Lue Public School Annual Report 2016 2432 Page 1 of 13 Lue Public School 2432 (2016)
Introduction The Annual Report for 2016 is provided to the community of Lue Public School as an account of the school's operations and achievements throughout the year. It provides a detailed account of the progress the school has made to provide high quality educational opportunities for all students, as set out in the school plan. It outlines the findings from self assessment that reflect the impact of key school strategies for improved learning and the benefit to all students from the expenditure of resources, including equity funding. Caron McDonald Principal School contact details Lue Public School Swanston St Lue, 2850 www.lue-p.schools.nsw.edu.au lue-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au 6373 6407 Message from the Principal 2016 has been a productive year, enriched with many highlights and successes. Our parents and community have continued to be an essential element of our combined learning community. The active participation and valued contribution of the Parents and Citizens Association, (P&C), continues to be a vital component in the school s growth. The school strives to provide all students with quality teaching and learning programs, tailored to meet individual needs, within a stimulating environment which encourages all students to do their best in a safe, supportive and secure setting. In 2016, the school continued to provide a strong learning foundation with a curriculum that is balanced, innovative and engaging for each of our students across all key learning areas. The dedicated staff demonstrated their commitment to provide quality education for all students. Our school is proud of the inclusive culture and effective student welfare programs that support our increasingly diverse learners. All staff members at Lue Public School are committed to a process of continuous improvement and self evaluation to meet the changing needs of our students and school. They embrace new methodologies and regularly attend professional learning opportunities. The success the children have at school is a combined effort of their hard work and the wonderful and dedicated staff at Lue Public School. The staff all share the same vision: to make our school the best place possible for our students. It is a credit to their hard work, heart and effort that Lue Public School stands brightly as a place of educational initiative and care for our students. We are committed to providing the best education that we can for the students and I am proud to say our educational programs are encouraging, supportive and responsive to student needs. 2016 has been a year of great growth and changes for the staff and students of Lue Public School. We said sad farewells to K 2 teacher, Mrs Liddle, at the end of 2015 and welcomed Miss Teagan Heraghty to the position. I was fortunate to be successful through a vigorous merit selection process in securing the permanent position as Principal of our school and have been very warmly congratulated by staff and parents. I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank the community, staff and students of Lue Public School, for your ongoing support of our school and for embracing the changes that have occurred throughout the year. Your support of the school and its purpose is invaluable. Caron McDonald Principal Message from the school community Page 2 of 13 Lue Public School 2432 (2016)
The P & C of Lue Public School have had a wonderful and successful year. Our Friday night raffles at the Lue Hotel continued to support our fundraising earlier in the year and they enable our parents, who volunteer their time to sell tickets, to mingle and engage with other local community members. We would like to thank Meredith and the staff for providing the venue and, it goes without saying, a huge thank you to the locals who so loyally support us. Our other fundraising events for the year included supporting the charity golf and bowls day at the Rylstone Club and, of course, our major fundraiser this year was the sale of raffle tickets for a motorbike and related prizes. Thank you to all the families who helped and donated their time to assist with these events and also to the community for supporting us. We raised over $4000 this year which enabled us to subsidise the year 6 excursion to Young Leader's Day and Years 1 to 6 student excursion to Sydney. It is exciting and rewarding when we are able to allocate the money we raise back to our students directly and we always try to ensure that excursions are our priority. The P & C committee have worked tirelessly this year and their dedication is paramount to our continued success. Kylee Robinson stepped up for her first year as President, and Debbie Robinson managed both roles of Secretary and Treasurer. A big thank you must go to our Principal, Mrs Caron McDonald, who has been phenomenal with her support in her second year at Lue Public School. Our sincere appreciation also must go to the permanent and casual staff and volunteers of Lue Public School. We are certainly proof that many hands make light work and everyone always chips in when and where needed. Thank you once again for supporting our school and, in doing so, our students. Debbie Robinson (Secretary and Treasurer) Message from the students Our students in years 5 and 6 take on the role of student counsellors. They aim to be good role models and model expectations to our younger students. Our student counsellors hold the responsibility for running assemblies and leading special event days, such as Harmony Day and Pirate Day (raising money for child cancer research). They have developed in confidence, have worked together as a team and were excellent ambassadors at the Young Leader's event in Sydney. Year 6 Jackson Griffin, Zac Stewart Year 5 Elijah Hutchison, Josharra Parr Page 3 of 13 Lue Public School 2432 (2016)
School background School vision statement Our school's vision is to enable each child to reach his or her potential. It aims to provide individual enrichment and comprehensive, educational experiences which enhance the intellectual, physical, social and emotional development of all students. Our school motto is, 'preparing children for life,' and all stakeholders are very supportive of our learning environment. School context Lue Public School is a TP1 school set in a quiet rural area, situated between the towns of Mudgee and Rylstone. As one of the Macquarie Schools Network, it is also an active member of the Cudgegong Learning Community (CLC) and the Mudgee Small Schools Network (MSSN). A number of the students live locally but many travel from the Kandos/Rylstone area by bus. There are currently 18 children enrolled at school (2016). Lue Public School provides a sound foundation for continued learning and recognises the importance of involving the community in the school's events and programs. Our school enjoys a balanced curriculum, integrating academic work, cultural activities, sport and environmental awareness. Lue Public School has one full time Teaching Principal and a temporary second teacher (four days per week), School Administration Manager (two and a half days per week), Student Learning Support Officer (three days per week) and a Student Chaplain, employed under the Chaplaincy program (two days per week). The Parents and Citizens organisation are small but active. Children aged 4, participate in our 'Little Lues' transition program. Each year in terms 3 and 4, Pre Kinder children attend for one day each week to ensure a smooth transition into kindergarten. Self-assessment and school achievement Self-assessment using the School Excellence Framework For all schools (except those participating in external validation processes): 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 supports public schools throughout NSW in the pursuit of excellence by providing a clear description of high quality practice across the three domains of Learning, Teaching and Leading. The self assessment below demonstrates areas that Lue Public School is Delivering, Sustaining and Growing and Excelling in. This assessment was conducted across the school staff and students, while using narrative and surveys to gain information from the parent body. Our self assessment process will further assist the school to refine the strategic priorities in our School plan leading to further improvements in the delivery of education to our students. Learning In the domain of learning, our school has focused on ensuring we provide quality teaching and learning for each student. As in previous years we worked hard throughout 2016 to ensure we embed our school values to ensure a harmonious and successful learning environment. We developed Individual Learning Plans for identified students and in 2017 will develop these plans for all students whilst including a more formal opportunity for students to engage in setting personal learning goals. We have refined procedures for assessment, including the use of diagnostic testing to provide ongoing feedback to students to support their learning. Student wellbeing is an integral part of learning success and an ongoing focus at Lue Public School. In 2016 we further refined our merit system and implemented explicit expectations through the use of Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) strategies. Staff attended professional learning opportunities in PBL to ensure consistency of practice and we continued to acknowledge and empower our students through positive school behaviours built around the school values of Being Page 4 of 13 Lue Public School 2432 (2016)
Safe, Being Respectful and Being Responsible. Teaching In the domain of teaching, our focus has been on the effective use of data to track student learning. This ensures an effective means to collect, analyse and use data to inform teaching in order to target individual student needs. This has required ongoing teacher professional development, where we have focused on the use and development of our skills using the NSW Literacy and Numeracy continuums and PLAN software (a Department of Education software tracking tool) to track students, support consistent teacher judgment and support the creation of incremental goals for each student. Teaching staff have also aligned teaching programs and practice to the New South Wales Syllabus documents for the Australian Curriculum as it has been progressively implemented. Leading At the beginning of 2016, we consulted with our school community, including our active Parents and Citizens committee, to revisit and refine our 2015 2017 School Plan. The plan identifies areas that allow for increased student decision making in becoming independent workers, and provides provision for ongoing parent and community leadership to support positive learning outcomes for Lue Public School students. Our school student counsellors support school planning around fundraising and special events, leading assemblies and presentations, and in 2017 we will continue to support this group. As a school throughout 2016 we continued to strengthen our links with the wider school community. Staff and students engaged in a range of activities with the Mudgee Small Schools Network of schools. For students, this has involved opportunities to be involved with other small schools around special days and events, such as Young Leader s Day in Sydney, athletics carnivals and public speaking competitions. For staff, the focus was around professional learning and collaboration, providing opportunities to share expertise and knowledge. These opportunities enhance the sharing of leadership and learning across a group of schools and support the building of capacity across our network. The explicit approach to school planning and assessing our school achievements has had a substantial, positive impact on our school. Our self assessment process will assist the school to refine the strategic priorities in our School Plan, leading to further improvements in the delivery of education to our students. For more information about the School Excellence Framework: http://www.dec.nsw.gov.au/about the department/our reforms/school excellence framework Page 5 of 13 Lue Public School 2432 (2016)
Strategic Direction 1 All students achieve individual targeted outcomes across all Key Learning Areas. Purpose To improve the educational outcomes of all students. To support all students to become competent and creative learners; achieved through the development of whole school programs, increasing teacher capacity and engaging students with meaningful, learning opportunities. Overall summary of progress Our continued school wide focus on individualised and inclusive teaching programs and learning activities, has enabled us to achieve significant progress in this strategic direction through 2016. A refined approach to writing Individual Learning Plans, setting academic targets and recording student progress has supported teaching staff to identify areas of student needs, develop activities for support and to enable further student academic growth. Progress towards achieving improvement measures Improvement measures (to be achieved over 3 years) All students achieve Literacy and Numeracy goals as measured using PLAN software. Personalised learning plans developed for all students in consultation with parents, staff and students, to meet identified student needs. A coordinated plan of professional learning for the introduction of the National Curriculum through new NSW syllabus documents developed and implemented. Progress achieved this year All students recorded academic growth matching individual targets based on a range of internal and external assessments. The assessments used relevant syllabus outcomes and clusters within the Literacy and Numeracy continuums. Clear evidence of QTF in programming and teaching. Effective differentiation meeting needs of individual students. Teaching units were written and reviewed using new syllabus documentation and shared amongst MSSN. Funds Expended (Resources) $44500.00 (RAM funding and Initiative funding) Next Steps Continued use of a range of assessment tools and models, to refine and accurately report on student progress and achievement. Use of assessment data to identify any areas of teacher professional learning to be undertaken. Page 6 of 13 Lue Public School 2432 (2016)
Strategic Direction 2 Effective and sustained leadership and management practices. Purpose To develop leadership and management skills at all levels of school life to inspire a culture of communication, collaboration and empowered leadership. To ensure learning for students is based on current and consistent high level professional practices to prepare students for the 21st Century. Overall summary of progress Staff professional learning goals aligned with school priorities and staff were encouraged to participate in a variety of professional learning opportunities to develop capacity. Students in the senior years embraced the opportunity to participate in peer mediation and develop their leadership skills through a variety of activities, including presentations, problem solving, community events and peer support. Progress towards achieving improvement measures Improvement measures (to be achieved over 3 years) Staff professional learning goals align with individual, school and state priorities. Student leadership group developed with a focus on organisational skills, confidence in hosting community learning and engagement events and developing peer mediation skills. Progress achieved this year Effective use of ICT at all school levels. Staff demonstrate integration of ICT and new technologies in T&L program across all KLA's. Student growth in leadership capacity and confidence. PBL strategies demonstrated positive outcomes and the number of behaviour incidents was significantly reduced. Funds Expended (Resources) $4200 (RAM and Initiatives funding) $4800.00 (Ram and Initiatives funding) Next Steps Senior students will continue to be supported to develop leadership capacity and peer resolution skills. Teaching and support staff will continue to be encouraged to pursue professional learning opportunities to strengthen capacity and develop growth in their respective roles. Page 7 of 13 Lue Public School 2432 (2016)
Strategic Direction 3 Promote an inclusive learning culture. Purpose To promote community involvement in our school to build sustained, positive relationships with all key stakeholders. By working together, schools, parents and families can increase their combined capacity to positively influence student outcomes. Overall summary of progress Strengthening and maintaining partnerships is seen by all staff members as critical to ensuring that the school remains a place of high quality education for all students. Locally, the school has been well supported by both the Parents and Citizens Association and collegial networks, including the Mudgee Small Schools Network and the Cudgegong Learning Community. These partnerships continue to develop and contribute to the education of the children through supporting classroom programs and extracurricular activities. Further afield, the staff and school have engaged with numerous schools, both small and large, in combined units of work and initiatives, such as the Small Talk Video Conferencing debating competition. Progress towards achieving improvement measures Improvement measures (to be achieved over 3 years) A supportive school community evidenced by maintaining high rates of parents attending P&C meetings, educational planning meetings and community events/fundraisers. Engaging extra curricular activities complement and enhance educational programs within Lue Public School. Progress achieved this year Increased levels of community engagement with learning processes. Very high turnout for presentation evening and Christmas concert from whole community. A number of highly engaging and successful activities were employed in 2016. These included participation at a combined Eisteddfod and participation in the Small Talk Debating competition. Funds Expended (Resources) $1800 (RAM and Initiatives funding) An effective framework is used to guide professional learning across the Mudgee Small schools Network and braider educational network. In 2016, the Mudgee Small Schools Professional Learning Framework was further refined to reflect ongoing reforms within the department. A focus for2016 included developing knowledge and a working understanding of the School Excellence Framework, and developing a strategy to bring classes from different closer together with work, reporting and activities. Next Steps Continue to monitor and access schools and educational groups to the benefit of Lue Public School. Maintain and strengthen connections with local organisations and groups in order to develop a responsive and sustainable School Management Plan for 2018 2020. Page 8 of 13 Lue Public School 2432 (2016)
Key Initiatives Impact achieved this year Resources (annual) Aboriginal background loading Low level adjustment for disability Quality Teaching, Successful Students (QTSS) Socio economic background Students recorded individual progress in both reading skills and comprehension aspects of the literacy continuum. Identified students were tracked throughout the year ad demonstrated good growth towards personal learning goals in both Literacy and Numeracy. QTSS provided additional time for staff to participate in professional learning opportunities which strengthened teaching capacity to ensure student needs are met through individualised learning plans. Student assessment undertaken through the Literacy and Numeracy continuums, demonstrated evidence of good growth in all aspects of learning. Aboriginal background loading ($531.52) Low level adjustment for disability ($2 138.00) Socio economic background ($33 491.30) Page 9 of 13 Lue Public School 2432 (2016)
Student information Student enrolment profile Enrolments Students 2013 2014 2015 2016 Boys 11 13 16 14 Girls 11 10 6 8 Student attendance profile School Year 2013 2014 2015 2016 K 92.1 97.3 92.3 98.2 1 96.1 96.7 96 98.9 2 92.5 95.4 91.2 97.3 3 95.5 97 95.3 93.5 4 93.6 97.3 94.1 97.5 5 92.1 98.2 96.7 95.2 6 94.8 92.9 96.5 95.7 All Years 94.4 96.5 94.9 96.8 State DoE Year 2013 2014 2015 2016 K 95 95.2 94.4 94.4 1 94.5 94.7 93.8 93.9 2 94.7 94.9 94 94.1 3 94.8 95 94.1 94.2 4 94.7 94.9 94 93.9 5 94.5 94.8 94 93.9 6 94.1 94.2 93.5 93.4 All Years 94.7 94.8 94 94 Management of non-attendance Regular student attendance is essential if students are to meet their full potential. At Lue Public School we have a rigorous attendance policy and any student absences are quickly followed up. Student attendance has shown excellent growth over the past 4 years, testament to the rigour of our policy and to the engaging learning environment at school. Class sizes Class Total K-2 H 7 3-6 M 12 Workforce information Workforce composition Position FTE* Principal 1 Classroom Teacher(s) 0.13 Learning and Support Teacher(s) 0.1 Teacher Librarian 0.08 School Administration & Support Staff 0.7 Other Positions 0 *Full Time Equivalent The Australian Education Regulation, 2014 requires schools to report on Aboriginal compositionof their workforce. Thereare currently no Aboriginal staff members at Lue Public School Teacher qualifications All teaching staff meet the professional requirements for teaching in NSW public schools. Teacher qualifications Qualifications % of staff Undergraduate degree or diploma 100 Postgraduate degree 50 Professional learning and teacher accreditation Teachers and SASS participated in a variety of professional learning opportunities which assisted them to build capacity in their roles. Professional learning took place in administration practices, Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL), Physical Education (including teaching Indigenous games), L3 Literacy training and Science for Primary students. This training has been implemented and is used to inform, record and pan for the future learning of our students. Page 10 of 13 Lue Public School 2432 (2016)
Financial information (for schools using OASIS for the whole year) Financial information This summary financial information covers funds for operating costs to 30th November 2016 and does not involve expenditure areas such as permanent salaries, building and major maintenance. Income $ Balance brought forward 31 010.03 Global funds 41 638.67 Tied funds 65 636.49 School & community sources 26 488.53 Interest 680.25 Trust receipts 679.00 Canteen 0.00 Total income 166 132.97 Expenditure Teaching & learning Key learning areas 20 549.95 Excursions 17 540.33 Extracurricular dissections 8 348.08 Library 537.33 Training & development 5 697.21 Tied funds 60 537.31 Short term relief 0.00 Administration & office 17 907.51 School-operated canteen 0.00 Utilities 5 633.89 Maintenance 5 867.92 Trust accounts 331.99 Capital programs 0.00 Total expenditure 142 951.52 Balance carried forward 23 181.45 The three financial summary tables cover 13 months (from 1 December 2015 to 31 December 2016). The financial summary consists of school income broken down by funding source and is derived from the school Annual Financial Statement. The information provided in the financial summary includes reporting from 1 December 2015 to 31 December 2016. There is no opening balance recorded in the SAP finance table. The opening balance for the school for this reporting period is recorded as the Balance Brought Forward in the OASIS table. The OASIS Balance carried forward amount (ie, funds on date of migration) is included in the (2a) Appropriation amount in the SAP table. Any differences between the OASIS Balance carried forward and (2a) Appropriation amount is the result of other accounts and transactions being included in the (2a) Appropriation amount. Financial summary equity funding The equity funding data is the main component of the 'Appropriation' section of the financial summary above. A full copy of the school s financial statement is tabled at the annual general meetings of the parent and/or community groups. Further details concerning the statement can be obtained by contacting the school. Financial information (for schools fully deployed to SAP/SALM) Financial summary The information provided in the financial summary includes reporting from <date> to 31 December 2016. A full copy of the school s financial statement is tabled at the annual general meetings of the parent and/or community groups. Further details concerning the statement can be obtained by contacting the school. Financial information (for schools using both OASIS and SAP/SALM) Financial information Financial summary equity funding The equity funding data is the main component of the 'Appropriation' section of the financial summary above. A full copy of the school's financial statement is tabled at the annual general meetings of the parent and/or community groups. Further details concerning the Page 11 of 13 Lue Public School 2432 (2016)
statement can be obtained by contacting the school. School performance NAPLAN In the National Assessment Program, the results across the Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 literacy and numeracy assessments are reported on a scale from Band 1 to Band 10. The achievement scale represents increasing levels of skills and understandings demonstrated in these assessments. In 2016, four students from Lue Public School sat NAPLAN assessments. Due to the small size of the cohort and reporting protocols, results are not able to be published or commented upon. Families receive individual reports on student achievement and are offered the opportunity to meet with teaching staff to discuss aspects of the assessment. The My School website provides detailed information and data for national literacy and numeracy testing. Click on the link http://www.myschool.edu.auand insert the school name in the Find a school and select GO to access the school data. Parent/caregiver, student, teacher satisfaction Each year, schools are required to seek the opinions of parents, students and teachers about the school. Comment and feedback was sought through discussion, meetings and surveys. A summary of the responses and results are presented below. In 2016, students took part in two 'Tell Them From Me' surveys to measure many aspects of their school lives. Over the two surveys, the results proved to be very positive. 100 % of students felt that they were interested and motivated to learn at school, along with 100% believing they displayed good behaviour, had a positive sense of belonging at school and, valued the outcomes gained from school. Positive teacher student relations scored an 8.6/10 through the surveys reflected in the working relationships the children have with staff at the school. Another outcome from the surveys was that 0% of students felt that they had been a victim of bullying at the school; this aspect is evident in the warm friendships maintained by the children. In 2016, parents were surveyed about school management and school culture. In the aspect of school management, the responses were very positive with parents believing strongly that the school accurately measures the success of programs, that staff genuinely care about the students and that the educational needs of all students are met. In the aspect of school culture, the responses were very positive, with all parents and carers responding "almost always' to questions relating to the school's acknowledgement, encouragement and provision of needs, for all children. Finally, all staff at Lue Public School continued to be proactive in the work, support for work and departmental reforms. Staff constantly embrace professional development that continues to improve student outcomes. Once again, the staff offered their time, effort and expertise far and beyond what was expected. As a result the school continued to operate in a professional, yet supportive manner for students, staff and guests alike. Policy requirements Aboriginal education Aspects of Aboriginal culture are taught within classroom lessons using characteristics of 8 Ways Aboriginal Pedagogies. In 2016 all students enjoyed and engaged in combined NAIDOC Day activities with a number of small schools. The celebration was held at Goolma Public School and included an exciting variety of cultural lessons, events and games. Multicultural and anti-racism education Lue Public School continues to operate as a place of tolerance, inclusiveness and respect for cultural diversity. In 2016, the students engaged in the Fun Friends personal development program. Through this program, the students developed a stronger sense of respect towards other people and themselves. They also established strategies for building relationships with children from all cultures and backgrounds. Other school programs There are so many highlights from the year and engaging opportunities fro our students. I have highlighted a few of them below: Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program Once again, the school kitchen gardens have proved to be a valuable and engaging place to build teaching and learning activities. In 2016, the focus remained on teaching children the fundamentals of planting, caring and harvesting food from the gardens. This focus was complimented by a further focus on seed saving activities. Young Leader's Event This year, two year 6 students accompanied me and other students from Hargraves Public School and Goolma Public School to attend the Young Leader's Event which is held in Sydney each year. Almost 5000 students in years 5 and 6 attend from all over NSW to listen to a variety of guest speakers form many walks of life who deliver their messages about leadership. Students always come away from the event feeling very positive and full of renewed vigour, ready to embrace Page 12 of 13 Lue Public School 2432 (2016)
their roles as students leaders at school. Art Camp daysand even slept in the old style hammocks from the time. This year, several Stage 3 students attended the Art Camp at Hill End Public School to learn, experience and express themselves in a three day art camp. Nearly forty students from ten small schools enjoyed working and learning under the guidance of four wonderful guest artists including Jeannie Holmes, Sue Fardell,Marianne Kimm and Nic Mason. Video Conference Debating Now into the third year, the Small Talk debating competition, again proved to be a great success. The competition uses Connected Classroom video conferencing technology to bring together students hundreds of kilometres apart. This year, the competition brought together nearly one hundred students from twelve small schools. Debate topics were varied and interesting with an incredible amount of thought and effort by students in preparation for the debates. MSSN Eisteddfod Our students competed strongly in the MSSN Eisteddfod in Music, Verse Speaking and Drama. After a very entertaining performance, students were awarded first place in Drama.. Mudgee Small Schools Swimming Carnival Once again we were thrilled with our student's presentation, effort and behaviour at the Mudgee Small Schools Swimming Carnival. The Lue community was very proud of the students and their results. Jackson Griffin, runner up senior boys medal, Rhys Robinson, runner up junior boys medal, Felikss Sander winner junior boys trophy, Oskar Sander winner juvenile boys trophy and Khylarni Docherty winner juvenile girl trophy. Mudgee Small Schools Athletics Carnival With gritty determination (and warm jackets), the students from Lue Public School competed strongly at the 2016 Mudgee Small Schools Athletics Carnival. While the wind may have been icy, the enthusiasm and support our students showed towards each other was heart warming. Zac Stewart, Jackson Griffin, Rhys Robinson, Matthew Robinson, Matthew Elkins, Felikss Sander, Yagan Sloane and Sarah Stewart were all placed in their respective events and went on to compete at Zone level. Zac Stewart also went one step further to compete in discus as Western. Sydney Excursion The highlight excursion this year was a 3 day trip to Sydney for students from years 1 through to year 6. I was so proud of how well behaved and engaged our students were at the various venues in Sydney and I know they all came away with a greater understanding of the history of our early settlers. One of the highlights of the excursion was the sleepover at Hyde Park Barracks where students re enacted the convict Page 13 of 13 Lue Public School 2432 (2016)