2017 towradgi public school annual report · presentation day assembly speech presented by mrs...

Towradgi Public SchoolAnnual Report

2017

3866

Printed on: 12 April, 2018 of 22 Towradgi Public School 3866 (2017)

Introduction

The Annual Report for 2017 is provided to the community of Towradgi 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.

Anissa Rajendra

(Relieving Principal)

School contact details

Towradgi Public SchoolCarters LaneFairy Meadow, 2519www.towradgi-p.schools.nsw.edu.autowradgi-p.School@det.nsw.edu.au4284 4527


Message from the Principal

Presentation Day Assembly Speech presented by Mrs Rajendra

Good morning students, parents, friends and other visiting community members.

I too would like to acknowledge the traditional owner of the land and pay my respects to those past and present, those ofthe future and those here with us today.

Firstly I wish to express my great honour in being able to speak with you all today as the Relieving Principal of TowradgiP.S. There are many people who I would like to acknowledge and thank for their outstanding commitment to PublicEducation and in particular the children of this incredible school. These people are the ones who make sure that eachday is filled with amazing learning experiences in a safe, clean and harmonious school environment that is wellresourced. So it is the teachers, SLSO’s, office administration staff, general assistant, cleaners and DoE personal that Isay a big thank you to for all that you do to enhance the teaching and learning environment of all of our children.

I am delighted that Cathy Broadbridge the substantive principal of Towradgi Public School is able to be with us heretoday and to share in the celebrations of the year that was.

The learning of our children cannot be fully achieved without the support the ToPS community. Each day the parents andfriends of this great school community have conversations about what else they can do to make a positive difference.These conversations set the ball rolling into motion with action, such as the P & C paying in full for the cost of LifeEducation for the entire school! Making a difference through such an inclusive model of financial assistance makes ourschool an incredible place to be for all children and we thank you all so much.

The high standards set by our teachers and SLSO staff in the teaching and learning experiences that are provided to ourchildren are always rich and meaningful. I am always pleasantly reminded of the care and dedication given to thechildren from our staff, when I hear of or am part of, professional discussions about new research in education or moresimply how a child will learn best if a particular strategy was implemented. Reflecting on and responding effectively to theteaching cycle and understanding how it can be maximized to provide all children the opportunity to achieve beyond theirpotential is what all of our great public schools strive to achieve each day. I believe that here at Towradgi Public Schoolwe are certainly making strong strides to become successful in achieving this at a level of excelling!

I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to step into the relieving principal role at ToPS at the start of term 3this year. The warm welcome I received from the students, staff and broader school community was fantastic. Peoplehave been generous with their time in explaining to me the day to day routines, assisting in the organization of variousfunctions and other school business and just being available to answer the many questions I have been asking. Yourongoing support has been and continues to be deeply appreciated.

In the short time I have been here I have already seen many of the children grow and develop in their skills, learning.

I would like to formally acknowledge Cathy Broadbridge as her commitment and hard work in having an unrelentingcommitment to support and encourage the students and staff at ToPS has afforded me the opportunity to continue tobuild on the strengths and embrace the positives that sometimes can be shared with great challenges.

I congratulate our kindergarten students who have successfully completed the first year of their formal learning journeyand look forward to embracing the life–long enthusiasm of learning that is embedded in all that we do at Towradgi PublicSchool.

The students in year 6 who are now facing exciting new challenges in 2018 and beyond will most certainly recall manygreat memories of their time in primary school and hold dear the positive words of encouragement and support providedto them by their teachers along the way. I wish you all the very best in your first year of high school and encourage you torespect yourself always and work hard to follow your values that contribute to making your own dreams come true.

Always remember, "The important thing is not to stop questioning".– Albert Einstein

Once again I congratulate everyone on a wonderful and successful year and I wish you all a safe, happy and restfulholiday break and look forward to seeing you all in the new year!

I will leave you with this quote.

"The aim of education should be to teach us how to think, rather than what to think. To improve our minds, so as toenable us to think for ourselves, rather than to load the memory with thoughts of others".– Bill Beattie


Message from the school community

Message from Towradgi Public School Parents and Citizens Association

2017 was a very active year for the P&C. Enthusiastically the P&C, with the help and support from the school communityas a whole –students, their families, teachers, staff and community members managed to raise a considerable amount ofmoney for the school. Money that goes towards projects and resources that provide additional support for the childrenand their learning environments. Special thanks go to our local Member of Parliament, Paul Scully MP, who worked hardto secure funding to complete the “Soft Fall for Safety” Project around the school. Thanks, must also go to the parentsand teachers who volunteered a significant amount of their time and resources,behind the scenes, ensuring all theactivities that were undertaken by the P& C were run smoothly and professionally.

2017 major fundraising and social activities included:

With funds raised, we were able to provide support to the school and most importantly to the learning of the students andthe resourcing of the teachers. Significant funds were allocated to:

· Supplementing supplies of classroom readers, library books and reward stickers for teachers

· Classroom and Hall air–conditioning

· Life Education Subsidy

· ‘Soft Fall For Safety’ Play Area (Part 2) – a joint project of the P & C, Community Building Partnership– NSWGovernment (Paul Scully MP) and the school, which will continue into 2018.

The P&C is at the heart of parent involvement and interaction with the school. We all want the best possible school andschool environment for our children. The P&C provides an important forum where you can be actively involved in yourchild’s education, being informed and for having your say. We encourage all parents to get involved with the P&C. Weare always looking for volunteers to help out with projects that ultimately benefit all ofour children.

Again we extend a big thank you to all those who have attended meetings, helped with P&C activities and supportedthose activities. In particular, to those parents and carers that played an integral role in the P&C during the past yearsand will be moving on with children heading off to high school we can’t thank you enough. Thankyou.

We look forward to seeing new faces and warmly welcome anyone at the P&C meetings as 2018 progresses. Ourmeetings are held every month on the 2nd Tuesday night of each month in the library from 7pm.

Mark McCarthy

P&C President


School background

School vision statement

Towradgi Public School aspires to enable our students to become successful learners, confident and creative individualsand active and informed citizens through diverse personalised learning, high expectations and equity and excellence ineducation.

We are a dynamic school community that is committed to collaboratively delivering rich, broad and authentic learningopportunities within a supportive and nurturing environment.

School context

Towradgi Public School is a public primary school, established in 1963 and located five kilometres north of the City ofWollongong. The school is situated on a large level site with an expansive playground. The school population comprisesof 173 students with 11% of the student population identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and 22% ofstudents from a language background other than English. The school has an overall average socio–economic advantageas a result of the great diversity amongst the school community in terms of family occupation and education. In additionto six mainstream classes, a unique feature of the school is a support unit comprising three support classes. The EarlyIntervention Unit is a preschool for children with disabilities. There is one IO support class consisting of ten students witha moderate intellectual disability and one multi–categorical (MC) support class consisting of eight students with similarsupport needs. The school community values individual difference and inclusion and all students are supported andchallenged to achieve their full potential. Staff and students have outstanding access to the latest technology and theschool has a dynamic and committed staff team who set high expectations for student achievement and use currenttechnology as a tool to deliver quality teaching and learning programs. Meaningful partnerships with family members andcommunity groups have been established and parents and members of the wider school community are encouraged toplay an active role in the education of the students. Students in the school experience calm and settled classroom andplayground environments where positive behaviours are expected and rewarded. This is achieved through theunderpinning school values of safety, respect and responsibility.

Self-assessment and school achievement

Self-assessment using the School Excellence Framework

For all schools (except those participating in external validation processes):

This section of the Annual Report outlines the findings from self–assessment using the School Excellence Framework,school achievements and the next steps to be pursued.

This year, our school undertook self–assessment using the School Excellence Framework. The framework supportspublic schools throughout NSW in the pursuit of excellence by providing a clear description of high quality practiceacross the three domains of Learning, Teaching and Leading.

In order to get a clear and consistent picture of how the school is performing in line with the School ExcellenceFramework, the teaching staff at Towradgi Public School met over two weeks to discuss evidence of achievement. Staffworked through all the elements of the framework discussing the key initiatives in the school and how these providedevidence of success. They discussed how their evidence proved the impact of the initiative on student learning,community engagements and leadership. As a result, all teaching staff agreed on the assessment of the progressthrough each area of the framework. They also identified future goals for the school plan and what sort of evidence theycould collect to show the impact of these initiatives.

In the domain of Learning, our efforts have primarily focused on research backed approaches, curriculum and learning.The strong performance of the school in creating a positive and productive learning culture among staff and students hasbeen a feature of our progress. The results have been evident in the way that students are relating to each other and,importantly, in the increased engagement of students in learning. Attention to individual learning needs has been anothercomponent of our progress throughout the year. Students with high learning needs are being identified early and teamsof teachers are involved in meeting these needs.

Our major focus in the domain of Teaching has been on collaborative practice for staff members. An importantopportunity has been provided to staff members in relation to planning, teaching and growing as a team in each of ourstages. Changes in teacher practice, including the use of technology, work sample analysis, classroom observations,


feedback and personalised learning goals, has resulted in increased levels of student learning and engagement.Importantly, staff members are developing evidence based practice through their reflections and evaluations of collectivework.

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 across the school. This approach recognises that leadershipdevelopment is central to the achievement of school excellence. The leadership team has been successful in leading theinitiatives outlined in this report, building the capabilities of staff to create a dynamic school learning culture.

The new approach to school planning, supported by the new funding model to schools, is making a major difference toour progress as a school. The achievements and identification of next steps are outlined in the following pages of thisreport.

Our self–assessment process will assist the school to refine the strategic priorities in our School Plan, leading to furtherimprovements in the delivery of education to our students.

For more information about the School Excellence Framework:

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


Strategic Direction 1

Student Learning and Global Citizenship

Purpose

Provide an environment of personalised learning and high expectations. Students will be confident and capable users oftechnology and will develop the skills essential for them to contextualise their learning beyond the classroom. Futurefocussed learning will enable students to achieve their full potential and develop as responsible global citizens.

Overall summary of progress

In 2017, for the strategic direction around 'Student Learning and Global Citizenship', the school had a significant focus oncreating learning environments that provided suitable infrastructure that is conducive to the delivery of personalised andflexible modes of learning.

Teachers participated in school based professional learning and mentoring with focuses on formative assessment andpersonalised learning. With the development of physical classroom displays and teacher’s practices, students haveshown evidence that they are meeting personalised goals in one or more learning areas, and are reflecting on theirachievements.

Professional development opportunities were provided to teachers in the development and implementation of teachingand learning programs that support a consistent approach to personalised and differentiated learning. By the end of2017, all teachers were implementing various strategies, and were able to demonstrate a better understanding of. Allstudents K–6, were engaged in coding activities, Focus on Reading, Primary Connections and Green Screening lessons,demonstrating their ability to self–direct their learning. Resources were purchased to enrich the implementation ofScience, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) initiatives and inquiry–based teaching and learning programs.

The ‘Bring YourOwn Device’ program was continued in 2017 with great success. Ongoing surveys of classroomparticipation 80% of students (on average) bring their device regularly. This has allowed the school to maintain 1:1 ratioswith our limited bank of school funded devices. Teachers have indicated that they actively plan and program to makebest use of the device as a tool to support the delivery of the curriculum.

As part of our ongoing consultation with key stakeholders, we surveyed the community through ‘Tell Them From Me’surveys, particularly focusing on Seesaw this year, an app that would not have been as successful if it weren’t for the 1:1ratio. A large majority of parents indicated their support of the Seesaw app and as a direct result this will continue toremain a pivotal communication source in 2018.

Year 2 students began trialling the program with great success and similar statistics of participation. Students andteachers reported higher levels of engagement. This program will continue to be monitored and evaluated in 2018 witha focus being on the readiness of students beginning Year 3.

To ensure equity of access to devices, we still maintain a school bank of iPads' that currently supplement the BYODprogram in order to provide 1:1 device access forall students in Years 3–6.

Progress towards achieving improvement measures

Improvement measures(to be achieved over 3 years)

Funds Expended(Resources)

Progress achieved this year

• 100% of students supported incapably and regularly utilising21st century learningtechnologies to attain expectededucational learning outcomes

Maker Space materials–$1000

All K–2 students continue to learn how to share andcollaborate using Google Docs and slides withteacher support.

The Stage 3 and K–2 Tech buddies have continuedto be effective and engaging for all students.

Each classroom is now designed in a way tosupport BYOD, flexible modes of teaching and wewill continue to work towards project based learning






• 100% of students supported incapably and regularly utilising21st century learningtechnologies to attain expectededucational learning outcomes

across K–6.

There is a 95% parent connection with Seesaw andall teachers participated in professional learning inthe SAMR model in 2017.

• 100% of staff supported toprovide personalised and flexiblemodes of learning delivery

Flexible Learning Furnitureand other relatedresources– $8000

• Collaborative and consistent approaches to thedevelopment of personalised and differentiatedlearning has become embedded in the teachingand learning cycle for each teacher. • Students record their personal learning goals onSeesaw and students have demonstrated theachievement of their personal learning goals.

Next Steps

1. Embed the established collaborative and consistent approach to the development and implementation of personalisedand differentiated learning.

This will be achieved through: • Successful handing over of data from 2017–2018 teachers; • Teachers continuing to implement personal learning goals for students; and • Students recording their personal learning goals on the SeeSaw app, and showing evidence of achieving specific

goals and reflecting upon their achievements.2.. Embed future focused teaching and learning programs that promote global citizenship and global communication.

This will be achieved through: • Continuing the effective communication of 2017 BYOD expectations and filming of information sessions to support

the continuation of the BYOD program; • The development of a more interactive newsletter ( Weebly) • Continuing with Stage 3 and K–2 Tech Buddy System for Technology lessons, teaching Google Apps skills to

enable all K–2 students to share and collaborate using Google Docs and Google Slides.3. Implement, review and deliver innovative practices through integrated units of work across all curriculum areas.

This will be achieved through: • Teacher professional learning around programming and planning integrated units of work. • Purchase of required resources; • Supporting teachers to implement and evaluate innovative teaching and learning units that are linked to the new

syllabus documents.



A Culture of Professional Practice

Purpose

Ensure a collegial community of learners and a culture of continual improvement and collaboration. Teachersdemonstrate innovative curriculum implementation, quality teaching, reflective practices and increased development ofleadership capability.


The focus on developing teacher capacity to deliver quality teaching and learning in the classroom was expanded toinclude input from external sources. All teaching staff completed training in 'Focus on Reading', with consistentimplementation of 'Super Six' strategies being a focus across the school.

Teachers continued to implement collaborative and consistent approaches to the planning of teaching and learningprograms and assessment tasks. Teachers engaged in regular peer observation within the school setting and opportunitywas created for teachers to access staff expertise from other schools and external agencies. They regularly reflected ontheir practise in line with the Quality Teaching Framework and teachers’ programs demonstrated evidence of theframework being integrated across all teaching and learning.

Professional Development Plans were developed by all teachers in line with the Department of Education’s Performanceand Development requirements with all staff defining individual professional learning goals. Covey growth coachingtechniques, along with reflective peer discussion, were used to support teachers in the development of their annualprofessional learning goals.

Focus on Reading (FOR)

In 2017 all classroom teachers completed their professional learning journey concentrated on reading comprehension inYears 3–6. This program was chosen to support the of the key aspects of reading, namely comprehension, vocabularyand reading text fluency. It follows the current K–2 Literacy program ‘Language, Learning and Literacy’ (L3) that wasalready being implemented at the school. Teachers engaged in professional learning workshops that allowed them toplan for students in their class, share plans and collaborate with each other. The program had a series of betweensession tasks that embedded the professional learning into daily practise.

In 2017, we saw some fantastic changes in school culture. These included:

– Teaching and learning programs show that teachers are able to effectively use and implement new strategies learntduring these sessions.

– As a result of the common language developed in 2017, students made seamless transitions into reading programs inall classrooms. This reduced the time required to explicitly teach the ‘Super Six’ and allowed more time to focusonmastery of the skills.

The ‘Focus on Reading’ professional learning has been completed. In 2018, Assistant Principals will be guiding andsupporting all teachers to ensure the pedagogies are continually implemented and embedded in daily practice.





• 100% of staff provided withopportunities to engage incollaborative and reflectivepractices to improve the quality ofteaching and learning

$ 11 016 • All teaching and Learning programs andassessment tasks are now developed incollaboration and are evidenced in teacherprograms. • Class teachers confidently contribute toprofessional and reflective learning discussions withsupervisors related to their own teaching andlearning goals. • Planning days and mentoring sessions werevaluable for all teachers. • All teachers were able to provide evidence of






• 100% of staff provided withopportunities to engage incollaborative and reflectivepractices to improve the quality ofteaching and learning

their implementation of FoR strategies in theirclassrooms. • Writing in the middle years training was revisitedand it is planned to continue into 2018.

• 100% of teachers supportedin the development of qualityindividual professionaldevelopment plans that arealigned to the NationalStandards, Performance andDevelopment Framework andQuality Teaching Framework

$ 7 143 • During allocated planning days teachers wereable to assess and reassess themselves againstthe AITSL classroom practice continuum andshowed evidence of professional growth. • Mentoring and observation feedback provided ascaffolded support for all teachers as they were wellsupported by their supervisors. • Leadership opportunities were developed whenthe each substantive Assistant Principal relieved asprincipal affording significant leadershipopportunities.

Next Steps

1. Professional learning, building teacher capacity to deliver authentic and purposeful teaching and learning programsand delivery of quality feedback.

This will be achieved through: • Regular stage meetings, authentic and purposeful teaching and learning programs, weekly mentoring sessions

and assessment tasks in collaboration; and • Regular reflection by all teachers on the AITSL classroom practise continuum.

2. Continued implementation of collaborative and consistent approaches to the planning of teaching and learningprograms and assessment tasks.

This will be achieved through: • Regular stage meetings and cooperative planning opportunities; • 'Language, Learning and Literacy' (L3) on–going professional learning for the K–2 teachers; • Follow up support of 'Focus on Reading' (FOR) strategies in the classroom for all teachers; • Revisiting and refreshing of 'Writing in the Middle Years' and 'Focus on Reading' pedagogy implementation; and • The development of teaching and learning programs, scope and sequences and assessment tasks in

collaboration.3. The use of peer observation and mentoring strategies to support the development of individual professional learninggoals and professional learning plans and reflection upon practice in accordance with the Quality Teaching Framework.

This will be achieved through: • Attendance at regular stage, team, staff and professional network meetings; • The development and review of annual Professional Development Plans (PDPs); • Flexible opportunities for staff to continue to observe and work with in–school and external experts on professional

development goals; and • Continuation of the collegial mentoring program which will be facilitated by Assistant Principals.



Inclusive, Engaged and Informed Community

Purpose

Nurture effective and meaningful community partnerships and systems where all stakeholders are empowered tocontribute positively to student learning outcomes and a school culture of mutual trust, respect, improvement andsuccess.


Student reports were received positively following their redesign in accordance with the new syllabus documents andDepartment of Education reporting policy and procedures. Survey data indicated that overall, students and parents wereprovided with explicit and quality student progress information.

Towradgi PS continued to refine school processes for communication and consultation. Regular alerts were pushed outon the Towradgi Public School Skoolbag app, ongoing updates on the progress of the school plan were communicatedthrough P&C meetings, school newsletters and the school website. Calendars were continuously kept up to date withrelevant information and parents, carers and teachers were surveyed about the success of the Bring Your Own Device(BYOD) program and about school satisfaction. School based survey data indicated improved communication andconsultation within the school community.

Community links that support school programs and initiatives continued to grow throughout 2017. During Semester 1,University of Wollongong Campus East students volunteered their time to assist classroom teachers with differentlearning programs in Literacy and Numeracy. The Thai Language School were involved with Harmony Day celebrations,sharing a cultural experience with students of Towradgi Public School. They also contributed to The County Fair byvolunteering time and cooking Thai food for our school community and supporting our students in a Reading program.Overall, our partnership programs and initiatives continued to flourish.

Seesaw

After a positive reception in 2016, teachers continued to make use of Seesaw software throughout 2017.. A premiumlicence was purchased which allows the school to be tracked and managed by an administrator. It also allows teachersto post, comment and view all classes in the school.

Teachers have been using Seesaw to collect assessment data and keep student progress records and student worksamples. Having digital portfolios of work, allows teachers to easily collaborate and share student work samples witheach other. This has resulted in an additional layer of consistent teacher judgement across all classes.

Due to the success of Seesaw in 2017, the school will continue to use the service in 2018.





• A minimum of 50% ofstakeholders have a clearunderstanding of the schoolvision and direction

$2664 Students and parents provided with explicit andquality student progress information which includesthe regular use of SeeSaw.

Parents have indicated positive support for the newreporting format and that they feel an increasedsense of partnership in working together with theteaching and non–teaching staff.

• A minimum of 50% ofstakeholder feedback affirms theschool’s processes forcommunication and consultation

$5880 School based surveys indicated that improvedcommunication and consultation processes wereeffective and positive.

Community links are established and schoolprograms and initiatives are embraced by theschool community.


Next Steps

1. Review and refine processes for communication and consultation.

This will be achieved through: • Continuation of the SRC induction processes and expansion of SRC roles and responsibilities that include the

development of civic responsibilities; • Year 6 Captains and Vice Captains providing peer support to Year 5 candidates, prior to the 2018 election for

School Captain; • Facilitation and communication of recorded information sessions for parents (ToPS Talks); • Consultation undertaken with school community around 2018/19 school plan milestones • All students at ToPS will be provided opportunities to participate in local community initiatives and are empowered

to contribute positively to our school and its local community. • A wide variety of curriculum programs and projects will continue to be offered that extend and enthuse the learning

of our students such as camps and new playground activities with the expansion of this being the introduction ofToPS Start a pre–school transition program.

2. Continue to build and maintain learning alliances that support our school strategic directions.

This will be achieved through: • Continuing the successful whole school sport program that is in partnership with the University of Wollongong

Physical Health Education Undergraduates Program; • Refreshing and relaunching the current approach to the whole school wellbeing processes. Teachers will become

more informed and better connected to ensure that effective practice to ensure student wellbeing is embeddedthrough the continued and revised implementation of Positive Behaviour for Learning

• Whole school learning & support practices will be reviewed and refined to become more specific and targetedgiving staff and students more clarity and direction. Students will be provided with every opportunity to connect,succeed and thrive in every classroom

• Implementation and sharing of Corrimal (CoS) plan strategies that includes participation in 'Teach Meets' andprocesses through staff meetings;

• Continuation of a Special Education Network (SEN) Hub Illawarra to provide support to Special EducationTeachers and Support Staff in other schools;

3. Professional learning to build the capacity of all staff.

This will be achieved through: • Provision of opportunities for new and existing staff to engage in a variety of targeted professional learning to

develop and consolidate skills in navigating new systems and processes. • The school will implement initiatives and practices that build greater support interventions at all levels, for all

students and their families through the planning and implementation of personalised teaching and learningprograms and procedures to streamline daily school activity;

• Professional learning for staff around the School Excellence Framework (SEF), leading to staff teams evaluatingschool progress against the SEF; and

• School planning and evaluation undertaken using the School Planning and Reporting Online (SPaRO) tool.


Key Initiatives Resources (annual) Impact achieved this year

Aboriginal background loading $14,970

Set up M goals– $1,000

student assist – $906

Multilit and Minilit

Implementation– $7,600

Release teacher planning &reflection days– $5,464

Aboriginal Backgroundloading = $14 970.00

All students identifying as Aboriginal have aPersonalised Learning Pathway. Thispathway is created in consultation withparents, the student and the class teacher.

The PLPs identify academic, social and homegoals for each student. School LearningSupport Officers have been employed tosupport student academic learning in theclassroom and social skills development inthe playground and during transition timesthroughout the school day.

Additionally the SLSO has been employed todeliver Multilit and Minilit programs toidentified students. Funds were also used topurchase additional time for the Learning andSupport Teacher, who delivered targetedsupport to identified students.

Data analysis showed positive growth inliteracy by all participating students. Therewere also notable improvements in studentself esteem, attendance and willingness toparticipate in class activities.

Recognition of Aboriginal studentachievement was a high priority for theschool. Two students were awarded "DeadlyEncouragement Awards", which were hostedby the Northern Illawarra EducationConsultative Group (NIAECG).

English language proficiency $10,137

EALD teacher –$10,137

• Funds were used employ a SchoolLearning Support Officer (SLSO) to deliverMultiLit and MiniLit programs to studentsidentified by the Learning and Support Team. • Funds were also used to purchaseadditional time for the English as anAdditional Language and Dialect (EAL/D)Teacher, who delivered targeted support toidentified students. Data analysis showedpositive growth in Literacy by all participatingstudents. There were also notableimprovements in student self esteem andwillingness to participate in class activities. • Class teachers were released from class toparticipate in a teacher mentoring programand cooperative planning days. • Funds were used to support classroomteacher professional learning, observation,mentoring and reflective discussion. As aresult, class programs were differentiated andsupported individual student need. • Funds were also used to support the EAL/Dteacher's attendance at English as a SecondLanguage Information Network Meetings(ESLIN) meetings and participation in AdobeConnect professional learning sessions.

Low level adjustment for disability $32,206

0.2 Learning and SupportTeacher – $20, 312

• Funds were used to purchase additionaltime for the Learning and Support (L&S)Teacher, who delivered targeted support tostudents identified by the Learning andSupport Team. Data analysis showed positive


Low level adjustment for disability SLSO MultiLit –$7,600

Reading Eggs– $300

Review meetings– $1,613

Planning and reflectiondays– $2,000

Reading recovery bookspurchased– $381

Low level adjustment fordisability ($32 206.00)

growth in literacy and numeracy byparticipating students. There were alsonotable improvements in student self esteemand willingness to participate in classactivities. • Funds were allocated to support the L&STeacher's attendance at Corrimal Communityof Schools Learning and Support NetworkMeetings. This ensured a collaborativeapproach across the Corrimal CoS in relationto student support and transition from Years 6to 7. • Class Teachers were also released toparticipate in student progress reviewmeetings in order to personalise studentlearning and support needs. • Funds were used to support professionallearning needs of Class Teachers and SchoolLearning and Support Officers (SLSOs). Allstaff were up to date with trainingrequirements and able to successfully supportstudents’ identified needs. • Funds were allocated to support thecontinued development of a ‘sensorycorridor’, which supported students withsensory processing disorders to developimproved self–regulatory behaviours andimproved access to their learning. • Targeted Integration Funding Support fundswere used to employ a School LearningSupport Officer (SLSO).

Quality Teaching, SuccessfulStudents (QTSS)

$15 135

Observation/mentoringprogram– $7,992

Teacher planning andreflection days– $7,143

Quality TeachingSuccessful Students(QTSS) ($15 135.00)

• ($0.00)

• Class teachers participated in professionallearning, collaborative planning and reflectivediscussions with focuses on curriculumdifferentiation and embedding the qualityteaching framework into teaching andlearning programs. • Class Teachers were also released toobserve and gain support from in–schoolexperts and experts at other schools aroundschool plan processes and professionaldevelopment goals. • Analysis of survey data indicated that 100%of teachers agreed that they had beenprovided with opportunities to engage incollaborative and reflective practices toimprove the quality of their teaching. • All teachers agreed that they had beensupported with the on–going development oftheir professional learning plans and weresupported to achieve their professionaldevelopment goals by experts within andbeyond the school.

Socio–economic background $27,426

Student assistance– $1,600

Replacement devices eg:iPads, laptops– $7,184

Focus on readingresources– $4,646

Google apps for Education /resources– $3,000

• School Learning Support Officers havebeen employed to support student' academiclearning in the classroom and social skillsdevelopment in the playground and duringtransition times throughout the school day. • The school has identified that ensuringstudents are adequately supported during theschool day is the greatest use of these funds. • The school utilized Socio–economicloadings to support families with thepurchasing of school uniforms, school campsand extra–curricular activities throughout theschool year.


Socio–economic background Google apps for Education /Professionallearning–$3,000

Release for teacherplanning days– $3,552

Contribution to CorrimalCOS plan– $2,000

Release to plan andsupport SRC– $444

Spheros for COS StemPlan– $2,000

Socio–economicbackground ($27 426.00)

• ($0.00)

• School Learning Support Officers havebeen employed to support student' academiclearning in the classroom and social skillsdevelopment in the playground and duringtransition times throughout the school day. • The school has identified that ensuringstudents are adequately supported during theschool day is the greatest use of these funds. • The school utilized Socio–economicloadings to support families with thepurchasing of school uniforms, school campsand extra–curricular activities throughout theschool year.

Support for beginning teachers $8,254

Release for ProfessionalLearning andMentoring–$7,770

Professional learningcosts–$484

Support for beginningteachers ($8 254.00)

• Funds were used to support the BeginningTeacher's professional learning goals throughtargeted professional learning, peerobservation, mentoring and reflectivediscussion with support staff from within andbeyond the school. • Funds facilitated attendance at theBeginning Teacher conference, DigitalLiteracies Conference and relevantEduwebinars. • Funds were also used to release thebeginning teacher to consolidate andimplement new systems and processes andprofessional learning outcomes.

Targeted student support forrefugees and new arrivals

$2, 448

Additional EAL/D TeacherTime–$1,668

Targeted student supportfor refugees and newarrivals

($1 668. 00)

• Funds were used to purchase additionaltime for the English as an AdditionalLanguage and Dialect (EAL/D) Teacher, whodelivered targeted support to identifiedstudents. • Data analysis showed positive growth inliteracy and numeracy by all participatingstudents. • There were also notable improvements instudent self esteem and willingness toparticipate in class activities.

Flexible Funding for WellbeingServices

$37 200

0.2 =School Counsellor–$20,404

0.1 Learning and Supportteacher– $10, 202

L&ST additional hours forBrave Programimplementation– $6,594

Flexible funding forwellbeing services ($37200.00)

• Funds were used to employ a schoolcounsellor for 1 day per week and enableadditional Learning and Support (L&S)Teacher time. As a result the schoolcommunity was provided with essentialsupport services and student and familyneeds were adequately met. • The L&S Teacher implemented the BraveProgram, which supported students withanxiety to overcome their worries andimprove the quality of their lives.


Student information

Student enrolment profile

Enrolments

Students 2014 2015 2016 2017

Boys 91 92 95 88

Girls 73 68 65 65

Towradgi Public School has overall maintained it'senrolment numbers. However, 2017 did see a slightdecrease to the figures of previous years with a fewmore year 6 students leaving to go to high school thenthat of kindergarten starting at the school.

Student attendance profile

School

Year 2014 2015 2016 2017

K 95.2 95.3 96.9 93.6

1 93.6 94.8 95.6 95.2

2 95.3 95.4 96.2 95.9

3 94.4 95.2 95.9 93.4

4 95.1 91.8 96.7 96.1

5 93.3 91.2 95.3 93.9

6 94.7 87.9 93.4 95.7

All Years 94.5 93.1 95.8 94.9

State DoE

Year 2014 2015 2016 2017

K 95.2 94.4 94.4 94.4

1 94.7 93.8 93.9 93.8

2 94.9 94 94.1 94

3 95 94.1 94.2 94.1

4 94.9 94 93.9 93.9

5 94.8 94 93.9 93.8

6 94.2 93.5 93.4 93.3

All Years 94.8 94 94 93.9

Management of non-attendance

Towradgi Public School values the importance ofregular school attendance and recognises the directrelationship between student attendance and theachievement of educational outcomes. The schoolworks closely with the school community by providingupdates in the school newsletter about the importanceof regular school attendance. The school also works inpartnership with the Home School Liaison Officer to

monitor non–attendance and has procedures in placeto follow up on non–attendance. The school workstogether with students and parents to support improvedattendance, when attendance is a problem. Mostimportantly staff ensure the school is a safe and happyplace for all students and teachers ensure the studentsare actively engaged in their learning.

Workforce information

Workforce composition

Position FTE*

Principal 1

Deputy Principal(s) 0

Assistant Principal(s) 3

Head Teacher(s) 0

Classroom Teacher(s) 6.91

Teacher of Reading Recovery 0.21

Learning & Support Teacher(s) 0.2

Teacher Librarian 0.4

Teacher of ESL 0

School Counsellor 0

School Administration & SupportStaff

4.42

Other Positions 0

*Full Time Equivalent

The Australian Education Regulation, 2014 requiresschools to report on Aboriginal composition of theirworkforce. In 2017, Towradgi Public School had 0Indigenous members of staff. The school enjoys apositive and close relationship with the NorthernIllawarra Aboriginal Education Consultative Group.

Teacher qualifications

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

Teacher qualifications

Qualifications % of staff

Undergraduate degree or diploma 100

Postgraduate degree 50

Professional learning and teacher accreditation

Professional learning at Towradgi Public School istargeted towards building the capabilities of staff to


achieve key priorities that are articulated in the schoolplan. Teacher professional learning is also targetedtowards the teachers’ professional learning goals asidentified in their professional development plans(PDPs). Professional learning at Towradgi PublicSchool meets the needs of early career teachers,classroom teachers, aspiring and current schoolleaders, as well as meeting the professional learningneeds of school administrative and support staff(SASS).

Professional learning funds are used to cover costsassociated with course fees. Professional learningfunds are also used to cover costs associated withreleasing staff members from their regular duties inorder to attend professional learning.

In 2017, Towradgi Public School staff participated in avariety of school–based and external professionallearning, which included weekly staff, stage and teammeetings, after school professional learning,face–to–face conferences, in–class support,observations and collegial mentoring.

Towradgi Public School staff were inclusive of two newscheme teachers. Both new scheme teachers hadpreviously been successful in meeting the requirementstowards Board of Studies Teaching and EducationStandards (BoSTES) accreditation and in 2017 were inthe process of gathering data to support theirmaintenance of accreditation at Proficient level.

Financial information (for schoolsfully deployed to SAP/SALM)

Financial summary

The information provided in the financial summaryincludes reporting from 1 January 2017 to 31December 2017.

2017 Actual ($)

Opening Balance 127,258

Revenue 2,027,448

Appropriation 1,943,258

Sale of Goods and Services 7,946

Grants and Contributions 74,816

Gain and Loss 0

Other Revenue 0

Investment Income 1,427

Expenses -2,056,734

Recurrent Expenses -2,046,442

Employee Related -1,847,903

Operating Expenses -198,538

Capital Expenses -10,292

Employee Related 0

Operating Expenses -10,292

SURPLUS / DEFICIT FOR THEYEAR

-29,286

Balance Carried Forward 97,972

In 2017, the school once again gratefully receiveddonations from the P&C. With their support, andsupport from a Community Building Partnership Grant,Stage 1 of the ‘Soft Fall for Safety’ Project will becompleted by May, 2018. With continued support, it isexpected that Stage 2 of the Project will be completedin 2018.

Supplier issues prevented the installation of the LEDsign. It is expected that installation will occur in 2018.Funds have been set aside to support this.

Funds have also been targeted towards updating theoffice in the building, playground rejuvenation projects,building a sensory room, the purchase of additionalflexible learning furniture and asset replacement.

‘Balance carried forward’ funds also include tied fundsfor Beginning Teacher Support and Flexible Funding forWellbeing Services, which will be used to purchaseadditional Learning and Support Teacher time in 2018.‘Balance carried forward’ funds will also be targetedtowards Communicating and Engaging with Communityin 2018, with funds to be used to cover costsassociated with Skoolbag and Seesaw appsubscriptions, staff relief for undertaking communityinterest and engagement projects and for consultationwith community in order to evaluate the 2018–2020school plan.

Financial summary equity funding

The equity funding data is the main component of the


'Appropriation' section of the financial summary above.

2017 Actual ($)

Base Total 1,210,606

Base Per Capita 26,292

Base Location 0

Other Base 1,184,314

Equity Total 88,230

Equity Aboriginal 14,970

Equity Socio economic 27,426

Equity Language 10,137

Equity Disability 35,696

Targeted Total 541,966

Other Total 76,378

Grand Total 1,917,179

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

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

School performance

NAPLAN

In the National Assessment Program, the results acrossthe Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 literacy andnumeracy assessments are reported on a scale fromBand 1 to Band 10. The achievement scalerepresents increasing levels of skillsand understandings demonstrated in theseassessments.

In the National Assessment Program the results acrossthe years 3,5,7 & 9 Literacy and Numeracyassessments are reported on a scale from Band 1 toBand 10. The achievement scale represents increasinglevels of skills and understandings demonstrated inthese assessments.

NAPLAN trend data shows key student outcomeimprovements for all students in the area of Writing.This positive result can be traced to the professionaldevelopment, 'Writing In The Middle Years', that wasdelivered to all staff in 2016. Year 5 data continued toshow strong growth in all areas assessed by NAPLAN..

The My School website provides detailed informationand data for National Literacy and Numeracy testing.Go to http://www.myschool.edu.au to access the schooldata.

Parent/caregiver, student, teachersatisfaction

Each year schools are required to seek the opinions ofparents, students and teachers about the school. Theirresponses are presented below.

In 2017, the school sought the opinions of parents,students and teachers about the school, positiverelationships and engagement. Their responses arepresented below.

School–based end of year satisfaction survey dataindicated the following: • Advocacy for these students was rated 8.4 out of

10. The NSW Govt norm is 7.7. • 90% of parents agreed that opportunities are

provided for parents and carers to engage in theirchild’s learning.

• Positive teacher–student relations were rated8.7out of 10. The NSW Govt norm for theseyears is 8.4.

Responses from students in Years 4,5 and 6 inSnapshot 2 of the ‘Tell Them From Me’ survey dataindicated the following: • 90% of students at Towradgi Public School had a

high sense of belonging. The NSW Govt norm forthese years is 81%.

• 91% of students had positive relationships. TheNSW Govt norm for these years is 85%.

• 96% of students in this school valued SchoolOutcomes. The NSW Govt norm for these yearsis 96%.

• 96% of students had positive behaviour. TheNSW Govt norm for these years is 83%.

• 100% of students tried hard to succeed. TheNSW Govt norm for these years is 88%.

• Students rated Effective Classroom LearningTime 8.5 out of 10. The NSW Govt norm for theseyears is 8.2.

• Students rated Relevance 8.7 out of 10. TheNSW Govt norm for these years is 7.9.

• Positive Teacher–Student Relations were rated8.7 out of 10. The NSW Govt norm for these


years is 8.4. School–based survey data around the new ‘Bring YourOwn Device’ (BYOD) program indicated the following: • 100% of staff agreed that the Apple iPad was the

easiest device to manage in class. • 100% of staff agreed that they feel confident in

redefining and modifying lessons to make themost of 1:1 devices.

• 100% of staff agreed that they would like BYODto continue.

Policy requirements

Aboriginal education

Our school respects and learns about Aboriginal culturethrough Acknowledgement of Country, NAIDOC Weekand Sorry Day activities and our Aboriginal studentscontinue to be supported through the implementation oftargeted teaching and learning programs.

All identified Aboriginal students had PersonalisedLearning Pathways developed and implemented bytheir class teachers. The focus of these plans was toimprove learning outcomes in literacy and numeracyand to provide increased confidence and self–esteemin our Aboriginal students.

We continued to build our community links throughregular attendance and active participation in theNorthern Illawarra Aboriginal Education ConsultativeGroup (NIAECG) meetings and through consultationwith local elders.

NAIDOC celebrations are held around Australia in Julyeach year to celebrate history, culture andachievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanderpeoples. As part of these celebrations, four of ourstudents represented Towradgi Public School in aprimary school public speaking and debating challenge.

A tree of reconciliation was painted and decorated withthe handprints of every one of our students anddisplayed in the office area throughout ReconciliationWeek, embracing the Reconciliation Week theme for2017: Four students attended the AboriginalReconciliation Morning Tea and a significant number ofTowradgi Public School students, staff, parents andcarers also took part in a Community of SchoolsReconciliation Walk from Bellambi Surf Club to

Bellambi Public School. It was an enjoyable occasionthat demonstrated the true meaning of reconciliation aswe came together, walked together and took part in theorganised activities.

The Northern Illawarra ‘DEADLY EncouragementAwards’ were held once again in 2017. These awardsrecognised and rewarded Aboriginal school studentswho demonstrated a commitment to improvement. Twoof our students were recognised for their positiveattributes around exceptional attendance, application tolearning and kindness to others.

Multicultural and anti-racism education

Multicultural and anti–racism education is provided forall students and promotes a shared vision of Australiabased on cultural understanding and communityharmony. Multicultural Education aims to equip allstudents with the knowledge, skills and values neededto participate successfully in Australia’s culturallydiverse society.

In Term One, we celebrated Harmony Day with avariety of classroom and school–based activities, whichhelped to create an awareness and appreciation of ourmulticultural society. Students learnt about howdifferent cultures and religions contribute to Australianidentity and recognised the need for respect,compassion, acceptance and inclusion.

In 2017, the school addressed Multicultural Educationthrough integrated teaching and learning units, linkingstudies in Literacy, Personal Development and HumanSociety and Its Environment with a focus on our ownand other cultures to gain an understanding of theworld in which we live. These units focused on culturaldiversity, acceptance and respect of personaldifferences and promoted racial tolerance.

Our school was once again well represented at theMulticultural Public Speaking Competition with four ofour students confidently presenting speeches.

Other school programs


Towradgi Public School Library Program

2017 was another exciting year in our library, wherestudents increased their loveof reading and literature,and improved their information literacy andresearchskills.

Our kindergarten students became well acquainted witheverything our library has to offer, and enjoyed listeningto and discussing stories from a variety of incredibleAustralian authors. Students in Stage 1 and K–6 Amberlearnt allabout the non–fiction part of our library andnow know how and where to find information about avariety of topics in our library. Stage 2 wrote andperformed their own ‘book talks’ to convince theirclassmates to check outtheir favourite books. Thesetalks were recorded for Seesaw. While our year 3students spent the majority of the year acquiring andpracticing theinformation literacy and research skillsthey will need to master in highschool.

Students from K–6 participated in the Premier’sReading Challenge, enabling them to be immersed inquality children’s literature, specially selected for thechallenge. Students in K–2 experienced these books inthe library and classroom, while students in 3–6independently read 20 books and logged theirchallenge online. All participating students received aspecial certificate for their efforts, and thoseindependent readers also attended a special luncheonin the library.

In Term 2, our school once again participated inNational Simultaneous Storytime, along with hundredsof other schools and librariesacross the country. Thestudents discussed resilience in their classrooms tocoincide with the theme of the year’s book ‘The CowTripped Over the Moon’ byTony Wilson. Severalstudents from each class shared their tales ofresiliencewith the rest of the school, before reading thebook alongside author TonyWilson and other schoolsaround the country.

Term 3 was once again the highlight of the year for thelibrary, with the students participating in a number ofexciting activities. We held our annual much–lovedBook Parade and Scholastic Book Fair. After the bookparade, students shared their favourite stories with theirpeers and family, followed by a picnic lunch. This yearthe Book Fair raised another record total of $2334,meaning the library received over $675worth of newbooks! The school was also visited by the staff ofCorrimal Library, who put on a great show based on theshortlistedbooks for our students.

Following the success of last year, Towradgi PublicSchool onceagain participated in the Children’s BookCouncil of Australia (CBCA) Literary Lunch. Eight luckystudents from Year 5 had lunch with authors andillustratorsfrom around the country, where they couldchat, ask questions and obtain autographs. Studentsalso participated in an illustrating workshop with famousIllustrator and Disney animator, Adam Murphy.

The most exciting opportunity for our students this yearwas thevisit from the Story Crowd. Students from

Towradgi PS joined with visiting students from Bellambiand Tarrawanna Public schools to participate in anumber of workshops and art activitiespresentedby Jules Faber (illustratorof the Weir Do and KaboomKid series), LouisePark (author of the Boy vs Beast,Zac Power & Star Girlseries) and SandyFussell (author of the Samurai Kid series and PolarBoy). They will also had the opportunity topurchasebooks by the authors and get them signed. It wasdefinitely amemorable experience for all involved.


2017 towradgi public school annual report · presentation day assembly speech presented by mrs...

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