Longneck Lagoon Environmental Education Centre 2019 Annual Report
5690
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Introduction
The Annual Report for 2019 is provided to the community of Longneck Lagoon Environmental Education Centre 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.
School contact details
Longneck Lagoon Environmental Education Centre Whitmore Rd Maraylya, 2765 www.longneck-e.schools.nsw.edu.au [email protected] 4573 6323
Message from the principal
I would like to acknowledge the Darug People who are the Traditional Custodians of the land and waterways on which Longneck Lagoon Environmental Education Centre (EEC) is situated. Longneck Lagoon EEC has a long tradition of developing and delivering quality sustainability education programs for primary and secondary students and their teachers. Ecology programs for all ages are supported by a range of leadership and enrichment programs focusing on a range of key learning areas. Partnerships have been forged with National Parks and Wildlife Service, other Environmental Education Centres and schools in order to enhance the learning. The dedicated permanent, temporary and casual staff members bring a diverse range of highly valued skills to the Centre. The development of new programs that support current NSW Syllabus ensure that Longneck Lagoon EEC continues to play a key role in delivering sustainability and environmental education for students and teachers in the Greater Sydney area and beyond. During 2019, Longneck Lagoon EEC has been impacted by drought which has required modification of programs and a challenge for resourcing. I would like to thank the permanent, temporary and casual staff of Longneck Lagoon EEC for the magnificent work they do and thank all the students, teachers and parents that supported the Centre by attending excursions, events and school visits during 2019.
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School background
School vision statement
Longneck Lagoon Environmental Education Centre Vision
To be leaders in the provision of learning experiences and resources that engage and challenge students while contributing to the development of responsible and environmentally literate citizens.
Longneck Lagoon EEC is one of 25 Environmental and Zoo Education Centres (EZEC) across New South Wales and the network collaborates for a range of purposes.
EZEC Vision
Leading environmental education to empower learners for a sustainable future.
School context
LLEEC is located in Scheyville National Park, 12 kilometres north of Windsor. The National Park comprises 952 hectares of Cumberland Plain Woodland, surrounding a freshwater lagoon.
Scheyville National Park has a significant Aboriginal and European heritage. Aboriginal middens and camp sites can be found around the lagoon. European history dates back to 1794 when the area formed part of the Nelson Common. Impacts from this land use can be observed around the Longneck Lagoon catchment.
LLEEC offers a range of high quality curriculum based excursions and school visits for students K–12. Student leadership skills are developed through team building and leadership programs.
A number of enrichment programs are offered to students across the Western Sydney metropolitan area.
A range of teacher professional learning is offered for teaching staff through dedicated teacher professional learning programs and staff meetings.
LLEEC supports local school communities through the development and provision of resources and activities that build the capacity of schools for a sustainable future.
LLEEC engages with a wide range of collaborative partnerships with tertiary institutions, government and non–government organisations with the aim of developing and delivering quality educational programs for students and teaching staff.
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Self-assessment and school achievement
This section of the annual report outlines the findings from self–assessment using the School Excellence Framework, school achievements and the next steps to be pursued.
This year, our school undertook self–assessment using the School Excellence Framework. The Framework is a statement of what is valued as excellence for NSW public schools, both now and into the future. 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.
Each year, we assess our practice against the Framework to inform our school plan and annual report.
Our self–assessment process will assist the school to refine our school plan, leading to further improvements in the delivery of education to our students.
For more information about the School Excellence Framework: https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching–and–learning/school–excellence–and–accountability/school–excellence
Self-assessment using the School Excellence Framework Elements 2019 School Assessment LEARNING: Learning Culture Sustaining and Growing LEARNING: Wellbeing Excelling LEARNING: Curriculum Sustaining and Growing LEARNING: Assessment Delivering LEARNING: Reporting Delivering LEARNING: Student performance measures Delivering TEACHING: Effective classroom practice Sustaining and Growing TEACHING: Data skills and use Delivering TEACHING: Professional standards Sustaining and Growing TEACHING: Learning and development Excelling LEADING: Educational leadership Excelling LEADING: School planning, implementation and Sustaining and Growing reporting LEADING: School resources Excelling LEADING: Management practices and processes Excelling
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Strategic Direction 1
Empowered learners
Purpose
To contribute to the development of responsible and environmentally literate citizens. This will be accomplished by providing a variety of engaging, stimulating and rich learning experiences and environments for students from a range of educational settings. New learning experiences and environments will be designed and implemented in collaboration with 'experts in their field of knowledge'.
Improvement Measures
Positive Behaviour for Learning data reflects increasing proportion of students demonstrating the core values of LLEEC.
All teaching and learning programs are differentiated with appropriate pedagogies for a range of learning needs and outcomes.
Progress towards achieving improvement measures
Process 1: Establish a research evidenced positive and consistent learning culture at LLEEC.
Evaluation Funds Expended (Resources)
LLEEC staff indicated a high to very high level of satisfaction with the Positive $10000.00 Behaviour for Learning process and resources at LLEEC. Staff noted an improvement in consistent language and expectations supporting improved behaviours.
The less formally resourced implementation of PBL for high school excursions has proven to be effective. The laminated sheet used at the beginning of the day clearly outlines behaviour expectations.
Process 2: Develop, implement and evaluate a range of excursion/incursion programs that specifically meet the needs of diverse learners such as vision, language, culture, learning and behaviour.
Evaluation Funds Expended (Resources)
Program for disengaged primary students completed. $2000.00
Feedback from students and teachers indicate a high level of engagement and improved strategies for communication and problem solving evident.
Process 3: Design and implement new learning experiences and environments in collaboration with 'experts in their field of knowledge'.
Evaluation Funds Expended (Resources)
The cicada program is fully resourced and is being delivered in schools. Feedback from students and teachers indicate the program meets syllabus outcomes and engages students in active learning.
The Early Stage 1 – Stage 2 Storybooks in STEM programs have been trialled and evaluated as a resounding success with bookings for 2020 already being made.
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Strategic Direction 2
High quality teachers and leaders
Purpose
To develop the capacity of LLEEC staff and those in our networks as learners, teachers and leaders in environmental and sustainability education enabling the development of responsible and environmentally literate citizens.
Improvement Measures
100% of LLEEC staff have increased knowledge of relevant syllabus K–12.
Increased percentage of permanent, temporary and casual staff contributing to the development and delivery of programs that meet the diverse needs of learners.
Progress towards achieving improvement measures
Process 1: Build on the school culture that values collegiality and professional sharing by developing a professional learning schedule that meets the needs of LLEEC staff.
Evaluation Funds Expended (Resources)
Staff surveys indicate that professional learning needs have been met with Predominantly funded through SD1 the trauma training identified as being particularly valuable.
Staff PDPs and lesson observations completed and reflect the NSW Teacher Standards.
Process 2: Establish and utilise professional relationships with ‘experts in their field’ from a range of locations and sources to support the development and delivery of professional learning to meet the needs of LLEEC staff and the local learning communities and networks.
Evaluation Funds Expended (Resources)
• See SD1 for evaluation plans relating to engagement programs • See SD1 for evaluation plans relating to citizen science programs • See SD1 for evaluations relating to STEM incursions.
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Student information
Management of non-attendance
Attendance at school has a big impact on longer term outcomes for children and young people. When a child is not at school they miss important opportunities to learn, build friendships and develop their skills through play. Regular attendance at school is a shared responsibility between schools and parents. By working together we can have a positive effect on supporting our children and young people to regularly attend school.
Our teachers promote and monitor regular attendance at school and all our schools have effective measures in place to record attendance and follow up student absences promptly. They are guided by the School Attendance policy which details the management of non–attendance.
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Workforce information
Workforce composition Position FTE* Principal(s) 1 Classroom Teacher(s) 1 School Administration and Support Staff 1.19
*Full Time Equivalent
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce composition
The Department actively supports the recruitment and retention of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander employees through the use of identified positions, scholarship opportunities to become a teacher and by providing a culturally safe workplace. As of 2019, 3.9% of the Department's workforce identify as Aboriginal people.
Workforce ATSI Staff type Benchmark1 2019 Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander representation2 School Support 3.30% 7.20% Teachers 3.30% 2.90%
Note 1 – The NSW Public Sector Aboriginal Employment Strategy 2014–17 introduced an aspirational target of 1.8% by 2021 for each of the sector's salary bands. If the aspirational target of 1.8% is achieved in salary bands not currently at or above 1.8%, the cumulative representation of Aboriginal employees in the sector is expected to reach 3.3%. Note 2 – Representation of diversity groups are calculated as the estimated number of staff in each group divided by the total number of staff. These statistics have been weighted to estimate the representation of diversity groups in the workforce, where diversity survey response rates were less than 100 per cent. The total number of staff is based on a headcount of permanent and temporary employees.
Teacher qualifications
All casual, temporary and permanent teachers in NSW public schools must hold a NSW Department of Education approval to teach. Teachers with approval to teach must be accredited with the NSW Education Standards Authority, and hold a recognised teaching degree. All NSW teachers must hold a valid NSW Working With Children Check clearance.
Professional learning and teacher accreditation
Professional learning is core to enabling staff to improve their practice.
Professional learning includes five student–free School Development Days and induction programs for staff new to our school and/or system. These days are used to improve the capacity of teaching and non–teaching staff in line with school and departmental priorities.
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Financial information
Financial summary
The information provided in the financial summary includes reporting from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019. The Principal is responsible for the financial management of the school and ensuring all school funds are managed in line with Department policy requirements.
2019 Actual ($) Opening Balance 64,848 Revenue 496,022 Appropriation 442,575 Grants and contributions 52,386 Investment income 1,061 Expenses -517,368 Employee related -472,378 Operating expenses -44,990 Surplus / deficit for the year -21,346
Figures presented in this report may be subject to rounding so may not reconcile exactly with the bottom line totals, which are calculated without any rounding.
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Financial summary - Equity loadings
The equity loading data is the main component of the 'Appropriation' line item of the financial summary above.
2019 Approved SBA ($) Targeted Total 0 Equity Total 0 Equity - Aboriginal 0 Equity - Socio-economic 0 Equity - Language 0 Equity - Disability 0 Base Total 428,662 Base - Per Capita 14,078 Base - Location 324 Base - Other 414,259 Other Total 9,701 Grand Total 438,362
Figures presented in this report may be subject to rounding so may not reconcile exactly with the bottom line totals, which are calculated without any rounding.
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Parent/caregiver, student, teacher satisfaction
Longneck Lagoon Environmental Education Centre sought feedback for students and teachers participating in the new Storybooks in STEM incursions developed and delivered during 2019.
A range of well known children's pictures were used as the inspiration for a range of hands–on learning activities focusing on skills and understandings in the STEM areas.
Teacher feedback
100 % of surveyed teachers rated the activities in the program as highly or very highly suitable for the stage.
100 % of the surveyed teachers rated the activities in the program as highly or very highly engaging for students.
Teachers made the following comments: • it was great and would be wonderful if all students had more opportunities to participate in activities like this • all of the students were highly engaged and enjoyed the activity. A great experience and opportunity for the students to test out ideas and try and find solutions to the problems they encounter.
Student feedback
Student comments: • I really enjoyed making the nest and testing if the egg would fit in it • I really liked building/making and the beak activity • I liked testing the marble run and trying to get it to work.
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Policy requirements
Aboriginal Education Policy
The responsibility for enacting the Aboriginal Education Policy rests with all Departmental staff. The policy should underpin and inform planning, teaching practice and approaches to educational leadership in all educational settings.
Evidence of effective implementation of the policy included: • Establishing, building and strengthening relationships with the Local Aboriginal Education Consultative Group, Aboriginal people and communities. • Providing, in partnership with Aboriginal people and communities, education which promotes quality teaching, is engaging, and is culturally appropriate and relevant. • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students will match or better the outcomes of the broader student population. • Implementation of Personalised Learning Pathways for all Aboriginal students in a school culture of high expectations.
Anti-Racism Policy
All teachers are responsible for supporting students to develop an understanding of racism and discrimination and the impact these may have on individuals and the broader community. Principals are responsible for examining school practices and procedures to ensure they are consistent with the policy. All schools have an Anti–Racism Contact Officer who is trained to respond to concerns in relation to racism.
Multicultural Education Policy
Teachers address the specific learning and wellbeing needs of students from culturally diverse backgrounds through their teaching and learning programs. Principals are responsible for ensuring that school policies, programs and practices respond to the cultural, linguistic and religious diversity of the school community, and provide opportunities that enable all students to achieve equitable education and social outcomes.
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