2008 Annual Report to the School Community Salesian College Chadstone. Registered School Number: 1485

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1 Salesian College Chadstone Registered School Number: 1485

2 College Contact Information Address: Bosco Street Chadstone Vic 3148 Owner: Salesian Society Inc. (Vic) Principal: Fr Chris Ford SDB Telephone: (03) Website: 2

3 Introduction This report seeks to provide the community of Salesian College Chadstone, which is owned and operated by the Salesians of Don Bosco (Salesian Society Inc. (Vic)), with an overview of the College for Its primary aim is to present a summary of the performance of the College in 2008 across a broad spectrum of activities. The College s Strategic Plan forms the basis of many of the initiatives and important developments that were undertaken during This report seeks to provide members of the Salesian College community with an outline of the College s performance as well as a summary of important initiatives and developments arising from the implementation of the plan. Salesian College Vision Statement Salesian College Chadstone is a Catholic School for boys, which proudly proclaims the Good News of Jesus Christ, the faith and teachings of the Catholic Church, the educational principles of St John Bosco, and the importance of family. As such, Salesian College Chadstone is committed to building a community which: ensures that Christian values underpin all aspects of College life within an atmosphere of respect for all provides students and staff with every opportunity to develop spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, culturally and socially promotes initiative, a spirit of enquiry and a desire to strive for academic excellence welcomes and celebrates the achievements of all with an environment of joy and optimism 3

4 College Overview Salesian College Chadstone is a Catholic secondary school for boys established The College consists of two campuses, Bosco and Mannix (designed to cater specifically to the needs of Year 9 boys); the two sections of the school are connected by a pedestrian walkway across the Monash Freeway. Salesian College has an enrolment of approximately 900 young men from Years 7 through to 12. The College was founded in 1957 and is operated by the Salesians of Don Bosco. During 2008 there were two priests on the teaching staff and two brothers who were an integral part of the life of the College. This means that liturgy and prayer are an important and pervasive element of the life of Salesian College Chadstone; Religious Education and Faith Development lies at the heart of the academic curriculum. The College offers a broad range of subjects and pathways for students including vocational education courses at VCE level. Salesian College aims to provide all students with the opportunity to achieve academic excellence; teaching programmes include the capacity to extend able students and to provide literacy and numeracy support within the class room environment to enhance learning. Curriculum programmes are designed to cater for individual and year level needs and include specific community-based activities at Mannix Campus. The College is a member of the Associated Catholic Colleges and, in addition to the pursuit of academic excellence, has a strong emphasis on music, drama, sport, media and technology. The large school grounds allow the maintenance of three school sporting ovals, a gymnasium, tennis courts and a well maintained technology and arts area. There were approximately 900 students enrolled for 2008 (numbers varied throughout the year). Students come from approximately 80 different cultural backgrounds and are drawn from 56 primary schools around the South Eastern suburbs of Melbourne. The ease of public transport access allows students to travel from a broad geographical area and Salesian is able to recognise and celebrate the rich traditions and backgrounds of their students within College activities throughout the year. 4

5 STUDENT ENROLMENT PROFILE Student Enrolments Funding to Catholic schools is determined on the basis of enrolments at key census dates in February and August. The enrolment data for the 2008 census dates is provided below. February August Census Census Year Year Year Year Year Year Total There was a significant increase in the overall student numbers from 2007 to 2008 with the total enrolment increasing by approximately 45 students. Religious Profile of Students The following table provides a summary of the approximate proportions of students belonging to various religious traditions: Religious Affiliation % Catholic 64.4 Orthodox 10.0 Anglican 2.0 Other Christian 4.6 Buddhist 5.3 Hindu 2.4 Other non Christian 1.1 No Religious Affiliation 9.5 NB: Total may not be exactly 100% due to rounding effects 5

6 Significant Achievements During 2008 Significant achievements during 2008 included: o the launching of the Strategic Development Plan o the College s significant involvement in the Melbourne Days in the Diocese programme and World Youth Day (WYD) in Sydney o the College s hosting of international pilgrims en route to WYD Sydney o the College s hosting of the Salesian International Youth Festival (11 July 2008,) attended by approximately 1,000 local and international pilgrims, at which Salesian Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez and Fr Pasqual Chavez SDB, the Rector Major of the Salesians, were present. o strong academic results o the introduction of the House System across the entire College o the implementation of the College s new staff Leadership structure with new positions including Director of Student Wellbeing, Head of Middle Years Learning and Heads of House o a significant upgrade of the College s ICT infrastructure o the installation of interactive whiteboards in all classrooms o the upgrade of staff computer access o continuing staff professional development in the use of interactive whiteboards o Development of a new student management framework o Beginning of works on Facilities Development Masterplan o Construction of three additional classrooms at Mannix Campus in preparation for the 2009 academic year o Redevelopment of office/reception area o Restructuring of Student Leadership Team in line with the new House structure 6

7 Catholic Life, Salesian Ethos and Religious Education There has been an improvement in the teaching and learning outcomes in the Religious Education department due to the continued professional development of staff. Individual staff have attended 110 outsourced activities as well as numerous prayer and liturgical events within the College. Four staff are completing post graduate studies in the area and the liturgical programme has brought staff, students and families together in prayer; perhaps the highlight being the fortnightly year level masses. The dynamic retreat programme has allowed students to undertake self-reflection and to consider the relevance and role of prayer and faith in their lives. During 2008 the Year 7 and Year 9 Retreat programmes were significantly updated. The sacramental programme allowed one boy to be accepted into the Catholic Church, four boys to receive their First Communion and eleven boys to be confirmed by Bishop Tim Costelloe SDB at the 2008 whole school celebration of Community Day. The community service programme has allowed students to consider those in need. Students have been encouraged to show faith in action through a variety of programmes including the Year 9 programme, visits to Ozanam House by Year 11s and a variety of fundraising for the Salesian Missions in East Timor and Caritas Australia; total fundraising in 2008 exceeded thirteen thousand dollars. Fundraising activities were deliberately accompanied by educative activities to highlight the importance of Social Justice as a constituent aspect of the proclamation of the gospel. The highlight of 2008 was the preparation for and celebration of World Youth Day. The College hosted over a hundred pilgrims from around the world and 21 students, accompanied by two members of College staff represented Salesian Chadstone in Sydney at the celebrations. Salesian College was the venue for the International Salesian Youth Festival (11 July), which was attended by approximately 1,000 local and international pilgrims and at which Salesian Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez and Fr Pasqual Chavez, Rector Major of the Salesians, were present. The Salesian ethos of the College was strengthened by a series of professional development activities across the year. These were designed to deepen the knowledge and appreciation of the Salesian Charism and to ensure that College initiatives clearly reflected Salesian principles and priorities. A series of banners promoting the Home, Parish, School, Playground model of Salesian life and action were commissioned for the main playground. 7

8 Curriculum, Learning and Teaching Salesian College follows the requirements of the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA), which is the statutory authority responsible for the provision of high quality curriculum and assessment programs for all students in Victoria saw the continued focus on enhancing learning and teaching through professional learning. The introduction of interactive whiteboards saw many units of work redeveloped to take advantage of this exciting new technology. Professional Development activities continued to focus on exploring pedagogical styles and on the collaborative construction of learning activities for students. Heads of Department were also exposed to formation and modelling sessions encouraging them to explore different teaching and learning styles to incorporate into the curriculums throughout the College. There was an explicit emphasis on improving learning outcomes by means of (i) more complete curriculum documentation, (ii) expanding the range of classroom pedagogical strategies and (iii) improving classroom behaviour. To this end staff engaged in a series of structured professional development activities that focussed upon writing curriculum documentation, utilising boyfriendly teaching strategies, and the development of a new classroom behaviour management plan. The Mannix campus continued to create opportunities for student initiative and enquiry-based learning. Boys were encouraged to work collaboratively, to set realistic and challenging goals and to become more responsible members of the community. The physical environment continued to undergo improvement, including the upgrade of ICT facilities. The Bosco units continued to develop and incorporate the laptops, desktops, scanners, printers, data projectors and digital cameras available for student use along with the interactive whiteboards. 8

9 Student Academic Achievement Year 7 NAPLAN Testing % of students at or above the expected level % of students at or above the National Benchmarks Change Change Reading Writing Spelling N/A Grammar 62.9 N/A 94.3 N/A Numeracy Year 9 NAPLAN Testing % of students at or above the expected level % of students at or above the National Minimum Standard Change 2008 Reading Writing Spelling Grammar and Punctuation 24.4 N/A 95.9 Numeracy N/A = not applicable Average Standardised Results at Year 9 The average standardised results provide a measure of the median score achieved by students in Reading, Writing, Spelling and Mathematics. The median score is the middle score obtained by Year 9 students at the school, i.e. when all the scores are ranked from highest to lowest, half the scores will be above and the other half will be below the median. The median score represents the average Standard Level achieved by students in Year 9 at the school; generally the median score will be between 4.5 and 6. Median Score Median Score Year 9 Reading 5.30 Year 9 Spelling 4.87 Year 9 Writing 4.61 Year 9 Punctuation 4.67 Year 9 Numeracy 5.12 Overall NAPLAN Results The 2009 NAPLAN results demonstrate that the percentage of Salesian College students at or above the National Minimum Standards remains high and most results are comparable to like schools. Numeracy results are particularly strong in their own right and significantly so in comparison to like schools. There are two areas for particular concern that need to be addressed in the future, namely unexpectedly low results in Year 9 Writing and Spelling, particularly in comparison to the Year 9 Reading results, which demonstrated significantly improvement. 9

10 Victorian Certificate of Education The VCE completion rate in 2008 was 100%. The results reflect the hard work and dedication of the teaching staff, the support and encouragement of boys families as well as the application of the students. Median VCE Study Score % 40 + VCE Study Score % VCE/VET Adjusted Scores Score Percentage Percentile NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA <50 NA = Not Applicable 123 young men successfully completed their VCE at Salesian College in % of these students achieved an ENTER Score of 90 or better; two students attained scores over 99, the top score being % of students achieved an ENTER Score of 80 or above and 46% of students achieved an ENTER Score of 70 or above. The Median Study Score for all students was 31, an improvement of 1 point from the previous year. 7% of all study scores were above 40 and 10 students achieved two or more study scores of 40+. Thirty five students achieved a total of 47 study scores of 40 or better, accounting for 8% of all study scores. 58% of VCE subjects offered had at least one score of over 40. One student received a perfect 50 study score for Legal Studies. 10

11 Student Wellbeing 2008 saw the appointment of a Director of Student Wellbeing which is a reflection of the College s commitment to the pastoral care and wellbeing of students in its care. A number of initiatives were implemented to allow students to develop personal qualities, including Rock and Water, a programme designed to improve the mental and physical resilience of Yr 7 and 8 students, Respect and Connect which examined relationships between genders with the Yr 9 boys, Seasons which offers support for students experiencing grief and loss throughout all year levels, and KYM Youth Pathways, a Federal Government pathways initiative offering vocation counselling to students in Years There was an increase in the number of hours of counselling available for students through the College s relationship with Centacare School Counselling Services. The introduction of the new House System provided a greater range of leadership opportunities for students. House Captains and Vice-Captains were appointed and these boys were encouraged to take greater responsibility for the boys in their House and to take greater initiative in the organisation of activities for students. The introduction of the new House System enhanced students sense of belonging to the College Community. Students were extremely enthusiastic about the introduction of the House System and quickly identified with their House. Correspondingly, participation in the House Athletics Carnival and House Swimming Carnival was greater than previous years. Student Attendance Rates The average student attendance rate for 2008 was 93.22% Student attendance rates by year level are contained in the table below: % % % % % % Overall 93.22% Student Retention Rates Student retention rates can be measured in a number of ways. Here, student retention rates are expressed as the apparent retention rate, which is calculated by taking the number of students in a particular cohort and comparing that number in percentage terms with the number of students in the same cohort at some previous point in time. The apparent retention rates for 2008 are given in the table below. % Salesian College Benchmark All Schools Like Schools The Years 9 12 retention rate for 2008 was 86.8%. 11

12 Post-school destinations Of the 126 Yr 12 students to complete VCE in 2008, 117 applied for admission through VTAC to tertiary courses at universities, TAFE Colleges or other independent tertiary institutions. There were 72 University offers made and 43 offers of places at a TAFE or Independent College. Total 2008 Number of Students 126 Tertiary study 109 Apprenticeships 3 Employment 4 Looking for work 1 Looking for study 0 Other: ill, unknown 9 Student Activities and Opportunities Throughout 2008 Salesian College provided a diverse range of opportunities for students to be involved in co-curricular activities including: o ACC representative sport o recreational sporting activities o Cycling Club o Chess Club o ice skating excursions o World Challenge (preparation for an adventure and service expedition to Thailand and Laos) o Dracula Club (donating blood to the Red Cross) o Ozanam House visits o Annual Snow Trip o World Youth Day o Days in the Diocese o Salesian International Youth Festival o Debating o Public Speaking o Annual Musical Production o Drama activities 12

13 Professional Engagement of Staff Staff Attendance The average attendance rates per staff member are detailed in the table below. Staff Category Average Attendance Rate (%) Teaching Staff 90% Non-Teaching Staff 98% All Staff 94% Please note that the staff attendance rate is not a reflection of sick leave. These figures also include staff who were absent on any type of leave including: o Long service leave o Leave without pay o Maternity leave o Study leave Staff on any type of leave during the year have been counted as not being in attendance during that leave. Teacher Retention Rates The proportion of teaching staff retained in a program year from the previous year was 87%. Staff who were on extended leave (e.g. maternity leave, long-service leave, extended sick leave) have not been included in this figure. Teachers employed on short term contracts are included. Teacher Qualifications All teachers on staff are registered with the Victorian Institute of Teachers as required by law. Teachers committed to their profession are qualified in a variety of areas of expertise as well as having teaching qualifications. The table below summarises the qualifications that teachers at Salesian College Chadstone hold. Please note that these percentages do not add to 100% as most teachers have multiple degrees. 13

14 Educational Qualification % of Teachers Masters Degree 7.89 Graduate Diploma Graduate Certificate 9.21 Bachelor Degree Advanced Diploma Teacher Participation in Professional Learning The key focus for professional learning during 2008 was the implementation of the Interactive whiteboards and the development of a new Student Management Framework. The staff Development Days at the beginning of each term addressed a range of issues designed to enhance the delivery of curriculum throughout the College. Summary of 2008 Staff Days Term 1: Making the most of Electronic Whiteboards Term 2: Working with Boys in the Salesian tradition Term 3: Student Management Term 4: Course Documentation Other Professional Learning Activities In addition to these formal Staff Development Days, a large number of staff participated in other professional learning activities. 76 staff in total attended a range of professional learning activities in a program designed to challenge and extend their expertise across a range of areas. Expenditure upon Professional Learning The College s commitment to the professional learning of staff continued. In 2008 more than $43,000 (more than $550 per teacher) was spent on the provision of professional development opportunities. 14

15 Student Impressions of Life at Salesian College The new House system was great. Our cheer squad was the best at the Athletics and the Swimming. The people here are friendly and the range of sports is good. I love the canteen. I made some great friends working with girls from Sacred Heart Oakleigh on West Side Story. Going on the Year 12 Retreat brought us together as a year level and gave me time to think about my goals. The experience of going to Borneo was by far the best of our short lives so far. Meeting Nick Holland at the Sports presentation night was awesome. Going into Melbourne University for Master Classes showed me what it will be like when I leave school. I can t wait. Walking through the streets of Pompeii makes you realise just how young Australia is. Travelling to Sydney for World Youth Day and meeting so many people from around the world, who were all there to celebrate the same thing, was the highlight of my year. The friendships I ve made here will be for ever. I had a fantastic work experience, It s made me really sure that s what I want to do. 15

16 Parent Impressions of Life at Salesian College Salesian College Chadstone I really appreciate the availability of teachers, it s important to me that I can discuss my son s progress regularly. My son has been involved in so many different activities which is tiring for him but has allowed him to really build on his strengths The electronic whiteboards sound amazing, I can t believe the stuff that my son produces to present in classes We have had some major health issues at home and Salesian has been such a wonderful support for the whole family There was no way I ever thought my son would finish Year 12. I m so grateful for the support he s had all the way through school. I really like the new uniform a bit better than the green blazer I used to wear. We were all a bit nervous about the move to Year 7, but there wasn t a day that he wasn t up and ready to go. I can t believe how good the concert band sounded. I was so proud to hear my son as part of it. The opportunities for travel and extension in so many areas are wonderful. It is great to have so many opportunities to see the boys talents on show. The art show was outstanding. The social functions have been a great way to meet other parents and to realise that some of the difficulties with teenage boys are universal. The boys looked so grown up at the valedictory dinner. It was hard to remember these men as nervous little Year 7 boys. 16

17 Teacher Impressions of Life at Salesian College Salesian is a safe environment that allows boys to grow in friendship Salesian College Chadstone The interactive whiteboards are fantastic, they allow classes to explore ideas as they arise I m now much more flexible and innovative in my teaching The staff day focusing on Student Management gave me some great strategies to really get the boys involved in classes. The House system has led to a much greater student ownership of so many activities. The overwhelming majority of students are so genuinely happy and positive that it makes working here a pleasure. It is a source of great pride when you hear students speak so articulately and confidently to large audiences. The opportunities to work collaboratively on curriculum, both informally and formally, have allowed us to really improve the learning outcomes for students. I really feel that we work well as a team with parents to provide the best possible education to the leaders of tomorrow. School spirit, leadership skills, student well-being and pastoral needs are just some of the key elements of the House system that was reintroduced in It was a privilege to take students overseas. Their work in Borneo allowed them (and me) to see just how much of a difference we can make. 17

18 Financial Performance Financial Performance for the year ended 31 December 2008 (The information for this section is from the VRQA Financial Report tab on your AFS.) Reporting Framework Modified Cash $ Recurrent income Tuition School fees 2,441,236 Other fee income 259,567 Private income 202,792 State government recurrent grants 1,449,636 Australian government recurrent grants 5,126,701 Total recurrent income 9,479,932 Recurrent expenditure Tuition Salaries, allowances and related expenses 6,588,087 Non salary expenses 2,337,488 Total recurrent expenditure 8,925,575 Capital income and expenditure Tuition Government capital grants 146,773 Capital fees and levies 781,390 Other capital income 29 Total capital income 928,192 Total capital expenditure 1,774,030 Loans (includes refundable enrolment deposits and recurrent, capital and bridging loans) Tuition Total opening balance 2,985,932 Total closing balance 3,265,565 Note that the information provided above does not include the following items: System levies charged to individual schools, intra-systemic transfers and diocesan supplementary capital fund (SCF) supported borrowings for primary schools. The information provided is not comparable with other educational sectors. The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) is in the process of reviewing the Financial Questionnaire (FQ) during 2009, that may ultimately change the method of reporting these exclusions. 18

19 Future Directions Salesian College has developed an Annual Action Plan for This provides the College with future directions to be pursued over the next twelve months. The key goals of the 2009 Annual Action Plan are to: Catholic Ethos 1. Celebrate our Catholic and Salesian ethos, especially during the 150 th anniversary year of the Salesians of Don Bosco 2. Promote greater opportunities for staff and students to engage in the prayer and liturgical life of the College. 3. Increase the range of opportunities to the College community to express faith in action. Learning and Curriculum 4. Make more effective use of coherent curriculum documentation to support learning. 5. Expand the range of pedagogical strategies utilised by teachers to improve learning 6. Implement a new student management framework to improve classroom learning Student Wellbeing and Pastoral Care 7. Utilise the House System more effectively 8. Implement Preventative Programs and initiatives 9. Increase the quality and quantity of interaction with external agencies Leadership and Management 10. Better monitor and nurture staff professional learning College Community 11. Improve engagement with the wider community Facilities, Resources and Finances 12. Continue improvement of College facilities 13. Improve the efficiency of administration practices and processed 19