Annual Report 2020 Annual Report 2020 Annual Report 2020
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ANNUAL REPORT 2020 ANNUAL REPORT 2020 ANNUAL REPORT 2020 WESLEY AT A GLANCE IN 2020 Wesley College, South Perth, was founded under the patronage of the Methodist Church in 1923 as a boarding school for boys. It was named after John Wesley, a founder of the Methodist Church. Today, the College has 1,275 students from a broad range of metropolitan, rural and international backgrounds, including 150 boarding students who call the College campus home. Wesley is an innovative and caring learning community in which students are empowered to lead purposeful lives and achieve personal excellence. The College’s core values of respect, courage, integrity and compassion are at the heart of its teaching and learning programs. A Pre-kindergarten to Year 12 Uniting Church school, the College’s enrolment procedure is non-selective and egalitarian. It has a co-educational Junior School (Pre-kindergarten to Year 4), Middle School (co-educational Year 5 and Year 6 and boys only Year 7 and Year 8) and Senior School (boys only Years 9–12). The College offers a wide range of academic, arts, sport and community service programs including Katitjin in Year 8. The College motto, By daring & by doing, is embraced by the community as a whole, which nurtures creative and innovative students and staff who enjoy testing their intellectual, physical and spiritual limits. We respectfully acknowledge the Whadjuk people of the Noongar Nation as the Traditional Owners of the Land on which we stand and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. Together, we acknowledge the contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians and non-Indigenous Australians to the education of all children and people in this country we all live in and share together—Australia. BY DARING & BY DOING WESLEY COLLEGE ANNUAL REPORT 2020 ANNUAL REPORT 2020 FROM THE HEAD OF WESLEY COLLEGE As a College, we made huge progress in 2020. When COVID-19 happened, we all pulled together, showing what we can do when everyone opts in and works as a team. We worked as a team to move to online learning, with our students and teachers using a suite of tools including Schoolbox, OneNote and other educational programs. The College was named one of Australia’s most innovative schools by The Educator, the leading Australian resource for senior educational professionals. This is the second time Wesley has been presented with the Innovative School Award, and is a testament to the entire College community. The ‘Innovative School’ status reflects our commitment to cutting-edge facilities and ideas. In 2020 we launched the following initiatives: Mathematician in Residency program, Masterplan Refresh, Professional Practice Model, Reconciliation Action Plan and a new Academic Development program. This Annual Report provides a snapshot of our work from around the College. Academic Engagement Despite many having overcome personal challenges throughout their school journey, every young man has In support of improved academic culture and strategic a unique story worth celebrating and we are proud of priorities, several initiatives were launched in 2020. everyone. The new Academic Support Program for students in We are incredibly proud of Luke de Laeter (12M), who Years 7-12 commenced, delivered by expert teachers and was awarded the State’s prestigious 2020 Beazley Medal: Heads of Departments. This was further enhanced by Vocational Education and Training (VET). This honour the new Academic Evening Program for Year 12 students. is a fitting culmination of Luke’s extraordinary journey The College launched a new Professional Practice Model as a Wesley College student where he graduated as the for teachers with a focus on peer-to-peer feedback, data inaugural VET Dux of College in 2020. collection and goal setting. Led by Professional Practice We also congratulate Raghav Ravikumara (12G), who Leads, this has been transformative in the sharing of was awarded the William Peet Prize for Dux of College teaching and learning across the Campus. and achieved the College’s top ATAR score of 99.90. The College designed new data dashboards to increase Out of the 145 students, 98 students accepted university student tracking and counselling. These included offers at institutions across Australia and overseas Scholarship and Bursary reviews, new Documented and 12 students were offered pre-apprenticeships and Plans and Individual Goal reporting. apprenticeships. In the Senior School, key staff completed course and pathways conversations to help guide students in their studies to experience success. LTAD (Long-term Athletic Development) Across the College, a new remote online learning The LTAD program has exponentially grown in 2020. framework and practices were developed by teachers to We now have 1,000 students in Tier 3, who are being support Pre-primary to Year 12 students, in response assessed for functional movement and gross motor skill to a COVID-19 lockdown. A differentiated approach development. Each individual student is also receiving for different ages and stages of learning was adopted, a customised plan to assist them in their areas of coupled with strong pastoral care and support. improvement. Academic Performance In addition, the very successful We Dare You Club program in the Junior School has moved into the The Class of 2020's median ATAR of 83.9 was 2.7 units LTAD space, with a targeted program for students above the State’s median. While a median ATAR is one requiring some intervention in their gross motor skill measure of success, we all know countless stories of our development. These sessions run twice per week, and students achieving their personal best, contributing results are tracked and reported on to reflect on the many hours of service for others and engaging in all LTAD journey of each student in the program. areas of Wesley’s Co-curricular program. BY DARING & BY DOING WESLEY COLLEGE ANNUAL REPORT 2020 ANNUAL REPORT 2020 Physical interventions have been well-engrained within Amongst all the disruption and restrictions, the Parents’ and Friends’ Association (P&F) This was a year many would rather forget, but it was a Physical Education for a number of years, and this has College’s NAIDOC Week was able to be held in the first challenge met head on. Our community grew stronger, Although our focus on ‘friend-raising’ was disrupted now been scaled to all of the Wesley sport teams. This week of Term 3. The event was purely student driven led by 98 per cent of the Class of 2020 taking up Life due to the COVID-19 restrictions, we managed to includes an athletic development warm up that targets with the students facilitating a week of activities Membership. We look forward to facing 2021 with a celebrate in customary Wesley style. key areas. This ensures all students are receiving the best throughout the different sub-schools. stronger, ever-growing association. practice in physical preparation at their sport training A significant component of the week was the launch The P&F held the following events in 2020: Welcome sessions and fixtures. Awards of the College’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) at a Sundowner, Quiz Night, Ladies' Lunch, Celebration breakfast held to also celebrate NAIDOC Week. The RAP Cocktail Party and the Christmas Carols. • Awarded one of Australia's Most Innovative Schools In Tier 2, there are many wonderful resources that has been three years in the making. Whilst the College This year’s D. R. Gee Human Endeavour Award was by The Educator, the leading Australian resource for continue to be utilised. These include free access to the continues to acknowledge and respect Indigenous awarded to the Rent production cast, crew and band senior educational professionals. This is the second LTAD High Performance Gym, strength and conditioning culture, this now provides a framework and the ideal for their persistence and endeavour in rehearsing time Wesley has been presented with the Innovative coaches, sport physiotherapy on game day to assist in opportunity for all connected to the College to develop through COVID-19 and the joy they spread through their School Award, and is a testament to the entire College the prevention and management of injuries and sport knowledge and an understanding about Indigenous performances. community. nutrition presentations. history and culture. This enables the partnership to • Awarded National Champions in the Professional Class strengthen between Indigenous and non-Indigenous We honoured four teachers with an award for 21 years at the F1 in Schools STEM Challenge. Finally, there are now 37 LTAD Tier 1 Athletes from a peoples. of service to the College and inducted them as lifetime wide variety of sports including; football, motor racing, honorary members of the P&F. This year’s honourees • The 2020 hockey season reflected years of hard work kayaking and water polo. All of these athletes have a are all from the Junior School: Mr Reginald (Rex) Carr- and dedication, resulting in an undefeated team and a high level of mentoring to assist them on not only their Volunteering White, Mrs Gail Ruoss, Ms Marie Metaxas and Mr James PSA Championship - the Ray House Cup. athletic development and sporting journeys, but also Howard. They are all extremely valued, giving their all their social, emotional and academic journeys. Volunteering opportunities looked a little different this with passion and integrity. • Finalists in Exceptional Cultural Connection by year. Spending most of the year under Phase 4 COVID-19 a Boarding School or Residence by Indigeneous Each athlete is screened for areas of improvement restrictions meant that person-to-person contact was Education and Boarding Australia. limited, particularly with those outside the Wesley Old Wesley Collegians' Association (OWCA) in range of movement, posture, strength, power, In conclusion, we are a community that goes from community.