Alfred Deakin High School

Annual School Board Report

2018

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This report supports the work being done in the ACT Education Directorate, as outlined in Strategic Plan 2018-21: A Leading Learning Organisation.

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© Australian Capital Territory, Canberra, 2018

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Contents

Reporting to the community	1

Summary of School Board activity	1

School Context	1

Student Information	2

Student enrolment	2

Student attendance	2

Supporting attendance and managing non-attendance	3

Staff Information	3

Teacher qualifications	3

Workforce composition	3

School Review and Development	4

School Satisfaction	4

Overall Satisfaction	4

Learning and Assessment	6

NAPLAN	6

Financial Summary	8

Voluntary Contributions	9

Reserves	9

Endorsement Page	10

Members of the School Board	10

Reporting to the community

School report to communities in range of ways, including through:

Annual School Board Reports

a (5-year) School Improvement Plan (formerly School Strategic Plan)

annual Impact Reports/ Annual Action Plan Reports

newsletters

other sources such as My School.

Summary of School Board activity

The ADHS Board provided feedback during the Future of Education and ACT Education Directorate Strategic Plan consultation process prior to its final release in mid-2018. In addition, the ADHS Strategic Plan 2018-2022 and 2018 Annual Action Plan were formulated in conjunction with the ADHS Board and with input from the school community.

Consistent with the School Board Manual, the ADHS Board retained oversight over financial resource allocation and compliance. In 2018, this included a range of capital works and facilities upgrades at ADHS including a new Learning Support area, two new classrooms added to the Library space and two new sensory spaces in the playground.

The ADHS Board was active in advocating for community infrastructure. The Board provided a strong voice for the ADHS community throughout the Transport Canberra consultation on provision of the new school bus network, and in doing so secured a positive outcome for a great many families. The Board also developed a position on a traffic submission in relation to an infrastructure development at block 26 section 68 Deakin. In conjunction with The Woden School, the Board developed and co-authored a joint submission for a Performing Arts Centre to ACT Government.

The Board oversaw ADHS’s adoption and implementation of the Safe and Supportive Schools Policy, which aims to ensure an inclusive educational environment for all young people. Input from the Board was central to the redesign of the process for Voluntary Contributions/Subject Consumables, with the aim of better explanation of the value of these contributions and greater financial returns for the school.

Finally, the Board were again active in the delivery of ADHS’s highly successful model of parental engagement through Parent Forums and the Parent Support Group.

School Context

Alfred Deakin High (ADHS) is a year 7-10 comprehensive high school located in the suburb of Deakin, ACT. Established in 1966 and with an enrolment of 878. ADHS draws students from more than 40 different cultural backgrounds. The school community values the diversity of its population and celebrates the advantages that this diversity brings to the school. ADHS enriches student lives through innovative education, a pursuit of excellence in learning, and the celebration of personal success. Together we engage with the community and work to develop creative and confident young people. Our school values of excellence, respect, responsibility, and community are mirrored in our learning programs, our policies and in the overall culture of the school. The school promotes the development of individuals through a broad range of learning experiences. These include a strong core curriculum of English, Maths, Humanities and the Social Sciences, Science, Languages (French, Japanese, Italian & Indonesian), and PE & Health, and a diverse elective curriculum in the makers curriculum (Technology and the Arts). Students are streamed into programs according to aptitude and interest, including the Unicorn program (for identified gifted and talented students), extension, accelerated learning pathways and flexible and personalised learning pathways. The school emphasises restorative practices and a pastoral care program focused developing social and emotional learning skills. The strong co-curricular program includes overseas and national excursions camps and activities that add value to experiential learning. Leadership opportunities are a focus at ADHS for developing confident, resilient and compassionate global citizens. The Panthers (boys) and Elements (girls) education programs for Years 9 & 10 students, a Year 10 Leadership recognition system, an active Student Executive Group, the Youth Leadership program offering peer support to Year 7 students and an Advanced Outdoor Education program are widely recognised as examples of excellence. The Disability Awareness Program delivered to year 10 students in partnership with Woden School is unique in the ACT. The use of learning technologies is embedded in the teaching and learning environment at ADHS. Every student has a Chromebook and accesses their learning resources through the wireless environment. Google Apps for Education (GAFE) is the online learning management system used across all classes to issue materials, check student progress and provide online feedback to their learning. The school also has an E- Study and Gryphon program that cater for a range of student learning needs, including students requiring specific and individual learning support. A key feature of our work with students with special needs is their integration into mainstream classes according to their learning strengths. Strategies to improve literacy and numeracy in students have included a focus on quality teaching, building the capacity of staff to effectively utilise reading, numeracy and writing strategies across all curriculum areas, and targeted intervention support for all students identified through annual school-based numeracy and literacy testing. Students at ADHS value having diverse opportunities in a positive and inclusive atmosphere where everyone’s individuality is respected. ADHS values the active and supportive relationships with its parents and carers and the inclusive and friendly relationships that exist in the school.

Student Information

Student enrolment

In 2018 there were a total of 877 students enrolled at this school.

Table: 2018 Student enrolment

Student type	Number of students
Male	469
Female	408
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander	19
LBOTE*	251

*Language Background Other Than English

Source: Analytics and Evaluation, December 2018

Student attendance

The following table identifies the attendance rate of students by year level during 2018. 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: 2018 Attendance rates in percentages*

Year level	Attendance rate
7	91.0
8	89.0
9	86.0
10	88.0

Source: Analytics and Evaluation, December 2018

* Attendance data for 2018 have been derived from a school administration system in the process of implementation. Care should be taken when comparing these data with data from previous years and from other jurisdictions.

Supporting attendance and managing non-attendance

All ACT public schools put into effect the education participation requirements in the Education Act 2004 and the responsibilities of schools in relation to compulsory education. The Education Directorate’s Education Participation (Enrolment and Attendance) Policy describes its position with regard to supporting attendance and managing non-attendance. A suite of procedures supports the implementation of the policy. Please refer to https://www.education.act.gov.au/ for further details.

Staff Information

Teacher qualifications

All teachers at this school meet the professional requirements for teaching in an ACT public school. The ACT Teacher Quality Institute (TQI) specifies two main types of provision for teachers at different stages of their career, these are detailed below.

Full registration is for teachers with experience working in a registered school in Australia or New Zealand who have been assessed as meeting the Proficient level of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.

Provisional registration is for newly qualified teachers or teachers who do not have recent experience teaching in a school in Australia and New Zealand. Many teachers moving to Australia from another country apply for Provisional registration.

Workforce composition

Workforce composition for the year of reporting is highlighted in the following table. The data is taken from the school’s verified August staffing report. For reporting purposes it incorporates all school staff including preschools, staff absent for a period of less than four consecutive weeks and staff replacing staff absent for more than four consecutive weeks. It does not include casuals and staff absent for a period of four consecutive weeks or longer.

The Education Directorate is required to report Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff figures. As of June 2018, 101 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff members were employed across the Directorate.

Table: 2018 Workforce composition numbers

Staff employment category	TOTAL
Teaching Staff: Full Time Equivalent Permanent	57.80
Teaching Staff: Full Time Equivalent Temporary	5.00
Non Teaching Staff: Full Time Equivalent	17.61

Source: This data is from the 2018 August census date and is calculated using the parameters provided by the ABS.

School Review and Development

The ACT Education Directorate’s Strategic Plan 2018-2021 provides the framework and strategic direction for School Improvement Plans (formerly School Strategic Plans). 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.

Our school was reviewed in 2018. A copy of the Review Report Summary can be found on our school website.

School Satisfaction

Schools use a range evidence to gain an understanding of the satisfaction levels of their parents and carers, staff and students. In August/ September of this reporting period ACT schools undertook a survey to gain an understanding of school satisfaction at that time. This information was collected from Staff, parents and students from year 5 and above (with the exception of students in special schools) through an online survey.

Overall Satisfaction

In 2018, 88% of parents and carers, 90% of staff, and 85% of students at this school indicated they were satisfied with the education provided by the school.

Included in the survey were 16 staff, 14 parent, and 12 student items which are described as the national opinion 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, students and staff who agreed with each of the national opinion items at this school.

A total of 71 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.	94
Teachers give useful feedback.	88
Teachers at this school treat students fairly.	94
This school is well maintained.	89
Students feel safe at this school.	97
Students at this school can talk to their teachers about their concerns.	99
Parents at this school can talk to teachers about their concerns.	97
Student behaviour is well managed at this school.	84
Students like being at this school.	98
This school looks for ways to improve.	94
This school takes staff opinions seriously.	76
Teachers at this school motivate students to learn.	94
Students’ learning needs are being met at this school.	90
This school works with parents to support students' learning.	94
Staff get quality feedback on their performance	70
Staff are well supported at this school.	84

Source: 2018 School Satisfaction Surveys, August/September 2018

*Prior to 2018, the item wording and placement was slightly different.

A total of 359 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.	87
Teachers give useful feedback.	72
Teachers at this school treat students fairly.	87
This school is well maintained.	88
My child feels safe at this school.	95
I can talk to my child’s teachers about my concerns.	86
Student behaviour is well managed at this school.	77
My child likes being at this school.	92
This school looks for ways to improve.	82
This school takes parents’ opinions seriously.	78
Teachers at this school motivate my child to learn.	80
My child is making good progress at this school.	80
My child's learning needs are being met at this school.	82
This school works with me to support my child's learning.	73

Source: 2018 School Satisfaction Surveys, August/September 2018

*Prior to 2018, the item wording and placement was slightly different.

A total of 752 students responded to the survey. Please note that not all responders answered every question.

Table: Proportion of students in years 7 to 10 in agreement with each national opinion item

National opinion item	Proportion of students
My teachers expect me to do my best.	93
Teachers give useful feedback.	66
Teachers at my school treat students fairly.	67
My school is well maintained.	78
I feel safe at this school.	79
I can talk to my teachers about my concerns.	60
Student behaviour is well managed at my school.	49
I like being at my school.	77
My school looks for ways to improve.	86
Staff take students’ opinions seriously.	69
My teachers motivate me to learn.	72
My school gives me opportunities to do interesting things.	83

Source: 2018 School Satisfaction Surveys, August/September 2018

*Prior to 2018, the item wording and placement was slightly different.

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 (or School Improvement Plan) is available on the school website.

Learning and Assessment

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 2018, 2.40 % of year 7 students and 0.00 % of year 9 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 mean scores achieved by students at this school compared to the ACT for this reporting period.

Table: Alfred Deakin High School 2018 NAPLAN Mean Scores

Test Domain	Year 7 School	Year 7 ACT	Year 9 School	Year 9 ACT
Reading	574	549	614	593
Writing	523	501	557	539
Spelling	560	540	593	582
Grammar & Punctuation	570	549	610	592
Numeracy	578	554	615	596

Source: Analytics and Evaluation

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	425641.02	404575.24	830216.26
Voluntary contributions	28165.20	6140.05	34305.25
Contributions & donations	2824.50	5025.00	7849.50
Subject contributions	51979.50	61637.40	113616.90
External income (including community use)	23468.11	13171.89	36640.00
Proceeds from sale of assets	0.00	240.00	240.00
Bank Interest	9597.11	9919.37	19516.48
TOTAL INCOME	541675.44	500708.95	1042384.39
EXPENDITURE
Utilities and general overheads	107054.74	116753.54	223808.28
Cleaning	123120.44	111065.54	234185.98
Security	4616.32	19414.44	24030.76
Maintenance	303425.45	182851.40	486276.85
Administration	10080.23	2590.68	12670.91
Staffing	0.00	1170.00	1170.00
Communication	15763.39	6315.24	22078.63
Assets	53954.54	6105.46	60060.00
General office expenditure	20927.04	40360.61	61287.65
Educational	22402.96	9501.47	31904.43
Subject consumables	22372.84	41801.54	64174.38
TOTAL EXPENDITURE	683717.95	537929.92	1221647.87
OPERATING RESULT	-142042.51	-37220.97	-179263.48
Actual Accumulated Funds	424048.81	431251.31	501251.31
Outstanding commitments (minus)	-161288.49	0.00	-161288.49
BALANCE	120717.81	394030.34	160699.34

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 2018.

Reserves

Name and Purpose	Amount	Expected Completion
Bus replacement – created to enable bus replacement when the current vehicle reaches end of life. The bus facility enables access to learning opportuniites and programs for students from the full spectrum of social, cultural and economic need.	65000.00	01/2022
Playground upgrade – remaining funds allocated for installation of active sensory space for students, designed as a stimulating activity station for students during break times and PE classes	57202.50	04/2019
Infrastructure improvement – ongoing enhancement of learing and playground spaces	20000.00	04/2019
Strategic Plan 2019-20 – funds to support implementation of improvement strategies	16000.00	07/2020
Classroom refurbishment – ongoing renewal of learning spaces in order to create attractive and stimulating environments for students	16000.00	12/2019
Staff toilets – refurbishment of second set of staff bathrooms from original condition	20000.00	01/2019

Endorsement Page

Members of the School Board

Parent Representative(s):	Julia Graczyk	Sigrid Tjis
Teacher Representative(s):	Will Sheppard	Elizabeth Lorenz
Student Representative(s):	Gunhee Kim	Charlotte Yeo
Board Chair:	Anne Twyman
Principal:	Belinda Bartlett/David Briggs

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 evidence and information reported in this Annual School Board Report represents an accurate record of the Board’s operations during this reporting period.

Principal Signature:	Date:	/ /