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Sydney Childrens Hospital SchoolAnnual Report

2018

5545

Printed on: 23 June, 2019 of 20 Sydney Childrens Hospital School 5545 (2018)

Introduction

The Annual Report for 2018 is provided to the community of Sydney Childrens Hospital School as an account of theschool's operations and achievements throughout the year. It provides a detailed account of the progress the school hasmade to provide high quality educational opportunities for all students, as set out in the school plan. It outlines thefindings from self–assessment that reflect the impact of key school strategies for improved learning and the benefit to allstudents from the expenditure of resources, including equity funding.

The Department of Education hospital schools are part of a joint NSW Ministry of Health and Department of Educationfacility. NSW Health Children and Adolescents – Guidelines for Care in Acute Care Settings outline that hospital settingsapproach the delivery of patient education needs in partnership with the NSW Department of Education.

Sydney Childrens Hospital School is a K– 12 School for Specific Purposes that enrols inpatients, outpatients attached totreatment programs and siblings, from government and non–government schools across Australia and internationally.The school's purpose and function is to lead educational services within the hospital community and to provide thecontinuity of quality education for students within multistage classrooms and across a hospital ward teaching service.

Coordinated health and education planning for personalised learning and transition planning is a priority. Teachers workas educational case managers to support the whole of child/young person's academic and wellbeing needs. Innovativestaff demonstrate strong partnerships with students, parents and census schools while working as members of healthmultidisciplinary teams.

Continued school, staff and student development is a priority of Sydney Childrens Hospital School's strategic directions.Our contribution to growth in student achievement is evident in successful student transitions back to census schools andwhen high expectations and educational engagement is continued through a students illness, injury or disruption toschool attendance.

Strengthening evidence of student performance across a range of qualitative and quantitative analyses is a schoolpriority and the setting challenge is applying the value added methodology to demonstrate longitudinal system or schooldata to support improvements in student achievement that demonstrates long–term growth in student or cohortoutcomes. We move towards defining how we measure student growth in our context and moving beyond only usingqualitative data.

Contextual Factors that may influence student performance at Sydney Childrens Hospital School: • Wellness • Enrolment length • Flexible/partial attendance • Emotional wellbeing – family unit, siblings and patients • Isolation – social and educational (some students can spend up to 100 days in isolation and/or students that return

home, though do not return to school) • Students not attending classrooms and receiving a short ward teaching sessions • Working within a host environment – health focus • Capacity, knowledge and understanding of staff – SASS and teaching within an isolated setting • Historical practices and relationships within the school and hospital • Barriers working with census schools and other educational sectors

Lynda Campbell

Principal

School contact details

Sydney Childrens Hospital SchoolLevel 0, High StRandwick, 2031www.sydchnhos-s.schools.nsw.edu.ausydchnhos-s.school@det.nsw.edu.au9399 7119


School background

School vision statement

Sydney Childrens Hospital School leads educational services within the hospital community and provides the continuityof quality education for hospitalised students and their siblings. Innovative staff demonstrates strong partnerships withstudents, parents and census schools while working as proactive members of multidisciplinary teams. The SydneyChildrens Hospital School is committed to excellence in future focused teaching, personalised learning and strongtransition planning that combines student wellbeing and education goals.

School context

Sydney Childrens Hospital School is a K–12 School for Specific Purposes operating within the Sydney Children'sHospital Network. The School is a joint venture between NSW Health and NSW Department of Education. The studentpopulation is diverse with student enrolments from both government and non–government school settings acrossAustralia.

The Sydney Childrens Hospital School has an ongoing focus on delivering quality education programs within apersonalised teaching and learning approach. Teachers, with School Learning Support Officers, deliver educationalprograms for students in hospital wards and in three multistage classrooms. Collaboration with families, census schoolsand multidisciplinary teams enhance educational, health and attendance outcomes for students.

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. The framework supportspublic schools throughout NSW in the pursuit of excellence by providing a clear description of high quality practiceacross the three domains of Learning, Teaching and Leading.

At Sydney Childrens Hospital School staff worked towards refining teaching and learning practice and systems thatdemonstrate a high standard of teaching and student engagement. A continued focus of 2018 remained on buildingteacher knowledge and capacity of core responsibilities for teachers to be compliant with NESA requirements, as well as,understanding of curriculum content and formative assessment. A self–assessment against NESA requirements hasgiven a more constructive and measured self–assessment against the SEF. This has shifted some on–balancedjudgements in Teaching and Learning to Working Towards Delivering and Delivering. This does not distract from thequality work already in place within the school nor the professional judgements that have reflected Sydney ChildrensHospital School's growth to Sustaining and Growing in area such as Collaborative Practice.

Emphasis and growth in 2018 continued across the below areas: • Content Knowledge and Skills: STEM subject matter knowledge • Future Focused and other Skills: collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, leadership • Student Affective Domains: attitudes, confidence, interest, motivation persistence and self–efficacy • Teaching Practice: teaching effectiveness, pedagogical knowledge, pedagogical practice • Personalised Learning & Support Planning through collaborative planning • Coordinated health and education case management to support student planning and transitions

Learning: 2018 built on teacher practice to ensure contemporary pedagogical content knowledge creates rigorous,relevant and future focused learning programs. Staff continued to identify strategies that increase student engagementand motivation through interactivity and collaboration and to equip students to be lifelong learners and persons betteradapted to the challenges of a rapidly changing world. As a priority, teachers worked towards embedding technology toenhance opportunities for collaboration between students, teachers and schools and to support digital connectednessacross classrooms, wards and with our broader census school communities. This focus successfully supported studentwellbeing and curriculum delivery, as well as, establishing clear learning directions for individual students.

A priority for Sydney Childrens Hospital School was to define and document how student improvement is measured. Afocus on Formative Assessment practices leading to informed, reformed and improved teaching practice was continuedand remains an ongoing priority in 2019. All longer term and complex students receive a formal report at the end of theirenrolment at Sydney Childrens Hospital School, though to strengthen our professional practices the below areas and


strategies will be investigated and embedded across 2019 and 2020. • How has collaborative planning informed the purpose of assessment? • What evidence and demonstrated work samples have been used to inform the feedback to parents and feedback

to the student? • What evidence has been or is planned to be used to identify student improvement? • What action occurred as a result of the assessment processes? • How are we measuring student improvement? • Student reflection and evaluation processes

Teaching: Professional learning focusing on formative assessment and building staff capacity to plan for evaluation andassessment of teaching and learning has been a priority. Strengthening teacher knowledge, capacity and compliancewith teacher core responsibilities in the teaching and learning cycle remains a continued focus. Teachers moved towardscollaborative team planning and identifying evidence that demonstrates how student engagement is monitored andmeasured at Sydney Childrens Hospital School. An emphasis of individual teacher, team and whole school professionallearning focused on:

• Teaching and learning programs – scopes & sequences, curriculum content, innovative pedagogies designed tomeet student needs

• Student performance and improvement: Evidence of progress – work samples, program evaluation • Teacher feedback and student self–reflection – 2019 focus

Leading: The Learning Support Team (LST) in place for students within Oncology and Rehab2 departments hastargeted students who are identified for coordinated health and education planning, as well as, students needingadditional health information for the development of education programs and plans. An increase in coordinated healthand education planning for transition has now expanded across other health teams and departments.

A focus on improving information gathering from census schools and health teams and developing better ways to planand provide evidence of student personalised learning was implemented. To strengthen and centralise studentinformation Sydney Childrens Hospital School moved towards staff using Synergy.

Strengthening coordinated health and education planning, the LST Coordinator and School Counsellor roles lead theprincipal, LST coordinator and school counsellor to streamline a referral process for case managers (teachers) toescalate identified students needing additional supports, assessment, disability confirmations and liaison with healthneuropsychologist, psychologists and psychiatrists and census school counsellors.

Our self–assessment process will assist the school to refine our school plan, leading to further improvements in thedelivery 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

Connected & Engaged Future Focused Learners

Purpose

To provide a whole school approach to digital connectedness and the delivery of quality learning, enabling all students tobe connected and engaged learners

Overall summary of progress

Future Focused Learners at Sydney Childrens Hospital School: patients and siblings from Kindergarten to Year 12 areenrolled each year in our school allowing students to continue their education during their hospital stay. Teachers andstudents have been busy engaging in and leading innovative pedagogies to support our school plan and strategicdirections moving us towards all students being engaged and contributing to regular collaborative learning sessions.Teachers have connected students to school, classrooms and census schools through traditional and innovativepractices. Staff have increased the use of physical and virtual learning spaces and platforms that connect students withcollaborative learning opportunities to support high expectations, academic growth and wellbeing of our shared youngpeople.

All classrooms will have interactive panel MLD Smart Boards installed by 2019 to provide interactive displays that bringdevices, education software and lesson content together. These are now in place for our two Level 0 rooms. Ward andisolation students now have the ability to connect into our classrooms. Staff provide professional learning to censusschools in the utilisation of technology for virtual connectedness.

Recent purchases of cameras and other digital technology has allowed students and teachers to enthusiastically launchinto STEM education learning of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in an interdisciplinary or integratedapproach. Our students gain and apply knowledge, deepen their understanding and develop creative and critical thinkingskills.

Professional learning developed staff capacity in the utilisation of technology tools which are embedded in dailyclassroom practice to engage students in collaborative learning activities, building expertise in engaging and innovativepedagogies.

Sydney Childrens Hospital School took part in the STEMShare pilot project. The pilot enabled teachers and theirstudents the opportunity to trial new hands–on equipment while receiving ongoing support from the STEMShareCommunity Leaders. As a result, the school have purchased a set of 6 Sphero robots, a 3D printer and an Osmo kit. Wehave also purchased a range of equipment to create a MakerSpace within the primary classroom. This included a classset of cameras and printers, wearable technology equipment and Little Bits. Most equipment is easily transported to theward for bedside teaching sessions. This equipment provides students the opportunity to explore technology creatively,as part of the teaching and learning program at Sydney Childrens Hospital School.

Throughout 2018, we saw an increase in the number of students and schools participating in the telepresence robotpilots, sponsored through organisations, CanTeen and MissingSchool. Telepresence robots are placed in cooperatingschools to help reduce feelings of isolation for young cancer patients who experience prolonged absences from theircensus school due to the need for protective isolation. The student operates and moves the robot in real–time using theirdevice from either home, Sydney Childrens Hospital School, the hospital ward or any remote location. Students havereported that robots are great for keeping them connected to their peers.

Progress towards achieving improvement measures

Improvement measures(to be achieved over 3 years)

Funds Expended(Resources)

Progress achieved this year

Increase in student participationin daily & weekly connectedsessions at the Sydney ChildrensHospital School.

Interactive learning boards– NIL cost to school, DoEfunded.

External IT consultant foriPad & laptop management$1084

Release for internal SLSO(responsibility for TSO)

Interactive learning boards installed in twoclassrooms and teachers provided with TPL on use.

Increased access to online interactive spaces toassist in improving opportunities for education andsocial connectedness to reduce social isolation ofhospitalised students and sibling enrolments.

Building capacity and embedding technology intodaily practice in the primary classroom and Ward






Increase in student participationin daily & weekly connectedsessions at the Sydney ChildrensHospital School.

capacity building in IPadand Laptop management$466

ICT information days $300Release for teacher andSLSO $2184

Release for teachers STEMcourse $5445 and SASSstaff $932

service.

Increase in students consistentlyconnecting to census schoolsessions.

NIL cost in 2018 Connected classrooms from wards to SCHSclassrooms and students back to census school viatelepresence robots – MissingSchools org, Canteenetc Google Classroom and Hangouts.

2018 saw an increase in students that aremanaging periods of isolation or are dischargedand not able to attend their census school havingeducational plans that address digitalconnectedness to both Sydney Childrens HospitalSchool classrooms and census schools and/orcontinued attendance in Sydney Childrens HospitalSchool classrooms.

Positive changes in student andstaff knowledge, skills, orbehavior in STEM educationprograms, through increasedcontent knowledge, positivechanges in pedagogicalpractices, increased knowledgeand awareness of planning andevaluating collaboration, criticalthinking, creativity and STEMleadership.

STEM Makerspace total =$4208.96 • Little Bits WearableTechnology WeDO 2.0$839.85 • OSMO Genius $369.96 • 3D printer $1200 • Sphero ball $1800 • Click View $1600Professional learning SD1$2702.

Revisited 2017 STEM and digital educationprofessional learning and resources T–PACK HighPossibility Classrooms.

Staff and students participated in targetedprofessional learning and digital technologiesworkshops cross coding, robotics, 3D printingVirtual Reality, film, Makerspace design, embeddingtechnology into daily practice in the classroom andward.

SDD Term 3 Qwerty Kids STEM Digital Technology– coding.

STEM education programs aredeliberately designed to intereststudents in, and academicallyprepare them for furture focusedattitudes, confidence, interest,motivation persistence andself–efficacy.

Classroom furniture$13,441

Teacher planning days –teacher release $5445

Delivery of support and training for use oftechnology kits and STEM equipment by adedicated team of STEM experts. Training wasbased on integration of STEM concepts intoclassrooms.

Staff worked with SEO1 STEMShare CommunityLeader.

Staff participated in professional learning alliancenetwork across Bondi schools.

STEMShare kits and online support materialcovered in weekly staff professional learningsessions.

Next Steps

• In 2019 educational case managers (teachers) will be required to work in collaboration with health teams, parentsand census schools to develop an educational plan for discharge for all students not returning to their censusschool in the short term following discharge. Referrals to the Learning & Support Team for students in this situationwith complex needs requiring coordinated health and education planning will be expected of all educational case


managers. • Connected and Collaborative learning for every student by physical and virtual attendance. Shape the delivery of

innovative, collaborative learning experiences connecting students to collaborative learning activities, providing acontinuum of learning and preparing them for a dynamic and flexible world by connecting students on the hospitalwards and at Ronald MacDonald House with the SCHS classroom for Speaking and Listening news sessions viamulti–screen video conference and with SCHS incursions.

• Increase the use of digital technology across the classrooms and wards linking students on wards to SydneyChildrens Hospital School classrooms teaching and learning programs.

• increased integration of ICT across the curriculum by 100% of teaching staff to provide all students to develop theirskills to become competent, discriminating, productive, creative, ethical users of technology.

• Evidence of use of T–PACK High Possibility Classrooms and Science & Digital Technology Syllabus within teacherand team lesson plans and teaching and learning programs.

• A project team, Connected Collaborative Learning will continue the work that has been a key role of the SCHSprincipal to build on our plan and link with DoE – Information Technology, Technology Innovations Team andFutures Learning Directorates and with additional partnerships with Missing Schools org, Canteen, Apple andCISCO.

• Strengthening the following evidence by all teachers for the specified stage and syllabus: the scope and sequenceof STEM learning/units of work mapped to outcomes from the relevant NESA syllabus, a teaching program, anassessment plan indicating how students' performance is assessed, monitored and recorded student worksamples that correspond to the teaching program.

• Establish a weekly K– 12 Makerspace or STEM whole school program



Expert Leaders in Personalised Learning

Purpose

Confident, quality teachers setting high expectations for diverse learners within the teaching and learning cycle whilesupporting a whole school approach to formative assessment and coordinated health and education planning.


Quality Teaching, Successful Students (QTSS) funding was used to release the Learnig & Support Team (LST)Coordinator role to work in an instructional leader approach to support and strengthen teacher capacity within thelearning and support cycle and to build on essential systems for coordinated health and education planning andtransitions. This role forms part of the leadership team and has the responsibility to support the principal with movingforward school strategic directions acorss health and education systems, overseeing personalised learning and our LSTstructures. The role has increased coordinated multidisciplinary health and education communication, planning andsupported actions.

The LST structure extended from oncology and rehab student enrolments to cater for all students with addtional andcomplex case management needs who require support and planning beyond the educational case manager (teacher)role expectations or capacity. The LST meets twice a week, with the whole school LST meeting including the principal,LST coordinator, school pychologist and a teacher. Teacher staff rotate participation on a semester basis. A formalreferral process was established for teachig staff to identify student need, outline teacher practice and case managementto date and clarifiy the learning or case management support required. This process supports either an escaluation ofsupport from the LST Coordinator, school pyshcologist and when necessary principal or a redirection to teacher or teamplannng and case management.

The school has implemented the student wellbeing system (using Synergy software) an online tool accessed through thestaff portal to input and access information from Student wellbeing (Synergy) including recording, reviewing, updatingand/or reading and tracking information about a student. The LST Coordinator has supported staff to become familiarwith using Synergy and developed a how to guide relevant for our context. Support and professional learning has beenoffered support to each teacher to go through a student and walk them through how to load info up.

All teachers at Sydney Childrens Hospital School are encouraged and supported to be 'expert leaders in PersonalisedLearning Support Planning'. Professional learning of staff supported effective teacher planning and evaluation ofteaching and learning programs. with a persionalised learning context. Professional learning targeted areas acrossNational Literacy and Numeracy Learning Progressions, PLAN, Best Start Kindergarten and Year 7 Assessment, as wellas, collaborative planning and teacher and SLSO training on trauma & learning and understanding and supportingbehaviour.

Curriculum options for a student with disability and additional support needs was a focus and teachers planning forstudent individual learning needs and priorities. These options include adjustments to teaching, learning andassessment. Making decisions with the student, their parent/carer, teachers and other significant individuals acrosshealth and census schools. Collaborative curriculum planning was introdued to determine the most appropriatecurriculum options and adjustments for our identified and high support needs students. Teacher and stage teams weresupported to identfy SMART goals, identify interventions and other supports to address identified student learning andsupport needs.

Formative assessment was another focus of teacher professional learning and team planing. Teachers were supportedto increase their knowledge and build capactiy in what is the purpose of assessment, who is the assessment for, who isthe assessment designed to inform, where is the emphasis / impact of the assessment placed, and can studentimprovement be identified in our context.

All long term and current enrolled students are required to have a semester 1 & 2 formal template report. All short termstudents' not receiving a SCHS template report recieve an educational update email back to their census school andparents stating outcomes, engagement and assessments for the period of time they were enrolled. A PDF of this email issaved in the faculaty drive student folder & loaded to Synergy.

Each term the school's administration team generates each teachers student caseload and attendance data from EBSCentral for teachers to cross reference student data, identify students needing formal template reports and update emailsto census schools and parents. Teachers are encouraged to use this data to look at their caseload patterns, studentneeds and review teaching practices related to both individual case management and in stage teams.






All recurrent, long term andstudents with an identifieddisability have educational growthmeasured using conceptualformative assessment tools todevelop and evaluate targetedteaching and learning programs.

External consultant $1800

SD2 professional learning$1099

Teaching resources $834

Teachers participated in a curriculum andassessment review/audit – how they plan, programand evaluate for our hospital ward and classroomsfor short and long term students. Teachers wereasked to reflect on their practice – how theymeasure and document how we add value tostudent learning while meeting all NESArequirements.

Working with an external consultant highlightedwhat to address as a priority, as well as providingan opportunity to work with expert knowledge inwhole school and team planning.

Teachers participated in planning days led by theconsultant on formative assessment and linking thatto the programming cycle to identify and mapstudent improvement.

Teachers began peer observations and feedbackas part of their PDP to strengthen and build qualityteaching.

All teachers subscribe to the NESA electronicnewsletter.

All recurrent, long term andstudents with an identifieddisability have a personalisedlearning support plan withtransition, home isolation periods,learning and wellbeing plansclearly identified developed withparents and census schools.

NIL cost SMART goals linked to syllabus outcomes need tobe strengthened and measured for impact onteaching and student learning.

Parent consultation and involvement in their child'spersonalised learning support planning hasincreased.

There is an increase of teachers who refer studentswith an identified disability to our Learning SupportTeam, ensuring that the specific needs of studentswith additional needs are met. The LST supportsteachers in identifying and responding to theadditional needs of students.

Embedded practice of coordinated health andeducation planning for transitions is in place for allstudents with diverse and complex needs acrossmost hospital departments.

Every student achieves expectedor higher than expected growthas identified by the SydneyChildren's Hospital School withinthe general capabilitiesframework.

Teacher release PL $3960

Teacher release $5455

Teaching planning days towork with consultant $8910

Teachers have participated in extensiveprofessional learning of formative assessment,literacy and numeracy and PLAN 2.

Next Steps

• School assessment policies and procedures comply with the requirements documented on the ACE website andNESA Official Notices. Specifically: organisational details of the school's assessment program for eachStage/team.

• Strengthening teaching capacity, collaborative planning and evidence relating to the standard of teaching,specifically: the consistency between the various elements of the school's curriculum including NESA syllabusoutcomes, scope and sequences, teaching programs, assessment records and samples of student work, recordsof teacher evaluation/reflection.


• Evidence relating to student engagement in learning, specifically: records of students' learning progress over timein English and mathematics, records of teaching strategies to meet the learning needs of students across a varietyof backgrounds and learning profiles, records of the school's analysis of student achievement data to informteaching and learning.

• Provide evidence on addressing the Premiers targets for Numeracy and Literacy (Reading) and identify strategiesin our school plan/milestones that link to these targets. A review of SD 1 and 2 and identify projects and relatedmilestones that reflect these targets and strategies.

• A strengthened focus on supervision of teacher core responsibilities and case management of students through ateaching and learning review cycle to be finalised. This will focus on NESA requirements and department policiesto build teacher capacity and evidence for how as a school, a high standard of teaching is demonstrated. Area forour continuous review and development will include:

• Samples of documentation submitted to supervisor • Teacher evaluation of program effectiveness • Documentation of strategies to improve teacher effectiveness and student learning • Analysis of student achievement data • Documentation in how the standard of teaching is managed, expectations set, monitored and improvement

strategies implemented

• Teaching programs will continue to be designed to meet and prioritise student needs. A focus on ensuring thateducational programs are quality and have evidence of collaboration (census school, parents, health and students)feedback, progress and engagement including:

• Work samples • Student performance and identified improvement • Student reflection and evaluation • Demonstrated relationship between teacher and student • Evidence of feedback to students, parents, census school and health teams

• A priority for Sydney Childrens Hospital School is to define and document how student improvement is measured.A focus on Formative Assessment practices leading to informed, reformed and improved teaching practice andconsiders:

• How has collaborative planning informed the purpose of assessment? • What evidence and demonstrated work samples have been used to inform the feedback to parents and feedback

to the student? • What evidence has been or is planned to be used to identify student improvement? • What action occurred as a result of the assessment processes? How are you measuring student improvement?



Collaborative and Cohesive Community Partnerships and Relationships

Purpose

To increase community partnerships and investment in the Sydney Children's Hospital School to build strongconnections, innovations, and programs so that our students can grow into connected, confident and resilient globalcitizens


Focus areas in 2018 included increasing school leadership team engagement with hospital executive and fundraisingteams across Sydney Childrens Hospital (SCH) and the broader SCH and Westmead Health Network, strengtheningparent partnership with coordinated health and education planning and school life and events.

The principal has established annual, quarterly and monthly scheduled meetings with SCHN Chief Executive Officer,SCH Director of Nursing, SCH Clinical Director of Adolescent Mental Health and other related department directors andNurse Unit Managers to discuss school plan and strategic directions, operational solutions, establishing connectionsacross relevant health roles and departments and update health staff on school successes and challenges.

The school does not have a P&C Committee and the current school leadership team have been on a journey ofestablishing a relationship with SCH Executive, SCH Public Relations and SCH Foundation to increase the school'sprofile within the hospital and community. The SCH Foundation is supportive of working with the school, though to do sothe school needs to be formally on the hospital priorities list.

2018 saw a significant increase in philanthropic donations and partnerships from the 2017 baseline with a total of $52,376.05 being donated and raised for the school. The Bathers' Gold Lunch 2018 in support of the Sydney Children'sHospital School raised a record $76,000 which after costs $40,043.90 was allocated to the school. This is the first time inthe school's 20 year history that the SCH Foundation directed large scale funding towards the school and this will make aworld of difference to the school, its students and their families.

Our school needs to redesign both indoor and outdoor learning spaces to make our school future–focused, wellbeingfriendly, engaging and safe. The school was built over 20 years ago and is in need of a refurbishment, though does notattract funding from DoE or NSW Health for capital works. Two big projects have been underway and the school hasused a considerable amount of school and community funds in getting to the concept design phase. The schoolleadership team have been liaising with DoE Assets, SCH Corporate Services Manager, SCH Finance & CorporateServices, Clinical Nurse Consultant – Infection Prevention and Control SCHN Medical Diagnostics and HIV/Immunologyand Projects Manager Engineering Services Prince of Wales regarding concept designs at each phase of design.

Numerous planning workshops that have included medical, nursing and allied health teams across all departments ofSCH and updates on planning and invites for staff input via PLUSE (Health equivalents to SchoolBIz). Emails out todepartment heads asking for team input, considerations and concerns of concept designs and liaison with NetworkManager Patient and Family Engagement Clinical Governance Unit for supporting parent perspective and input.

Parent engagement is important, though it can be difficult to know if our actions are making a difference. Defining a wayto measure the impact of work to build these two–way partnerships with families will be a priority in 2019. Our currentparent survey and strategies of counting how many parents attend whole school events and celebrations is not helpingus know if what we are doing as a school is working for families or informing how we might change what we are doing tohave a greater impact on the outcomes that matter to families. Engagement can be defined in many different ways,especially for families that have so many challenges due to their child having a chronic illness or injury. 2018 saw ourlowest parent survey responses and in 2019 we will be exploring options for how to define, increase measure familyengagement and feedback.





Increase attendance of parents,health and other stakeholders ineducational planning, communitydays and other events from 2017baseline.

Parent & communitymeeting and event catering$500

Principal liaison with the Network Manager –Patient and Family Engagement, ClinicalGovernance Unit to establish parent involvement inschool planning and visioning workshop forredesigning the school space. This involved linking






Increase attendance of parents,health and other stakeholders ineducational planning, communitydays and other events from 2017baseline.

in with the health established SCH Families andConsumer Council group around schoolconsultation.

Coordinating with the Diversity Health Co–ordinatorSydney Children's Hospital to plan and holdHarmony Day celebrations hospital wide inclusiveof the school, with students and parents.

Liaising with SCHN Senior Health Planner andActing Corporate Services Manager to identifyeducational planning needed in the current andfuture rebuild of Sydney Childrens Hospital.

Liaising with Patient and Family Engagement,Clinical Governance Unit around meeting schoolcommunity need regarding the sibling enrolmentprogram and carer support at SCH. Looking atways to support the growing identified need forsibling care. This has been in partnership with ChildLife Therapy Manager and Head of Social Work.This partnership recognises the importance ofproviding a space where siblings can not onlyinteract, but also be removed from the clinicalspace whilst parents meet with medical teams,spend some time with their sick child withoutworrying about the other child and ensures schoolage children are attending school.

Increase in student engagementin the Hospital School learningprograms across wards andwithin classrooms.

NIL cost priority of 2019 measurment.

Increase in philanthropicdonations and partnerships from2017 baseline.

San Souci Community PreSchool • $1136.40Crown Street Public School • $646.95Rotary Clubs NSW • $10,000Sydney Childrens HospitalSchool Education Weekfundraising stall • $548.80 • The Bathers Gold Lunch2018. $40,043.90Main beneficiary confirmedas the playground refurb at$32,222.80 plus additionalfunding allocated to pledgeitems.

Dontations in 2018 were used for the below items. • High school classroom furniture • Clickview on line platform – two year subscription. • HP windows mixed reality headsets with motioncontrollers • Kodo Academy student & staff workshops –disruptive force of virtual reality • updating library stock with current, high interestreadersRemaining funds are held for internal and externallearning space design, refurbishment and rebuilds.

Next Steps

• Seek formal support with incorporating Sydney Childrens Hospital School into the hospital priorities for benefactordonations and funding through the SCH Foundation.

• Work with Director of Philanthropy Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation and relevant teams to develop keymessaging to promote the school's work and continue to remind donors that there is a funding need.

• Analyse the effectiveness of parent engagement initiatives and strengthen strong parent–family–school relations. • Strengthen collective and community–based approaches to parent and community engagement to provide insights


into equitable parent–school collaboration by regular school liaison with the SCH Families and Consumer Councilgroup to direct consultation and feedback. Establishing school as a set agenda item on the council meetingschedule.

• Defining common and measurable Indicators of Parent Engagement • Increase the impact of communication to staff, parents and community by investigating information content using a

medium that the focus group will actually use and come back to. Explore using mobile–first communicationplatforms and social media platforms to build on emails, website and face to face communication. Track overallengagement based on information sharing and messages. Look at received, open and click–through rates togauge how well your content is being received. Such insights give the ability to easily evaluate the communicationcontent and create specific goals for improving open and click–through rates of communication platforms.

• Measure and assess the extent to which parents and families collaborate with teachers and school, particularly inthe development of teaching and learning programs, whole school events and transition planning.


Key Initiatives Resources (annual) Impact achieved this year

Quality Teaching, SuccessfulStudents (QTSS)

$39,042 Quality Teaching, Successful Students(QTSS) was used to release a staff memberto work in an instructional leader role tosupport and strengthen teacher capacitywithin the learning and support cycle and tobuild on essential systems for coordinatedhealth and education planning and transitions.Sydney Childrens Hospital School attracts noexecutive entitlement and this role forms partof the Leadership Team and has theresponsibility to support the principal withmoving forward school strategic directions,overseeing personalised learning and ourLST structures.

Socio–economic background $12,744 Throughout 2018, funds were expended inequity funding for Staffing to support stafftraining and planning. These funds weremapped against the School Plan. Governanceof this expenditure included the SchoolLeadership Team and collaboration withteaching staff.


Student information

In 2018, Sydney Childrens Hospital Schools totalnumber of enrolments was 746

The number of individual student enrolments was 440 • Primary Enrolments 49.1% • High School Enrolments 50.9%

Total students

Less than 20 Days 80.9%

20 Days+ 19.1%

% of Students enrolled: • 5 days or less 45.2% • 6–10 Days 21.6% • 11–20 Days 13.9% • 20 days+ 19.30%

Students with multiple adminsitions/enrolments: • 2 Admissions 15.2%

Less than 20 days 5.7%

20 days+ 9.5% • 2 Admissions+ 13.6%

Less than 20 days 4.1%

20 days+ 9.5%

Management of non-attendance

The Sydney Childrens Hospital School AttendanceLocal Implementation Document provides a frameworkfor the school's enrolment and attendance process.This accounts for the delivery of the educational serviceand monitors the engagement of students in theireducational program. Once enrolled, students areentered on ERN and attendance rolls are managed byeducational case managers (teachers) and theadministration team.

Weekly attendance updates are provided to censusschools. Daily attendance is determined in consultationwith medical staff and managed in collaboration withfamilies, caregivers and multidisciplinary teams withinthe hospital. The ward service provides students with aflexible attendance plan with one–on–one teacher timeat the bedside. Some patients are readmitted during theyear and on subsequent admissions they have thesame allocated teacher.

Teachers are responsible for following up nonattendance with the students they case manage, toidentify students of concern of unjustified nonattendance with health teams and the SeniorAdministration Manager. Students with continuedunjustified non attendance are referred to the principalfor follow up with family, health teams and censusschools.

Structure of classes

Educational programs are delivered in hospital wards,at student bedsides and in our three multistageclassrooms. Sydney Childrens Hospital School has aprimary classroom that supports students fromkindergarten to year six, a high school classroom forstudents in year 7 to 10 and one Emotional Disturbancesupport class 7 to 10 located within the securedadolsecent mental health unit.

Workforce information

Workforce composition

Position FTE*

Principal(s) 1

Classroom Teacher(s) 6.88

Teacher Librarian 0.2

School Administration and SupportStaff

5.62

*Full Time Equivalent

The Aboriginal composition of your school's workforce:one male non–teacher based staff member – SchoolLearning Support Officer.

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 37

Professional learning and teacher accreditation

In 2018 all staff participated in a wide range of weeklyprofessional learning activities which supportedmandatory policies and guidelines, addressing thestrategic directions from the 2018–2020 school plan.

Professional Learning included: Code of Conduct, ChildProtection Update 2018, emergency fire andevacuation training, emergency e–care, ProfessionalStandards for Teachers and professional learningaround curriculum planning.

A continuing major focus was professional learningaround: STEAM, current directions, resourcesinvestigation, curriculum planning and implementation,


programs and planning tools.

Sydney Childrens Hospital School took part in theSTEMShare pilot project. STEMShare was an initiativethat focussed on developing skills for the future andgiving students a new way of learning throughinteractive, creative experiences, using a range ofmobile technology kits. The aim of the project was toraise awareness of the effective use of technology toimprove student learning, enable teachers tounderstand, experience and embed STEM technologiesinto teaching and learning, support students' capabilityin using technologies for learning and to build digitalresilience and to create a sustainable STEM communityof practice.

The STEMShare pilot schools formed a community ofschools working together to share STEM resources.Our community of schools were Kensington PublicSchool, Wairoa School, Soldiers' Settlement andRandwick Girls High School.

STEM kits were shared between the community ofschools, with SE01 support to implement thekits/develop programs, along with a STEMShare portalfor sharing learning resource and a STEMShare PilotLearning Library. SEO1s provided group and individualprofessional learning opportunities to schools.

SCHS had the opportunity to access the following kitson a term rotation: • Tablet Robotics • PC Robotics • Primary/Secondary VR Kit • Filming Kit • 3D Printing • Coding (Virtual) kit

STEM Professional Learning: • ICT Co–ordinators Information Day–Oatley

Campus • Digital Technologies Curriculum course, Sydney

University • The primary team attended a Coder Academy

MakerSpace conference • STEMShare Community Leaders, Eric McCarron

and Ryan Noonan led a number of staffworkshops on the Virtual Reality STEMShare Kit

• STEMShare Community Leader, Ryan Noonanled a Virtual Reality STEMShare Kit, 360 cameraand Google Tour creator workshop for our highschool students and teachers with an aim to buildcapacity to share with other staff

• STEMShare Community Network Meetings atKensington Public School held each term

• STEMShare Community Leader, Eric McCarronran a Film Kit workshop for all teachers

• Sydney Childrens Hospital School VR Workshop– Coder Academy

• Augmented Reality workshop at KensingtonPublic School for the Community of Schools

• Sphero presented by visiting STEMShareCoordinators from Kensington Public School

• Tinkercad afternoon workshop at SydneyChildrens Hospital School with STEMShareCommunity Leader, Eric McCarron

• Term 4 final STEMShare Community of Schoolsnetwork meeting at Kensington Public School toshare and discuss the following:

1. How was digital technology integrated into thecurriculum?

2. What impact did it have on student learning?3. Was there anything significant, amusing,

interesting or surprising that happened?4. What are your school's next steps?

2018 School Development Days:

SDD Term 1: Emergency Asthma Management, FirstAid Management of Anaphylaxis and CardiopulmonaryResuscitation (CPR) – training provided by Surf LifeSaving NSW

SDD Term 2: Combined Little Bay Community ofSchools' School Development Day – legislation,compliance, accreditation, Formative Assessment andSTEM workshop selections.

Our SASS/SLSO staff attended a day conference.

SDD Term 3: Teacher and SLSO DevelopmentWorkshop in STEM and Digital Technologies. Thisworkshop provided teachers and SLSOs with theconfidence and ability to bring coding to theirclassrooms, as well as accommodate bedside wardteaching sessions. Hands–on guidance was providedwith programming and learning where to find and uselesson plans from leading institutions, an introduction tosome of the very best STEM technology from aroundthe world, including exploring any of SCHS's existingtechnologies.

SDD Term 4: Teachers and SLSOs participated in fourtwilight sessions over term 3 and 4 which was acombination of face to face and online training onTrauma & Learning and OLT Understanding andsupporting behaviour.

Session 1 – Trauma & Learning • The Trauma and Learning sessions explored

the effects of childhood trauma on studentlearning. Teachers examined the brain, changesthat occur in the brain following a trauma and howthis impacts on our young people. They looked atinclusive education practices for supportingstudents who have experienced trauma and howto develop plans for them. The aim of the courseis to develop an understanding of the effects oftrauma on learning and behaviour and to promotean empathic attitude for these students.

Sessions 2, 3, 4 OLT Understanding and SupportingBehaviour • Develop a knowledge and understanding of

challenging behaviours and its impact on learning • Develop confidence in identifying and responding

to the individual learning needs of students withchallenging behaviours through:

1. Creating student learning profiles2. Creating and working with SMART goals and3. Implementing a range of appropriate adjustments/

interventions


4. Understand the importance of a whole schoolapproach to supporting students with challengingbehaviours

Professional learning Strategic Direction 1 • Coding in stage 4 TAS – building knowledge of

coding in mathematics • Ed tech team – Google summit – increase the use

for digital education across the classroom andwards

• Term 3 SDD – Qwerty Kids Stem and Digitaltechnologies

• Ed Summit 2018: Resolve to Lead – how do weact now to develop 21st–century skills inAustralian schools to ensure our students willthrive in a globalised world?

Professional learning Strategic Direction 2 • Literacy: what works and why at UNSW –

improving the teaching of literacy and literacylevels in students.

• Introduction to the Literacy and NumeracyProgressions workshop

• Learning Progressions with Plan 2 for K–6 –supporting the learning needs of students inLiteracy and numeracy

• Introducing the new Mathematics, Advance andextension syllabuses. Insight in new mathematics2u (adv) and extension stage 6 syllabus.Continuation from the mathematics 2U standardSyllabus attended in 2017.

• CPL – examining the mental health of studentswith a disability K–12 conference. Designed toconnect teachers with leading experts andpractitioner in the field of mental health of childrenwith disability.

• Best start – 5 hr face–to–face, participants willunderstand how the Best Start Year 7assessment has been developed to provideteachers with a snapshot of a range of literacyand numeracy skills and understandings studentsbring to secondary school.

Whole school PL • School Plan, Workshops • Health Care procedures • Tri–Network conference • SEPLA Network event • SAM Conference • VPM in Saunders unit, violence prevention and

management – 4 day program • Youth Mental Health First Aid for SASS • Incident planning and Response workshop • Principal Australia Institute Conference • The Mental Health and Wellbeing of Young

People, Developing Positive Body Image, theAdolescent Brain and Adolescent Mental Health

• 3 part online training – Office of the E–SafetyCommissioner – 3 hours

• NextGen SWS training Program. Adobe websitetraining for schools

• Safer behaviours through PDHPE / Road Safety –meet obligations as SCHS road safety officer.Approx. 5 hours NESA – online – Webinar course

• Employee Performance and Conduct 1/2 dayscourse

• Emergency Planning and Response workshop

(EPRW) Haberfield PS • Office 365 –1/2 days training – Hurstville – SASS

Reference Group • Principal Australia Institute Conference

All teachers at Sydney Children's Hospital School aremaintaining at proficient.

Financial information

Financial summary

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

2018 Actual ($)

Opening Balance 79,456

Revenue 1,442,248

Appropriation 1,427,747

Sale of Goods and Services 0

Grants and Contributions 13,842

Gain and Loss 0

Other Revenue 0

Investment Income 659

Expenses -1,389,494

Recurrent Expenses -1,389,494

Employee Related -1,308,559

Operating Expenses -80,935

Capital Expenses 0

Employee Related 0

Operating Expenses 0

SURPLUS / DEFICIT FOR THEYEAR

52,754

Balance Carried Forward 132,210

Sydney Childrens Hospital School follows financialpractices and governance structures which meetDepartmental and legislative requirements inadministering funds across the school throughout 2018.Governance of this expenditure included the SchoolLeadership Team (principal and Senior AdministrationManager) and budget updates communicated at wholestaff and team meetings when required.

The Principal with support of the Senior AdministrationManager plans and implements an annual schoolbudget that: • Plans to maximise the operation of the school

within available physical and financial resources. • Ensures appropriate application of existing

resources to identified areas of need including


school buildings and grounds. • Identifies and addresses occupational health and

safety issues. • Maintains appropriate records in accordance with

Audit requirementsother 2018 expenditure: • professional learning $4409 (other courses) • teachers release $3960 • SASS release $4427 • LSA Design future focus plans for playground and

atrium $11644 • Survey costing $3850 • classroom furniture $13,441 • consumables $28,581 • teaching recourses $5025

Funds carried over from 2018 to 2019 for: • Resource room re–fit furniture order $13,975 • Outstanding resource orders $1679 • Replacement flooring and painting work

completed over the term 4 school holidays$36,346

• Balance of December salaries$12,728 – donations to deductible gift recipient (DGR)fund for the purpose to; raise funds to provideeducation for the students of Sydney Childrens HospitalSchool, support of the principal purpose, to providefunding for the needs of Sydney Childrens HospitalSchool in relation to buildings and facilities, equipment,resources, and needs of students, teachers and otherstaff, seek donations from members of the public for thepurpose and objects of the Fund and to do all suchother things as are incidental or conducive to theattainment of the purposes and objects of the Fund.

$41,324 – from School and Community that isdesignated for internal funded projects and futurecapital work on design and refurbishing of both internaland external 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 392,300

Base Per Capita 26,755

Base Location 0

Other Base 365,545

Equity Total 12,744

Equity Aboriginal 0

Equity Socio economic 12,744

Equity Language 0

Equity Disability 0

Targeted Total 942,426

Other Total 45,361

Grand Total 1,392,831

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.

Parent/caregiver, student, teachersatisfaction

Sydney Childrens Hospital School Parent Survey

How we obtain parent feedback for students enrolled atSyndey Childrens Hospital School will be reviewed in2019. In 2018 the school received 18 parent responsesto our parent survey from a cohort of 440 families.Parents are invited to open classrooms, incursions andwhole school events.

Feedback and connection with parents of studentsattending classrooms have been easier to obtain.Survey results over the last number of years haveshown that communication of school purpose, functionand educational programs needs strengthening withparents of students receiving ward teaching serviceonly.

Key feedback:

Do you think that the educational service at SydneyChildrens Hospital School Randwick was worthwhile foryour child? 18 parents responded to the survey

Yes: 77.78% No: 22.22%

Yes response: • I think it's a great tool to take their mind off their

issues and they need to continue their educationwhile away from their normal school


• It gives the kids something to focus on. Yes,Interesting activities, supportive close–knitenvironment, teachers took an interest in my child

• My son was not well enough to utilise this serviceto its full extent. He had one session with ateacher, which was great.

• It helped keep my daughter in touch with herschool and with the work she was missing out on.

• It occupied and distracted the sibling of mydaughter who had surgery

• Had he stayed longer, the program would havebenefitted in so many ways even just to hisattendance. As he has missed so much schoolalready due to being sick.

• It is specific and targeted and my child gets somuch out of it – from breaking up the long days inthe hospital and having that one on one attention.

• Education is always worthwhile. • The service at SCHS assists in making our child

less disadvantaged by not being able to attend hishome school

• The teachers and staff are all amazing andsupportive and made my child feel really welcome– this was so important.

No response: • Kids need time to recover, no need to push them!!

They are already not feeling up to it anyway. • My sons type of illness and him feeling unwell

prevented him from attending during most of hisstays in hospital.

• Unfortunately, my daughter couldn't participate inany educational program as she was in constantpain and found it hard to focus.

• My daughter has a chronic illness and wemanage to sign in to virtually attend herclassroom or communicate work what needs tobe completed with our school regularly. She alsosuffers from fatigue and has complex medicalissues that the school didn't manage orunderstand well.

Did you have contact from a teacher at SydneyChildrens Hospital School?

Yes 94.44% No 5.56%

Were the services provided by Sydney ChildrensHospital School adequately explained by yourchild's teacher/case manager?

Yes 94.44% No 5.56%

Did your child attend the classroom or receiveservice on the ward?

Classroom 17.65%

Ward 52.94%

Both 29.41%

My child received a quality education service on theward. Strongly 28.57%

Agree 21.43%

Neutral 35.71%

Disagree 14.29%

Strongly Disagree 0.00%

Parent collaboration in a student's education isimportant. Did the teachers at Sydney ChildrensHospital School talk to you about your child'slearning?

Yes 69.23% No 30.77%

My child's classroom at Sydney Childrens HospitalSchool is an interesting place to learn.

Strongly Agree 100%

How would you like to be included in your child'seducation plan while at Sydney Childrens HospitalSchool?

Parents were able to select more than one response.

78.57% – Regular updates of the personalised learningsupport plan

35.71% – Regular updates of contact with your child'scensus school

35.71% – Involved in developing/reviewing my child'spersonalised learning support plan

21.43% – Involvement in teleconferences and/or videoconferences with census school

57.14% – Update of my child's process andparticipation when my child is moving to be discharged

Policy requirements

Aboriginal education

As a school community we recognise, respect andcelebrate the Aboriginal culture of Australia. The schoolrecognises the Gadigal people as the traditionalcustodians of our area. At all official functions weacknowledge all Aboriginal people throughAcknowledgement of Country. The School AboriginalEducation Coordinator supported the planning of wholeschool events and all students celebrated andparticipated in Reconciliation and NAIDOC Week.

WHAT DID WE DO IN 2018

During NAIDOC Week students gained a meaningfuland sensitive appreciation of the history and culture ofAboriginal people. The perspective of AboriginalEducation was taught through Creative Arts and literacyprograms which aimed to develop an understandingand empathy with the Aboriginal way of life throughhistory and present day events.

Working with the hospital's Aboriginal Liaison Officerhas helped develop a positive partnership betweenfamilies and school and identify students needing


additional support faster.

Multicultural and anti-racism education

The school supports all families and students in aninclusive environment and is respectful in allcommunications with families from linguistically diversebackgrounds. Sydney Childrens Hospital School has anestablished role of Aboriginal Education Coordinatorand an Anti–Racism Contact Officer (ARCO). Theseroles support staff to understand the departmentpriorities and policies and assist students who havecomplaints. Education is the key to effectiveanti–racism strategies. We celebrate our multiculturalpopulation with many events including MulticulturalDay, Sorry Day, Harmony Day and implementation ofmulticultural units of work. We also educate childrenabout what racial bullying is and how to deal with andprevent this behaviour. Age appropriate discussions onworld events are held if deemed necessary by the classteachers.

Other school programs

ArtEx Workshops

Our school is fortunate to participate in the Art Programat Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick, which isfunded by Sydney Children's Hospital Foundation. Thephilosophy behind the Art Program is "Art celebratinglife" and it gives students and the broader hospitalcommunity a vibrant, inspiring and colourful window tocreative works that motivate, inform and entertain. TheArt Experience ("ArtEX") workshops are a particularhighlight in the school calendar. Led by establishedartists who volunteer their time, the workshops offer arteducation, experimentation and recreation for hospitalstudents. Check outhttps://www.facebook.com/SydneyKidsArt/ and seewhat our students get up to with the Art ProgramCoordinators. A teacher is designated to coordinatewith ARTEx staff to link all artists and lessons to thecurriculum and school scope and sequence.

Siblings Enrolment Program

Sydney Childrens Hospital and Sydney ChildrensHospital School understand that when a patient travelsto Sydney for specialised medical treatment, the familyroutine often becomes disrupted. Both SydneyChildren's Hospital and Sydney Childrens HospitalSchool aim to care for the family as a whole during theirstay. Sometimes families who have children and youngpeople in the hospital require additional educationalsupport for siblings of inpatients. For example whenfamilies travel to Sydney for a child's treatment andbring other children who are of compulsory school age.

Siblings may have short term attendance at SydneyChildrens Hospital School for periods up to a term orlonger if deemed appropriate by principal. During thistime students are a shared enrolment with their censusschool. Each family context and situation is taken intoconsideration and discussed with the principal. The

principal will discuss with families, social workers andtreating teams the best educational planning for eachsibling.

Partnership with other local schools for temporaryenrolment is also in place and suitable for siblings oflonger term patients. The partnership respects themedical needs of the patients and their families andsupports long term patient siblings' to have a temporaryenrolment of the patient's sibling in the appropriateco–located public schools.


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