St Paul The Apostle Primary School,Winston Hills44 Buckleys Road, Winston Hills 2153Principal: Mrs Marian BellPhone: 9639 2555 Fax: 9686 2212Email: WinstonHills@parra.catholic.edu.auhttp://www.stpawinstonhills.catholic.edu.au

Introduction

About the Annual School ReportSt Paul The Apostle Primary School is registered by the Board of Studies Teaching andEducational Standards (BOSTES) NSW, as a member of the Catholic system of schools in theDiocese of Parramatta.

The Annual School Report provides parents and the wider school community with fair, accurateand objective information about various aspects of school performance and development. TheReport describes achievement of school development priorities in 2015 and gives informationabout the 2016 priorities.

This Report is a legislative requirement under the Schools Assistance Act, 2008 and the EducationAmendment Act 2004.

The information in this Report is complemented by the school website where other schoolpublications and newsletters can be viewed or obtained from the school.

St Paul The Apostle Primary School, Winston Hills Page 1

Key Messages

PrincipalI am proud to present the 2015 Annual School Report for St Paul the Apostle Primary SchoolWinston Hills. St Paul the Apostle Primary School is a welcoming Catholic community, valuing ourunique partnership of family, school and parish. We provide opportunities forindividual growth and strive for excellence in teaching and learning. Our vision is to ‘reach newheights through a community celebrating faith, life and learning’. The motto of St Paul theApostle Primary School is Victory through Faith.

The commitment and contribution of the Holy Faith Sisters to the faith development of allmembers of this community has been, and still is, significant. The Holy Faith Sisters are honouredeach year at our Margaret Aylward awards liturgy. Children are recognised by their peers andrewarded for living the school values of leadership, commitment, faithfulness, integrity andempathy.

At St Paul the Apostle Primary School we recognise that each child is an individual and learns inunique ways. We strive to differentiate and individualise the learning for all students. Thisenables a teaching program that meets the needs of all students to reach their true potential aslife long learners.

ParentThe primary goal of the Parents and Friends Association (P&F) has been to work collaborativelyto provide social and fundraising opportunities our children and the wider schoolcommunity. The relationship between parents, friends, children and school staff is critical to thesuccess of the P&F. Of equal importance is the willingness of individuals to volunteer and givegenerously of their time that ensures the success of P&F activities.

Two thousand and fifteen was an incredibly busy year for the P&F. We had a number of newcommittee members injecting new ideas and enthusiasm. The new members were extremelygrateful for the experienced committee members along with our principal and vice principal whowere generous with their knowledge and guidance. We had a number of successful social eventsduring the year, such as the sunset disco, a family bingo and a trivia night with a movietheme, that were enjoyed by children and parents. These events provided a great vehicle for thefostering of positive family and teacher relationships, as we are so very lucky to have exceptionalstaff at St Paul the Apostle Primary School that give of their valuable time to participate in theseevents and help to make them a success.

We tried a new approach to working bees this year and targeted specific areas. We were able todraw on the huge suite of skills within our community and as a result a sandpit for the children,much needed painting and a vegetable garden were constructed. Our sincere thanks go out to allthose involved. There was a multitude of opportunities for parents and friends to be involved inschool activities with learning groups, mothers and fathers day breakfasts and stalls, crosscountry, swimming and athletics carnivals, assemblies, school masses and Catholic SchoolsWeek.

Social activities and fundraising are important aspects of the P&F's role. The P&F donated$30,000 to the school for the purchase of much needed technology.

StudentThe students of St Paul the Apostle Primary School are proud to present this report. At ourschool, students are given the opportunity to be involved in many of the extra activitiesprovided.

Our school participates in sport gala days including touch football, rugby league, soccer, netballand basketball. Parents and teachers help us on these days and the days are great fun. We alsohave a swimming carnival, cross country carnival and athletics carnival. In term 3 we had askipathon where the whole school participated in a fun day of skipping activities. We raised a lotof money for technology in the school.

In Year 5, the students nominate other students they believe would be good leaders in Year 6.

St Paul The Apostle Primary School, Winston Hills Page 2

The names of the students with the most nominations then go on a ballot paper and apreferential voting system is used to elect our school captains, vice captains and school leadersfor the following year. This school leadership team runs the weekly assemblies and welcomesvisitors to the school on special occasions.

In March 2015 all children from Years 3 to 6 were given the opportunity to participate in theDance Fever challenge. One hundred students participated in the competition. Many studentswon individual dance competitions and the group came first in the inter school hip hopcompetition.

St Paul The Apostle Primary School, Winston Hills Page 3

Who we are

History of the schoolSt Paul the Apostle Primary School, Winston Hills, was opened and blessed by Most ReverendEdward Kelly M.S.C.D.D., Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney, on October 7, 1973. The Holy Faith Sisterswere responsible for the school between 1974 and 1999. At the time of its foundation,the schoolwas a single storey building, to which a second floor was later added. A second two storeybuilding was constructed later and the school was complete when four demountable classroomswere purchased in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In 1995, the parish undertook the building of anew school library, administration block and staffroom which included an undercover play areafor the children and storage for the school and parent community. In 2010, as a result of theNational School Pride and Building the Education Revolution funding, major refurbishments of allclassroom areas were undertaken and completed. The back playground area was alsolandscaped. In 2011 with funds from the parent body, a multimedia, art and a multipurposeroom were also renovated. Two thousand and thirteen marked the 40th anniversary of theschool.

Location/drawing areaSt Paul the Apostle Primary School is a Catholic systemic school located in Winston Hills withinthe Parramatta Diocese. It serves the parish of Saint Paul the Apostle. Our parish priest isinterested and involved in the school and provides much support to the school communitythrough his caring leadership. The school draws on students from Winston Hills, Old Toongabbieand Baulkham Hills West. There are currently 14 classes from Kindergarten to Year 6.

St Paul The Apostle Primary School, Winston Hills Page 4

Workforce Composition

Category Numberof Staff

Number of teachers who hold teaching qualification from a higher educationinstitution within Australia or as recognised within the National Office of OverseasSkills Recognition (AEI-NOOSR) guidelines

25

Number of teachers who have a bachelor degree from a higher education institutionwithin Australia or within AEI-NOOSR guidelines but lacking formal teacherqualifications

0

Number of teachers accreditated to teach Religious Education 25

Number of teachers currently undertaking accreditation to teach Religious Education 0

Number of non-teaching staff (includes teachers' aides) 10

Percentage of teachers who are indigenous 0

The average teacher attendance for 2015 93.11

Percentage of 2015 teaching staff who were retained from 2014 100

Catholic Identity and Religious Education

St Paul The Apostle Primary School, Winston Hills Page 5

Catholic Identity and Religious Education

Prayer, Liturgical Life and Faith ExperiencesThe prayer and liturgical life is strong at St Paul the Apostle Primary School. Provision is made forfamilies to celebrate their faith with the children through a variety of prayer experiences.Morning prayer, special events and feast days are celebrated in a manner appropriate to thechildren's level of maturity. Staff members have opportunities to enrich their own faithdevelopment through their involvement in weekly staff prayer, reflection days and retreatopportunities. The Mini Vinnies team of Year 5 students led morning prayer each fortnightbefore school for children and staff.

The parish Sacramental programs are well attended by the Religious Education coordinator andrelevant staff members. The Religious Education coordinator attends all parish Sacramentalcommittee meetings, fostering strong links between the school and parish.

Major events in the liturgical life of the school include: weekly Stage masses and Reconciliation;whole-school masses for significant feast days and holy days; the Margaret Aylward Liturgy andHoly Faith awards; pre and post Easter liturgies; Year 6 reflection camp; the Graduation Mass andthe Stations of the Cross on Good Friday. Sunday Stage masses were held on the fifth Sunday ofevery month in an endeavour to strengthen the school parish relationship and to support theevangelising mission of the church.

Social JusticeSocial Justice initiatives for 2015 included both fund raising and social justice awarenessprograms, which were comprised of: two school discos where funds raised went to support theschool's two sponsored children; the children's contributions to Caritas through the ProjectCompassion Lenten Appeal; staff contributions to Caritas at the end of the school year; adonation by the parent body to the St Vincent de Paul Society; a sausage sizzle to raise moneyfor St Jude's Mission; and involvement by school families in the St Vincent de Paul Door KnockAppeal.

At the end of the school year, the students each brought in a gold coin donation which was usedto purchase Christmas gifts for less fortunate children. These gifts were donated at the annualChristmas concert to the parish St Vincent de Paul representative for distribution. MiniVinnies continued with Years 4 and 5 students given the opportunity to participate in the MiniVinnies program. New members were presented with a special Mini Vinnies badge at the end ofthe year and these members have taken up the challenge of raising awareness of social justiceissues as well as fund raising.

School home and parish partnershipsParent helpers play a significant role in the children's learning in both infant and primary classes.They assist with integrated group work; reading; Mathematics; inquiry learning projects; physicaleducation activities and, in some grades, are involved in the area of creative and practical arts.As described in our mission statement, St Paul the Apostle Primary School is a welcomingCatholic community, valuing our unique partnership of family, school and parish, providingopportunities for individual growth and striving for excellence in teaching and learning.

The parish priest is a welcome visitor to the school every Thursday where he visits classes.Teachers meet with him regularly to plan grade and Sunday masses. The assistant principalwrites a monthly newsletter article for the parish notebook which keeps the parish communityinformed about school events. Parents are involved in a variety of school activities such as:school liturgies; curriculum workshops; parent information nights; parish-based Sacramentalprograms; class literacy and numeracy programs; inquiry-based learning projects; Readingprogram; school library; Parents and Friends Association meetings and functions; working bees;sporting events and excursions.

The principal attends the monthly Parish Council meeting. The Religious Education coordinator isa member of the Parish Sacramental Team and Liturgy Committee.

Every fifth Sunday the school runs the Sunday mass. Children lead the Liturgy of the Word andthe school choir leads the singing. The parish musicians led the music during the end of yearthanksgiving mass for Year 6 students. St Paul The Apostle Primary School, Winston Hills Page 6

Religious EducationReligious Education is an integral component of all key learning areas and the values permeateacross the curriculum. The pastoral care of students, parents and staff is a prime concern. TheParramatta Diocese Religious Education syllabus, Sharing Our Story, is taught from Kindergartento Year 6. The programming in Religious Education reflects the shared praxis model as well asincorporating the integral learning approach focusing on the four ways of knowing and quadrantthinking. Stage masses are celebrated on Fridays and Reconciliation takes place on Tuesday andWednesday for class groups. The Sacramental program is parish-based and is run by theSacramental Team. In 2015, the Years 4 and 6 students participated in the Diocesan ReligiousEducation Assessment program with pleasing results with steady growth in all key concept areas.

The Religious Education program at St Paul the Apostle Primary School is well resourced. Parentswere invited to view the work produced by the Year 4 students in their reflections and responsesto the assessment tasks. Every year the children participate in pre and post Easter liturgies and agroup of students re-enact the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday. Year 6 participated in anOutreach program which involved them visiting a local nursing home to share their lifeexperiences with the residents. A special focus in the school is fostering the charism of the HolyFaith Sisters through the annual Margaret Aylward Liturgy. At this ceremony, recognition is givento students exhibiting the following values: faithfulness, leadership, integrity, commitment andempathy. Recognition is also given to a Year 6 student demonstrating these Christian values atthe Thanksgiving Mass held at the end of the school year. The award winning Year 6 student'sname is engraved on the honour board displayed in the school library.

Professional Learning of staff in Religious EducationStaff spirituality and formation are always important components of school life at St Paul theApostle Primary School. All staff prepare for, and attend, prayer held each week on Thursdaymornings, focusing on unpacking the daily Scripture passage.

During 2015 the professional learning focused on deepening our understanding of Scripture andprayer; developing our pedagogical content knowledge of using parables in the classroom andapplying learning intentions and success criteria in Religious Education.

Two staff members attended a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and have used this to allow staff toexperience Scripture stories in context.

St Paul The Apostle Primary School, Winston Hills Page 7

Learning and Teaching

National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN)Students in Year 3, Year 5, Year 7 and Year 9 across Australia participated in National AssessmentProgram – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) in May 2015. The purpose of this test is to provideinformation to parents and teachers about the achievements of students in aspects of Literacyand Numeracy. The test provides a measure of the student’s performance against establishedstandards and against other students in Australia. Each year the results are analysed by theschool to inform teaching and learning with a view to improving student performance.

The Commonwealth Government sets minimum acceptable standards for literacy, numeracy,reading, writing, grammar, punctuation and spelling at particular ages. These are referred to asnational minimum standards. Student performance in NAPLAN in our school is compared tothese standards. The percentages of students achieving at or above these national minimumstandards, and the percentages of students in the top three bands are reported in the tablebelow.

NAPLAN RESULTS 2015

% of students at or abovenational minimum

standard

% of students in top threebands

School Australia School Australia

Year3

Grammar and Punctuation 98 94 87 73

Literacy 98 95 85 72

Reading 100 95 92 71

Writing 100 96 97 76

Spelling 100 93 80 65

Numeracy 98 94 82 61

NAPLAN RESULTS 2015

% of students at or abovenational minimum

standard

% of students in top threebands

School Australia School Australia

Year5

Grammar and Punctuation 98 93 78 61

Literacy 98 93 71 57

Reading 100 93 69 58

Writing 100 92 64 52

Spelling 100 93 66 61

Numeracy 100 95 53 56

NAPLAN results for 2015, showed that in all areas at least 98% of students at St Paul the ApostleSchool were at, or above, the national minimum standard.

St Paul The Apostle Primary School, Winston Hills Page 8

The school's area of strength were in reading, writing and spelling for Year 3 students andreading, writing, spelling and Numeracy for Year 5 students. In all of these areas, 100% ofstudents performed at or above the national average.

In Literacy and Numeracy all students demonstrated greater than, or equal to, expected growthbetween Year 3 and 5.

Initial analysis of the NAPLAN data revealed a common thread for both Years 3 and 5 in reading.Areas for improvement in Literacy included questions involving inference, connecting ideas andidentifying main ideas. Areas for improvement in Numeracy included questions involvingmultiplication, division and mass. Our top performing students' growth in writing and numeracywas minimal.

School curriculumThe school curriculum at St Paul the Apostle Primary School is rich and diverse, offering manyopportunities, experiences and support for our students.

Our Learning Support Team assists in the integration of students with diverse needs. Teachersare assisted in differentiation of the curriculum, providing individual teaching whennecessary, working with students in small groups and providing resources to meet specific needs.Individual Learning Plans are implemented for students in classroom learning programs,following consultation with parents and teachers. Students with identified gifts and/or talentsare catered for within the class program.

In 2015 the school trained another reading recovery teacher to support students in Year 1. Wetrained an Extending Mathematical Understanding (EMU) specialist in the middle years in 2015to work with vulnerable students in Year 4. We also continued to run two other Mathematicsintervention (EMU) groups for vulnerable students in Year 1.

There are also a number of other programs at St Paul the Apostle that aim to support andextend the learning outcomes of the NSW curriculum:

debating club and inter-school competitionStudent Leadership programPersonal Development program (Years 5)swimming (Kindergarten to Year 4) Surf Life Saving program (Years 5 to 6)school band and choirDance Feverskipping

All new Kindergarten students participate in an Orientation program prior to commencing theschool year.

The learning support teacher visits preschools and secondary schools to assist in the transition ofspecial needs students. Students in all grades attend excursions and participate in incursionsthat aim to support the learning in the classroom.

Children are also offered opportunities to participate in a range of sporting gala days.

Initiatives to promote respect and responsibilitySt Paul the Apostle Primary School has many initiatives in place to promote respect andresponsibility. These include:

The weekly Friday assembly award system ensures individual students are recognised andreceive a certificate for demonstrating respect and responsibility in their interaction withothers, based on our school values of empathy, leadership, commitment, integrity andfaithfulness.

St Paul The Apostle Primary School, Winston Hills Page 9

ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day prayer services are held annually.The Holy Faith and Margaret Aylward awards for Christian leadership are presentedannually.The Respect Everyone Solving problems Together (REST) lunchtime program is designed tohelp students to respect and relate well to their peers.There is a positive playground incentive scheme where all children can earn rewards forpositive behaviour.A student personal safety audit to assess bullying is conducted twice a year and used toinform pastoral care and student management strategies.Key values are identified in integrated units of work.Value-based posters are displayed around the school and in foyers.A Pastoral Care and Student Management policy is in place and is regularly reviewed.

Professional LearningThe staff participated in a number of professional development opportunities in 2015.

Another teacher was trained in Reading Recovery and took students from Year 1 for intensivereading support.

All staff continued to receive professional learning in literacy including using running records,running a guided reading session and exploring the necessary components of a literacy block.Staff participated in learning about the teaching of spelling in context. Some staff attended thePrimary English Teachers Association (PETA) professional learning meetings in spelling andcomprehension. In Religious Education staff were trained in writing learning intentions andsuccess criteria. In Numeracy Stage 3 teachers were involved in the Monash Project that looked atteaching fractions and decimals.

All staff completed Work Health and Safety (WHS) and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)training as well as training for anaphylaxis and cystic fibrosis awareness, and completed modulesabout the Disability Discrimination Act.

Several staff members attended professional learning in Mathematics (Extending MathematicalUnderstanding).

Other whole-school professional learning focused on using the data that we gather to inform theteaching and learning throughout the school. Each term we looked at the Key Learning Areas ofEnglish and Mathematics and reviewed teaching and learning to insure individual needs wereaddressed.

In 2015 we used our staff development days to: exploring Scripture by unpacking Jesus feeding the 5000looked at elements of FOCUS 160 in readingunpacked the History and Geography syllabuses

St Paul The Apostle Primary School, Winston Hills Page 10

School Improvement

Annual school prioritiesPriority 1 To improve students' understanding of Scripture and apply it to their

lives as Catholics as evidenced by an improvement of 4% in theReligious Literacy Assessment (RLA) Scripture results and classroombased data

Reason for priority 1 Although our RLA results were above diocesan levels in most areas, wewere below in the area of God and have witnessed a slight decline ingrowth. By developing staff’s ability to unpack the religious conceptswithin each unit and linking them to teaching and learning strategies,with a focus on Scripture, it was hoped we would see an increase in ourchildren's understanding and growth in all areas of our ReligiousLiteracy Assessment.

Steps taken to achievepriority 1

The students and teachers:read and discussed Scripture were involved in a variety of opportunities to shareunderstandings and new learningsunpacked Scripture focused on literal, inferential andapplicationused learning intentions and success criteria to thatguided learning and evaluated the success of each lesson

Status of priority 1 Ongoing

St Paul The Apostle Primary School, Winston Hills Page 11

Priority 2 To improve student outcomes in reading comprehension as evidencedby the growth data in NAPLAN Years 3-5-7 and an increase of studentsin Kindergarten to Year 2 (K-2) above benchmarks in reading

Reason for priority 2 This area was chosen as a priority owing to the fact that our NAPLANresults in 2014 showed that in reading 38% of students did not reachexpected growth between Year 3 and Year 5.

While our school data indicates that our Kindergarten to Year 2 (K-2) children were reaching benchmark for reading, in NAPLAN ourprimary students performed poorly in inference, vocabulary andconnecting ideas which has impacted on our reading results.

Steps taken to achievepriority 2

a minimum of 100 minutes literacy a day included modelled,guided and independent reading and writing, and purposefultalking and listeningguided reading/readers’ circle conducted at least twice a weekfor all children and more frequently for children not atbenchmarkbottom 20% of students in Year 1 targeted for Reading Recoverydeveloped clear learning intentions and success criteria for allaspects of literacy blockfocused on professional learning on reading and comprehension

Status of priority 2 Achieved

St Paul The Apostle Primary School, Winston Hills Page 12

Priority 3 All students to improve more than one growth point in two domains,10% improvement in place value and the vulnerable students to makeaccelerated growth to reach target growth points

Reason for priority 3 Our 2014 data from the Mathematics Assessment Interview (MAI)results show that place value was an area of weakness across theschool but in particular from growth point 2 to 3.

As the NAPLAN results showed, Year 3 and Year 5 students needed tohave a greater representation in the top 2 bands.

Steps taken to achievepriority 3

taught Mathematics daily for a minimum of 60 minutesused purposeful warm upsused rich open-ended tasks and targeted reflectionsclearly displayed learning intentions and success criteriaProfessional development focused on teacher feedback: feedup, feed back, feed forward.Classroom teachers used ongoing assessment for learning,based on the growth point framework.Teachers assessed and analysed MAI for all students at thebeginning of the year.

Status of priority 3 Achieved

St Paul The Apostle Primary School, Winston Hills Page 13

Projected school prioritiesPriority 1 For all students to improve their knowledge of God as experienced

through Scripture, measured by formative and summative assessments,and evidenced by a 4% rise in our Religious Literacy Assessment (RLA)data

Reason for Priority 1 Our 2015 RLA results indicate that although we have made consistentgains in most concept strands, our results in the areas of God andScripture were below the diocese. The staff recognise the need toinvestigate high yield strategies such as warm ups, learning intentionand success criteria, and active word walls to guide the students to adeeper understanding of our faith.

Steps to be taken toachieve Priority 1

Students will be:unpacking Scripture using a variety of high yield strategies andresourcesbuilding word walls based on the three levels - literal,inferential and applicationusing the Scripture-based word walls during reflectionand assessment activitiesengaging in Scripture, based on the three level framework -literal, inferential, applicationexploring Scripture with our parish priest during class visits,recording ‘new learning’ and how students will implement themin their life

Priority 2 By the the end of 2016 all students to reach expected growth in writingas indicated by the school developed writing continuum

Reason for Priority 2 NAPLAN Data indicates that 38.6% of our Year 5 students and 41.8% ofour Year 7 students are not reaching expected growth in writing. We donot currently have any formal way of tracking student data in writingand see this as a need across the school.

Steps to be taken toachieve Priority 2

Students will:write a range of texts daily using different language featuresincluding grammatical features, spelling patterns and differentmeans of publishing writing reflect on their writing using the literacy continuum to identifystrengths and areas for improvement in and to track their ownprogress

Teachers will develop and use a school-based writing continuum tohelp plan teaching, assess, track and monitor student progress inwriting.

St Paul The Apostle Primary School, Winston Hills Page 14

Priority 3 For students to move at least one growth point in the Time section ofthe MAI with accelerated growth for vulnerable students

Reason for Priority 3 Our school’s 2015 NAPLAN data shows that students performed poorerin space and measurement questions than in number. The datademonstrates the need to link measurement, space and numberoutcomes, through a variety of rich tasks and experiences. As a schoolwe have chosen to focus our goal around time as this year, around 40%of the students in Year 3 experienced difficulties answering questionsrelated to time. In Year 5 the figures ranged between 30% - 75%depending on the questions asked.

Steps to be taken toachieve Priority 3

Students will be involved in rich learning tasks involving timeconcepts that are adapted according to individual needs.Time tasks will be embedded into all areas of the curriculum.Teachers will be involved in professional learning around thetime continuum of learning as outlined in the syllabus and havea greater understanding of how it links to student growthpoints.Teachers will use the Numeracy Now Ning for professionalreading and to assist them with developing time conceptsfurther.

Community Satisfaction

St Paul The Apostle Primary School, Winston Hills Page 15

Community Satisfaction

Parent satisfactionDuring 2015, Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta engaged Insight SRC to conduct theQuality Catholic Schooling (QCS) survey to provide feedback from parents, students and staffabout our school. This survey is conducted annually.

The survey data from 2015 indicated that parents felt that the learning opportunities andcommunity engagement at St Paul the Apostle had improved. They felt that teachers deliveredclasses that were interesting and enjoyable for the students and that the teachers werepassionate about what they did in the school.

Parents rated the opportunity to participate in prayer as highly important and were positiveabout their child's involvement in prayer and liturgies and the Sacraments at school. They alsosaw the Catholic culture of the school as a strength.

Areas of improvement from the previous year were the parents' satisfaction with the range andquality of the extra curricular activities and the way in which parents saw their children beingwell-developed for the transition to high school.

Student satisfactionThe 2015 QCS data for students showed that overall students liked being at school at St Paul theApostle and that they felt connected to the school. The students felt that they were understoodby their teachers and that the teachers made learning interesting and enjoyable. Within theclassroom the students felt safe but they also indicated that classroom behaviour could begetting in the way of their learning. Students indicated that at times they were concerned aboutthe behaviour of their peers.

Teacher satisfactionThe 2015 QCS data for staff indicated that staff valued feedback to drive professional learningand empowerment. They felt that at times there was a need to improve role clarity andexpectations as well as develop protocols for working together. Staff wanted to have moreopportunity to discuss issues and priorities of the school together. Staff felt that they generallyworked well together and while they were used to giving and receiving feedback it was notalways robust, targeted and challenging.

Staff were happy with the promotion of Catholic culture and faith within the school but felt thatparish school relationships were an area for improvement..

St Paul The Apostle Primary School, Winston Hills Page 16

Student Profile

Enrolment PolicySt Paul The Apostle Primary School follows the Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta (CEDP)Enrolment Policy and Procedures. This document can be obtained from the school office or can beaccessed on the CEDP website http://www.parra.catholic.edu.au/policy-central

Current and previous years' student enrolmentYear Boys Girls Total

2013 202 207 409

2014 198 206 404

2015 201 207 408

Enrolment figures remain steady. There have been a few families that have left St Paul's but havebeen quickly replaced with new enrolments.

Student attendance ratesThe table below shows the percentage of student attendance by Year level and school average.

Kindergarten 91.36

Year 1 90.02

Year 2 92.22

Year 3 92.91

Year 4 91.89

Year 5 91.84

Year 6 90.95

School Average 91.59

Characteristics of the student bodyThe table below shows the number of students in each of the categories listed.

Language background other than English (LBOTE) 142

Students with disablities (SWD) 11

Indigenous 5

Managing Student Non-attendanceRegular attendance at school is essential if students are to maximise their potential. Schools inpartnership with parents and guardians, are responsible for promoting the regular attendance ofstudents. The compulsory schooling age is 6-17. Parents and guardians are legally responsible forthe regular attendance of their children, explaining the absences of their children in writingwithin several days to the school, and taking measures to resolve attendance issues involvingtheir children. School staff as part of their duty of care, monitor part or whole day absences.

St Paul The Apostle Primary School, Winston Hills Page 17

They maintain accurate records of students' attendance, follow up unexplained absencesthrough written and verbal communication, implement programs and practices to addressattendance issues when they arise, and provide clear information to students and parentsregarding attendance requirements and the consequences of unsatisfactory attendance. Theprincipal or their delegate, may grant permission for late arrival or early departure from school,leave or exemption from attendance only in individual cases, on written request from parentsand guardians.

The principal/delegate will undertake all reasonable measures to contact parents promptly if anunexplained absence occurs. If truancy is suspected, the principal will contact theparents/guardians to ascertain the reason for the absence. If a satisfactory response is notreceived, the matter will be referred to the relevant staff at the Catholic Education Office,Diocese of Parramatta who will follow up unexplained absences as per legislative requirements.

St Paul The Apostle Primary School, Winston Hills Page 18

Student wellbeing

Student welfare, discipline and anti-bullying policies and pastoral careSt Paul the Apostle Primary School is a community committed to providing a climate of respectand justice. We believe that by promoting fair behaviour practices, children can learn to takeresponsibility for their own actions by making informed choices. In order to provide behaviourmanagement practices that are fair and just, staff will endeavour to:

listen to the student's point of view and try to understand individual problemsbe consistent with expectations during classroom and playground supervisionensure that positive recognition and consequences are clearly understood andimplemented when requiredconduct a safety/bullying audit twice a year

A Pastoral Care and Student Management policy has been developed and is issued to all parentswhen they enrol their child at the school. Copies may be obtained from the school office and/orwebsite. The school teaches a Protective Behaviours program from Kindergarten to Year 6 everyyear in term 3. This program gives children strategies on how to keep safe and what to do if theyare feeling unsafe. A component of this program focuses on teaching students how to report anyincidents of bullying and how to develop assertiveness skills to address any inappropriate orbullying behaviour. In 2008, St Paul the Apostle Primary School won a National Schooling Awardfor the school's work in student management and its Anti-bullying program. The full text ofstudent management, welfare and discipline policies can be obtained from the school's website.An appendix was added to this policy in 2007 to reflect the positive playground incentivescheme, Respect Everyone Solving Problems Together (REST) program and the biannualsafety/bullying audits. This award-winning policy continued to be implemented in 2015.

Complaints and grievances policyThe school has formal written protocols in place to address complaints and grievances. Theseprotocols are in line with the Catholic Education, Diocese of Parramatta (CEDP), ComplaintHandling policy. A copy of the school policy is available from the school office or is available onthe CEDP website http://www.parra.catholic.edu.au/policy-central.

There were no changes to the policy during 2015.

St Paul The Apostle Primary School, Winston Hills Page 19

Section Eleven: Financial Statement

Income Expenditure

Commonwealth (62.1%)Capital (0%)State (18.8%)Fees (18.1%)Other (1%)

Capital (3.7%)Salary (72%)Non-Salary (24.3%)

RECURRENT and CAPITAL INCOME

Commonwealth Recurrent Grants1 $2,726,438

Government Capital Grants 2 $0

State Recurrent Grants 3 $826,369

Fees and Private Income 4 $795,218

Other Capital Income 5 $42,389

Total Income $4,390,414

RECURRENT and CAPITAL EXPENDITURE

Capital Expenditure 6 $157,672

Salaries and Related Expenses 7 $3,093,854

Non-Salary Expenses 8 $1,043,491

Total Expenditure $4,295,017

1. Commonwealth relates to Commonwealth Recurrent Grants including per capita fundingand special purpose grants.

2. Capital relates to Government Capital Grants.3. State relates to State Recurrent Grants including per capita funding, interest subsidy and

special purpose grants.4. Fees relates to diocesean and school based fees, excursions and other private income

from fundraisers.5. Other refers to Other Capital Income including drawdowns from the Diocesean School

Building Fund to fund Capital Expenditure.6. Capital refers to Capital Expenditure including School Buildings, Furniture and Equipment.7. Salaries refers to the total of all Salaries, allowances and related expenses such as

superannuation, workers compensation and leave.8. Non-Salary refers to all other Non-Salary Recurrent Expenses.

18.1%

18.8%62.1%

■■■■■

24.3%

72%

■■■

St Paul The Apostle Primary School, Winston Hills Page 20

St Paul The Apostle Primary School, Winston Hills Page 21