St. Benedict s Primary School Burwood

Transcription

1 St. Benedict s Primary School Burwood Annual Report to the School Community-2010 Registered School Number: 1461

2 School Contact Information Address: 3-9 Central Avenue Burwood, 3125 Principal: Barry McLellan Parish Priest: Fr. Tony Schick Education Board Chair: David Reed Telephone: Website: Annual Report to the School Community Page 2

3 Our School Vision Together we work and pray At St. Benedict s we believe that as a Catholic school we are committed to learning and living the values of the Gospel with Jesus as our model. We are committed to: Living and sharing the gift of faith Providing a learning environment that focuses on the whole person i.e. the spiritual, academic, emotional, social and physical dimensions of a child s development Encouraging the views of the whole community including students, staff, parents and parishioners. Collaborative decision making is seen as integral to the life and functioning of the school. Providing a place of welcome, acceptance and growth for all members of our school community. We seek to prepare our children for the opportunities and demands of life in the 21 st Century and see the teachings of Jesus to be fundamental in this task. I have come that you may have life and have it to the full. John 10: Annual Report to the School Community Page 3

4 School Overview St. Benedict s Primary School educates the children of the parish of Burwood. The school was opened on 28 th January 1941 with 15 pupils. During the 1940 s the sisters of the Our Lady of Sion Order staffed the school. Enrolments grew and extra classrooms, cloakrooms and toilets were built in the 1950 s. The Sion sisters withdrew from the school and the Marist sisters from Sydney were invited to replace them. By 1955 there were 300 children enrolled and further extensions to the buildings were required. From the late 1950 s the school catered for both primary and secondary students. However, as this proved unsatisfactory, it was decided to acquire land in Central Avenue and build a new primary school. The original site of the primary school became Chavion College and was eventually incorporated into Emmaus College dual campus regional secondary school. Facilities The present primary school was opened in In 2010, using funds from the Building the Education Revolution program, we constructed three new classrooms, renovated a classroom to form a library and renovated the computer centre, art room and hall. We also installed new playground equipment and synthetic turf over the asphalt. The classrooms are fully heated and air-conditioned and have a wet area incorporating a sink. A new administration area was completed in 2006 and it consists of the Principal s office, reception area, secretary s office, photocopy room, a sick bay, shower, toilet and an archive storage room. The playground area is on two levels and there are two adventure playgrounds. We have a small grassed area with seating for the children. Much of the playground and the tennis courts have synthetic turf. Location St. Benedict s is situated within the boundaries of the City of Whitehorse and is a member of the East Central Zone of the Catholic Parish Primary Schools. The school is close to Warrigal Road and Burwood Highway/Toorak Road and there is good access to public transport. There is a local shopping centre nearby and a sizeable light industrial area to the southeast. The neighbourhood is predominantly residential and made up of privately owned homes and units. There has been marked redevelopment of old schools, factories and other large sites to create estates of new homes. This has brought with them a change from an ageing population to one of young families and couples. This is an encouraging sign for the growth of our school population. Most of our students enrolled come from quite stable family backgrounds. Many of our children are involved in extra curricular activities. A feeling of strong parental interest and involvement prevails, both in the welfare of the school and the progress of the children. Staff St. Benedict s employs 6 full time teachers, 10 part time teachers, 2 school officers and 5 teacher aides. Specialist areas include Art, Library, Music & Drama (Prep-Yr.2) Instrumental music(yr.3-6), Italian (Yr.3-6), Reading Recovery and Physical Education. The current Positions of Leadership are: Deputy Principal, Religious Education Coordinator, Curriculum Coordinator and Maths Coordinator. We use an integrated approach to curriculum to incorporate all learning areas. The Leadership team is made up of the Principal, Deputy Principal, Religious Education Coordinator, Literacy Coordinator, Maths Coordinator and Curriculum Coordinator. The Consultative Committee is made up of all teaching staff. Class Groupings In 2010 we had seven class groupings consisting of a Prep, 2xYr.1/2, 2x Yr.3/4 and 2xYr.5/ Annual Report to the School Community Page 4

5 Parent Participation Our partnership with parents is considered to be of vital importance to the successful education of the students at St Benedict s. They participate by assisting in classrooms, supporting physical education programs such as interschool sport, attending excursions, working in the library and at working bees. Our School Education Board represents the parent body and advises the principal and the parish priest on school issues. The Education Board meets approx. twice per term. The Parents and Friends Association meets regularly and does great work in raising funds for programs and resources and organizes social activities for our school families. St. Benedict s offers an afterschool care program from 3.15pm- 6pm each day. Principal's Report 2010 was a successful year for St. Benedict s school. A summary of key decisions, events and achievements is included below. Our Yr.3 and Yr.5 students participated in NAPLAN tests (National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy). Overall results were pleasing. We analysed the results and put in place programs to assist children who are finding these areas difficult. The Yr.3 to Yr.6 instrumental program allowed the students in these classes to learn the flute, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, singing, violin or drums. These children performed in two instrumental concerts for the school. We held a very successful school concert on 12 th August at the Besen Centre Burwood Whole school closure days focussed on Cyber Safety, Reading Comprehension and creating and supporting a Performance and Development Culture. SRC fundraising events supported several causes throughout the year including: blankets, clothing and food for the St. Vincent De Paul Society, the Earthquake in Haiti, and Caritas. We continued our involvement in the Literacy Assessment Project which aims to improve reading comprehension for students in Yr.3 to 6 The following sacraments were celebrated: First Reconciliation- Thursday 25 th March and First Eucharist Sunday 17 th and 25 th October. Our children participated in zone, district and regional athletics and cross country running competitions as part of the Victorian Primary School Sports Association. Our Yr.5&6 children were involved in a senior sport competition with our local Catholic schools. A mothers day mass and morning tea were held in May. A fathers day mass and breakfast were held in September. John Burland, a singer and songwriter, performed for our children on 12 th July. A celebration of St. Benedict s day was held on Friday 30th July. This day included a school mass followed by rotational fun activities and a special lunch provided by the P&F. One student described the day as her best ever Annual Report to the School Community Page 5

6 Our Yr.5 children were involved in a drama festival on Wednesday 23 rd June. The Archbishop Denis Hart and Director of Catholic Education Steven Elder attended the festival. The children performed very well and were a credit to our school. We commenced the process for our school review of the years We will look at our successes and areas for improvement and develop a new school improvement plan for We will also complete the documentation for the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority minimum standards. Using funds from the Building the Education Revolution we built three new classrooms, renovated classrooms to form a new library, renovated the computer centre and artroom and hall. We also installed new playground equipment and synthetic turf. The new buildings were officially opened by our local federal member of parliament, Anna Burke, on 14 th November. Anna is also a former student of St. Benedict s school. Mark Anderson from ACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority) ran a parent education session on the topic of Cyber safety on Monday 17 th May. He also ran a session for our Yr.5/6 students on Friday 21 st May. Both sessions were very well presented and received. A number of our Yr.5/6 students were involved in the Maths Olympiad and performed very well (in the top 7.5% in Australasia). Human sexuality sessions were held for Yr.3,4,5&6 children and parents on Thursday 26 th August and Thursday 2 nd September. The details above are a snap shot of 2010 for St. Benedict s school community. We believe that these activities are preparing our students well to participate effectively in our society in the future and to live life to the full Annual Report to the School Community Page 6

7 Education in Faith Goals and Intended Outcomes Our Goal To develop a faith culture within the school community Intended outcomes That staff will regularly participate in faith experiences That students will regularly participate in faith experiences That parents will be more involved in the Faith Community That teachers professional competence, knowledge and confidence will be developed in Religious Education Achievements In 2010 we did not have a specific faith development day for staff however this will remain a focus and a day is planned for staff faith development in August of Staff prayer resources were updated and reflective music, CDs etc. were purchased. Further opportunities were provided for staff to participate in RE professional development. Our Religious Education Coordinator attended REC networks and the new REC inservice program. These activities assisted the school s RE program. RE was included as a component of professional learning teams. Several RE professional learning team meetings were held throughout the year. Students were given further opportunities to celebrate, pray and share liturgical experiences. Students assisted in the planning of masses, class liturgies/prayer/meditation. Catholicity The following activities assisted the spiritual development of our students RE program Prep Yr.6 Whole school and class masses Celebration of the sacraments of Penance and Eucharist Participation in social justice initiatives for the St. Vincent de Paul society, Caritas and the Haiti Earthquake appeal. Learning and Teaching Goals articulated in the Annual Action Plan To ensure a whole of school approach to purposeful teaching To further engage students in their learning Intended outcomes That student performance in Mathematics be improved That student performance in Writing be improved That students will be involved in decision making regarding their own learning That the use of ICT facilities will be optimised in all teaching and learning programs Achievements The more rigourous use of data, including NAPLAN results, to identify areas that need to be addressed and linking this to teaching programs. Results from TORCH, PAT Maths amd Probe testing help guide teaching and learning. The further implementation of LAP (Literacy Assessment Project) focused on improved literacy outcomes in reading and writing particularly at the Yr.3&4 level Annual Report to the School Community Page 7

8 All classes now have interactive whiteboards. This technology has enhanced student engagement. Student involvement in decision making has been a focus e.g. through SRC, nominations for school awards etc. The intended outcomes were achieved through the following: Identification of common elements of mathematics needs across school/level and focus professional development in these areas. Involvement in the Literacy Assessment Project 1. Developing literacy leaders and collaborative teams 2. Using literacy assessment and data to improve student outcomes The further implementation of the Developing Inquiring Minds Professional Learning Program and implementing planning strategies from this program. Skilling students in learning how to make appropriate decisions and choices. Compliance Advice Item 6: National Minimum Standards The following data indicates the percentage of students in the school who are at or above the National Minimum standards as assessed by the National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) in 2008, 2009 and The NAPLAN tests are set for all students in Yr. 3, 5, 7 & 9 in every school in Australia. This data was provided by the Catholic Education Office Melbourne. Proportion of Students meeting National Minimum Standard Year 3 Year Reading 100% 96.4% 95% 96.2% 100% 100% Writing 100% 100% 95% 92% 94.7% 100% Spelling 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% Grammar & Punctuation 100% 96.2% 95% 100% 94.7% 100% Numeracy 100% 96.3% 100% 95.8% 95% 95.7% Change in Proportion of Students meeting National Minimum Standard Year 3 Year Reading 0% -3.6% -1.4% -3.8% 3.8% 0% Writing 0% 0% -5% -8% 2.7% 5.3% Spelling N/A 0% 0% N/A 0% 0% Grammar & Punctuation N/A -3.8% -1.2% N/A -5.3% 5.3% Numeracy 0% -3.7% 3.7% -4.2% -0.8% 0.7% The results show that the students of St. Benedict s are, in most cases, meeting or exceeding national benchmarks. We collect much data throughout the year on each child of which NAPLAN data is one example. Where a child is not achieving at expected levels Individual Learning Plans are developed. This process is coordinated by the Special Needs and Student Welfare coordinator in cooperation with the classroom teacher Annual Report to the School Community Page 8

9 Item 7: National minimum standards changes School Improvement Report data provided by the Catholic Education Office provides the percentage (%) change in the proportion of students in the school who are at or above the national literacy and numeracy minimum standards, as assessed by the National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy(NAPLAN) tests, in comparison to the previous year. SUBJECT AREA % INCREASE/DECREASE Yr 3 Reading -1.4% Yr 3 Writing -5% Yr 3 Spelling 0.0% Yr.3 Grammar and Punctuation -1.2% Yr 3 Numeracy 3.7 % Yr 5 Reading 0 % Yr 5 Writing 5.3 % Yr 5 Spelling 0.0% Yr 5 Grammar and Punctuation 5.3% Yr 5 Numeracy 0.7% Item 8: Value Added The value added section of this report refers to those school activities and programs that have a positive effect on the wellbeing and achievement of students and the school community. The following are a list of curricular and extra curricular activities that we believe have had a positive impact: Social Skills Programs Friendly Kids, Friendly Classrooms program Bounce Back program Student Representative Council Buddy Program Student Wellbeing focus at staff meetings Values Education Health and Fitness Program PE program Prep Yr. 6 Interschool Sports Competition for Yr.5&6 Swimming Lessons School, Zone and District Athletics Carnivals and cross country running competitions Tennis lessons School Camp & Excursions Year 5/6 school camp Excursions across all grade levels Incursions across all grade levels Use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Computers in all classrooms Computer Centre all classes have access 2010 Annual Report to the School Community Page 9

10 Interactive whiteboards in all classrooms Music /Arts Program Prep Yr.2 music and drama program Yr.3 to Yr.6 instrumental program and instrumental concert. School Choir Weekly assembly performances. Visual arts lessons School concert Educational Programs Reading Recovery Program Early Years Literacy program(prep to Yr.2), Literacy program Yr.3 to 6 including professional learning team meetings Chess club, Maths Club and Art Club meet once a week Library program Italian lessons -Yr.3 to Yr.6 Music and drama lessons for Prep to Yr.2 Phys. Ed. lessons Prep to Yr.6 Maths intervention and extension classes Building Community Prep dinner and prep transition program Fathers Day mass, stall and breakfast Mothers Day mass, stall and morning tea Strong Links with Parents and Friends Association and Education Board Weekly newsletters to all parents 2010 Annual Report to the School Community Page 10

11 Student Wellbeing Goal/s articulated in the School Improvement Plan That students are involved in establishing learning social goals, reflective practices and self assessment Achievements Introduced circle time to the staff and encouraged this as a regular classroom practice Allocated staff meeting time to discuss VEL s personal learning and the development of a P-6 approach Worked with identified individual students on their social skills and resilience Developed staff understanding of interpersonal development assessment Established a hand over routine of students to next year s teacher, particularly those with special needs Compliance Advice Item 5: Student Attendance The overall attendance of the students at our school is good. The average student attendance rate for our students was 90.27% for a 20 day period in May. Non attendance at school is recorded on the electronic roll. Teachers are expected to note the reason for absences. All parents are requested to send a note when a child returns to school after an absence or to ring the school office. These notes are also kept on record to substantiate the information recorded on the roll. We believe that if students regularly miss days of school that they are at risk of missing out on key learning activities and may experience long term difficulties with their learning. We also believe that regular attendance helps children to develop social skills such as friendship building, teamwork, communication skills and healthy self esteem. Item 9-Parent, student and teacher satisfaction Surveys of parents, students and staff satisfaction were undertaken in third term of These surveys, along with anecdotal evidences indicate that parents and staff are very satisfied with both the pastoral care of the children and academic achievement. We have very few complaints concerning the management of the children Annual Report to the School Community Page 11

12 Leadership and Management Goal/s articulated in the School Improvement Plan To improve staff engagement Intended outcomes That the Vision Statement will be revisited and reshaped to align with the five school improvement spheres That an induction and mentoring program is implemented for all staff new to the school That staff receive regular, constructive appraisal and recognition That whole school and individual PD planning are linked to the school improvement plan Achievements Staff met regularly to offer feedback e.g. after camp, excursions, units of work. A revised vision statement has been developed We developed and implemented an induction program We ensure that, where possible, all staff received regular, constructive feedback from a variety of sources. Compliance Advice Item 1: Staff Attendance Teaching Staff: 95.87% Non-teaching staff: 97.68% All staff: 96.42% The information presented here represents the average percentage attendance rate per staff member who was employed at the school on the last day of term 4. Staff on any type of leave during the year would have been counted as not being in attendance during that leave. Staff attending approved professional learning activities during a school day have been classified as being in attendance. Context for reporting Staff attendance figures include staff on extended leave such as: Long service leave Long term sickness Leave without pay Maternity leave Study leave Enrichment or sabbatical leave. During 2010: Staff on sick leave, long service leave or attending professional development 2010 Annual Report to the School Community Page 12

13 programs were replaced by existing staff members or qualified emergency teachers. Staff have demonstrated their commitment to the school through additional attendance at: Yr. 5 & 6 three day School Camp Organising and attending excursions After hours meetings Extra curricular activities Representation on the Parish Education Board and Parents and Friends Assoc. Information evenings for the Sacramental Program Overnight Conferences Yr.6 Graduation mass Afternoon and evening Parent/Teacher Interviews Open Days and evenings Prep (2011) dinner Prep transition sessions Attendance at sacramental celebrations i.e. Penance and Eucharist Item 2: Staff Retention The information presented here is the proportion of teaching staff retained in a program year from the previous year. There was 81.25% staff retention from The data represents retention of individual teachers not integration aides or administrative staff. Staff that were on extended leave (e.g. maternity leave, long-service leave, extended sick leave) have not been included in the calculation. Teachers employed on short term contracts are included. Item 3: Teacher Qualification All staff employed at St. Benedict s school have appropriate qualifications as per the guidelines laid down by the Victorian Institute of Teaching. Data collected by the Catholic Education Office indicates the following: Level Teachers' Qualifications This School Like Schools All Schools Degree - Doctorate 0% 0.42% 0.19% Degree - Masters 6.25% 9.02% 8.89% Diploma - Graduate 18.75% 26.44% 23.34% Certificate - Graduate 0% 4.58% 3.85% Degree - Bachelor 56.25% 66.57% 67.81% Diploma - Advanced 87.5% 46.93% 44.68% No Qualifications Listed 6.25% 8.92% 9.19% Item 4: Expenditure and Teacher Participation in Professional Learning This item includes replacement costs for staff attending inservices, teacher allowances and expenses, subscriptions and levies, journals and periodicals, catering for school functions and books purchased for the library Annual Report to the School Community Page 13

14 The total expenditure on Professional Learning for staff (22 full and part time staff) in 2010 was $39,713. This works out to be approximately $1,805 per staff member. It is also important to point out that some of the Professional Learning that staff are involved in takes place after hours or on weekends and as such does not incur replacement costs to the school. Some of the professional learning activities that staff were involved are shown below. Victorian Essential Learning standards Student Welfare networks Literacy Assessment Project First Aide and Anaphylactic Training Inquiry Curriculum Focus Maths Zone Success in Numeracy Education Literacy Reading Recovery Inservicing Literacy Zone Network Inservice Days Religious Education, Principal, Deputy Principal, Curriculum Coordinator and Student Wellbeing networks School Officer networks Professional Development underpins our teaching and learning practice and supports our school improvement plan. It highlights the commitment of the teaching staff to develop their professional knowledge and practice. School Community Goal/s articulated in the School Improvement Plan To improve connectedness between our school and wider community Intended outcome That engagement with the community, parents, the parish and the wider community will be consistent Achievements The SRC held several fundraising events for various charities Maintaining online and paper newsletter Fortnightly classroom news in the newsletter Each class attending a weekday mass with parishioners Staff attend open days. Parishioners and parents of children at kindergarten are invited to open days. Involvement in P & F functions Building Community Prep Transition Program Fathers Day mass, stall and breakfast Mothers Day mass, stall and morning tea Strong Links with Parents and Friends Association and Education Board Weekly newsletters to all parents Grandparents day Dinner for preps (2011) P&F fundraising and social activities Annual Report to the School Community Page 14

15 Financial Performance Financial Performance for the year ended 31 December 2010 Reporting Framework Modified Cash $ Recurrent income Tuition(includes boarding) School fees 103,163 Other fee income 79,563 Private income 24,808 State government recurrent grants 286,184 Australian government recurrent grants 1,072,008 Total recurrent income 1,565,727 Recurrent expenditure Tuition Salaries, allowances and related expenses 1,202,282 Non salary expenses 221,976 Total recurrent expenditure 1,424,258 Capital income and expenditure Tuition Government capital grants 2,062,500 Capital fees and levies 84,514 Other capital income 39,599 Total capital income 2,186,613 Total capital expenditure 2,153,924 Loans (includes refundable enrolment deposits and recurrent, capital and bridging loans) Tuition Total opening balance 413,868 Total closing balance 337,250 Non DEEWR FQ reported items Tuition(includes boarding) System levies (payments) (152,353) Intra systemic receipts (payments) - Diocesan capital fund (SCF) receipts (payments) 6, Annual Report to the School Community Page 15

16 Note that the information provided above now includes the following items that are not derived from the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) Financial Questionnaire (FQ) however which form part of the school s finances: 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) has finalised the process of reviewing the Financial Questionnaire (FQ) that may ultimately change the method of reporting these exclusions. Future Directions In 2011 we plan do the following: Education in Faith Give students more opportunities to prepare, celebrate, pray and share liturgical experiences e.g. performance by singer and song writer Gary Pinto. Provide staff with Faith Development opportunities including staff meetings and liturgies and to experience times of reflection and prayer. Assist staff in the development of RE assessment and reporting. Target professional learning programs in RE. Hold a faith development day for staff on 19 th August 2011 Learning and Teaching Identify common elements of Mathematics needs across school/level and focus professional development in these areas. Use student data more rigorously, including NAPLAN results, to identify which skills most need to be improved and link this to teaching programs. Implement learning and teaching strategies from TORCH, PAT and PROBE tests. Continue our involvement in Literacy Assessment Project 1. Develop literacy leaders and collaborative teams 2. Use literacy assessment and data to improve student outcomes Allocate time for team planning. Implement planning strategies from Developing Inquiring Minds Professional Learning Continue to improve our use of interactive whiteboards. Student Wellbeing Continue to encourage the use of circle time and make it a regular classroom practice. Allocate staff meeting time to discuss VELs personal learning and develop a P-6 approach. Work with identified individual students on their social skills and resilience. Develop staff understanding of assessment of interpersonal learning. Introduce meditation across each year level. Leadership and management To emphasise role clarity and make clear expectations for staff. Continue to develop our mentoring and induction program. Ensure that all staff receive regular, constructive feedback from a variety of sources. Use a proforma for peer appraisal and feedback. School Community Strengthen links between school programs, the parish and local communities. Invite community groups and individuals to participate in learning programs and school life in general. Be more explicit with students and parents about involvement in community projects, curriculum planning and student learning Annual Report to the School Community Page 16