2017 Figtree High School Annual Report

Figtree High School Annual Report 2017 8449 Page 1 of 23 Figtree High School 8449 (2017) Printed on: 13 April, 2018 Introduction The Annual Report for 2017 is provided to the community of Figtree High 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. Karen Burke Principal School contact details Figtree High School Gibsons Rd Figtree, 2525 www.figtree-h.schools.nsw.edu.au [email protected] 4271 2787 Message from the Principal At the end of 2016, Figtree High School and our Flametree Campus refined Strategic Direction 1: Teaching and Learning to focus closely on the areas of Assessment as, of and for learning, Literacy for learning, Dynamic learning and Positive behaviour for learning. School plan action teams were formed to ensure the successful implementation of these four focus areas. The impact on student progress and achievement has been very positive and will be built on in the next plan. Strategic Direction 2: Wellbeing, was managed by the Deputy Principal, Head Teacher Wellbeing, Head Teacher Teaching and Learning, School Counsellors, Year Advisers partnering with a range of outside agencies. Our students were developed in their understanding of positive relationships through the Expect Respect procedure. Our Antibullying policy was reviewed and updated and communicated to our school community. We engaged the services of the Top Blokes program and Job Employment program to assist students at risk of disengagement using RAM funding. Strategic Direction 3: Community Partnerships – we continued to partner with our seven community of schools, learning from each other to support a smooth learning journey from Kindergarten to Year 12. We also worked closely with the University of Wollongong with the Education faculty in supporting Professional Experience students, and learning from the Mathematics faculty to embark on visible learning through innovative whiteboard teaching and learning. Our HSC results improved due to faculty focus on identified areas. This will continue to be a concentrated focus in our next plan. As a Bump it Up Tier 2 school, we were pleased that our Literacy and Numeracy student outcomes also improved, as a result of drilling down into our data and applying faculty specific learning. Overall, we had an improved academic year, with our learning from CESE and Communication and Engagement data impacting our ability to plan specifically for future directions. Message from the school community The Figtree High School Parents and Citizens Association (P&C) maintained its active support of the school in 2017 with a large group of dedicated parents who regularly attended meetings, assisted in generating income and volunteered for various activities. This past year we had two main fundraisers, the Entertainment books and the stationary packs. With this we managed to raise over $3,500. As a result of the P & C fundraising efforts we were able to give $7,000 to the school to help fund the redevelopment of future focused learning areas and the upgrading of school sports uniforms. We also recognised student achievement and provided funds for student awards, and helped parents and students meet the cost of representing the school at sporting, academic and Creative and Performing Arts events. Page 2 of 23 Figtree High School 8449 (2017) Printed on: 13 April, 2018 The school canteen has continued to thrive and operate with the support of parent and student volunteers. The canteen has maintained a wide range of healthy food selections in accordance with the Department of Education policy. The P&C executive would like to take the opportunity to thank Margaret Cutajar and Joanne Reczek, for their outstanding commitment and service in the canteen. The P&C meets twice a term on a Wednesday night at 6:30pm. These meetings are an excellent opportunity to listen to the updates on our school and discuss information relating directly to the education and welfare of students. Finally, I would like to express how proud I am being P&C President at Figtree High School. I wish to thank Tracey Newman, our P&C secretary and Chris Rymanour treasurer for their ongoing commitment to our school. The P&C at Figtree High School is a welcoming and inclusive one and we continue to welcome new members. The support of our parents is appreciated by both the P&C and the school. Jackie Brown P&C President Message from the students The Student Representative Council (SRC) has enjoyed a very rewarding year. Students were offered a variety of skill building and leadership activities along with the planning and organisation of many fundraising events. To further develop leadership skills, students attended a variety of conferences, including the Educational Services – Wagga Wagga Student Representative Council Conference, Parliament of NSW Secondary Schools Student Leadership Program, and the University of Wollongong Elevate Young Leader’s Forum. These events, in additional to a multitude of school events, provided students with the opportunity to develop confident communication, interpersonal and organisational skills to lead our student community. Our school was represented by SRC members at the North Wollongong Staff Impact Awards and the Victor Chang Awards. During 2017 the SRC hosted a variety of fundraising activities, such as our annual Cross Country and Athletics Carnival BBQs/Bake Sales, as well as Canteen’s National Bandanna Day. Congratulations to Meghan Fox and Joshua Panayiotou who were voted as the 2018 School Captains, and Campbell Fulcher, Jayden Smileski, Payton Williams, Georgia Wilson as the 2018 Vice Captains. Student Representative Council 2017 Page 3 of 23 Figtree High School 8449 (2017) Printed on: 13 April, 2018 School background School vision statement Figtree High School, is a comprehensive school where staff, students and parents aim to work together to prepare all students to become confident, mature, knowledgeable and adaptive adults in a changing world. Statement of purpose We are committed to: • enabling each student to achieve their academic potential • providing quality learning programs which encourage excellence, self discipline, individual development and independence • providing a comprehensive curriculum which caters to students’ needs • providing a supportive, positive, fair and safe learning environment School context Figtree High School is a large comprehensive school known for academic and sporting excellence. This includes an on–site physical disabilities class, autism class and an off–site behaviour unit, the Flametree Campus. The student population reflects a culturally diverse school community, including 194 students from non–English speaking backgrounds and 51 Aboriginal students. Figtree High School is an active member of the Figtree Community of Schools, the Curriculum Networks Illawarra (CNI) and the Wollongong North Principals Network. The school implements the Positive Behaviour for Learning program which underpins its systems and practices in behaviour and academia. Figtree High School provides a broad range of curricula and extra–curricular opportunities for students. Significant investments have been made in information communications technology to support teaching and learning, and staff are committed to ongoing professional learning to improve student outcomes. Page 4 of 23 Figtree High School 8449 (2017) Printed on: 13 April, 2018 Self-assessment and school achievement Self-assessment using the School Excellence Framework 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. The School Excellence Framework provides schools with focus areas and levels of achievement in which to measure against and aspire to. This year, our school used the School Excellence Framework Self–assessment Survey to identify areas of strength and areas for further development. Each area of the survey required the school to demonstrate the target with evidence in the domains of Learning, Teaching and Leading. In the domain of Learning, we recognised areas of strength as Learning Culture, Curriculum and Learning and Assessment and Reporting, moving from delivering to sustaining and growing. Wellbeing, and Student Performance Measures remained at delivering. We aim to increase these areas to excelling in the next three years of our new school plan. In the domain of Teaching, strength was identified in the fields of Collaborative Practice and Learning and Development. We will continue to address Effective Classroom Practice, Data skills and use and the application of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. Accreditation meetings were established on a fortnightly basis for two groups of teachers – Teachers seeking accreditation at Proficient and teachers interested in accreditation at the higher levels. These meetings were led by the Principal who is maintaining accreditation at Lead, which is a nationally certified qualification. Staff were also supported to maintain accreditation at Proficient, by attending group sharing twice a term as well as individual development sessions

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