Mount Stromlo High School Annual School Board Report 2017
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Mount Stromlo High School Annual School Board Report 2017 This page is intentionally left blank. This report supports the work being done in the ACT Education Directorate, as outlined in the ‘Education Capital: Leading the Nation Strategic Plan 2014-17’. Accessibility The ACT Government is committed to making its information services, events and venues accessible to as many people as possible. If you have difficulty reading a standard document and would like to receive this publication in an alternate format, such as large print and audio, please telephone (02) 6247 4580. If English is not your first language and you require the translating and interpreting service, please telephone 13 14 50. If you are deaf or hearing impaired and require the National Relay Service, please telephone 13 36 77. © Australian Capital Territory, Canberra, 2017 Material in this publication may be reproduced provided due acknowledgement is made. Mount Stromlo High School Annual School Board Report 2017 Contents School Board Chair Report ...................................................................................................................... 1 School Context ........................................................................................................................................ 1 Student Information ........................................................................................................................... 2 Student enrolment .......................................................................................................................... 2 Student attendance ........................................................................................................................ 2 Staff Information ................................................................................................................................. 3 Teacher qualifications ..................................................................................................................... 3 Workforce composition .................................................................................................................. 3 School Review and Development ........................................................................................................... 4 School Satisfaction .............................................................................................................................. 4 Overall Satisfaction ............................................................................................................................. 4 Learning and Assessment ....................................................................................................................... 6 NAPLAN ........................................................................................................................................... 6 Performance in Other Areas of the Curriculum .................................................................................. 7 Financial Summary .................................................................................................................................. 9 Professional Learning ........................................................................................................................ 10 Voluntary Contributions ................................................................................................................... 10 Reserves ............................................................................................................................................ 10 Endorsement Page ................................................................................................................................ 11 Members of the School Board .......................................................................................................... 11 Mount Stromlo High School Annual School Board Report 2017 School Board Chair Report The Mount Stromlo School Board is an elected group of dedicated individuals who are passionate supporters of our school and its community. The Board is responsible for monitoring the school’s strategic direction and reporting on the school’s achievements to the community and Directorate. The Board met regularly throughout the year to provide monitoring, guidance and strategic advice on the school improvement plan. The Board also made significant contributions to drive future refurbishment plans for the buildings and grounds. The Board commends the students, staff, parents and carers of Mount Stromlo High School for their commitment to our improving the school community. The Board commends the ongoing facilities, teaching and learning improvement work of the principal, Mrs Kate Marshall, and looks forward to a continued strong and successful partnership. School Context 2017 was the fourth year in our school improvement cycle. The school has remained focussed on our two priorities; Driving an explicit learning agenda and Building a connected school community. Mrs Marshall, Principal, developed the current school improvement plan and has been leading the implementation since its inception in 2014. The student population has continued to increase at a sustainable rate with on overall growth of 43 students in 2017. This can be attributed to the growth of the Molonglo Valley suburbs, Coombs and Wright. Students from a Language Background Other Than English (LBOTE) have become an emerging challenge and great opportunity for the school community. A further 6.8% increase in LBOTE students has seen an increase in resource distribution to English as Second Language (ESL) classes and student wellbeing resources to ensure the diverse needs of all learners are addressed. Celebrating inclusivity has been a theme for the year with regular events to build a school culture; ANZAC assembly, Wear it Purple Day and Stromlo Day encouraged students to be proud of who they are and their cultural background. The school’s leadership staff underwent some changes in 2017. A new deputy principal was appointed to replace Mrs Marshall who was previously in the role, the Learning Support Centre Executive role became temporarily vacant and Ms Lambert was appointed to the position in term 2. Teaching staff remained largely stable with a new English/Humanities teacher appointed to the school and 2 staff filling long term vacancies due to maternity and carers leave. Page | 1 Mount Stromlo High School Annual School Board Report 2017 Student Information Student enrolment In 2017 there were a total of 639 students enrolled at this school. Table: 2017 Student enrolment Student type Number of students Male 355 Female 284 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 22 LBOTE* 117 *Language Background Other Than English Source: Planning and Analytics, December 2017 Student attendance The following table identifies the attendance rate of students by year level during 2017. Student attendance rate is the percentage of school days attended by students in each year level at the school. Student attendance is measured over two school terms; that is from the first day of the school year for students in term 1 to the last day of term 2. Table: 2017 Attendance rates in percentages Year level Attendance rate 7 90.0 8 88.0 9 86.0 10 88.0 Source: Planning and Analytics, December 2017 To support improved levels of student attendance Mount Stromlo High School uses a variety of strategies to engage students and their families. All students belong to a homeroom group called TEAM (Together Everyone Achieves More) that meets at the beginning of each day and for an hour pastoral care lesson each fortnight. The TEAM teacher forms a strong bond with students and their parents/carers, often remaining with the same group of students from years 7 to 10. TEAM teachers are the first point of contact for families and students when engagement issues emerge. TEAM teachers are the initial referral point for intensive support from Year Coordinators and Student Services Executive Teachers who work with the family to re-engage the student in classroom learning. This can include modified timetables; extra-curriculum programs run by the Youth Support Worker or Chaplain; and in extreme cases, attendance requirements. In addition to the pastoral supports for families, front office staff make contact with parents and carers when a student is absent for three consecutive days. Regular newsletter articles and, where required, letters to individual families are sent home to reinforce attendance requirements. Parents of year 9 and 10 students also receive regular correspondence from the principal if there is a concerning pattern of poor behaviour, academic achievement or attendance that may jeopardise a student successfully achieving their Year 10 Certificate. Students experiencing mental health Page | 2 Mount Stromlo High School Annual School Board Report 2017 concerns, such as anxiety and school refusal, are referred to the Student Services team who work closely with the School Psychologist and/or outside clinicians with parental permission. Staff Information Teacher qualifications All teachers meet the professional requirements for teaching in an ACT public school. The ACT Teacher Quality Institute (TQI) has provided the following data based on teachers registered as at 16 December 2017. The proportion of teaching staff with certificates/degrees/diplomas and a postgraduate qualification is shown below. Table: 2017 Qualification of teaching staff in percentages Qualifications Proportion of