy of the school’s financial statement is tabledat the annual general meetings of the parent and/orcommunity groups. Further details concerning thestatement can be obtained by contacting the school.

School performance

NAPLAN

In the National Assessment Program, the results acrossthe Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 literacy andnumeracy assessments are reported on a scale fromBand 1 toBand 10. The achievement scale represents increasinglevels of skills and understandings demonstrated in these assessments.

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Parent/caregiver, student, teachersatisfaction

In 2016,Wallacia Public School used the Tell ThemFrom Me survey platform to seek the opinions of itscommunity, students and teachers with reference tosatisfaction with the school’s performance throughout2016. The following summary provides an overview ofthe results.

Parent / Caregiver results

Partners in Learning Parent Survey Report

Wallacia Public School, NSW CESE Project

(21 respondents between 17 Aug. 2016 and 8 Sep.2016)

The Partners in Learning Parent Survey is based on acomprehensive questionnaire covering several aspectsof parents' perceptions of their children's experiences athome and school. It is based primarily on JoyceEpstein's framework for fostering positive relationsbetween the school and the community. Successfulschools foster greater communication with parents,encourage parental involvement in their child'sschoolwork, and enlist parents to volunteer at theschool and participate in school governance. Thesurvey also provides feedback to schools about theextent to which parents feel the school supportslearning and positive behaviour and promotes a safeand inclusive environment.

The survey includes seven separate measures, whichwere scored on a ten–point scale. The scores for theLikert–format questions (i.e.,strongly agree to stronglydisagree) have been converted to a 10–point scale,thenaveraged and reported by question and by topic. Ascore of 0 indicates strong disagreement; 10 indicatesstrong agreement; 5 is a neutral position(neither agreenor disagree).

1. Parents Feel Welcome 7.8

I feel welcome when I visit the school. 8.5

I can easily speak with my child's teachers.8.8

I am well informed about school activities.7.4

Teachers listen to concerns I have. 7.6

I can easily speak with the school principal.8.1

Written information from the school is in clear, plainlanguage. 8.6

Parent activities are scheduled at times when I canattend. 6.9

The school' s administrative staff are helpful when Ihave a question or problem. 6.6

2. Parents are Informed 7.3

Reports on my child's progress are written interms Iunderstand. 8.1

If there were concerns with my child's behaviour atschool, the teachers would inform me immediately.7.2

I am informed about my child's behaviour at school,whether positive or negative. 7.5

The teachers would inform me if my child were notmaking adequate progress in school subjects.7.3

I am well informed about my child's progress in schoolsubjects. 7

I am informed about opportunities concerning my child'sfuture. 7.2

I am informed about my child's social and emotionaldevelopment. 6.5

3. Parents Support Learningat Home 7.5

Does someone in your family do each of thefollowing?

Discuss how well your child is doing in his or herclasses. 5.8

Talk about how important schoolwork is. 7.2

Ask about any challenges your child might have atschool. 7.1

Encourage your child to do well at school. 8.8

Praise your child for doing well at school. 7.8

Talk with your child about feelings towards otherchildren at school. 8

Take an interest in your child's school assignments. 7.8

4. Support for learning atWallacia Public School

School Supports Learning 7.9

Teachers have high expectations for my child tosucceed. 7.7

Teachers show an interest in my child's learning. 8.3

My child is encouraged to do his or her best work. 8.1

Teachers take account of my child's needs, abilities,and interests. 7.1


Teachers expect homework to be done on time.8.3

Teachers expect my child to work hard. 8

5. Support for positive behaviour at Wallacia PublicSchool

School Supports Positive Behaviour 8.5

Teachers expect my child to pay attention in class. 9.3

Teachers maintain control of their classes. 7.5

My child is clear about the rules for school behaviour.9.4

Teachers devote their time to extra–curricular activities.7.6

6. Safety at Wallacia Public School

Safety at School 7.7

Behaviour issues are dealt with in a timely manner. 7.1

My child feels safe at school. 8.1

My child feels safe going to and from school. 8.3

The school helps prevent bullying. 7.3

7. Inclusion at Wallacia Public School

Inclusive School 7.2

Teachers help students who need extra support. 7.2

School staff create opportunities for students who arelearning at a slower pace. 7.1

Teachers try to understand the learning needs ofstudents with special needs. 6.9

School staff take an active role in making sure allstudents are included in school activities. 7.2

Teachers help students develop positive friendships.7.5

Student results

Student participation in school sports

Students play sports with an instructor at school, otherthan in a gym class.

· 96% of students in this school had a high rate ofparticipation in sports; the NSW DEC norm for theseyears is 83%.

· 93% of the girls and 100% of the boys in this school

had a high rate of participation in sports. The NSWDEC norm for girls is 82% and for boys is 84%.

Student participation in extracurricular activities

Students take part in art, drama, or music groups;extracurricular school activities; or a school committee.

· 50% of students in this school had a high rate ofparticipation in extracurricular activities; the NSW DECnorm for these years is 55%.

· 82% of the girls and 23% of the boys in this schoolhad a high rate of participation in extracurricularactivities. The NSWDEC norm for girls is 66% and forboys is 44%.

Students with a positive sense of belonging

Students feel accepted and valued by their peers andby others at their school.

· 66% of students in this school had a high sense ofbelonging; the NSW DEC norm for these years is 81%.

· 60% of the girls and 71% of the boys in this schoolhad a high sense of belonging. The NSW DEC norm forgirls is 81% and for boys is 81%.

Students with positive relationships

Students have friends at school they can trust and whoencourage them to make positive choices.

· In this school, 83% of students had positiverelationships; the NSW DEC norm for these years is85%.

· 67% of the girls and 100% of the boys in this schoolhad positive relationships. The NSW DEC norm for girlsis 88% and for boys is 83%.

Students who value schooling outcomes

Students believe that education will benefit thempersonally and economically, and will have a strongbearing on their future.

· 100% of students in this school valued SchoolOutcomes; the NSW DEC norm for these years is 96%.

· 100% of the girls and 100% of the boys in this schoolvalued School Outcomes. The NSW DEC norm for girlsis 97% and for boys is 94%.

Students with positive homework behaviours


Students do homework for their classes with a positiveattitude and in a timely manner.

· In this school, 50% of students had positivehomework behaviours; the NSW DEC norm for theseyears is 74%.

· 60% of the girls and 40% of the boys in this schoolhad positive homework behaviours. The NSW DECnorm for girls is 82% andfor boys is 65%.

Students with positive behaviour at school

Students who do not get in trouble at school fordisruptive or inappropriate behaviour.

· In this school, 96% of students had positivebehaviour; the NSW DEC norm for these years is 83%.

· 100% of the girls and 92% of the boys in this schoolwith positive student behaviour at school. The NSWDEC norm for girls is 91% and for boys is 75%.

Students who are interested and motivated

Students are interested and motivated in their learning.

· 76% of students in this school were interested andmotivated; the NSW DEC norm for these years is 78%.

· 80% of the girls and 71% of the boys in this schoolwere interested and motivated. The NSW DEC norm forgirls is 83% and for boys is 73%.

Effort

Students try hard to succeed in their learning.

· 93% of students in this school tried hard to succeed;the NSW DEC norm for these years is 88%.

· 93% of the girls and 93% of the boys in this schooltried hard to succeed. The NSW DEC norm for girls is90% and for boys is 85%.

Skills–challenge level

Students feel challenged in their English and Mathsclasses and feel confident of their skills in thesesubjects.

· 40% of students in the school had scores that placedthem in the desirable quadrant with high skills and highchallenge. The NSW DEC norm for these years is 53%.

· 37% of students were confident of their skills but didnot find classes challenging. The NSW DEC norm forthese years is 26%.

· 23% of students were not confident of their skills andfound English or Maths challenging. The NSW DECnorm for this category is 14%.

· 0% of students lacked confidence in their skills anddid not feel they were challenged. The NSW DEC normfor this category is 7%.

Effective Learning Time

Important concepts are taught well, class time is usedefficiently, and homework and evaluations supportclass objectives.

· In this school, students rated Effective ClassroomLearning Time 8.6 out of 10; the NSW DEC norm forthese years is 8.2.

Relevance

Students find classroom instruction relevant to theireveryday lives.

· In this school, students rated Relevance 8out of 10;the NSW DEC norm for these years is 7.9.

Rigour

Students find the classroom instruction iswell–organised, with a clear purpose, and withimmediate and appropriate feedback that helps themlearn.

· In this school, students rated Rigour 8.6 out of 10; theNSW DEC norm for these years is 8.2.

Students who are victims of bullying

Students are subjected to physical ,social, or verbalbullying, or are bullied over the Internet.

· 30% of students in this school were victims ofmoderate to severe bullying in the previous month; theNSW DEC norm for these years is 36%.

· 27% of the girls and 33% of the boys in this schoolwere victims of moderate to severe bullying in theprevious month. The NSW DEC norm for girls is 32%and for boys is 41%.

Advocacy at School

Students feel they have someone at school whoconsistently provides encouragement and can beturned to for advice.

· In this school, students rated Advocacy at School 7.1


· In this school, Advocacy at School was rated 7.1 outof 10 by girls and 7.1 out of 10 by boys. The NSW DECnorm for girls is 6.5 and for boys is 6.4.

Positive Teacher–Student Relations

Students feel teachers are responsive to their needs,and encourage independence with a democraticapproach.

· In this school, Positive Teacher–Student Relationswere rated 8.3 out of 10; the NSW DEC norm for theseyears is 8.4.

Positive Learning Climate

There are clear rules and expectations for classroombehaviour. Students understand these and teachersmaintain high expectations that they be followed.

· In this school, students rated Disciplinary Climate ofthe Classroom 7.3 out of 10; the NSW DEC norm forthese years is 7.2

Expectations for Success

The school staff emphasises academic skills and holdhigh expectations for all students to succeed.

· In this school, students rated Teachers' Expectationsfor Academic Success 8.8 out of 10; the NSW DECnorm for these years is 8.7.

Policy requirements

Aboriginal education

Aboriginal perspectives are genuinely incorporated intoclassroom programs. Students are exposed to qualityliterature and Indigenous resources to promoteunderstanding and appreciation of Indigenous cultureand the significant history of Aboriginal Australia. Thestudents have had the opportunity to learn aboutIndigenous culture, traditions and histories through ameaningful and authentic classroom program.

Multicultural and anti-racism education

Multicultural education has underpinned classroomprograms. It is incorporated across the Key LearningAreas, and continues to be a greater focus at WallaciaPublic School as part of the implementation of the

English curriculum. As a result of using quality Asianliterature to support teaching programs and studyingcultural diversity specifically, the students have hadaccess to a curriculum characterised by multiculturalperspectives and values.

Students also participated in Harmony Day activities inTerm 1, to learn about and celebrate the diversity ofcultures that exist within the Australian sociallandscape. This year we combined this special day withGrandparents' Day to allow our extended families toexperience this special day with the students.


2016 wallacia public school annual report · of computer coding and extended this to all students...

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