ANNUAL REPORT TO THE SCHOOL

Transcription

1 ANNUAL REPORT TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY 2017 ST FRANCIS XAVIER PRIMARY SCHOOL BOX HILL REGISTERED SCHOOL NUMBER: E1117

2 Contents Contact Details... 2 Minimum Standards Attestation... 2 Our School Vision... 3 School Overview... 4 Principal s Report... 5 Parish Priest s Report... 6 School Education Board Report... 7 Education in Faith... 1 Learning & Teaching... 2 Student Wellbeing... 5 Child Safe Standards... 6 Leadership & Management... 6 School Community... 8 VRQA Compliance Data ANNUAL REPORT TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY 1

3 Contact Details ADDRESS 1087 Whitehorse Road Box Hill VIC 3128 PRINCIPAL Dr Steve Bellesini PARISH PRIEST Very Rev, Tony Kerin EV PP SCHOOL BOARD CHAIR Mr RhysThomas TELEPHONE (03) WEBSITE ABN E NUMBER E1117 FEDERAL DET NUMBER 1019 Minimum Standards Attestation I, Steve Bellesini attest that St Francis Xavier Primary School is compliant with: All of the requirements for the minimum standards and other requirements for the registration of schools as specified in the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic) and the Education and Training Reform Regulations 2007 (Vic), except where the school has been granted an exemption from any of these requirements by the VRQA Australian Government accountability requirements related to the 2017 school year under the Australian Education Act 2013 (Cth) and the Australian Education Regulations 2013 (Cth) 25 May ANNUAL REPORT TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY 2

4 Our School Vision In the Franciscan spirit, our vision is for a school that: 1 Catholic Tradition Is grounded in Catholic tradition and spirituality, in which the Gospel values of trust, respect, forgiveness and care underpin everyday teaching and learning. 2 Learning environment Provides a high quality learning environment that: Cultivates effective learners-for-life through commitment to informed and current teaching and learning practices. Values the key role teachers play in supporting the personal growth of children, recognising that they are responsible for enhancing the quality and standard of student learning outcomes. Consistently offers learning activities involving the continuing acquisition of knowledge and skills so that learners can apply these critically to understand and participate effectively as responsible citizens in their world. 3 Environment Encourages respect, responsibility and care for creation; where an awareness of the environment and its species is developed and promoted 4 Well being Enhances the wellbeing of all in an environment of justice, inclusiveness, tolerance, equality and compassion; in which harmony and healthy relationships are promoted through the development of social skills, self-worth, affirmation and the celebration of achievements 5 Collaboration Is a learning community in which teamwork and collaboration are central to everyday practice 6 Community Is a place in which clergy, parents, teachers and students build and nurture a healthy growing community (Reviewed by School Education Board 2013) 2017 ANNUAL REPORT TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY 3

5 School Overview St Francis Xavier School has been serving the Catholic parish communities in and around Box Hill since A dedicated teaching team and strong, productive community relationships support the school s devotion to faith and education. The school serves a diverse community. The 2017 August enrolment was 354. The language background of students and families is varied, with approximately 40% of families from language backgrounds other than English. Among our students, the school has listed 32 different language backgrounds. Once again, the school catered for a group of students who were funded as New Arrivals to Australia. The school is characterised by: A setting in substantial grounds Historic original school buildings Modern new buildings From Prep to Year 6, students develop their spiritual and academic awareness in an environment that supports the gospel values of trust, respect, forgiveness and care. Students are actively engaged in their education and embrace a comprehensive curricular and extra-curricular program. Classrooms are places of inspiration, challenge and collaboration. The teachers at St Francis Xavier cater for the different learning styles of children with quality learning outcomes their constant focus. Some of the school s physical resources and features include: A multi games area A modern library the Discovery Centre An interactive whiteboard or screen in every classroom Chromebooks for every child in Years 3 to 6 and a selection of ipads and Chromebooks for students in Prep to Year 2 to share Adventure playground Art room Natural grass oval Heart Space a quiet reflective place for children to meet 2017 ANNUAL REPORT TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY 4

6 Principal s Report I completed my second year as principal of St Francis Xavier School in I have been grateful for the support from the leaders, teachers and administration staff who have enabled me to carry out my role to the best of my ability. I would also like to extend my thanks to our Parish Priest, Fr Tony Kerin who supports the school in many ways. I continue to be invigorated by the hard work and professionalism of the teachers, who are continually learning to enhance student outcomes. The students demonstrate a friendly manner and are so enthusiastic to share their experiences with me and others. Fifty new Prep students commenced on the first day and were quickly reunited with their Year 6 Buddies whom they met as part of the previous year s orientation program. Some of the social gatherings throughout the year included the Prep and Year 6 Buddies Picnic, Family Luna New Year picnic with Lion Dancers, monthly morning tea in the Friars Room, student movie night and class parent dinners. Our hard working Parents & Friends committee who raise valuable funds for school improvements supported these activities. Our new Heart Space has been used for outdoor assemblies, quiet activities, STEM lessons and a gathering place for parents picking up their children at the end of the day. Recommendations from the 2014 School Review are still unfolding with student regulation, feedback and goal setting as priorities. A decision was made in 2015 to move to a Mandarin language from Italian, therefore making 2017 the first year that Mandarin was taught and implemented across the school. Our Chairperson, Mr Rhys Thomas, ably led the Education Board. The Education Board oversaw and achieved a number of initiatives in 2017: Review of the Enhancing Catholic School Identity Project (ECSI) results The introduction of an Arts Festival A Community Art Project that saw five bollards designed and made around the theme Let Happiness Dwell Here Drawing up of the School Master Plan to redesign the school s outdoor facilities Construction of the vegetable gardens The Year 6 children participated in a Leave Your Mark Art Project (A pathway surrounding the bollards) St Francis Primary School will continue to build on its sound foundation and introduce new initiatives in 2018 and beyond. Steve Bellesini 2017 ANNUAL REPORT TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY 5

7 Parish Priest s Report The past year has been one of great achievement and noted growth for our Parish school and community. The completion of the heart landscaping project has given us a new focus and gathering space. The thoughtful planning of a built environment can often enhance the experience of all, but only when there is a generous and participative community to fill it out and utilise it. A marked example testifying to just such a community existing here in Box Hill is the School Fair conducted last November. The social capital accumulated by all those who brought it about exceeded even what was an outstanding financial result in its fundraising. Improving the interaction between our School and Parish Community remains a focus for many of our joint activities. The results of these efforts are pleasing to see. The reputation of our school, the competence and creativity of our staff, the accomplishments of our students and the dedication of their families all continue blossom under Dr Steve Bellesini s leadership. Let happiness dwell here. Fr Tony Kerin PP 2017 ANNUAL REPORT TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY 6

8 School Education Board Report Another year has come and gone, and once again, the Education Board finds itself looking back on four full school terms of change, learning and growth. School funding continues to be something that exercises the mind, and it is sometimes difficult to know what to believe. One argument is that a move to needs based funding is imperative, and paves the way for better targeting of school funding to those families who really need it. Another argument goes that system based educators (like the Catholic school system) should have complete flexibility about the allocation of resources. Some think private schools should not be funded at all and others are of the view that funding should go direct to families to be spent as they wish. There s conflict between Federal and State Governments, and the Catholic school sector is caught somewhere in the middle. Despite all the disagreement, one thing we can all agree on is that a lot more discussion and analysis is required before we truly understand what the impact of Gonski 2.0 will be. The Education Board (together with its hard working Finance Committee) has decided not to overreact, and to keep the structure and level of school fees largely unchanged for the time being. Any future decision about school fees will need to be taken in careful consideration of the sustainability of the school, but also the impact on the families who trust us with their children every day. I am pleased to be able to say that the long term future of the school it looks bright very bright indeed. Enrolments continue to be strong, and show no sign of slowing. The demographics of Box Hill suggest that demand for student placements will grow over the long term. Of course, the school does not operate in isolation, and Catholic schools work best when they are supported by a large and committed parish, and it is pleasing to see that the people of Box Hill and surrounds continue to engage in the church, both here at St Francis Xavier and also in our tremendous new church at St Clare. This level of mutual support is perhaps one of our school s greatest assets, and our congregation is arguably more diverse and more exciting now than at any time in the school s history. This message will be my last as Chair of the Education Board as I take a step back in 2018 and allow a new face to take on the leadership role. I have been involved in Committees and Boards for most of my professional career and can say without hesitation that my period on the SFX Education Board has been the most interesting, the most challenging and above all, the most rewarding. I knew little about education when I joined the Board seven years ago, and even less about the administrative challenges of operating a school. My understanding of the teaching profession was still largely shaped by my own experience as a student. In my time on the Board I ve seen a dedicated team of professionals devoted to delivering the highest standards of education to our children. Perhaps the biggest surprise to me is the level of individual attention that goes into developing what essentially amounts to an individual curriculum for each student. I am delighted to have found the SFX community for my daughters and so glad that I chose to become involved myself. Rhys Thomas Chair 2017 ANNUAL REPORT TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY 7

9 Parents & Friends Report The Parents & Friends Association has enjoyed an extremely busy and rewarding year. As a team and together with many likeminded and very dedicated volunteers throughout our community, we have again had a very successful year of both social and fundraising functions including: Annual Family Welcome Picnic Prep/Year 6 Fish n Chip night Lap-a-thon Easter Raffle Mothers Day Stall Fathers Day Breakfast School Disco Movie / Wine & Cheese night Dinner Dance Cancer Council Biggest Morning Tea Weekly cake raffle Icy Pole Friday Grandparents Day catering Family Foodbank Monthly Parent Morning Tea Presents for Year 6 Leaving Families Due to the success of many of these fundraising events we have been able to make financial contributions to many upgrades around the school. There is currently a masterplan being created to develop the school oval and once complete we will be able to make a large financial contribution to the upgrade of this area. It is very rewarding to be able to see something tangible for all the hard work. The P & F have again provided a huge range of events which allows for the ability to meet a vision of the Committee in respect to social inclusiveness of our community. Our aim is to create greater connections between the members of our school community through bringing people together. We encourage all communities within our school to become involved with the P & F and help us achieve a supportive partnership between the teachers, parish and parents. I am very proud to have worked with such an amazing team within our community, all focussed on providing a positive difference to our school. Karalyn Daly President 2017 ANNUAL REPORT TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY 8

10 Education in Faith Our goal is that students are provided with increased opportunities to authentically inquire into their faith. St Francis Xavier School has a strong link with our parish. Class liturgies are celebrated each year at the vigil mass on a Saturday evening. Regular prayer liturgies are prepared by students and teachers, in which parents are invited to participate. Students in Years 3, 4 and 6 participate in a Sacramental program for Reconciliation, Eucharist and Confirmation. Children of all faiths in these levels participate in a family Sacramental evening and a reflection day in preparation for the sacrament. The Religious Education Leader works closely with the parish and priests to ensure that liturgies and rosters are in place. Religious Education is taught on a daily basis by all teachers. The catechesis is linked to topics in our inquiry units and linked to sacramental ceremonies to build an understanding of faith in life based on the Gospel within a contemporary world ANNUAL REPORT TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY 1

11 Learning & Teaching In 2017, St Francis Xavier School entered the third year of our School Improvement Plan ( ). The goal, improvement priorities and strategies for this period of time include: Goal To improve every individual student's outcomes through highly effective pedagogical practices which are aligned with a culture of personalised learning Priorities for Improvement Personalisation / Differentiation Engagement Wellbeing Intended Outcomes To secure and embed the entitlement of every student to effective teaching and learning To address students metacognitive skills and to support the development of effective learning behaviours To enable a sense of belonging and inclusion in school, and self-responsibility, leading to improved student engagement, achievement and experience Key Improvement Strategies Using Data to differentiate to point of need Using data to inform planning and drive Targeted teaching Self Regulation Strategies Students using feedback to inform learning goals Deepen whole school practices of strategies from Play is the Way In monitoring our success in moving toward achieving our goal, we have continued to strengthen our use of individual growth data in Literacy and Numeracy. We have also provided opportunity for teachers to reflect on their impact on students learning through examination of teacher effect size data. An essential element of improving teacher quality has been through focused professional learning. Aligned with this has been our culture of providing teachers with opportunities to engage in peer observation and receive feedback on their practice. We have increased our use of the approach of Facilitated Planning. This strategic approach involves a leader supporting teachers to work in teams to examine data, plan together to meet the needs of students, teach and reflect on the effectiveness of the learning ANNUAL REPORT TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY 2

12 READING Year Five National Victorian St Francis Xavier Year Three National Victorian St Francis Xavier WRITING Year Five National Victorian St Francis Xavier Year Three National Victorian St Francis Xavier SPELLING Year Five National Victorian St Francis Xavier Year Three National Victorian St Francis Xavier ANNUAL REPORT TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY 3

13 GRAMMAR & PUNCTUATION Year Five National Victorian St Francis Xavier Year Three National Victorian St Francis Xavier NUMERACY Year Five National Victorian St Francis Xavier Year Three National Victorian St Francis Xavier Mean performance of St Francis Xavier students compared to state and national mean scores The results for 2017 show that in all areas assessed through NAPLAN, St Francis Xavier School mean was above state and national means except in Year 3 Writing where there was a 1 point difference in the state score. Trend data of gains in achievement scores from Year to Year indicate that St Francis School mean scores were above that of Victorian mean gain scores in all areas tested in NAPLAN except writing where there was a 2 point difference ANNUAL REPORT TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY 4

14 Student Wellbeing St Francis Xavier is a school focussing on the Life Raft Statements from the student wellbeing program Play is the Way. The theme for 2017 was Be Brave and Participate to Progress. A number of staff attended Professional Development in this program to ensure a teacher from each level was able to lead their team in this methodology. Two wellbeing days took place during the year where students gathered in their year levels and undertook a series of activities from the Play is the Way program. The Play is the Way program outlines five key concepts to explore. The philosophy of this program is one of behaviour education and student self-regulation that eventually may foster independent, self-motivated, empathetic, lifelong learners. Our school worked with outside agencies such as The Department of Health and Human Services, Catholic Education Melbourne and the visiting school psychologists to ensure that support was in place for all students. Our Student Services Co-ordinator, conducted regular meetings with parents through Program Support Groups (PSGs) for students requiring extra assistance. Members of the Education Board continued to use the book Do Parents Know They Matter? Raising Achievement Through Parental Engagement as a foundational source. The Heart Space continued to provide a quiet place for children to gather. It was also used as a gathering place for Friday Assemblies and whole school liturgies. Year 5 and 6 students participated in an online Wellbeing survey under the direction of the Whitehorse Council and the University of Melbourne. We examined these results to inform the implementation of our wellbeing program. We hope to continue participating in this program to observe trends across the years. The Year 6 Leaders were invited to Lunch with the Principal In their Leadership Groups during Term One. They enjoyed a lunch catered for by the school and talked to the Principal about their goals as Leaders for Student wellbeing was a focus in a number of Professional Learning meetings after school. The focus of these meetings was on embedding wellbeing into the curriculum through concepts such as selfawareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making. Attendance Monitoring The school: checks student attendance twice a day monitors daily attendance and identifies absences from school or class follows up unexplained absences notifies parents and guardians of unsatisfactory attendance records unsatisfactory attendance on student files The principal and Deputy Principal follow up on unsatisfactory attendance by contacting parents and taking appropriate action ANNUAL REPORT TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY 5

15 Child Safe Standards The St Francis Xavier Code of conduct and Child Safety Policy were developed by our Leadership Team and approved by the Education Board on 1 st August, Our vision is for a school that enhances the wellbeing of all in an environment of justice, inclusiveness, tolerance, equality and compassion, in which harmony and healthy relationships are promoted through the development of social skills, self-worth, affirmation and the celebration of achievements. It is also a place in which clergy, parents, teachers and students build and nurture a healthy growing community. Our Code of Conduct has a specific focus on safeguarding children and young people at St Francis Xavier against sexual, physical, psychological and emotional abuse or neglect. It is intended to complement other professional and/or occupational codes. All staff, volunteers, contractors, clergy and board members at St Francis Xavier are expected to actively contribute to a school culture that respects the dignity of its members and affirms the Gospel values of love, care for others, compassion and justice. They are required to observe child safe principles and expectations for appropriate behaviour towards and in the company of children. All staff, volunteers, contractors, clergy and board members are responsible for supporting the safety of children by reading, accepting and signing the Acceptable Behaviours and Unacceptable Behaviours as listed in the Code of Conduct. The Principal and Administrator attended the Professional Development Day Reportable Conduct. All staff were inserviced shortly after this meeting. Leadership & Management St Francis Xavier School continued to provide resources to enable optimum learning outcomes for students. This was evident with our extra human resources in Number & Literacy intervention and New Arrivals. Professional learning, both on and off-site, was provided and in line with our school goals. The principal met with the school accountant each month to ensure that allocation of resources was targeted to our core purpose of student learning. Leadership meetings were held on a weekly basis. The personnel comprised of Level Leaders, RE, Wellbeing, Maths and Learning & Teaching leaders as well as the principal. The agendas were issued beforehand, actions clearly stated and outcomes relayed to the rest of the staff. Six staff members participated in a Staff Wellbeing program during the latter part of the year. They worked under the guidance of a counsellor and a psychiatrist. The principal visited each classroom on a daily basis and would sometimes assist the teacher in the classroom for a two-hour block. Other leaders, including the Deputy Principal and Learning & Teaching Leader further developed a Facilitated Planning approach, planning with teachers and working with whole class, groups and individual students ANNUAL REPORT TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY 6

16 Professional Learning Staff Professional Learning centred on our goal of improving every student s outcomes through highly effective pedagogical practices. This learning translated into the following foci: Data Collective Members of the Leadership Team entered a collective with four other primary schools to extend our knowledge and capacity in using data to improve student growth. This collective s work aligned with the work of Dr Lyn Sharratt and Michael Fullan (Putting Faces on the Data: What Great Leaders Do! 2012) by examining the 14 parameters deemed necessary to provide optimal conditions to enable student growth. In 2017, we focused on three parameters in particular; shared beliefs and understanding, embedding instructional coaches in Literacy and Numeracy, and implementing Case Management Meetings. Professional Learning for all staff has focused on these parameters. Wellbeing In 2017 our staff were introduced to the key concepts associated with Play is the Way. This program is a practical methodology for teaching social and emotional skills using play, activities and specific language. This approach aligns well with the elements of the Social and Emotional Learning Framework that identifies the personal and social competencies required for healthy relationships and wellbeing. Engagement Student Voice We have continued to explore ways to deepen students engagement with learning. Students feel empowered and more engaged when they have an opportunity to participate in the decision-making about their learning. Setting directions for learning, setting goals and monitoring their own progress are some of the ways that we aim to enable student voice. Professional Learning has continued to focus on improving teachers ability to provide clear learning intentions, co-constructing success criteria with students and providing formative feedback. This learning also focused on ways teachers can support students to use the success criteria and feedback to reflect on their learning and set future learning goals. Another way of engaging student voice is through encouraging students to set directions for Inquiry Learning. As we moved to the new Victorian Curriculum, professional learning for staff revisited the school s rationale for using an inquiry approach; to develop self-directed, engaged, resilient life long learners. Teachers explored the important elements of the pedagogy of inquiry including autonomy, mastery and purpose. Teachers identified key concepts from which inquiry units could be developed. Part of this Professional Learning involved teachers making sure that the key concepts identified could be mapped to the new Victorian Curriculum content areas to ensure we had coverage. This learning enabled teachers to become more familiar with the content of the new curriculum. Pedagogy of STEM Professional Learning sessions included a focus on the pedagogy of STEM and unpacking the new Digital Technologies learning area from the Victorian Curriculum. Learning in this area also included practical activities, which enabled staff to engage with different technologies. The purpose of these sessions were for teachers to identify the skills and pedagogy required to promote problem solving, critical, creative and innovative thinking in our students. It also provided the teachers with an opportunity to discuss ways in which evidence could be collected around students competencies of these skills ANNUAL REPORT TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY 7

17 School Community St Francis Xavier School has strong links to both the school community and those outside the school. There are many opportunities for the school community to come together. There are regular class liturgies and class masses celebrated with the parish worshippers. Special celebrations included the school Feast Day and initiation ceremonies such as the sacraments Reconciliation, Confirmation and Eucharist. Grandparents Day is celebrated each year at the school and VIPs (very important persons) are invited by students to talk to their class about their occupations. The Arts Festival was a celebratory gathering of our school Community. The theme of the festival was Under the Sea and included a theme of Carnival Food, busking, performing and the display of our children s amazing artwork. Students assisted the work of St Vincent de Paul with fundraising and the annual Winter Appeal. Engagement with our indigenous people and the daily raising of their flag at school further widens student perspectives ANNUAL REPORT TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY 8

18 VRQA Compliance Data E1117 St Francis Xavier's School, Box Hill PROPORTION OF STUDENTS MEETING THE MININUM STANDARDS NAPLAN TESTS 2015 % 2016 % Changes % 2017 % Changes % YR 03 Grammar & Punctuation YR 03 Numeracy YR 03 Reading YR 03 Spelling YR 03 Writing YR 05 Grammar & Punctuation YR 05 Numeracy YR 05 Reading YR 05 Spelling YR 05 Writing ANNUAL REPORT TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY 9

19 AVERAGE STUDENT ATTENDANCE RATE BY YEAR LEVEL % Y Y Y Y Y Y Overall average attendance TEACHING STAFF ATTENDANCE RATE Teaching Staff Attendance Rate 72.79% STAFF RETENTION RATE Staff Retention Rate 80.00% TEACHER QUALIFICATIONS Doctorate 4.76% Masters 14.29% Graduate 28.57% Certificate Graduate 9.52% Degree Bachelor 80.95% Diploma Advanced 47.62% No Qualifications Listed 0.00% STAFF COMPOSITION Principal Class 3 Teaching Staff (Head Count) 34 FTE Teaching Staff Non-Teaching Staff (Head Count) 14 FTE Non-Teaching Staff Indigenous Teaching Staff ANNUAL REPORT TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY 10

20 NOTE: The School s financial performance information has been provided to the Australian Charities and Notfor-profits Commission (ACNC) and will be available for the community to access from their website at Finance Performance The financial position of St Francis Xavier Box Hill is very sound. The 2017 Annual Financial Statements were audited by Deloitte in March 2017 with excellent results. Governance of the school s finances is very thorough with policies, procedures and processes dictated by Catholic Education Melbourne, and monthly visits by the school Accountant, who also provides regular financial reports to the school s Education Board. The school s biggest ongoing financial commitment is staff costs which totaled $2.624 million in 2017; whereas the biggest capital commitment is the loan towards the major building project undertaken in The balance at 31 December 2017 was $866, and it is due to be paid out in ANNUAL REPORT TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY 11