Empire Vale Public School Annual Report

Empire Vale Public School Annual Report 2015 1840 2015 Annual Report EMPIRE VALE PUBLIC SCHOOL Page 1

1. Introduction The Annual Report for 2015 is provided to the school community of Empire Vale Public School as an account of the school s operations and achievements throughout the year. It is the result of rigorous school self-assessment practices undertaken collaboratively with staff, parent/caregivers and student leaders. It provides a detailed account of the progress the school has made to provide high quality educational opportunities for each and every child set out in the school plan. It outlines the findings from self-assessment that reflect on the impact of key school strategies for improved learning and the benefit to all students from the expenditure of resources including equity funding. The Annual Report describes the school s high quality practices across the three domains of the School Excellence Framework of learning, teaching and leading. For more information about the School Excellence Framework please visit: http://www.dec.nsw.gov.au/about-the-department/ourreforms/school-excellence-framework Bonita Avery Principal School Contact details: Empire Vale Public School 432 River Drive EMPIRE VALE, 2478 Ph: 6683 4298 Message from the Principal I am pleased to present you with the Annual Report for 2015. As you can see there is a slightly new format from previous years with a focus on the School Excellence Framework. The Report highlights some of the many achievements of our school and our community and showcases the diverse range of learning opportunities which our students can participate in. We are pleased to be able to offer programs and activities which engage our students on many levels whether it be academic, sporting, social, environmental or in leadership. We have highly dedicated staff who collaborate to provide an inclusive environment where all students are nurtured and encouraged to achieve their personal best. Being a small school we rely very much on the support of our community and in 2015 we continued to foster and strengthen these community relationships. I would like to thank all our families for their continued support and involvement in the educational and social outcomes for our students. This report also outlines where we will be focusing some of our resources over the next couple of years but is by no means a comprehensive list of all the programs and activities which we will be offering to our students. I certify that the information provided in this report is the result of a rigorous school selfassessment and review process undertaken with staff, parent and student leaders and provides a balanced and genuine account of the school s achievements and areas for development. Bonita Avery Principal 2015 Annual Report EMPIRE VALE PUBLIC SCHOOL Page 2

Student reflections on the 2015 academic year. I liked creating the Sweet As exhibition as I got share my knowledge about sugar cane that my dad and uncles have shared with me. Most people in town don t understand much about our sugar industry; it felt good teaching them about it through art. Tom, Yr 6. I loved doing all the hands on science challenges especially the water works and the moon buggy challenge at Southern Cross University. It felt amazing to get the Runners Up prize it showed that our scientific thinking was on track! Kirsty, Yr 6. I enjoyed the robotics day because we learnt new skills in programming the robots to complete more challenging tasks. Rohan Yr 4. School Background School vision statement Good, Better, Best Empire Vale Public School s vision is to provide a holistic, quality learning environment which aims to develop confident and creative global citizens, leaders and life long learners. Empire Vale Public School is committed to providing a diverse range of educational and social opportunities for every child at our school. Staff join with the school community in making a strong collective commitment to nurture, guide, inspire and challenge students to find the joy in learning, to build their skills and understanding, and to make sense of their world. We strive to develop life long learners who are confident and creative individuals. Our goal is to equip them with the appropriate skills and knowledge to become healthy, well rounded global citizens. As a school community, our collective goal is to provide a rich educational environment that supports the consistent improvement of student outcomes and is not limited by the location and size of our school community. School context Empire Vale Public School is located between Ballina and Wardell on the North Coast of New South Wales. It is set in a rural sugar cane farming district, with limited community infrastructure, making our school a social hub and key asset within the community. Our students come from a range of home environments which include cane farms as well as rural, residential and rental properties in the Empire Vale and South Ballina areas. We have a student population of 39 students, in two multi staged classes. Some of our students are from Aboriginal backgrounds, and 10% of our student population are first generation immigrants coming from Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines and Fiji. Integral to our school environment are our community partnerships and support networks including our P&C and our well established networks within the local arts industry. 2015 Annual Report EMPIRE VALE PUBLIC SCHOOL Page 3

Learning A number of innovative research-based initiatives have commenced across our school. These have included: intensive literacy training for all staff, which has had significant impact on student learning across all learning stages; increased involvement in creative arts projects and mentorship programs from local artists; community programs to engage our whole school community; and enhanced partnerships with our small school collegiate to develop extended learning opportunities for our rural students. These programs were introduced in 2015 and our aim is to embed and consolidate our improvements through ongoing support for staff and a culture of high expectations of our students in the 2015-2017 school plan. Self-assessment and school achievements Self-assessment using the School Excellence Framework This section of the Annual Report outlines the findings from self-assessment using the School Excellence Framework, our school achievements and the next steps to be pursued. The Framework supports 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 new approach to school planning, supported by the new funding model, is making a difference to our progress as a school. 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. Our staff used the School Excellence Framework to inform, monitor and validate the progress and impact of our teaching and learning strategies throughout the year. The results of this process indicated that: Domain Element Statement of School Excellence Performance Learning Culture Wellbeing Curriculum & Learning Assessment & Reporting Student Performance Measures Attendance rates are regularly monitored and action is taken promptly to address issues with individual students. Positive, respectful relationships are evident among students and staff, promoting student wellbeing and ensuring good conditions for student learning. The school implements a whole-school approach to wellbeing that has clearly defined behavioural expectations and creates a positive teaching and learning environment. Students care for self, and contribute to the wellbeing of others and the wider community. The school provides a range of extra-curricular offerings for student development. Teachers differentiate curriculum delivery to meet the needs of individual students. Curriculum provision is enhanced by learning alliances with other schools and organisations. Student reports contain detailed information about individual student learning achievement and areas for growth, which provide the basis for discussion with parents. Students are at or above national minimum standards on external performance measures. Students are showing expected or higher than expected growth on internal school performance measures. 2015 Annual Report EMPIRE VALE PUBLIC SCHOOL Page 4

Leading Teaching Effective classroom practice Data skills & use Collaborative practice Learning & developing Professional standards Leadership School planning & implementation School resources Management practices & processes All classrooms are well managed, with well-planned teaching taking place, so that students can engage in learning productively, with minimal disruption. Teachers provide explicit, specific and timely formative feedback to students on how to improve. The school s professional learning builds teacher skills in the analysis, interpretation and use of student performance data. Data analysis informs the school s learning goals and monitors progress towards them. Teachers collaborate within and across stages and faculties to ensure consistency of curriculum delivery, including strategies for differentiation and consistency of teacher judgement. Teachers actively share learning from targeted professional development with others. Teachers are actively engaged in planning their own professional development to improve their performance. Teachers are committed to their ongoing development as members of the teaching profession. Teachers demonstrate currency of content knowledge and teaching practice in all their teaching areas. The school is committed to the development of leadership skills in staff and students. Links exist with communities of schools, other educational providers and other organisations to support the school s programs. The school articulates a commitment to equity and high expectations for learning for each student and is responsive to changing needs. Planning includes processes for resource allocation, professional learning, performance monitoring and reporting. The school acknowledges and celebrates a wide diversity of student, staff and community achievements. Strategic financial management is used to gain efficiencies and to maximise resources available to implement the school plan. Physical learning spaces are used flexibly, and technology is accessible to staff and students. The use of school facilities is optimised within the local community, to best meet the needs of students and the local community. Administrative practices effectively support school operations and the teaching and learning activity of the school. There are opportunities for students and the community to provide constructive feedback on school practices and procedures. Delivering Excelling Delivering Delivering Delivering Excelling 2015 Annual Report EMPIRE VALE PUBLIC SCHOOL Page 5

Strategic Direction 1 Delivering constantly high quality educational practices across our school. Purpose To deliver an equitable, reliable and challenging learning environment for students based on quality, high level of professional practice. Overall summary of progress All teachers completed intensive literacy training, which has strengthened teaching pedagogy, professional dialogue, assessment and programming across our whole school. These initiatives are having a significant impact on student learning, particularly for equity groups in the early years of schooling. Learning and support team processes have been enhanced to monitor, plan and support student progress in literacy. This has enabled us to improve early identification and intervention to provide stronger, more focused support to individual students. Progress towards achieving improvement measures Resources (annual) Improvement measure (to be achieved over 3 years) To assess students along the continuum in the early years (K/1) and again in year 2 to assess that they re progressing at an expected rate. Progress achieved this year At the end of 2015 all students showed anticipated growth on continuums in the areas of Writing and Numeracy. Our students reading benchmarks were assessed, mapped and continually monitored. This allowed staff to identify, develop and implement individualised learning programs to improve literacy outcomes. Funds Expended Reading Recovery staffing Learning Support staffing To increase the % of students achieving at or beyond expected stage standard from their year 3 to year 5 NAPLAN. Our student NAPLAN results were analysed using Smart Data technology. This data was utilised to create targeted educational programs and provide structure for our learning support program. Next steps for 2016 Continue to build on the improved Learning and Support processes and strengthen the support for Gifted and Talented students. Extend the benchmark assessment process to include student writing. Collaborate as a staff to assess, discuss and develop strategic whole school directions to improve our student s literacy outcomes. Utilise our strong creative arts program to enhance learning in other key learning areas. The school will utilise artworks as a literacy stimulus to improve vocabulary and creative writing skills across our school. Engage the whole staff in data collection and tracking systems to enhance our focus on impact and to better plan ongoing student learning growth. Maintain and promote professional dialogue and planning input between teachers, support staff and parents to ensure that we are all working towards the same strategic directions. 2015 Annual Report EMPIRE VALE PUBLIC SCHOOL Page 6

Strategic Direction 2 Student engagement through the arts. Purpose To promote a positive learning culture through a strong creative arts program whilst building sustainable, respectful partnerships that enrich community and students engagement. Overall summary of progress Throughout the 2015, our school participated in a wealth of community based art projects. Three students were finalists in the National Young Archie Portrait Prize and three students artworks were selected to exhibit in Nagoya, Japan. Students works were also showcased in the Arts Unit Operation Art Project in addition to numerous other programs. This year our school created an art exhibition titled Sweet As. The students created artworks that reflected a sense of place, highlighting life growing up in a sugar cane region. The art exhibition was very well attended and was an excellent opportunity to promote the school within the community. The exhibition was developed in partnership with Broadwater, Wardell and Cabbage Tree Island Public Schools. Throughout the production of this exhibition, the students were mentored by a range of local artists as well as professionals from the sugar cane industry. Our whole school enjoyed developing their sculpturing skills through participation in Sandology Workshops. The students created a range of sand sculptures under the guidance of professional sand sculptor and parent Steve Machell. Our students were also engaged in mentoring programs by local artists Kim Michelle Toft, Jacqueline King, Anthony Short and Martin Somerville. Staff became active participants on The Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney Teachers Panel and the Lismore Regional Gallery Education Advisory Group, ensuring the art is accessible to our rural students. Our staff also presented at the Northern Rivers Community Gallery, promoting our creative arts program and encouraging local artists to network with our school. This presentation has helped to create new partnerships between the community and our school. Our students performed The Lion King for our Mid-Year Performance. All students were allocated a role in the production. The performance helped to develop a wide range of theatrical skills such as singing, dancing, acting and audio visual special effects. We created partnerships within and beyond our small school network, which assisted in sourcing costumes for our student performers. Progress towards achieving improvement measures Resources (annual) Improvement measure (achieved over 3 years) Demonstrate best practice in establishing and maintaining partnerships with the wider community, in order to develop and produce quality Arts initiatives. To obtain 100% student involvement in our annual performances, music, dance programs, public speaking, Progress achieved this year Networks with the local art and wider school communities helped us produce an outstanding art exhibition titles Sweet As, which was held at the Northern Rivers Community Gallery. Members of staff have established leadership roles with local and national galleries, through taking on educational advisory roles. Such professional networks continue to provide rich learning activities and opportunities for our school community. Throughout 2015, our student community exhibited art locally, nationally and internationally. 100% of students participated in our Sweet As Art Exhibition, Lion King Musical, Public Speaking, Creative Writing and Funds Expended $13, 000 Sweet As Arts Grant. (Shared between four schools). Community Support. As per grant 2015 Annual Report EMPIRE VALE PUBLIC SCHOOL Page 7

debating, assembly performances, NAIDOC celebrations, creative writing, artist mentoring, working with media & exhibiting artworks. Our school will establish a higher profile in our community through being activity involved in Arts related projects. This will enhance or schools improvement measures through improving future enrolment figures. To increase the involvement of parents within our school during Arts related projects. To establish and maintain partnerships with local and city based Arts providers to develop and improve learning opportunities and resources for rural students. NAIDOC Celebrations. We had three local artists mentor our students throughout the 2015 academic year. Students participated in learning experiences alongside the Northern Rivers Community Gallery, Lismore Regional Gallery and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney. Our Sweet As art exhibition was very well attended and gave our school a greater profile within the community. Data obtained from gallery attendance, indicated that this exhibition had the second largest attendance in the history of the Northern Rivers Community Art Gallery. Staff continue to work in partnership with gallery staff, which has allowed our school to forward plan for future community arts projects. The school has committed and obtained a funding grant to participate in a public art exhibition titled Ballinale in 2016. Planning was undertaken to facilitate community art workshops to engage our whole school community in our creative arts program. The aim of these workshops is to provide a social outlet for our remote community and opportunities to learn new skills from both artists and teachers. Empire Vale Public School and Cabbage Tree Island Public School have developed initiatives to create a skill sharing group, where teachers can enhance and share their creative skills. The school was actively involved in programs run by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, The Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney and The Department of Education Arts Unit. Rewarding partnerships were also created with the Art Gallery of South Australia, and the National Literacy Conference Team. Staff were active members of educational advisory panels for the Museum of Contemporary Art and invited onto the Educational Advisory Panel for Lismore Regional Gallery. School & community funds As per grant Professional learning funding Next steps In 2016, our school will be managing a joint small school community art project called Ballinale, providing opportunities with local schools to build networks and partnerships with artists to create public artworks. Our school was successful in obtaining a creative arts grant to help support the Ballinale project. Share our success with the How to get a picture to tell 1000 words creative writing program, using artworks as stimulus with our learning communities and at the National Literacy Conference. Continue to participate on educational panels of Regional and National Art Galleries, ensuring that the arts become more accessible for our rural students. Facilitate community art workshops to engage our whole school community in our creative arts program. These workshops will not only provide a social outlet for our remote community but will provide opportunities to learn new skills from both artists and teachers. Empire Vale Public School and Cabbage Tree Island Public School will partner to create a skill sharing group, where teachers can enhance and share their creative skills. Ensure school excursions to galleries & artists workshops are considered within our educational planning. Continue to explore new and dynamic ways for our students to create and exhibit their artworks. Continue to build and maintain our networks within the art community. 2015 Annual Report EMPIRE VALE PUBLIC SCHOOL Page 8

Strategic Direction 3 Joint School Initiatives. Purpose To provide broader learning opportunities for students and staff in our small schools as well as our small school collegiate group. Overall summary of progress Staff continue to deepen their understanding of the new National Curriculum. Staff from within the school and across our learning community are leading and supporting others through an effective implementation strategy. As a community of small schools, our staff participated in intensive literacy training, emergency care procedures and a Science and Technology Day at Dorroughby Environmental Education Centre, where they explored ways to improve student outcomes and engagement. The development of deeper understanding and the valuing of Aboriginal culture has been achieved through a range of cultural activities and teaching initiatives. This is having a positive impact on the culture of the school. Progress towards achieving improvement measures Resources (annual) Improvement measure (to be achieved over 3 years) Collect baseline data measuring staff satisfaction with targeted collaborative PL Collect initial anecdotal evidence from staff of impact on practice and student learning of targeted collaborative Professional Learning. Student and community satisfaction. Progress achieved this year Staff feedback was collected and analysed regarding the running of our Southern Cross Community of Small Schools professional learning activities. K-2 staff met twice a term at different venues supporting PL in new syllabi - Maths (Semester 1) and Science (Semester 2). The structure of the meetings supported the Teacher professional learning delivery model and the collaborative sharing model. A variety of Community of Schools days are held each term. Staff, student and parent feedback was collected and analysed regarding the running of our Southern Cross Community of Small Schools school educational, cultural and sporting events. Funds Expended Teacher relief for collegiate PL Teacher relief for the organisation and staffing of combined schools activity days. Next steps Explore the implications of the new Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Policy for all strategic directions at Empire Vale Public School. Develop a deeper understanding of evidence and visible learning, relating to the impact of literacy initiatives in the school plan. Share our How to get a picture to tell 1000 words creative writing program with our learning communities and at the National Literacy Conference. Ensure the professional networking continues, and enhances the many benefits of staff collaboration. Manage a joint small school community art project Ballinale. 2015 Annual Report EMPIRE VALE PUBLIC SCHOOL Page 9

Key initiatives and other school focus areas Key initiatives (annual) Impact achieved this year Resources (annual) Aboriginal background funding English language proficiency funding Socio-economic funding Student Leadership All students have an individual learning plan (ILP) and are making progress across the literacy and numeracy continuums. Increasing numbers of parents were involved in the development and monitoring of the ILPs. Aboriginal students are demonstrating higher average levels of progress. Cultural significance is included in all ILPs in consultation with Aboriginal Elders and/or parents. The learning and support program provides ongoing literacy support to our indigenous students, through instructional advice to staff and facilitating group learning experiences where students have an improved student to teacher ratio. Our school Student Learning Support Officer (SLSO) provides ongoing classroom support for our indigenous students. Accelerative Literacy engaged in practising skills in this area under the guidance of trained staff. ESL students were involved in coaching and feedback to improve their skills and understandings during classroom activities and through the learning support program. The learning and support program provides ongoing literacy support to our disadvantaged students, through provision of instructional advice to staff and facilitating group learning experiences where students have an improved student to teacher ratio. Our school SLSO provides ongoing classroom support for our most vulnerable students. Our school and its active P&C have subsidised a variety of learning excursions and experiences ensuring students from low income families can fully access the curriculum and extended learning opportunities. Each of our Year 6 students were given the opportunity to be school captains during the year. Leadership opportunities involved presenting at assemblies and special events as well as ensuring access to playground equipment. The senior class led a road safety week, where they demonstrated outstanding leadership through teaching their peers and leading by example on our road simulation - bike track. Our students motivation to participate and lead within community and school projects resulted in our Year 6 student Jasmine C being presented the Youth Citizen Award at The Ballina Shire Council s Australia Day Award. Kirsty G-J s leadership in both school and community based sports led to her being nominated Sports Person of the Year at The Ballina Shire Council s Australia Day Award. c/- TOTAL RAM @ 30.11.14 $1450.87 Income 2015 $1822.00 RAM INCOME 15 $NIL Staffing for ESL 1 day per week for terms 1-3 RAM INCOME 15 $4128.00 RAM INCOME 15 $NIL 2015 Annual Report EMPIRE VALE PUBLIC SCHOOL Page 10

Key initiatives and other school focus areas (cont.) Other school focus areas Impact achieved this year Resources (annual) Low level adjustment for disability funding Quality Teaching, successful students funding Community consultation funding All students requiring adjustments and learning support are catered for within class programs and other whole school strategies. Eleven students were referred for learning support. The Reading Recovery Program was offered to three, Stage One students. Two students successfully graduated from the program, and one was referred for ongoing learning support. Empire Vale Public School has created collaborative practices which allowed teachers to jointly plan our school strategic directions. Our teaching staff completed in-depth training in literacy assessment and engagement, which has strengthened teaching pedagogy, professional dialogue, assessment and programming across the whole school. These initiatives are having a significant impact on student learning, particularly for equity groups in the early years of schooling. All teachers received support with the new Performance and Development Framework. Our school introduced the School Stream Phone App into our media profile, opening new ways to communicate to parents. Where the technology allows, our school has made it a priority to upload photographs, stories and newsletter items onto our school website to further promote the school. A selection of Year 6 Students participated in a live to air radio interview, promoting our school on Paradise FM. Students, staff and community members have contributed stories and articles for our school newsletter. The senior class have participated in The Northern Star s Newspapers in Education program, which has resulted in improved awareness of printed media, media ethics, journalism, photography, advertising and persuasive influences. The exposure of Empire Vale in the local media also promotes the school in the wider community. RAM INCOME 15 $2529.00 RAM INCOME 15 $NIL RAM Income 15 $2855.54 Community consultation funding Expenditure as at 30/11/2015 $671.91 2015 Annual Report EMPIRE VALE PUBLIC SCHOOL Page 11

State DEC School Students 2. Mandatory and optional reporting requirements Student information It is a requirement that the reporting of information for all students be consistent with privacy and personal information policies. Student enrolment profile 80 60 40 20 0 Enrolments 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Year Male Female Student attendance profile Year 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 K 93.6 96.7 93.0 96.0 96.0 96.2 1 95.0 91.5 95.7 93.6 93.9 98.2 2 94.4 96.0 88.5 97.3 96.4 93.2 3 94.7 91.6 95.1 88.8 95.0 96.2 4 94.1 96.6 92.2 96.1 92.4 96.6 5 96.3 95.1 92.0 93.1 97.7 90.7 6 90.9 92.8 94.9 96.9 93.2 97.4 Total 94.2 94.3 93.5 94.6 95.2 95.7 K 94.7 94.7 94.3 95.0 95.2 94.4 1 94.2 94.2 93.9 94.5 94.7 93.8 2 94.4 94.2 94.2 94.7 94.9 94.0 3 94.5 94.4 94.4 94.8 95.0 94.1 4 94.5 94.3 94.3 94.7 94.9 94.0 5 94.4 94.2 94.2 94.5 94.8 94.0 6 94 93.8 93.8 94.1 94.2 93.5 Total 94.4 94.3 94.2 94.7 94.8 94.0 Workforce Information Reporting of information for all staff must be consistent with privacy and personal information policies. Workforce composition (mandatory) The Australian Education Regulation, 2014 requires schools to report on Aboriginal composition of their workforce. Empire Vale Public School has no Aboriginal teachers at this time. Empire Vale Public School is part of the the Cabbage Tree Island Stronger Smarter Learning Community as well as the Ballina AECG (Aboriginal Educational Consultative Group). Position Number Principal 1 Classroom Teacher(s) 1 Learning Assistance Support Teacher 0.1 Teacher Librarian (P/T) 0.168 RFF 0.084 Part Time (P/T) 0.168 ESL Reading Recovery (shared resource) 0.1 School Counsellor School Administrative & Support Staff 0.896 TOTAL Teacher qualifications All teaching staff meet the professional requirements for teaching in NSW public schools. Qualifications % of staff Undergraduate degree or diploma 100% Postgraduate degree 33% NSW Institute of Teachers Accreditation 100% Professional learning and teacher accreditation Professional learning is an integral part of the school organisation and contributes to the professional growth of our staff which leads to improved learning outcomes for our students and management of our school. Professional learning activities are linked to school priorities. 2015 Annual Report EMPIRE VALE PUBLIC SCHOOL Page 12

During 2015, our staff had professional learning in the following areas: Anaphylaxis training (all staff) CPR training (all staff) First Aid (2 staff) Child Protection training (all staff) Code of Conduct (all staff) Reading Recovery training (1 staff) Performance & Development Framework (2 staff) National Consistent Collection of Data (2 staff) SALM & Financial Support (2 staff) 2015 Reforms (1 staff) Local Schools, Local Decisions (2 staff) Working Scientifically, Implementing Science Investigation in the Classroom (4 staff) Stage 3 Road Safety Education (1 staff) Financial information Financial summary (mandatory) This summary covers funds for operating costs and does not involve expenditure areas such as permanent salaries, building and major maintenance. Date of financial summary 30/11/2015 Income $ Balance brought forward 82748.34 Global funds 65467.81 Tied funds 49145.06 School & community sources 17261.17 Interest 2192.68 Trust receipts 11196.82 Canteen 0.00 Total income 228011.88 Expenditure Teaching & learning Key learning areas 8748.15 Excursions 14432.42 Extracurricular dissections 7544.21 Library 340.81 Training & development 3398.97 Tied funds 46108.27 Casual relief teachers 10448.68 Administration & office 31795.01 School-operated canteen 0.00 Utilities 7988.50 Maintenance 3312.76 Trust accounts 14256.51 Capital programs 0.00 Total expenditure 148374.29 Balance carried forward 79637.59 Balance carried forward as at 30 th November 2015 includes committed funds of: Unpaid orders/invoices: $ 9 277.24 Unpaid staffing account: $ 2 868.64 Tied Funds: $ 20 471.53 Provision for additional assets: $ 25 000.00 Asset replacement: $ 14 000.00 General purpose funds remaining: $ 2 987.15 A full copy of the school s 2015 financial statement is tabled at the annual general meetings of the Empire Vale P&C. Further details concerning the 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. The My School website provides detailed information and data for national literacy and numeracy testing. Click on the link http://www.myschool.edu.au and insert the school name in the Find a school and select GO to access the school data. NAPLAN Year 3 - Literacy (including Reading, Writing, Spelling and Grammar and Punctuation) In 2015, seven students sat the NAPLAN Literacy tests for Year 3. Due to the small group size it is not possible to report on actual results without identifying individual students. However results have shown that: All students scored in band 3 or higher in all aspects of language; and Students performed better in writing and spelling than the other areas. NAPLAN Year 3 - Numeracy In the Numeracy tests for Year 3 again due to the small group size it is not possible to report on actual results. However results have shown that: Students performed better in Number and Patterns than in Data, Measurement & Geometry; and The school s average was lower than the state average. 2015 Annual Report EMPIRE VALE PUBLIC SCHOOL Page 13

Progress NAPLAN Year 5 - Literacy In 2015, four students sat the NAPLAN Literacy tests for Year 5. Due to the small group size it is not possible to report on actual results. However results have shown that: Students performed in band 5 or higher in writing, spelling and grammer; The school s average score is higher than the state average in reading, writing and grammar but is marginally less in spelling; and The school s focus on writing (Strategic Direction 2) in the Primary grades over the past few years has shown an improved progress between yr 3 to yr 5. Average progress in Writing between Year 3 & 5* 2011-2013 2012-2014 2013-2015 School 42.8 93.1 80.5 SSG 49.5 53.9 54.0 State DoE 55.2 49.3 61.3 100 0 Average progress in Writing between Year 3 and 5 2011-2013 2012-2014 2013-2015 School SSG State DoE NAPLAN Year 5 Numeracy In the Numeracy tests for Year 3 again due to the small group size it is not possible to report on actual results. However results have shown that: All students performed in band 4 or higher in numeracy; The school s average score is significantly higher than the state average and similar school groups in numeracy. Minimum Standards Data Percentage of Year 3 & 5 students achieving at or above minimum standard (exempt students included) Reading 100.0 Writing 100.0 Spelling 100.0 Grammar & Punctuation 100.0 Numeracy 100.0 Parent, student, teacher satisfaction Each year schools are required to seek the opinions of parents/carers, students and teachers about the school. In 2015, the school sought the opinions of a focus group of randomly selected parents/carers, students and teachers about the school. Their responses are presented below: The majority of parents/carers value the safe, respectful and nurturing environment that their child experiences at Empire Vale Public School. They are grateful that our school provides a safe place for learners to take chances without the fear of making mistakes. Parents/carers are proud that their children become confident, resilient, well-educated and active citizens, whilst at Empire Vale Public School. This is evident when our senior students make the successful transition into The High School environment. Our parents and caregivers highly value the multiple extra-curricular opportunities that provide opportunities for our students to share, exhibit, perform, compete and enhance learning. Parents/carers appreciate the special interests and skills of our teaching staff and values their dedication in creating a wide variety of rich learning opportunities. Parents are pleased that their children enjoy school and are highly motivated to participate in our school s learning programs. Our school community shared that they were highly impressed with the outcomes of our Sweet As art exhibition held at the Northern Rivers Community Gallery. They felt it was valuable learning experience for our students and a great way to showcase our cane farming heritage to the wider community. Parents felt that our partnerships and mentoring programs with the local arts community has greatly enhanced the confidence and creativity of our students. Our parent community greatly appreciates the social gatherings and celebrations hosted by Empire Vale Public School such as The Biggest Morning Tea, school concerts, assemblies, art exhibitions and carol evenings, as these events bring our community together. Parents were supportive of programs such as Reading Recovery and our Boost Group Program, which provide on-going assistance for our students. 2015 Annual Report EMPIRE VALE PUBLIC SCHOOL Page 14

Policy requirements Aboriginal education Empire Vale Public School received Aboriginal background funding in 2015 of $1822. During 2015, funds from Aboriginal background, socio-economic and low level adjustment for disabilities were combined to enable a significant initiative for Aboriginal students around individual feedback (research from Hattie, 1999) for personal learning plans. Our plan included: NAIDOC Week celebrations, where our school enjoyed learning about different aspects of indigenous culture through participating in a full day of learning and playing Traditional Indigenous Games with our community of small schools, at Ballina High School. Our whole school created art pieces, which were on exhibition in a NAIDOC Exhibition at Ballina Fair. One of these artworks also went on exhibition in our Sweet As Art Exhibition and the Bundjalung Art Prize at The North Coast National Show. Members of our senior class partnered with Indigenous students from Cabbage Tree Island Public School to form a successful science team at The Southern Cross University, Science and Engineering Challenge. Staff completed training in Traditional Games, from Solid Mob. Dreamtime stories and modern tales created by Indigenous writers have been shared within library and classroom activities. The school continues to teach our student leaders and community to show respect to the Bundjalung people both past and present, at all official school functions. A wide range of Aboriginal artists and their artworks have been studied and appreciated during creative arts lessons. Our staff has participated in Stronger Smarter professional development courses, which aims to deliver better learning outcomes for Indigenous students across Australia. Empire Vale continues to work within a Stronger Smarter partnership with the Cabbage Tree Island Stronger Smart Learning Community. Multicultural Education and Anti-racism In line with the School plan, the teaching and learning programs have been reviewed to ensure that culturally inclusive classroom and school practices are embedded for all students. Further to this our programs foster students understandings of culture, cultural diversity, racism and active citizenship within a democratic, multicultural society. Empire Vale PS celebrates its cultural and religious diversity. Approximately 10% of our student population are first generation immigrants coming from Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines and Fiji. Our student religious backgrounds are Muslim, Buddhist, Jehovah Witness and Christian. Throughout the year Multicultural Awareness was covered in all classes. The Senior Class participated in the Premiers Multicultural Public Speaking Competition and the Rivers Public Speaking Competition. Students utilised their creative arts skills to host a Biggest Morning Tea where students came dressed in MulTEAcultural costumes. This event raised money and health awareness for the Cancer Council. The Senior Class enjoyed listening to the personal story of an African Refugee during their engagement with the Talking Book program at the Lismore Library. Kirsty, Tilea and Toby were selected to exhibit their artworks in Nagoya, Japan, as part of the Nagoya Sister City Art Exchange. The students enjoyed performing a version of The Lion King, which is an African Fable. All students enjoyed a wide range of multicultural books during shared reading in library lessons. The school hosted an ANZAC Ceremony, where special guests from the Vietnam Veterans Association and Korea South East Asia Veterans Association were in attendance. A selection of students paid respect to the ANZACs by participating in the Ballina ANZAC March. Our school was also invited to sing at the Wardell War Memorial Unveiling. 2015 Annual Report EMPIRE VALE PUBLIC SCHOOL Page 15