Ainslie School

Annual School Board Report

2017

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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’.

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© Australian Capital Territory, Canberra, 2017

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Contents

School Board Chair Report	1

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

Performance in Literacy and Numeracy	6

Early years assessment	6

NAPLAN	7

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

School Board Chair Report

In 2017, we welcomed new Board member Chris Price, who joined Sarah Safranksy and me as the parent representatives on the Ainslie School Board. Joining us was Danielle Jackson and Catherine Dillon as the teacher representatives, Margaret Robson, community representative and Kate Chapman, Principal. We met according to the schedule of meetings followed over the last few years, as this has proven to be a schedule that allows us to consider and approve Board issues in a timely manner.

As a School, 2017 was a challenging year - full of highs and lows. We celebrated the school's birthday, nursed concern for Kate following her cycling accident and we then celebrated her retirement with tears as well as hugs, good wishes and smiles. I would like to acknowledge Kate's contribution to Ainslie School over the past six years - she leaves behind a happy and cohesive school with outstanding educators and a strong sense of community. As Board Chair, I was invited to sit on the panel to interview candidates for Kate's replacement. I undertook this role seriously, consulting with a variety of parents, teachers and even students about what qualities they thought our new Principal should have. Following the interview process, the panel appointed Wendy Cave as Ainslie School's new Principal, and we welcome Wendy to our School.

2017 also saw further Future of Education discussions, and the Board encouraged feedback from parents, students and teachers with regard to this important conversation. The Directorate has now collated the information, distributed a discussion paper, identified a number of key areas and is looking at the next steps.

The Board also continued to investigate the use of security cameras in the school, and we now understand that the Directorate is running a pilot program in some schools. This has been an ongoing discussion and one that I am sure will continue in 2018.

I would like to thank everyone involved in the 2017 Board for their continuous dedication to guiding the strategic direction of Ainslie School, and I look forward to contributing to that in 2018.

School Context

Ainslie School is a preschool to year 6 school established in 1927. The school’s buildings were upgraded in 2007 and are on the ACT and Australian heritage register. Two off site preschools, each with a strong arts and sustainability focus, are also part of the school.

As an inner city school, the student population is rich and diverse. A third come from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Ainslie School is committed to respecting each child's uniqueness and catering for individual needs. Staff challenge each child and give them the time they require to attain their potential in educational, social and physical skills. They maintain a focus on learning, work in strongly collaborative teams and engage in discussions about student learning data to ensure the effectiveness of intervention programs.

A key feature of the school is the Japanese language program which is enriched by a relationship with a sister school, Tsubai Elementary School in Nara, Japan. Ainslie also has a sister school relationship with Ban Hom Neua School in Vientiane, Laos. Another key focus is the Arts and in particular music. A music specialist supports a range of musical opportunities for students from K to year 6.

Ainslie school benefits from the support of its dynamic parent community. Staff work in a stimulating professional learning community where initiative, collaboration and participation are valued and encouraged. Both the Out of School Hours Care program, which caters for up to 120 students a day, and the Nutrition Australia Award winning canteen are run by the P&C Association. Outside organisations are involved in the school. St John’s run the Breakfast Club three days a week, Music for Everyone offers a string tutoring program and Bellchambers Music provides a piano tutoring program.

Student Information

Student enrolment

In 2017 there were a total of 344 students enrolled at this school.

Table: 2017 Student enrolment

Student type	Number of students
Male	162
Female	182
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander	14
LBOTE*	125

*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	94.0
1	93.0
2	93.0
3	93.0
4	92.0
5	93.0
6	91.0

Source: Planning and Analytics, December 2017

Teachers and administrative staff manage non-attendance at Ainslie School. Parents and carers are encouraged to contact the school office team to provide information about absences. Teachers monitor class rolls carefully and contact families directly to follow up unexplained absences.

Students are encouraged to report to the school office if they arrive after school has started to ensure accurate records of partial attendance are maintained.

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	50

Source: Teacher Quality Institute, 16 December 2017

Workforce composition

The 2017 workforce composition of Ainslie 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	32
Teaching Staff: Full Time Equivalent Permanent	25.35
Teaching Staff: Full Time Equivalent Temporary	2.40
Non Teaching Staff: Head Count	11
Non Teaching Staff: Full Time Equivalent	8.07

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 is one Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff member 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.

Ainslie 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, 88% of parents and carers, 100% of staff, and 89% 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 29 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.	96
Teachers at this school treat students fairly.	100
This school is well maintained.	93
Students feel safe at this school.	97
Students at this school can talk to their teachers about their concerns.	100
Parents at this school can talk to teachers about their concerns.	100
Student behaviour is well managed at this school.	93
Students like being at this school.	100
This school looks for ways to improve.	97
This school takes staff opinions seriously.	93
Teachers at this school motivate students to learn.	100
Students’ learning needs are being met at this school.	100
This school works with parents to support students' learning.	100
I receive useful feedback about my work at this school.	86
Staff are well supported at this school.	93

Source: 2017 School Satisfaction Surveys, August/September 2017

A total of 105 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.	89
Teachers at this school provide my child with useful feedback about his/her school work.	84
Teachers at this school treat students fairly.	85
This school is well maintained.	90
My child feels safe at this school.	93
I can talk to my child’s teachers about my concerns.	93
Student behaviour is well managed at this school.	80
My child likes being at this school.	92
This school looks for ways to improve.	91
This school takes parents’ opinions seriously.	86
Teachers at this school motivate my child to learn.	87
My child is making good progress at this school.	81
My child's learning needs are being met at this school.	77
This school works with me to support my child's learning.	82

Source: 2017 School Satisfaction Surveys, August/September 2017

A total of 95 students responded to the survey. Please note that not all responders answered every question.

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

National opinion item	Proportion of students
My teachers expect me to do my best.	99
My teachers provide me with useful feedback about my school work.	95
Teachers at my school treat students fairly.	86
My school is well maintained.	86
I feel safe at my school.	86
I can talk to my teachers about my concerns.	71
Student behaviour is well managed at my school.	63
I like being at my school.	89
My school looks for ways to improve.	91
My school takes students’ opinions seriously.	82
My teachers motivate me to learn.	97
My school gives me opportunities to do interesting things.	89

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: Ainslie School PIPS 2017 mean raw scores

Agency	Reading start	Reading end	Mathematics start	Mathematics end
School	50	142	38	58
ACT	51	124	39	55

Source: Planning and Analytics

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, 7.00 % of year 3 students and 0.00 % 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: Ainslie School 2017 NAPLAN Mean Scores

Test Domain	Year 3 School	Year 3 ACT	Year 5 School	Year 5 ACT
Reading	459	442	533	517
Writing	388	412	501	475
Spelling	423	411	512	494
Grammar & Punctuation	460	441	524	503
Numeracy	421	417	507	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

In 2017, Ainslie School celebrated its 90th year. The activities planned around this special year provided multiple opportunities for students to engage with learning, particularly around the history of the local area. Activities included an Oral History Open Day, the 90th birthday party organised and run by the P&C, engagement in the Heritage Week Classrooms From the Past display. The Enlighten evening showcased student art prepared for screening by ANU students, as well as 90th birthday ‘merchandise’ such as a backpack, with an Ainslie student designed logo, which was given to all children at the school.

The Arts continued to be a strong area for student learning especially in work culminating in the Twilight end of year concert, the Limelight performance which attracted Canberra Area Theatre award for 2017, the Inner North Spectacular, several Voices, Prep Choir, and year 5 and 6 band performances including Bandstravaganza and the Salvation Army performance, and performances at Floriade and Parliament House. An extension music program was introduced, which provided opportunities for students to perform solo or as part of various ensembles. A second end-of-year music award was instituted to further acknowledge excellence in music.

Ainslie students, staff and volunteers attended the Defying Empire exhibition at the NGA. This was a unifying experience for the school which simultaneously provided learning in the Visual Arts, and Indigenous culture and history. Student art based upon the works of the Indigenous artists was enjoyed in the school hallways by the wider community during the 90th celebrations.

Weekly Gifted and Talented mathematics sessions were run by an ANU researcher for year 5 and 6 students while a year 3 and 4 group was led by a specialist teacher.

The PE program was further enriched through clinics including AFL, and athletics funded through the Sporting Schools program.

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	212013.31	197933.55	409946.86
Voluntary contributions	5895.00	870.30	6765.30
Contributions & donations	2650.00	9728.00	12378.00
Subject contributions	8200.00	2250.00	10450.00
External income (including community use)	262.64	15395.63	15658.27
Proceeds from sale of assets	0.00	0.00	0.00
Bank Interest	5638.32	5478.57	11116.89
TOTAL INCOME	234659.27	231656.05	466315.32
EXPENDITURE
Utilities and general overheads	31891.88	70070.50	101962.38
Cleaning	55239.10	43805.24	99044.34
Security	1458.46	118.00	1576.46
Maintenance	33862.49	19862.01	53724.50
Administration	648.69	11238.15	11886.84
Staffing	0.00	0.00	0.00
Communication	9039.54	3446.80	12486.34
Assets	5825.58	37244.62	43070.20
Leases	0.00	0.00	0.00
General office expenditure	5951.40	14663.58	20614.98
Educational	59821.98	8354.48	68176.46
Subject consumables	6740.91	1689.10	8430.01
TOTAL EXPENDITURE	210480.03	210492.48	420972.51
OPERATING RESULT	24179.24	21163.57	45342.81
Actual Accumulated Funds	182160.42	183202.02	163180.32
Outstanding commitments (minus)	-80.02	0.00	-80.02
BALANCE	206259.64	204365.59	208443.11

Professional Learning

The average professional learning expenditure at the school level per full time equivalent teacher was $612.

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
Special Maintenance Projects	$13500	2018
Playground upgrade	$75000	2018
Audio	$10000	2018
Painting	$23000	2018
Curriculum- Special Projects	$13688.48	2018
Students Computers	$15378.81	2018
IT Support &PD	$5200	2018

Endorsement Page

Members of the School Board

Parent Representative(s):	Melynda McDonald	Sarah Safransky	Chris Price.
Community Representative(s):	Margaret Robson ,
Teacher Representative(s):	Catherine Dillon	Danielle Jackson
Board Chair:	Melynda McDonald
Principal:	Kate Chapman

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

Board Chair Signature:	___________________________	Date:	_____ / _____ / _____

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:	_____ / _____ / _____