Curtin Primary School

Annual School Board Report

2017

Curtin Primary main entrance

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.

Contents

School Context	1

Student Information	1

Student enrolment	1

Student attendance	1

Staff Information	2

Teacher qualifications	2

Workforce composition	2

School Review and Development	3

School Satisfaction	3

Overall Satisfaction	3

Learning and Assessment	6

Performance in Literacy and Numeracy	6

Early years assessment	6

NAPLAN	6

Performance in Other Areas of the Curriculum	7

Financial Summary	8

Professional Learning	9

Voluntary Contributions	9

Reserves	9

Endorsement Page	10

Members of the School Board	10

School Context

The growth experienced at Curtin Primary School over recent years continued throughout 2018. The student population grew to 512 students from K-6 (578 including Preschool) and the school welcomed 26 new students after the commencement of the year. The ongoing demand for enrolment reflects growth and renewal in the local area combined with the school’s strong reputation.

Throughout 2017, enrolment was only made available to students from the priority enrolment area. Due to the growth of the school, all classes include students who are new to the community. The enrolment in years 1 and 2 was so strong that a new class was formed in semester 2. From years 3-6, more than 50% of each class did not commence their schooling at Curtin. The ongoing assessment program at the school emphasises monitoring learning achievement and growth to ensure progress for students transitioning into Curtin as well as analysing school programs through the performance of students enrolled since Kindergarten.

Diversity within the school continues to increase. 2% of the student population identifies as Indigenous and 23.4% of the student population have a language background other than English. Approximately 35 languages are spoken by students at the school (with approximately 45 languages spoken by families). Across the school at the close of 2017, 5.6% of students had identified disabilities and individual learning plans.

Student Information

Student enrolment

In 2017 there were a total of 512 students enrolled at this school.

Table: 2017 Student enrolment

Student type	Number of students
Male	278
Female	234
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander	9
LBOTE*	120

*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
K	93.0
1	93.0
2	96.0
3	94.0
4	94.0
5	94.0
6	94.0

Source: Planning and Analytics, December 2017

Parents of students who are marked absent on the roll without prior notification are contacted by text message by the school after 9:30am each morning. In accordance with the Education Directorate policy, frequent absences are followed up by an executive staff member. Where required, the school provides support to improve attendance. Students may be supported through provision of breakfast through the P&C and canteen, individualised arrival plans, or opportunities to engage in alternate programs and/ or activities.

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 staff
Certificate/ Diploma/ Degree	100
Postgraduate	39

Source: Teacher Quality Institute, 16 December 2017

Workforce composition

The 2017 workforce composition of Curtin Primary School is highlighted in the following table. The data is taken from the school’s term 4 staff report. For reporting purposes it incorporates all school-based staff.

Table: 2017 Workforce composition numbers

Staff employment category	TOTAL
Teaching Staff: Head Count	38
Teaching Staff: Full Time Equivalent Permanent	28.05
Teaching Staff: Full Time Equivalent Temporary	6.60
Non Teaching Staff: Head Count	11
Non Teaching Staff: Full Time Equivalent	8.71

Source: This data is from the school’s term 4 2017 staff report. Data provided in previous years was sourced from the August census date and was calculated using the parameters provided by the ABS. As such, pre-2017 staffing figures may differ significantly from the above.

There are two Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff members at this school.

School Review and Development

In 2017, the ACT Education Directorate’s Strategic Plan 2014-2017 provided the framework and strategic direction for the school’s Strategic Plan. This is supported by the school performance and accountability framework, ‘People, Practice and Performance: School Improvement in Canberra Public Schools, A Framework for Performance and Accountability’. This framework has school improvement at its centre, with the National School Improvement Tool (NSIT) as its core feature, providing support to achieve high standards in student learning, innovation and best practice in ACT public schools.

Prior to 2016 all ACT public schools participated in a four-year cycle of school review and development. In the fourth year schools underwent an external validation process. In 2016 this changed to a five-year cycle with an External School Review at the end.

Curtin Primary School will be reviewed in 2018. A copy of the most recent validation report can be found on the school website.

School Satisfaction

Schools use a range of data collection tools to gain an understanding of the satisfaction levels of their parents and carers, staff and students. In August/ September 2017 the school undertook a survey to gain an understanding of school satisfaction at that time. Staff, parents and students from year 5 and above (with the exception of students in special schools) took part in an online survey.

Overall Satisfaction

In 2017, 74% of parents and carers, 97% of staff, and 95% of students at this school indicated they were satisfied with the education provided by the school.

Included in the survey were 14 national parent survey items and 12 national student survey items. These items were approved by the then Standing Council on School Education and Early Childhood (SCSEEC) for use from 2015. The following tables show the percentage of parents and carers and students who agreed with each of the national items at this school.

A total of 32 staff responded to the survey. Please note that not all responders answered every question.

Table: Proportion of staff in agreement with each national opinion item

National opinion item	Proportion of staff
Teachers at this school expect students to do their best.	100
Teachers at this school provide students with useful feedback about their school work.	100
Teachers at this school treat students fairly.	100
This school is well maintained.	88
Students feel safe at this school.	100
Students at this school can talk to their teachers about their concerns.	100
Parents at this school can talk to teachers about their concerns.	97
Student behaviour is well managed at this school.	94
Students like being at this school.	100
This school looks for ways to improve.	100
This school takes staff opinions seriously.	94
Teachers at this school motivate students to learn.	100
Students’ learning needs are being met at this school.	87
This school works with parents to support students' learning.	90
I receive useful feedback about my work at this school.	77
Staff are well supported at this school.	94

Source: 2017 School Satisfaction Surveys, August/September 2017

A total of 131 parents responded to the survey. Please note that not all responders answered every question.

Table: Proportion of parents and carers in agreement with each national opinion item

National opinion item	Proportion of parents and carers
Teachers at this school expect my child to do his or her best.	90
Teachers at this school provide my child with useful feedback about his/her school work.	79
Teachers at this school treat students fairly.	88
This school is well maintained.	86
My child feels safe at this school.	85
I can talk to my child’s teachers about my concerns.	95
Student behaviour is well managed at this school.	64
My child likes being at this school.	92
This school looks for ways to improve.	80
This school takes parents’ opinions seriously.	66
Teachers at this school motivate my child to learn.	80
My child is making good progress at this school.	78
My child's learning needs are being met at this school.	72
This school works with me to support my child's learning.	72

Source: 2017 School Satisfaction Surveys, August/September 2017

A total of 99 students responded to the survey. Please note that not all responders answered every question.

Table: Proportion of students in years 5 to 6 in agreement with each national opinion item

National opinion item	Proportion of students
My teachers expect me to do my best.	96
My teachers provide me with useful feedback about my school work.	81
Teachers at my school treat students fairly.	70
My school is well maintained.	71
I feel safe at my school.	71
I can talk to my teachers about my concerns.	67
Student behaviour is well managed at my school.	52
I like being at my school.	80
My school looks for ways to improve.	93
My school takes students’ opinions seriously.	68
My teachers motivate me to learn.	89
My school gives me opportunities to do interesting things.	85

Source: 2017 School Satisfaction Surveys, August/September 2017

This information can be considered alongside information available on the My School website (http://www.myschool.edu.au).

These results, as well as the continual review of school performance, contributed to the evaluation of our Strategic Plan and the development of Annual Action Plans. The Strategic Plan is available on the school website.

Learning and Assessment

Performance in Literacy and Numeracy

Early years assessment

Students in kindergarten undertake an on-entry assessment of their early reading and numeracy skills using the Performance Indicators in Primary Schools (PIPS) program. Student results are reported against five performance bands at the end of semester 1 and 2.

Table: Curtin Primary School PIPS 2017 mean raw scores

Agency	Reading start	Reading end	Mathematics start	Mathematics end
School	59	133	40	59
ACT	51	124	39	55

Source: Planning and Analytics

81% of Kindergarten students achieved expected growth, or better than expected growth in both the reading and mathematics components of PIPS. Analysis of PIPs and school data has been used to plan class, group and individual teaching programs for 2018. These are designed to ensure student growth is maintained and effective intervention occurs to ensure success for students who did not achieve expected growth.

NAPLAN

Students in years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in all ACT schools participate in the National Assessment Program-Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). This program assesses skills in reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation, and numeracy.

In 2017, 0.00 % of year 3 students and 3.00 % of year 5 students were exempt from testing based on nationally agreed criteria.

Results are not reported when there are fewer than five students with results. This rule is applied for reasons of statistical reliability, as well as to protect the privacy of students in small schools.

The following table shows the 2017 mean scores achieved by our students compared to the ACT.

Table: Curtin Primary School 2017 NAPLAN Mean Scores

Test Domain	Year 3 School	Year 3 ACT	Year 5 School	Year 5 ACT
Reading	457	442	552	517
Writing	403	412	503	475
Spelling	400	411	511	494
Grammar & Punctuation	448	441	524	503
Numeracy	435	417	536	496

Source: Planning and Analytics

An analysis of our NAPLAN results can be found when reporting against our priorities.

Performance in Other Areas of the Curriculum

Development of other curriculum areas has been driven by the curriculum professional learning community. This committee is made up of team Curriculum Coordinators and other interested staff. In term 3, these teachers were released to create a scope and sequence of the Australian curriculum applying core concepts. This has resulted in a K-6 plan for learning that clearly outlines the links between subject areas, timelines for teaching and aligns statements from achievement standards for assessment. Professional learning to the whole staff has ensured shared understanding of the concepts to be explored throughout a student’s schooling. The core concepts are supported by a set of understandings being created for each unit and the identification of specific skills to be taught through the units. All staff are positive about implementing this new curriculum from 2018. During 2017, many classes and teachers have explored this method of inquiry and student feedback demonstrates engagement and learning success.

Explicit emphasis on performing arts enabled the performing arts festival to occur in term 2. This event was supported by the school community and was a highlight of the school year. The rich specialist teaching program continued student progress in Indonesian and PE. ICT was introduced as a specialist program to support student skill development. Both teachers and students report the impact of this in the successful integration of ICT across the curriculum.

Curtin Primary School was proud to offer enrichment and representative experiences for all students. Participation in PSSA, interschool chess and Tournament of Minds were highlights of the year, where students achieved success and developed pride in their school.

Financial Summary

The school has provided the Directorate with an end of year financial statement that was approved by the school board. Further details concerning the statement can be obtained by contacting the school. The following summary covers use of funds for operating costs and does not include expenditure in areas such as permanent salaries, buildings and major maintenance.

Table: Financial Summary

INCOME	January-June	July-December	January-December
Self-management funds	222022.17	191319.77	413341.94
Voluntary contributions	21192.34	7510.00	28702.34
Contributions & donations	10232.00	29550.00	39782.00
Subject contributions	9700.00	960.00	10660.00
External income (including community use)	9848.94	13470.11	23319.05
Proceeds from sale of assets	2074.19	300.00	2374.19
Bank Interest	5292.36	5789.60	11081.96
TOTAL INCOME	280362.00	248899.48	529261.48
EXPENDITURE
Utilities and general overheads	18134.63	59156.73	77291.36
Cleaning	57088.83	49879.75	106968.58
Security	1000.00	802.00	1802.00
Maintenance	15091.33	92728.39	107819.72
Administration	3966.24	3211.23	7177.47
Staffing	0.00	0.00	0.00
Communication	8230.24	2858.13	11088.37
Assets	94454.88	34087.91	128542.79
General office expenditure	6571.82	19057.50	25629.32
Educational	10293.01	29123.82	39416.83
Subject consumables	95.42	0.00	95.42
TOTAL EXPENDITURE	214926.40	290905.46	505831.86
OPERATING RESULT	65435.60	-42005.98	23429.62
Actual Accumulated Funds	229581.59	236897.25	236897.25
Outstanding commitments (minus)	-25141.55	0.00	-25141.55
BALANCE	269875.64	194891.27	235185.32

Professional Learning

The average professional learning expenditure at the school level per full time equivalent teacher was $650.15.

Voluntary Contributions

The funds listed were used to support the general operations of the school. The spending of voluntary contributions is in line with the approved budget for 2017.

Reserves

Name and Purpose	Amount	Expected Completion
Classroom Upgrades This reserve was created to repair, paint and re-carpet classrooms that were not upgraded in the school’s refurbishment. As there were only a few classrooms untouched in the refurbishment and each one has a level of dis-repair painting and re-carpeting would enhance the students learning environment as they would feel a part of the school’s refurbishment with the look and feel of a clean area in which to learn	$13120	28/09/2018
Staffing This reserve was created knowing that the school’s class structure was changing in 2018 from a gifted stream (PALS Program) to mixed ability classes. Additional staffing is a key strategy to support the transition to the new model.	$40000	18/12/2019

Endorsement Page

Members of the School Board

Parent Representative(s):	Alistair James	Tania Ralston
Community Representative(s):
Teacher Representative(s):	Tanya Devenish	Leslee Roberts
Student Representative(s):
Board Chair:	Myles Cronin
Principal:	Merryn O’Dea

I approve the report, prepared in accordance with the provision of the ACT Education Act 2004, section 52.

Board Chair Signature:	___________________________	Date:	07 / 06 / 2018

I certify that to the best of my knowledge and belief the data and information reported in this Annual School Board Report represents an accurate record of the school’s operations in 2017.

Principal Signature:	___________________________	Date:	07 / 06 / 2018