2018 alexandria park community school annual report · allergy awareness week activities, providing...

Alexandria Park Community SchoolAnnual Report

2018

8556

Printed on: 30 May, 2019 of 25 Alexandria Park Community School 8556 (2018)

Introduction

The Annual Report for 2018 is provided to the community of Alexandria Park Community School as an account of theschool's operations 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.

Diane Fetherston

Principal

School contact details

Alexandria Park Community SchoolPark RdAlexandria, 2015www.alexparkcs-c.schools.nsw.edu.aualexparkcs-c.school@det.nsw.edu.au9698 1967

Message from the Principal

Alexandria Park Community School is a proud Kindergarten to Year 12 public school with strong links to the localcommunity. The school has a culture where excellence is not only valued but achieved. This was evidenced in the resultsof the 2018 external validation process where our school was assessed at 'excelling' in:

• Learning Culture – our school has a strong focus on learning, the building of educational aspiration and ongoingperformance improvement throughout the school community.

• Learning and Development – professional learning is aligned with the school plan, and its impact on the quality ofteaching and learning is evaluated. There are explicit systems for collaboration and feedback to sustain qualityteaching practices.

• School Resources – are strategically used to improve student outcomes and high–quality service delivery. • Management Practices and Processes – administrative systems, structures and processes underpin ongoing

school improvement and the professional effectiveness of all school members.

I acknowledge the expert and dedicated work of our teaching and support staff and their willingness to provide so manyextra, high–quality opportunities for our students. I also recognise the tremendous support and ongoing valuablecontribution of our P&C and community partners in supporting students and our school. I am proud to be the principal ofsuch a dynamic and progressive school as Alexandria Park Community School.

Enjoy reading the 2018 Annual Report which includes information about our students' achievements, academic andco–curricular programs and engagement in our community.

Message from the school community

2018 was action–packed at Alexandria Park Community School. Significantly this year, the primary excitedly moved intothe pop up buildings joining the high school in preparation for the busy building process of our future school building.

During 2018, the Parents & Citizens Association (P&C) approved spending of over $25,000 for community buildingactivities and donations to the school for facilities and services in support of students' education. Core strategic goals ofthe P&C in 2018 were based on feedback; Building Community, Learning Resources and Music.

P&C activities included the Meet the Teachers BBQ, class parent representatives, the Alexandria Sunday Funday, FoodAllergy Awareness week activities, providing fruit for the cross country carnival, the Easter raffle, bingo night, schoolbanking, the 2nd hand uniform shop, Teacher Appreciation day coffee cart, Kindergarten 2019 information sessions,soup for parent teacher interviews, a T–shirt design competition and a working bee to support the Community Centremove in September. The P&C also changed the finance package bank account to not–for–profit status, set up mail


chimp and launched a new P&C website.

To all those who contributed ideas, donated their time, and financially supported the P&C and the school, 'thank you'.The demands on parents are high, and any effort contributing to our school community is appreciated. I make particularnote of the parents that donated their time – this is invaluable, whether it's running the 2nd hand uniform stall, schoolbanking, researching P&C contributions, helping in class or helping work out additional information from teachers to passon in class emails, this cannot be done without you. Every donation goes towards the education and growth of allstudents at our school. All expenditure is voted on in our monthly meetings and we should be proud of this transparentand open process. To Alex Park's Principal, Ms Fetherston, to her Deputy Principals and all the dedicated staff, on behalfof the P&C and parents in general, 'thank you' for your additional time attending the P&C meetings and events, for takingcare of our children and for continuing their education in all areas. We look forward to the school's continual support ofthe P&C activities and initiatives.

To the P&C Executive team for 2018– Vice Presidents Catherine Luu and Jennifer Mar Young, Treasurer Jihee Choi andSecretary Catriona Cotton – a personal 'thank you' for such a great year, we all worked together as a team, completedthis amazing number of achievements, championed inclusion and supported each other. See you all under the COLA!

Julie Miller – Alexandria Park Community School P&C President 2018


School background

School vision statement

Alexandria Park Community School is a high performing school where our core business is to EDUCATE FORSUCCESS.

Our vision is that all students will achieve an inspiring future through continuous and uninterrupted quality future focusededucational opportunities provided from Kindergarten to Year 12. These experiences allow all students to LEARN, LEAD& SUCCEED.

Our unique and vibrant school community setting reflects our position as the inner city Sydney hub for educationalexcellence and demonstrates our commitment to serve and respect our diverse local community through mutuallyauthentic partnerships, collaborative decision making and respectful relationships.

School context

Our school has a proud past, dynamic present and exciting future recognised through our outstanding academic resultsas a high performing NSW Public School and underpinned by our education principles of Aboriginal Identity, Community,K–12 School, Comprehensive Learning, Connecting with Nature and Health and Wellbeing.

Uniquely designed as a Kindergarten to Year 12 school, our outstanding teachers deliver continuous and uninterruptedquality educational opportunities to all students including our selective stream setting.

Our school is a place of excitement and adventure for our students. We are proudly inclusive and offer a diverse range ofopportunities to succeed in areas such as academic, sport, technology, the creative and performing arts, leadership andcitizenship, public speaking and debating and environmental and social justice programs.

We are proud of our authentic learning partnerships with students, parents, local businesses, educational providers,agencies and community leaders.

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 in the School Excellence Framework domain of Learning the school was judgedat excelling for learning culture, sustaining and growing for student performance measures, wellbeing, curriculum andassessment and delivering for reporting. The school delivered a challenging curriculum with a literacy and numeracyfocus that is differentiated according to the varying learning needs of students. Students are encouraged to aspire forsuccess through positive relationships with teachers and staff, and participation in extra–curricular activities that engagethe community. Such projects and programs included speech and language, Project Based Learning, passion projects,STEM groups, NAIDOC celebrations and the Aboriginal Studies Community Experience Trip which provided exceptionallearning experiences Kindergarten to Year 12 . Stages, faculties and teams used appropriate data about studentlearning, achievement and wellbeing when creating teaching and learning activities including programming, assessmentand differentiation. Examples included Language, Learning and Literacy (L3), Focus on Reading and Thinking whileMoving and consistent curriculum implementation practices across faculties in Stages 4, 5 and 6. Assessment was usedas a tool to form an understanding of student learning needs and to measure the impact of strategies, programs andresources. These practices were embedded in stage and faculty processes and can be identified across compliance, andteaching and learning documentation. The school's strong wellbeing focus was underpinned by the Positive Behaviourfor Learning program and community programs including KidsXpress, National Aboriginal and Sporting ChanceAcademy, South's Cares and WEAVE. This wellbeing approach was determined by needs and focused throughfeedback and relevant data such as the Tell Them From Me survey. The school analysed school and systemperformance measures that indicated that the school adds value to student learning and outcomes across Kindergartento Year 12.


The results of this process indicated that in the School Excellence Framework domain of Teaching the school wasjudged at excelling in learning and development and delivering for data skills and use, professional standards andeffective classroom practice. Teachers in the school used a variety of effective and meaningful explicit teachingstrategies to engage their students and develop knowledge, skills and understanding of syllabus content. These includedongoing scaffolding, individualised support, technology focused learning and critical and creative thinking activities.There is clear and consistent backward mapping of identified skills and knowledge throughout programs andassessments across the school. Teachers understand the power of feedback and its role in informing practice, and theneed for feedback to be diagnostic, timely and consistent. The school has a strong culture of professional collaborationwhich has been further enhanced through collaborative practice conferences, targeted professional learning whichaddressed the strategic directions of the school plan and opportunities to develop and participate in innovative andsupportive programs such as the Year 7 co–teaching program. Teachers are considered experts in their field and seekeach other's professional opinion when considering the needs of targeted groups of students.

The results of this process indicated that in the School Excellence Framework domain of Leading the school was judgedat excelling in school resources, management practices and processes and delivering in educational leadership andschool planning, implementation and reporting. The school's leadership team developed a strong focus on strategicplanning and informed decision–making through its methodic implementation of the 2018–2020 school plan. Thisincluded the creation of a school planning team, a professional learning calendar, and streamlining of communicationand administrative systems. School leaders successfully aided in the day to day operation of the school and indeveloping a climate that is professionally supportive and engaging. These actions occurred as a result of extensiveconsultation with the school community regarding population of the temporary school, changes to bell times anddeveloping the educational principles that will be used to guide the rebuild of the new school. Consultation wasconducted with the aim of improving transition into the new future focused teaching and learning spaces.

Our self–assessment and the external validation process will assist the school to refine our school plan, leading to furtherimprovements 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

Achieving and aspiring learners

Purpose

To enable students to acquire the knowledge, skills and values to be autonomous and motivated learners for theirongoing personal success.

Overall summary of progress

With the implementation of the new school plan and the development of individual learning strategies improvements inliteracy and numeracy have been a key focus in developing achieving and aspiring students.

Teachers have improved their ability to use baseline data such as best start and internal assessment data to makeinformed decisions about their teaching and plan targeted support for students with identified needs such as those withEnglish as an additional language or dialect, students with particular learning needs and gifted and high potentialstudents.

The implementation of evidence based practices across Kindergarten to Year 12 continue to have a positive impact oncore literacy and numeracy skills. Such practices include the L3 program, Super Six comprehension strategies, 'Thinkingwhile Moving' lessons and ALARM (a learning and responding matrix).

Progress towards achieving improvement measures

Improvement measures(to be achieved over 3 years)

Funds Expended(Resources)

Progress achieved this year

Improvement in the averagenumber of students reachinginstructional reading level: • 9 by the end of Kindergarten • 17 by the end of Year 1 • 23 by the end of Year 2

$6,000 operational funding

$5,000 professionallearning funds

Additional staff from equityloading

• 57% of Kindergarten students reachedinstructional reading level 9. • 73% of Year 1 students achieved a readingtarget of 17. • 61% of Year 2 students reached instructionalreading level 23. • Two teachers completed the L3 training program.

Increase in the percentage ofstudents from Year 5, 7 & 9achieving literacy and numeracyresults in the top two bands ofNAPLAN


$10,000 professionallearning


57% reading and numeracy results in the top 2bands of NAPLAN in years 3 and 5.

42% reading and numeracy results in the top 2bands of NAPLAN in years 7 and 9.

In years 5, 7 and 9 students achieving at or aboveexpect growth exceeded state and like schoolsaverages.

Increase in the average scaledHSC mark

$5,000 professionallearning



• Average scaled HSC mark is 71%. • First Band 6 achieved in Aboriginal Studies. • Legal Studies, Biology, Business Studies, Englishas a Second Language and Physics results abovestate average.

An increase in the number ofstudents operating at a: • Figurative level or above by theend of Kindergarten • Counting on and back level orabove by the end of Year 1 • Facile level or above by theend of Year 2




• 64% of Kindergarten students reached level 2(figurative) • 74% of Year 1 students reached level 3(counting on and back). • 51% of Year 2 students reached level 4 (facile).


Next Steps

1. Evaluate and refine stage literacy and numeracy plans.2. Regularly use student assessment data to reflect on student achievement and progress to inform future teaching

and learning plans.3. Establish an instructional leadership role in the school to sustain the L3 teacher training program.



Teaching, professional learning and innovation

Purpose

To embed collaborative professional practices in futures learning, teaching and continuity of curriculum outcomesKindergarten to Year 12.


The redevelopment of Alexandria Park Community School has directed the professional learning and development ofteachers and staff. The primary school engaged with improved technology facilities and furniture provided in thetemporary Park Road campus. Staff worked on teaching in future focused learning spaces to build their capacity tooperate in the open learning and technology rich spaces of the rebuild. To achieve this teachers participated in theschool's first co–teaching program with most year 7 teachers co–teaching a class. The NSW Public Schools StrategicServices team was engaged to measure the impact of the co–teaching strategy on professional learning, changes toadministrative processes, changes to pedagogy, and student engagement outcomes. Collegial professional developmentwas supported by established practices such as collaborative practice conferences which were expanded into highschool at the faculty level. Teachers received ongoing professional development to support the continuingimplementation of new syllabi and evidence based practices across all key learning areas.





Improved teacher self–efficacy toimplement future focusedteaching programs within theclassroom.


• 80% of teachers have participated inco–teaching across the school. • 96% of teachers indicated that they understandthe 6 models of co–teaching. • 87% of teachers feel confident to developco–teaching relationships.

Evidence of explicit links betweena K–12 professional learningschedule for 2018 – 2020 andprogress toward improvementmeasures for Strategic Directions1, 2 & 3

$16,000 equity loading • Improved strategic planning and evaluativeprocesses of professional learning as documentedthrough the external validation process. • Development of role within the school to overseeprofessional learning activities.

Evidence of co–teaching,authentic integration oftechnology and critical & creativethinking tasks embedded inteaching programs.


• A 53% increase in the number of teachers whoinitially communicated that they had little to noconfidence in embedding critical and creativethinking tasks in teaching programs. 95% of staffnow report they are confident to extremely confidentat embedding critical and creative thinking inteaching programs. • 87% of staff reported working with colleaguesfrom other schools as a useful professional learningexperience. • Co–teaching teachers reported increased skillsand opportunities for differentiation resulting in anincrease in student motivation and engagement. • Students reported more that learning occurred,more questions were answered, more teachershelp, greater access to teacher support, lessbehaviour issues more group and station activitiesresulting in more enjoyable lessons and fun inco–taught classes.

Improvement in aspects of the‘Teaching’ domain of the SEF 2as determined by internal

$10,000 professionalleaning funds

• 50% of the elements in the domain of teachingincreased from 2017 as identified in the externalvalidation process. For example, the theme of






validation processes effective classroom practice increased from beingjudged at delivering to sustaining & growing andlearning and development increased fromsustaining & growing to excelling.

Next Steps

1. The co–teaching model is to be expanded to other year groups in high school and into the primary school.2. The Strategic School Services team to be engaged to support the co–teaching strategy.3. Establish an executive position in the school whose role is to lead teaching, professional learning and innovation.



An engaged and connected Kindergarten to Year 12 community

Purpose

To enrich our Kindergarten to Year 12 community through quality relationships within and beyond our school communitywith the express purpose of improving outcomes for students.


External validation evidence showed that the school community is strongly focused on learning and ongoingimprovement in performance. The sense of community continues to be seen as a core strength in the school. Additionalengagement programs were integrated into the school calendar to provide parents and community with opportunities toconnect and celebrate successes. A diverse range of curricular and extra–curricular programs for students providedopportunities for students to develop positive and respectful relationships, build skills for learning and feel a sense ofbelonging to the school. Community partnership programs with local agencies continue to contribute to a positive,supportive and encouraging learning environment.





High levels of parent satisfactionand connectedness with theschool (celebrations andadministration processes)

$6,500 operational fundingfor community engagement

Additional events implemented to proactivelyengage with parents and the broader communityincluded parent information sessions about specificprograms such as L3, parent and volunteerorientation sessions, Open Day for EducationWeek, increased number of high school tours,planned transition programs for parents andstudents for entry into Kindergarten, Year 2 intoYear 3 and Year 6 into Year 7. Of the parents andvisitors surveyed at such events and celebrations97% reported our school as friendly and welcoming,97% reported that their children had access to avariety of educational programs, and 83% reportedthat the school was well–resourced with 91% ofpeople surveyed reported high to very high accessto technology in classrooms and specialisedlearning spaces.

High levels of studentengagement with the school(students connect, succeed andthrive)

$3,000 operational funding A variety of established and additional learning andwell–being programs were implemented to connectstudents to their learning, develop respectfulrelationships, and experience a sense of belongingto their school and community. Such programsincluded the Bush School, Positive Behaviour forLearning, the reading tutor program, the primaryand high school homework centres, lunch timeclubs such as gardening, chess, robotics andcoding, STEAM presentation night, the positiveapproach to wellbeing program, Harmony Day andNAIDOC student activities. 57% of studentsreported a high rate of participation inextra–curricular activities. 78% of students reportedthat they feel valued and accepted by their peersand others. 89% of students reported that they tryhard to succeed in their learning.


Next Steps

1. The school will increase the number of celebrations of student learning and achievement with parents andcommunity to continue to build the sense of belonging within the community and encourage students to identifythemselves as successful learners.

2. Identify innovative communication and feedback strategies for hard–to–reach parents and carers.3. Explore the use of technology to deepen the engagement of parents and carers in student learning.


Key Initiatives Resources (annual) Impact achieved this year

Aboriginal background loading Equity loading Aboriginalbackground $134,084

Flexible funding $21,000

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studentsrepresent 18% of our school's total populationwith 58 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanderstudents in K – 6 and 87 in 7 – 12. Theemployment of 2 Aboriginal EducationOfficers provides support for students, staff,parents and carers in and out of classrooms.Resources were allocated to the delivery ofhigh quality educational and wellbeingprograms targeted to improve outcomes suchas transition to Kindergarten, early years'literacy, the Sydney University ReadingProgram and Kids Express. Partnerships withlocal community agencies continue to developand strengthen to provide our Aboriginal andTorres Strait Islander students with additionalprograms to link with culture, extend theirtalents, and support positive wellbeing andhealthy decision–making. These include theAboriginal Medical Service Dentist program,the Carriageworks 'Solid Ground' Artist inResidence Program, Australian IndigenousMentoring Experience, National AboriginalSporting Chance Academy , South Cares,Weave and the Settlement. Resources wereallocated to support such yearly events as theAboriginal Studies Community Trip,Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week. Allstudents develop a personalised learningpathway which, in partnership with parentsand carers, supports improved learningoutcomes and educational aspirations.

English language proficiency Equity loading Englishlanguage proficiency$260,541

The English as an Additional Language orDialect (EAL/D) students represent 57% ofstudents K–12. The EAL/D team leads theimplementation of collaborative teachingpractices across the school, working acrossKey Learning Areas from Kindergarten toYear 12. The team of specialist teachers, a7–12 supervisor and a K–6 supervisingexecutive worked from Kindergarten to Year12 to develop co–teaching practices in Stage3, 5 and 6 classes in line with best practice inEAL/D pedagogy. When necessary, studentswere also provided with targeted andpersonalised support to continue theirdevelopment across all four modes oflanguage. The EAL/D team also ledprofessional learning and engagement andenrichment programs for students such as: • Homework centre providing individualisedsupport in homework and assessment tasksfor EAL/D students in years 7 – 12. • New Arrivals Program for newly arrived K–6students. • Transition support for students enrollingfrom Intensive English Centres 7–12.

Low level adjustment for disability Equity loading low leveladjustment for disability$210,120

Significant resources were invested tosupport K–12 students who requireadjustments and learning support to accessthe curriculum. The Learning and SupportTeam (LST) led whole–school professional


Low level adjustment for disability Equity loading low leveladjustment for disability$210,120

learning to strengthen teacher skills toimplement appropriate adjustments inaccordance with the Nationally ConsistentCollection of Data (NCCD). Teachersreported that the LST processes enhancedtheir capacity to provide differentiated andadjusted instruction for identified students andcohorts. The employment of Student Learningand Support Officers (SLSOs) providedvaluable additional class and playgroundsupport for targeted students to engage inclassroom learning tasks, extra–curricularactivities and social programs. A targetedspecialised transition SLSO was identified towork with Years 5 – 8 to support students'transitioning from primary to high school andto ensure students with learning needs aresupported. A K–12 action learning team wasestablished to lead a whole school projectfocusing on programming and adjustmentsand building positive partnerships for studentsand families with Autism Spectrum Disorder.The primary Learning & Support teamcollated all student learning and supportinformation to create an accessible studentdata base for teachers to identify students'individual needs and communicate moreeffectively between stages and teams. Theschool continued a partnership with SydneyUniversity to implement a collaborativetutoring framework to improve the readingdevelopment of targeted students. Studentsincreased their reading levels with growth inreading for individual students ranging from 8months to 3 years in fluency and standardbenchmarks. This project expanded into year7 with tutors supporting student readingdevelopment and a continued focus on Year 6to 7 transition. In Kindergarten the focus onearly intervention programs resulted inmeetings with preschools and allocating anAssistant Principal to ensure all students hada positive transition to school. Kidsxpresscontinued their expressive art therapyprogram targeting students from Years 1 – 8.

Quality Teaching, SuccessfulStudents (QTSS)

School staffing allocation$61,010

A K–12 Deputy Principal was employedabove establishment to enhance theleadership capacity of staff and executive.Part of the role involved mentoring theprimary executive team in the development ofstage–based literacy and numeracy plansaligned to strategic direction 1.Responsibilities included co–leadership of theexternal evaluation team in the developmentof evaluation processes, analysis of studentand school performance data and identifyingareas of need and next steps.

Socio–economic background Equity loadingsocio–economicBackground

Phone home program$10,000

Collaborative practiceconferences $35,000

Students from low socio–economicbackgrounds were provided with whole schoolprograms and strategies to supportimprovement in student achievement as wellas providing support for individual students.Equity funding was used to employ an SLSOone day a week to implement the phonehome program to engage with parents andsupport regular school attendance. Funding


Socio–economic background Student assistanceprogram $10,000

was allocated to provide teachers withadditional release time to engage incollaborative school based professionallearning and innovation. Funding wasprovided to support students from lowsocio–economic backgrounds to access thefull curricular ensuring that they couldparticipate in excursions, camps, sport andother learning and extra curricular programs.

Support for beginning teachers Beginning teacher support$26,683

Four beginning teachers receivedindividualised professional learning anddevelopment. Beginning teachers werementored by a beginning teachers'coordinator and their stage/facultysupervisors. Beginning teachers participatedin professional learning regarding consistentteacher judgement, assessment, marking andreporting practices, lesson planning, deliveryand evaluations and achieving andevidencing proficiency. Funding was allocatedto developing collaborative planning andclassroom, assessment, reporting evaluation.Beginning teachers participated in externalprofessional learning which developedcurriculum knowledge and increasedstrategies to meed the needs of students.100% of teachers that participated in thisprogram thought that the program andopportunities that it provided improved theirpractice and ability to manage their variousroles and responsibilities.

Targeted student support forrefugees and new arrivals

New arrivals program$21,000

Early Stage 1 students were withdrawn insmall groups to support the development ofinterpersonal communication skills throughreading, writing, drawing, singing and games.Early Stage 1 students were also supported inclass to assist them in gaining a greaterunderstanding of class tasks. New arrivalstudents in Stage 1, 2 and 3 were providedwith one–to–one and small group support inclass to assist in developing cognitiveacademic language proficiency skills.Learning activities included reading, writing,revising and editing work, with a particularfocus on vocabulary and grammaticalstructure.

Technology School operational funding$48,000


The Phase 2 move for the primary school intothe multi– storey, Park Rd campus resulted inpurchasing new technology and creatingflexible learning spaces. Primary schoolnetwork and wireless access points wereinstalled throughout the new building allowingteachers to explore flexible learningenvironments including learning outdoors.Interactive Promeathan boards were installedin all operational primary school classroomsand a mobile computer on wheels waspurchased for the library. 15 ipads, includingsoftware were purchased for use by identifiedstudents who needed extra support in theirlearning. K–12 class sets of 'Sphero's werepurchased to promote coding by incorporatingrobotics and technology with collaborativeSTEAM activities. Technology in the schoolwas supported by the funding of a Technical


Technology School operational funding$48,000


Support Officer.

Positive Behaviour for Learning School operational funding$5,000

A variety of Positive Behaviour for Learning(PBL) communication approaches wereemployed including the school website,Facebook and visual signage. PBL signagewas developed in consultation with staff andstudents and the language and location ofsigns was informed by community feedback.Funding supported delivery of PBL lessonsdifferentiated by stage. School leadersincluding the school executive and theStudent Representative Councilcommunicated weekly messages throughregular assemblies and year meetings.Students were encouraged to work towardsthe reward system by achieving positivecomments and 'deadlies'. 'Deadly' behaviourencourages PBL values while at the sametime using language that represents thestrong Aboriginal culture and history at APCS.Furthermore, 'deadly' choices and behaviourswere celebrated within the community throughassemblies and the PBL carnivals toshowcase the hard work studentsdemonstrated throughout the year.

Rebuild Rebuild funds $33,750 In 2018 the school was located in 2 separatepop–up schools on the school oval. Thenewly constructed first ever 3 leveldemountables contain administrative andoffice spaces, the Community Centre, aprimary hall, 23 general learning spaces, 6special program rooms, a library and aspecialist hospitality kitchen. An additionalscience lab and a specialist industrial artsworkshop were also added. The specialistspaces include an art/ maker space, a musicroom, a performing arts room and anadditional computer lab. 2018 saw theopening of the first 5 day a week schoolcanteen called 'sKool snaKs'. The canteenprovides a healthy breakfast from 8.30am andan extensive lunch menu which complies withthe new Healthy Schools Canteen Strategy.In September an agreement between theDepartment of Education and the City ofSydney Council saw the closure of Park Roadto be used as additional active play space forthe students. Wunanbiri pre–schooldemountables were lifted into place late in2018 ready for their occupancy in 2019. Thetender process for the redevelopment closedlate in December.


Student information

Student enrolment profile

Enrolments

Students 2015 2016 2017 2018

Boys 306 370 395 449

Girls 288 301 321 354

Student attendance profile

School

Year 2015 2016 2017 2018

K 93.9 93.7 92.5 91.2

1 93.7 94 93 90.1

2 90.1 93.6 94.3 92.6

3 93.7 88.6 91.8 92.9

4 86.8 89.6 88.7 92.6

5 92.4 93.9 92.9 91.9

6 94 92 89.5 92.5

7 92.2 93.2 90.7 91.4

8 89.5 89.9 91.6 85.4

9 86 89.5 90.3 88.2

10 92.1 89.7 90.4 87.7

11 86.3 89.3 89.8 87.4

12 90.4 89.4 91.5 87.2

All Years 90.7 91.4 91.4 89.8

State DoE

Year 2015 2016 2017 2018

K 94.4 94.4 94.4 93.8

1 93.8 93.9 93.8 93.4

2 94 94.1 94 93.5

3 94.1 94.2 94.1 93.6

4 94 93.9 93.9 93.4

5 94 93.9 93.8 93.2

6 93.5 93.4 93.3 92.5

7 92.7 92.8 92.7 91.8

8 90.6 90.5 90.5 89.3

9 89.3 89.1 89.1 87.7

10 87.7 87.6 87.3 86.1

11 88.2 88.2 88.2 86.6

12 89.9 90.1 90.1 89

All Years 92.3 92.3 92.3 91.5

Management of non-attendance

Non–attendance is managed through a range ofmeasures and strategies. The primary approach isthrough effective and engaging teaching and learningpractices and the Positive Behaviour for Learningmodel to create a school environment that promotesstudent engagement and values attendance. Otherstrategies Kindergarten to Year 12 include SMSmessaging to parents and carers of student non–


attendance, attendance monitoring to identify studentsof concern, a weekly phone home program, parentinterviews for students with poor attendance orpersistent partial absent, regular communications aboutattendance in school newsletters and the involvementof the Home School Liaison Officer.

Post-school destinations

Proportion ofstudents movinginto post-schooleducation, trainingor employment

Year 10%

Year 11%

Year 12%

SeekingEmployment

0 0 0

Employment 0 0 18

TAFE entry 0 0 7

University Entry 0 0 62

Other 0 0 1

Unknown 0 0 12

In 2018, 55 students sat their Higher School Certificate.62% were accepted into university and 18% gainedfull–time employment. Four students of the 2018 HSCcohort were Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. Ofthese students one is in full–time employment, one isattending university, one is completing a paid cadetshipwith a theatre company and one is seekingemployment.

Year 12 vocational or trade training

In 2018, fifteen students from year 12 studied avocational course as part of their HSC, with four ofthose students studying more than one. These courseswere delivered by a variety of Registered TrainingProviders (RTO) including TAFE, DoE Ultimo RTO andprivate RTOs. Five students completed a school basedtraineeship while also completing their HSC. Four ofthese students are in full–time employment and onehas enrolled into university.

Year 12 attaining HSC or equivalent

In 2018, 98% of all HSC candidates achieved their HighSchool Certificate.

Workforce information

Workforce composition

Position FTE*

Principal(s) 1

Deputy Principal(s) 2

Assistant Principal(s) 3

Head Teacher(s) 5

Classroom Teacher(s) 39.82

Teacher of Reading Recovery 0.42

Learning and Support Teacher(s) 1.3

Teacher Librarian 1.8

Teacher ESL 2

School Counsellor 1

School Administration and SupportStaff

11.7

Other Positions 2

*Full Time Equivalent

Alexandria Park Community School has six staffmembers who identify as Aboriginal, including threeclassroom teachers, one school administration officerand two Aboriginal Education Officers.

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 22

Professional learning and teacher accreditation

Professional learning focused on developing literacyand numeracy, critical and creative thinking, addressingthe individual needs of students and developingteachers capacity to deliver future focused teachingand learning practices. In the primary school, EarlyStage 1 teachers continued to engage with the L3program which built student confidence in learning,language and literacy and supported teachers intracking student progress. Teachers supportedstudents numeracy development through the Matificprogram. In the high school, super six comprehensionsstrategies were introduced to teachers and explicit


teaching of these strategies to students was coupledwith embedding the strategies into programs.Professional development also developed teachers'capacity to improve students' critical and creativethinking skills. Teachers from Alexandria ParkCommunity School and Central Sydney IntensiveEnglish High School participated in a Critical andCreative Thinking Combined Schools Conference andthen actioned strategies in classrooms.

Supporting students in accessing the curriculum wasimproved in 2018 by professional learning in wellbeingthrough initiatives such as Positive Approach toWellbeing Program K–12 which is based on theNeurological Model of Education. Four teachersparticipated in Positive Partnership training focused oninclusive practices for students with Autism SpectrumDisorder. These teachers delivered this valuableinformation to the entire staff. HSIE staff worked inpartnership with Kinchela Boys Home Corporation todevelop their cultural competency regarding the StolenGeneration and to improve the delivery a of meaningfuland authentic Stage 5 History curriculum.

In preparation for the future focused spaces of therebuild, teachers developed their ability to teach inco–teaching environments through the Year 7co–teaching program. This program provided time andsupport in developing collaborative practices.Furthermore, effective technology practices wereimproved through K–6 interactive technology training.

Three teachers achieved their accreditation at proficientin 2018. These teachers were supported through theaccreditation and beginning teachers program. Inaddition to this, 2018 saw all pre–2004 service teachersroll into the NESA accreditation scheme requiring allteachers to maintain their accreditation at the level ofproficient.

Financial information

Financial summary

The information provided in the financial summaryincludes reporting from 1 January 2018 to 31December 2018.

2018 Actual ($)

Opening Balance 727,183

Revenue 9,642,965

Appropriation 9,190,171

Sale of Goods and Services 85,927

Grants and Contributions 337,957

Gain and Loss 0

Other Revenue 21,004

Investment Income 7,906

Expenses -9,095,309

Recurrent Expenses -9,095,309

Employee Related -8,471,667

Operating Expenses -623,642

Capital Expenses 0

Employee Related 0

Operating Expenses 0

SURPLUS / DEFICIT FOR THEYEAR

547,656

Balance Carried Forward 1,274,839

The school's finances are managed by a financecommittee comprising the Principal, school executive,Business Manager and the School AdministrativeManager. The finance committee meets to set theschool's budget based on whole school needs andstrategic priorities.

Income and expenditure are monitored on a regularbasis by the Principal, budget managers and theSchool Administrative Manager. Budgets arecoordinated and managed by Assistant Principals,Head Teachers, program leaders or by the DeputyPrincipals. These budgets are monitored usingstate–wide and local internal orders, work breakdownstructures or via the school developed budget tracker.

Funds carried over into the 2019 financial year havebeen committed to the three strategic directionsoutlined in the 2018–2020 school plan with particularreference to professional learning and school planning,considering the long term goals of co–teaching,collaborative planning and flexible learning spaces.


Financial summary equity funding

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

2018 Actual ($)

Base Total 7,263,414

Base Per Capita 138,452

Base Location 0

Other Base 7,124,961

Equity Total 699,510

Equity Aboriginal 156,484

Equity Socio economic 82,593

Equity Language 250,315

Equity Disability 210,118

Targeted Total 151,096

Other Total 462,479

Grand Total 8,576,498

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 and numeracyassessments are reported on a scale from Band 1 toBand 10. The achievement scale represents increasinglevels of skills and understandings demonstrated inthese assessments.

From 2018 to 2020 NAPLAN is moving from a papertest to an online test. Individual schools are migrating tothe online test, with some schools attempting NAPLANon paper and others online.

Results for both online and paper formats are reportedon the same NAPLAN assessment scale. Anycomparison of NAPLAN results – such as comparisonsto previous NAPLAN results or to results for studentswho did the assessment in a different format – shouldtake into consideration the different test formats andare discouraged during these transition years.

In Year 3 Reading 37% of students achieved Band 6compared with 25% across the state. In Year 5

Reading 45% of students achieved Band 8 comparedwith 15% across the state. In Year 7 Reading 41% ofstudents achieved in Bands 8 and 9 compared with26% across the state. In Year 9 Reading 27% studentsachieved in Bands 9 and 10 compared with 20% acrossthe state.


In Year 3 Numeracy 19% of students achieved Band 6compared with 15% across the state. In Year 5Numeracy 52% of students achieved Band 8 comparedwith 12% across the state. In Year 7 Numeracy 31% ofstudents achieved Band 9 compared with 13% acrossthe state. In Year 9 Numeracy 47% of studentsachieved Band 9 and 10 compared with 26% acrossthe state.


The My School website provides detailed informationand data for national literacy and numeracy testing. Goto http://www.myschool.edu.au to access the schooldata.

The school has made significant improvements since2016 regarding the premiers priorities in education asindicated in NAPLAN with a 7% overall increase in the

number of students achieving the top two bands fromYears 3–9. This has been maintained from 2017 andinto 2018. Significant gains were made in Year 3Numeracy (12% increase) and Year 3 Reading (22%increase) in 2018. The schools continues to becommitted to improving the outcomes of Aboriginalstudents through the implementation of PLPs whichfocus on individualised learning.

Higher School Certificate (HSC)

The performance of students in the HSC is reported inbands ranging from Band 1 (lowest) to Band 6(highest).


2018 saw consistent results with the previous years.The average scaled HSC mark in 2018 was 71%.Aboriginal Studies achieved its first Band 6 afterbeginning in 2016. The following courses achievedresults about state average; Legal Studies, Biology,Business Studies, English as a Second Language andPhysics.

Parent/caregiver, student, teachersatisfaction

The school continues to consult widely with students,staff and community on a range of key issues.

Formalised consultation processes included the TellThem From Me Survey, developed by the Centre forEducation Statistics and Evaluation. Using ongoingconsultation and feedback processes, important datafrom students was gathered regarding their feelings ofengagement and relationships within the school. • 78% of Aboriginal students reported that they

agreed with the statement that they feel positiveabout their culture at school

• Students in all year groups from Year 5 to Year12 reported above average intellectualengagement and found learning interesting,enjoyable and interesting.

• 89% of students reported positive behaviours atschool which is significantly above the stateaverage for this indicator

• The school maintained its positive above stateaverage result for relevance of learning withstudents finding classroom instruction relevant totheir everyday lives

• High school students report very positiveteacher–student relations across all years withresults significantly above the state norm.

• Primary school students reported much lowerthan state average levels of bullying including lowlevels of bullying over the internet.

The survey also sought feedback from staff about thekey drivers of student learning. • Higher than state–average for teacher

collaboration, including the collaborativedevelopment of learning and assessmentstrategies that increase student engagement andperformance.

• Strong regards for school leadership with themajority of staff stating that school leaders areleading improvement and change

• Teachers reported high levels well above thestate norm for working with leadership to create asafe and orderly school environment

• Teachers also were found to have made apositive impact on inclusivity by establishing clearexpectations for classroom behaviour andincluding students with special learning needs inclass activities.

Feedback from parents gathered from P&C meetings,the P&C parent survey and parent engagementprograms report that they have a positive relationshipwith the school and found staff to be approachable andhelpful. In terms of external communication, thenewsletter and Facebook page were seen as valuablesources of information and promotion. The new schoolwebsite has been praised by parents who reportpositively on the content especially on the news itemsand the school calendar.


Policy requirements

Aboriginal education

The school took a multifaceted approach to Aboriginaleducation including working with community partnersand the Aboriginal Education Consultative Group,improving cultural competency of staff and providingstudents with opportunities to engage with meaningfullearning about Aboriginal knowledge, culture andhistory. In the primary school Aboriginal Elders wereinvited to share artworks and culture with class groups.New staff across the school improved their culturalcompetency and knowledge of the school communitythrough the Learning about Country professionallearning and in Term 4 HSIE teachers deepened theirknowledge and pedagogy regarding teaching historicalknowledge about the Stolen Generation. Staff andstudents worked with community partners to delivermeaningful learning experiences. Aboriginal studentsengaged with National Aboriginal Sporting ChanceAcademy (NASCA) and the Australian IndigenousMentoring Experience who provide opportunities forstudents to experience and learn about Aboriginalculture through camps, in class support, sporting andcultural events. NASCA supported the PersonalisedLearning Plan process assisting students in identifyinglearning, family and community goals. Year 10 studentsworked with Kinchela Boys Home Corporation to learnabout the Stolen Generation. Stolen Generation Unclesvisited the school for a number of sessions and spokewith students about their experiences and the impact ofevents on future generations. Aboriginal Studiesstudents undertook the annual community experienceto the north coast of NSW. Students engaged with localgroups and Aboriginal people to learn about the localculture and community.

Multicultural and anti-racism education

Primary school and high school celebrated HarmonyDay as a combined K–12 event. Performances fromlocal organisations recognised the diversity of ourcommunity and continued to foster and strengthenrelationships with students, teachers, parents and widercommunity members. Primary school students werepresented with the opportunity to represent our schoolat the Multicultural Perspectives Public SpeakingCompetition. Community playgroups focusing onCulturally and Linguistically Diverse families includinglocal families and new arrivals to our school. Theschool readiness program also supported multiculturalfamilies who may not have accessed early childhoodservices and we worked with Wunanbari Preschool toensure all 2019 Kindergarten students were part of ourorientation sessions. To further support multiculturaleducation and anti–racism education, an additionalanti–racism contact officer was appointed. Our schoolhas strengthened its connections with Central SydneyIntensive English Centre (CSIEC) by starting the yearwith a cross–school staff development day. Wecontinued to offer in–school experience for CSIECstudents who are looking to enrol in our school. Thispromotes togetherness and inclusivity for all students.An International Student Coordinator was appointed to

liaise with the Department of Education International,supporting students and homestay carers as well asorganising additional in class support andextra–curricular events for international students. Tofurther support our students from non–English speakingbackgrounds, we continue to offer EAL/D support inclasses, with additional support available for Stage 6through in–class co–teaching strategies.

Other school programs

Alexandria Park Community CentreDuring 2018 Alexandria Park Community Centre haswelcomed 600 participants (mainly families with youngchildren), of whom 26% regularly participated inactivities at the Community Centre and 328 were newfamilies. Of the known participants, there were 547mothers, 71 fathers, 24 grandparents, 6 carers and 3local community members. Of the regular families 4%idenified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and58% were from culturally and linguistically diversebackgrounds. The main cultural groups were Japanese,Irish, Swedish and Chinese with a growing Mongoliancommunity.

Of the 809 participating children 435 were aged 0–3years, 166 were aged 3–5 years, 183 were aged over 5years and 125 were unknown. Of the 174 children whoparticipated regularly 11 had identified additionalneeds.

Throughout the year there were 21 various activitieswhere participation could be tracked and regularfamilies determined. The activities offered were weeklyprograms (some of which were parent led playgroups),parenting programs, toy library, training courses, andcommunity events.

20 people volunteered at the Community Centre during2018, with an additional 9 parents volunteering to assistthe relocation of the Community Centre in October to itstemporary location while the new school andcommunity centre is built over the next few years. TheCommunity Centre ceased accepting donations ofclothing, toys and books in 2018 due to the smallertemporary space.

The Alexandria Park Early Childhood Health Clinic hascontinued during 2018 providing clinics, home visits,new parent programs (on and off site) and solidsgroups. With the relocation to the temporary space twoof the programs have ceased to run from theCommunity Centre (Aspect Building Blocks andAboriginal Education Council). The dietitian andorthoptist continue to visit the Centre to see clients.

In 2018 Alexandria Park Community Centre housed thefollowing programs up to October: • Alexandria Park Schools as Community Centres

Program • Alexandria Park Early Childhood Health Clinic • Save the Children's Play2Learn Mobile Playbus • Aboriginal Education Council • Aspect Building Blocks Team • Staff from the Child and Family Health Team


Weekly activities on offer by the Schools as CommunityCentre at the Community Centre were: • Music & Movement classes for families with

children under school age • Alex Park School Readiness Program for children

aged 3–5 years • Community Playgroup for families from culturally

and linguistically diverse backgrounds • Baby Group for new parents referred by the Early

Childhood Nurses • Dobell Playgroup for families living in public

housing in Redfern and Waterloo • Swedish Playgroup • Irish Cultural Playgroup • Indian Mums Playgroup • Japanese Playgroup • Cantonese Rhymetime • Toy & DVD Library including parenting books • Booktalk – free pre–loved children's books and

books for adults • Family Food Co–op • Clothing & Equipment Swap • Alexandria Community Garden

Additional programs run in partnership with other localgovernment and non–government organisationsincluded: • 1.2.3. Magic Parenting program • Bringing Up Great Kids parenting program • Education Support training courses through BCA

National (part qualification and full qualification) • Akiko's Art Classes for families • Musical Beginnings with Baby Group • OzHarvest Cookoff • Three "Playgroups in the Park" family fun days

held in Redfern Park • Redfern Neighbourhood Day • Summer on the Green • Family Culture Day Christmas Celebration at

Redfern Community Centre • NAIDOC Family Day at National Centre of

Indigenous ExcellenceMusic

All students in Stages 2 and 3 performed at the primarypresentation day. Stage 3 classes took part in the MAD(Music, Art, Drama) concert at the end of term 3 whereeach class performed their own instrumental piece andparticipated in the finale 'All You Need Is Love'. Themassed choir was accompanied by a live band madeup of Stage 6 students, staff, parents and our specialguest performer, Paul Goodchild, from the SydneySymphony Orchestra. Primary classes participated inthe Music Count Us In project performing the song atthe primary presentation day. Stage 6 studentsparticipated in a HSC music workshop on AustralianMusic at MLC school. A number of Stage 5 and 6students performed in lunch–time concerts, acommunity CanTeen fund raising concert and theCAPA STEAM Showcase in term 4. The Sapphiresre–formed to perform several songs at our NAIDOCcelebration. Their songs had a focus on the NAIDOCtheme "Because of Her We Can". Students from theYear 10 elective class composed, performed andrecorded a sound track for a multi–media piece based

on the theme. A number of our Aboriginal studentsattended a special performance by Bangarra DanceTheatre at the Opera House. The range of co–curricularmusical experiences available to students continued toexpand. Band provider, Directions in Music, wasengaged to start a Beginner Band for students in Years3, 4 and 5. Students attended band rehearsal beforeschool and then group tutorials during class time. AnIntermediate Band, comprised of students from Years3–9, also was in operation. Both bands played at avariety of events including assembly, the HalloweenConcert and the Daceyville Big Band Bash. Theprimary school vocal ensemble gave performances atschool assemblies for Harmony Day, Anzac Day andNAIDOC. There were also ensembles for high schoolstudents including Senior Rock Band, Junior RockBand and Pop Choir. A number of our students againundertook Australian Music Examination Board musicexams on a range of instruments from Preliminary toGrade 8 standard.

Library

The library underwent major resource updates as aresult of relocation throughout 2018. 22,491 new bookshave been added to the library collection with a focus ofexpanding the senior fiction section. 4000 items withpublication date prior to 1990, were culled enhancingthe currency of the library resources. In supporting aculture of sustainability the culled resources weredonated to suburban and regional schools within NSW.Our focus for 2018 has been literature promotion withan emphasis on visual literacy. We hosted an"Australian Illustrator in Residence" event during whichMr Nathaniel Eckstrom, taught students essential skillsin story telling via drawing. Primary students hadexciting times creating their own stories and each classreceived two original pictures drawn by the illustrator.The library continued participation in theBooks–in–Homes program . The program is funded bya local business, Goodman, who enabled our studentsto receive 3 new books each for 3 terms to helpdevelop literacy skills in students at home. Authors andillustrators Wendy Milton, Yvette Poshoglian & TomJellett inspired APCS students with fun readings andstory telling at assemblies. The library also ran a verysuccessful homework centre program in which studentsdeveloped good studying habits that enabled asmoother adaptation in 21st century learningenvironment. The library monitors program helped trainapproximately 40 student volunteers throughout 2018.These library monitors are motivated to take up theresponsibility of running library activities such as loans,shelving and book covering.

Artist in Residence

The Artist in Residence Program continued to thrive in2018. Students and teachers experienced the privilegeof working with Sani Ray Townsend, a previousBangarra Dancer and Gondwana choir instructor, tolearn contemporary dance as a part of the Solid GroundArtist in Residence Program for 2018. Other studentsinterested in Design and Visual Arts had the opportunityto be mentored by animation and design students at theUniversity of Technology to complete an animation that


accompanied the dance performance. Our Alex ParkSwag Dancers created and performed two dance andanimation pieces to packed houses at the AboriginalArts Market at the Carriageworks.

International Students Program

At the end of 2017, two International StudentCoordinators were appointed to support the enrolmentand wellbeing of a growing international studentportfolio. International students a Alexandria ParkCommunity School come from Korea, Indonesia,Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Mongolia and Japan. InTerm 1 2018, the school hosted a two week visit to agroup of students and teachers from the GansuProvince in China. International students have achievedoutstanding academic results and made significantcontributions to both the school and the community.These contributions included participation in sportingand various fundraising events both in school andwithin the community.


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