2016 Earlwood Public School Annual Report€¦ · Introduction The Annual Report for€2016 is...

Earlwood Public SchoolAnnual Report

2016

1807

Printed on: 8 May, 2017Page 1 of 20 Earlwood Public School 1807 (2016)

Introduction

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

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

Mrs Sandra Angel

Principal

School contact details

Earlwood Public SchoolHomer StEarlwood, 2206www.earlwood-p.schools.nsw.edu.auearlwood-p.School@det.nsw.edu.au9789 5066

Message from the Principal

As the Principal of Earlwood Public School (EPS), I am proud of the academic, creative and social achievements of ourstudents and the ongoing success of the strategies being implemented by the school to create high quality learningopportunities across all grades within a safe and supportive educational setting. Our school’s success is underpinned bythree key elements that promote the quality teaching and learning programs within our school:

1. Our highly dedicated staff work collaboratively to provide teaching and learning programs that set high expectations,engage and challenge our students within an inclusive environment. Students are encouraged to achieve their personalbest by setting their own goals and reflecting on their learning.

2. Our students are keen to learn and participate in a range of educational opportunities provided by the school. Theypersonify the qualities of courtesy, loyalty and courage in their everyday learning and play.

3. Earlwood Public School enjoys tremendous support and participation from our parent body and local community.

2016 saw many noteworthy individual and collective initiatives and accomplishments, the highlight being the school'scentenary and the celebration of 100 years of outstanding service to public education. This celebration saw tremendouscommunity support with the return of many former students and staff including former Prime Minister of Australia Mr JohnHoward.

Other accomplishements in 2016 included: • the establishment of a school museum and the centenary classroom; • the redevelopment of the library which has evolved into a new flexible learning space facilitating the skills of

collaboration, communication creativity and critical thinking for all students; • the introduction of yellow commingle recycling bins in the playground through the Recycling Collective Initiative

with students now not only recycling paper but plastics as well; • ground and building improvements including paintwork and the planting of new garden beds; • finishing a commendable 2nd at the DanceSport Gala held at Homebush; • recognition of excellence in leadership and teaching and for service to the community of two members of the

community, a parent and a staff member at the Canterbury/Strathfield Schools Network Awards. • four students were published authors in various anthologies and collections through their poetry and story writing; • outstanding NAPLAN results achieved by our Year 3 and 5 students in comparison to other schools in the state in

all aspects of literacy and numeracy; • recognition as the most successful of all seventeen schools in the Wiley Park Primary Schools Sports Association

through the following achievements –


Zone Athletics Champion School – the 6th year in a row

Zone Cross Country Champion School – 4th year in a row

8 teams made it to the grand final of the summer PSSA competition with 4 teams winning their final

5 teams made it to the grand final of the winter PSSA competition of which 3 teams won their final and one

team were joint champions • numerous students were selected in zone and regional PSSA teams in soccer, touch, rugby league, netball, AFL

and softball, with one student selected in 4 of these teams; and • one student was a gold and silver medallist at the NSW PSSA Golf Championships.

I wish to express my continued appreciation of the parent groups who so willingly give of their time, energy, ideas andcontributions to fundraising and decision making, particularly members of the Centenary Committee, the P&CAssociation – Earlwood School Parent Association (ESPA), the School Council, the band, finance and canteencommittees and to all who have helped in classrooms, on excursions, in the school gardens, with bookclub, in the library,with school banking and sports teams, and the uniform shop. Their collective support has helped make a real differenceto our students and staff.

It is with great pleasure that I present this report outlining the outstanding achievements of the students, staff and parentsof EPS. I certify that the information in this report is the result of a rigorous school self–evaluation process and is abalanced and genuine account of the school's achievements and areas for development.

Mrs Sandra Angel

Principal

Message from the school community

ESPA helped to raise awareness of road safety once again this year working closely with Mrs Angel and families toremind everyone about safe walking, driving and parking around schools in particular.

The functions committee worked very hard as usual to support the community excitement surrounding EPS turning 100!These passionate families organised a number of successful events with much focus on the Centenary Open DayCelebrations and Gala Dinner to raise funds to redevelop the playground for both upper and lower primary.

In 2016 we had a mixture of events including Mother’s Day morning tea and stalls, Father’s Day morning tea and stalls,Election Day BBQ, Entertainment Books and two Discos. The Functions Committee led by Nalita Ferraz worked as asuper team! Their endless hours of dedication and hard work this year did not go unrecognised or unappreciated by theentire community. Each event brought together the school community and was successful because of the continualsupport of our families, teaching staff and the wider community with attendance and huge donations. Over $42 000 washanded over to the school which contributed towards the costs of the new PA system, the library furniture upgrade,classroom resources, playground equipment and markings, iPads and air conditioning maintenance. The uniform shopcontributed $40 000 towards fundraising. What an accomplishment! A huge thank you to Pam Velissaris and hersupportive team for their continual voluntary hours week in and week out to engender pride in our school within thestudents. ESPA has pledged $40 000 that was raised during the centenary celebration events to a playground upgradein 2017.

On behalf of ESPA, I would like to once again personally acknowledge and thank all the staff at Earlwood Public Schoolespecially our office staff and the support staff to our teachers. EPS has had many changes as many schools have overthe past 12 months with our new financial system being implemented and it's been a learning experience for all. Theschool along with families and committees have collaborated and evaluated changes implemented to ensure thedirection is positive.

ESPA has continued to work really hard to ensure excellent communication is achieved with families and implementedclass reps for all classes for 2017. We've worked at educating families through information and where to source it from.We continued to work on our blog and social media page to ensure maximum communication with the families.

2016 brought the successful celebrations of our school centenary with 2 years of planning and working with theCentenary Committee to ensure as many people as possible were part of the celebrations. We accomplished so muchthis year and raised some amazing funds. We discovered even more of our very generous community and localbusinesses and worked as a cohesive team.

Ms Kristie Nevin – President 2016 – ESPA


School background

School vision statement

The Earlwood Public School Community is committed to educational goals which develop happy, confident andindependent learners who are respectful, empathetic and responsible citizens. Our community values creativity andpassion for lifelong learning in all aspects of school life. Students are encouraged to achieve their personal best,strengthen attributes of cooperation and resilience and engage in an active and healthy lifestyle.

School context

Earlwood Public School (EPS) established in 1916, is a diverse learning community that provides and celebrates qualityeducation and lifelong learning in a caring, inclusive environment. EPS is a large sized school with growing enrolmentslocated within the central business district of Earlwood. 84% of the community has a language background other thanEnglish with Greek and Chinese comprising two of the larger groups. The school offers a broad range of extra–curricularactivities, a Community Language Other Than English (CLOTE) Program in Greek and caters for a variety of learnerswith an academically selective stream, a comprehensive stream and a support class for students with physicaldisabilities.

Staff at the school is mixed in terms of experience with a number of staff in the early part of their career, some mid–wayand a few close to retirement. All are committed to helping students achieve their personal best. The school takes apositive approach to learning so that all children are valued, feel good about themselves and their achievements and areconfident to take risks with their learning.

EPS is a focal point of the community and works closely with parents, who are involved in many aspects of the learningprocess, creating a community of learners who strive to ensure the best educational outcomes for students are achieved.EPS is a proud member of the Community of Schools Along the Ridge.

Self-assessment and school achievement

Self-assessment using the School Excellence Framework

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

In the domain of Learning there is demonstrated commitment within the school community to strengthen and deliver onschool learning priorities. The development of a culture of ongoing performance improvement has been a feature of ourprogress, creating a positive and productive learning culture amongst staff and students. Emphasis was placed onassemment for, as and of learning to inform planning and student achievement. Student reports contain detailedinformation about individual student learning achievement and areas for growth..

In the domain of Teaching all classrooms are well managed, with well planned teaching taking place, so that studentscan engage in learning productively, with minimal disruption. Assessment instruments are used regularly to help monitorstudent learning progress and to identify skill gaps for improvement. Teachers work collaboratively to plan and improveteaching and learning in their year groups or stages, or for particular student groups. Teachers provide and receiveplanned constructive feedback from peers and school leaders to improve teaching practice. Processes are in place toprovide formal mentoring or coaching support to improve teaching and leadership practice. Staff attainment ofprofessional learning goals and teaching requirements are part of the school’s performance and development processes.

In the domain of Leading links exist with communities of schools, other educational providers and other organisations tosupport the school’s programs. Parents and community members have the opportunity to engage in a wide range ofschool–related activities. The school articulates a commitment to equity and high expectations for learning for eachstudent and is responsive to changing needs. Workforce planning supports curriculum provision and the recruitment ofhigh quality staff. Strategic financial management is used to gain efficiencies and to maximise resources available toimplement the school plan. Leadership development is central to school capacity building.

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

For more information about the School Excellence Framework:

http://www.dec.nsw.gov.au/about–the–department/our–reforms/school–excellence–framework


Strategic Direction 1

Enhancing quality professional practice, ensuring positive student learning outcomes

Purpose

To develop a culture of performance and development where all take responsibility for their growth and performance.

To enhance teacher practice to implement teaching and learning programs that ensure each student is equipped withessential skills and attributes to reach their personal best.

Practices are embedded for parents to be engaged and understand the learning progress of their children and how toeffectively support them in their learning.

Overall summary of progress

Throughout 2016, all students and staff were actively engaged in their own learning to improve performance. Students, inconsultation with teachers, developed personal learning goals, took part in self–assessment and reflected on theirlearning. Individual student growth was regularly recorded and monitored by teachers using PLAN data. Parents wereinformed about their child’s progress via increased opportunities to engage in conversations about their child’s learningand were provided with an improved biannual student academic report.

Staff strived for improvement with the development of personalised professional learning plans which guided careerdevelopment. Leaders utilised the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and Performance and DevelopmentFramework to coach, mentor and support ongoing improvement of student outcomes through support and developmentof teachers at every stage of their career. Staff engaged in structured opportunities for professional growth, includingreflection on practice, lesson observations, giving and receiving of feedback, attendance at professionallearning opportunities and the sharing of professional practice. The school worked towards building the capacity ofnon–teaching staff to manage and ensure effective implementation of change driven by Learning Management andBusiness Reform (LMBR) and Local Schools Local Decisions (LSLD) through targeted professional learning and networksharing. Community Partners through the Community of Schools worked together to share innovations, plan forprofessional learning opportunities and actively assisted in school projects where possible and appropriate.

Progress towards achieving improvement measures

Improvement measures(to be achieved over 3 years)

Progress achieved this year Funds Expended(Resources)

Curriculum programs andteaching practices effectivelydevelop the knowledge,understanding and skills of allstudents, using evidence basedteaching practices and innovativedelivery mechanisms.

All stage teams have backward mapped their unitsof work by completing an overview page thathighlights the assessments for, as and of learningfor each Mathematics Strand within the fortnightlyscope and sequence content.

A team of six teachers attended a professionallearning opportunity exploring assessment for, asand of learning in English incorporating learningintentions and success criteria. The team sharedtheir learning with staff.

$3 750

School data e.g. PLAN will show80% of students are achievingstage outcomes in reading texts,comprehension and aspects ofwriting.

PLAN data was regularly submitted across allgrades (K–2 submitting each term and 3–6submitting each semester) and teachers havemonitored individual student growth. An example ofthis was through the students’ individualcomprehension goals. Goals have been linked tothe Literacy continuum clusters and teachers haveprovided students with opportunities to meet theirlearning needs.

Staff and students are activelyengaged in their own learning toimprove their performance.

All students set, reviewed and monitored personallearning goals to develop their comprehensionskills.

$2 700





Staff and students are activelyengaged in their own learning toimprove their performance.

All staff identified and participated in thedevelopment of their Individual Performance andDevelopment Plans linked to the school plan (21stcentury learning) as well as identifying at least onepersonal, educational goal. All staff participated intwo lesson observations where they reflected ontheir teaching through the observation from a buddyand/or supervisor. Lesson observations wereclosely linked to the Quality Teaching Framework,the Australian Professional Standards for Teachersand the school plan. Clear protocols werestipulated to ensure consistency was maintained.

Next Steps

• Continue to incorporate backward mapping to plan assessment for, as and of learning in other Key Learning Arease.g. English, Science, History, Geography, PDHPE, Creative Arts and CLOTE.

• Provide opportunities for students to reflect on their learning by monitoring their progress in terms ofcomprehension understanding and creating comprehension goals throughout the year.

• Survey staff to identify the number of staff members who are effectively embedding assessment practices in theirteaching and learning experiences.

• Revisit the use of PLAN data to inform planning and practice. • Performance and Development Plans will continue to be linked to the school plan and individual, educational

goals. • Revisit knowledge and understanding on the lesson observation protocols through collegial discussions. Lesson

observations will take place in Terms 1 and 3.



Fostering a responsive, educational community culture

Purpose

To optimise the wellbeing of all by fostering relationships and a positive learning environment as an educationalcommunity.

To develop a culture of collaboration, engaged communication, empowered leadership through the valuing of others andimproved organisational practices.

To ensure that the school leadership strategy promotes succession planning, distributed leadership and organisationalbest practice.


In 2016 EPS continued to work towards the implementation of a whole school approach to student and staff wellbeing toenhance the positive learning environment of the school. Revised rules and procedures were presented to students andstaff for feedback during professional learning sessions over the course of the year. Students and staff began to use thelanguage of Be Safe, Be Responsible, Be a Learner encouraging positive behaviours. The school Wellbeing Policy wasupdated to reflect the Department of Education's Wellbeing Framework Connect, Succeed Thrive.

A school handbook was collaboratively developed to assist with the induction of new staff to the school. Feedback on thedocument was sought from the staff members who had recently joined the school community and improvements weremade based on their recommendations.




The school consistentlyimplements a whole–schoolapproach to wellbeing that hasclearly defined behaviouralexpectations and creates apositive teaching and learningenvironment.

All staff participated in professional learningoutlining the principals of the Positive Behaviour forLearning Program (PBL).

Staff identified areas of concern in the playgroundand surrounding areas.

Desirable behaviours in each area were identified.and the new school rules developed.

Be safe

Be respectful

Be a learner

School–wide and/or inter–schoolrelationships provide mentoringand coaching support to ensurethe ongoing development of allstaff.

New staff participated in an induction of EPS.

An induction booklet was created to support staff.

Beginning teachers were matched to aspiringleaders identified to mentor staff.

Mentoring time was enabled with the provision ofplanning time and lesson observations of identifiedareas for development.

Shadowing opportunities were aligned with a localhigh school.

Executive staff attended professional learning for

$6 000





School–wide and/or inter–schoolrelationships provide mentoringand coaching support to ensurethe ongoing development of allstaff.

School Leadership Teams that was aligned with theschool's directions and priorities.

Next Steps

• Present and discuss the new school rules to the wider school community. • Signage to highlight rules and expectations of behaviour displayed around the school. • Develop lesson plans for each stage to explicitly teach expectations of behaviour in the classroom, playground,

library, assembly and toilet areas. • Continue to mentor and support early career teachers and aspiring leaders. • To provide relevant leadership opportunities for staff commensurate with their current level of experience as linked

to the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.



Challenging, engaging and visionary curriculum

Purpose

To develop reflective, responsive and engaged citizens who work collaboratively, think creatively and problem solve as21st century learners.

To form community partnerships that enhances parental knowledge and understanding of 21st century learning andschool sustainability programs.

To foster active relationships with local community organisations.


The development of staff confidence and capabilities to implement 21st century learning continued to be a focus in 2016.The emphasis was on staff professional learning focused on the integration of the ICT capability into teaching andlearning programs and the use of Google apps. to enhance communication and collaboration. The redevelopment of thelibrary into a new flexible learning space facilitating the skills of collaboration, communication creativity and criticalthinking for all students was another highlight. All students from Year 3 to 6 were exposed to lessons in the use ofGoogle Apps for Education (GAFE) – Docs, Slides and Classroom in the Mac computer lab with a specialist teacher.

In 2015 EPS was successful in attaining an Eco School grant of $3 500 to implement a waste reduction and recyclingprogram in the school. In 2016 the “Recycling Collective” was introduced to increase the amount of recyclable materialand reduce the amount of rubbish collected in the school. Commingle bins were purchased and placed in theplayground, learning and work spaces. All members of the school community were informed of and educated in theprocess through promotion newsletters and explicit teaching.




A school environment that isconnected to local organisations,is eco–friendly and focused onsustainability.

Established The Recycling Collective to recycleplastic and reduce waste across the school.Purchased additional recycling bins for theplayground, classroom and offices.

Teacher professional learning was provided on howto incorporate sustainability as across–curriculumpriority and about the correct type of waste to berecycled.

$2500

Students are active, confidentparticipants in their learning andwill demonstrate creative andcritical thinking across thecurriculum areas and are efficienttechnology users.

20% of classroom teachers have applied GAFE totheir teaching practice within their teaching andlearning programs with Google Slides and Docsbeing used within classrooms.

4% of classroom teachers have also experimentedwith Google Classroom.

100% of students from Year 3 to 6 have hadinstructional lessons in the use of GAFE – Docs,Slides and Classroom in the Mac computer lab witha specialist teacher, who has modelled the use ofcollaborative practices through sharing,collaborative online work and commenting on GAFEprojects to complete tasks set in GoogleClassroom.

Students have transferred skills taught in the lab totheir classroom learning tasks. Students shareddocuments via G–Suite which enabled them to





Students are active, confidentparticipants in their learning andwill demonstrate creative andcritical thinking across thecurriculum areas and are efficienttechnology users.

collaborate and support each other in their learningvia the comments tool within the G–Suiteapplication.

Next Steps

• Revisit ICT as a General Capability – unpacking the five elements that make up the ICT Capability Framework inKLA content.

• Identify and integrate ICT Capability possibilities in existing KLA programs. • Provide mentoring for staff guided by established protocols to maintain consistency. • Provide additional professional learning via the workshop model in staff identified areas including GAFE (G Suite)

applications with their classes. • Establish an environmental specialist ‘Mini Green Team’ of students in Years 2–6 to promote environmental

initiatives within the school. • Continue to develop and improve a scope and sequence of environmental education across stage and curriculum

areas. • Promote special environmental events, programs and excursions eg national Recycling Week, Clean Up Australia

Day, National Tree Day, Wrapper Free Wednesday. • Strengthen community connections with the Wolli Creek Preservation Society through the involvement of teaching

and learning programs with Stage 2 students. • Consistently attend Sustainable Schools network meetings and adapt relevant programs to the school plan.


Key Initiatives Impact achieved this year Resources (annual)

Aboriginal background loading The school identified and supported thelearning needs of each Aboriginal and TorresStrait Islander (ATSI) student to maximiseopportunities for continuous improvement instudent achievement.

Teachers developed Personalised LearningPlans (PLPs) for ATSI students inconsultation with the student and family.

Student access and participation ineducational opportunities e.g. excursions,with uniforms and resources was supported.

Students were supported during educationaltransition points.

Written reports reflected achievement oflearning goals.

$3 200

English language proficiency An experienced English as an AdditionalLanguage or Dialect (EAL/D) teacher wasemployed 2 days per week to support theliteracy skills of targeted Year 1 students witha language background other than English, inthree classes.

At the end of the program:

40% of targeted students made 0–1 errorswhen reading 4 sentences based on cvc, cvvcand camera words from the Synthetic PhonicsProgram.

60% of the total number of students displayedthat they were able to recognise and blendcvc words when reading.

Targeted students began writing complexsentences that used time connectives to linkideas.

Overall EAL/D students were using strategiestaught throughout the Synthetic Phonicsprogram to help them blend sounds whenwriting and became more confident whencompleting activities.

English languageproficiency $27 502

Consolidated funds $12000

Socio–economic background Identified students were screened by aSpeech Pathologist.

A language/communication interventionprogram was developed and implemented bythe Speech Pathologist and SpeechPathology students from the University ofSydney on an individual and small groupbasis.

Data on student progress was monitored bythe Learning and Support Team. Progresswas reported to families and class teachers.At the end of the program–

1. 100% of targeted Early Stage 1 studentsimproved their ability to produce clear speech

Socio–economicbackground $19000–Speech Program

Socio–economicbackground $2860–Learning LinksProgram


Socio–economic background sounds in single words, sentences andconversational speech from 0% to between80% and 100% accuracy.

2. 100% of Stage 1 students were able touse irregular past tense verbs in sentencesthat related to their classroom topic. Wordswere previously unknown to the students,who were able to use them with 100%success by the end of their therapy block.

3. 100% of targeted Stage 1 students cannow follow simple and complex directionscontaining concepts of time which areimportant for following instructions in theclassroom. Commencing at 80% accuracy,they moved to 100% accuracy in all tasks.

4. Targeted stage 1 students learnt to blendsounds together to read written words withbetween 75% and 100% accuracy, (they werepreviously unable to do so).

Fifteen students across Stages 2 and 3 wereidentified to receive support from LearningLinks to develop their numeracy skills. Thesupport consisted of weekly lessonsthroughout Terms 1 and 2.

Emphasis was placed on the development ofskills in multiplication and division, additionand subtraction skills and firming up theautomatic recall of multiplication facts.

Socio–economicbackground $19000–Speech Program

Socio–economicbackground $2860–Learning LinksProgram

Support for beginning teachers Mentors were established and an inductionprogram was completed.

Regular ongoing meetings with mentoroccurred weekly providing ongoing feedbackand support.

Attendance at PL courses focused on needand included Gifted and Talented Education,Teaching Students with Special Needs –Autism, English Assessment – for, as and oflearning.

In class observations in different classroomsbased on areas of need and interest occurredthroughout Semester 2.

Performance and Development Plan (PDP)goals were set and monitored in consultationwith supervisors.

$30 586


Student information

Student enrolment profile

Enrolments

Students 2013 2014 2015 2016

Boys 362 370 362 339

Girls 278 292 300 298

Student attendance profile

School

Year 2013 2014 2015 2016

K 96.5 95.6 95.6 95.4

1 96.7 96.7 95 95.9

2 96.3 95.9 94.8 95.2

3 96.4 96.5 95.5 95.3

4 96.6 95.6 95.9 95.5

5 96.5 96.7 95.3 95.9

6 96.3 94.4 94.4 94.8

All Years 96.5 95.9 95.2 95.5

State DoE

Year 2013 2014 2015 2016

K 95 95.2 94.4 94.4

1 94.5 94.7 93.8 93.9

2 94.7 94.9 94 94.1

3 94.8 95 94.1 94.2

4 94.7 94.9 94 93.9

5 94.5 94.8 94 93.9

6 94.1 94.2 93.5 93.4

All Years 94.7 94.8 94 94

Management of non-attendance

Attendance rates have continued to be sound with theaverage attendance rate calculated at 95.3%. Thirtyeight families took an extended holiday during schoolterms. Attendance is regularly monitored by teachingstaff, the leaning and support team and by the HomeSchool Liaison Officer.

Workforce information

Workforce composition

Position FTE*

Principal 1

Deputy Principal(s) 1

Assistant Principal(s) 5

Classroom Teacher(s) 26.65

Learning and Support Teacher(s) 0.7

Teacher Librarian 1.2

Teacher of ESL 2.4

School Counsellor 1

School Administration & SupportStaff

5.06

Other Positions 4

*Full Time Equivalent

Earlwood Public School has forty–eight members ofstaff. The executive staff consists of the Principal, oneDeputy Principal and four Assistant Principals. Eachexecutive member has varied responsibilities, isaccountable for supervising a stage and the provisionof support to teachers within the school.

In 2016 there were twenty five class teachers, all withvarious amounts of teaching experience and expertise.Several classes were shared by teachers working parttime. The school also has a Support Teacher LearningAssistance (STLA), to assist students who werechallenged by their learning. The English as anAdditional Language/Dialect (EAL/D) program wasstaffed by three teachers who supported students forwhom English was not their first language. EPS alsoprovided a Community Language Program in the GreekLanguage. This program was staffed by a full–time andtwo part–time teachers. A class for students withphysical disabilities is established.

EPS houses a Vision Unit for the Department ofEducation comprising of itinerant teachers, one ofwhom is an Assistant Principal. These teachers supportstudents in mainstream settings with vision impairment.

The school has a number of part–time staff includingteachers who deliver the Release from Face to Face(RFF) Program. The Teacher–Librarian allocationcomprises one fulltime teacher and one teacher whoworks one day per work incorporating the libraryprogram as well as supporting the RFF program.

The School Administrative and Support personnelcomprised four staff members, including the GeneralAssistant five days per week, The SchoolAdministrative Manager and two School AdministrativeOfficers.


No staff member was of indigenous heritage.

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 38

Professional learning and teacher accreditation

All permanent and temporary teachers were involved ina variety of professional development meetings,programs and courses throughout the year, linked toschool Strategic Directions and Projects. Theseincluded sessions on site and staff attending coursesexternally through programs implemented by theDepartment of Education and other providers. Anumber of the school’s regular casual teachers alsoparticipated in professional development activitiesthroughout the year.

A key priority in 2016 for staff professional learning andcapability building was supporting the implementationof the Performance and Development Framework.Professional learning (PL) opportunities were dedicatedto the implementation of lesson observations, the givingand receipt of feedback as well as the development andreview of individual teacher performance anddevelopment plans.

Assessment and reporting continued to be an area offocus with PL opportunities focussed on assessmentfor, as and of learning, along with learning intentionsand success criteria. Additional professional learningareas included an introduction to the new Geographysyllabus, ICT capabilities and 21st century learning, anintroduction to mindfulness and the Student WellbeingFramework.

In addition, staff completed mandatory child protectionand cardio pulmonary resuscitation training, the code ofconduct and work, health and safety induction trainingin addition to practising emergency evacuation andlockdown procedures.

Three members of staff were working towardsachieving the NSW Educational Standards Authority(NESA) teaching requirements at the proficientlevel. Two staff members were in the maintenancephase of accreditation at proficient level.

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

Financial information

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

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

Income $

Balance brought forward 574 434.00

Global funds 522 387.00

Tied funds 296 233.00

School & community sources 393 405.00

Interest 11 580.00

Trust receipts 23 796.00

Canteen 0.00

Total income 1 821 835.00

Expenditure

Teaching & learning

Key learning areas 28 662.00

Excursions 84 458.00

Extracurricular dissections 103 458.00

Library 18 618.00

Training & development 2 400.00

Tied funds 256 287.00

Short term relief 128 480.00

Administration & office 116 355.00

School-operated canteen 0.00

Utilities 60 356.00

Maintenance 33 497.00

Trust accounts 35 339.00

Capital programs 157 513.00

Total expenditure 1 025 423.00

Balance carried forward 796 412.00

The information provided in the financial summaryincludes reporting from 1 December 2015 to 14October 2016.


2016 Actual ($)

Opening Balance 0.00

Revenue 889 287.90

(2a) Appropriation 831 680.21

(2b) Sale of Goods andServices

3 181.00

(2c) Grants and Contributions 53 736.59

(2e) Gain and Loss 0.00

(2f) Other Revenue 0.00

(2d) Investment Income 690.10

Expenses -277 292.77

Recurrent Expenses -277 292.77

(3a) Employee Related -143 590.85

(3b) Operating Expenses -133 701.92

Capital Expenses 0.00

(3c) Employee Related 0.00

(3d) Operating Expenses 0.00

SURPLUS / DEFICIT FOR THEYEAR

611 995.13

Balance Carried Forward 611 995.13

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

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

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

The school, as part of its long term school facilitiesimprovement plan has saved to fund school projectsand additional upgrades to the school. For 2017 fundshave been set aside to pay the costs towards therefurbishment of one toilet block, to establish amulti–purpose court in the top playground, to replaceold IWB technology in F Block and to contributetowards the cost of a major redevelopment of the K–2play area surrounded by and including the fixed playequipment .

Financial summary equity funding

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

2016 Actual ($)

Base Total 4 079 594.79

Base Per Capita 35 498.09

Base Location 0.00

Other Base 4 044 096.70

Equity Total 399 332.67

Equity Aboriginal 3 674.10

Equity Socio economic 17 252.42

Equity Language 272 352.54

Equity Disability 106 053.62

Targeted Total 242 877.12

Other Total 850 242.29

Grand Total 5 572 046.88

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 skills and understandings demonstrated in these assessments.

Aspects of Literacy

The literacy component of NAPLAN assesses reading,writing, spelling, and grammar and punctuation. In 2016seventy six Year 3 students and one hundred andfifteen Year 5 students completed the NAPLAN tests.The results indicated that the students of EPS havedemonstrated a consistent trend of above stateaverage achievement in all aspects of literacy. Below isa summary of achievement in the top two skill bands forboth Year 3 and Year 5 students.

The percentage of Year 3 students achieving in the toptwo skill bands included:

• 57% in reading;

• 67% in writing;

• 69% in spelling; and

• 65% in grammar and punctuation.

The percentage of Year 5 students achieving in the toptwo skill bands included:


• 56.5% in reading;

• 47.8% in writing;

• 66.1% in spelling; and

• 64.3% in grammar and punctuation.

Performance in spelling and grammar and punctuationcontinue to be areas of greatest strength.

Year 5 matched students

Matched students are those students who completedthe NAPLAN tests in 2014 and 2016 at EPS. Eightyfive students were matched in both literacy andnumeracy components.

The percentage of matched students who achievedgreater than or equal to expected growth included:

• 57.6% in reading;

• 60% in writing; and

• 70.6% in grammar and punctuation.



Aspects of Numeracy

Seventy nine Year 3 students and one hundred andfourteen Year 5 students completed the NAPLANNumeracy test.

EPS students have continued to demonstrate aconsistent trend of above state average achievementwith Year 3 students average score exceeding the statemean by 17 points and Year 5 students by 69 points. Asummary of results includes:–

• 48.1% of Year 3 students achieved in the top twobands;

• 53.5% of Year 5 students achieved in the top twobands;

• 50.7% of matched Year 5 students achieved in thetop two bands;

• 61.9% of matched students achieved greater than orequal to expected growth; and

• 72% of LBOTE students achieved greater than orequal to expected growth.

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Parent/caregiver, student, teachersatisfaction

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

Earlwood School actively promotes partnerships andworks collaboratively with the school community toensure continuity of learning and positive studentoutcomes. In 2016 the school sought feedback fromparents and staff through the Tell Them From Mesurvey which provides comparative data for allparticipants state wide.

Thirty two staff were surveyed across eight drivers ofstudent learning. These focused on leadership,collaboration, learning culture, data informing practice,teaching strategies, technology, inclusive schools andparent involvement. Staff responses reflected a schoolaverage of 7.8 across the 8 drivers on a 0–10 rankingsystem. This was higher than the average for allschools who participated in the state–wide survey.

Four dimensions of classroom and school practiceswere also measured through surveying staff. Areasincluded, challenging and visible goals, plannedlearning opportunities, quality feedback and howpractice links to overcoming obstacles to learning. Theschool average across the 4 dimensions was 7.8 on a0–10 ranking system. This was higher than the averagefor all schools who participated in the state–widesurvey.

Parents were also invited to participate in a survey, withseventy one respondents, which covered severalaspects of parents’ perceptions of their children’sexperiences at home and at school. It is acknowledgedthat successful schools foster greater communicationwith parents, encourage parental involvement in theirchild’s schoolwork, and enlist parents to volunteer atthe school and participate in school governance.Results indicated that parents and the school aresupportive of learning. Also that the school is safe andthat the school supports positive behaviour. Areas forcontinued improvement centre on keeping parentsbetter informed and fostering a more inclusive schoolculture.


Policy requirements

Aboriginal education

The goals outlined in the Department of Education’sAboriginal Education Policy continue to guide andinform teaching and learning programs for bothindigenous and non–indigenous students at EPS.Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories andcultures continue to be celebrated as a crosscurriculum priority in different Key Learning Areas.

In 2016 the school received an equity loading of $3 200to support four Aboriginal students. This funding wasused to:

• identify and support the learning needs of eachAboriginal student;

• maximize opportunities for continuous improvement instudent achievement;

• develop, implement and monitor personalised learningpathways for Aboriginal students;

• support ATSI students through transition points; and

• target resources and professional learning to promotequality teaching and the inclusion of Aboriginalperspectives and content across Key Learning Areas.

During the National Aboriginal and Islander DayObservance Committee (NAIDOC) Week celebrations,students experienced a full day of informative and funeducational activities aimed at increasing students’awareness and understanding of Indigenous culture,land and language. Workshop activities run by theKoomurri Group opened with a smoking ceremony andincluded traditional Aboriginal song and dance, facepainting, art/dance and boomerang throwing.

One student was awarded a Deadly Award. This awardrecognises the great efforts indigenous students putinto their school work and acknowledged this student’sgreat achievements. The term ‘deadly’ in AboriginalEnglish, means doing well, achieving and/or talented.

Multicultural and anti-racism education

Earlwood Public School is committed to ensuring allstudents are aware of the diverse, multicultural natureof our society and are able to show empathy and

understanding towards others. Multiculturalperspectives are incorporated across a range oflearning programs, particularly in literature, History,Geography and Human Society and Its Environment(HSIE).

Students are encouraged to express and share theirindividual cultural heritage within a cohesive andharmonious school with a commitment to the basicstructures and values of Australian Democracy. As aschool that celebrates its cultural diversity, with 82% ofour students having a background other than Englishand coming from approximately 34 different cultures,we constantly reinforce the values of cooperation,tolerance and acceptance in our school society. In2016 classes worked toward a combined Harmony andGreek Independence Day celebration, held toacknowledge and celebrate the school's diversity.Students learnt special songs and dances andproduced work that reflected the messages of toleranceand diversity. It was a day for all students to embracecultural diversity and to share what they have incommon. In addition Stage 3 students entered theMulticultural Perspectives Public Speaking Competition.The competition is aimed at heightening the awarenessof multicultural issues among NSW primary studentswhile developing their interest in public speaking.

The EAL/D (English as an Additional Language/Dialect)program supported students from other cultures.Students new to Australia received intensive support,and other students were supported in their classroomsby specialist teachers.

Other school programs

Mini–Lit Program

The Meeting Initial Needs In Literacy (Mini–Lit) programis an evidence–based, explicit and effective interventionprogram for teaching reading skills to small groups ofyoung children who have failed to make progress aftertheir first year of formal schooling. Mini–Lit provides abalanced reading program that, across carefullystructured and sequenced lessons, covers sight words,letter–sound correspondence, blending and segmenting(phonics skills) and reading connected text.

In 2016 fourteen students were targeted for support viathe program.

100% of students achieved positive growth in reading,word recognition and spelling.

After two terms of intervention, all students improvedtheir performance in word recognition.

On average students’ reading ages had improved by10.9 months.

Students improved their ability to independently readunseen, meaningful texts.

On average students’ reading levels had increased by 9Reading Recovery levels.


At the conclusion of the program students’ spellingages ranged from 6.3 years to 7.1 years.

On average, students had increased their spelling agesby 6.7 months.

Multi–Lit Program

Multi–Lit (Making Up Lost Time in Literacy) is aresearch initiative of Macquarie University led byEmeritus Professor Kevin Wheldall (AM).The aim of theprogram is to provide one to one support tolow–progress readers. A feature of the Multi–LitProgram is The Reinforced Reading Pause, Promptand Praise strategy which improves reading accuracy,reading fluency, and reading comprehension.

A group of students from Years 3–6 that presented withreading recovery levels well below their peers wereselected by their class teacher to participate in theprogram. The implementation of additional readingassessments provided valuable data regarding thestudents’ phonemic awareness and ability to engagewithin the process of reading. Individual programs weredesigned to cater to each students’ learning needs. Allstudents in the program were withdrawn from classtwice a week for intensive instruction.

The final results of the program were impressive. Overtwo thirds of participants demonstrated a positiveimprovement in their individual reading recovery levelbased upon their original benchmark readingassessment. In addition to this, 66% of studentsprogressed four levels higher than their base level atthe commencement of the program. The remaining onethird of participants were placed on an alternativelearning program that further developed their phonemicawareness. This, combined with The ReinforcedReading Pause, Prompt and Praise strategy, enabledthe students greater success in word identification andfluency during the reading process.

In summary, the implementation of The Multi–LitProgram was successful towards the reading progressand development of the participants. Based uponweekly results, all students grew in skill and confidencethroughout the program.


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