2018 leumeah public school annual report€¦ · assisted the p&c in its efforts to support the...

Leumeah Public SchoolAnnual Report

2018

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Printed on: 28 May, 2019 of 20 Leumeah Public School 4058 (2018)

Introduction

The Annual Report for 2018 is provided to the community of Leumeah Public School (LPS) 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.

Kristy Hill

(rel) Principal

School contact details

Leumeah Public SchoolBurrendong RdLeumeah, 2560www.leumeah-p.schools.nsw.edu.auleumeah-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au4625 5245

Message from the Principal

This year we finalised the School Plan for the 2018–2020 period and began implementation. After a consultative staffprocess, we also established our new school vision statement. At LPS we are: Innovative learners for success.

The statement embodies our focus as leaders, teachers, students and community. It stems from research about whenteachers feel successful at work and in their role, it results with internal motivation to continue to improve. This impactson student achievement, as teacher practice is much more reflective, driven by small sustainable changes. Within thestatement, learners refers to all school community stakeholders. Wherever you are on your learning continuum, as longas you continue to make small innovations to your practice or learning, you will continue to achieve.

The vision statement underpins our plan and our expectations of students, teachers and community members. Our keypriorities for 2018 and beyond are:

• Active and engaged learners • Highly driven and creative professionals • Leading effective, evaluative practices for impact.

Our focus on differentiated professional learning continued, expanding support to one Assistant Principal mentor perstage. The focus is on student achievement and using explicit targeted teaching and this will complement currentschool–based learning and support processes.

Our strategic directions implemented teacher–driven professional learning sessions focusing on student engagementthrough inquiry learning and using research–based strategies to improve student achievement. There were pilots ofteacher–observation–feedback professional learning and Spirals of Inquiry.

We trialled new staff organisational groups referred to as 'Committees', to streamline school processes and build staffcapabilities. Committees covered strategic directions and other activities that need to have documented milestones orare co–ordinated across the school. These committees were evaluated at the end of the year and will continue in 2019.

Our P&C continued to actively support the school by promising $100,000 from fundraising to the school application forthe 'Cooler Classrooms' program. They continued their 2017 success with another wonderful movie night. The yearcompleted with the final resolution of the uniform shop, ensuring that their focus can now turn to fundraising.

Kristy Hill

(rel) Principal


Message from the school community

2018 represented a year of growth and reflection for the LPS P&C. I took on the role of President with the intention ofrepresenting the parents voice and continuing to foster a supportive relationship between the teaching and administrationstaff and our P&C association. Additionally, the vision I had when joining the P&C was to encourage more of our parentsand community representatives to participate, collaborate and create an environment that reflected our multicultural andproud community.

I'd like to acknowledge the teaching and administration staff at LPS for their dedication to our students, to our school andto education during 2018. I'd also like to thank all staff for their support and collaboration towards making our P&C eventssuccessful, fun and inclusive community events. The relationship we have successfully nurtured together has enabled usto work supportively to provide valuable resources and experiences that will benefit LPS students now and into thefuture.

2018 was an eventful year for the P&C. Together we have spent and pledged over $130,000 towards projects for LPS.The money we raised during the year went towards providing resources for the students, easing the financial costs ofeducational activities, providing your child with the essentials to be successful, safe and cared for at school and holdingcommunity engagement events. Furthermore, 2018 saw the P&C:

• Provide wide brim hats to all new kindergarten children • Provide a welcome morning tea for kindergarten parents at both the orientation mornings and the first day of

school • We officially opened the two new playgrounds with local MP Anoulack Chanthivong • We hosted a free BBQ at the meet the teacher night and hosted subsequent cake stalls and tea and coffee chats

at the mid–year parent teacher interviews • We held themed mufti days such as crazy hair day and dress in your onesie day • We held our annual Easter raffle • We facilitated both the Mother's Day and Father's Day stalls • We contributed to the purchase of the Year 6 farewell hats • We provided Easter eggs from the Easter Bunny to all junior school students • We facilitated a second hand uniform stall offering low cost services to our community • We hosted the end of year rainbow disco • We pulled together another successful movie night event, drawing in around 500 community members, hosting

food trucks and entertainment and attracting 28 sponsors from across Sydney. • We facilitate the Commonwealth Bank school banking program • We pledged $100 000 towards air conditioning under the Liberal Government Cool the School project • We pledged $20 000 towards new fans in the school hall as part of our own 'Cool LPS' initiative • We sponsored a student who was successful in representing NSW for basketball • We contributed to the leadership conference for our school captains and prefects • We sent members of our community to the P&C conference and our local community parent conference • We paid for the author David Legge to come and engage with our students in literary workshops • We contributed to the staff Christmas lunch • We hosted the Term 3 five cent Friday fundraiser

2018 was a mammoth year for our P&C and I am grateful, appreciative and amazed by the dedication of our volunteersto lend us their time and energy to make our events successful and inviting. I would like to thank each person who hasassisted the P&C in its efforts to support the school in 2018. Be that through taking on a role in the P&C, helping at aMother's or Father's Day stall, counting and collecting raffle money, disco, movie night, in the uniform shop, schoolbanking, parent reps on selection panels and the list goes on. The P&C cannot achieve its goal of supporting the schoolwithout this volunteer support from our school families.

Rachel Dutton

P&C President


School background

School vision statement

At LPS we are:

Innovative learners for success.

School context

LPS is situated near Campbelltown in South West Sydney. Our school has an enrolment of 607 students. Over 50% ofour students are from language backgrounds other than English and 4.3% Aboriginal and / or Torres Strait Islanderstudents. The school has 23 mainstream classes with an additional Opportunity Class. The department's HighPerforming Students Unit administers the opportunity class placement process.

LPS is highly regarded by the local community as an enriching learning environment. Our students are responsive to theneeds of others and dedicated to their learning. Teaching staff at LPS are committed to maintaining high standards inteaching and learning. The community is supportive of the school.

Our key priorities for 2018 and beyond are to have: • Active and engaged learners • Highly driven and creative professionals • Leading effective, evaluative practices for impact.

Self-assessment and school achievement

Self-assessment using the School Excellence Framework

This section of the Annual Report outlines the findings from self–assessment using the School Excellence Framework(SEF), 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.

Throughout the year our executive and strategic direction teams reflected on all elements of the SEF, analysing data andengaging in discussions around evidence to support our evaluations. An external validation and school improvementcommittee was also established to analyse our school's performance and put forward recommendations.

In the domain of Learning, our school had a strong focus on developing a deep learning culture with high expectations forall students. Seesaw was utilised to share learning goals and achievement with families and generate discussions aboutwhere learning needed to go. Through a pilot project lead by our Strategic Direction 1 team, all students activelyengaged in authentic learning through inquiry–based tasks. This pilot developed critical thinking skills in students,supported students in reflecting on their learning and enhanced teacher capacity to plan engaging, authentic lessonsacross the curriculum.

Student wellbeing is a priority for all members of the LPS community. In 2018 our Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL)committee engaged in a Tied Fidelity Inventory (TFI) assessment to identify strengths and areas that needed furtherdevelopment. From the recommendations of the TFI, explicit lessons around the use of specific areas of the playgroundwere developed and modifications to exiting systems were made. Attendance and behaviour are also tracked throughour PBL system. Through rewarding attendance and positive behaviour, we has seen a strong shift in attendance levelsand positive behaviour with 587 students receiving their Platinum Badge in 2018.

In the domain of Teaching, LPS is committed to developing teacher capacity and imbedding quality teaching practicesacross the school. In 2018, each stage had an off class Assistant Principal (AP) who provided mentoring or coaching toall members of their stage team. APs worked individually or in pairs with teachers to analyse assessment data andsupport the development of explicit teaching and learning lessons and programs. Ongoing discussions and feedbackdrove the mentoring and coaching sessions as did teacher's Performance and Development Plans (PDPs).

Our Strategic Direction 2 team led professional learning (PL) across the school to support teachers to become highlydriven and creative professionals. In 2018, they developed a pilot teacher observation project where teachers nominatedto engage in observations and provide feedback to each other on a self–identified area of professional development.


Teachers volunteered to be a part of the project and it was run across a term. From teacher feedback about the project,all teachers reported that it had significantly helped to build their teaching capacity and strengthen their curriculumknowledge. Teachers also identified that a limitation of the project was that it did not go for long enough therefore thetrue impact of it was not able to be as accurately measured. A similar pilot will run again in 2019 and it will be focussedaround the feedback that teachers provide after an observation.

In the domain of Leading, our school fosters the development of effective instructional leadership practices with a focuson building leadership capacity to ensure strong succession. In 2018, aspiring leaders led strategic direction teams andwhole school committees. This distributed leadership has ensured our school vision and plan are implemented effectivelyand ongoing evaluation continually occurs to drive school improvement.

Our school vision and our strategic direction milestones were shared with our school community and variousopportunities were available for community input. Throughout the year, parents and community members were surveyedto provide feedback on initiatives within the school. Members of our school community also completed the 'People MatterSurvey' which provided information about the satisfaction the community has with various aspects of the school. Thisdata will be used to drive change in 2019.

Our Strategic Direction 3 team, through leading effective, evaluative practices for impact, underwent Spiral of Inquiryprofessional learning and networked with other schools to support this process. They participated in their own Spiral ofInquiry during the second semester of the year and will present their findings to staff in 2019.

Our self–assessment process will assist the school to refine our school plan, leading to further improvements in thedelivery 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

Active & engaged learners

Purpose

To empower students to be adaptive innovators who are motivated and engaged in authentic learning tasks. Studentsare confident, collaborative and creative, inspired by challenges and high expectations.

Overall summary of progress

Strategic direction 1 provided staff with opportunities to research and explore practices to support the development ofenvironments that inspire engagement and inquiry learning. This was achieved through personally chosen, small groupresearch projects based on the inquiry–based learning programs Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics(STEM), Self–Organised Learning Environment (SOLE) and Genius Hour. All staff began classroom implementation oftheir chosen learning program.

Progress towards achieving improvement measures

Improvement measures(to be achieved over 3 years)

Funds Expended(Resources)

Progress achieved this year

Increase students demonstratingactive engagement with theirlearning by 5% each year forthree consecutive years.

Casuals employed to covertwo committee members tocome off class to administerstaff questionnaire– $800.

Casuals employed to coverthree teachers to collateoverview of SOLE, STEMand Genius Hourpresentation $1 200.

Nine staff members were interviewed. One staffmember indicated that 100% of students wereengaged with their everyday learning.

The staff data indicated the areas in which studentswere most engaged were inquiry–based learningsuch as STEM.

Strategic direction members researched SOLE,STEM and Genius Hour. The information was thenpresented to all staff.

After selecting an inquiry–based learning programfrom those presented, all teaching staff engaged inthe self–directed professional learning and beganimplementation of an inquiry–based learningprogram.

Increase the number of studentsdisplaying confidence andcreativity within authentic learningtasks.

Casuals employed to covertwo committee members tocome off class– $800 (sameday as above).

Forty–five students were interviewed in focusgroups from Stages 2 and 3.

Thirty–one students indicated that they enjoy theirlearning.

Thirty–three students indicated that they felt theirlearning would assist them in the 'real world'.

Upon reflection, the student focus group questionswere not designed to meet the improvementmeasure.

Increase the proportion ofstudents in the top two NAPLANbands for reading and numeracyby 4% each year.

In 2018, 49.35% of Year 3 students achieved in thetop two bands in reading. This was an increase of6.63% from 2017.

In Year 5, 38.24% of students achieved in the toptwo bands in reading. This was an increase of8.03%.

29.11% of our Year 3 students achieved in the toptwo bands in numeracy. This was a 1.96%decrease from 2017.






Increase the proportion ofstudents in the top two NAPLANbands for reading and numeracyby 4% each year.

In Year 5, 29.70% of students achieved in the toptwo bands in numeracy. This was 0.83% decrease.

These results have generated school–widediscussion around our strong results in reading andour decrease in numeracy performance. Numeracywill become a focus in strategic planning in 2019and beyond.

Next Steps

• Research valid and reliable ways to measure authentic learning, and creativity and confidence. Strategic directionteam members will investigate methods of data triangulation.

• Implement the Tell Them From Me survey in Terms 1 and 3 and analyse the data. • Create opportunities for, and provide professional learning for staff in implementing inquiry–based learning in the

classroom. • Liaise with other school committees to ensure availability of resources to support inquiry–based learning. • Invite community members into classrooms to be apart of LPS inquiry–based learning. • Gather baseline data for improvement measure two as this did not occur in 2018.



Highly driven & creative professionals

Purpose

To enable teachers, through differentiated professional learning, to be agile practitioners who create engaging learningenvironments. Motivated by student success, teachers are innovative and highly responsible.


Strategic direction 2 provided teachers with an opportunity to enhance their teaching practice around studentengagement. This was achieved through an action research project where teachers worked in groups around one areaof student engagement.

A selection of teachers also participated in a teacher observation pilot program, where they worked with a partner toobserve, reflect and provide feedback.





One hundred percent of teachershave made an innovationalchange to theirpedagogy/teaching environment.

Casuals employed forrelease from class and PL –$3000

5x teachers attendedChallenging All StudentsPL– $440

Teachers completed action research aroundlearning intentions and success criteria, effectivefeedback, visible thinking strategies, growthmindset, flexible learning spaces and formativeassessment. One hundred percent of teachers feltthat this had a positive impact on their teachingpractice. Ninety–three percent reported that theyhad implemented changes in their classroom as aresult of this PL.

Teachers use feedback toimprove their teaching practice toengage students (teacher toteacher, student to teacher,teacher to student).

Casuals employed forrelease from class and PilotObservation Program–$4000

Ten teachers volunteered to participate in anobservation program pilot. Teachers reflected ontheir teaching practices through feedback from theirpartners. These teachers identified the value ofproviding and receiving feedback. Results of theproject included modified teaching practice,implementation of resources and an increasedgrowth mindset.

One hundred percent of teachersare responsible for engaging intheir own differentiated,purposeful PL.

Casual employed forrelease from class– $500

All staff engaged in differentiated PL around sixdifferent areas of student engagement within asmall group. Groups collaborated and reflected ontheir progress, sharing back results to other groupsat the end. All staff reported that this had been aneffective form of PL.

Next Steps

• Observation program to continue in 2019, focusing on teacher feedback around an innovative change. • Implement further differentiated PL to allow teachers to continue to develop their knowledge about maximising

student engagement through the use of feedback strategies. • Work towards developing a positive school culture by sharing examples of successes on the staff notice board.



Leading effective, evaluative practices for impact

Purpose

To foster a school wide culture of high expectations and a shared sense of responsibility for student engagement,learning, development and success. Strong and strategic leadership will drive effective evaluative techniques todetermine the impact of school initiatives.


Strategic direction 3 has begun to develop skills and knowledge in relation is effective evaluation; what this looks like,how we manage it and what we do with data that is collected.

Selected staff engaged in Spirals of Inquiry professional learning and then initiated a pilot Spiral of Inquiry. Six teachersthen had the opportunity to engage in a Spiral of Inquiry. A professional learning network with other schools in thecommunity was built to support the spiral initiation and provide further professional learning for teachers who engaged ina Spiral of Inquiry. The pilot has continued into 2019.





Growth in understanding of theimpact that high expectations,shared responsibility and studentengagement have on studentachievement.

Release from class for fourdays over Terms 3 and 4(four staff members x foursessions).

$7200

Six teachers began a spiral of inquiry pilot with afocus on developing students understanding of whytheir learning is important. This will progress into2019.

Improve systematic andeffective evaluative processesacross strategic directions todetermine success and ongoingpositive impact.

Strategic directions have collected and evaluateddata from key initiatives. Further recommendationson improving their evaluative techniques will comein 2019, along with greater professional learning forstaff.

All school initiatives effectivelyevaluated by leadership teams.

Refer to previous improvement measure.

Next Steps

• Continue to investigate effective evaluative techniques and processes as well as building connections andpartnerships with colleagues and schools in our greater community.

• Engage in professional learning opportunities to build a greater depth of knowledge around effective evaluation. • Provide feedback and recommendations to all key initiatives to further enhance their evaluative practices. • Engage staff, across the school, in beginning to understand what a Spiral of Inquiry entails, the research behind it

and the positive benefits to teaching practices. • Collect summative data from the inquiry and then branch out into the establishment of two more teams. Teachers

who participated in the pilot will have the opportunity to be upskilled in the facilitation of a new Spiral of Inquiry.


Key Initiatives Resources (annual) Impact achieved this year

Aboriginal background loading $18 325 LPS had a successful year in 2018.Twenty–six students identified as being fromAboriginal or Torres Strait Islander (ATSI)descent, equating to 4.3% of total schoolenrolments. The following programs andinitiatives were implemented to ensure ourstudents were active and engaged learners,outcomes for ATSI students were improvedand to continue to build authentic andproductive partnerships with our localcommunity.

An Aboriginal Student Learning SupportOfficer (SLSO) was employed for three daysper week to support students in the areas ofnumeracy and reading. Working closely withclassroom teachers the Aboriginal SLSOworked on goals outlined in student'sPersonalised Learning Pathways (PLP).Initially she worked with students in Years 3and 5, as part of the Premier's Priority ofimproving Aboriginal education outcomes. InTerm 3 the program was extended to includeall ATSI students K–6, feedback fromstudents and staff showed an increase instudent engagement through thedevelopment of a positive culturalrelationship.

PLPs were developed for 100% of Aboriginalstudents. The PLP documents outlinedstudent individual literacy, numeracy andpersonal goals. They were developed incollaboration with parents and caregivers toensure authentic and informed partnershipsbetween staff and family.

Yarn and Tucker community afternoons wereheld at the end of Semester 1 and 2. Theseevents provided an opportunity for parentsand LPS staff to connect informally andreview and celebrate student's PLP goals.Each session saw LPS staff and 10–12families attended.

LPS hosted its first Leumeah AirdsRepresentative Council (LARC) session.ATSI students from Ruse PS (RPS), KentlynPS (KPS) and Leumeah HS (LHS) attendedand were invited to bring a friend to sharetheir culture. The focus was on buildingcultural relationships with students from localschools while learning and engaging incultural activities. Students participated in anartefact talk, traditional Indigenous gamesand traditional cooking activities. LPSstudents also attended LARC events at LHSand KPS.

As part of National Aboriginal and IslanderDay Observance Committee (NAIDOC) week,LPS hosted a community walk and display.LPS students engaged in a range of activitiesintegrating literacy, technology and creativearts to create pieces of work to honour the


Aboriginal background loading $18 325 theme – Because of her we can. Displayswere erected across the school andcommunity members were invited to attendand engage.

Stage 3 ATSI students were also supported todevelop leadership skills through knowledgesharing workshops. These sessions sawstudents deliver presentations to everyclassroom across LPS focusing on Aboriginalartefacts and culture.

LPS engaged Tharawal AboriginalCorporation service to run an ear health clinic.The service was taken up by 22 students.

Stage 2 and 3 ATSI students participated inHeartbeat programs offered through WesternSydney University. Stage 2 studentsparticipated in a music program atCampbelltown campus, while Stage 3attended Hawkesbury campus as part of theSignals and Signs workshop.

ATSI students from Stage 3 participated inthe Opportunity Hub program, run throughMarrickville Community Training Centre(MTC) Australia. This also supported Year 6students in transition to high school sessions.

Four students were nominated for studentachievement awards in the areas ofoutstanding attendance, culture courage andcommitment, and sporting achievements. Allfour students were successful. One staffmember was nominated for the AustralianEducation Union's Arthur Hamilton award forcontribution to Aboriginal and Torres StraitIslander Education.

English language proficiency 1.2 FTE

$31 920

In 2018, some amendments were made to themodel of support that was trialled in 2017.Two specialist Learning and Support (LaST) /English as an Additional Langauge / Dialect(EAL/D) teachers supported K–2 and 3–6.The role of the specialist teacher was tosupport teachers in catering to the needs ofEAL/D learners. This was funded by thestaffing component and flexible funding fromEnglish language proficiency.

All staff engaged in professional learningaround the EAL/D learning progression. Usingthe EAL/D progression, work samples,assessment data, discussions within stagegroups and support from the LaSTs, teacherstracked EAL/D learners across the year. Bythe end of 2018, • 142 students were consolidating skills. • 91 students were developing skills. • 29 students were emerging skills. • Three students were identified as Beginner:limited literacy background in first language. • Two students were identified as Beginner:some print literacy in first language. • 48 students have been identified as notrequiring support.As a result of this ongoing monitoring


English language proficiency 1.2 FTE

$31 920

students with additional language needs havebeen identified and teachers have beensupported to develop targeted teachinglessons to address specific needs.

Low level adjustment for disability 1.4 FTE

$73 471

The low level adjustment for disability staffallocation and flexible funding subsidised oneEAL/D / LaST specialist teacher and oneAssistant Principal to support teachers in K–2and 3–6. These specialist teachers mentoredand supported teachers to cater for studentswith specific learning needs.

As a results of this ongoing targeted support,more student learning needs were addressedat a classroom level without having to bereferred to the Learning and Support Team(LST). This direct classroom support ensuredlearning gaps were addressed and teacherknowledge and understanding of how tosupport students with learning difficultiesdeepened. With less students being referredto the LST it allowed for the team to focustheir support on students with more complexneeds.

Quality Teaching, SuccessfulStudents (QTSS)

$108 694 After the success of two dedicated APs tomentor K–2 and 3–6 teachers in 2017, weused QTSS funds, additional staffing andflexible funds to enable all stages to have anAP mentor in 2018. The AP mentors providedsupport and coaching to all members of theirteams throughout the year.

The AP mentors met with teachers throughregularly scheduled one–hour meetings andthen supported lesson and programimplementation in the classroom. Theyfacilitated discussions around assessmentdata and reflection on practice. Withincreased access to additional professionallearning experiences on a regular andongoing basis has helped to build teachercapacity and improve the learning outcomesfor students.

Socio–economic background $81 680 Socio–economic background funding and thestaffing allocation was utilised to supply twoadditional teachers to support the APmentoring program. They released classroomteachers so that they could meet and planwith their AP. Using these additionalresources enabled more teachers to engagein mentoring. It also allowed time for someteachers to meet with their AP and anadditional teacher so that they couldcollaboratively plan for team teachingexperiences.

This additional resourcing ensured that thementoring program was efficiently run. It alsosupported multiple teachers in developingtheir team teaching skills.

Support for beginning teachers $13 786 The beginning teachers' funding combinedwith the QTSS and socio–economic fundingprovided one hour release time per week tosupport the two beginning teachers at LPS.


Support for beginning teachers $13 786This time was utilised to meet with theirsupervisor to plan and program, engage inobservations of peers, work collaborativelywith other beginning teachers, work on theiraccreditation and complete administrativetasks and organisation.

Targeted student support forrefugees and new arrivals

$3 605 In 2017 we had three new arrival students toLPS. In 2018 funds were used to continue tomonitor their progress through LaST / EAL/Dspecialist teacher support. Intensive languagesupport was provided when required.

As a result of the intervention, two studentshave moved from Beginning to Emerging skilldevelopment on the EAL/D LearningProgression and the other student has movedfrom Developing to Consolidating indicatingstrong success.


Student information

Student enrolment profile

Enrolments

Students 2015 2016 2017 2018

Boys 307 307 311 306

Girls 307 312 307 301

Our school enrolment has declined slightly from 2017 to2018. A large cohort of Year 6 students left the schoolin 2018 and kindergarten enrolments did not go up,which contributed to this decline.

Student attendance profile

School

Year 2015 2016 2017 2018

K 93.3 93.7 94.5 94

1 94 93 93.7 93.7

2 94.8 94.2 93.5 93

3 94.3 94.6 93.9 93.4

4 93.7 94.4 94.9 93.5

5 95.4 94 95.4 93.7

6 93 93.8 94.5 93.8

All Years 94.1 94 94.3 93.6

State DoE

Year 2015 2016 2017 2018

K 94.4 94.4 94.4 93.8

1 93.8 93.9 93.8 93.4

2 94 94.1 94 93.5

3 94.1 94.2 94.1 93.6

4 94 93.9 93.9 93.4

5 94 93.9 93.8 93.2

6 93.5 93.4 93.3 92.5

All Years 94 94 93.9 93.4

Management of non-attendance

Student attendance is closely monitored by teacherswith contact made with families after a student has notattended school for two days. The Deputy Principal(DP) and the Home School Liaison Officer (HSLO)monitor attendance on a fortnightly basis andrecommended interventions are communicated toteachers. Staff implement recommendations whilstfollowing school–established procedures, based on theDoE, School Attendance Policy.

Rewarding consistent attendance is built into ourstudent welfare system. This has motivated manystudents to attend school regularly and ensure that theyarrive at school on time. At the end of yearpresentation, 33 students were recognised andrewarded for 100% attendance for the year. For thosestudents who's attendance falls below 85% individualstrategies are put in place and additional out of schoolsupport is offered.

Some families continue to take extended overseasfamily trips during school time. These students do notreceive their PBL reward levels at the same time as themajority of their peers. If attendance is below 85%, thePrincipal does not recommend that the student orfamily takes the leave.

Workforce information

Workforce composition

Position FTE*

Principal(s) 1

Deputy Principal(s) 1

Assistant Principal(s) 4

Classroom Teacher(s) 23.14

Teacher of Reading Recovery 0.63

Learning and Support Teacher(s) 1.4

Teacher Librarian 1.2

Teacher ESL 1.2

School Administration and SupportStaff

4.06

*Full Time Equivalent

At LPS, we have one member of staff who identifies asAboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.

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 5


Professional learning and teacher accreditation

In 2018, each stage had an off–class AP who mentoredand provided coaching to all staff on their stage.Teachers worked individually or in pairs with their APmentor focussing on an specific identified goal. APsutilised a flexible timetable to meet with the members oftheir teams to analyse data, reflect on practice andplan. APs also used one–hour sessions to team teach,observe and provide feedback.

In addition to mentoring and coaching, all staffparticipated in PL sessions on Wednesday afternoonsto complete compliance training and whole staffdevelopment sessions.

Some members of staff engaged in a Spiral of Inquiryinvestigating, 'Does improving understanding of thegreater purpose of student learning improve studentoutcomes?'. In 2019, an additional two spiral teams willform and undertake a spiral of professional learning.

In Term 3, all staff formed small teams to engage inaction research around an area of student engagement(e.g. learning intentions / success criteria, visiblethinking routines, feedback). Over five PL sessions,staff shared professional readings and planned lessonsincorporating a strategy to support studentengagement. Data was collected around teacherconfidence in implementing strategies to supportstudent engagement and student improvements due tothe implementation.

During Term 4, staff research and collaborated withtheir peers about an area of inquiry–based learning(STEM. SOLE, Genius Hour) to plan and trial in theirclassrooms. The format used for the Term 3 PL wasalso utilised in Term 4. At the end of the five sessions,staff shared their findings across the small teams.Evaluations of the project determined that staff wantedmore professional learning particularly in the area ofSTEM.

As this was the first year of our school plan, a majorityof the projects were in their initial trial phase. Teacherswere encouraged to have a go and reflect on what theyhad done. This reflection will then be used to developour milestones for 2019.

In 2018 three staff members were accredited atproficient throughout the year.

Financial information

Financial summary

The information provided in the financial summaryincludes reporting from 1 January 2018 to 31December 2018.

2018 Actual ($)

Opening Balance 568,725

Revenue 5,276,753

Appropriation 5,031,697

Sale of Goods and Services 25,956

Grants and Contributions 211,558

Gain and Loss 0

Other Revenue 0

Investment Income 7,542

Expenses -4,929,641

Recurrent Expenses -4,929,641

Employee Related -4,434,168

Operating Expenses -495,474

Capital Expenses 0

Employee Related 0

Operating Expenses 0

SURPLUS / DEFICIT FOR THEYEAR

347,112

Balance Carried Forward 915,837

Each year leaders of projects across the school arerequired to submit a proposed budget to the principal.This proposal outlines the project and the predictedcosting. The budget proposals combined with thestrategic direction focus projects and resources, are thebasis for forecasted expenditure for the year. Whensetting budgets, long term projects are also consideredand monies may be carried forward to accommodatefor this.

Leaders are responsible for accounting for themanagement of their own budgets and resources inconsultation with the School Administration Manager(SAM) and principal. The principal and the SAMregularly meet to ensure that budgets and resourceacquisition processes are adhered to and that spendingcomes from the correct cost centre.

During Term 4 and over the holidays, a significantupgrade to our school library took place. The wholelibrary was painted, four air conditioning units wereinstalled, all previous furniture was replaced withflexible furniture and new book shelving was installed.As this project continued into January 2019, the costthis upgrade is not represented in this financialreporting.

In 2018, some projects did not use all of the fundsallocated to their proposed project. We also did notimplement collaboration across the school whichaffected forecasted expenditure. A substantial portionof funds have been carried forward to used to improveschool grounds and support the development ofengaging learning environments.


Financial summary equity funding

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

2018 Actual ($)

Base Total 4,073,731

Base Per Capita 119,502

Base Location 0

Other Base 3,954,229

Equity Total 476,090

Equity Aboriginal 18,325

Equity Socio economic 81,680

Equity Language 156,855

Equity Disability 219,229

Targeted Total 142,542

Other Total 179,547

Grand Total 4,871,910

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.

From 2018 to 2020 NAPLAN is moving from a papertest to an online test. Individual schools are migrating tothe online test, with some schools attempting NAPLANon paper and others online.

Results for both online and paper formats are reportedon the same NAPLAN assessment scale. Anycomparison of NAPLAN results – such as comparisonsto previous NAPLAN results or to results for studentswho did the assessment in a different format – shouldtake into consideration the different test formats andare discouraged during these transition years.

LPS has seen strong growth in reading in Year 3 since

2015. The percentage of students in the top two bandshas increase each year over the four years with 33% ofstudents achieving in the top two bands in 2015 to 49%of students in 2018.

80% of Year 3 students achieved a band 4 or higher inthe grammar and punctuation assessment. This is an8% increase from 2017 and a 19% increase from 2016.In the Spelling assessment, we have seen a slightdecrease in the number of students achieving in the toptwo bands – 61% in 2017 to 55% in 2018, however wehave not seen an increase in the number of students inthe bottom two bands.

In the Year 3 NAPLAN writing assessment, the numberof students in the bottom two bands has remained thesame from 2015 to 2018 (7%) with the exception of 6%in 2016. The number of students achieving a band 5has been steady from 2015 to 2018 (36% or 37%). In2018, one Year 3 student achieved a band 7 in writing.Overall our writing results have remained similar from2015 to 2018 with an 8% increase in band 4 and a 7%decrease in band 6 in 2018.

The percentage of Year 5 students achieving in the toptwo bands in reading has increased from 2017 to 2018.There was also a slight increase in the number ofstudents in the bottom two bands – 19% in 2017 to21% in 2018.

70% of Year 5 students achieved a band 6 or higher inthe grammar and punctuation assessment. This is a10% increase from 2017, however a 3% decrease from2016. In the spelling assessment, 76% of studentsachieved a band 6 or above. This results was the samein 2017 and 3% more from 2016. Overall the 2016cohort seemed to do very well in NAPLAN which hasskewed our trajectory of improvement from 2015 to2018.

In the Year 5 NAPLAN writing assessment, there was a3% increase in the number of students in band 7 and 8from 2017 (18% in 2017 to 21% in 2018). The 2018writing assessment also provided the scope for Year 5students to achieve a band 9 which was not measuredin 2017. LPS had six students achieve a band 9. Thegraphs below do not show those students whoachieved above or below the determined six bands forYear 3 and 5. Combining the number of students thatachieved a band 7 or above, 27% of students fell withinthis range, indicating a 9% improvement in Year 5writing from 2017 to 2018.


In the Year 3 NAPLAN numeracy assessment, 67% ofstudents achieved a band 4 or above. The number ofstudents in the top 2 bands (29%) has decreased fromthe results in 2016 (31%) and 2017 (32%). We did seea decrease in the number of students achieving in thebottom 2 bands across the last three years (21% in2016, 17% in 2017, 11% in 2018). Overall the resultshave shown improvement, however we need to


investigate why there is such a large percent of thecohort achieving a band 4 and whether students arebeing challenged to achieve to their full potential.

The percentage of Year 5 students who achieved in thetop two bands in numeracy decreased by less than 1%from 2017 to 2018 (31% in 2017 to 30% in 2018). LPSdid however have 4% more students in band 8 in 2018than in 2017. We have seen an increase in the numberof students achieving in the bottom two bands from2015 (20%) to 2018 (25%) with the exception of 2017(14%).

Overall our school results in numeracy have notdemonstrated the improvement that is required to meetthe Premier's Priority. Investigating what is happeningacross the school in numeracy, as well as, best practicefor numeracy instruction will become a school focus in2019/2020.

The My School website provides detailed informationand data for national literacy and numeracy testing. Goto http://www.myschool.edu.au to access the schooldata..

The Premier's Priority for reading and numeracy is toincrease the proportion of NSW students in the top twobands by 8% by 2019.

LPS is on track for Year 3 to achieve this in reading.Year 5 currently is not on track to achieve this priority.For numeracy, Year 3 and Year 5 are not on track toachieve this priority.


Parent/caregiver, student, teachersatisfaction

Parent / Community

In 2018, LPS continued our participated in theExcellence in School Customer Service 360 ReflectionTool. This survey tool measured four key customerservice areas – if a school;

1. Communicates effectively

2. Commits to customer service

3. Works collaboratively

4. Has consistency and vision in planning

The tool then measured 12 competencies:

1. Information quality and ease of use

2. Engagement with others

3. Values

4. Inclusivity

5. Customer service

6. Community partnerships

7. Empathy

8. Teamwork

9. Collaboration that is valued and recognised

10. Process collaboration

11. Ethical behaviour

12. School vision

For each key competency, the tool measured if theschool; • Sometimes meets community expectations, • Meets community expectations, • Exceeds community expectations.

The survey provides the school with the opportunity to: • Reflect on our delivery of customer service, • Reflect on our ability to communicate and engage

with the school community, • Learn more about school strengths, • Identify and explore opportunities for

improvement, • Gather feedback on customer service provided by

the school, • Use feedback to reflect on leadership and the

direction of communication and engagement atLPS, and

• Plan professional learning and developmentopportunities.

Ninety–nine community members participated in thesurvey. This was a significant increase from thecommunity participation in 2017 (25 responses). Thereport summarises the key results.

LPS met community expectations in all areas of thesurvey. Communicating the school vision, whichunderpins our school plan, became a focus from the2017 results. A score of two was required to meet thecommunity expectations. In 2018, a score of 2.4 wasachieved indicating that LPS had met communityexpectations in sharing the school vision. This wasachieved through ongoing discussion of the schoolvision with community and publishing the vision throughcommunication sources.

A score of three was required to 'Exceed communityexpectations'. A score of three was achieved incustomer service – the school staff seek to buildrelationships and resolve situations by meeting theneeds of students, parents or other members of thecommunity. A score of 2.7 was achieved for the areasof Information – Quality and ease of use, Inclusivity,Teamwork, Empathy, Process collaboration and Ethicalbehaviour indicating a high level a communitysatisfaction.

Further work is required in the following areas whichscore less than 2.5:

1. Engagement with others – the school engagesstudents, parents and other members of the communityin a welcoming way to ensure feedback, involvementand wider contribution to the success of students

2. School vision – the school vision underscores theschool plan, which is a living document in which theschool community members have played an active rolein its development.

Staff

The NSW People Matter Survey was open to allemployees across the NSW Government sector duringJune 2018. The survey asks employees aboutexperiences with their own work and working with theirteam, manager and the organisation. This survey willbe used when reporting on staff satisfaction in thisannual reporting period.

Key topics that were examined include: • Employee engagement • Engagement with work • Senior managers • Communication • High performance • Public sector values • Diversity and inclusion • Flexible working satisfaction • Action on results

In 2018, LPS recorded 32 responses to the NSWPeople Matter Survey. This was 94% of staff.

The following areas received the highest agreementscores from the key topics:


1. Engagement with work: 59%2. High Performance: 59%3. Public Sector Values: 55%

These statements scored the highest agreement:1. I understand what is expected of me to do well in

my role – 91%2. My manager encourages people in my workgroup

to keep improving the work they do – 73%3. I know how to address a health and safety issue I

have identified – 71%4. My organisation focuses on improving the work

we do – 71%The following areas received the lowest agreementscores from the key topics:1. Action on results – 23%2. Workplace conduct – 29%3. Flexible working – 31% (this is difficult to address

due to the nature of our profession)4. Workplace support – 46%

The questions with the lowest scoring agreement:1. I believe that action will be taken on the results

from this survey by my organisation – 23%2. How satisfied are you with your ability to access

and use flexible working arrangements? – 26%3. I have confidence in the way recruitment

decisions are made – 26%4. I am able to keep my work stress at an

acceptable level – 28%The questions with the least improved agreement:1. My workgroup works collaboratively to achieve its

objectives – down 43% from 20172. People in my workgroup threat each other with

respect – down 43% from 20173. There is a good team spirit in my workgroup –

down 41% from 2017Generally when engagement scores are high then otherscores are high as well. Some of the key drivers ofengagement include: • People in the workforce treat each other with

respect • There is a good team spirit in the workplace • Change is managed well in the organisation

To address some of the concerns with engagement, theexecutive team participated in a full day professionaldevelopment session around Patrick Lencioni's FiveDysfunctions of a Team in Term 1. From there all staffhave participated in workshops throughout the yearfocussing on developing trust and managing conflict.This will be an ongoing focus in 2019.

Our results indicate that there are many key topic areasthat need to be addressed within the school. A schoolimprovement committee was formed at the end of 2018and as part of their role they will further analyse theresults from the People Matter Survey, makerecommendations to staff and develop action plans toaddress key areas of highest priority.

Students

The Strategic direction 1 team collected data fromstudents around their feelings towards their learning.

Student focus groups were established and data wascollected. From this feedback, 69% of students from thesample group (45 students) reported that they enjoyedtheir learning. 27% report that they enjoyed theirlearning 'sometimes' and 4% reported that they did notenjoy their learning at all.

Students also reported their favourite subjects.Mathematics, writing and art were reported as the mostfavoured subjects. Science, English and technologywere reported as their least favourite subjects.

In 2019 more data will be collected from students tohelp drive our evaluation of the programs and initiativesthat have been implemented. This data will also beused to guide strategic planning.

Policy requirements

Aboriginal education

Information about the school's implementation of theAboriginal Education Policy can be found in theinitiatives section of the school report.

Multicultural and anti-racism education

In 2018, an additional staff member competedAnti–racism Contact Officer (ARCO) training. Thisteacher oversaw mediation for negative and racistinteractions between students. Additional information inrelation to multicultural education policy implementationcan be found in the initiative section of this report.


2018 leumeah public school annual report€¦ · assisted the p&c in its efforts to support the...

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