2015 annual report to the school community - gold st · 2015 annual report to the school community...

Clifton Hill Primary School

2015 Annual Report to

the School Community


School Number: 1360

Geoffrey Warren & Megan Smith

Name of School Principal:

David Garner

Name of School Council President:

27 April 2016

Date of Endorsement:

All Victorian government school teachers meet the registration requirements of the Victorian Institute of Teaching (www.vit.vic.edu.au). This school meets prescribed minimum standards for registration as regulated by the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) in accordance with the Education and Training Reform Act 2006, inclusive of those schools granted an exemption by the VRQA under the 'Student enrolment numbers' and/or 'Curriculum framework for schools - languages program' minimum standards until 31 December 2015.


About Our School

School Context

Clifton Hill Primary School is a thriving inner suburban school on a small site with 688 students enrolled in 2015. Situated in Gold Street, 5kms north of Melbourne's CBD, the school includes a mixture of historical buildings and state of the art specialist facilities, including music room, gymnasium, art room, purpose-built science centre and library. In 2015, Clifton Hill Primary School was the closest school for 72% of students enrolled with the remaining 28% being drawn mainly from neighboring inner suburban areas. Confirmed 2017 enrolments reflect a further increase of the closest neighborhood enrolment base to 78%. The school ICSEA value indicates that 77% of families are in the top quarter socio-educational. Enrolment demand continued to be strong in 2015 and waiting lists operated at all year levels. In 2015 a double story, four classroom demountable building was erected in the Organ Factory grounds to help accommodate increasing student numbers. The school offers a wide range of specialist programs, with students participating in classes in Science, Art, Music, Physical Education, French and Mandarin. Comprehensive camp and travel opportunities are provided, and students can participate in a range of elective programs during the lunch hour including chess, drumming, aerobics, choir, book club and environmental team activities. In 2015 the students co-wrote and staged a production titled, “Lennie the Legend”. The school also has active Junior School Council with representation across the school. The school differentiates the curriculum for all students and has a strong number of high achieving students at all year levels. NAPLAN indicators reveal consistently strong comparative performance; with most mean scores in the top 20% of all government primary schools. The NAPLAN indicators provide clear evidence that the school adds considerable value to student learning. The school uses the ACER Social-Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) Survey to measure student engagement and wellbeing. The 2015 survey revealed upwards of 79% of students self-reporting high to very high levels of overall social emotional wellbeing. Clifton Hill Primary school provides strong support and resources for students with disabilities, with 13 students participating in the Program for Students with a Disability in 2015. All students were provided with support through the employment of appropriate support staff, for example, integration aides, speech pathologists and psychologists. Progress of all students in the program was monitored through their Individual Learning Plans and Program Support Group meetings each semester. Relevant professional development was provided to staff as required. In 2015, the school had 46.6 full time equivalent staff, inclusive of three principal class members, 36.43 teachers and 7.08 education support staff. The school has a balanced mix of talented young teachers and experienced teachers and a strong culture of mentoring, collegiate responsibility for student outcomes and professional excellence.

The average attendance rate for the school was 96%. This result is similar to other schools with similar background characteristics. We continue to reiterate the importance of school attendance to our school community through the school newsletter. The school believes that by engaging and challenging students we will maximize student attendance. We encourage open communication, which results in parents notifying the school of any student absence that may be attributed to a variety of reasons such as illness and extended family holidays. The School Council is a dynamic body of parents and teachers who discuss issues and make important decisions around school improvement. Each year a dedicated committee coordinates a successful school Fair to raise funds for school based initiatives. In 2015, the Fair raised $103 000 clear of all costs. 2015 Parent Opinion Survey data reported general satisfaction with the school at levels well above the state mean for primary schools and in the upper quartile of results. Of particular strength in this survey were parents’ views of the school’s learning focus and extra-curricula opportunities provided to students.

Achievement

In all areas of student achievement the school is performing at a similar or higher level than comparative schools after accounting for background characteristics known to make a difference to student outcomes. Teacher assessments place students at Clifton Hill Primary School in the top 20% of Victorian Primary Schools for Mathematics and well above the state median for English. NAPLAN results are also above the state median for both year 3 and 5 in Literacy and Mathematics, with most results placing students at the school in the top 20% of schools in the state. So too, the 4-year average for Literacy and Numeracy remains above the state average. On the whole, these results reflect the emphasis the school places on using evidence-based strategies in the classroom such as pre and post assessment, differentiation, explicit teaching models (such as the zone of proximal development and assisted


development), coaching and mentoring and the development of whole school English and Mathematics moderation documents to enable teachers to assess against the Australian Curriculum standards. Following the commencement of a specialist Science Program in 2014, further improvements have been seen in teacher knowledge, curriculum development and assessment strategies used. This program continues to provide opportunities to further extend and stimulate students’ science understandings.

Engagement

Staff at Clifton Hill Primary School strive to provide a curriculum that is both rigorous and engaging for all students. This is offered via a focused classroom curriculum and a comprehensive specialist program. The school uses the ACER Social-Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) Survey to gauge student engagement and wellbeing outcomes. Focusing on the engagement components of this survey, in 2015 we found 85% of students in prep to grade four and 91-100% of students in grades five and six wanting to do the very best in their schoolwork. Additionally, 83% of students from prep to grade 4 and 79% of students in grades five and six scored moderate to high when reflecting on their learning skills. This involved questions around task persistence, confidence when being presented with challenging work and organisation. In the school’s aim to develop highly motivated and engaged 21st century learners, professional development for staff in the use of specific thinking tools was undertaken in 2015. This resulted in students being offered opportunities to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills across all areas of the curriculum. All four of the 2015 Parent Opinion Survey measures of student engagement – Connectedness to Peers, Student Motivation, Social Skills and School Connectedness were above the state average when compared to other primary schools. Two of four of these measures (Social Skills and School Connectedness) resided in the top quartile and the remaining two in the third quartile.

Wellbeing

The staff at Clifton Hill Primary School promote high levels of student wellbeing via proactive, explicit teaching of social skills as well as addressing issues and concerns as they present. In 2015 SEWB survey results indicated the majority of students (85% in grades prep- four and 70% in grades five and six) present with high to the highest level of overall student social emotional wellbeing. The target areas of loneliness, understanding emotions, stress and feeling calm have been identified as areas for growth and teaching focus. The Health and Wellbeing team meets regularly each term to discuss student wellbeing issues and initiatives and provide guidance to all staff. The school utilises the KidsMatter program as a framework to address student mental health and wellbeing. Following staff development in 2015, a number of initiatives targeting student wellbeing were trialed in classrooms. These included Mindfulness, Circle Time and Yoga. These initiatives will be further refined in 2016. A number of experts provided incursions for students targeted at resilience building and anti-bullying. These concepts were reinforced in classroom teaching. The school community has access to two Educational Psychologists to support the learning and emotional needs of our students. We also offer opportunities for students to develop student leadership skills through student-led assemblies, Peer Activity Leaders, Junior School Council and the Buddies program. To further develop student wellbeing the school will continue to develop programs designed to build high levels of student trust and positive relationships with their peers and teachers.

Productivity

School leadership made deliberate decisions regarding the allocation of resources to attract and retain high quality staff, including provision of many leadership opportunities. In addition the school has generated substantial resources through locally raised funds for projects such as installing a cooling system for the multipurpose room. Evidence of effective resource allocation is outlined below;

• Implementation of year-long staff induction and mentoring program • Introduction of coaching program to support teachers with 1-4 years teaching experience • Leading edge use of ICT in student learning • Introduction of programs and strategies to identify and address the needs of students in the school and applying

available resources to meet those needs (eg Mindfulness, Thinking Skills, Habits of Mind) • Development and implementation of the school’s Instructional Models • An effective distributed leadership structure • Professional learning is well focused on areas of need and greatest benefit • Processes for identifying student learning needs leads to resource reallocation

In 2016 the school will make informed decisions and allocate resources that result in sustained improvement to student learning, engagement and wellbeing.


For more detailed information regarding our school please visit our website at http://www.cliftonhillps.vic.edu.au/


Performance Summary

The Government School Performance Summary provides an overview of how this school is contributing to the objectives of the Education State and how it compares to other Victorian government schools. All schools work in partnership with their school community to improve outcomes for children and young people. Sharing this information with parents and the wider school community will help to deliver community engagement in student learning in the school, which is a state-wide priority of the Framework for Improving Student Outcomes.

School Profile

Enrolment Profile A total of 688 students were enrolled at this school in 2015, 362 female and 326 male. There were 3% of EAL (English as an Additional Language) students and 1% ATSI (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) students.

Overall Socio-Economic Profile Based on the school's Student Family Occupation index which takes into account parents' occupations.

Parent Satisfaction Summary Average level of parent satisfaction with the school, as derived from the annual Parent Opinion survey. The score is reported on a scale of 1 to 7, where 7 is the highest possible score.

School Staff Survey Measures the percent endorsement by staff on school climate derived from the annual School Staff survey. The percent endorsement indicates the percent of positive responses (agree or strongly agree) on school climate from staff at the school. Data are suppressed for schools with fewer than three respondents to the survey for confidentiality reasons.


Performance Summary

Achievement

Student Outcomes

School Comparison

Teacher Assessments from the Australian Curriculum/Victorian Essential Learning Standards (AusVELS) Percentage of students in Years Prep to 6 with a grade of C or above in: • English • Mathematics The grades are the same as those used in your child's end of year report. A 'C' rating means that a student is at the standard expected at the time of reporting.

Towards Foundation Level AusVELS is not used for the School Comparison.

Towards Foundation Level AusVELS Learning gain of students, relative to expectation in a year, for all students working within Towards Foundation Level AusVELS (AusVELS A to D). Data will not be displayed where less than 10 student assessments were provided.


Performance Summary

Achievement

Student Outcomes

School Comparison

NAPLAN Year 3 The percentage of students in the top 3 bands of testing in NAPLAN at Year 3. Year 3 assessments are reported on a scale from Bands 1 - 6.

NAPLAN Year 5 The percentage of students in the top 3 bands of testing in NAPLAN at Year 5. Year 5 assessments are reported on a scale from Bands 3 - 8.


Performance Summary

Achievement

Student Outcomes

School Comparison

NAPLAN Learning Gain does not require a School Comparison.

NAPLAN Learning Gain Year 3 - Year 5 Learning gain of students from Year 3 to Year 5 in the following domains; Reading, Numeracy, Writing, Spelling and Grammar and Punctuation. NAPLAN learning gain is determined by comparing a student's current year result to the results of all ‘similar’ Victorian students (i.e. students in all sectors in the same year level who had the same score two years prior). If the current year result is in the top 25%, their gain level is categorised as ‘High’, middle 50%, is ‘Medium’ and bottom 25%, is ‘Low’.


Performance Summary

Engagement

Student Outcomes

School Comparison

Prep Yr1 Yr2 Yr3 Yr4 Yr5 Yr6

97 % 96 % 95 % 96 % 96 % 97 % 95 %

Average Number of Student Absence Days Average days absent per full time equivalent (FTE) student per year. Common reasons for non-attendance include illness and extended family holidays. Absence from school can impact on students’ learning. A school comparison rating of ‘lower’ indicates that the absence rate in this school is greater than what we would estimate, given the background characteristics of their students. Average 2015 attendance rate by year level:


Performance Summary

Wellbeing

Student Outcomes

School Comparison

Students Attitudes to School - Connectedness to School Measures the Connectedness to School factor derived from the Attitudes to School survey completed annually by Victorian government school students in Years 5 to 12. The school's average score is reported here on a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 is the highest possible score.

Students Attitudes to School - Student Perceptions of Safety Measures the Student Perceptions of Safety factor derived from the Attitudes to School survey completed annually by Victorian government school students in Years 5 to 12. The school's average score is reported here on a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 is the highest possible score.


How to read the Performance Summary

What are student outcomes? Student outcomes show the achievements of students in this school in English and Mathematics. They also show results in national literacy and numeracy tests and, for secondary colleges, the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) examinations. They provide important information about student attendance and engagement at school. For secondary colleges, the Performance Summary also provides information about how many students at this school go on to further studies or full-time work after leaving school. You can see these results for the latest year, as well as the average of the last four years (where available). The Performance Summary also allows you to compare student outcomes for students at this school with the outcomes of students in all other Victorian government schools.

What is a School Comparison? The School comparison is a way of comparing school performance that takes into account the different student intake characteristics of each school. A School comparison takes into account the school’s academic intake, the socio-economic background of students, the number of Aboriginal students, the number of non-English speaking and refugee students, the number of students with a disability, and the size and location of the school. The School comparison measures show that most schools are doing well and are achieving results that are ‘similar’ to what we would estimate given the background characteristics of their students. Some schools are doing exceptionally well with the students they have, and have ‘higher’ performance. Some schools have ‘lower’ performance after taking into account their students’ characteristics – these schools will receive targeted support to ensure that there is improvement.

Looking at both the student outcomes and school comparisons provides important information about what a school is doing well and the areas that require further improvement. More information on school comparison performance measures can be found at: http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/principals/manage ment/pages/performreports.aspx What is the meaning of ‘Data not available’? For some schools, there are too few students to provide data. For other schools, there are no students at some levels, so school comparisons are not possible. Newly opened schools have only the latest year of data and no averages from previous years. The Department also recognises the unique circumstances of Specialist, Select Entry, English Language and Community Schools where school comparisons are not appropriate. What is this school doing to improve? All schools have a plan to improve outcomes for their students. The ‘About Our School’ statement provides a summary of this school’s improvement plan.

Additionally, NAPLAN learning gain charts are provided for each of the NAPLAN domains. These compare a student's current year NAPLAN result to the results of all ‘similar’ Victorian students (i.e. students in all sectors in the same year level who had the same NAPLAN score two years prior). If the current year result is in the top 25% their gain level is categorised as ‘High’, the middle 50% is categorised as ‘Medium’ and the bottom 25% is categorised as ‘Low’.

Results for students working within Towards Foundation Level AusVELS (AusVELS A-D) show the percentages of these students making progress below, at and above the expectations of their schools.


Financial Performance and Position

Financial Performance - Operating Statement Summary for the year ending 31 December, 2015

Financial Position as at 31 December, 2015

Revenue

Actual

Funds Available Actual High Yield Investment Account $324

Official Account $18,891

Other Accounts $3,514

Total Funds Available $22,729

Student Resource Package

$4,390,302

Government Provided DET Grants $310,167

Government Grants Commonwealth $3,355

Government Grants State $10,358

Revenue Other $42,884

Locally Raised Funds $1,451,872

Total Operating Revenue

$6,208,939

Expenditure

Financial Commitments

Operating Reserve $22,729

Total Financial Commitments $22,729

Student Resource Package

$4,421,881

Books & Publications $9,566

Communication Costs $7,889

Consumables $139,417

Miscellaneous Expense $597,337

Professional Development $42,336

Property and Equipment Services $501,595

Salaries & Allowances $237,704

Trading & Fundraising $162,141

Travel & Subsistence $2,960

Utilities $39,133

Total Operating Expenditure

$6,161,958

Net Operating Surplus/-Deficit

$46,980

Asset Acquisitions

$44,780

Student Resource Package Expenditure figures are as of 21 March 2016 and are subject to change during the reconciliation process. Misc Expenses may include bank charges, health and personal development, administration charges, camp/excursion costs and taxation charges. Salaries and Allowances refers to school-level payroll.

All funds received from the Department, or raised by the school, have been expended, or committed to subsequent years, to support the achievement of educational outcomes and other operational needs of the school, consistent with Department policies, School Council approvals and the intent/purposes for which funding was provided or raised.

Financial performance and position commentary

As predicted last year the minor deficit issue has been resolved due mainly to continued strong enrolment growth providing a secure base for higher profile staffing appointments. With a total operating revenue in excess of $6,000,000 and assured enrolments our financial results for 2016 and years beyond are secure and soundly based. The school continues to enjoy strong parent commitment including financial support.

2015 annual report to the school community - gold st · 2015 annual report to the school community...

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