governing council report · 2017-06-15 · msc annual report 2014 1 i am very aware that after many...

MSC Annual Report 2014 1

I am very aware that after many years on the Governing Council there is undeniable evidence to suggest that Marden Senior College is one of the finest educational facilities in this State if not Australia. Each year we hear amazing stories of excellence in education, in many cases more than that, we see students who have made many sacrifices or have achieved a level of learning far beyond their expectations. Governing Council members are constantly in awe of the achievements of our students and our staff who support and encourage them. Marden Senior College is a caring and supportive learning centre where people have made a choice to be part of our community. The Governing Council is pleased you made this choice and we will, through our dedicated staff, provide an environment where you can fulfil your learning goals. We are also continuously improving our physical and electronic infrastructure so that our staff and students are always at the forefront of technological and educational changes. There is a commonality of purpose here at Marden Senior College with a shared vision to assist everyone to learn and improve by gaining that special subject or subjects that may not have been possible elsewhere. Our student body comes from many parts of the world, many have come with their own narratives, their own stories. It is wonderful to see the mix of students relating well with a true sense of community, sharing and acceptance. Marden Senior College is well regarded by its local community. It is supported by the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters, local businesses and by our local, state and federal elected members. The College has strong linkages with other higher learning facilities such as universities, TAFE and industry associations. They know they can get top students from Marden. The Governing Council recognises that Marden is an adult learning community and we will continue to serve our staff and students so as to maintain our standing as an adult learning centre of excellence. On behalf of the Governing Council I thank our Principal Brenda Harris and her team for their unfailing dedication to our school community. I personally also take this opportunity to thank Governing Council members for their good counsel during 2014. Mike Hawkins Governing Council Chair

Governing Council Report


This Annual Report is the last one to be presented by Brenda Harris as the principal of Marden Senior College. Brenda has a taken another role in education after a most successful five year period at Marden from 2010 to 2014. Marden is a specialist Senior Secondary College providing education and training for students in their senior years of schooling. As an organisation we operate under the AS/NZS ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System. The wide range of subjects and courses offered contribute to the South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) including via nationally accredited Vocational Education and Training (VET) Certificates II, III and IV. The College is also partner in a successful Registered Training Organisation run from the Marden Education Centre site. Marden students are encouraged to develop a personal focus as independent learners, the self-management and collaborative skills to achieve their goals, and leadership qualities. The College caters for continuing students, those returning to education and students based at other schools seeking access to particular subjects and courses. The College is committed to supporting students to continue or resume studies in an adult environment. 'Your Pathway to Success' is our motto and this reflects our objective of co-planning learning courses to help fulfil work, study and life aspirations. Past and present students say that our success in achieving this objective comes from the positive relationships between students and their teachers and through the excellent student services available. Our students have diverse interests and backgrounds. Students enrolled in 2014 included many with plans for future study while others wanted to complete their education or training after a significant gap. The following section Some Highlights of 2014 outlines some areas in which these students have excelled. Student achievements are especially significant for the many who overcame obstacles in order to return to education. In 2014 the College community was made up of over 1100 people over the age of 16. Marden students find their learning partnership with teachers is the most significant factor in their educational success. Teachers at Marden recognise individual needs and provide quality learning experiences. The supportive nature of mutual respect in the College nurtures a desire to succeed. Marden prides itself on existing to support students and their outcomes, not just in terms of formal education and results, but also in their wellbeing and their ability to be contributing members of the wider community. It is a satisfying work environment. We are proud of the many successes of students and staff in 2014. The dedication, creativity and resilience of staff and students is to be commended. Our new Site Plan for 2015 – 18 is committed to maintaining extensive curriculum offerings and services for senior secondary and adult students, and to nurturing a learning community with an adult ethos that values diversity, supports students to achieve personal success and provides the foundation for multiple pathways and on-going learning. There is a strong focus on quality pedagogy blending learning technologies with in-depth instruction. My time at Marden Senior College has been most enjoyable and productive. I am confident that Marden Senior College will continue to offer excellent educational opportunities for students through the leadership of the next Principal. The College, its community and its staff are well placed to do this. Brenda Harris Principal (2010 – 2014)

Principal’s Overview


The diverse character of the Marden Senior College community is evident when looking back on the range of events undertaken in 2014. Our College is unique in the educational offerings of South Australia. We are the only specialist senior secondary and adult re-entry school East of the city, and being unzoned, students choose to enrol with us from both nearby suburbs and from as far afield as the Barossa, Murray Bridge and the Southern Vales. Students made the choice to study at Marden in an environment that helps them take adult responsibility for their progress with support from quality teachers. They attended Marden full or part-time, or maintained their studies at their usual school while accessing specific courses with us. Students’ academic achievements in both SACE and VET were a true highlight of 2014. SACE Stage 2 results included 38% of students achieving a subject in the A grade band. 54 students who achieved an A+ SACE grade were acknowledged at our Achievement Ceremony in February. Students’ achievements in the SACE include that of Danielle Court, recipient of the University of Adelaide Principal’s Scholarship. The Orientation Program started the year for new students. Enrolment continued busily into February affirming continued community backing for the breadth of our curriculum, and the excellent teaching we provide. The efforts invested to achieve this enrolment are considerable – and thanks go to Peter Stamatakis, Evan Sierros and the Student Services team. Each year we work to build a cohesive community and we use dedicated mentors, a Student Program and Forums, and a variety of communications to share information and celebrate success. SGA Forums were organised for students to learn more about the College and the role of Student Government Association. Elevate Education is employed to deliver Time Management, Study Skills and Exam Technique sessions. Student successes across the year came from integrating real experiences into curriculum. Haiyan Wang won the AKFF 2014 poster competition. Our 2014 Digital Media students displayed their animation work on the windows of the Norwood Payneham & St Peters Town Hall during the Fringe. Viji Mohan’s students contributed to PhD research on 'Sleep and on-line gaming'. Student Naomi Hill's triptych photography piece was installed and local Artist Belinda Keyte worked with Visual Arts students on a large Unity mural. Graeme Hudson’s students showed initiative by fund raising for the Pedal Prix, and Community Services students with Kaye Iversen held book and clothing sales to support Animal Rescue. Sustainability efforts ramped up through a recycling system organised by the Integrated Learning students. Louisa Milanese, student contributor to the Research Project Expo, gave confident, clear advice to participants. Office.com Business trainees with Michelle van Wyk teamed well to hold a Virtual Enterprise simulated Trade Fair. Other successes included Trudy Muggridge winning the Year 12 Silver Halide prize in the Ilford schools competition. Marden students made several celebratory visits to Government House starting with our 32 SACE Merit students from 2013. Later Nicole Vincent and Alex Muggridge represented the College as our Year 12 leaders. Acknowledgements also came for staff members Mandy Rego, Stephanie King, Erin Papps and Malcolm Cheffirs who were all nominated in the 2014 Public Teaching Awards. Len Altman, leading the Geoscience Pathways group, received a State Government grant to further this work. Minister Pyne visited Marden to see interactive seismology activities. Professor Linda Kristjanson subsequently invited Len to Canberra where he represented the education sector at a parliamentary event outlining the benefits of seismology in schools. Elected Student Government Association members were welcomed into their role by SGA manager Erin Papps at a ceremony early in the year. Harmony Day celebrations included the first of three vibrant combined Trash and Treasure markets and BBQs where Mandy Rego, Tim Wells, and students raised significant funds for Anglicare and animal charities.

Some Highlights of 2014


The Register of Achievers book launch set a positive note for the start of Term 2. This annual publication traces the success stories of past students, and is compiled by Community Partnerships Coordinator, Michelle Cordera and used in various learning activities around career and personal goal setting.

Visits from Universities and TAFE, employers and holiday study workshops supported students with information and planning for their further pathways. We welcomed many visitors including groups of Nutrition teachers and the Open Classroom scheme. Marden’s educational partnership with the largest school in Copenhagen saw teacher Reem Turklakova visit us. Reem shared infomation about working with senior students in Denmark. We hosted two Visual Arts conferences this year, and the Australian Professional Photography Industry awards judging. This pinnacle industry event is for professional photographers working in SA. Malcolm Cheffirs and Marden students worked behind the scenes, and former student David Seivers won the Epson Winners Gallery Award. These activities, along with hosting our new Central East Adelaide Partnership, and Saturday Chinese School, demonstrate Marden’s commitment to being a useful and welcoming community hub. World Environment Day saw Governing Councillors, students and staff launch the interpretative trail and put in over 500 native plants at ‘Our Patch’ on the Torrens. Project manager Peter Allen has a really productive partnership with the Natural Resource Management Board and the Norwood Payneham & St Peters Council around this work. Peter has won many grants, and this year, he and Ashleigh Bulte and other Integrated Studies students were featured in the Advertiser, outlining Marden's environmental work and later they filmed an episode of ‘Totally Wild’. Our on-site Registered Training Organisation marked the graduation of our vocational trainees with a February ceremony. Our RTO provides training through programs like Skills for All, the Training Guarantee and VET in Schools, both to Marden students and those from many schools in this area. We meet a variety of student skill demands. Marden students were also honoured at the Rotary Club of St Peters vocational awards. The Marden community celebrated some sporting feats this year. Since 2004, along with peak bodies in the sport, athletics and the performing arts industry, we have offered the Workplace Practices subject to elite athletes and dancers. This program is a great adjunct to their training. Marden competed in the Cross College Soccer Tournament with Manager Graeme Hudson. The Marden student team showed great prowess and sportsmanship. Marden's human powered Pedal Prix team led by Malcolm Cheffirs and Graeme Hudson also competed strongly at Victoria Park on two occasions against other school and university teams. The Pedal Prix was used as a team task in Sport and Recreation and students worked very well together to achieve success. Many of our students and staff share in the College’s rich Arts & Design Calendar – participating in events like the 8th Fringe Photography Exhibition at Burnside managed by Loula Dacolias and Malcolm Cheffirs, and the Exhibition of works from Visual Arts and Contemporary Craft graduates at Pepper Street Gallery. Work from SACE and VET students featured in the 'Arts at Marden' Exhibition at Burnside. Anne Johnson, our Arts Coordinator, managed this event and our recent annual Exhibition held at our Marden Road campus. The standard and breadth of work across Art, Craft, Design, Textiles, Digital Media, Photography and Photo Imaging was a real credit to students, teachers and trainers. Students Pam Anders and Krystal Hayden's SALA Photography Exhibition at Atkins Technicolour was also a great success, and is an example of a productive partnership between the school and business. Mary Giles from Norwood Payneham & St Peters Council, organised professional photographer Sam Oster as project mentor. Many of our staff and students (current and former) were involved in other SALA shows. Marden staff like Cathy Boniciolli and Suzanne Gummow exhibited work and published articles in local, national and international arts arenas. The success of public events like these promotes the achievements of Marden students in the wider community.


Marden Senior College has been certified to the AS/NZS ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management Systems standard since 2000. This international standard details the management requirements of companies who provide a service. There is a strong focus on customer service and meeting client needs. There is also an emphasis on risk management and continuous improvement. Regular internal and external audits are conducted to ensure we meet the standard. Volunteer staff auditors are trained each year to conduct the internal audits and a range of staff are interviewed during the annual external audit. Throughout the year, staff raise issues or seek clarifications on College processes through a system improvement database, where actions are recorded and information is shared throughout the site. Students are also encouraged to raise concerns or make suggestions. In 2014 we completed the third year in the triennial renewal cycle and were audited successfully by SGS Certification Services. As no non-conformities were raised, our auditor had no hesitation in recommending our certification be continued. We welcomed Cate Telfer as Quality Representative in 2014 and a revised process for Quality Improvement Notices has been developed. 2014 marks the completion of the current College strategic planning cycle. The following information summarises work undertaken in 2014 to implement agreed Strategic Directions and Site Improvement Plan goals developed through a comprehensive whole school planning process, and ratified in February 2014. Strategic Direction 1 Continued growth of our Specialist Senior Secondary education community through a focus on quality teaching and flexible learning

Goal: Development of curricula and learning methods to meet diverse student needs

ACTION PRIORITY 1.1 Curriculum offerings reflecting the interests and needs of students and building on their skills are developed through the following actions:

Understanding and identifying the curriculum needs of the MSC cohort by undertaking a comprehensive Curriculum Review process to ensure accessible multiple pathways, including VET and shared EASC courses. This led to a suite of 2015 curriculum offerings and course materials for counselling and enrolment which included more flexibility in time slots like single block afternoon/twilight sessions, Community Services Certificate II as both VET & a Stage 1 option. Use of Integrated Learning for PE skills was successful, and further developments in Certificates for EALD studies are planned.

Continued development of curricula and methodologies to meet students’ needs. Including continual improvement in the use of learning technologies and pedagogy to better meet the needs of the 21st Century learner.

Enrolment processes for school based students, students under 21 and over 21 and students of EALD backgrounds reviewed and developed as part of continuous improvement processes.

Progress and end of Semester Reports to students and parents/caregivers (where relevant) for SACE subjects in on-line format, and reflected considered feedback on skills and dispositional development. In 2015 VET students will receive a similar report.

Ongoing amendments to Stage 1/2 SACE Assessment Plans to accommodate student diversity and curriculum and resource changes. Teachers’ expertise in using Performance Standards for assessment of student work confirmed at final moderation.

Ongoing strengthening of the role of the Registered Training Organisation (RTO) in the provision of quality training to our student cohort. Centralized VET Enrolments and the RTO 2014 QA calendar continued with specific dates for validation work with other RTOs. Implemented Training Guarantee in SACE for individual students as part of planned pathway.

Strategic Directions Summary


Curriculum Snapshots

Stage 2 SACE Workplace Practices: 2014 was the 11th consecutive year of offering this subject via blended learning delivery to elite athletes and dancers, along with more than 20 students in the face-to-face class. Overall 125 students received a SACE result and the retention rate for this subject is exceptional. Having begun with only SASI scholarship basketballers, the course has grown to encompass dancers, referees, coaches, and athletes from across a broad spectrum of sports. The marketing of the course has been successful primarily due to word of mouth (students and parents liaising with fellow athletes/dancers). Communication remains a challenge and among many methods, postcards sent to relevant coaches/dance schools/institutions to inform students of the opportunities Marden Senior College offers. Students, who have been exposed to Marden's curriculum offers via the subject, often take up other subjects including Research Project in the evening (blended learning) to accommodate their busy lives. In semester two, 10 students were resulted in the 10-credits version of the subject in the face-to-face class. This was the largest group ever resulted with 10 credits in this subject. Student achievement in this subject continues to be exceptional, with 20 students achieving an A+ with Merit in 2014 and as shown in the graph below, over 60% of the students consistently achieving a grade in the A band over many years.

Mathematics and Science: Staff have been busy preparing for the implementation of Australian Curriculum revised SACE courses from 2016 and are looking forward to attending workshops, clarifying forums and Eastern Area Cluster meetings in 2015 to further this work. Maths and Science staff have dedicated significant professional learning time throughout this year to develop skills in the use of Moodle, an online learning platform, to blend online content and activities with classroom teaching and learning in each subject from 2015. Student access to this on-line resource in the Maths and Science subjects is particularly important as a tool that is available to support students 24 hours a day to consolidate and extend classroom learning, and better prepare for assessments. The Maths and Science Faculty has added a new subject for implementation in 2015, Stage 1 General Science will be introduced to broaden the science curriculum options available to Stage 1 students with the potential to add a Stage 2 class in 2016. This provides a curriculum option for students to experience a range of different science areas, rather than specialising in a specific branch of science at Stage 1.

H&PE & Cross Disciplinary Learning Areas: One of the highlights this year has been the achievements of the Environmental Studies class who organised and facilitated Marden’s annual planting day along a section of the banks of River Torrens that Marden Senior College has adopted. In addition to planting over 500 native plants, including some native orchids, the school unveiled two interpretative signs to inform the broader school community of the role of native plants in the local environment. This event was only possible through the support of the Marden school community, including the Student Governance Association, School Chaplain, and staff and students. Signs and plants were funded as part of a Natural Resources Management (NRM) Community Grant. Work on native gardens within the school grounds has continued this year.


Planting of rare native orchids was undertaken by students from Environmental Studies, Society & Culture and Biology classes. Plants were funded through the NRM Board and a Grow a Great School Grant. These environmental achievements attracted media attention, featuring in the Advertiser Education section and a segment of the national TV program ‘Totally Wild’. These activities have been built into the school’s curriculum, providing opportunities for students to develop organizational and leadership skills.

The introduction of Integrated Learning II (Sport & Recreation) has been a successful addition to the College Curriculum. Increased retention and achievement levels have been experienced in comparison to the Stage 2 PE course previously offered. Involvement in the Pedal Prix provided students with the opportunity to gain credit towards assessment.

25 Stage 2 Health students achieved their Senior First Aid Certificate as part of their SACE assessment.

We continue to take pride in our student’s Research Project achievements. 2013 Research Project student, Louisa Milanese, shared her experiences and completed project with 2014 Research Project students at the SACE Research Project Expo in August.

Business Enterprise and Technology: Another successful year for this learning area, in particular the achievements in photography. This started with the well-attended Marden Senior College Photography Fringe Exhibition showcasing the high quality student work from 2013. This was followed by a project where two Marden Certificate III Photography students Krystal Hayden and Pam Anders were selected to work with professional photographer Sam Oster to capture the multi-faceted character of the inner suburb of Kent Town via images and multi-layered photographs. This collaboration between Atkins Technicolour, City of Norwood Payneham and St Peters and Marden Senior College, resulted in a successful ‘Kent Town Connected’ display at the Norwood Town Hall as part of the 2015 Fringe.

For the past 20 years Marden Senior College has been part of the St Peters Rotary Annual Vocational Awards ceremony, where students are selected for their commitment to, and excellence, in their chosen field. Two Marden students received recognition by way of a certificate and a monetary award at a dinner function hosted by the Rotary Club of St Peters. This year’s recipients were Chandler Meakins – Certificate III in Photo Imaging, Stage 2 Information Processing & Publishing, Media Studies and Photography, and Jake Cooper – Certificate III Media (Multimedia) and Stage 2 Visual Arts.

Humanities and Social Sciences: A large number of Humanities subjects (9 at Stage 2 and 5 at Stage 1) have been maintained despite a state-wide reduction in enrolments in the learning area. The most popular subjects were Media Studies and Modern History. A highlight of the Stage 1 Ancient Studies course was their Archaeological Dig where students experienced the work of archaeologists in the field. Tourism and Society and Culture students experienced a range of outings to places such as Granite Island, the Migration Museum and the Law Courts as part of their studies.

Promote and support the ongoing focus of links between quality pedagogy and engagement through Teaching for Effective Learning (TfEL) professional learning eg

PD program developed with focus on Teaching for Effective Learning with progress on triangulated feedback to teachers through use of a student survey and self-review as part of each teacher’s Performance Development Plan, peer feedback via trusted colleague PD program and role modelling open door practices

Significant staff involvement in East Area Regional SACE subject cluster meetings and in SACE panels, and SACE / SATAC / TAFE / University Pathways Information sessions reinforce pedagogy, content and pathways expertise

Implement accredited programs for Literacy and Numeracy and review outcomes

Teachers implementing Literacy for Learning PD in an across College literacy focus through pedagogy development

Certificate I & II in Education Skills Development delivering foundational literacy and numeracy for students from a non-English speaking background. This English Proficiency option is to be refined with the implementation of Certificate III in Spoken and Written English in 2015


Review Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) processes and embed Skills for All provision as part of Registered Training Organisation (RTO)

Successful implementation of RPL processes with Certificate III Education Support and Children's Services students with recognition that many trainees entitled to RPL prefer to repeat training to update

Industry currency maintained by trainers through PD in Training and Assessment (TAE) and Adult Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) completion by trainers. Staff undertook industry connections and work placements. Skills for All provision and processes embedded into RTO with management maintaining currency with the many changes including Universal Student Identification for 2015

VET students all enrolled on a SACE pathway, excluding Skills for All trainees Utilise current data. Align Site Improvement Plan & Curriculum Review process and develop new tools as necessary

Learner management software (Daymap) continued to improve flexibility in managing relief lessons, academic reporting, parent connections, communication between teachers and attendance management

Collected and used a range of enrolment, and student satisfaction data. This informed the focus on feedback pedagogy in the Site Improvement Plan (SIP) and validated the improvements in this area. A recommendation is to continue and build data use to reflect on pedagogy through triangulated feedback and analysis of SACE & VET data (completion/QA/survey) to inform and improve teaching

Retention trend analysis by individual teachers for each subject and course and deeper analysis of SACE achievement data

Data on student support in the Tutorial Centre and Library helped define success of Learning Support. Reviewed Tutorial and Library learning services to best meet student needs

Students recognised for their ‘Graduate Qualities’ at Presentation Event

Regional Transition/Destination survey completed along with student surveys in each class. Data part of Engagement and Retention work. Regional Transition survey examines factors for completion and non-completion (College participated in final of 3 year study)

Retention data kept for U18, and U21 Mentoring programs and analysis fed into 2015 Student Program and improvements to Student Progress structures to include use of Individual Learning Plans.

STRATEGIC DIRECTION 2 Focus on students’ wellbeing, engagement and learning achievements

Goal: On-going active staff commitment to support the engagement, wellbeing and retention of students

ACTION PRIORITY 2.1 Involve all staff in the implementation of student wellbeing programs and structures to support student learning, retention and engagement through:

Innovative Programs: This year has seen the development of the role, Coordinator Innovative Programs. An identified area within the College has involved the effective and consistent engagement and retention of the younger cohort of Stage 1 students. Evidence from a range of sources has indicated that these students need more support with the transition into the senior secondary environment in the following ways: decision making, operational structures, responsibilities and flexibility within the learning environment. To this effect Coordinator Rachel Moore has developed an intensive Induction Program for this group to be implemented in early Term 1, 2015. The structure will involve a range of activities based around the use of facilities and resources at the MSC site with a focus on opportunities that develop relationships between students, mentors and staff.

Mentoring Program: The program was expanded in 2014 to include Marden students who were under 21 and involved a revised Student Program. The school day was re-structured to give teachers time to meet with their mentees and follow up attendance and progress with their mentees, their parents or care givers. The year commenced with the opportunity for teachers to meet with their mentee students over morning tea. An after school ‘meet the mentor’ parent evening was also conducted for the first time.


Student Program: Mentor work was supplemented by programs that generally involved large groups of students attending sessions carefully chosen for their relevance as part of the Student Program. Such activities included seminars by Elevate Education, visits from the universities, and a guest speaker from Legal Services who addressed issues around cyber safety and the new driving rules for “P Plate” drivers. Elevate Education was engaged to deliver seminars on Study Skills, Time Management and Exam Preparation. The seminar feedback received from students was overwhelmingly positive. In 2015 an induction program to support Stage 1 students will be trialled in Week 2, and the Study Skills seminar for Stage 2 students will be brought forward to the same week to support students in their transition to Marden Senior College, and to improve their engagement and retention.

Focus on Flexible Learning: Our line structure and changes to lesson and mentoring times, met the overall aim to reach the most effective day/evening structure that meets student needs for 2014. Improvements continue in 2015. Development and sharing of flexible learning strategies to keep students linked to their learning are ongoing, eg development of Moodle for classes with learning materials, examples, and interactive elements. Community learning options for students were used more widely in 2014 and will be embedded through the work of the SACE Coordinator in 2015. Review of the success of the Flexible Learning Line taken by Mandy Rego is underway.

Individual Learning Plans: Individual Learning Plans (ILP) for students with disabilities and Special Needs, and ILPs for the annual progress of Aboriginal Students will benefit from the DECD single plan model. Once in place, these plans for identified students enable teachers to differentiate the curriculum and learning. The plan is to broaden the use of ILPs in 2015 with mentors working with students to develop ILPs with all Stage 1 students by the end of Term 1.

Students with Disabilities: In 2014 work continued to refine processes for identifying, supporting and monitoring students with special needs. These processes are now documented for quality control and embedded in practice at Marden Senior College. All students with a verified disability had a Negotiated Education Plan (NEP) developed during Term 1 and these, along with additional special needs resources, were made readily accessible to teachers. Professional learning was provided to teachers and leaders in each term to increase awareness of special needs students and build skills to support learning. The College employs a School Services Officer who is dedicated to working intensively with students requiring high-level support. These achievements have improved outcomes for students who may otherwise have disengaged due to a lack of success and helped to build confidence in these students as learners. Positive feedback from students and parents has been affirming regarding the support they have received while at MSC. In 2015, it is intended that more professional learning will be targeted towards building the capacity of our staff both in terms of specific strategies for students with special needs and student wellbeing as a whole. Staff professional learning for National Data Collection for SWD, and for the introduction of Read Write Gold was completed.

Provide training and development to develop staff awareness, commitment, confidence and skills to support student wellbeing

Emphasis on the link between pedagogy and engagement as above (TfEL, 21C learner needs, Learning Technologies)

Student wellbeing focus in PD sessions and T&D in Daymap alerts and access to student and parent details

Parent liaison, parent portal access to attendance data and communication is ongoing. Identifying and responding to parent expectations and needs re student progress and wellbeing. Meet the teacher opportunities were expanded in 2014 along with mentoring for U21 students

Continue to develop and implement strategies including mentoring and communication modes to meet the needs of younger students in the context of an adult learning environment, including through emphasis on student engagement and acknowledgement of excellent attendance and achievement. Staff/students contributed to reviewing new elements of the Student Program, the Student Progress meetings, the mentoring role and attendance follow up. The role of mentor is further enhanced in 2015

Information sharing through use of Daymap and other processes like Progress Meetings helped support students, and screening for >18 non-continuous students was systematised and continues to be improved

The Chaplaincy role is ongoing and reviewed annually


Develop wider community partnerships that facilitate on-site and other support services

Support Services: Use of Community Support Services and Interwork Agency, Multicultural Youth South Australia for referral and support of CALD students, CRS Australia for referral and training of disengaged 16/17 year olds

Curriculum links: Validation partnership with Central School of Art and other RTOs, Geoscience Pathways Project links with University of Adelaide & partner schools both local and country, Eastern Adelaide Australian curriculum groups

Development of further community partnerships and FLO are areas in need of focus in 2015

STRATEGIC DIRECTION 3 Focus on a sustainable learning environment characterized by a sense of community and quality facilities

Goal: Development of programs and facilities enhancing learning, collaboration, recreation and community

ACTION PRIORITY 3.1 Develop and promote activities and structures which foster cooperation, participation and College identity building

Marden Senior College has a unique and diverse group of students. Events throughout the year, organized by the Student Government Association, not only helped to cement friendships but also worked to increase the school spirit. The enthusiasm of the student body led to each and every success. Some of this year’s achievements include:

barbeques raising money for a variety of good causes

tree planting day which is a reflection of our growing concern for the environment

Harmony Day celebrations that reflected the diverse student body of the College

the Senior Formal held at the Sebel Playford

The formal was seen as a wonderful way to come together and celebrate the friendships formed since January. Students and staff were given the opportunity to mingle outside the school campus in a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere.

The Student Government Association enabled these students to see another side of Marden Senior College. This included attending monthly Governing Council Meetings. Supporting student voice, interests, needs and encouraging student projects and specific events to bring students together

Students from Other Education Providers (OEPs) at Marden in 2014: OEP students are a significant part of the Marden Senior College student cohort with 286 OEP students attending MSC in 2014. The OEP Liaison position was new in 2014. The Liaison Coordinator worked with OEP students, their home school, and Marden teachers to maintain continual improvement in the services provided. One important part of this work was to collect data to analyse the processes currently in place for OEP students. Feedback from these surveys has contributed to changes for implementation in 2015. Feedback showed that teachers see OEPs as an important part of the school culture. Feedback from OEP students was that Marden Senior College teachers truly seem to understand their subject rather than being just textbook teachers, “I really like coming to Marden, it is a different yet refreshing experience - great freedom of choice - everyone is so nice too. I have learnt a lot too.”

It also is confirmed from student responses that a lot of OEP schools have been very supportive of their students to attend Marden for one or two subjects so that their students can get their first choice of subjects. Student Services has been working on another goal of the OEP work, which is to gain a contact within each school that we support students from each year. These contacts will allow MSC teachers to work directly with the school to support students form a collaborative approach where necessary.


Events: Maximising College celebrations (eg Exhibitions, Orientation, Register of Achievers, Virtual Trade Fair, Presentation Night, etc.) to strengthen MSC identity within and beyond the school community was another goal for 2014. A healthy and diverse collection of successful events helped achieve this goal. Events included exhibitions and excursions, bread days, Trash and Treasure days, World Environment Day Tree Planting and Pedal Prix involvement. Maximisation could be enhanced through further curriculum and publicity links. The plan is to establish a wider range of social and recreational activities for student and staff involvement to strengthen our connections with the other adult sites through social, recreational and curriculum based projects.

Event Snapshots

Soccer tournament between Thebarton Senior College and Marden Senior College was a successful cross College event.

Pedal Prix involvement was again well supported by staff and students. Our vehicle, Maelstrom, was successfully cycled around the Victoria Park track in two large scale events.

Federal Education Minister Christopher Pyne and students from local high schools visited the seismometer that is housed in the Geology Lab this year in Term 2. Seismometers are instruments that measure motions of the ground, including those of seismic waves generated by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and other seismic sources. Records of seismic waves allow seismologists to map the interior of the Earth, and locate and measure the size of these different sources. The data that our seismometer collects can be accessed internationally.


Science Week at Marden Senior College was conducted in Term 3. The Science Faculty and Library staff celebrated Science Week as shown in photographs below:

The Science and Maths staff and Chemistry students celebrated Mole Day with Mole cakes made by Keith Gatford. This day is celebrated annually on October 23 from 6.02 am – 6.02 pm to commemorate Avogadro’s Number (6.02 x 1023), which is a basic measuring unit in Chemistry. For a given molecule, one mole is a mass (in grams) whose number is equal to the molar mass of the molecule. ACTION PRIORITY 3.2 Continue facility and grounds developments to optimise learning, teaching and recreation through the following actions: Develop a holistic process to prioritise needs relating to site facilities and investigate potential funding options Student and staff comfort and amenity 2014 projects included:

All student toilets now refurbished

600 block air conditioning replacement and new blinds working well to improve comfort and reduce electricity use

G2 classroom including IT Office consolidation and Library refurbishment project completed for start of 2014

Input from teachers and students on IT improvements in Wireless/BYOD/Laptop trolleys/IWBs

600 block upgrade of lockers, and Reception/Front office and staff toilets upgrade with Open Access College, a replacement shelter completed

Creation of new Flexible Learning Space ready for 2015 use Identify student projects and embed grounds and facilities improvements in students’ learning program

SSO staff toured Port Adelaide educational facilities and Teaching staff visited Glenunga International High School and Adelaide High School to see facilities that match pedagogy

Recycling as curriculum project is an excellent example of student projects within curriculum, as is the Marden Matters design brief

‘Our Patch’ project is a very successful and long standing community partnership with the Natural Resource Management Board, Norwood Payneham & St Peters Council and Vale Park Primary School. Leader Peter Allen won grants to support the project

2014 Orientation processes were improved from 2013 based on student and staff feedback


Enrolment

The annual process of creating the student cohort presents a considerable logistics exercise for our College. Marden Senior College is unzoned and students are predominantly of a post compulsory age. Predicting enrolments and planning classes is made more challenging by the reality that only approximately 20% of our cohort is students continuing from the previous year. Enrolments have, however, remained very healthy in what is an open and very competitive post compulsory education market.

The enrolment exercise is managed by the Student Services Team with the strong support from the majority of staff, including specialist staff such as the VET Coordinator and VET course trainers. The task of efficiently, yet carefully, enrolling over a thousand students and inducting them into the College for the start of each academic year is a true achievement. Marketing and enrolment practices are designed to maximise enrolment potential in the open and very competitive post compulsory environment.

The College attracts young people in large numbers from other schools both public and independent, as well as enrolling students who are re-entering formal education from a range of other situations in the community. Marketing is an ongoing priority for the College and particularly important when preparing and planning for an enrolment cycle. Initially this involves using a range of marketing and communication strategies to provide information about College courses to the diverse stakeholders that make up the Marden Senior College community. College marketing makes use of the internet, print media, radio, cinema, digital advertising and direct mail outs to schools and community agencies at various times throughout the year. The College website has been redeveloped to showcase the variety of learning programs available and is increasingly referred to by students as a key source of information about Marden. Our enrolment data clearly indicates that these strategies together with networking and positive ‘word of mouth’ play a key role in student decisions to enrol at Marden. Marketing activities intensify during Terms 3 & 4 of the previous year and the first few weeks of the current year in support of the enrolment process.

At the February 2014 DECD census our enrolment was 660 FTE (Full Time Equivalent), made up of over 1000 individual student enrolments. Enrolments, while remaining buoyant have decreased since (see graphs below) the introduction in 2012 of the DECD Adult Education Provision (AEP). The AEP limits eligibility for adults over the age of 21 years who wish to enrol in state schools. The net result of this policy over time has been less enrolments from the over 21 age cohort. Most of the adults in this group are seeking to re-enter formal education in a supportive school environment. A significant number are newly arrived from other countries, often without any educational experience. In the past Marden had been able to offer this group a range of English Proficiency courses that articulated into academic and vocational pathways. Unfortunately some adults do not meet the ‘SACE ready’ requirement of the AEP and are no longer eligible to enrol.

The graph on the right shows the decline in enrolments since the introduction of the 2012 adult eligibility requirements. It also shows stabilisation of this trend over recent years.

Enrolment, Retention & Attendance


Course selection patterns and achievement data confirm the very strong position of the College in the education community as a quality provider of SACE programs particularly at Stage 2. The increasing number of students including VET programs in SACE is also testament to the diversity of programs available at the College. Feedback during the enrolment process identifies several main reasons for students choosing to enrol at Marden. Breadth, scope and quality of curriculum, academic success, Marden’s reputation in the community, the supportive environment and the general attraction of studying in a dedicated / flexible senior secondary / adult environment are all reasons cited. A feature of enrolments over the last three years has been a growth in number of younger students enrolling at the College. This fits well with Marden Senior College’s strategically repositioning and rebranding as a ‘specialist senior secondary college’ from a dedicated ‘adult re-entry college’. In 2014 we enrolled almost 500 students under the age of 18. About half of these transferred to Marden from schools across the metropolitan area to complete their secondary education at Marden. The other half remained in their current schools but also enrolled in one or more SACE/VET courses at Marden not available to them in those schools. The change in the age profile has accelerated the development of a range of structures, processes and programs in the College designed to support the learning and wellbeing needs of this younger cohort. Significant also, is the improved overall student retention by 8% for the year. Improved retention is illustrated in the graph below when analysing enrolment and retention of the various cohorts of students during the course of the year. What is interesting is the size of the Year 13 student group. Year 13s choose to return to school to increase their ATAR scores and/or satisfy subject prerequisites for preferred university courses. The size of this group is difficult to explain given the emergence during the past few years of the many alternative pathways to university. It would appear that despite the options available that many students still prefer to take the established Year 12 /ATAR pathway to university. This may change in future years as the community becomes more aware of the alternatives and begins to access them.

Enrolments in Vocational Education Certificate Courses (VET) have been maintained at high levels over the past two years with most courses enrolled to capacity. High retention in these courses was maintained in 2014. The reasons for this are commonly attributed to the levels of support, collaboration, and sense of purpose that characterise groups who share the same vocational aspirations and undertake the majority of their studies together. Year 11 and Year 12 retention rates have also continued to increase from 2014.


The increase in the number of younger students enrolling into the College has become particularly noticeable at Year 11 level where there are higher numbers of students transferring from other schools. These students have also been retained at significantly higher levels than the slightly older students who re-enter education after a break of a semester or longer. This has been a significant development for the College because it provides an opportunity to create a more coherent and identifiable Stage 1 cohort that will potentially continue into Stage 2. Considerable work has occurred in 2014 to develop a student induction program to better support students transitioning into SACE programs and beginning in a new school. Overall we believe that this trend reflects a growing willingness in the community to consider the benefits of senior secondary colleges as alternatives to mainstream public and independent schools. The single largest student group remains Year 12, boosted with single subject enrolments from the metropolitan area.

Engagement and Retention

In 2014 the College Engagement and Retention group continued to meet to review existing structures and processes and implement changes for 2014. Specific changes include the provision of additional time for mentors to work with their students and a whole school model to monitor student progress and attendance, together with improved strategies for communication with parents of non-adult students. At the beginning of the year high student numbers in classes generate debate amongst staff about whether larger classes limit individual student access to available assistance, and adversely impact on retention in a post compulsory setting. However, study of the retention data collected does not support a clear link between larger classes and proportionately larger enrolment loss. Enrolment and subject selection patterns are carefully monitored at the start of the year to ensure that all classes are effectively staffed, resourced and supported as the need arises. The teaching and administrative staff of the College have developed a range of strategies to manage larger numbers of students at the start of the year, as well as supporting small numbers of new students who make a late start. The graph below shows Semester 1 and Semester 2 enrolments as a measure of retention over the last five years.

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

No

of

Stu

de

nts

Head Count and FTE

MSC - Student Retention 2010 - 2014

Semester 1 Semester 2


This year saw the development of a Coordinator Innovative Programs role to focus on the effective and consistent engagement and retention of the younger cohort of Stage 1 students. Evidence from a range of sources has indicated that these students need more support with the transition into the senior secondary environment in the following ways: decision making, operational structures, responsibilities and flexibility within the learning environment. To this effect Coordinator Rachel Moore has developed an intensive Induction Program for this group to be implemented in early Term 1, 2015. The structure will involve a range of activities based around the use of facilities and resources at the MSC site with a focus on opportunities that develop relationships between students, mentors and staff. Improving attendance in a post compulsory/adult environment continues to be a major challenge for the College. This year there was a marked improvement in student attendance principally as a result of the efforts of individual subject teachers and mentors. The College reviewed its Attendance Follow Up processes and determined to maintain the automated SMS system contacting students and parents of non-adult students after a lesson missed. The letter system activated by patterns of non-attendance has also been maintained and supported by the use of more personalised follow up communication from Student Services staff. Our ongoing commitment to continually improve student achievement, attendance and retention strategies reflects the high profile these areas have in our diverse post compulsory learning environment. The focus on retention is central to the work of all staff at the College and continues as a clear priority in both daily work and longer term strategic planning. The College’s mentoring program for our younger students is a feature of our attendance and retention strategy. Each teacher works closely with approximately 12 students as a mentor. Compared to 250 students in 2013, this year saw 455 students receiving the support of a mentor throughout the year, of which 291 were still enrolled at the end of the year. This represents an overall retention rate of 64%, as shown on the graph below. This retention rate was slightly higher for the under 18 cohort at 66%, compared to 61% for the 18-21 cohort. Retention of 18—21 students is an area for on-going focus.

89

77

68

64

97

75

67

89

79

68

64

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

End Term 1 End Term 2 End Term 3 End Term 4

Mentee Retention (%) 2014

Sem 1 Enrol

Sem 2 Enrol

Total


SACE Completion

Many students study one or two subjects at Marden Senior College and their SACE completion is recorded in future years and/or at their home school. Of the 457 students who completed at least one Stage 2 subject at Marden Senior College, 98 students were potential SACE completers, of which 92 successfully completed. This represents a 94% completion rate. For the first time in 2014 the College implemented a more coordinated approach to the SACE recognition of community learning, or learning outside of SACE subjects or VET courses. This recognition of learning is a flexible way for students to gain credits towards their SACE completion. A teacher was assigned the role of managing this in Semester 2 and the results were:

4 students gained 10 credits at Stage 1

6 students gained 20 credits at Stage 1

1 student gained 20 credits at Stage 2

a total of 11 students and a total of 180 credits gained

Another important contributor to SACE completion is credits gained through the recognition arrangements for VET in the SACE. In fact 40 students who completed their SACE would not have done so without gaining credits with VET through these recognition arrangements. The table below shows the total percentage and number of students who completed the SACE with VET at Marden Senior College compared to the state.

Year Number % School % State 2011 46 38.33 37.58 2012 70 56.00 37.56 2013 79 45.40 41.02 2014 69 50.00 40.77

Pivotal to SACE completion is success in the compulsory SACE requirements. Below is a summary of the results in these subjects.

Subject No. % of

Stage 1 Personal Learning Plan - students resulted C or above

Male Female Total

11 10 21

92 100 96

Stage 1 Literacy - students resulted C or above

Male Female Total

66 69 135

86 92 89

Stage 1 Numeracy - students resulted C or above

Male Female Total

56 41 97

73 87 78

Research Project - students resulted C- or above

Male Female Total

38 46 84

95 100 98

Student Achievement


Stage 2 SACE Results

Stage 2 student achievement in 2014 at Marden Senior College was outstanding, in the number of high achievers and overall successful completion rate.

A record number of 54 students achieved an A+ grade; 35 of whom were awarded a SACE Board Merit. This represents a continued increase in the number of outstanding student achievements from 2011 onwards. Students achieved an A+ with a merit in Accounting (1); Biology (5); Chemistry (1); Health (1); Psychology (1); Research Project (6); and Workplace Practices (20).

The strength of Marden student achievements is highlighted by the 38% of A grade band results. This represents a significant improvement on previous years and is well above the state mean of 21%. The graphs below show the grade distribution at Marden Senior College compared to state and at the College over the last four years. Both graphs highlight the high percentage of Marden students who achieved an A grade, and the low percentage who were resulted below C-. Overall this represents a steady increase in the percentage of successful students (A+ to C- result); from 81% in 2011, 88% in 2012, and 91% in 2013, to 94% in 2014.

Overall student achievement data is very positive, whether it be outstanding student achievers, or the % of students achieving the required standard (at or beyond the C grade band). This continued improvement indicates the expertise and confidence teaching staff have in their subject area performance standards and assessment requirements, and their dedication and hard work at an individual student level. MSC continued to offer a wide ranging Stage 2 curriculum during 2014 and monitored enrolment trends in response to the implementation of the SACE at this level.

A total of 771 individual student subject results were recorded in 2014, compared to 912 in 2013. This represents a slight decrease in the number of students resulted; a continuation of the more recent trends. MSC closely monitors the number of students resulted in both SACE and VET areas. Strategies to increase these numbers include a continual review of curriculum offerings and work towards improving student retention. Both of these strategies are part of the Site Improvement Plan. Significant work is done through the annual Curriculum Review to offer an attractive and appropriate curriculum at MSC.

The annual curriculum review process is supplemented by ongoing responses generated through the counselling process. Improving retention and achievement are central to the professional learning undertaken by staff each year.


Exams

Mid-year exams were held in Week 3 of Term 3. It was an opportunity for some students to have their first exam experience. The end of year cycle of exams went from 3 November to 19 November and 20 different exams were run. Most of the exams were attended by both Marden Senior College and Open Access College students.

Stage 1 SACE Results

A total of 622 individual results were recorded in 2014, compared to 565 in 2013. This represents a slight increase in the number of students resulted. There was also an increase in the number of grades 82% at C and better in 2014, compared to 78% in 2013. This was especially notable in Mathematical Applications, Physics and Society and Culture. Teacher response to student and peer feedback, as well as review of task design and teaching approaches has resulted in a gradual improvement in student outcomes. Work in this area of retention and engagement will continue to be part of staff training in the coming years.

0

50

100

150

200

250

A B C D E N

Stage 1 Student Achievement 2013, 2014

2013

2014


Tertiary Entrance Summary

A significant number of students enrol at Marden Senior College for the purpose of gaining an Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) in order to study at university. The student counselling team is heavily involved with the provision and organisation of information to students. As shown in Table 1 below, a high percentage of Marden students were successful in receiving an offer in the first round again this year. Although we do not have access to accurate data, anecdotally we know that a number of students also received offers in the second and subsequent round of offers. These figures include 2014 SACE completers, students entering via the STAT test, perhaps TAFE applicants without SACE completion, and those who may have completed SACE in previous years.

Table 1: Applicants and Offers 2014 into 2015 (*Round 1 offers only)

University TAFE Total

Number of applications 117 18 135

Number of offers* 100 14 114

Percentage of successful applications 85.5% 77.8% 84.4%

Table 2: Offers by Institution (University only. First Round only)

University Offers

2010

Offers

2011

Offers

2012

Offers

2013

Offers

2014

Offers

2015

Adelaide University 33 24 31 33 54 33

Flinders University 23 14 18 23 23 22

University of SA 49 53 58 49 55 45

Charles Darwin University 1 0 0 0 0 0

Pathways Planning

Pathways planning included visits to all Stage 2 classes by the counselling team during Term 1 to present information regarding tertiary admission processes, visits by all three universities and TAFE in Term 1 to present tertiary pathways information to students, a Tertiary Career Event organised in conjunction with the Open Access College and attended by the three universities and TAFE during Term 3 and direct support in making on-line applications to SATAC.

Table 3: Number of TAFE and University applications and offers over the years from MSC

Year University

Applications

University

OFFERS

TAFE

Applications

TAFE

OFFERS

2006 104 78 37 28

2007 123 102 61 47

2008 118 90 44 37

2009 129 107 62 49

2010 110 91 69 56

2011 118 107 53 49

2012 115 105 40 37

2013 144 132 35 30

2014 117 100 18 14

Student Destinations


University Entry

As Table 2 (above) shows, Marden students were offered entry into all three South Australian universities. Most students enter university based on their Selection Rank which is determined from the ATAR plus any bonus points. The mean ATAR for Marden students was 73.20 in 2014. This is for Marden students only, that is, it does not include OEP students, such as those who undertook one subject at Marden. In total 11 students received offers to study medicine from the 2014 Marden cohort. In 2014, all Marden students received a minimum of 5 bonus points for entry to South Australian universities, plus in some cases additional points were awarded for successful completion of particular subjects. The maximum number of bonus points that students could be awarded was 9. It is noteworthy that new, less complex bonus point arrangements apply from 2015. Data from the 2014 university entry process showed that bonus points enabled 33 students to achieve their desired university offer. 57 students received their first preference, however, at the time of writing, final offers are yet to be made.

TAFE Destinations

13 of the 14 offers are for courses at Certificate IV or above, with 5 students moving into Diplomas and 4 into Advanced Diplomas. This is consistent with the aspirations of many Marden students to move on to higher levels of study in courses undertaken at the College RTO.

An online survey tool was used to obtain feedback from students about the quality of their classroom learning experiences at Marden Senior College. The Term 1 surveys showed overwhelmingly that students saw their teacher as a very positive influence on their studies and their future. The adult learning environment and relationships with teachers were seen as central to study enjoyment and success. Flexibility in teaching and assessment, knowing individual students’ circumstances, access to learning support and being treated respectfully were identified as significant strengths. Individual surveys were conducted for each teacher in each class. This teacher specific pedagogical feedback was used by staff as part of the triangulated feedback approach to improve the effectiveness of teaching. Collecting and responding to student feedback was a priority in the 2014 Site Improvement Plan, and part of each teacher’s Performance Development Plan. This priority will continue in 2015. Results were also aggregated to provide an excellent picture from some 1200 students to allow valid comparisons with the previous year. These results form the basis of this report. Cohort sub-sections of the aggregated survey results are represented in the graphs below. For the first time this year a question was included in the survey seeking feedback on the use of learning technology tools, including Moodle, to improve learning at MSC. Based on the data this is clearly an area requiring improvement and has subsequently become a focus for staff professional learning.

Student Opinion


On the whole, students are very positive about the effectiveness of teaching at MSC, and they perceive standards and expectations to be relatively high. VET teachers are seen as respectful, enthusiastic and activities in VET are indicated as helpful to learning. Responses to VET are positive overall with comparatively few ‘not sure/disagree’ responses. A slightly different question wording was used to collect information on the same areas for the EdSkills, or language proficiency, cohort.


The data indicates teachers are generally on the right track, and most students express strong satisfaction with their teachers. This data is used to inform teacher practice both at the individual class level and at a whole of College level.


The information on this page is a summary of a Staff Opinion Survey conducted in November 2014. All teachers were invited to participate in the survey administered online by Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). The results presented here are based on 39 respondents.

Staff were asked to rate the 16 items presented in the graph below using a five point scale from strongly agree (5 points) to strongly disagree (1 point), with neither agree or disagree scoring 3 points. The high average rating for each item enables the conclusion to confidently be drawn that staff have a high level of satisfaction in how Marden Senior College organises and provides learning opportunities for students, includes parents in student learning, and supports staff. These results indicate very high opinions of how teachers respect students and meet their learning needs. It also shows some variation in staff opinion on their involvement in decision making.

Another section of the survey asked for staff opinion on the professional development available to them, with the following results:

Item

% Strongly Disagree

% Disagree

% Neither Agree or Disagree

% Agree

% Strongly

Agree

Staff are encouraged to pursue PD 0 3 5 49 44

My professional needs and interests are met by the PD provided by this school

5 13 13 41 28

Staff Opinion


The 2014 MSC professional learning program consisted of a combination of individual, group and whole of staff activities conducted within and beyond the College. Records show that teachers undertook more than 37.5 hours of training and development during the year, with the majority undertaking over 50 hours outside of normal working hours. As part of the MSC Performance Development Plan (PDP) process, staff identified their professional learning goals and these were used to determine the professional learning program. The primary focus was on continual improvement in the quality of teaching and learning and the wellbeing of staff and students. Training and development was conducted through:

Friday afternoon meetings

Staff meeting and after school spotlight sessions

End of year professional learning program

Individual training, including staff accessing numerous off-site opportunities The program was prepared by the MSC Training and Development Committee using the following inputs:

DECD Strategic Directions & priorities

College Site Improvement Plan and Strategic Plan priorities

Staff Performance Development Plans

WHS requirements

Staff feedback and evaluation of the 2013 Program

Professional Learning Summary The year’s professional learning activity can be divided into three categories: teaching and learning related, wellbeing and welfare related and curriculum related activities. Key activities include:

Teaching and learning related

focus on 21st century pedagogies and the use of learning technologies, with a focus on the use of Moodle as a learning platform

continued use of the South Australian Teaching for Effective Learning (TfEL) framework and Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) standards and resources

further development in the use of triangulated feedback (students, self and trusted colleague) to improve classroom practice

online training in National Collection of Data on Students with a Disability, and application of this initiative at MSC

ongoing small group training in the use of learning technologies such as Turnitin, Read Write Gold and mQlicker

Wellbeing and Welfare related

awareness of and strategies for mentoring and mental health issues

staff ‘fit for fun’ challenges throughout the year

Curriculum related

17 staff involved in SACE Subject Assessment Panels (marking and moderation)

ongoing familiarisation with Australian Curriculum developments

Child Protection Curriculum training

RTO/VET Validations

Staff Professional Learning


Staff feedback was sought on a number of professional learning activities organised at the College as shown on the graph below. The % approval indicates the percentage of staff who rated the activity as either ‘extremely useful’ or ‘useful’. As can be seen this percentage is well over 50% for all activities. It is noteworthy that amongst the highest rating sessions were ‘whole of staff’ sessions such as those focusing on classroom observation and Child Protection Curriculum.

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Read Write Gold training

Turnitin Use

Moodle/Joule - Netspot Expert led Session

Child Protection Curriculum training

Moodle Training (3 workshops, Term 2)

Moodle Training (15 workshops, Term 4)

Student wellbeing and mental health

SMART training - impact of trauma and abuse on students

Mentoring for Learning

Australian Curriculum - Aboriginal Cross-curriculum priority

Using Moodle to improve teaching and learning - lessons fromFlinders University

Engaging in Professional Conversations for ClassroomObservation

2014 Professional Learning Program - Staff Rating of Training Usefulness (by %)

% approval


Staff Attendance

Teacher and Ancillary attendance rate continues to be excellent. The average number of days absent per staff member is lower than the previous three years, however the need for family leave to support ageing parents’ remains on trend. The College again provided free flu vaccinations to staff with a positive impact on staff absence over the winter period. The table (right) shows a breakdown of the types of leave taken in 2014 for all staff. The number of staff accessing retention leave is an increasing trend.

Term 1 Term 2 Term 3 Term 4

Leave - no pay 4 0 0 0

Leave - with pay 27 37.5 36.5 33

Sick Leave 52 69.5 52.0 70

Work cover 0.5 0.5 32.5 14.5

Staff Retention The nature of changing student numbers across the year necessitates the appointment of some teachers to short term and small-fraction vacancies. Patterned Long Service Leave grows in popularity. 2014 saw some significant staff leaving the College. Apart from the previously mentioned conclusion of Brenda Harris’s five-year stint as Principal, two long term staff members, Peter Stamatakis and Ann Le Cornu, announced their retirement. We acknowledge that Peter has also led the College as Principal on a number of occasions and for extended periods, and has always operated with the highest integrity. We thank both Ann and Peter for their commitment to high quality public education at our College over many years. Students and staff will miss the extensive knowledge and experience that both bring to Student Services.

Teaching staff categories Average FTE staff

Permanent teachers (substantive positions) 37.8

Permanent Teachers (temporary positions) 1.4

Contract teachers and HPIs 6.9

Total 46.1

The table above shows the average deployment of teaching staff by category over the course of 2014.

Type of leave No. of days

2014

No. of days

2013

Sick leave 243.5 315.5

Work cover 48 28

Bereavement 21 29.5

Carer and Family leave 76.5 85.5

Urgent pressing necessity 8.5 10

Moving Residence 2 2

Leave – no pay 4 1.5

Military leave 26 19

Retention leave 48 3

Staff Information


Staff Qualifications All teachers employed at Marden Senior College during 2014 held qualifications required for teacher registration in South Australia. Of this group, 83 per cent hold a degree or higher qualification. Many staff, both teaching and ancillary, continue to update their skills and knowledge through study in formal qualifications related directly to their work.

Teaching Staff 2014 Qualifications

Highest Qualification No of staff % of staff

Doctorate 2 4

Masters 6 12

Degree 32 66

Advanced Diploma 1 2

Graduate Dip 1 2

Diploma 7 14

Ancillary Staff 2014 Highest Qualification

Degree Advanced Diploma Diploma Certificate IV Certificate III

2 1 1 8 1

Marden Fit for Fun Challenge

This Staff wellbeing program developed by our WHS representative Rosemary Olds focussed on nutrition, physical activity, social and brain training was offered throughout 2014. The program involved completion of a series of challenges with ‘goody bags’ as rewards for various levels of achievement.

44 staff signed on and over the course of the year 696 individual challenges were completed, with nutrition being the most popular category. Ancillary staff were well represented and 2 Open Access College staff also participated.

“Thank you so much for such a wonderful program –‘Fit for Fun’. I did enjoy all the challenges I completed. Some are easy, some are not so easy, but everything is fun.” Jenelyn

“Thank you for offering staff this fantastic program. I personally found it very rewarding (and overcoming the many "CHALLENGES" was lots of fun). FFF was brilliant... just BRILLIANT. Well done on getting staff involved.” Cass

“I really enjoyed the brain training exercises and will continue with them, particularly the Sudoku puzzles which I had not been able to do prior to this, and now I’m hooked!” Deb

Programme Statistics

Number of FFF Members: 44

Total challenges completed: 696

Challenges per category:

Nutrition 274

Physical Activity 107

Social 113

Brain Training 200

Minor prizes awarded: 34

Major prizes awarded: 3

Major Prizes

Workplace Champion (Brain Training)

Create a motivational or informative poster

promoting mental health/morale for display in the

staff room: Cass Pujals

Sticker Collectors – completed 60+ challenges

Cass Pujals

Cara Moyle (OAC)


Marden Senior College operates on a conservative budget with a large proportion of funding being directed towards staffing, technology equipment, student facilities, curriculum delivery and upgrading of site facilities. In 2014, refurbishment projects included upgrade of the Administration Office, Reception area and toilets.

Two large classroom refurbishment projects were undertaken; the old G2 computer classroom and staff office was gutted and refurbished to a new computer suite and a new Flexible Learning Space including kitchen facilities was created from the former Youth Jet area. In the grounds, the old wooden gazebo was replaced with a metal framed shelter and park seating.

Ongoing expenditure on additional ancillary support remains a necessary feature of the budget for a specialist senior secondary/re-entry site, where the student head count is nearly double the FTE on which the school’s entitlement is calculated.

The 2014 budget does show carry-over funds in anticipation of spending on further refurbishment works linked to our 2015-17 Site Improvement Plan, including reserves for equipment, photocopying and grounds machinery.

The state and size of our facilities and the age of our buildings, plant and equipment pose particular challenges. The condition of equipment such as air conditioners and floor coverings demand manageable and funded replacement cycles. The College is at a critical point in relation to classroom space and the constraints this places on expanding the curriculum to meet the needs of a changing student cohort. The management and development of facilities will remain a challenge and priority for the next few years.

MARDEN SENIOR COLLEGE Revenue by Funding Source 2014

Account Description

R-CCF RESEARCH PROJECT - REVENUE 112.00

R-CCG GRANTS WHOLE CURRICULUM - REVENUE 4,770.00

R-CCS PASTORAL CARE - REVENUE 482.10

R-CPT ITAS FUNDING 225.00

R-CPX FLEXIBLE LEARNING OPTIONS 2,200.00

R-CTT TECHNOLOGY STUDIES - REVENUE 5,600.00

R-CXE EXCURSIONS 5,093.55

R-SGE STUDENTS GENERAL - REVENUE 21,322.98

R-SGR STUDENT REP COUNCIL - REVENUE 9,395.37

R-ZBA SCHOOL SALES - REVENUE 19,337.62

R-ZDF ESL DISTRICT COORDINATION 2,572.20

R-ZDM MANAGEMENT GENERAL - REVENUE 3.00

R-ZDO SCHOOL COMMUNICATIONS - REVENUE 181.82

R-ZDS STAFF MANAGEMENT - REVENUE 98,760.23

R-ZOJ COMMUNITY & INDUSTRY GRANTS 33,408.82

R-ZZF FACILITIES - REVENUE 21,683.02

R-ZZG GRANTS WHOLE SCHOOL - REVENUE 6,848,338.77

R-ZZH O.H.S. & W. - REVENUE 1,674.00

R-ZZK BETTER SCHOOLS 15,155.99

R-ZZM MAINT FUNDING FOR SCHOOLS - REVENUE 21,724.00

R-ZZP PRINT / PHOTOCOPY - REVENUE 3,815.70

R-ZZR FUNDRAISING INCOME 741.65

R-ZZS PARENT CONTRIBUTION - REVENUE 208,191.67

R-ZZZ WHOLE SCHOOL - REVENUE 32,405.56

------------------

Total for REVENUE 7,357,195.05

Total for EXPENSES 7,429,622.85

Reserve Funds 2,285,000.00

Financial Statement

governing council report · 2017-06-15 · msc annual report 2014 1 i am very aware that after many...

Documents