Elizabeth North Primary School Annual Report 2013
Context School Name: Elizabeth North Primary School Number: 0825 Principal: Graham Wood Region: Northern Adelaide Elizabeth North Primary School is situated on 4.5 hectares in the suburb of Elizabeth North which is 29 kilometres north of the Adelaide GPO. According to the My School website the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage is 919 for Elizabeth North Primary School. Approximately 492 students are enrolled in Years Reception - Year 7. A further 94 children were enrolled in the Site Based Preschool. In 2010 an Occasional Care program was introduced and this has a daily attendance of up to 15 children and there are 47 enrolments. The school services an educationally disadvantaged community with 70% of students on School Card. Within the school population there are 14% of students who are classified as Students with Disabilities, 10% are Aboriginal students and 9% are from Non English Speaking Backgrounds. Student attendance is about 89% across the school and there are a high percentage of students who arrive late for school each day. The school provides outstanding facilities and has recently constructed a new Early Years Learning Centre and gymnasium. It has also refurbished several classrooms and learning areas. A new extension to the Learning Centre provides new facilities for the school's intervention programs. All classrooms have access to an interactive whiteboard and a broad range of resources to support learning programs. The school provides specialist teaching in the areas of Science, Music and Physical Education. Report from Governing Council 2013 was another very successful year for the Elizabeth North community. Enrolments continued to grow throughout the year and the preschool enrolments grew unexpectedly to 94 in Term 2. Occasional Care continued to be very popular in the community with attendance at capacity most days that the service was open. The Governing Council was very active as a decision making group and supported a number of fundraising activities. A growing concern for the Governing Council is the continued financial loss being accrued in the OSHC program. This has been a constant agenda item in meetings and OSHC Profit and Loss statements indicate that there is an average loss of $800 per month. A concern of Governing Council is the growing amount of debt that has accrued through the year for outstanding Material and Service Charges and OSHC fees. I d like to thank all Governing Council members and school staff for their continued commitment to improved achievement for the children and students at Elizabeth North in 2013. Ian Fuss Chairperson of Governing Council 2013 Highlights Highlights for 2013 have included: The implementation of a whole school Science specialist teaching program. All classes are now actively involved in an R 7 program provided by six teachers. The continued teaching of Music and Physical Education across the school. Increased enrolments starting the year with 399 enrolments and finishing the year with 492. The school s focus on teaching mathematics with an emphasis on Mental Routines and Problematizing. The many celebrations which have included Book Week, Science Week, Literacy and Numeracy Week. In 2012 the school introduced an end of term recognition of positive student behaviour and students engaged in activities such as kite making, jumping castles and a visit from a mobile animal farm. Several fundraising activities have included a community breakfast, Mother s Day and Father s Day stalls, student disco, Outstanding results for the Year 5s in the NAPLAN Reading Test, Outstanding contributions from the staff and school community in supporting events, Expanded opportunities for students in out of hours sports programs, The growth of participation of parents in the Reading Army, The increasing level of parent participation in the school. Page 1
Site Improvement Planning Page 2
Preschool QIP Achievements The preschool enrolments grew quickly reaching 94 in Term 2. The highest enrolment number in 2012 was 68, which indicates a growth of 38% in 12 months. The increased enrolments at this time lead to changes in the organization and management of the preschool, particularly in Term 2. During the year preschool staff, in consultation with families, redesigned the structure of sessions. This resulted in Group 1 and 2 children working together for the morning session on Wednesdays. The children beginning school in the following term had their transition visits to school during that time over ten school weeks. This enabled children to begin their schooling with an understanding of school routines and behaviours for learning. The main achievements as stated in the QIP: Standard Element 1.2 Time has been allocated for Preschool educators to meet weekly with Occasional Care staff to further support integration of services. Standard Element 2.1.3 Procedures for nappy changing, cleaning and safe handling of food have been implemented and displayed throughout the Early Years Centre. Standard Element 2.3.2 Equipment and resources have been stored safely and are easily accessible. Standard Element 3.2.1 Intentional teaching has been included in the weekly program to include children utilizing the garden. A new swing set has been installed in the preschool outdoor area. Standard Element 4.1.1 Attendance improvement strategies have been implemented and a successful application has been submitted for additional funding in 2014 to address attendance issues. Standard Element 5.1.2 educators intentionally use and model the correct language structures and provide a rich vocabulary. The school has also gained further Speech and Language support through the employment of 0.2 FTE Speech Pathologist in 2014. This is resourced by the school at a cost of approximately $18000. Standard Element 6.1.1 A National Partnerships initiative (Empowering Local Schools) has supported the development of partnerships with local support services. In particular, a program called HIPPY, run through Anglicare, will be run through the preschool in 2014. Close partnerships have been made with The Smith Family and Playford Council. Standard Element 7.6.2 One to one meetings are conducted with families when they are enrolled at the preschool. The new swings were finally installed and have been well used by children in the outdoor learning program. The preschool outdoor learning program includes small group intentional teaching. In this photo an educator is teaching throwing and catching. Page 3
Recommendations for 2014 The following recommendations for improvement were developed during the site s Self Review Day. This day involved the participation of all preschool educators. Standard Element 1.1.1 The preschool needs to further develop an awareness of the links between the Early Years Learning Framework and the Australian Curriculum. Standard Element 1.1.3 The preschool needs to further develop procedures to manage implications of the Same First Day Policy. Standard Element 1.1.4 The school s website needs to include more information about preschool matters. Standard Element 1.2.3 Further exploration of the elements of oral language. Standard Element 1.2.4 Further develop the use of the 3Rs to evaluate children s active learning and engagement. Standard Element 2.1.1 Leadership staff need to continue to develop more effective induction practices for new staff. Standard Element 2.2 The site needs to improve knowledge of healthy food options for families and children. Standard Element 2.3.3 Ensure emergency bells can be heard in the preschool. Standard Element 4.1.1 Implement improved procedures for attendance. Standard Element 7.3.2 It is recognized that educators need to review First Aid and documentation processes. Numeracy Improvement Achievements In 2013 the major focus of improvement centred on the implementation of a whole school approach to the teaching of mathematics. This approach was based on the work of Ann Baker. Within this approach teachers developed their knowledge of the Secret Code (mathematical strategies.) The approach focuses on the structure of a Numeracy Block constructed of three major components these being Mental Routines, Problematized Situations (this includes a strategy lesson, skill development and problem solving) and a Reflection time where students share their learning. Teachers were introduced to the TfEL Learning Design template and trialed this for planning units of work. Teachers continued their development of the use of the Mathematics Australian Curriculum and the school s Scope and Sequence. In Term 1 the Scope and Sequence was reviewed and this was modified to accommodate for student needs and a stronger focus on Number. The higher performing students from Years 3 7 participated in the ICAS Mathematics Competitions which resulted in 10 credits and 1 distinction. The school continued the use of Quicksmart Mathematics intervention and broadened the use of the strategies to enable a larger number of students to participate in the program. Recommendations for 2014 PAT-Maths conduct this test for Year 3 7 students in Term 4 only in 2014. The data gained form the test in Term 4 will then be used for two purposes assessing knowledge of mathematical concepts and for future planning. Further develop the staff use of the Quicksmart strategies to further develop fluency and automaticity in basic number facts. Implement a measure of Standards in Mathematics Westwood One Minute Maths tests in combination with the AC Further develop Year Level Mathematical vocabulary lists. All classes have copies of the Secret Code within their classroom. Implement a JP mathematics intervention strategy / approach. Continue to develop the Learning Design model and the weekly Numeracy Block planner. An R-2 assessment tool is developed. Numeracy Improvement Targets NAPLAN Targets The Numeracy Learning Improvement Targets for 2013 were based on NAPLAN Standards using NAPLAN Proficiency Bands. Below is a table showing what the targets were and what actual target was achieved in 2013: Page 4
Year Level NAPLAN Band 2013 Target Actual Standard 3 4+ 45% 41% 5 6+ 35% 18% 7 7+ 32% 15% Data indicates that the percentage of students who achieved the Numeracy Improvement Standards for 2013 were lower than the assigned targets for Years 3, 5 and 7. PAT-Maths Targets The Years 3 7 target was that 35% of students achieve Stanine 5 or above. Data indicates that 15% of students achieved this target. Literacy Improvement Achievements In 2013 the school continued to provide Professional Development in the area of the Big 6 of Reading, up skilling new staff in the school about the expectations of teaching in the area of reading and consolidating the practice of continuing staff. The school continued its focus on Reading Intervention Programs that focus on aspects of the Big 6. The Junior Primary staff undertook a more detailed testing regime and analysis of phonological awareness through the SPA Test. There was a deep analysis of the data for every student and teachers accommodated their needs accordingly. Staff took this approach as it was evident that a large number of students were starting well below the expected standard for their year level. The whole school approach to Spelling was continued. All teachers undertook Professional Development in the area of Dyslexia through the National Partnerships initiative. Consequently teachers have developed a clearer understanding of the criteria to look for when describing a student with Dyslexia and Reading Difficulties. This helped to formulate and document strategies (through the Student Learning Plan) to support students with learning difficulties through a differentiated curriculum. Teachers worked closely with a Students with Disabilities Lead Teacher to interpret the goals and SMARTA learning targets for identified students these students were closely monitored and an inquiry process was developed to meet their individual learning needs. Recommendations for 2014 Focus on developing a whole school approach to the teaching of Grammar use Jolly Grammar as the basis for this approach. Continuing focus on comprehension strategies. Reading Mentor role continues. In-service training on the use of the Reading Doctor program. Teachers utilize Dyslexia professional learning to further differentiate student learning. Continue use of SPA testing for new enrolments and students who have not met expected standards. Review and refine the Literacy Folder information. Undertake the PAT-R. Undertake an audit of the Professional Learning of all teachers use this data to determine what staff need to participate in. For example, Jolly Phonics, Running Records, PAT-R analysis. Review of the EYLF in line with the Same First Day procedures 4 yo starting school. NAPLAN Targets The Literacy Learning Improvement Targets for 2013 were based on NAPLAN Standards using NAPLAN Proficiency Bands. Below is a table showing what the targets were and what actual targets were achieved in 2013: Reading Year Level NAPLAN Band 2013 Target Actual Standard 3 4+ 55% 50% 5 6+ 36% 48% 7 7+ 45% 25% Page 5
Data indicates that the percentage of students who achieved the Reading Improvement Standards in 2013 were higher for Year 5 students but slightly under for Year 3 students. Year 7 results indicated that they performed significantly lower than the targets that were set. Spelling Grammar Year Level NAPLAN Band 2013 Target Actual Standard 3 4+ 60% 36% 5 6+ 40% 31% 7 7+ 42% 20% Year Level NAPLAN Band 2013 Target Actual Standard 3 4+ 63% 53% 5 6+ 38% 27% 7 7+ 39% 18% PAT-R Comprehension Results In 2013 the school conducted the PAT-R Comprehension test online with students from Years 3-7. The school target in PAT-R was for 50% of students to achieve at Stanine 5+. Results indicate that 39% of students from Years 3-7 achieved this target, a decrease of 5% from 2012. Running Records/Lexile Levels: Student reading progress is monitored using Running Records and Lexile Levels together with other literacy assessment tools. This information is continuously collected and analyzed throughout each term and is used to inform future teaching directions and prioritize student access to additional intervention programs. Table showing the Percentage of Students who achieved the Reading Standards at the End of Term 4 2013. Year Level School Reading Standard Total Percentage Achieved or Above Standard Rec. R.R. 10 23% Year 1 R.R. 20 31% Year 2 R.R. 26+ 39% Year 3 R.R. 30+ 41% Year 4 Lexile 600 30% Year 5 Lexile 700 48% Year 6 Lexile 800 43% Year 7 Lexile 900 36% Our target for 2013 was for 50% of students from R-3 to reach the school s Reading Standards. Our average across all R-3 year levels was 34%. The target for students in Years 4-7 was 64% and the average across these year levels was 39%. Despite a lot of effort and focus on developing whole school literacy programs, there is still a lot of work to be done in attaining higher levels of achievement across all year levels and in particular in the younger year levels. Poor attendance and lateness to school are contributing factors in students not achieving their year level reading standard along with limited regular guided practice with reading by many of our younger students. Several reading workshops for families were held during the year. The response was generally disappointing and as a result workshops will continue to be offered regularly during 2014 and additional avenues for providing families with strategies to help their children with reading will be explored. Our Aboriginal students are represented across all standards with a few of our students in older year levels reading at our School Standards. A large group of students in the Early Years are achieving below our reading standards despite being targeted specifically for intervention programs in 2013. During Term 4 a workshop was run for all parents of Aboriginal students focusing on How to support their children with reading at home. In 2014 our aim is to run a series of workshops about reading for Aboriginal families. Page 6
Running Records - Year 1 - Term 3 2013 Running Records - Year 2 - Term 3 2013 This data indicates that students at Elizabeth North are represented more in the lower levels when compared to like schools for 2013 for both Year One and Year Two. This is a drop from our 2012 reading distribution data and closer analysis of individual students results will help to develop more targeted intervention for these students. Inconsistent attendance and lateness to school are contributing factors to this drop in reading achievement and addressing this will be a focus for 2014. Our Aboriginal students in these year levels are generally below our school standards. Aboriginal students will continue to be targeted for additional support in 2014 in our Whole School Intervention Programs. NAPLAN Graph 1: Year 3 Mean Scores for all Test Aspects Year 3 Mean Scores Page 7
Table 1: Year 3 Mean Scores Mean Scores by Test Aspect Year 3 2011 2012 2013 Numeracy 360.3 362.9 355.4 Reading 376.5 410.2 384.9 Writing 393.4 390.9 401.0 Spelling 366.7 411.6 374.2 Grammar 366.0 411.0 391.8 The Year 3 students performed inconsistently in the 2013 NAPLAN Tests, scoring at state mean in one aspect, Reading, and below in the other 3 aspects of the test: Reading, Spelling and Grammar. Numeracy continues to be an area for improvement in 2014. Data indicates that the students were well prepared for the Writing task as this was the aspect where students performed at state average. Results in Spelling and Grammar were well below the previous year but still above the level from two years ago. Table 2: Year 3 Proficiency Bands by Aspect % Proficiency Band by Test Aspect Year 3 Exempt 1 2 3 4 5 6 Numeracy 6.5 17.4 34.8 34.8 6.5 Reading 6.5 15.2 30.4 19.6 8.7 19.6 Writing 2.1 8.5 25.5 27.7 25.5 10.6 Spelling 8.5 14.9 38.3 12.8 14.9 10.6 Grammar 4.3 10.6 31.9 17.0 19.1 17.0 Elizabeth North aims for Year 3 students to be achieving at Band 4+. In 2013 there was a decrease in the percentage of students achieving in these bands in most aspects of the tests, other than Writing. Graph 2: Year 5 Mean Scores for all Test Aspects Page 8
Table 3: Year 5 Mean Scores Mean Scores by Test Aspect Year 5 2011 2012 2013 Numeracy 434.2 462.5 424.6 Reading 440.3 462.3 468.9 Writing 446.2 454.4 415.4 Spelling 429.9 484.2 435.2 Grammar 427.7 437.6 440.2 The Year 5 students improved in Reading and Grammar when compared to the 2012 NAPLAN tests. Numeracy and Spelling results were very disappointing compared to 2012. Numeracy results for the Year 5s were also lower compared to two years ago. The Site Learning Improvement Plan will continue to focus on this area of the curriculum. Table 4: Year 5 Proficiency Bands by Aspect % Proficiency Band by Test Aspect Year 5 Exempt 3 4 5 6 7 8 Numeracy 17.9 41.0 23.1 15.4 2.6 Reading 8.3 22.2 22.2 19.4 22.2 5.6 Writing 30.6 16.7 36.1 11.1 5.6 Spelling 27.8 13.9 25.0 19.4 13.9 Grammar 16.7 22.2 33.3 11.1 13.9 2.8 Elizabeth North aims for Year 5 students to be achieving at Band 6+. In 2013 the aspect of Reading showed the highest percentage of students in these bands compared to other aspects. Graph 3: Year 7 Mean Scores for all Test Aspects Table 5: Year 7 Mean Scores Mean Scores by Test Aspect Year 7 2011 2012 2013 Numeracy 500.1 489.6 482.7 Reading 506.0 515.6 489.8 Writing 498.7 478.1 471.6 Spelling 516.4 502.5 481.3 Grammar 510.8 511.4 460.8 The Year 7 students performed below the previous two years in all aspects of the NAPLAN tests. The cohort of students has performed below state mean throughout the previous years of participation in the tests. There are a high percentage of students who have a learning difficulty and who have a Negotiated Education Plan. Page 9
Table 6: Year 7 Proficiency Bands by Aspect % Proficiency Band by Test Aspect Year 7 Exempt 4 5 6 7 8 9 Numeracy 5.9 50.0 29.4 8.8 5.9 Reading 11.4 40.0 22.9 17.1 2.9 5.7 Writing 2.9 58.8 35.3 2.9 Spelling 20.6 26.5 32.4 14.7 5.9 Grammar 26.5 35.3 20.6 8.8 8.8 Elizabeth North aims for Year 7 students to be achieving at Band 7+. The highest achievement of Year 7s was in the aspect of Reading and the lowest was in the aspect of Mathematics. NAPLAN School Growth: Year 3-5 Table 7: Year 3-5 Growth Growth by Test Aspect Year 3-5 Progress Group Site Numeracy Lower 25% 41.9 Middle 50% 48.4 Upper 25% 9.7 Reading Lower 25% 35.7 Middle 50% 32.1 Upper 25% 32.1 The data described in Table 7 indicates that there is very positive growth between Years 3 5 in the area of Reading. Numeracy growth indicates that students have not progressed as positively as Reading. This provided further evidence of the need to focus on Numeracy development in the 2014 Site Learning Improvement plan. NAPLAN School Growth: Year 5-7 Page 10
Table 8: Year 5-7 Growth Growth by Test Aspect Year 5-7 Progress Group Site Numeracy Lower 25% 46.2 Middle 50% 38.5 Upper 25% 15.4 Reading Lower 25% 28.0 Middle 50% 48.0 Upper 25% 24.0 The data described in Table 8 indicates that there is very positive growth between Years 5 7 in the area of Reading, particularly the upper component of Reading. This was not evident for Numeracy and this indicates that new strategies need to be investigated in delivering the Year 7 Australian Curriculum Mathematics program. Student Data Attendance There has been an increase of 1.6% of attendance rates across the school when comparing 2012 to 2013. Absences for Aboriginal students have decreased in 2013. Attendance by Year Level % Attendance Semester 1 2010 2011 2012 2013 Reception 84.9 89.4 88.2 84.2 Year 1 89.1 86.5 86.2 83.3 Year 2 88.6 90.6 87.2 88.5 Year 3 89.9 91.4 89.7 91.2 Year 4 89.4 88.3 87.9 89.3 Year 5 87.7 88.9 86.8 90.0 Year 6 84.5 85.9 90.0 90.0 Year 7 86.0 84.2 85.9 87.0 Total (Rec 7) 87.6 88.1 87.6 89.2 There are concerns for our chronic non attendees, especially those students in Reception and Year One. The Reception children make up 20% (1070 days) and Year One children 18% (978 days) of absences for Semester One and this trend continues throughout the year. Both year levels also have the highest lateness rate with 35% (1088 days.) In 2012 84 students had an average of 41 days absence, with 12 of these being unexplained. In 2013 70 students had an average of 21 days absence with 7 of these being unexplained. The school continued to employ an SSO to contact families of students in R - 2 and the ACEO contacted all Aboriginal parents for reasons of unexplained absences on a weekly basis. This strategy has made a positive impact on reasons for unexplained absences. Data indicates that in 2012 there were 3056 days unexplained absences from R 7 compared to 2749 in 2013. This is a reduction of 10%. The school has worked with Northern Innovative Community Action Networks (ICAN) to have a Case Manager assigned to two Year Seven students to help them return to school and assist with transition to high school. This has had very little success with these students. Behaviour Education Positive Behaviour Development continues to remain a focus for the school community from Preschool to Year 7. In 2013 the Wellbeing Committee continued to review Behaviour Education practices, which includes the School Responsibilities and Anti-bullying Policies. Students who showed positive behaviors were acknowledged during the year at the end of each term. Page 11
During 2013 the school continued to develop and strengthen a common understanding of positive behavior development processes and developed a common language that all staff could use when dealing with inappropriate behaviours. We achieved this by: Supporting staff in further implementing Strategies for Managing Abuse and Related Traumas (S.M.A.R.T.) Introducing the new School Responsibilities and the Yard Agreement Policy during the Jumpstart Program. Training all staff in Play is the Way, a methodology for teaching Social and Emotional learning. Recommendations for 2014 are: Staff continues with the S.M.A.R.T. training by participating in a refresher course online. All teaching staff incorporates Play is the Way into their programs at least twice a week. Further explore Circle Time and Restorative Practices. Introduce the three new school values. A number of social skills programs will be introduced from external services in the community. For example, Girls on Track, aimed at Year 5 to 7 girls, Boys Biz aimed at 10 to 12 year old boys, Caterpillars to Butterflies for girls and Pirates Therapeutic group for boys. These two programs will be aimed at 5 to 9 year olds. Analysis of Behaviour Data 2011-2013 Behaviour Management data collected in 2013 indicates a decrease in the overall number of incidences compared with 2012. This is verified through the number of classroom and yard issues as well as through suspension data. In 2013 there was a 10% decrease in the number of incidents compared to 2012. There was an increase of two suspensions compared to 2012. It was pleasing to see a 21% decrease in incidents recorded from 2012 Years R-2 compared to 2013 Year 1-3 (this being the same cohort of students.) Year Level 2011 2012 2013 Class / Yard Suspensions Class / Yard Suspensions Class / Yard Suspensions Rec 102 6 155 16 118 11 1 97 3 238 14 172 17 2 129 3 218 8 207 17 3 774 33 176 7 106 10 4 216 14 191 15 226 12 5 300 13 104 12 169 11 6 229 23 129 22 72 7 7 330 37 134 20 148 31 Total 2177 132 1345 114 1218 116 Behaviour Type Summary Comparative 2012 2013 Data indicates a decrease (9%) in the percentage of incidents managed by teachers between 2012 and 2013. The behaviour type of particular concern in 2012 was Violence threatened or actual. There was a 25% decrease in this category in 2013. During 2013 teachers focused on Domain 3 of the TfEL document and this has had a positive impact on lowering Interfering with the rights of others and persistent and willful inattention by 33%. Behaviour Type 2011 2012 2013 % Comparison 2012 and 2013 Violence threatened or actual 359 429 323 (Decrease 25%) Threatened good order 129 71 68 (Decrease 4%) Threatened safety or wellbeing 229 44 35 (Decrease 20%) Acted illegally 17 23 13 (Decrease 43%) Interfered with rights of others 642 269 200 (Decrease 26%) Persistent and willful inattention 799 623 579 (Decrease 7%) Total 2177 1345 1218 (Decrease 9%) Page 12
Destination Table 10: Intended Destination Leave Reason 2012 School Region Index DECD No % % % % Employment 2.4% 3.6% 2.9% Interstate/Overseas 17 10.8% 6.7% 7.3% 9.1% Other 1 0.6% 4.9% 3.1% 2.3% Seeking Employment 3.9% 5.0% 3.3% Tertiary/TAFE/Training 4.5% 5.1% 4.2% Transfer to Non-Govt Schl 7 4.4% 8.0% 5.8% 9.8% Transfer to SA Govt Schl 133 84.2% 52.9% 52.0% 48.0% Unknown 16.5% 18.0% 20.4% Client Opinion Due to difficulties in distributing the 2013 Parent, Staff and Student Surveys the 2012 Client Opinion information has been copied and added below. To compensate for the exclusion of survey information there is an Action in 2013 comment that provides an overview of what the school has done in 2013 to address any issues raised through the 2012 survey. Parent Opinion Analysis Feedback indicates that parents have a positive opinion of the school, particularly in the areas of Support for Learning and Leadership and Decision Making. An aspect of the feedback above 10% higher than the responses across the state is Parents have the opportunity to participate in decisions about their children s learning. An aspect of the feedback that indicated a need for further development was, My child s teachers clearly inform me about the learning program. Action in 2013 The focus to address this issue has been to explicitly describe expectations for teachers about the Curriculum Overview that is given to families each term. There was also a greater emphasis on class displays in corridors around the school. Staff Opinion Analysis Feedback from staff was generally positive and in particular in the section, Support for Learning had a 100% agreed response to the statement, Our school environment is focused on learning. Other areas of strength were indicated in responses to the following statements: Learning programs at this school respond to the range of student abilities, and I am happy with the quality of feedback I receive on my work performance. The school continues to develop it s consistency in dealing with behavior issues. Action in 2013 The Leadership Team has included an item on the Team s Agenda to discuss individual student case management to ensure consistency in managing behaviour across the school. Staff are encouraged to provide feedback to their Line Manager about the manner in which behavior is managed generally and specifically for individual students. Student Opinion Analysis Responses to the statements varied greatly and trends were difficult to find. It was evident that the majority of students believed that, There is a lot to do at school during recess and lunch time. This has been a deliberate effort particularly by the Assistant Principal with a Learner Wellbeing focus. It is Page 13
of concern that some students stated that: It is not easy to make friends at this school, and that several students do not Feel safe at this school. Action in 2013 There has been a major emphasis on the implementation of Play is the Way across the school in 2013. This has had a focus on how students work in collaboration with other students. 2013 Preschool Parent Survey It was pleasing to receive feedback from twenty one parents who responded to the Preschool Parent Survey in 2013. The responses were exceptionally positive and reflected a high level of support for the staff and the learning programs in the Preschool. Some of the comments written by the parents in the survey included: I am really satisfied with how the teachers are helping me with behaviour techniques. It has helped a lot. My child is in the best kindy and has the best teachers and I wouldn t change a thing. All staff are well organised and professional making both children and parents happy. They are friendly and welcoming. My child loves going to Preschool and doesn t like having his day off. Accountability National Partnerships Elizabeth North Primary School has been involved in a number of National Partnerships initiatives in 2013. These have included: 1. Communities Making a Difference National Partnership Flexible Targeted Student Learning Support (FTSLS) in 2013 the Elizabeth North Primary School used this funding for two purposes: Student Mentoring, Year 4-7 students the focus was to support students who did not qualify for other levels of support to develop their literacy skills. A teacher worked with students for three thirty minute periods each week with a focus on a specific aspect of their literacy improvement in small groups. Aboriginal Students, R-7 two staff, including an ACEO, worked with all Aboriginal students across the school to further support the development of their literacy skills. 2. Students with Disabilities Elizabeth North continued to be involved in an initiative to become a lead school in supporting Students with Disabilities. The school developed a Family Charter that directs the way in which the school has committed to work with families to support the learning of students, particularly those students who have an individual learning plan. In 2013 teachers at Elizabeth North engaged in an online learning program to address the needs of students with Learning Difficulties, Dyslexia. Teachers also undertook action research about ways to further support Students with Disabilities in their care. The school became a lead mentor school for two other schools to support them in their development of developing strategies and structures to cater for the needs of Students with Disabilities. This aspect of the role as a Lead School had very limited impact on influencing the work of the other schools due to limited opportunities to meet and discuss areas for development. 3. Empowering Local Schools Elizabeth North Preschool gained funding to investigate ways in which it could implement some of the philosophies of Children s Centres within the context of a site based preschool. This initiative proved to be very successful and there are now continuing links with community services working closely with families of the preschool. In particular the HIPPY program is now using the Occasional Care area for fortnightly meetings. Page 14
Staff Teacher Qualifications All teachers at this school are qualified and registered with the SA Teachers Registration Board. Qualification Level Number of Qualifications Bachelor Degrees or Diplomas 47 Post Graduate Qualifications 9 Workforce Composition including Indigenous staff Workforce Composition Teaching Staff Non-Teaching Staff Indigenous Non Indigenous Indigenous Non Indigenous Full-time Equivalents 0 30.1 1.7 10.28 Persons 0 33 2 13 Financial Statement Income by Funding Source Funding Source Amount 1 Grants: State 78 394 2 Grants: Commonwealth 131 607 3 Parent Contributions 130 863 4 Other 50 523 Page 15