2015 Annual Report - Scone Public School
Transcription
2015 Annual Report - Scone Public School
Scone Public School Annual Report 2015 < 7311 Introduction The Annual Report for 2015 is provided to the community of Scone Public School as an account of the school’s operations and achievements throughout the year. It provides a detailed account of the progress the school has made to provide high quality educational opportunities for all students, as set out in the school plan. It outlines the findings from self-assessment that reflect the impact of key school strategies for improved learning and the benefit to all students from the expenditure of resources, including equity funding. Deborah Fisher Relieving Principal ert photo> School contact details: Scone Public School 82-98 Liverpool Street Scone 2337 Scone-p.schools.nsw.edu.au [email protected] 02 65451049 Message from the Principal This year we farewelled Mrs Lynne Gray the substantive principal of Scone Public School after ten years of her outstanding leadership. We also said farewell to four teachers, Miss Penny Prentice, Mrs Marsha Jenkins, Mrs Karen Rossington and Mr Graham Rayner who have worked at our school for over 20 years and will now be making their transition to retirement. We also saw the employment of two new permanent teachers in Miss Lizz Hickey and Mrs Vicky Schofield. In 2015, we saw many new initiatives being implemented as part of the Department of Education’s larger reforms. These included; a new planning and reporting format for whole school planning, Professional Development Plans for teaching staff and curriculum changes with the implementation of new syllabus documents. Through the Quality Teaching, Successful Students reform our school received funding and used it to support teachers in professional development in the form of Quality Teaching Rounds. Our school played host to the Minister for Education, Adrian Piccoli, who spoke with staff about the initiative and was interested in hearing about their experiences. Our students continue to experience success in a wide range of areas. Scone Public School has a strong culture of public speaking and once again performed well at local eisteddfods and interschool challenges. Our debating team were outstanding, becoming the Upper Hunter champions in the Premier’s Debating Challenge. We recognised our sports stars at the Sport Presentation Day with Charlie Richardson and Claudia Atfield awarded sportsman/woman for the year. Tevita Holafolau was awarded the Cumberland award. Dance and the performing arts continue to be popular across the school. Students performed at CAPERS, the Hunter Dance Festival and the Upper Hunter Eisteddfod where our dance groups came first in their category. Throughout the year our students have worked on developing a language for learning in the form of Learning Dispositions. These are the habits and behaviours identified as contributing towards successful learning. We want our students to Persist, Take Risks, Explore, Connect and Be Resilient in order to become successful learners. I would like to take the opportunity to thank the staff, students and parents for making Scone Public School such a wonderful school and who contribute in many different ways to ensure “Success for All”. Ms Deborah Fisher Relieving Principal Message from the P&C President The Scone Public School P&C Association has enjoyed a period of consolidation over the last 12 months. The Executive was returned unchanged at last years’ AGM, which meant we had the luxury of ‘getting on with business’ without the need for a settling in period. Throughout 2015 the P&C has continued to support Scone Public School in ensuring it is able to provide a wellresourced learning environment for its pupils and staff, as well as acting as a ‘medium’ between the school and the parent/carer body and other interested parties in our local community. Noteworthy achievements for the Scone Public School P&C Association in 2015 include: Facilitated communication between the parent/carer body and the school executive Liaison with statutory bodies resulting in increased safety for our students as pedestrians Liaison with bus companies to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our students Introduction of hi-viz school bags with the school logo Securing of grants and the commencement of construction of the ‘Community Hub’ – refurbishment of the old Science Room to provide a purpose-built flexible space to enhance the link between SPS and the broader community. Primarily it will be used by the ‘Breakfast Club’ and the playgroup, but opens up other avenues for community involvement The successful transition from P&C supervised construction projects to Departmental supervision (as a result of rule changes). This includes the Community Hub and the Magic Garden COLA Participation in Selection Committees for staff recruitment Establishment of P&C Association Facebook page to enhance communication and awareness Successful Mother’s and Father’s Day Stalls Re-invigorated Bloom Markets (the Christmas theme as a big hit!) Catering at the Zone Athletics carnival Resolving to re-align meetings with school terms as opposed to calendar months None of these achievements would have been attainable without the dedication of many individuals and organisations, and on behalf of the P&C Executive I would like to express our collective gratitude. To our members who have taken ownership of co-ordinating individual activities. Your efforts have not gone unnoticed and I don’ think it’s possible to express in words how much pressure that has taken off your Executive. To all those, including non-members, who respond to the all too frequent call to arms to ‘man the tongs’ at a barbecue, do some baking or assist in a myriad of other ways, often at short notice - our P&C could not maintain its outstanding reputation for service provision without you. To all those who turn up to our meetings and provide input when requested – you are the ‘voice of the masses’ and have the unique ability to keep us as an organisation focussed and relevant. The value of this should not and can not be underestimated by us, as speaking out on issues that at times are contentious and emotive requires conviction and bravery. To our employees – Deb in the Uniform Shop and Racheal in the Canteen. You are the ones who show up day after day and put in much more than your timesheets reflect to ensure our children are both clothed and fed. These are relentless and often thankless tasks, but your dedication and passion make what you do look effortless. To our non-member volunteers – the sometimes faceless and nameless ‘doers’ who ensure the P&C world keeps turning. Finally, to the SPS Executive and staff. Without you we would quite simply have no reason for being. Your dedication to task and passion for wanting the optimum learning environment for our children make motivating and facilitating others to support you much easier than it should be. So thank you one and all for your support over the last year. I know first-hand that giving to the P&C means sacrificing something else, often at the expense family or ‘down’ time. Collectively we have once again achieved a great deal for SPS, and remain well placed to continue providing into the future. I look forward to joining you on this journey in whatever capacity you see fit. Tim McEwen President Scone Public School P&C Association School background School vision statement High expectations have been established at Scone Public School and this is reflected in the school’s Statement of Purpose, “Success for all, through partnerships and shared values.” The definition of success in terms of learners at Scone Public School has been defined as risk taking, creative learners who persist in their learning by listening with understanding, thinking critically and independently and by collaborating with their peers. To this end the school’s moral purpose is to ensure that we provide 21st century skills and quality opportunities for our students in order that they enter society as informed and active citizens. We do this through a shared commitment to continual improvement, and high quality teaching and leadership. Our school community shares this commitment to the development of young people who will be informed and active citizens of the 21st century. They value the opportunities and skills that Scone Public School provides. School context Our school has a proud history of educating generations of Upper Hunter residents and a long tradition of academic excellence. Our students enjoy success in all areas of the Creative and Performing Arts where they are tutored by experienced and talented teachers. An enrichment class provide challenging and stimulating learning experiences for our gifted students and the school offers extensive programs and specialised teachers to support students with additional needs. Our school fosters critical-thinking and allows students to develop strategies and skills that will enable them to adapt in a world that is forever changing. They are encouraged to face the future with confidence. This is nurtured and developed by the highly qualified and committed teaching and non-teaching staff who work School vision statement together to provide a happy and supportive environment. A feature of the school’s profile is the importance that is placed on strong partnerships between home, the school and the wider community. The school’s shared values cement this partnership. We have outstanding welfare and leadership programs that promote a culture of belonging. We recognise and develop the ‘whole child’ and believe in providing opportunities for every student to succeed. 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 public schools throughout NSW in the pursuit of excellence by providing a clear description of high quality practice across the three domains of Learning, Teaching and Leading. This year, our school undertook self-assessment using the elements of the School Excellence Framework. During 2015, our staff at Scone Public used the School Excellence Framework as a tool to inform, monitor and evaluate our school plan and wider teaching and learning practices. During Executive meetings, Team Leadership for School Improvement Days and Professional Learning sessions during staff meetings, teams of teachers examined the School Plan 2015-2017 to determine areas of strength and development as we continue our journey towards excellence. Learning In the domain of Learning, our school has focused on the domains of Learning Culture, Wellbeing, Curriculum & Learning and Assessment & Reporting. The school has in place a comprehensive and inclusive framework to support the emotional and social wellbeing of students through the implementation of the ‘Bounce Back’ program. This in conjunction with professional development of staff using the Kids Matter training package has improved the awareness of mental health and its impact on learning. Positive and respectful relationships across the school community underpin a productive learning environment, and support students’ development of strong identities. We have developed strong partnerships with our Aboriginal community with greater engagement with local Aboriginal organisations. Cultural awareness workshops with staff have resulted in a greater awareness of local Aboriginal cultural sites and their significance. The school has established active partnerships through the Upper Hunter Community of Schools, working collaboratively with other schools to ensure continuity of learning in English and Science K-10. The school has worked towards aligning systems for collecting assessment data through the development of an assessment schedule. Assessment data is used to monitor achievements and gaps in student learning including plotting on the learning continuums in Literacy and Numeracy and used to inform planning for particular student groups and individual students. Teaching In the domain of Teaching, our focus has been on Collaborative Practice. The school has embedded and explicit systems for collaboration, classroom observation, the modelling of effective practice and feedback to drive and sustain ongoing, school-wide improvement in teaching practice and student outcomes. Quality Teaching Rounds have been a successful strategy to increase reflective practice to improve student achievement of outcomes. Staff attainment of professional learning goals and teaching requirements are part of the school’s professional development plan. This is supported by the teacher leader role, supervisors and the participation in an Upper Hunter Accreditation panel to provide feedback to teachers completing accreditation at various levels. Leading In the domain of Leading, our focus has been on creating a leadership team (Team Leadership for School improvement- TLSI) that uses evidence-based strategy and innovative thinking in designing a school plan that delivers ongoing improvements in student outcomes. The TLSI team have been pivotal in implementing the school plan and milestones and evaluating school improvement. This distributed leadership model has assisted in leadership capacity building for participating staff members from early career to more experienced teaching and non-teaching staff. 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. Strategic Direction 1 Self motivated successful learners, with the skills and knowledge for future success and wellbeing Purpose Consistent with the goals of the Melbourne Declaration Scone Public School is committed to building creative, critical thinkers and self-directed, life-long learners who are active and informed contributors to society. All members of the school community believe that student wellbeing is central to success and as such the school operates within a framework of equity and excellence. Overall summary of progress In 2015 we implemented of a Social and Emotional Learning Program (Bounce Back) across the school. School wellbeing data was monitored and analysed to evaluate the effectiveness of wellbeing programs. Staff participated in professional development to deepen their knowledge of curriculum through the use of PLAN data and development of rich tasks in Mathematics, which included 21st Century learning skills. Throughout 2015 a draft assessment schedule was devised and implemented. Assessment data was analysed systematically and teachers targeted students for intervention to ensure differentiation and improvement occurred. A schedule was developed for the implementation of Learning Dispositions across the school. Students use this language of learning when articulating what makes a successful learner. Progress towards achieving improvement measures All students set explicit learning goals and identify the specific thinking strategies required to achieve them. Student-designed posters to promote Learning Disposition in every classroom. Teachers explicitly teach Learning Dispositions to students. Socioeconomic disadvantage ceases to be a significant determinant of educational outcomes for our students as evidenced in school based data on student growth. Student wellbeing data is monitored and analysed to evaluate school engagement programs. Resources (annual) $1000 Learning Dispositions promoted in newsletters and assemblies. SEL program (Bounce Back) introduced to assist students to use strategies to manage their social and emotional learning needs. $5600 Socioeconomic background funding Data is used consistently across the school to identify gaps in student learning, monitor improvement over time and to monitor growth across the years of school. Next steps Professional learning to develop teachers’ understanding of formative assessment and use of data to inform teaching. A systematic approach to teaching 21st Century Learning skills. Professional development for teachers to develop a deeper knowledge of Hattie’s ‘Visible Learning’ with a focus on success criteria and feedback. Strategic Direction 1 Ongoing evaluation of the Bounce Back program implementation. Professional development for staff in social and emotional wellbeing and professional development on the Wellbeing Framework. Strategic Direction 2 High quality teaching and leadership, with a strong commitment to continuous improvement Purpose Research (Hattie et al) indicates that teachers make the greatest difference to student outcomes. By developing teacher and leadership capacity within a culture of shared responsibility and embedding the use of research based teaching practices in all classrooms, improved outcomes for students will be facilitated. Overall summary of progress In 2015 we developed a schedule and practice that supports teachers in the attainment of their professional goals as it has now been mandated that all teachers are to have a Professional Development Plan. A schedule was developed and teachers developed learning goals against the teaching standards after participating in professional development in SMART goal setting. Staff participated in professional development to increase their understanding of and skills in The Quality Teaching Framework and support the implementation of Quality Teaching Rounds (QTR) through Lesson Reflections. Fifteen teachers participated in at least three sessions of QTR throughout 2015. During the sessions all teachers provided and received feedback. In 2015 the Upper Hunter Community of Schools (UHCOS) Professional Learning Community was established to build a common understanding of curriculum K-10. An English Implementation Team was established to plan and deliver English Professional Development to schools in the UHCOS. This has resulted in ongoing professional learning opportunities to deepen the knowledge and understanding of curriculum and continuity K-10 as well as providing leadership opportunities to targeted teachers. Progress towards achieving improvement measures An effective professional learning community that engages in continuous research based improvement. This is evidenced by the validity of research, and rigor of selfassessment, evident in the Professional Goals of all staff. All staff has SMART Professional Goals matched to the standards. All teachers regularly reflecting on and evaluating the quality of their classroom practice in a variety of ways, including Lesson Study and Quality Teaching Protocols for Lesson Reflections developed and documented. Teacher Leader has engaged in coaching training. Teacher Leader meets with grade groups to share and support quality of evidence. All staff have met with supervisors. Feedback sheets from supervisor/teacher meetings indicate progress to goals. Professional Goals and evidence (PDP) provide measurement of growth. Minutes of meetings with Teacher Leader following classroom observations indicate depth of reflection. Coding sheets indicate level of understanding and use of QT elements during QTR. Resources (annual) $4000 Coaching training for Teacher Leader $1000 Teacher release (Professional Goal setting) $2500 Teacher release (Teacher Reflection) $1500 Teacher release for evaluation $50000 Teacher Leader (off class AP) $1000 filming equipment $70000 teacher release to participate in QTR (using QTSS funding Strategic Direction 2 Rounds (QTR). Feedback from staff indicates a change/growth in perceptions in reflective practice. 80% of staff participated in QTR during 2015. $19384) $500 teacher release to attend QTR training at Uni Newcastle. Next steps blank Increase the participation by teachers in the QT Rounds to ensure all teachers are engaged in reflective practice. And that teacher professional learning is linked to the goals identified in the PDPs. Engage a teacher mentor to support all teachers with their attainment of accreditation at various levels. This includes supporting supervisors to write accreditation reports. Students to identify the language of learning (dispositions) that will help them achieve their SMART goals. UHCOS teams formed to deliver professional development in Science and Mathematics across the community of schools. Teachers participate in professional dialogue around assessment including assessment types and analysis of data to inform their teaching. This includes the tracking and monitoring of students against the Literacy and Numeracy continuums. Strategic Direction 3 Strong school - community partnerships, committed to common goals and purposes Purpose Educational researchers (Epstein et al) consistently advocate the benefits of partnerships between schools, families and communities as a way of improving outcomes for children and young people To that purpose the school is committed to building partnerships and common goals with parents, families and the broader community, in order to enhance student learning and wellbeing. Overall summary of progress Building partnerships with external agencies through the involvement with the Play2Learn playgroup that operates one morning a week in the school hall. The results have been very positive in terms of building relationships with parents prior to school and early intervention facilitated for pre-school aged children that require it. Parents and children participating in the Play2Learn playgroup become more familiar with the school and more engaged in their child’s transition to school. The employment of a Community Liaison Officer to establish contact with local community groups has resulted in closer relationship being formed with local preschools, aged care and community organisations with the benefit to students through smoother transition, developing positive relationships with our elderly community and ongoing support for our Breakfast Club with high school volunteers, community volunteers and sponsorship. Working with the P&C executive to develop a plan for the establishment of a Community Hub by repurposing and fitting out an under-utilised space within the school. A draft plan of works to be carried out was developed and relevant personnel contacted within the department to initiate the works. A community grant was successfully gained to supplement building works to be carried out on the new space. Progress towards achieving improvement measures The role of the Increased engagement with local organisations as Community Liaison officer evidenced by positive Facebook, Newsletter and other builds increased trust and correspondence with external agencies and parents. connection between the school, the student and at risk/disengaged families. The Community Hub operates effectively and is central in creating connections between the school, parents and local community. Community Hub plans developed and Scope of works produced by Properties (Dept Of Education). Quotes and costing for wall removal (including asbestos) established. Resources (annual) SLSO employed two days per week in a Community Liaison role. $22 000 Initial works costed at $17619.66 to be carried out in 2016. Of this, $15347.97 comes from the Community Consultation funding Next steps Community Liaison Officer continues to form links with broader community groups. Aboriginal families and relevant support agencies connected through specific purpose programs. Strategic Direction 3 In 2016 Community Hub refurbishment will commence including wall removal, redesign and fit out. The space will be launched with all stakeholders and supporters invited to attend. Community use of the Hub will commence following survey feedback for usage. Increased participation of parents and community members on school teams and committees. Next Steps Key initiatives and other school focus areas Key initiatives (annual) Impact achieved this year Resources (annual) Aboriginal background funding Proactive Aboriginal Education Team planned and implemented a number of successful initiatives across the school including: $27 095 Employed a SLSO 2/days per week to deliver MiniLit program to targeted Aboriginal K-2 students. Training and resourcing for MiniLit program. Resourcing of Cultural workshops for staff and students. Cultural workshops for students during NAIDOC week. Professional development for staff resulted in an increased knowledge and understanding of the significance of local sites to Aboriginal culture Establishment of the Acknowledgement Garden resulted in recognition of the traditional custodians of the land and the value of Aboriginal culture at Scone Public School. K-2 Aboriginal students made a priority for MiniLit Literacy intervention program resulting in increased achievement of Literacy outcomes for targeted students. English language proficiency funding Identified students reach expected outcomes in NAPLAN (Year 3 Reading) $3666 $133 507 SLSO in class support 5 days per week. Teachers involved in Quality Teaching Rounds demonstrate deep knowledge and understanding about how to use the QT framework to evaluate their own and others practice. Teacher Leader (off class) to support implantation of QTR and implementation of Professional Development Plans. Early career and experienced staff supported by Teacher Leader in development of Professional Development Plans with all staff achieving their professional goals. Low level adjustment for disability funding All teachers confident to use benchmarking to assess and analyse reading data. Professional development for staff in the development of ILPs and monitoring of progress through assessment ie data growth, benchmarking consistency. Teachers use SLSO support to implement ILPs resulting in student assessment data showing improvement in targeted outcomes. Employed an SLSO to provide in class support for EAL/D students. Socio-economic funding Quality Teaching Rounds professional development for teachers. SLSO in class support. $39 754 Support for beginning teachers Our one permanent beginning teacher received ongoing support throughout the year and participated in a range of activities to build her teaching capacity. The support was in the form of coaching and mentoring with the Teacher Leader/Instructional Leader. Lesson observation by the supervisor with formal feedback. Next Steps Permanent Beginning teacher is supported by professional development and mentored to complete accreditation. Accreditation was achieved by two of our beginning teachers. $13 377.89 Mandatory and optional reporting requirements Student information Workforce information Student enrolment profile Gender Male Female 2009 238 232 2010 234 231 2011 233 249 2012 250 267 2013 268 270 2014 255 260 2015 249 253 Enrolments Students 600 400 200 0 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Year Male Female State DoE School Student attendance profile Year K 1 2 3 4 5 6 Total K 1 2 3 4 5 6 Total 2010 93.9 92.2 92.5 92.9 93.9 93.7 94.0 93.3 94.7 94.2 94.4 94.5 94.5 94.4 94 94.4 2011 93.9 94.2 95.1 91.6 93.0 93.8 92.7 93.5 94.7 94.2 94.2 94.4 94.3 94.2 93.8 94.3 2012 94.4 94.7 94.3 94.5 94.1 93.8 93.1 94.1 94.3 93.9 94.2 94.4 94.3 94.2 93.8 94.2 Workforce composition Position Number Principal 1 Principal School Leadership 0.4 Deputy Principal(s) 1 Assistant Principal(s) 4 Classroom Teacher(s) 15 Teacher of Reading Recovery 0.815 Itinerant Primary Teacher Hearing Disabilites 2.6 Learning and Support Teacher(s) 1.1 Teacher Librarian 1 School Counsellor/DGO 1 School Administrative & Support Staff 4.962 MC Support Class teacher 1 QTSS 0.19 Other positions 3.06 Total 2013 94.7 93.0 94.5 93.8 93.0 93.4 93.2 93.7 95.0 94.5 94.7 94.8 94.7 94.5 94.1 94.7 2014 93.5 93.8 95.1 94.1 95.0 93.3 94.7 94.2 95.2 94.7 94.9 95.0 94.9 94.8 94.2 94.8 2015 92.6 90.5 92.5 91.3 92.4 93.5 92.4 92.2 94.4 93.8 94.0 94.1 94.0 94.0 93.5 94.0 Scone Public School is the school of choice for the largest percentage of students in the Upper Hunter Shire. Students come from diverse backgrounds and from a wide area of the shire. 37.127 The Australian Education Regulation, 2014 requires schools to report on Aboriginal composition of their workforce. In 2015 Scone Public School employed one full time School learning Support Officer SLSO who is Aboriginal and one permanent teacher who is Aboriginal. Teacher qualifications All teaching staff has met the professional requirements for teaching in NSW public schools. Qualifications % of staff Undergraduate degree or diploma 100 Postgraduate degree 4 Management of non-attendance Student attendance is regularly monitored by teachers, the Learning Support Team, the Principal and the DoE Home School Liaison Officer. Teachers who are concerned about a students’ attendance contact parents by phone, letter or interview. Parents may also be sent a letter by the Principal. Should there be no improvement in a students’ attendance then a referral is made to the Home School Liaison Officer. Professional learning and teacher accreditation The teaching staff at Scone Public School participated in a number of professional learning activities designed to build the capacity of staff to achieve some of our key priorities as set out in our School Plan. The staff has been involved in professional learning programs that have built the capability of early career teachers, current teachers and aspiring and current school leaders. Financial summary for 229 (SAP) schools In 2015, five school development days were planned and undertaken. Staff received professional development in the following areas: NSW English Curriculum Teaching Standards and Professional Development Plans NSW Science & Technology Curriculum Aboriginal Cultural Awareness School 5 P Planning process & School Excellence Framework Child Protection CPR & e-Emergency Epilepsy & Epilepsy Medication Administration Kids Matter All teachers have developed a Professional Development Plan with professional goals based on the teaching standards. Two teachers achieved accreditation at proficient level and one teacher achieved maintenance. Two teachers have participated in an accreditation panel to provide feedback to teachers who have prepared accreditation reports. This in itself provides professional development to the participant staff members. Core members of the staff have been participating in ongoing training in the LMBR applications. These include finance, budgeting and student management applications. Financial information Financial summary This summary covers funds for operating costs and does not involve expenditure areas such as permanent salaries, building and major maintenance. A full copy of the school’s 2015 financial statement is tabled at the annual general meetings of the parent and/or community groups. Further details concerning the statement can be obtained by contacting the school. Component RAM Base 4,077,618 3,284,528 RAM Funds 0.92593 Education (92.6%) 13,016 Location Other Base 3,271,512 326,184 Equity 27,095 133,507 3,666 161,916 - 27,095 Aboriginal 133,507 Socio-Economic Language 3,666 Disability 161,916 - Equity Transition Targeted Total 289,757 Other Total 503,333 Total 4,403,802 0.00615 Aboriginal (0.6%) 0.03032 Socio-Economic (3%) 0.00083 Language (0.1%) 0.03677 Disability (3.7%) 0 Equity Transition (0%) 0 Targeted Total (0%) 0 Other Total (0%) Education (92.6%) Aboriginal (0.6%) Socio-Economic (3%) Language (0.1%) Disability (3.7%) Equity Transition (0%) 2015 Actual ($) Opening Balance Revenue 505,965 4,786,898 Appropriation Sale of Goods and Services Grants and Contributions Investment Income 4,602,851 2,515 172,173 9,359 - Gain and loss Other Revenue Expenses (4,492,902) Recurrent Expenses Employee Related Operating Expenses (4,102,962) (389,940) Capital Expenses Employee Related - Operating Expenses - Surplus/Deficit for the Year 293,996 Balance Carried Forward 799,962 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. As noted in the graphs, below, the school achieved higher growth than statistically similar schools (SSG) in Numeracy and Spelling. NAPLAN - Literacy Parent/caregiver, student, teacher satisfaction Parent Survey In 2015 we asked our parents to participate in the ‘Partners in Learning Survey’. This survey asked parents their perception of their child’s experiences at home and school. The survey also provides feedback about the extent to which parents feel the school supports learning and positive behaviour and promote a safe and inclusive environment. Of the small sample of parents who participated in the survey the following results were obtained: Parents feel welcome 7.1 Parents are informed 5.9 Parents Support Learning at Home 6.6 Support for learning at Scone Public School 6.7 School Supports Positive Behaviour 7.2 Safe School 7.1 Inclusion at Scone Public School 7 Student Survey Students in Years 4, 5 and 6 were invited to respond via the ‘’Tell Them From Me survey. Of the 140 students that responded the following results were obtained: 66% have a positive sense of belonging 82% have positive relationships 91% value schooling outcomes 48% have positive homework behaviours 82% have positive behaviour at school 65% are interested and motivated in their learning 80% try hard to succeed in their learning NAPLAN - Numeracy Policy requirements Aboriginal education Scone Public School is committed to improving the educational outcomes and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students so that they excel and achieve in every aspect of their education and training Scone Public School received Aboriginal background funding in 2015. Our plan included: The establishment of an Acknowledgement Garden at the entrance of the school. Cultural Awareness activities and workshops during NAIDOC week, including performances by the Wakagetti Dancers. Employment of a SLSO to implement MiniLit Employment of an Aboriginal SLSO to support Aboriginal students Professional development for staff in building Aboriginal Cultural awareness with a local Aboriginal Elder “Uncle” Paul Gordon Multicultural Education and Anti-racism Through the Key Learning Areas of HSIE (Human Society and Its Environment) and English students are provided with learning activities and perspective to assist them to develop the skills, knowledge and attitudes required for a multicultural diverse society. The annual Multicultural Perspective Public Speaking Competition provides a valuable forum for students to participate in, and be made aware of issues such as multiculturalism, acceptance, racism and diversity. After a competition at the school level four students were selected to represent the school. Our student performed well with two students being awarded highly commended during the zone competition. Students also participated in Harmony day, where an SRC led assembly promoted and celebrated the diversity of cultures within our school and across Australia.