School plan 2015-2017 Cronulla High School 8261 Page 1 of 9 Cronulla High School 8261 (2015-2017)
School background 2015 2017 School vision statement School context School planning process Cronulla High School seeks to empower students to achieve personal success in their academic and social learning in a safe, stimulating and inclusive environment, so as to help them become responsible and productive citizens As a school we lead the learning of essential skills and abilities for each student: * To become literate and numerate * To be creative and productive users of technology and are able to obtain and evaluate evidence in a disciplined way * To think deeply and logically, be creative, innovative and resourceful * To plan activities independently, collaborate, work in teams and communicate ideas * To develop personal values and attributes such as honesty, resilience, empathy and respect for others * To make sense of their world and to become responsible global citizens * To have some sense of self worth, self awareness and personal identity to manage their emotional, mental, spiritual and physical wellbeing. Cronulla High School is a comprehensive, coeducational high school on the south eastern outskirts of Sydney, adjacent to Cronulla beaches and part of the Sutherland Shire. Enrolments have been stable for the past five years at around 740 students. However, we have experienced a surge since 2014 with an enrolment of 893 for 2016. The school s growing reputation has seen large numbers of local area students exercising their right to take up a place at Cronulla High School as well as large numbers of quality out of area applicants competing for placement. Our popular school has a well established reputation for outstanding academic, performing arts and sporting achievements and has gained recognition via a Director General s Award for the excellence of our Primary Links program. The work of the school is driven by the following three core goals: continually raising expectations, communicating with parents and recognising and rewarding achievement. Priorities for the period 2015 2017 will see us working towards developing successful learners, fostering quality teaching and leadership and engaging an active and informed community. Our planning process included briefing executive, whole staff, P&C and school prefects on the new school planning process following attendance of senior executive at a number of DEC forums. Stakeholder groups were instructed and advised that their input would be required to ascertain future directions and priorities for their school. Separate meetings with each of these groups followed throughout the second half of 2014 with specific focus questions to consider. These were * What skills and attributes do we desire in students when they graduate Cronulla High School in order to be successful academically and socially beyond the school * Where are our students presently in regard to these ideals? * What are the implications of these two parameters for teaching staff * How do we ensure that we connect with parents and others as partners in student achievement? The big picture question that was put to all groups was after thirteen years of schooling what skills and abilities would you want to have developed by schooling in your child? Historical HSC and NAPLAN data, comprehensive surveys of Years 8 and 11 students and parents used in annual faculty reviews as well as Year 12 exit surveys all over the past five years were disseminated by the executive as well as 2014 TTFM surveys. Documents were tabled and studied at each forum including ACARA Curriculums, Melbourne Declaration of Educational Goals, The NSW Quality Teaching Model, The Australian Professional Teaching Standards, the School Excellence Framework and several research articles by John Hattie. A succession of drafts were put to executive, staff and P&C for continual refinement during Term 4, 2014 and Term 1, 2015 prior to a final draft being distributed and discussed with staff, parent and student bodies.the strategic Page 2 of 9 Cronulla High School 8261 (2015-2017)
School background 2015 2017 School vision statement School context School planning process directions of Cronulla High School for 2015 2017 are built on the foundation of the school s long standing three school goals of Raising Expectations, Recognising Achievement, Communicating with Parents. Page 3 of 9 Cronulla High School 8261 (2015-2017)
School strategic directions 2015 2017 STRATEGIC DIRECTION 1 Successful Learners STRATEGIC DIRECTION 2 Quality Teaching and Leadership STRATEGIC DIRECTION 3 Active Informed Community Purpose: To provide a supportive and positive environment so that students become literate, numerate, creative and technologically skilled, prepared for successful ongoing learning, work, lifestyle and contribution to society. Students will be equipped with the skills required for the 21st century and nurtured to be resourceful, empathetic, resilient and productive citizens and leaders in their chosen fields. Purpose: To enable teachers through focused professional learning to continue to be lifelong learners who demonstrate continuous improvement in professional performance, curriculum innovation, quality teaching and leadership capabilities, all of which align with the core business of supporting, engaging and challenging students in their efforts to achieve personal excellence. Purpose: To ensure active participation in collaborative decision making to achieve school and system s priorities with a community which is informed of, and involved in, all Cronulla High School practices and events. This will be strengthened by organisational best practice and efficiency which underpin the creation and maintenance of an effective and successful learning environment. Page 4 of 9 Cronulla High School 8261 (2015-2017)
Strategic Direction 1: Successful Learners Purpose People Processes Practices and Products To provide a supportive and positive environment so that students become literate, numerate, creative and technologically skilled, prepared for successful ongoing learning, work, lifestyle and contribution to society. Students will be equipped with the skills required for the 21st century and nurtured to be resourceful, empathetic, resilient and productive citizens and leaders in their chosen fields. Improvement Measures Increase the proportion of students in the top 2 numeracy & reading NAPLAN bands by 5% (2019). Year 9 NAPLAN literacy results reflecting the % of students increasing performance by at least one band will increase to match numeracy rates (40%). % of Year 10 RoSA A and B grades will grow from 30% in 2015 to 35% in 2017. All learning programs 7 10 evidence explicit embedding of ACARA general capabilities by 2017. Annual evaluations of Year 7 10 learning programs evidence increases in explicit differentiation of learning for core extension classes. By 2017 95% of all students who leave school post completion of Year 10 evidence movement into further education, employment or combination. HSC results reflect a 5% decrease each year in the number of band 1 2 results. VA growth of 5%pa in top band students People * Annual development of exec and staff by snr exec to ensure staff adequately trained in collection, use and application of data. * HTs train staff to develop faculty policies and consistent standards in the identification of standards based student work samples * Students read increasingly longer novels and subject texts using a range of effective word identification strategies to maintain meaning; read a wide range of texts with increasing autonomy; read texts with increasing technicality and abstraction; monitor reading for accuracy and meaning through higher order skills, such as derivation and analogy; confidently interpret the intended purpose/s of text/s. * Students adopt a back to basics approach in which non calculus is embraced; participate in formative assessment strategies, including mini whiteboards, Quizlet and peer assessment; complete weekly online learning modules through Hot Maths. * Staff develop a strong knowledge of reading initiatives from What Works Best and how they relate to their relevant KLA s program and curriculum content; evaluate current reading practices and collaborate in developing and implementing new practices; are familiar with NAPLAN data in relation to their students reading and numeracy and use to appropriately differentiate their teaching; monitor student progress by utilising the Literacy & Numeracy Continuum 7 10, formative assessment and systemic assessment; * All staff regularly engaged in collaborative, reflective practice to ensure elements of the QTF are embedded in their teaching practices.* Teachers annually engage with SMART and RAP data to inform improvements in learning programs and assessment. * Learning programs for Years 7 10 in all faculties with explicit teaching activities that develop spelling and comprehension, such as the teaching and testing of glossaries. * Literacy Team collaborate with staff in leading and delivering ongoing professional learning to staff to achieve learning growth in students by explicit teaching of skills in reading and implementing literacy based marking criteria. * Maths Faculty staff to collaborate with all staff via a Learning Event, in which KLAs revise past NAPLAN papers (numeracy) and identify questions that they can teach and test within their own classroom. * Faculty meetings set aside to identify student work samples so as to create faculty portfolios aligning grades and assessment marking guidelines with course performance descriptors. * Teachers liaise with LST and YA s T1 and T3 to refer extension class students identified as underachievers. * Welfare team regularly communicates with and updates staff regarding individual student wellbeing issues. * DPs, SRC Coordinator work with student leaders to provide ongoing opportunities for authentic leadership experiences and Practices * ACARA s seven general capabilities are explicitly programmed, taught and assessed across all KLAs in Years 7 10. * Effective qualitative feedback to students is a teaching priority and has a common approach across KLAs allowing for greater student achievement in assessment. * Explicit high achievement expectations for all HSC students regularly evidenced by explicit syllabus based instruction, exam question deconstruction and feedback. * Every HSC student completes at least one past HSC paper per subject per year. * More effective use of CHAS and welfare monitoring to support student wellbeing. * All staff utilizing CHAS and telephone to communicate student progress concerns to parents on a timely basis. Products * Annual average of 20% or more of students moving up one performance band in all Yr 9 NAPLAN measures * Increase the proportion of students in the top 2 reading NAPLAN bands by 5% (2019)* Learning programs for Yrs 7 10 with explicit activities that develop spelling, comprehension and the ability to write persuasive, creative and analytical texts.* More than 30% of grades in RoSA are A or B as measured by course performance descriptors evidenced by portfolios.* Clearly differentiated extension class learning programs and assessment items for Yrs 7 10 extension class.* No Band 1 s Page 5 of 9 Cronulla High School 8261 (2015-2017)
Strategic Direction 1: Successful Learners Improvement Measures People Processes Practices and Products LST focusses on identified students who need additional assistance with Reading and Numeracy levels below cluster 12. * Welfare and exec teams trained to identify and mentor underachieving extension class students. * PL for all staff based around the effective teaching and programming of the general capabilities framework within the Quality Teaching model. * DPs, executive and Welfare Team to develop students personal/social skills which are hindrances to learning of targeted students. * Parents assisted to engage with their children s learning through parent meetings with LST designed to inform and develop skills with strategies to assist and support their child s learning. * Confident, informed parents able to partner staff to address concerns that limit their child s success via school structures. development of leadership skills. * Continue to utilize facebook, email and SMS to get increasing number of parents to make online bookings for PT evenings. * Ongoing CHAS development to give staff easy access to parents with information, letters and telephone to support student achievement. Evaluation Plan across all subjects in the HSC; no more than 5% of HSC students gain Band 2 in any subject.* Exit surveys indicate clear post school pathways in place for all students. Page 6 of 9 Cronulla High School 8261 (2015-2017)
Strategic Direction 2: Quality Teaching and Leadership Purpose People Processes Practices and Products To enable teachers through focused professional learning to continue to be lifelong learners who demonstrate continuous improvement in professional performance, curriculum innovation, quality teaching and leadership capabilities, all of which align with the core business of supporting, engaging and challenging students in their efforts to achieve personal excellence. Improvement Measures * All beginning teachers will express satisfaction with induction and attain accreditation at proficient level. * 50% of staff evidence improving student achievement by changing teaching practise as a consequence of obtaining and using data by 2017. * 100% of teaching staff report engagement with the professional teaching standards by 2017. * All teaching staff required to attain and maintain accreditation have documentary evidence of successful achievement within 2015 2017 * 80% of Year 12 exit surveys acknowledge explicit teaching of literacy has enhanced performance. * All staff will have developed and evaluated their Individual Teacher Performance and Development Plans and have achieved 85% of established goals by 2017. People * Beginning teachers and teachers new to CHS have high expectations of quality site based induction to facilitate transition to profession. * All teachers understand that explicit literacy instruction is their fundamental obligation and basis for lesson delivery. * Students understand that learning growth and HSC success is grounded in literacy skills. * VET Coordinator and Principal cognisant of the need to ensure audit requirements are met and oversee the currency of VET teacher qualifications. * Senior Exec will develop the capacity of all staff to engage in data analysis including how to access and use SMART and RAP. * All staff will value the development of IPDP s as critical to the development of skills needed to improve student learning grounded in evidence and reflective practice. * Executive and teacher mentors accept responsibility to develop practices aligned with general capabilities achievement based on PTS and QTF * PL Team works collaboratively to identify areas of focus for the school s Workplace PLP. * Snr executive will develop and annually coordinate beginning teacher induction via whole day events, time release and mentoring. * Literacy Team deliver ongoing professional learning to staff to achieve learning growth in students by explicit teaching of skills in spelling, grammar, punctuation, writing and implementing literacy based marking criteria. * VET teaching programs and staff training reviewed annually with Senior Pathways Officer. * Development of new specific data sources and instruction in SMART data and longitudinal analysis of RAP by executive with staff. * Teachers develop IPDPs aligned with the Performance and Development Framework to identify areas of strength and skills needed to support learning. * Identify aspiring school leaders through P&DF to become staff coaches to lead pedagogy workshops that enhance practice. * Development of a Workplace Professional Learning Plan which is aligned to the new national Professional Teaching Standards Quality Teaching Framework and General Capabilities attainment. Evaluation Plan Practices * Regular use of SMART, RAP and other data to inform programming and assessment practices. * All learning programs annually evaluated to ensure literacy and numeracy is explicitly taught. * All staff engaged in collaborative, reflective practices around professional teaching standards, formal and informal feedback and development with mentors and executive of Individual Performance and Development Plans. * Aspiring leaders coaching staff in areas such as QT framework, Prof Teaching Standards, Effective student feedback, data analysis. Products * Delivery of a quality induction program as measured by participant satisfaction. * 7 10 learning programs in all faculties with identifiable literacy based instruction embedded. * Literacy outcomes underpin all assessment and marking criteria. * All staff have professional learning plans informed by evidence and Professional Teaching Standards. * Staff VET qualifications, programs and assessment are current to ensure sustainability of programs. * All staff aspiring to leadership trained and given opportunity to lead in meaningful Page 7 of 9 Cronulla High School 8261 (2015-2017)
Strategic Direction 2: Quality Teaching and Leadership Improvement Measures People Processes Practices and Products roles that improve student outcomes. Page 8 of 9 Cronulla High School 8261 (2015-2017)
Strategic Direction 3: Active Informed Community Purpose People Processes Practices and Products To ensure active participation in collaborative decision making to achieve school and system s priorities with a community which is informed of, and involved in, all Cronulla High School practices and events. This will be strengthened by organisational best practice and efficiency which underpin the creation and maintenance of an effective and successful learning environment. Improvement Measures * Published best practice policies in areas of attendance, antibullying, excursions, digital devices, gifted & talented, merit awards, school bus and documents in areas of assessment booklets, student/parent guides, staff handbook, curriculum enrichment program, variations to routine evaluated by teams and widely communicated. * Increasing development of social media such as increasing the use of the school website, facebook page, youtube, i Phone/i Pad apps as an effective tool to inform and engage parents, students and an active wider community. * Substantial percentage increase in numbers of parents and students participating in all school events * 10% increase of current business level sponsorship of events and achievement People * Senior executive develop their skills at mentoring and coaching and use this to build capacity in executive and aspiring leaders to lead and manage through teams aspects of school operations. * Teachers aspire to leadership roles and expect that executive staff will prepare them with meaningful opportunities to lead. * Computing faculty continue to develop the mindset of students, staff and parents of utilising innovative technology laden strategies to inform and engage all parents and community of school events. * More parents seek opportunities to partner in the CHS learning environment, collaborating in the school s decision making processes and to be informed through digital communication. * Students able to identify areas of effective school operations which are beneficial to them in creating a stable and accessible learning environment. * Increasing numbers of community business leaders seek engagement with the school s aims of providing resources and wider opportunities for students. * Annually evaluate all key policy and procedural documents to ensure alignment with DEC, BOSTES and best practice examples of other schools. * Aspiring leadership program initiated and developed.* Increasing formalisation and accountability of staff to be part of a contributing teams culture. * Parents access school website, Facebook page, YouTube channel, i Phone and i Pad apps to participate and collaborate in their child s education. * Actively involve community members, other than parents in school processes e.g. trained to take part on merit selection panels. * Maintain stronger connections with past students using social media to involve them in school events to share their experiences and expertise. * Development and graduated implementation of e diary to ensure students and parents know of homework and events. * Parents informed of and encouraged to access open door communication with school in terms of whether via telephone, drop in or email. Evaluation Plan Practices * Development of school team plans including regular meetings and minutes. * Train leaders and aspiring leaders to lead effective school teams and instructional practice. * Continued/amplified communication with local businesses and outside agencies to maintain an actively engaged community. Products * Best Practice in current school policies and procedural documents/handbooks covering core business, communicated clearly and correctly, including on the school website, in staff meetings and distributed in hard copy to students and parents. * Effective and functioning school teams Executive, Welfare, Learning Support, Gifted & Talented, Technology, Literacy, and Professional Learning. * Expansion of existing or new avenues of social media for a continuously informed community. * High attendance of satisfied parents and students at all school events. * Wide community and business links established that contribute to a broader resource base for student opportunity. Page 9 of 9 Cronulla High School 8261 (2015-2017)