Annual School Report 2013 - Scotts Head Public School

Scotts Head
Public School 2013
Annual School Report
3635
School context
Scotts Head Public School is a small school located
at Scotts Head on the Mid-North Coast. The natural
environment is an important aspect of our school.
Environmental education is integrated into the
regular curriculum to encourage students to take
care of themselves, their school, local and global
community.
socially well with a focus on Positive Behaviour for
Learning (PBL);
explicitly teaching and encouraging our four
community values of Honesty, Teamwork,
Responsibility and Respect.
Throughout this year there has been a school focus
on getting the staff and school prepared for the
implementation of the Australian Curriculum. With
these considerations and the Melbourne
Declaration on Educational Goals for Young
Australians in mind, the curriculum gives special
attention to the following three priorities:
Scotts Head Public School has a history of
sustainable planning for both students and the
wider community. Our connection with the local
community allows a number of extra-curricular
activities to succeed, benefiting both parties. The
value placed on volunteer involvement encourages
parents, students and community members to
contribute to the unique culture of the school.
We are one of four schools in NSW offering our
students the Bilingual Program. This program
delivers the regular curriculum for 45 minutes a day
in Bahasa Indonesian and creates links with our
Asian neighbours. This is the first step in expanding
the minds of our students who will be able to
engage in future global environments. This belief of
becoming a global citizen is reflected through our
focus on ICT and the integration of connected
classroom technology; giving students the
opportunities to investigate the virtual world.
1) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories
and Cultures:
o There is no single strand to reconciliation and it
is not an easy or straightforward process. What
is clear however is that reconciliation is
everyone’s business.
o Reconciliation is about building better
relationships between Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander peoples and the wider Australian
community for the benefit of all Australians.
o The highly successful (PaCE) program is one such
innovative program that is creating positive
change.
o The official launching of the PaCE project was at
the beginning of Term 4 with Aboriginal Students
and their families walking to Elephant’s Head, a
few blocks from the school. Uncle Martin and
Aunty Shaa shared the traditional dreaming
stories of ‘The Women Who Made the Sea’ and
‘The Koala Brothers and the Tiger Cat’.
o The Aboriginal students and families for the next
ten weeks experienced their culture and identity
through dance and stories with over thirty
Gumbaynggirr Elders. The aboriginal dancers
made the Presentation Night a great success
with their Welcome, Whale and Oyster Dancers
with the Hello song. Aboriginal students’
ownership and leadership of their cultural
identity, stories and dance will continue to be
shared with their peers.
o A continuing partnership was formed with the
Gaagaal Wanggaan board (traditional owners of
South Beach) which is administered by National
Parks and Wildlife whereby our students will
gain cultural teachings from the local elders at
South Beach in the future.
All of our staff and volunteers are committed to
supporting students and each other, creating an
empathetic
and
compassionate
learning
environment
which
fosters
self-regulation,
leadership and autonomous thinking. Our focus is to
ignite the passion for lifelong learning and empower
students to reach their full potential.
Principal’s message
2013 was an exciting and successful year. Scotts
Head Public School experienced community
involvement, parent partnerships and instigation of
some interesting projects. These included ongoing
promotion of our Australia/Asia focus; the Parent
and Community Engagement (PaCE) project
concentrating on Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander connections; and meeting the needs of
supporting a sustainable environment within the
school and broader community.
We achieved high educational outcomes with many
students performing academically, physically and
1
o
o
o
o
2) Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia:
o
o
The ongoing goal of schools, educators and
parents/carers is to prepare students for their
life beyond school. As we move into an
increasingly global era, what will our students
need to think about? What skills will they need
to navigate an increasingly interconnected
world, dominated by the unprecedented rise of
Asia? The answer lies in our moral imperative to
support students to develop the knowledge,
skills and capabilities to be global citizens. In
addition to developing language skills, students
will need to acquire knowledge, understanding
and acceptance of Asian societies, cultures and
environments. In order to effectively live, work
and learn in our region, they will need to
develop the skills to communicate and engage
with the peoples of both Asia and the wider
world.
Our students at Scotts Head PS are very
fortunate to be the only primary school in NSW
with a bilingual program. My gratitude extends
to the previous principal and teachers Angie
Evans, Nicole Mason and Bibi Ahmed for their
outstanding contribution in placing our students
so well in this changing time.
Scotts Head Public School is involved in building
programs that promote sustainability now and
for future generations not only in the local
community but across the environmental
spectrum.
Our highly successful biodynamic garden,
supplied students and parents frequently with
fresh vegetables and seedlings. The student
‘shop’ designed and constructed by students has
been a welcome easy transition from “paddock
to plate”.
Phase 1 includes; construction of a walking/bike
track and the renovation of the bush hut.
The next planning phase is a revamp of the bush
area for improving student and community
access with the planting of a bush tucker .
Hanging in our front office is our school’s
“Declaration Against Bullying and Violence”, signed
by all members of our school community. Please
take the time to read this with your family, so all of
us are aware and focusing on respectful
relationships.
Students are at the centre of what we do. Our goal is
to improve education and learning outcomes for all.
The coherent alignment of teacher, parent and
student partnerships has the greatest impact.
Let’s continue to work together.
I certify that the information in this report is the
result of a rigorous school self-evaluation process
and is a balanced and genuine account of the
school’s achievements and areas for development.
Many thanks
Ms Gillian Stuart
P & C and/or School Council message
3) Sustainability:
2
you to Mrs Stuart for being a fantastic Principal and
to Mrs C and Bu Brooke for being the best teachers.
The best memories I’ve had are probably Student
Council, because I could organise fun things for the
school and I wish them luck for 2014 and I will miss
you all! From Chanelle
It has been another successful year for the Scotts
Head Public School P&C Association. Firstly, I would
like to say a huge thank you to my wonderful team,
Kelly Pacey, Jo Summerville, Toni Jones, Karin
Woldring, Neridah Blockey and Amanda Hill. Also to
all our amazing volunteers throughout the school
grounds.
Thank you for the great school years and all the
great excursions. Thank you for my great years at
SHPS. I have enjoyed being the School Captain and
wish the next School Captain luck. From Jazz
Our canteen has been running two days a week on
Mondays and Wednesdays. We are now a member
of the Healthy Kids Association. Toni Jones, our
canteen supervisor is developing an exciting new
menu to coincide with the new guidelines.
To all of the staff, students and parents, thank you
for my year at Scotts Head Public School I have
enjoyed it so much all the way from Kinder to Year
6. My school life has been awesome; I hope you
have a good time next year! I have really enjoyed
being the President of the School Representative
Council and wish them luck for 2014. From Bonnie
This year we contributed $3,671 towards new home
readers as well as $400 for the school to purchase a
new public address system. Another $2,000 went
towards computers and $300 towards bus travel to
a waterslide fun day for the students.
Thank you for the amazing year I have had. Thank
you for voting me for school captain and I hope I
have fulfilled my role and made you feel safe. I have
loved going to all of the amazing excursions and
carnivals, this year I have been to Coffs in
swimming, Nambucca in the relay and I have been
to year 6 leadership camp and that was really fun.
So thank you SHPS for the amazing year at school
and thank you to all the amazing teachers I had in
year 4 to year 6, I will never forget you. From Emma
Student enrolment profile
Our major fundraisers throughout the year, were a
car boot/fete spring fair which was a great day out
for the whole family. Our bacon & egg roll stand at
the Unkya markets was a great success thanks to
Damon Telfer’s organising. We also hosted the
People to People visit, special canteen days and a
local food feast luncheon.
Active After School Activities are held on Tuesday
and Thursday afternoons every term with various
activities available. We provide a healthy snack to
participating students.
During 2013 our student enrolment stayed static at
83 students. Approximately 15% of our students are
indigenous. We have 1 Torres Strait Islander or
English as second language (ESL) student.
Our Easter Activities is another event that the
children look forward to every year. We set up an
Easter Raffle and donated 50 Easter bunnies as
prizes on the day.
My year has been the greatest year ever, it has
been exciting and fun. I want to thank all the
teachers for teaching me and other students. Also
the Principal, Mrs Stuart for respecting us and all
the people in SHPS. Thank you, from Kamden.
Again I would like to say thank you for all the effort
and support from all the volunteers taking on jobs
throughout the school. We continue to provide
wonderful resources for all the students within our
school
Last year in the SRC we did all kinds of fun things.
We planned lots of fund raisers such as Easter
activity day, discos, Indonesian Independance Day,
mufti days, pyjama day, footy colours day. We
raised money for the Orangutan that we adopted .
It has been great opportunity being a member and
an executive for the SRC and I strongly recommend
anyone to join.
By Chanelle SRC Secretary 2013
April Miller
on behalf of the SHPS P&C
Student representative’s message
I just want to say a big thank you to all the staff,
teachers, and parents and the students for the
fantastic year I’ve had at SHPS. I want to say thank
SRC committee 2013
3
Student information
Learning and Support
0.2
It is a requirement that the reporting of information
for all students be consistent with privacy and
personal information policies.
General assistant
0.2
School
administration
Need to
add
1.2
Student attendance profile
Total
7.536
Student enrolment profile
Students
School
Enrolments
Female
Region
Male
Management of non-attendance
State DEC
The school welfare policy encourages attendance,
regular newsletters to all households inform
caregivers of the importance of student attendance
and caregivers are welcomed at the school. Student
absences are recorded as are explanations for each
absence.
Regular articles regarding attendance are placed in
our newsletters.
Workforce information
Year
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
Total
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
Total
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
Total
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
94.8 93.2 93.6 94.9 95.1
92.4 95.3 95.3 90.8 93.0
92.6 91.7 93.2 94.2 92.8
90.8 94.1 93.8 97.4 93.6
93.8 94.6 94.0 95.6 92.4
94.6 92.6 93.8 93.8 93.2
96.2 95.7 93.2 95.2 92.8
92.2 93.5 93.8 93.9 94.4 93.4
92.5 93.4 93.3 93.4 93.4
92.3 93.2 92.9 92.6 92.9
92.4 93.3 93.0 93.0 93.3
92.6 93.2 93.1 93.3 93.2
92.6 93.3 93.0 92.9 93.1
92.4 93.2 92.9 92.7 92.7
92.2 92.9 92.6 92.7 92.4
92.8 90.1 93.2 93.0 93.0 93.0
94.3 94.7 94.7 94.3 95.0
93.7 94.2 94.2 93.9 94.5
94.0 94.4 94.2 94.2 94.7
94.1 94.5 94.4 94.4 94.8
94.0 94.5 94.3 94.3 94.7
94.0 94.4 94.2 94.2 94.5
93.6 94.0 93.8 93.8 94.1
94.1 92.1 94.4 94.3 94.2 94.7
It is a requirement that the reporting of information
for all staff must be consistent with privacy and
personal information policies.
Workforce composition
Position
Number
Principal
1.0
Primary Teacher
3.0
Primary Part- Time Teacher
0.168
Primary Part- Time Teacher
0.168
Primary Teacher Librarian
0.2
Language Teacher- Bilingual
1.4
Teacher Librarian
0.2
The Australian Education Regulation, 2013 requires
schools to report on Aboriginal composition of their
workforce.
There is one indigenous staff member employed
four mornings a week for two hours a day as part of
the Wambinya Early Years program for 2012-13 to
assist the Early Stage 1 and Stage 1 targeted
Aboriginal students to improve literacy outcomes
with a focus in the area of comprehension.
Teacher qualifications
4
All teaching staff meet the professional
requirements for teaching in NSW public schools.
Qualifications
Degree or Diploma
Postgraduate
NSW Institute of Teachers
Accreditation
Financial summary
% of staff
100
10
50
This summary covers funds for operating costs and
does not involve expenditure areas such as
permanent
salaries,
building
and
major
maintenance.
School performance 2013
Achievements
A full copy of the school’s 2013 financial statement
is tabled at the annual general meetings of the
School Council and/or the parent body. Further
details concerning the statement can be obtained
by contacting the school.
Date of financial summary
We had many colorful artistic displays throughout
the year, with many students’ artworks selected as
winners at the local show.
During the year we had Years 4/5/6 class participate
in a poster competition to promote the idea of
peace.
30/11/2013
Income
$
Balance brought forward
Global funds
Tied funds
School & community sources
Interest
Trust receipts
Total income
Expenditure
Teaching & learning
Key learning areas
Excursions
Extracurricular dissections
Library
Training & development
Tied funds
Casual relief teachers
Administration & office
Utilities
Maintenance
Trust accounts
Total expenditure
Balance carried forward
Arts
100284.56
98509.66
155215.25
44909.95
3759.90
4962.15
193792.79
Fablice, a rapper, who was born in Burundi but is
now an Australian citizen, spoke with our students
about his life in Africa and the hardships he
endured.
Early in Term 4 Wiruungga Dungirr brought the
yarning circle to Scotts Head telling dreamtime
stories and showing Aboriginal artifacts.
In September Live Life Well Program funded some
amazing playground markings for us based on
designs created by the 4/5/6 class (thanks to John
Elliot from Prickle Patch Signs).
38212.65
19245.01
11545.41
1325.77
436.19
129913.55
15861.54
36563.41
12076.55
20331.72
5615.57
141930.35
152147.00
In August our school was lucky enough to have Pak
Made Denis and his teams visit our school. Pak
Made is a visiting artist from Indonesia (as part of
the Australian Indonesian Arts Alliance) who has
been performing Balinese Gamelan and Kecak
dance for over 20 years.
During the year five students attended ‘Asyik
Indonesian Arts and Culture Bazaar’ bringing back
additional Indonesian perspectives.
5
Competing in the Literacy Planet Word Mania
Challenge our students collectively earned a huge
226,265 points. Our school was placed 101st on the
leader board.
The Taronga Zoo Zoomobile visited the school in
October. They brought native Australian animals for
the students to touch and learn about.
Sport
Academic
Active After Schools Communities included the
following activites : golf, surfing, dancing, bike
education, soccer and lawn bowls. These activities
were enjoyed by all who attended enjoyed by a
number of the students.
New Curriculum Implementation
Staff attended three teacher professional
development days aligned to the introduction of
the new syllabus for NSW. As part of this Lyndsey
Caldecott and Deborah Thomas developed a 'draft'
whole school scope and sequence that included
English, Maths, Science and History. This coincided
with the schools focus areas and the crosscurriculum priorities. Staffs are trialing the use of
the scope and sequence in the 2014 school year. As
part of this an assessment plan was designed along
with an assessment booklet for each stage across K6. All of these documents were presented at the
Valley 10 Collegial Leadership Network.
Two of our students were successful whilst
competing at the State Athletics Carnival.
Our School Swimming and Water Safety Program
was very successful with a switch to the beginning
of the swimming season that commenced in
November.
Early in Term 3 two teams represented our school
at the Years 3-6 Nambucca Valley MILO T20 BLAST
with all participants thoroughly enjoying the
experience.
In September our students attempted the NSW
University English Primary Schools Competition.
One student received a (High Distinction) and one
student received a (Credit) for their English results.
In September students in the Years 2/3/4 and some
from the Years 4/5/6 class competed in the
‘Language Perfect NSW Showdown’ (an online
competition for NSW schools studying Bahasa
Indonesia). Our amazing students earned 1912
points for our school, with an overall achievement
of 4th in the state.
Other
Students who had achieved the gold level in the
school’s merit scheme travelled to the local Surf
Club for our Gold Day in December for a fun and
film day with all refreshments provided.
In the last term of the year students in Years 1/2,
Years 2/3/4 and Years 4/5/6 entered the state-wide,
NSW Indonesian competition ‘Kompetisi Siswa’. The
competition is an annual Indonesian writing
competition sponsored by the Australia Indonesia
Association of NSW (AIA NSW), in conjunction with
the Modern Language Teachers Association of NSW
(MLTA NSW) and the Indonesian Consulate, Sydney.
Each stage group is given a different topic and
Our Students’ Representative Council Family
Christmas Disco was a success in early December
with many family groups enjoying the night.
Midway through Term 3 a grandparents’ day to
celebrate Book Week was a great success and a
happy day for all.
6
format for submitting their entries. A massive
‘Salam’ (Congratulations) to a Year 1 student who
won the Year 1 & 2 category ‘Ini Teman Saya’ (This
is my friend), and to another student who was
awarded Highly Commended in the Year 3 & 4
category ‘Binatang Aneh Saya’ (My strange animal)
and another student who was awarded Highly
Commended in the Year 5 & 6 category ‘Kenalkan
Keluarga Saya’ (Let me introduce my family).
In Term 3 four students attended the Young
Scientist afternoon to celebrate Science Week 2013
at Stuarts Point enjoying the experience and
learning a great deal.

73% in Bands 5 and 6 for writing compared to
54% of the state;

64% in Bands 5 and 6 for spelling compared to
50% of the state;

64% in Bands 5 and 6 for grammar and
punctuation compared to 54% of the state.; and

46% in Bands 5 and 6 numeracy compared to
39% of the state
Year 3 have improved by 97 scale scores from the
2012 data in the test aspect of Grammar &
Punctuation.
Year 3 are 42 scale scores above the state average
in the test aspect of Spelling.
NAPLAN Year 3 - Literacy
Percentage of students
Percentage in bands:
Year 3 Reading
Academic achievements
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.
Bands
Percentage in Bands
School Average 2009-2013
SSG % in Bands 2013
State DEC % in Bands 2013
The achievement scale represents increasing levels
of skills and understandings demonstrated in these
assessments.
Percentage in bands:
Year 3 Writing
Percentage of students
Year 3: from Band 1 (lowest) to Band 6 (highest for
Year 3)
Year 5: from Band 3 (lowest) to Band 8 (highest for
Year 5)
The My School website provides detailed
information and data for national literacy and
numeracy testing (NAPLAN).
Click on the link http://www.myschool.edu.au
and enter the school name in the Find a school and
select GO to access the school data.
Bands
Our Year 3 students achieved:

Percentage in Bands
School Average 2011-2013
SSG % in Bands 2013
State DEC % in Bands 2013
46% in Bands 5 and 6 for reading, compared to
47% for the whole state;
7
NAPLAN Year 5 - Literacy
Percentage in bands:
Year 3 Spelling
Percentage of students
Due to reporting requirements, relating to privacy,
in the Commonwealth Schools Assistance
Regulations 2005, we are unable to display graphs
depicting percentages of students in each band as
there were less than 10 students in the Year 5
cohort who completed NAPLAN testing. The small
number also means there is no standard deviation/
means data provided.
NAPLAN Year 5 – Numeracy
Due to reporting requirements, relating to privacy,
in the Commonwealth Schools Assistance
Regulations 2005, we are unable to display graphs
depicting percentages of students in each band as
there were less than 10 students in the Year 5
cohort who completed NAPLAN testing. The small
number also means there is no standard deviation/
means data provided.
Bands
Percentage in Bands
School Average 2009-2013
SSG % in Bands 2013
State DEC % in Bands 2013
Percentage in bands:
Year 3 Grammar & Punctuation
Progress in literacy
Percentage of students
Reading
Progress
Average progress in Reading between
Year 3 and 5
Bands
Percentage in Bands
School Average 2009-2013
SSG % in Bands 2013
School
NAPLAN Year 3 - Numeracy
SSG
State DEC
Writing
Percentage of students
Percentage in bands:
Year 3 Numeracy
Progress
Average progress in Writing between
Year 3 and 5
Bands
Percentage in Bands
School Average 2009-2013
SSG % in Bands 2013
School
8
SSG
State DEC
The performance of the students in our school in
the National Assessment Program – Literacy and
Numeracy is compared to these minimum
standards. The percentages of our students
achieving at or above these standards are reported
below.
Spelling
Average progress in Spelling between
Year 3 and 5
Progress
Percentage of Year 3 students achieving at or
above minimum standard (exempt students
excluded)
School
SSG
State DEC
Grammar & punctuation
Reading
100.0
Writing
Spelling
Grammar & Punctuation
Numeracy
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Percentage of Year 5 students achieving at or
above minimum standard (exempt students
excluded)
Average progress in Grammar &
Punctuation between Year 3 and 5
Progress
Reading
Writing
Spelling
Grammar & Punctuation
Numeracy
100.0
75.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Significant programs and initiatives
School
SSG
Indonesian Bilingual Program
State DEC
The Indonesian Bilingual Program at Scotts Head is
run in all four classes – Kelas TK (Kindy), Kelas 1/2,
Kelas 2/3/4 and Kelas 4/5/6. Classes are taught
bilingually using Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian
language) as the method of instruction.
Progress in numeracy
Average progress in Numeracy between
Year 3 and 5
Progress
Bilingual lessons are based on the COGS units
(Human Society and Its Environment, some Science,
some Personal Development) and Mathematics.
Students in the 1/2 class have weekly Indonesian
reading group lessons and students in the 1/2 and
2/3/4 classes are able to take home specially made
Indonesian Readers as part of the Indonesian Home
Reader Program.
School
SSG
State DEC
The Bilingual Program also includes Music, Dance,
Kindy Morning Routine (including weather, date, roll
The Commonwealth Government sets minimum marking, daily timetable, new key vocabulary), and
standards for reading, writing, grammar and LOTE and Cultural Lessons. Lessons incorporate the
punctuation, spelling and numeracy for Years 3, 5, 7 use of technology including computers, netbooks and
ipads.
and 9.
Minimum standards
9
Indonesian language and culture has been
imbedded into the students’ everyday school life
with areas labelled around the school, assemblies
presented in Bahasa Indonesia, Indonesian music
played at bell times, morning exercise routine in
Bashasa Indonesia, significant Indonesian holidays
celebrated, and through students addressing all
teachers and visitors to the school as ‘Bu’ and Pak’ .
This year the school has been lucky to have an
Indonesian Teaching Assistant visiting from Bali,
Indonesia for terms 3 and 4. Bu Dayu has been busy
creating resources for our Bilingual Program,
teaching Indonesian extension lessons, sharing her
cultural knowledge with students, assisting with
Indonesian dance lessons after school as part of the
‘Active After School Communities Program’ and
introducing Indonesian language and culture to
parents and community members through LOTE
lessons on Tuesday afternoons.
Indonesian Music and Dance performances
A range of traditional, authentic Indonesian clothing
and musical instruments have been purchased from
different parts of Indonesia. This year we have been
able to purchase ‘little’ Big Pants!
Students in the 2/3/4 and 4/5/6 classes have this
year begun using ‘Language Perfect’ an online
language tutorial program. Many also competed in
the online ‘Language World Championships’ and the
‘Language Perfect NSW Showdown’, achieving great
results!
Highlights of the year:
Students in the 1/2, 2/3/4 and 4/5/6 classes
competed in the ‘Kompetisi Siswa’ (a statewide
Indonesian writing Competition), again achieving
outstanding results, with 2 students highly
commended and one student achieving first place
overall.

Special Indonesian Dance Group Kelompok
Nusantra

Trip to Sydney to perform at ‘Asyik Festival’
(Indonesian Arts and Culture Bazaar)
Aboriginal education
Scotts Head Public School has 15% of students
identify as Aboriginal. When teaching programs are
being formulated Aboriginal perspectives to all units
of work are included.
A significant part of the Aboriginal program is our
Yarning Circle. Yarning circles are traditional places
where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
come together to make decisions as well as
negotiate community business. Today these
traditional places have been transformed into a
variety of mediums. In keeping with the modern
world there are numerous yarning places that exist
online. These sites offer ways of sharing
information as well as creating an interactive
cultural environment.
The benefits of yarning circles in education are
immense. They offer a wonderful place to share and
10
learn through the use of storytelling. They also offer
a great alternative to the classroom. Within the
yarning circle each participant can see and interact
with each other. In many classroom, conference
and meeting settings you are generally looking at
other participants’ backs.
Our students are visited by Richie Donovan once a
week to take part in the Sports Facilitation and
Cultural Awareness program.
The Learning Story mural which is being painted on
the BER building is the ancient Gumbaynggirr
dreaming story that belongs to this place. This is an
ongoing project with student participation in 2014.
The positive outcomes for the community, school,
staff, parents and students have been
overwhelmingly successful.
Thanks to all the students and parents who have
participated with passion and enthusiasm
throughout the term in the program. We all very
much appreciated the Welcome Dance, Hello song,
Whale Dance and the girls Oyster Dance, which
opened our presentation Night for 2013.
Multicultural education
The Indonesian Bilingual program running
throughout our school helps every child to
understand Islam and Hindu religions as well as
different cultures.
Thanks to Uncle Martin and Aunty Shaa and all the
other Gumbaynggirr Elders who have shared their
stories, culture and dance. We have all been
enriched, inspired and some of us can even play
gumleaves.
This year our Harmony Day Disco gave students an
opportunity to celebrate the richness, culture and
diversity of all the countries that are represented in
our school.
Thank you to Sue Renyard for co-ordinating the
PaCE program that concludes at the end of this
term. The positive outcomes for the community,
school, staff, parents and students have been
overwhelmingly successful.
Thanks to all the students and parents who have
participated with passion and enthusiasm
throughout the term in the program. Thanks to the
PaCE committee members Richie Donavan, Mark
Werner, Michael Blockey, Moria Ryan, Anna Walshe
and Sue Renyard for so freely giving your time and
commitment to our school community.
11
Best Start
skill their the use of 21st century technologies and
the use of the various digital tools in the areas of
literacy and numeracy.
Thanks to Lyndsey
Caldecott, the computer teacher, for her
dedication, time, energy and creativity. It was clear
that all involved gained valuable skills and the task
products that were created were certainly first
class.
The application of the Best Start initiative continues
to be a significant program for students in
Kindergarten to Year 2. This year 17 Kindergarten
students took the Best Start Kindergarten
assessment prior to starting their school year. The
assessment is a tool to help the teacher find out
each child’s skills and strengths in literacy and
numeracy and to inform the development of quality
School planning and evaluation 2012—2014
teaching and learning programs that follow the
literacy continuum and numeracy continuum. This School evaluation processes
year classroom teachers have participated in
professional development covering Best Start, the School planning 2012—2014: progress in 2013
literacy continuum and the numeracy continuum,
and across the school, the application of both the School priority 1 - Literacy
literacy and numeracy continuums richly informs Outcomes from 2012–2014
teaching and the tracking of student progress. Next
To improve student literacy skills with a focus on
year will be Scotts Head Public School’s largest
aspects of grammar and punctuation for all
Kindergarten intake with 21 new students to take
students through:
the Best Start Kindergarten Assessment over the
first three days of Term 1, 2014.
 teacher knowledge of explicit teaching of
grammar and punctuation; and
Kindergarten Orientation Program
To help each child experience a positive start to
Kindergarten, Scotts Head Public School operates an
annual Kindergarten orientation program. During
Term 4, 21 children participated in the five week
program for one morning per week. The aim of the
program is to give children an early understanding
of the school’s routines, its physical layout and
spend quality time with his or her "Buddy" from
Year 5/6. The orientation also provides parents with
an opportunity to meet the principal, parents of
other children, representatives from the P&C,
become familiar with school staff and to listen to
guest speakers. We believe our successful, carefully
planned Kindergarten orientation program is a vital
component in making the transition from home to
school enjoyable and exciting for both the children
and their parents. It clarifies many areas of
uncertainty and helps to develop a confident
approach to school.
E-Learning Report: 2013

building teacher capacity to improve student
outcomes.
Evidence of progress towards outcomes in 2013:

implementing the new English syllabus using on
line modules delivered by Instructional Leaders
focusing on literacy;

average growth by all students Year 3 to Year 5
in reading was greater than 80 score marks;

average growth by all students Year 3 to Year 5
in writing was 80 score marks;

average growth by all students Year 3 to Year 5
in reading was greater than 80 score marks;

average growth by all students Year 3 to Year 5
in spelling was greater than 80 score marks;

average growth by all students Year 3 to Year 5
in grammar & punctuation was greater than 100
score marks;

increased consistency of teacher judgement;

enhanced teacher confidence and capacity
measured by increasing purposeful dialogue and
reflective practice in the classroom;

elearning integrated across
all
programs and Key Learning Areas;
This year a computer lab was created with the
library in the BER building. Students and teachers 
had weekly lessons with a computer teacher, to up
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teaching
analysis of Best Start data to benchmark
students against continuum clusters with
evidence shown in teaching programs; and

student performance in literacy to inform 
teaching and learning programs as reflected in
Teacher Assessment and Reporting Schedule
(TARS) .

Strategies to achieve these outcomes in 2014

familiarise staff with and implement the new
English syllabus using on line modules focussing 
on literacy;

engage DEC literacy consultant to support 
teacher development (Early Learning Plan in
Literacy and the literacy continuum), to gain
confidence in placing students against cluster
markers;

strengthen teacher capacity and enhance
quality teaching practices to improve levels of
literacy achievement in the areas of grammar
and punctuation;

internal and external assessments are consistent
across all stages and allow for data collection,
analysis and student tracking;

teachers use rubrics, quality assessment
practices and explicit criteria to communicate
effectively with their students’
individual
learning plans for students at risk; and

Outcomes from 2012–2014

average growth by all students Year 3 to Year 5
in numeracy was greater than 60 score marks.
all staff receive training in SMART data analysis
using regional support; and
support in numeracy is provided to all classes by
RFF, LAST and support teachers.
Outcomes from 2012–2014
Making a difference where it counts by increasing
the awareness of Aboriginal culture and language
through our teaching practices and student
engagement in the school through the
implementation of the Aboriginal policy.
Evidence of progress towards outcomes in 2013:

To increase the percentage of Year 5 students who
demonstrate greater than expected growth in
numeracy from 25 % in 2012 to 50 % in 2013.

Evidence of progress towards outcomes in 2013:
evidence shown in teaching programs as per
Teacher Assessment and Reporting Schedule
(TARS);
School priority 3 Aboriginal Culture
principal to workshop with teachers the
collection of data to inform teaching programs
using Assessment, Best Start, NAPLAN (SMART
data) explicit criteria rubrics and joint cohort
assessment and planning.
School priority 2-Numeracy
class programs support the numeracy targets
through the use of QT elements and strategies
and are strongly linked to assessment tasks;

an Aboriginal Support Officer is employed to
work one
day per month to work in
Kindergarten and other classes with a significant
group of students from Aboriginal background;
Wambinya program was implemented four days
each week ; and
Implementation of the Parents and Community
Engagement Program ( PaCE).
Strategies to achieve these outcomes in 2014:

Strategies to achieve these outcomes in 2014:
all staff will attend all training sessions in the
implementation of the
new mathematics
syllabus;
To achieve this goal there are five key directions
within the strategy:
13

Aboriginal education and training - everybody’s
core business;

strong cultures, stronger
footprints to the future;

making a difference where it counts;

leading and walking together; and

quality teaching give quality results for all.
communities
with resources including 28 netbooks and
the eLearning centre with 10 brand new desktops.
There are also 4 smartboards available for teacher
instruction throughout the school and 2 connected
classrooms. We have purchased 40 headsets with
microphones for audio recording. We have had a
wonderful year of demonstrating student learning
through the use of digital technologies. We look
forward to an exciting year in 2014 with our
new eLearning centre and one day a week
dedicated to improving student and teacher
development in the use of digital tools.
-
Related strategies:




an Aboriginal Elder is employed to work one day
per week to work throughout the school classes
to embed aboriginal culture in school programs
Findings and conclusions
Wambinya program implemented one day per
week
 Staff have indicated an increased confidence in
using software to report to parents, edit and
to complete the Pathway of Knowledge bush
create films. Use of internet to access
Tucker walking and Bike Track in the Bush area
departmental information has increased.
on school grounds; and
partnership with the Southern Cross University 
in an Action Research project.
Senior students and teachers need additional
assistance in sound production and quality in
moviemaking.

Specific lessons on using computers should
continue for all years.

Computers with internet access are to be
installed in the Cultural Language Centre.

Staff have limited knowledge in computer
trouble shooting and maintaining computers.
Future directions
Students and staff will continue to improve their
technology skills and enhance learning outcomes. It
is planned to improve the school’s technology
capabilities with an emphasis on increasing the
ration of computers and IPads per student across the
school.
Curriculum
Computer Education
Background
Parent/caregiver, student, and teacher satisfaction
It has been a highly successful year for eLearning
at Scotts Head Public School with our network
changing over to the new eT4L server at the end of
the year. We have been fortunate enough to
develop
an eLearning
centre
through BER
refurbishing of our Community Centre. All classes
have had access to 10 Ipads, which they have been
able to use as part of group work for literacy
and numeracy. Similarly, the school is abundant
Community, staff and students responded to
surveys with three response options (in place,
partially in place, not in place).
In 2013, the school sought the opinions of parents,
students and teachers about the school.
More than 80% of community response noted that
supervisors actively supervise and that rewards for
meeting expected behaviours are in place.
More than 80% of community response noted that
expected student behaviours apply to non14
classroom situations and that strategies to teach
appropriate behaviours are in place or are
developing.
Future directions
100% of students stated that expected behaviours
are taught and more than 80% indicated routines
and expected behaviour is made clear. A similar
proportion indicated that curriculum is matched to
students’ abilities and options for alternative
strategies are readily available.
Overall results of this investigation indicate that the
Management Strategies used by our school are
most efficient. One way to improve these already
excellent results would be to continually enhance
our communication with parents so that they have
a full understanding of why we are implementing
change and how this would affect their children.
Staff responses indicated strong agreement that
expected student behaviours are rewarded and that
the principal is supportive if behaviour is
unacceptable
About this report
In preparing this report, the self-evaluation
committee has gathered information from
evaluations conducted during the year and analysed
other information about the school's practices and
student learning outcomes. The self-evaluation
committee and school planning committee have
determined targets for the school's future
development.
Educational and Management Practice
Management
Effective management of a small community school
is vital for its long term success. All stakeholders
including staff, students and parents must have
representation to ensure successful management of
a school.
Gillian Stuart – Principal
April Miller- P and C President
Kelly Pacey Parent
Our school believes that we have effective
strategies in place so that our management
practices are fair, consistent and promote quality
teaching and, as a result, ensure maximum student
learning
outcomes
for
all
students.
Our school has utilized parent surveys and staff and
student interviews to gauge our success in this area.
Annette Baxter - Teacher
School contact information
Scotts Head Public School
Gloucester Street
Scotts Head 2447
Ph: 02 65 69 8144
Findings and conclusions 100% of parents, students
and staff believe that the school is continually
looking at ways to improve its performance.
Fax: 02 65 69 8329
Email: [email protected]
School Code: 3635
Parents can find more information about Annual
School Reports, how to interpret information in the
report and have the opportunity to provide
feedback about the report at:
100% of our school community believes the school
regularly measures the success of its programs.
85% of parents believe that the school makes major
changes from time to time to improve what it does.
90% of parents and students believe that the
educational needs of all students are being met.
98% of parents, students and teachers believe that
the school is very well organised.
https://detwww.det.nsw.edu.au/highperformance/annual-school-reports
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