ANNUAL REPORT 2018 Queensland State School Reporting

Taroom State School

Every student succeeding State Schools Strategy Department of Education

Contact information

Postal address PO Box 201 Taroom 4420

Phone (07) 4628 9333

Fax

Email [email protected]

Webpages Additional information about Queensland state schools is located on:  the My School website  the Queensland Government data website  the Queensland Government schools directory website.

Contact person Mrs Angela Heslin - Principal

2018 Annual Report 1 Taroom State School

From the Principal

School overview Taroom State School is situated in an isolated rural area of south-west Queensland in the Banana Shire. 'Joining Together - Reaching Excellence' is the school’s over-arching philosophy and promotes the belief that every student should experience a learning environment that is intellectually rigorous and community-oriented. The curriculum is based on readiness, relationships, rigour and relevance. A sub-school approach has been adopted that consists of Early Years, Primary School and Secondary School. Each sub-school team develops specific strategies that are in line with Queensland educational priorities such as Early Years education, Junior Secondary and Senior Schooling. Furthermore, pedagogical and curriculum enhancements are designed to engage and include all students across all learning areas. Students are encouraged to participate in extra-curricular activities including cultural pursuits and sporting activities, which are offered with the support of local community groups and clubs. Business and industry relationships are strong with many students participating in annual work-experience programs and school-based traineeships.

School progress towards its goals in 2018 Priority Strategy Success Indicator Writing Upskill all staff in aspects of writing, develop Teachers use the P-10 Literacy a whole school approach to the teaching of Continuum to map student writing and embed processes for measuring writing to cluster levels on Data writing improvement. Wall. Common language used by staff when teaching and engaging in professional dialogue around writing. STEM – Provide targeted and scaffolded instruction Numeracy working party Mathematics/Numeracy to ensure highly effective teaching of completed a numeracy program. essential mathematical concepts including Dedicated Numeracy time problem solving skills in every classroom. embedded in timetable across Separate Numeracy lessons for Year 7 and the school. Year 8. STEM - Science Network with Miles Cluster schools and Students and staff have had organisations to provide access to Science access to regional science experts and learning experiences. experts through QMEA, UQ Wonder of Science and Columboola EEC. STEM – Digital Identify STEM champions within the school Key teachers’ establishment of Technology staff to coordinate and lead digital a well-resourced Digital technology initiatives, create whole school Technology teaching area. programs and source resources and external professional development. Case Management Develop an interdisciplinary case Case Management meetings management approach to support students’ were held termly and processes academic, behavior and wellbeing needs. for identification of ‘at risk’ students were refined.

2018 Annual Report 2 Taroom State School

Future Outlook 2019 KEY IMPROVEMENT STRATEGIES

 Writing Pedagogy & Whole School Reading Plan  STEM o Digital technology o Coding and Robotics  School-wide implementation of Lyn Sharratt work from Leading, Learning Collaborative Workshops. Developing an assessment culture through:- o Learning Walls - Waterfall Chart - Learning Intentions, Success Criteria, Descriptive Feedback, Peer and Self-Assessment, Individual Goal Setting. o Case Management

2019 SHARP FOCUS AREAS Sharp Focus Area Strategies Targets and Timelines Writing: Continue to Upskilling all staff in aspects of writing through Increase the percentage of students develop a consistent lead teacher staff PD to ensure whole school achieving a ‘C’ or higher in aspects of approach to the teaching of approach to the teaching of writing. writing in Australian Curriculum assessment writing Develop one page writing framework. tasks by the end of 2019. Student writing progress to be tracked on data wall. Writing to be the focus of APR goals and Observation & Feedback process. STEM: (Digital Technology) Building teacher capacity and a consistent All students accessing Australian Curriculum approach in the teaching of Digital Technology Digital Technology. across the curriculum. Lead teacher mentoring staff across primary school through co planning, teaching and assessing.

Our school at a glance

School profile

Coeducational or single sex Coeducational Independent public school No Year levels offered in 2018 Prep Year - Year 10 Student enrolments

Table 1: Student enrolments at this school

Enrolment category 2016 2017 2018 Notes: 1. Student counts are based on the Census Total 167 153 156 (August) enrolment collection. 2. Indigenous refers to Aboriginal and Torres Girls 87 82 86 Strait Islander people of Australia.

Boys 80 71 70 3. pre-Prep is a kindergarten program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, living in 35 Aboriginal and Torres Indigenous 7 5 7 Strait Islander communities, in the year before school. Enrolment continuity (Feb. – Nov.) 93% 97% 94%

In 2018, there were no students enrolled in a pre-Prep program.

2018 Annual Report 3 Taroom State School

Characteristics of the student body

Overview Demographically Taroom State School is comprised of approximately 170 students generally from rural and remote backgrounds. Most students come from beef cattle grazing families, however there are a number of families who are employed and living locally within the township. Taroom State School supports a small Indigenous enrolment through prioritising inter-cultural partnerships and closing the gap strategies. Our families value education and have high academic aspirations for their children. This is evident by the majority of students transitioning to Year 11 and Year 12. Although Taroom State School has a strong secondary department, some families choose to send their children to boarding school for Year 7 and Year 10.

Average class sizes

Table 2: Average class size information for each phase of schooling

Phase of schooling 2016 2017 2018 Note:

Prep – Year 3 17 15 19 The class size targets for composite classes are informed by the relevant year level target. Where composite classes exist across Year 4 – Year 6 26 24 19 cohorts (e.g. year 3/4) the class size targets would be the lower cohort target. Year 7 – Year 10 14

Year 11 – Year 12

Curriculum delivery

Our approach to curriculum delivery At Taroom State School students study the Australian Curriculum subjects of English, Mathematics, Science, Humanities and Social Sciences (HaSS), History, Geography, Business, HPE, Technologies, the Arts and BSDE Japanese Language. In Years 9 & 10 students also access an elective program which includes the subjects of Visual Arts, Drama, Design and Technologies, Hospitality and Agricultural Science. Through a partnership with Wandoan State School further elective opportunities and facilities are shared. Subjects not offered by the school locally can be sourced through Brisbane School of Distance Education (BSDE). Currently BSDE subjects on offer include Dance and Japanese. In addition, school-based subjects are offered to capitalise upon the unique human resources, local opportunities and partnerships and innovative ventures sourced by the school e.g. Self-directed Learning Project; Furnishing and Construction; Theatre Restaurant. Four curriculum pillars support every student succeeding at Taroom State School  Readiness;  Rigour;  Relevance; and  Relationships.

These are underpinned by essential capabilities including Life and Career Skills. Learning Skills and Digital Skills.

Salient features of the school’s curriculum program include:  Daily literacy and numeracy blocks in Primary classes  Years 1-6 Spelling Mastery Program  Learning support for identified students provided by STLaN  Specialist Art, Science, HPE teachers working across P-10 campus  VET courses /SBTs  21st Century themes incorporated into units of work: global awareness, environmental literacy, financial literacy, health literacy and civics literacy  Partnership with Wandoan State School for Furnishing and Welding classes delivered by a shared Manual Arts teacher.

2018 Annual Report 4 Taroom State School

Co-curricular activities Supporting School Program and Extra Curricula Activities

STEM PROGRAMS LITERACY SPORT, HEALTH & TRANSITION & ACADEMIC WELLBEING LEADERSHIP ACHIEVEMENT VET/QCE

QMEA Expand your Poetry Fest-Term 3 Bounce Back /Kids CQ University-Widening School Diary & Student Mind Matter Resilience Participation Y6- Y10 Policies Poet visit and Program QMEA STEM for workshop Columboola Leadership Homework /Study Club school kids Schoolwide Day Year 8 Theatre Expectation Lessons Hospitality Cert ll TAFE QMEA Career Café` Restaurant Y Lead Altitude Day- CPR for Life Toowoomba Microsoft Imagine QMEA Toolkit for Whole-school Program (Y 9/10) Academy School Kids Theatre Restaurant Year 6 Transition Resq R000s/Road Program ICAS International UQ Wonder of Literacy Parade Trauma- combined Competitions Science emergency services Year 10 Work Stars of Reading Experience Presentation Night Santos Year 7 (home reading Road Safety Awards Water Testing rewards program) program. SET Planning Project 600 Spelling Mastery Miles & District, Student council /SCRATCH Program South West Sport. Leadership Program Classroom Café Mathletics iAIMS (Increasing Pre- Prep Program activity, intelligent Columboola STEM minds) School Based Program Traineeships School excursions and camps.

How information and communication technologies are used to assist learning Taroom State School students access a broad range of information communication technologies for the purposes of instruction, publication and research. Students have access to laptop banks, two fully equipped computer laboratories, classroom computers and hardware, and associated peripherals. ICTs underpin contemporary teaching practice and our teachers are working towards developing their capabilities in their area.

Social climate

Overview Staff, parents and the local Taroom community have a very strong sense of pride in their school. The school community is highly proactive in its support of students and the endeavours of the school and they have high expectations of the school and teachers. School staff are enthusiastic in their efforts to support all students across the P-10 campus in achieving high standards and quality educational outcomes.

The social and emotional wellbeing of students is supported through the Let’s Rise Program and associated school wide expectations and values. A Student Wellbeing Action Team (SWAT) case manages students with high emotional needs and behaviours through the whole school Gotcha program. The school also has weekly access to a School based Health Nurse and Guidance Officer.

Parent, student and staff satisfaction Tables 3–5 show selected items from the Parent/Caregiver, Student and Staff School Opinion Surveys.

Table 3: Parent opinion survey Percentage of parents/caregivers who agree# that: 2016 2017 2018

 their child is getting a good education at school (S2016) 97% 93% 100%  this is a good school (S2035) 93% 96% 100%  their child likes being at this school* (S2001) 100% 86% 100%  their child feels safe at this school* (S2002) 97% 96% 100%  their child's learning needs are being met at this school* (S2003) 86% 79% 93%  their child is making good progress at this school* (S2004) 90% 82% 96%

2018 Annual Report 5 Taroom State School

Percentage of parents/caregivers who agree# that: 2016 2017 2018

 teachers at this school expect their child to do his or her best* (S2005) 100% 93% 100%  teachers at this school provide their child with useful feedback about his or 97% 82% 96% her school work* (S2006)

 teachers at this school motivate their child to learn* (S2007) 97% 82% 96%  teachers at this school treat students fairly* (S2008) 86% 81% 81%  they can talk to their child's teachers about their concerns* (S2009) 97% 89% 93%  this school works with them to support their child's learning* (S2010) 97% 89% 100%  this school takes parents' opinions seriously* (S2011) 86% 86% 76%  student behaviour is well managed at this school* (S2012) 82% 68% 81%  this school looks for ways to improve* (S2013) 96% 86% 100%  this school is well maintained* (S2014) 97% 100% 100%

* Nationally agreed student and parent/caregiver items. # ‘Agree’ represents the percentage of respondents who Somewhat Agree, Agree or Strongly Agree with the statement. DW = Data withheld to ensure confidentiality.

Table 4: Student opinion survey Percentage of students who agree# that: 2016 2017 2018

 they are getting a good education at school (S2048) 90% 97% 95%  they like being at their school* (S2036) 89% 91% 94%  they feel safe at their school* (S2037) 95% 96% 99%  their teachers motivate them to learn* (S2038) 90% 99% 94%  their teachers expect them to do their best* (S2039) 98% 100% 100%  their teachers provide them with useful feedback about their school work* 85% 94% 94% (S2040)

 teachers treat students fairly at their school* (S2041) 72% 86% 76%  they can talk to their teachers about their concerns* (S2042) 76% 94% 92%  their school takes students' opinions seriously* (S2043) 84% 96% 85%  student behaviour is well managed at their school* (S2044) 85% 93% 82%  their school looks for ways to improve* (S2045) 95% 99% 96%  their school is well maintained* (S2046) 86% 99% 96%  their school gives them opportunities to do interesting things* (S2047) 85% 93% 91%

Table 5: Staff opinion survey Percentage of school staff who agree# that: 2016 2017 2018

 they enjoy working at their school (S2069) 85% 92% 89%  they feel that their school is a safe place in which to work (S2070) 95% 96% 94%  they receive useful feedback about their work at their school (S2071) 95% 88% 89%  they feel confident embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 83% 93% 91% perspectives across the learning areas (S2114)

 students are encouraged to do their best at their school (S2072) 95% 92% 88%

2018 Annual Report 6 Taroom State School

Percentage of school staff who agree# that: 2016 2017 2018

 students are treated fairly at their school (S2073) 95% 92% 88%  student behaviour is well managed at their school (S2074) 75% 81% 71%  staff are well supported at their school (S2075) 70% 85% 71%  their school takes staff opinions seriously (S2076) 80% 85% 71%  their school looks for ways to improve (S2077) 95% 92% 82%  their school is well maintained (S2078) 90% 96% 88%  their school gives them opportunities to do interesting things (S2079) 85% 92% 94%

Parent and community engagement Strong partnerships exist between school and community. Parents are encouraged to participate in every aspect of their child’s education and they are informed of school events, curriculum overviews and school policies through the weekly newsletter, Facebook, the school sign and the school webpage. Parents and community members regularly attend the school to participate in:  Weekly assembly  Class celebrations  Parent/Teacher interviews  Parents’ and Citizens’ Meetings  Tuckshop  School sport  Working bees  Grandparents’ Day  Meetings with key teachers regarding differentiated learning programs for specific students with diverse needs.

Taroom State School is supported by local businesses through the Year 10 work experience program and traineeships. The local emergency services provide ongoing support through the delivery of programs to educate our students on how to respond in emergency situations, and the dangers of drugs, alcohol and speeding cars.

Respectful relationships education programs Taroom State School is committed to ensuring that every student, every day has access to a safe, respectful and student focused learning environment, that proactively promotes high quality teaching and learning experiences for all students. At Taroom State School it is an expectation that all stakeholders, students, staff, parents and the wider community, work together in a positive and respectful manner to ensure that our students demonstrate the key values, behaviours and responsibilities required, in order to proactively participate within the school community and in society as a whole.

The following programs and initiatives are incorporated into the school organisation-

o RISE Values (Responsibility, Integrity, Self-Management, Effort) o School-wide weekly expectations are taught and based on the three school rules-Focused on Learning, Focused on Respect and Focused on Safety o Student Wellbeing and Action Team (SWAT) meet fortnightly to examine student data and initiate processes for student support. o Responsible Behavior Plan for Students describing the school procedures for managing, supporting and promoting positive student behaviour. o High 5 Strategy to build student resilience for self-managing problematic relationships in the playground o Whole school participation in Day for Daniel activities o Gotcha reward program o Bounce Back resilience program o Australian Curriculum P-10 Health Units

2018 Annual Report 7 Taroom State School

School disciplinary absences

Table 6: Count of incidents for students recommended for school disciplinary absences at this school

Type of school disciplinary 2016 2017 2018 Note: absence School disciplinary absences (SDAs) are absences Short suspensions – 1 to 10 days enforced by a school for student conduct that is 4 4 0 prejudicial to the good order and management of the school. Long suspensions – 11 to 20 days 0 0 0

Exclusions 0 0 0

Cancellations of enrolment 0 0 0

Environmental footprint

Reducing this school’s environmental footprint Taroom State School continues to work towards reducing the environmental footprint through the continued use of solar panels to offset electricity consumption and associated costs, and through the use of untreated bore water for the purpose of school beautification and landscaping sustainability.

Table 7: Environmental footprint indicators for this school

Utility category 2015–2016 2016–2017 2017–2018 Note: Consumption data is compiled from sources including ERM, Ergon reports and utilities data entered into Electricity (kWh) 37,741 32,508 100,918 OneSchool* by schools. The data provides an indication of the consumption trend in each of the utility categories which impact on this school’s environmental footprint. Water (kL) 456 *OneSchool is the department's comprehensive software suite that schools use to run safe, secure, sustainable and consistent reporting and administrative processes.

School funding

School income broken down by funding source School income, reported by financial year accounting cycle using standardized national methodologies and broken down by funding source is available via the My School website at. How to access our income details 1. Click on the My School link http://www.myschool.edu.au/. 2. Enter the school name or suburb of the school you wish to search.

3. Click on ‘View School Profile’ of the appropriate school to access the school’s profile.

4. Click on ‘Finances’ and select the appropriate year to view the school financial information.

Note: If you are unable to access the internet, please contact the school for a hard copy of the school’s financial information.

2018 Annual Report 8 Taroom State School

Our staff profile

Workforce composition

Staff composition, including Indigenous staff

Table 8: Workforce composition for this school Description Teaching staff* Non-teaching staff Indigenous** staff

Headcounts 17 11 <5 Full-time equivalents 16 9 <5

*Teaching staff includes School Leaders. ** Indigenous refers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of Australia.

Qualification of all teachers

Table 9: Teacher qualifications for classroom teachers and school leaders at this school

Highest level of qualification Number of qualifications *Graduate Diploma etc. includes Graduate Diploma, Bachelor Honours Degree, and Graduate Certificate. Doctorate Masters 1 Graduate Diploma etc.* Bachelor degree 14 Diploma 2 Certificate

Professional development

Expenditure on and teacher participation in professional development The total funds expended on teacher professional development in 2018 were $ 43 460. The major professional development initiatives are as follows:  Leading Learning Collaborative – Lyn Sharratt Workshop  SATE  Classroom Profiling - Observation, Coaching and Feedback Process  NAPLAN Online  STEM - Coding and Robotics  Writing  Reading  Cluster Moderation  Beginning Teacher Professional Development  Autism  Principal Meetings - Regional and Cluster Meetings  Corporate services training  Budget Preparation, Managing Accounts, and Planning and Accountability workshops  Cleaners training  CPR, First Aid and Bronze Medallion, Basic lifesaving, Water safety.  Regional sport  FISH Philosophy

The proportion of the teaching staff involved in professional development activities during 2018 was 100%.

2018 Annual Report 9 Taroom State School

Staff attendance and retention

Staff attendance

Table 10: Average staff attendance for this school as percentages Description 2016 2017 2018

Staff attendance for permanent and temporary staff and school leaders. 98% 98% 98%

Proportion of staff retained from the previous school year From the end of the previous school year, 87% of staff were retained by the school for the entire 2018.

Performance of our students

Key student outcomes

Student attendance The overall student attendance rate in 2018 for all Queensland state P-10/P-12 schools was 89%. Tables 11–12 show attendance rates at this school as percentages.

Table 11: Overall student attendance at this school

Description 2016 2017 2018

Overall attendance rate* for students at this school 92% 89% 91%

Attendance rate for Indigenous** students at this school 88% 88% 80%

* Student attendance rate = the total of full-days and part-days that students attended divided by the total of all possible days for students to attend (expressed as a percentage). ** Indigenous refers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of Australia.

Table 12: Average student attendance rates for each year level at this school

Year level 2016 2017 2018 Year level 2016 2017 2018 Notes: 1. Attendance rates effectively count Prep 91% 94% 90% Year 7 91% 93% 92% attendance for every student for Year 1 Year 8 every day of attendance in 93% 86% 91% 93% 90% 92% Semester 1. Year 2 91% 93% 94% Year 9 91% 85% 88% 2. Student attendance rate = the total of full-days and part-days Year 3 93% 87% 94% Year 10 84% 86% 80% that students attended divided by the total of all possible days for Year 4 91% 91% 93% Year 11 students to attend (expressed as a percentage). Year 5 93% 85% 93% Year 12 3. DW = Data withheld to ensure Year 6 93% 90% 92% confidentiality.

2018 Annual Report 10 Taroom State School

Student attendance distribution

Graph 1: Proportion of students by attendance rate

Attendance Rate: 0% to <85% 85% to <90% 90% to <95% 95% to 100%

2016 12 14 39 35

2017 22 15 34 29

2018 17 15 36 32

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Proportion of Students

Description of how this school manages non-attendance Queensland state schools manage non-attendance in line with the Queensland Department of Education procedures: Managing Student Absences and Enforcing Enrolment and Attendance at State Schools; and Roll Marking in State Schools, which outline processes for managing and recording student attendance and absenteeism.

Non-attendance is managed in state schools in line with the Department of Education procedures, Managing Student Absences and Enforcing Enrolment and Attendance at State Schools and Roll Marking in State Schools, which outline processes for managing and recording student attendance and absenteeism.

At Taroom State School electronic rolls are marked twice a day. The attendance officer contacts the parent/caregiver of students with unexplained absence. Teachers are to notify the office if a student is absent for more than two days without explanation and follow up contact is made with parent/caregiver by the Principal. The following key strategies are used to maximise attendance:  Daily phone calls are made to parents of students not in attendance.  The message ‘Every Day Counts’ is reinforced to students and parents through the school sign, the webpage and weekly newsletter where individual class weekly attendance is advertised.  Students are reminded of the importance of everyday attendance at weekly parade.  Chronic absenteeism is investigated and followed up by providing support through the appropriate student support services team. NAPLAN Our reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation, and numeracy results for the Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 NAPLAN tests are available via the My School website. How to access our NAPLAN results 1. Click on the My School link http://www.myschool.edu.au/. 2. Enter the school name or suburb of the school you wish to search.

3. Click on ‘View School Profile’ of the appropriate school to access the school’s profile.

4. Click on ‘NAPLAN’ to access the school NAPLAN information.

2018 Annual Report 11 Taroom State School

Notes: 1. If you are unable to access the internet, please contact the school for a hard copy of the school’s NAPLAN results. 2. The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual assessment for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9.

2018 Annual Report 12 Taroom State School