2017 Rathmines Public School Annual Report · regular collection of data is used to inform teachers...

Rathmines Public SchoolAnnual Report

2017

2193

Printed on: 12 April, 2018Page 1 of 18 Rathmines Public School 2193 (2017)

Introduction

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

Nick Walker

Principal

School contact details

Rathmines Public SchoolSecret Corner RdRathmines, 2283www.rathmines-p.schools.nsw.edu.aurathmines-p.School@det.nsw.edu.au4975 1229

Message from the Principal

Rathmines Public School is committed to providing a positive and supportive learning environment in which all studentsare motivated to aim high and strive to achieve their best in all aspects of school life. A defining element of the culturewhich characterises our school is the outstanding level of care, respect, tolerance and responsibility displayed bystudents in their interactions with their peers.

Educational programs are planned and implemented with a view to impacting positively on every child’sacademic,cultural, sporting and social development. All members of staff are also very conscious of the importance ofpromoting and nurturing the values which will help our students to make positive contributions to Australian society laterin life.

Everyone in our school community should not only reflect on the 2017 school year with a shared sense of pride andaccomplishment, but also look towards 2018 with the understanding that we have a shared responsibility to address thechallenges identified in this report.

I certify that the information in this report is the result of a rigorous school self–evaluation process and is a balanced andgenuine account of the school’s achievements and areas for development.

Nick Walker


School background

School vision statement

Rathmines Public School’s vision is to pursue and celebrate excellence in all areas and to ensure everyone has theopportunity to experience success within a supportive, safe and engaging learning environment which embraces thecreative and productive use of technology and is free from all forms of discrimination.Our vision is to educate students forlife by fostering their sense of wellbeing and developing their personal values of honesty, resilience, empathy, respectand responsibility.

School context

Rathmines Public School is situated on the western shore of Lake Macquarie and is an active member of the TorontoLearning Community. The school has an enrolment of 287 pupils including nineteen indigenous students and has threespecial education classes which cater for students with a range of physical and intellectual disabilities. The interactionbetween these students and those in mainstream classes is one of the most positive aspects of the school culture. Theschool is widely regarded as being a safe, welcoming and friendly community in which all students are given theopportunity to experience success. High expectations are set for all students. Teaching programs incorporate theprinciples of the Quality Teaching Framework and reflect a high degree of curriculum differentiation. Learning iscelebrated. Students with learning difficulties benefit from targeted support programs while extension programs areprovided for gifted and talented students. The 2017 priorities in relation to teaching and learning programs included theongoing implementation of Focus on Reading principles, the introduction of Explicit Instruction strategies, the PowerfulLearning Accountable Teaching (PLAT) program, and Teaching Early Numeracy (TENs). Emphasis is placed onproviding a caring and supportive, but at the same time stimulating and challenging learning environment through theprovision of a broad range of extra–curricula activities in addition to whole school pastoral care initiatives.

Self-assessment and school achievement

Self-assessment using the School Excellence Framework

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

This year, our school undertook self–assessment using the School Excellence Framework and participated in an externalvalidation. The framework supports public schools throughout NSW in the pursuit of excellence by providing a cleardescription of high quality practice across the three domains of Learning, Teaching and Leading. During the externalvalidation process, an independent panel of peer principals considered our evidence and assessment of the school’sprogress, aligned with the standards articulated in the School Excellence Framework.

The results of this process indicated that the school was accurate in its judgement and that significant progress wasbeing made across all domains. A detailed summary of the schools findings follows:

Learning

The school’s on balance judgement for the elements of Learning Culture, Wellbeing, and Assessment andReporting is Sustaining and Growing. The supporting evidence focuses on:

• The positive and school wide impact arising from the introduction of the “KidsMatter” program and the associatedprofessional development for staff along with the renewed emphasis on the “You Can Do It” program which has been inthe school for some time but has, in recent years, only been partially implemented due to changes in staff. The YCDIlanguage is embedded in our school culture and is evident in classrooms and on the playground.

• The whole school approach to creating a positive teaching and learning environment, and the willingness of staff to“strengthen and deliver on school learning priorities”.

• Feedback received via the "Tell Them From Me Survey” which indicates that respondents believe there is a strongschool commitment to engage with parents and carers in an effort to raise their awareness and understanding of mattersrelating to student learning through the use of strategies such as “Class Movies”, Parent Information Sessions and thefortnightly production of “Good News Week”.

• The vital contribution made by the Special Education Unit in supporting our school vision of ensuring everyone has theopportunity to experience success in a safe and supportive learning environment. The many and varied opportunities forintegration of special education students into mainstream classes has fostered good levels of student citizenship, a


caring attitude towards others and an awareness of, and empathy for, the challenges faced by students with disabilities.These characteristics are highlighted on a daily basis by the Year 5 students who volunteer to be a “Special EducationBuddy”.

• The processes which are in place to analyse and report on internal and external school performance data and how thisregular collection of data is used to inform teachers and students and to facilitate timely and targeted intervention. Staffdiscussions in regard to the school’s 2016 NAPLAN results prompted this increased emphasis on data collection andimplementation of Powerful Learning Accountable Teaching (PLAT). The 2017 NAPLAN data included in the evidencesets highlights: the upward trend in results and movement toward closing the gap for Year 3, the very positive Year 5results and the need to explore factors contributing to a trend of less than expected growth for Year 7.

• The highly successful Kinder transition program which incorporates the “Rathmines Rascals” and “CatalinaKids” initiatives as additions to the more traditional Kinder Orientation Days and the dramatic impact these initiativeshave had on Kinder intakes for 2017 and 2018. The evaluations completed by parents and teachers highlight the manypositive aspects of the programs and also give direction for ongoing adjustments or improvements. Additional evidencein this set focuses on how students in Year 2, who are considered to be in need of additional support as they transitioninto Year 3, have benefited greatly from the 2/3 transition program run by our Learning and Support Teacher.

The school’s on balance judgement for the element Student Performance Measures is Delivering. The supportingevidence focuses on:

• The success of the BYOD program which was implemented from Year 3 to Year 6 in 2016 after a six month trial in oneof our Stage Two classes. While the evidence includes a variety of data illustrating the positive learning outcomes linkedto this initiative (21st Century skills, digital literacy, critical thinking, problem solving and collaboration), the 2017 NAPLANdata for Year 5 which shows the very significant improvement in performance by this cohort in comparison to their Year 3results, is the strongest indicator of the success of this program. Additional NAPLAN evidence illustrates the upwardtrend for Year 3 in 2017 results but also highlights the trend for less than expected growth in our school’s Year 7 results.This is an area which will be explored further in consultation with staff from Toronto High School.

• The fact that school wide consistency and the quality of teaching practices have improved through the incorporation ofExplicit Direct Instruction (EDI) pedagogies and data collection which inform teaching and learning as well as provision oftargeted support

The school’s on balance judgement for the element Curriculum and Learning is Excelling. The supporting evidencefocuses on:

• The broad range of extra–curricula learning opportunities for student development which are strongly aligned with ourschool’s vision “to celebrate excellence in all areas and to ensure everyone has the opportunity to experience success….”. The readiness of staff members to accept extra responsibilities in order to contribute to the achievement of thisvision is a defining aspect of our school culture and is exemplified by the number and variety of opportunities available tostudents each year e.g eleven different PSSA representative teams, school dance groups from Year 2 to Year 6,debating and public speaking, school band, aerobics, participation in Starstruck, garden club, environmental group andmulticultural group.

• The use of innovative delivery mechanisms such as BYOD and evidenced based teaching practices including EDI,TENs and PLAT.

• The highly successful and effective student transition programs which ensure continuity of learning and are facilitatedby our active partnerships, not only with parents and carers, but also with other professionals in the Toronto LearningCommunity.

Teaching

The results of this process indicated that in the School Excellence Framework domain of Teaching:

The school’s on balance judgement for the elements of Classroom Practice, Data Skills and Use, CollaborativePractice, Learning and Development, and Professional Standards is Sustaining and Growing. The supporting evidencefocuses on:

• The regular use of performance data to evaluate student progress, to identify skill gaps and provide explicit and timelyfeedback to students. The evidence demonstrates how this goal is facilitated through the use of the PLAT data gatheredon a five weekly cycle, the use of personal whiteboards in EDI “warm ups” to provide feedback at point of error, and theuse of the Dojo system to not only provide feedback to students but also to keep parents and carers informed regardingtheir children’s’ progress.

• The Teacher Professional Learning opportunities linked to the implementation of the BYOD, EDI, TENs, “KidsMatter”and “You Can Do It” initiatives.


• The structures and processes which are in place to provide mentoring and coaching support to improve teachingpractice including: Beginning Teacher Support which is provided by executive and non–executive staff, the developmentof Professional Development Plans and the associated constructive feedback from school leaders and peers, the supportfor teachers to maintain and develop their professional standards.

• The readiness of teachers to work together in order to improve teaching and learning for particular groups, as illustratedby the integration of special education students into mainstream classes and the Autism Awareness initiative.

• The fact that teachers work beyond their classrooms to contribute to the broad and varied range of extra–curriculaopportunities which are available for students at our school

Leading

The results of this process indicated that in the School Excellence Framework domain of Leading:

The school’s on balance judgement for the elements of Leadership, School Planning Implementation andReporting, School Resources, Management Practices and Processes is Sustaining and Growing. The supportingevidence focuses on:

• The high level of consultation and collaboration involved in the development of our School Vision Statement prior to theformulation of the 2015 to 2017 School Plan. The evidence highlights: the use of the Melbourne Declaration as the basisof a survey distributed to all stakeholders in the school community, the key findings from that survey, the use ofcommunity forums to discuss survey results, and the process for formulating the draft vision statement. The processfollowed in the development of this statement is indicative of the school’s readiness to use feedback from the communityto inform school decisions and practices. A direct outcome of this consultative process has been the high level ofcommunity commitment to the school’s strategic directions.

• Examples of constructive feedback received from community members in relation to the BYOD trial and theKindergarten transition programs.

• The initiatives taken by the school to ensure all staff and students have access to a high standard of technology tosupport teaching and learning and the use of a variety of processes such as the Skoolbag App, Dojo and the local mediato strengthen parental engagement and awareness of school events.

• The readiness of a high percentage of staff to accept leadership roles, either in the development of key initiatives suchas PLAT, EDI, and Kids Matter, or through membership of KLA or extra–curricula committees. The evidence refers indetail to a specific case where a member of staff, who was aspiring to lead, accepted the responsibility of researching theeffectiveness of the PLAT program through visiting other schools, presented his findings to staff and subsequently ledthe committee charged with the responsibility of introducing this initiative.

• The strategic partnership developed with Active OOSH resulting in the establishment of an Out of School Hours facilityat our school. This partnership has proved to be a very positive development in terms of financial management andservice delivery .e.g. funds raised through the OOSH license agreement cover the cost of employing staff to run the"Catalina Kids" program during Term Three each year.

• The importance placed on recruiting high quality staff to support curriculum and to address the goals highlighted in theSchool Plan. Merit selections for executive and classroom teaching positions have been the preferred option for fillingpermanent vacancies and EOI’s are advertised for temporary positions.

Our self–assessment and the external validation process will assist the school to refine our School Plan, leading tofurther improvements in the delivery of education to our students.

For more information about the School Excellence Framework:

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


Strategic Direction 1

To create a supportive, safe and engaging learning environment focused on the pursuit of excellence with opportunitiesfor all students to experience success through creative use of technology and a future focus.

Purpose

To structure future focused and personalised learning experiences for each student through effective use of curriculumresources, ICT and teaching and learning programs that inspire every student and teacher to excel.

Overall summary of progress

Our school–wide focus on incorporating technology into teaching and learning strategies continued in 2017. Our school’s2017 NAPLAN results are indicative of the improvements in academic performance and increased levels of studentengagement. Teachers continued to utilise the technology to engage students , differentiate learning, and provide theimmediate feedback which is so important to learning. Differentiation for students requiring additional support was onceagain recorded and monitored using Individual Education Plans, Personalised Learning Plans and Risk ManagementPlans. These plans were reviewed throughout the year to ensure the individual needs of students were being met. Aschool–wide trial of electronic programming practices was implemented in 2017, with a critical review conducted in late2017. The implementation of the "KidsMatter" program continues across the school. This program will drive changes tobe made to the welfare practices across the school in 2018. The funding model for the provision of support for learningadjustment changed from the model adopted in 2016. Additional funding was dedicated to the employment of qualifiedteachers to oversee the direct programming, support and assessment of students with additional learning needs.

Progress towards achieving improvement measures

Improvement measures(to be achieved over 3 years)

Funds Expended(Resources)

Progress achieved this year

To increase the percentage ofstudents achieving at or beyondexpected growth in NAPLANtesting in all subjects from a threeyear average of 60% to a threeyear average of 68% for2015–2017.

Provision of SLSO supportand teacher intervention asper key school initiativesdocumentation.

The combined percentage of students achieving ator beyond expected growth in NAPLANtesting between 2015 and 2017 was 58.2%. Theaverage combined growth in 2017 was 72.3%.

In each of the PLAN Literacy &Numeracy aspects, individualstudents will meet expectedgrowth requirements.

Provision of SLSO supportand teacher intervention asper key school initiativesdocumentation.

The continuation of the Powerful LearningAccountable Teaching initiative has facilitated thedevelopment of systematic, consistent andpedagogically appropriate assessment practices totrack individual student achievement and supportneeds. The introduction of Explicit Instruction intoall classrooms K–6 has brought about animprovement in the systematic teaching, assessingand revising of key content across the curriculum.

To increase the number ofteachers confidently integratinglearning technologies tomaximisie 21st Century learningand opportunities for students.

Computer Coordinatorallocation of $4657 plus$5000 allocated to TPLrelease.

The continuation of the BYOD program and anincreased focus on 21st Learning priorities, inconjunction with a move to online programming,has resulted in a growth in the confidence ofteaching staff to integrate learning technologies intoclass programs across the school.

Next Steps

* Establish and maintain a balance between implementing Future Focussed Learning and other ongoing educationalinitiatives in the school, such as EDI.

* Incorporating more opportunities for self reflection, self assessment and goal planning from the feedback studentsreceive about their learning progress.

* Continue to embed the 'You Can Do It' program into the school culture and Welfare and Discipline Policy.



A strong emphasis on staff and leadership development to increase our capacity to educate and prepare students for life.

Purpose

The development of staff capacity, skills and knowledge increases the ability to deliver improved outcomes.

Strong effective leadership is paramount for fostering a culture of learning and developing personal growth.Partnerships with parents and carers will create a collaborative learning space and help to improve studentoutcomes.


Our continued school–wide focus on delivering professional learning and development opportunities for staff has enabledus to achieve significant progress in this strategic direction. A variety of whole school TPL opportunities have beenprovided this year focusing mainly on Powerful Learning, Accountable Teaching (PLAT) and professional learning onExplicit Direct Instruction (EDI). Opportunities for online learning have also been provided, allowing teachers to accessdevelopment in their target areas. Staff members have continued to engage in setting personal development goals aspart of the process of completing their Professional Development Plans. This year all staff have been encouraged toinclude goals aligned with the school's commitment to Explicit Instruction. The systematic process of lessonobservations was extended via the training and development provided through Explicit Instruction. Many teachers hadlessons recorded for discussion with staff and feedback from outside experts. This training and feedback aimed toimprove teaching practice and achieve better outcomes for students. Early measures indicate success in this area.ThePowerful Learning Accountable Teaching (PLAT) program was extended and refined in 2017 with targeted areas moreclosely aligned with specific grade groups. This has allowed us to monitor the effectiveness of our pedagogy, butprovides early feedback as to the success of programs such as Explicit Instruction.





Evaluation of staff professionallearning (eg. Guskey model) willconfirm high levels of confidence.

Whilst all professional development activities wereevaluated to inform future TPL directions, theplanned formalised evaluation, in line with theGuskey model, was postponed till 2018.

Staff complete and up to datewith Focus on Reading programand implementing the programinto classroom practice.

" Focus on Reading" professional development didnot continue in 2017 due to other TPL priorities. Allteachers 3–6 implemented Focus on Readingprinciples effectively in their Reading programs in2017.

There will be an increase instudents achieving expectedgrowth in NAPLAN and on thecontinuum in reading.

Targeted SLSO support andteacher intervention as perkey initiativesdocumentation.

The number of students achieving expected growthin NAPLAN in 2017 grew by 16% when comparedto 2016. An average of 74% of Year 5 studentsachieved expected or greater than expected growthin NAPLAN 2017 in Reading, Spelling, Numeracyand Grammar and Punctuation, compared to 56%in 2016 and 46% in 2015.

100%of staff are accredited withBOSTES.

$26000 BTS funding One new scheme teacher successfully achievedaccreditation, and two additional teachers are tocomplete the accreditation process in 2018.

Completion of two parentsessions.

Parent Information sessions were held at thebeginning of the year for all year groups, as well asinformation sessions for parents of 2018Kindergarten students. In addition, two parentreading sessions were run across the schooland an additional Class Movie was published.


Next Steps

* EDI warm–ups embedded across the school and progress towards consistency in delivery

* Successful implementation of further EDI elements within lessons – "I Do, We do, You do".

* Adjustments made to the scope and nature of the PLAT program across the school.

* Review of practices for offering leadership opportunities in terms of effectiveness.

* Provide accreditation support as required.



The development and maintenance of strategic partnerships with our wider school community to support the pursuit ofexcellence by all stakeholders in order to maximise the attainment of high quality outcomes for all students.

Purpose

We will endeavour to form and maintain strong partnerships with school community members, especially parents, inorder to facilitate the provision of high quality teaching and learning, professional development and shared professionalpractices.


Rathmines Public School continued to place emphasis on maintaining and growing partnerships with our schoolcommunity in an effective, efficient and technologically innovative manner. The focus for 2017 has been a continuation ofthe process of improving and modernising our communication strategies in order to better serve our parent and widerschool community and to develop more user friendly communication platforms in line with the school’s focus on 21stCentury Learning.The Skoolbag App, initially introduced in 2015, has become a mainstay of the communication betweenthe school and home. Skoolbag has allowed the school to communicate effectively, instantly and efficiently with the vastmajority of parents and carers within the school community. In 2017, ClassDojo was adopted in the majority ofclassrooms and brought about an improvement in the level and nature of communication between parents and teachers.Another of the school’s key initiatives for 2017 was the push to maximise the level of parental engagement with theteaching and learning process. Central to this process was the ongoing production of ‘Good News Week’, a fortnightlyvlog highlighting upcoming school events. A series of parent reading education sessions were run in 2017, which notonly bolstered the level of interaction between parents and the school, but also allowed our parents to gain an insight intothe high quality, research based reading education taking place at Rathmines Public School.





Ten newspaper stories submittedto the Lakes Mail for inclusion tocommunicate the school’sachievements.

The school submitted five articles for publication in the Lakes Mail during the 2017 school year.

Three newspaper storiespublished in the Lakes Mail tocommunicate the school’sachievements.

The school was the subject of positive storiespublished in the Lakes mail on three occasions overthe period 2016–2017.

At least 20 online tutorials to beavailable to parents and carersvia our online spaces.

One Class Movie, "Home Reading in the EarlyYears" was completed and published in 2017.

Next Steps

* Continue to embed the strategies to maximise parental involvement in learning, including appropriate use relevanttechnologies. (ie. SkoolBag App, Website, Good News Week, Dojo etc)

* Continue to provide parent sessions on relevant and useful topics. (eg Reading, Mathematics strategies, EDI, KidsMatter etc)


Key Initiatives Resources (annual) Impact achieved this year

Aboriginal background loading $13 161 Strategic Direction 3.

Funds were allocated to providing SLSO inclass support for the implementation of PLP'sfor all indigenous students. Funds were alsoallocated to the introduction of the WonaiAboriginal culture sessions. Miss Gill, amember of the school's Aboriginal EducationCommittee coordinates fortnightly meetingsof ATSI students and community elders topromote and celebrate all aspects ofAboriginal culture. In addition to this, allAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studentshave a Personalised Learning Plan (PLP) andcontinue to make significant progress acrossthe literacy and numeracy continuums. TheAboriginal Education committee regularlyconsults with and seeks advice from theAboriginal Education Consultative Group(AECG).

English language proficiency $3 390 Strategic Direction 1.

Students from non–English speakingbackgrounds continued to receivespecialised, individualised language supportfrom a trained EAL teacher as well asreceiving instruction as part of the school’spursuit of excellence in literacy teachingthrough our involvement in Focus onReading, Explicit Instruction and PLAT.

Low level adjustment for disability $84 666 A significant proportion of the school’sResource Allocation Model (RAM) fundingwas utilised to provide targeted support forstudents requiring assistance in achievingsyllabus outcomes. The support, provided viathe employment of the Learning and SupportTeacher (LaST) , an additional teacher in asupport role, and two SLSO's enabledstudents to continue to progress across theliteracy and numeracy continuums. In additionto this, the Early Literacy Program wasimplemented in place of the ReadingRecovery program for K–2.

Quality Teaching, SuccessfulStudents (QTSS)

$20 416 Quality Teaching, Successful Studentsfunding in 2017 was utilised to facilitate astrategic program of classroom observationsinvolving teachers from K–6. The fundingfurther enabled mentor relationships to beformed and teacher release was alsoprovided for staff to develop increasinglyeffective learning programs for students inconjunction with their Performance andDevelopment Framework goals.

Socio–economic background $43 233 See 'low level adjustment for disability'.

Support for beginning teachers $26 000 Great Teaching, Inspired Learning funds wereaccessed for three teachers in 2017. Thefunds were utilised to facilitate the furtheringof skills, knowledge and understanding in avariety of areas. These included professionaldevelopment in the implementation ofPowerful Teaching, Accountable Teaching


Support for beginning teachers $26 000 (PLAT) and specific observations of theExplicit Direct Instruction (EDI) program. Inaddition mentoring support was provided toassist a Beginning Teacher achieveaccreditaion


Student information

Student enrolment profile

Enrolments

Students 2014 2015 2016 2017

Boys 149 154 141 155

Girls 119 117 110 126

Student attendance profile

School

Year 2014 2015 2016 2017

K 94.7 94.3 95.3 93.6

1 93.6 92.3 93.1 94.9

2 93.7 94.2 93.5 93.3

3 93 91 94.9 93.3

4 93.5 90.8 93.3 93.4

5 92.6 94.4 92.3 93.8

6 92.5 92.2 94.6 93.2

All Years 93.4 92.6 93.8 93.6

State DoE

Year 2014 2015 2016 2017

K 95.2 94.4 94.4 94.4

1 94.7 93.8 93.9 93.8

2 94.9 94 94.1 94

3 95 94.1 94.2 94.1

4 94.9 94 93.9 93.9

5 94.8 94 93.9 93.8

6 94.2 93.5 93.4 93.3

All Years 94.8 94 94 93.9

Management of non-attendance

Attendance is managed at Rathmines Public School viathe following procedures: • Rolls are marked electronically via Sentral each

and every day and submitted by 10.00am. • Any unmarked rolls are identified via the School

Administrative Officer and the relevant teachersare notified via Sentral message.

• Rolls are submitted by administrative staff toEBS4 weekly.

• Any absences not explained with a justifiablereason, either via note, Skoobag App message orverbally, after two days are followed up by theclassroom teachers.

• Every Tuesday, a note with unexplained

absences is distributed to each classroom teacherto double check absences and ensure noabsences have been entered incorrectly.

• Each Wednesday, 'Blue notes' are distributed tothe parents and carers of students withunexplained and unjustified absences from theprevious week (Monday to Friday) to seek ajustifiable explanation for the absence/s.

• Once a month, the Assistant Principal responsiblefor attendance checks attendance data in order toidentify any students with less than 85%attendance and follows up directly via phone withthe parents and/or carers of those studentswhose absences are unexplained or unjustified.

• The Assistant Principal responsible forattendance meets once a term with the HomeSchool Liaison Officer to discuss any issuesrelated to student attendance.

• Attendance plan meetings are held with theparents/carers of students with ongoingattendance issues.

• Where attendance plan meetings fail to resolveattendance issues, the Home School LiaisonOfficers conduct further follow up.

The school Breakfast Club not only fosters healthynutrition for students but also promotes punctualattendance. In addition, students who arrive to schoollate now report directly to the class teacher. Thispractice helps to reduce the loss of teaching time forthese students who were previously required to attendthe main office to report their lateness. These changeshave seen our attendance data remain steady andapproximately in line with whole of Departmentattendance figures.

Workforce information

Workforce composition

Position FTE*

Principal 1

Deputy Principal(s) 0

Assistant Principal(s) 4

Head Teacher(s) 0

Classroom Teacher(s) 11.46

Teacher of Reading Recovery 0.42

Learning & Support Teacher(s) 0.6

Teacher Librarian 0.6

Teacher of ESL 0

School Counsellor 1

School Administration & SupportStaff

5.52

Other Positions 0

*Full Time Equivalent


There were no indigenous staff members at RathminesPublic School during 2017.

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 0

Professional learning and teacher accreditation

All school staff participated in regular professionaldevelopment opportunities throughout 2017. These included weekly professional development sessions aswell as Staff Development Days and training anddevelopment sessions external to the school, whichwere attended by many staff members. In additionto mandatory departmental training activities, theprofessional development opportunities for 2017centred around the school's long term commitment tothe Explicit Direct Instruction (EDI) program, as well asongoing professional development on the Bring YourOwn Device program and Powerful Learning,Accountable Teaching (PLAT). Three teachers in 2017worked towards accreditation with one teacherachieving accreditation and two teachers due tocomplete the process in 2018.

Financial information (for schoolsfully deployed to SAP/SALM)

Financial summary

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

2017 Actual ($)

Opening Balance 67,907

Revenue 3,201,988

Appropriation 2,954,755

Sale of Goods and Services 2,018

Grants and Contributions 215,544

Gain and Loss 0

Other Revenue 29,097

Investment Income 574

Expenses -3,149,346

Recurrent Expenses -3,149,346

Employee Related -2,810,111

Operating Expenses -339,235

Capital Expenses 0

Employee Related 0

Operating Expenses 0

SURPLUS / DEFICIT FOR THEYEAR

52,642

Balance Carried Forward 120,549

The school complies with all departmental financialmanagement policies and procedures. Governancestructures are in place to ensure all aspects of financialmanagement and budgeting issues are subject toregular monitoring and review.

The following points warrant special mention within the2017 Financial Summary : the inclusion of a $40 000grant from Variety Club which will be allocated forextensions to the Hank Buchanan Playground in 2018,income and expenditure of $21500 related toreplacements of equipment lost through the school hallfire, the $14000 donation from the P @ C Associationfor purchase of two new interactive whiteboards in therenovated Stage Two classrooms, and the $25000income from the lease of building space to ActiveOOSH.

Financial summary equity funding

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


2017 Actual ($)

Base Total 1,954,200

Base Per Capita 41,119

Base Location 0

Other Base 1,913,080

Equity Total 144,450

Equity Aboriginal 13,161

Equity Socio economic 43,233

Equity Language 3,390

Equity Disability 84,666

Targeted Total 615,559

Other Total 167,932

Grand Total 2,882,141

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

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

School performance

NAPLAN

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

Reading

Year 3 students achieved an average mark slightlybelow the average for NSW Department of Educationschools. Year 3 had 77.1% of students in the top threebands, which is 6.9% above the average for NSWDepartment of Education schools. Year 3 also had4.8% fewer students in the bottom two bands than theaverage for NSW Department of Education schools.There were no Year 3 students from Rathmines PublicSchool in the bottom band for Reading in 2017. Year 5students achieved 11.7 points above the average forNSW Department of Education schools for Reading. Atotal of 44.7% of Year 5 students achieved in the toptwo bands for Reading, which is 8.5% above the DoEaverage for students in these top bands. Year 5 hadfewer students in the bottom two bands than the NSWDepartment of Education average (7.9% vs 20.5%).Year 5 students scored 17.8 points above the NSWDepartment of Education average for growth. 70.6% ofYear 5 students achieved greater than or equal to

expected growth in Reading.

Writing

Year 3 achieved an average mark 23.3 points abovethe average for NSW Department of Education schoolsfor Writing. 71.4% achieved in the top two bands forWriting, which was 22.5% above the NSW Departmentof Education schools. The percentage of students inYear 3 achieving in the bottom two bands was 4.3%less than the average for Department of Educationschools. Year 5 students achieved an average markabove the average for NSW Department of Educationschools for Writing (9.0 points). A total of 23.7% of Year5 students achieved in the top two bands for Writing,which was 7.5% above the state average for studentsin these top bands. Year 5 students also hadapproximately 13.7% fewer students in the bottom twobands than the State average. Year 5 students scored6.4 points above the NSW Department of Educationaverage for growth. 65.7 % of Year 5 students achievedgreater than or equal to expected growth in Writing.

Grammar and Punctuation

Year 3 achieved an average mark slightly below theaverage for NSW Department of Education schools.74.3% of students performed in the top three bandscompared to 73.2% for NSW Department of Educationschools. Year 5 at Rathmines Public School achievedan average mark significantly higher (37.8 points) thanthe average for NSW Department of Education schoolsin Grammar and Punctuation. A total of 52.6% ofstudents were in the top two bands for Grammar andPunctuation, which is significantly higher than the NSWDepartment of Education average of 33.3%. Year 5students had 12.2% fewer students in the bottom twobands compared to the NSW Department of Educationaverage, with no students in the bottom band. Year 5achieved above average growth compared to the NSWDepartment of Education average, scoring 22.2 pointsabove the NSW Department of Education growthaverage. 62.9 % of Year 5 students achieved betterthan expected growth in Grammar and Punctuation.

Spelling

Year 3 students achieved slightly below the average forNSW Department of Education schools. 74.3% ofstudents performed in the top three bands. Year 3 wereslightly above the State average for the percentage ofstudents in the top three bands. Year 5 studentsachieved an average mark above (8.0 points) theaverage for NSW Department of Education schools.Year 5 students had 3.5% more students in the top twobands for Spelling than the NSW Department ofEducation average for students in these top bands.Rathmines Public School had 2.2% fewer Year 5students in the bottom two bands than the NSWDepartment of Education average. Year 5 studentsscored 25.6 points above the NSW Department ofEducation average for student growth in Spelling. Atotal of 82.9% of Year 5 students achieved greater thanor equal to expected growth in Spelling.



Numeracy

The average score for Year 3 students in Numeracywas above both State and NSW Department ofEducation averages for all students. Year 3 studentsperformed an average of 19.6 points above the averageof NSW Department of Education schools. Number,Patterns and Algebra was an especially pleasing result,


with students performing an average of 22.2 pointsabove NSW Department of Education average. Year 3had no students in the bottom band for Numeracy. Year5 students achieved an average mark that wassignificantly above the NSW Department of Educationaverage, 21.0 points in total. 36.9% of Year 5 studentsat Rathmines Public School were in the top two bandsfor Numeracy, approximately 7% greater than the NSWDepartment of Education average for students in thesetop bands. Rathmines Public School had 12.3% fewerYear 5 students in the bottom two bands than the NSWDepartment of Education average (5.3% vs 17.6 %),with no students in the bottom band. All students inYear 5 at Rathmines Public School achieved greaterthan or equal to expected growth, with our averagestudent growth being 28.9 points higher than NSWDepartment of Education average scaled score growth.

The My School website provides detailedinformation and data for national literacy and numeracytesting. Go to http://www.myschool.edu.au to accessthe school data.

The NSW Government set a target of 35.2% ofstudents achieving in the top two bands in NAPLAN by2019. Rathmines Public School's results comparefavourably with this target. In 2017, 42.9% of Year 3students were in the top two bands in Reading and48.6% achieved in the top two bands for Numeracy. InYear 5, 44.7% of students achieved in the top twobands in Reading and 36.8% in Numeracy. All fourresults were above the averages for similar schools.The school continues to work towards improvingoutcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanderstudents as part of the State Priorities: Better services –Improving Aboriginal education outcomes for studentsin the top two NAPLAN bands. In 2017, whilst noAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students achievedin the top two bands, the low numbers of thesestudents represented makes a genuine statisticalcomparison difficult.

Parent/caregiver, student, teachersatisfaction

Each year we survey members of the schoolcommunity about their levels of school satisfaction andreceive feedback about the things that impressed themas well as areas for improvement across our school.

Responses from parents indicated that they believedthere was a positive learning culture present at theschool and that the school is effective in supporting


student learning. Parents reported that the schoolnewsletter and emails were the most useful forms ofcommunication at the school and the vast majority ofparents believed their children were safe both at, andtravelling to and from, school. The majority of parentsreported being highly supportive of learning at homeand viewed Rathmines Public School as aboveaverage in all measures relating to the support forpositive behaviour.

Feedback from staff members indicated that themajority believed the level of overall collaborationpresent at the school is above average and rated theschool highly in terms of inclusivity. Staff believed thatadequate data was informing teaching practice at theschool and that their access to technology wasappropriate.

The survey highlighted the following data in regard tostudent satisfaction in comparison to the averages forNSW government schools (noted in brackets): 96% ofstudents at Rathmines PS believed they displayedpositive behaviour (NSW DoE 90% ), 9% lessstudents at Rathmines PS reported having been avictim of bullying than at other NSW Governmentschools, school relevance was rated 8.6 out of 10 (NSW DoE 8.2) , 77% of students at Rathmines PS hada high sense of belonging (NSW DoE 82%), studentsrated the extent to which classroom learning activitieswere effective as 8.8 out of 10 ( NSW DoE 8.3.)

Policy requirements

Aboriginal education

Rathmines students are provided with a variety ofrelevant and current educational activities basedaround the implementation of the Aboriginal EducationPolicy. Students are provided with Aboriginalperspectives within their everyday class programsacross all key learning areas. As a school, weacknowledge the traditional owners of the land, theAwabakal people, and students also have theopportunity to acknowledge their own tribe and land atschool assemblies and events.

The development of Personalised Learning Plans (PLP)continues to provide Aboriginal and Torres StraitIslander students and their families the opportunity toset personal, academic and/or socio–cultural goals inconsultation with teaching staff. These plans areregularly updated and allow for a shared ownership ofthe learning goals for our Aboriginal and Torres StraitIslander students.

The development of the Wonai Group has furtherenhanced the opportunity for Aborginal and TorresStrait Islander students to engage with their culture andto learn from local community elders.

Multicultural and anti-racism education

Multicultural education

Rathmines Public School continues to proudly

celebrate multiculturalism in all its forms. As part of ourrecognition of the importance of multiculturalism,students from Year 6 were once again chosen asMulticultural Ambassadors of our school. One of theirkey priorities for the year was the coordination ofactivities for the celebration of Harmony Day.

The message of multiculturalism was also incorporatedinto teaching and learning programs in classes fromKindergarten to Year 6.

Anti–Racism

Rathmines Public School is fortunate to have studentsand community members representing a wide variety ofcultural backgrounds. This includes 24 Aboriginalstudents, 9 students born overseas and 23 studentsfrom a Non English Speaking Background. RathminesPublic School celebrates the diverse culturalbackgrounds of our students by offering representationon the Student Multicultural Ambassadors team,NAIDOC Day Celebrations, National Reconciliation andSorry Day services. Our Aboriginal students are givenopportunities to celebrate their cultural heritage withinthe school. Such opportunities include playing an activerole in culturally significant days and regularlyperforming the Acknowledgement of Country in allschool assemblies and meetings.


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2017 Rathmines Public School Annual Report · regular collection of data is used to inform teachers...

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