MARIBYRNONG PRIMARY 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

School Context	2

Student Information	2

Student enrolment	2

Student attendance	2

Staff Information	3

Teacher qualifications	3

Workforce composition	4

School Review and Development	4

School Satisfaction	5

Overall Satisfaction	5

Learning and Assessment	7

Performance in Literacy and Numeracy	7

Early years assessment	7

NAPLAN	7

Performance in Other Areas of the Curriculum	8

Financial Summary	9

Professional Learning	10

Voluntary Contributions	10

Reserves	10

Endorsement Page	11

Members of the School Board	11

School Board Chair Report

Maribyrnong Primary School values the collaboration and contribution of the Board as it is the policy-making body of the school. The role of a School Board includes maintaining the School Strategic Plan, monitoring and reviewing the performance of the school, and approving the school’s budget.

Each government school in the ACT is governed by a School Board whose membership comprises of the school principal, two elected staff members, three elected members of the parent body and a nominee of the Department of Education. This year the Board comprised of Principal Jennifer Howard, Deputy Principal Jantiena Batt and Executive Teacher Anna Thorpe as the staff representatives, Craig Jones continuing to serve as the community representative, and Lauren Newman, Megan White and Noel Florian, as the parent representatives. As Board Chair, I would like to acknowledge the sad passing of Noel Florian last year during his term on the board. He was an outstanding contributor to the Maribyrnong community and his loss has been deeply felt. I would also like to thank Andrew Kable for stepping in to fill Noel’s position. All board representatives have made important contributions in 2017.

As always, we are proud to look back on the busy year that has gone past. Some of our 2017 highlights included:

School review cycle – it was Maribyrnong’s year for review by an external panel in August. This panel was presented with a large body of evidence of the work that had been put in to the past 4 years at Maribyrnong, and the board was proud to endorse this. The executive staff has received the report back from the panel and has begun to take considerable steps, with the teaching staff, to begin to strategically plan for the next years at Maribyrnong. I am excited for the years to come.

Works were completed on the front building, restoring it into classrooms for grades 5 and 6. The building was opened in term 4 with new flexible work space furniture. This was an excellent addition to the school as we are increasing in enrolments!

Four outstanding educators nominated in the ACT Public Education Excellence Awards. These awards recognise their contribution to public education as highly regarded and effective educators. Our nominees were:

Jacque Mengel – Education Support Role

Leeanne Walls – Education Support Role

Justine Minchin – Education Support Role

Symone Florian – Primary Teacher of the Year

The KidsMatter action team completed implementing the program’s components with the staff. The Bounce Back social and emotional learning program has been rolled out and well received by staff, students and parents.

I have been proud to sit as Board Chair in 2017 and anticipate that we will build upon the achievements of this year to create an even stronger school community in 2018.

School Context

Over the last year, the school has experienced increasing enrolments from within the school area, growing to 431 enrolments, preschool to year six. The school is now at a point of accepting in area students only. Transition of preschoolers into kindergarten has significantly increased over the past year. Maribyrnong Primary School has established initiatives to support year 6 students transitioning to UC High School Kaleen and Canberra High School, the PEA requirements of the high schools mean that Maribyrnong in area students transition to multiple locations. The number of students transitioning to an in area high school has increased over the past year. In April 2017, building works commenced in the ‘front building’. This work was scheduled to meet the increasing capacity demands on the existing school buildings. The work was completed in August and space was launched in October with three senior school classes moving into the newly refurbished space.

Student Information

Student enrolment

In 2017 there were a total of 341 students enrolled at this school.

Table: 2017 Student enrolment

Student type	Number of students
Male	194
Female	147
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander	5
LBOTE*	100

*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	93.0
3	93.0
4	92.0
5	91.0
6	92.0

Source: Planning and Analytics, December 2017

We employ two Literacy and Numeracy specialists to teach across the school to ensure equitable access to the curriculum for all students. Classes are organised into teaching teams where collaboration and team teaching are a key facet. We ensure that students are engaged in school activities and non-attendance remains low by providing support and extension for identified students and through investing in a rigorous Literacy and Numeracy program. A key component of this is structuring classes to ensure the best possible pastoral care for all of our students. If non-attendance occurs, contact is made between the school and parents and carers, and where necessary, an individualised approach is used for support.

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	36

Source: Teacher Quality Institute, 16 December 2017

Our staff are acutely aware that high quality practice comes from high quality learning experiences. To ensure we achieve this, staff engage in additional study as part of their ongoing professional learning experiences.

Workforce composition

The 2017 workforce composition of [INSERT SCHOOL NAME] 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	30
Teaching Staff: Full Time Equivalent Permanent	21.90
Teaching Staff: Full Time Equivalent Temporary	2.80
Non Teaching Staff: Head Count	9
Non Teaching Staff: Full Time Equivalent	7.95

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 no Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff members at this school.

Maribyrnong continues to support student learning through the provision of high quality educators. We employ a literacy and numeracy specialist to teach across the school to ensure equitable access to the curriculum for all students. Classes are organised into three or four teacher teams. We ensure that students are engaged in school experiences and non-attendance remains low by providing support and extension for identified students and through investing in a rigorous literacy and numeracy program. A key component of this is structuring classes to ensure the best possible pastoral care for all of our students. A number of non teaching staff are employed to support student learning through the provision of one to one support and small group work in the key areas of literacy and numeracy.

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.

Maribyrnong Primary School was reviewed in 2017. A copy of the Review 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, 96% of parents and carers, 100% of staff, and 92% 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 34 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.	88
Teachers at this school treat students fairly.	100
This school is well maintained.	94
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.	97
Student behaviour is well managed at this school.	97
Students like being at this school.	100
This school looks for ways to improve.	94
This school takes staff opinions seriously.	74
Teachers at this school motivate students to learn.	97
Students’ learning needs are being met at this school.	94
This school works with parents to support students' learning.	100
I receive useful feedback about my work at this school.	82
Staff are well supported at this school.	88

Source: 2017 School Satisfaction Surveys, August/September 2017

A total of 114 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.	98
Teachers at this school provide my child with useful feedback about his/her school work.	93
Teachers at this school treat students fairly.	95
This school is well maintained.	98
My child feels safe at this school.	96
I can talk to my child’s teachers about my concerns.	95
Student behaviour is well managed at this school.	91
My child likes being at this school.	97
This school looks for ways to improve.	95
This school takes parents’ opinions seriously.	88
Teachers at this school motivate my child to learn.	97
My child is making good progress at this school.	93
My child's learning needs are being met at this school.	92
This school works with me to support my child's learning.	93

Source: 2017 School Satisfaction Surveys, August/September 2017

A total of 62 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.	95
My teachers provide me with useful feedback about my school work.	87
Teachers at my school treat students fairly.	80
My school is well maintained.	82
I feel safe at my school.	93
I can talk to my teachers about my concerns.	74
Student behaviour is well managed at my school.	68
I like being at my school.	81
My school looks for ways to improve.	92
My school takes students’ opinions seriously.	63
My teachers motivate me to learn.	88
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: Maribyrnong Primary School PIPS 2017 mean raw scores

Agency	Reading start	Reading end	Mathematics start	Mathematics end
School	55	126	41	59
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, 2.00 % of year 3 students and 6.00 % 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: Maribyrnong Primary School 2017 NAPLAN Mean Scores

Test Domain	Year 3 School	Year 3 ACT	Year 5 School	Year 5 ACT
Reading	459	442	531	517
Writing	398	412	479	475
Spelling	420	411	497	494
Grammar & Punctuation	448	441	514	503
Numeracy	426	417	497	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

The Maribyrnong Primary community celebrated many successes in all areas of the curriculum in 2017. The highlights include:

Our senior school participating in the University of Canberra Lake Ginninderra College solar cooker competition. Students were awarded prizes in the following categories: fastest cooked, best designed and best participation.

Our students who won a P-2 Award, a 3/4 Award and a 5/6 Award at the Chief Minister's Reading Challenge Awards Ceremony.

Over 400 parents, carers and grandfriends who attended our learning journey in September.

Success in the ACT SEA ACT Science Awards with two students receiving encouragement awards through the BHP Billiton Awards. We also had a large number of individual student awards and team awards.

The canteen menu assessment was completed midyear with food categorised as amber (77%) and green (23%).

Maribyrnong Primary launched the Active Kids Challenge midyear. The school was one of two ACT schools to win an award for community engagement and participation.

The school received an Earth Hour Award and prizes for engagement within the Earth Hour initiative to reduce energy consumption.

Maribyrnong Primary was awarded the 5 Star Waste Wise Accreditation for sustainable management of energy, waste, water, school grounds/biodiversity and integrating sustainability into the curriculum.

Maribyrnong Primary was awarded a Preschool Matters grant to develop an Indigenous, sensory garden at preschool.

The school hosted an Eco Bus Tour for other ACT schools, showcasing the sustainable initiatives practices at the school.

The school executive and mathematics pedagogy circle engaged in the Principals as Numeracy Leaders program, focusing on quality research and practice in teaching numeracy in the classroom.

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	227380.06	199677.25	427057.31
Voluntary contributions	8500.50	3768.00	12268.50
Contributions & donations	9832.51	19116.36	28948.87
Subject contributions	10910.00	4552.00	15462.00
External income (including community use)	23840.16	9219.76	33059.92
Proceeds from sale of assets	3834.36	0.00	3834.36
Bank Interest	9345.18	9994.66	19339.84
TOTAL INCOME	293642.77	246328.03	539970.80
EXPENDITURE
Utilities and general overheads	46807.79	82828.49	129636.28
Cleaning	32017.34	39342.73	71360.07
Security	0.00	0.00	0.00
Maintenance	18774.29	7230.52	26004.81
Administration	2712.81	6422.42	9135.23
Staffing	0.00	0.00	0.00
Communication	7008.03	2644.27	9652.30
Assets	78868.00	71311.61	150179.61
Leases	0.00	0.00	0.00
General office expenditure	7602.49	19500.52	27103.01
Educational	22619.74	5968.39	28588.13
Subject consumables	26158.98	175.48	26334.46
TOTAL EXPENDITURE	242569.47	235424.43	477993.90
OPERATING RESULT	51073.30	10903.60	61976.90
Actual Accumulated Funds	483052.56	483228.23	482964.24
Outstanding commitments (minus)	-87833.03	0.00	-87833.03
BALANCE	446292.83	494131.83	457108.11

Professional Learning

The average professional learning expenditure at the school level per full time equivalent teacher was $165.00.

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
Staffing- to cover staffing costs	40172.77	2020
Readers- to purchase new or replace literacy resources	5000.00	2019
IWB- to purchase new interactive techology resources	3735.00	2018
Senior Computer Upgrade 2016	3736.60	2016
Photocopier upgrade	6000.00	2018
Tree Maintenance – planning for tree protection, ground maintenance	5000.00	2020
Facility Upgrade – future upgrade/increase student numbers	5000.00	2020
Furniture Upgrade- future upgrade/increase student numbers	10000.00	2020
Plumbing Maintenance – future upgrades/maintenance	3000.00	2020

Endorsement Page

Members of the School Board

Parent Representative(s):	MEGAN WHITE	ANDREW KABLE
Community Representative(s):	CRAIG JONES
Teacher Representative(s):	JANTIENA BATT,	ANNA THORPE
Student Representative(s):
Board Chair:	LAUREN NEWMAN
Principal:	JENNIFER HOWARD

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:	_____ / _____ / _____