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Lobethal Primary School Annual Report 2015
Annual Report 2015
School Name: Lobethal Primary School School Number: 0227
Principal: Toni Burford Partnership: Torrens Valley
Index of Disadvantage: Category 5
Enrolment: 155 students, Reception to Year 7
Non English Speaking: 7% (Philipino, Vietnamese, Africaan, Croatian)
School Card: 10%
Phone : 8389 6419 Fax : 8389 6448
Email : dl.0227.info@schools.sa.edu.au
www.lobethalps.sa.edu.au
LLLooobbbeeettthhhaaalll PPPrrriiimmmaaarrryyy SSSccchhhoooooolll
Responsibility Respect Resilience Independence Excellence
Lobethal Primary School Annual Report 2015
Page i
APPENDICES ..................................................................................................................................................... II
2015 : A YEAR OF TRANSITION, NEW CONNECTIONS AND CHALLENGING MINDSETS ...................................... 1
1 ABOUT OUR SCHOOL................................................................................................................................ 2
1.1. STUDENT ENROLMENT .................................................................................................................................. 2
2. HIGHLIGHTS OF 2015 ................................................................................................................................ 2
2.1. NEPABUNNA ADNYAMATHANHA YARTA CAMP .................................................................................................. 2
2.2. CONNECTING THE ARTS FOR LEARNERS ............................................................................................................ 3
2.3. LEARNING AND GROWING OUTDOORS ............................................................................................................. 4
2.4. HONOURING BRIONY KLINGBERG .................................................................................................................... 4
3. SITE LEARNING PLAN: OUR PRIORITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT .................................................................... 5
3.1. SITE PRIORITY 1: BUILD POWERFUL LEARNERS .................................................................................................. 5
Priorities in 2015: ............................................................................................................................................ 5
Targets: ........................................................................................................................................................... 5
Outcomes: ....................................................................................................................................................... 5
Proposals for 2016: ......................................................................................................................................... 5
3.2. SITE PRIORITY 2: STRONGER READERS AND WRITERS ........................................................................................... 5
Priorities in 2015: ............................................................................................................................................ 5
Targets: ........................................................................................................................................................... 6
Outcomes: ....................................................................................................................................................... 6
Proposals for 2016: ......................................................................................................................................... 6
3.3. SITE PRIORITY 3: DIFFERENTIATING MATHS CHALLENGES ..................................................................................... 6
Priorities in 2015: ............................................................................................................................................ 6
Targets: ........................................................................................................................................................... 6
Outcomes: ....................................................................................................................................................... 6
Proposals for 2016: ......................................................................................................................................... 7
4. EARLY YEARS LITERACY AND NUMERACY PLAN ........................................................................................ 7
4.1. EARLY YEARS LITERACY REVIEW ...................................................................................................................... 7
5. STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT .......................................................................................................................... 9
5.1. PAT TESTING .............................................................................................................................................. 9
Quicksmart 2015 ............................................................................................................................................. 9
Read Up 2015 ................................................................................................................................................. 9
5.2. NAPLAN 2015 ........................................................................................................................................ 10
6. OUR STUDENTS ...................................................................................................................................... 13
6.1. ATTENDANCE ............................................................................................................................................ 13
6.2. DESTINATION ............................................................................................................................................ 14
7. ANTI-BULLYING AND HARASSMENT/BEHAVIOUR .................................................................................. 15
8. WE VALUE YOUR OPINION: PARENT AND STUDENT OPINION SURVEY ................................................... 16
8.1. PARENT OPINION SURVEY ........................................................................................................................... 16
8.2. STUDENT OPINION SURVEY .......................................................................................................................... 18
9. OUR VOLUNTEERS .................................................................................................................................. 20
Lobethal Primary School Annual Report 2015
Page ii
9.1. VOLUNTEER TRAINING – RESPONDING TO ABUSE AND NEGLECT. ........................................................................ 20
10. OUR STAFF ......................................................................................................................................... 20
10.1. TEACHER QUALIFICATIONS ....................................................................................................................... 20
10.2. WORKFORCE COMPOSITION INCLUDING INDIGENOUS STAFF ........................................................................... 21
11. FINANCIAL STATEMENT ...................................................................................................................... 21
11.1. INCOME BY FUNDING SOURCE .................................................................................................................. 21
Appendices
APPENDIX A : GOVERNING COUNCIL REPORT .............................................................................................. A1
APPENDIX B - PRIMARY AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM COORDINATOR REPORT ...............................................B1
APPENDIX C : PAT MATHS AND PAT R RESULTS 2015 ..................................................................................... C1
Lobethal Primary School Annual Report 2015
Page 1
2015 : A Year of Transition, New Connections and Challenging Mindsets
2015 was a year of transition as the school year began with the appointment of Ms Toni
Burford as Acting Principal. Lobethal PS offers a rich and diverse programme that connects
students to the outdoors and their community and encourages them to be creative,
independent learners. The staff, students and parents are to be congratulated on the broad
range of core and extra-curricular learning activities that our students are able to participate
in.
The school offers a strong specialist learning programme for students R-7 in Visual Arts, Music
and Drama. Students also had weekly PE lessons with a specialist teacher in Terms 1-3. The
focus on the Arts provides rich opportunities for students to create, perform, dance, sing and
play for others in our school community and beyond. A wide range of extra-curricular
opportunities have been provided including the Music Concert ‘Sea of Flags’; Aboriginal
Cultural studies camp and Expo of learning; Midsummer Night’s Dream performance by Year
6/7 class; and Kidstock a showcase of school bands between our school and two others.
Teachers connected with the Torrens Valley Professional Learning Communities for the first
time in 2015. Options for professional learning with peers from other Hills schools included
Maths with Mike Chartres, Nature Play and Building Learning Power. The PLCs and other
shared learning opportunities provided a strong foundation for teachers’ learning and
change at Lobethal PS. (see Appendix 1: CPAC report)
Our model of student forums and a range of ways in which we include student voice in
classroom, curriculum (master classes, focus groups) and whole school decision making has
been documented and acknowledged as an influential model for other schools. Students
have regular opportunities to influence the decisions that shape learning and school
programs.
Engaging students in ‘hard fun’ that extends their learning has continued to be a feature this
year, following the work in 2014 as a TfEL Pilot school. Teachers and students have continued
to explore the impact of dispositions when teaching and learning Maths. Teachers and the
Year 6/7 students have enrolled in the “How to do Maths” on-line course with Stanford
University. We trialled the course on behalf of the TfEL team. All teachers and students will
complete the course in Term 1 2016. So far, the course has deepened our knowledge of how
mindsets affect our opinions and effort when learning Maths and implications of different
strategies and feedback have on learners. The course is challenging some of the assessment
and grouping strategies teachers currently use and identifying the need for change.
Our facilities continued to improve. During the year we received approval for the removal of
the external cladding that included asbestos. The new cladding and guttering freshened up
the look of the school. New blinds were purchased outside Classes 1,3 & 4. With the support
and money fundraised, the court area outside Classes 5 and 6 was resurfaced and
rejuvenated as a playspace for older students and classes. A very successful working bee in
October helped to complete the campfire area, mulch garden beds and build a retaining
wall alongside the court.
Lobethal Primary School Annual Report 2015
Page 2
1 About Our School
Lobethal PS is a small outer metropolitan school situated in the Adelaide Hills township of
Lobethal. Lobethal is located 35 km south east from Adelaide. The school is situated in a very
picturesque area, with an attractive and productive school garden surrounding the
buildings.
1.1. Student Enrolment
The school started 2015 with an enrolment of 155 students in 6 classes, with student numbers
at 147 by the end of the year. Enrolments have increased significantly in the past four years,
as the school is a preferred choice of families attending the Lobethal Community
Kindergarten and the families are moving into the area from the city. With the First Day
initiative, we commenced the school year with 20 Reception students. The student
enrolment is generally stable, with low numbers of students transferring in and out of the
school during the year.
Students who attend Lobethal PS come from within the Lobethal township and outlying
properties, including Mt Torrens, Harrogate and Cudlee Creek. Housing in Lobethal is
affordable for young families and accessible to northern parts of Adelaide for employment.
The township is experiencing a shift to include more people moving from interstate and
Adelaide suburbs. We anticipate enrolments to continue to increase at a steady rate, which
has implications for the capacity of the school to accommodate the increased enrolments.
A number of transient families transferred their children in and out of the school during the
year, which is an issue new to the school. The school continues to support the learning for
students who have English as a second Language or Dialect . Students are supported both
in class and in small groups to develop their reading fluency and comprehension of English
spoken and written language.
2. Highlights of 2015
Staff and students identified a range of learning highlights throughout the year. They include
the following opportunities:
2.1. Nepabunna Adnyamathanha Yarta
Camp
45 students from Years 5-7 participated in a 5 day
camp to Nepabunna Aboriginal Community in
August 2015. 10 adults, including teachers and
parents joined the camp. This was the 4th time the
school had conducted the camp and connected
with the community at Nepabunna since its
inception in 2009. The camp provide authentic
opportunities to visit, experience and learn about
local stories of significance, experience a different
landscape and hear different perspectives from the
Aboriginal elders and custodians of the Adnyamathanha
culture. The camp is a highly valued and respected
component of learning at Lobethal and we always have way
more volunteers put up their hand to come than needed. We
had to conduct a ballot to select parents to come along in
2015 as its popularity has grown.
Lobethal Primary School Annual Report 2015
Page 3
All students in Years 4-7 continued their learning at school
in Term 3 by researching topics that they wanted to know
more about, including bush foods and medicines,
Dreaming stories, shelters and changes that occurred for
Adnyamathanha people in their country. Their learning
culminated in an Aboriginal Cultural Studies Expo, for
families to see
student work
showcased
and
participate in cultural activities including a
smoking ceremony and Welcome to Country.
The Expo was a successful event and showcased
a high standard of students’ learning and thinking
for parents. Teachers from other schools within
our Partnership also viewed the Expo, as an
successful example of how involve students in
authentic personal projects.
In Term 3 we made a school wide commitment to the Cross Curriculum Priorities: Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures. Each class met and listened to Robin Cole
who shared artefacts and stories of the local Peramangk people. Students learnt more about
Dreaming stories, trading between Aboriginal groups and local flora and fauna that
Aboriginal people used.
2.2. Connecting the Arts for Learners
All R-7 students participated in weekly lessons focused on The Arts.
Specialist teachers taught Music and Visual Arts in Term 1. Steve
Gallagher was appointed in Term 2 to include Drama to the specialist
subjects on offer - Visual Arts, Music and PE. In Music, students made
cultural connections through singing,
movement, creating and playing
musical sequences and playing
different musical instruments. The
learning culminated in the school concert ‘Sea of Flags’ in
September, which celebrated and promoted the theme
of cultural diversity and tolerance.
The Instrumental Music Service moved their base to Lobethal PS
at the start of 2015 to grow their enrolments and provide a more
central base for the students enrolled in the lessons. This was an
exciting new addition to the Arts programme at Lobethal PS and
enabled more students in Years 5-7 to learn an instrument.
Students could choose to learn the clarinet, saxophone,
trumpet, trombone, drums or percussion. Students enjoyed
additional opportunities to learn an instrument with private Music
instructors or with our Band teacher Simon Gould. 45 students in
Years 4-7 formed the school choir who performed regularly at
school assemblies, events and at the annual Hills Music Festival hosted by Springhead
Lutheran School.
The school has fostered a community of learners where creativity and personal satisfaction is
able to flourish. Leaders and teachers' work is guided by the South Australian Teaching for
Effective Learning Framework and the Australian Curriculum v 8.0. The current Specialist
Lobethal Primary School Annual Report 2015
Page 4
programme provides authentic end points through concerts, exhibitions and group
feedback; connections to Literacy through learning and creating scripts, lyrics and designs;
and meaningful connections with the community. Songs and themes are chosen to link to
ethical understandings and values and promote tolerance and appreciation. For example
the music theme 'Sea of Flags' at the 2015 school concert promoted tolerance of
multicultural Australia, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander histories and culture, challenged
stereotypes and raised awareness.
2.3. Learning and Growing Outdoors
In 2015 every student in Years 1-7 had the opportunity to attend a camp or sleepover. Strong
links were made to outdoor environments including Para Wirra, Lobethal Bushland Park,
Adelaide Zoo and Nepabunna. All students participated in weekly gardening lessons in
Terms 1 and 4 and fortnightly in cooler seasons in Terms 2 and 3. We continue to receive
strong support from volunteers who support the gardening lessons and Monday Munchies
programme, which uses the produce from the garden to create healthy lunch meals for
students and staff each Monday.
2.4. Honouring Briony Klingberg
The school community was saddened by the sudden
passing of one of our students, Briony Klingberg on 18th
January 2015, prior to the new school year starting.
Briony and her family were treasured and respected
members of both the Lobethal Kindergarten and
Lobethal Primary School communities. Staff, students
and parents of both locations came together to
contribute to the planning and hosting of Briony’s
funeral. Students who wanted to be involved, planned
a memorial service at the school, in honour of Briony. We came together to remember Briony
in stories, songs and photos and were moved by the theme of “The memory of you will shine
on” with beautiful lanterns made by each student shining in the dark. The forum group
worked together again to organise a Cupcake Day on Briony’s
birthday September 8th. Money raised from the sale of the
cupcakes was used to purchase a special ‘friendship’ couch for
the library and books with a friendship theme. It was deeply
moving to see how the community came together to support
each other and Briony’s family in their grief and for students to
demonstrate what it means to be considerate and kind in both
thoughts and actions.
Lobethal Primary School Annual Report 2015
Page 5
3. Site Learning Plan: Our Priorities for Improvement
“Working together to support and embed growth mindsets for all learners”
3.1. Site Priority 1: Build Powerful Learners
A coherent and consistent whole school approach to co-creating learning with students for
increased challenge and personal satisfaction.
To target intervention for students and develop personalised goals that focus on progress
Priorities in 2015:
Teachers engaged in exploring 21st Century learning as part of a whole school inquiry
linked to student engagement.
Teachers engaged in professional learning, conversations and work that supports
developing each student as a powerful learner.
Teachers identifying and using effective strategies that support students with sensory
needs and ASD.
Staff are recording effective short term goals with and for students.
Targets:
All teachers are able to identify short term primary goals for students with disabilities and
review goals at least once a term.
100% of class teachers participate in the inquiry evolved from their exploratory questions
and share at our site and with the Torrens Valley Partnership
Outcomes:
All teachers did complete an inquiry in to strategies to co-create learning and improve
personal projects. The teaching teams shared with colleagues at a combined staff meeting
in Term 2. Teachers from other schools also came to view the Student Learning Expo
showcasing students’ learning about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders,
Teachers met with Kathy Kleinschmidt Special Educator to learn more about setting SMART
goals and writing effective goals for students. This work proved to be difficult and teachers
and support staff have requested more time to master this work.
Proposals for 2016:
Class teachers and support staff to complete further workshops with Special Educator
focused on setting realistic short term goals.
Teachers and parents to work together to negotiate learning plans for Students with
Disabilities.
Staff to continue learning together with colleagues in the Torrens Valley Partnership,
maintaining their focus on building powerful learners, building growth mindsets and
designing challenging tasks.
3.2. Site Priority 2: Stronger readers and writers
Priorities in 2015:
Maintain and improve Wave 2 intervention programmes including Read Up & Literacy
Pro.
Regularly monitor student progress and provide feedback in reading using Running
Records.
Matching students to appropriate texts using Literacy Pro for Year 3-7 students.
Develop teacher expertise in teaching writing.
Lobethal Primary School Annual Report 2015
Page 6
Targets:
Increased numbers of students in R-2 meeting Standards of Education Achievement
levels by September 2015.
All students Years 3-7 demonstrate at least 12 months expected growth from 2014 to 2015
in PAT Reading scores.
Outcomes:
The ‘Literacy Pro’ programme was used more extensively with students in Years 3-7 in
2015. By the end of the year, 4 students remained at Beginner Reading level. These
students were supported by SSOs in weekly small group sessions.
Reading Recovery levels were used by all teachers R-3 to measure progress. ( see
Running records results page 6 for further information)
All staff implemented strategies and resources from ‘Seven Steps to Writing Success’
workshop.
Proposals for 2016:
Based on our NAPLAN results and numbers of students making low progress with reading
comprehension, it is important that reading and writing continue as a strong priority for
improvement in 2016-2017. Based on strong indicators of success in classes implementing
Speech, Sound, Pics (SSP) programme for phonemic knowledge and the Daily 5, class
teachers will be involved in further learning and sharing to embed effective strategies across
the school.
3.3. Site Priority 3: Differentiating Maths challenges
Priorities in 2015:
Explicit teaching via grouping for purpose in Maths including master classes, focus
groups, intervention, Quickthink Maths).
Teachers using a problem based pedagogy that supports students to use and develop
their skills to problem solve and reason.
Students are given opportunities to rehearse numeracy skills and develop automaticity
through Quickthink Maths, Quicksmart and fluency focused learning sessions.
Three teachers to attend the Torrens Valley Maths workshops with Mike Chartres to
deepen their understanding of Maths teaching and develop their practice.
Targets:
All students in Years 3-7 demonstrate at least 12 months expected growth from 2014 to
2015 in PAT Maths scores. ( see Appendix PAT M results 2015)
90% of students participating in the Quicksmart programme complete the programme
and graduate after 40 weeks or less.
Outcomes:
PAT Maths results indicate that the majority of students are making appropriate progress
in 12 months.
Out of the 16 Quicksmart students in the programme, 7 graduated at the end of 2015.
We did not achieve the desired target of 90%. A significant factor in this low graduation
rate was attributed to lack of school attendance by the students. It must also be
acknowledged that students enrolled in the Quicksmart programme generally have low
Stanine levels.
Lobethal Primary School Annual Report 2015
Page 7
Proposals for 2016:
Maths will continue to be a priority in 2016. Our NAPLAN results and PATM results indicate we
have not been consistently meeting the DEDC benchmarks for the past 2 years and we need
to improve the numbers of students making middle to upper levels of progress.
More teachers will be involved in professional learning focused on problem-based instruction
and understanding how to teach for deeper mathematical understanding.
Teachers will complete the course “How to Learn Maths” and all Year 6 and 7 students will
complete the student course in 2016.
4. Early Years Literacy and Numeracy Plan
All additional Early Years and Better Schools funding has been channelled to support our
intervention programmes. Read Up, Quicksmart and our English as a Second Language
support programmes have continued to lead our intervention.
Funding has been used to employ an SSO 2 as an Intervention Officer. Her role is to
coordinate the support programs, in consultation with the Principal. In consultation with the
Principal, a comprehensive process for staff has been outlined to guide families and students
to access intervention or assessment. It includes a pre-referral process, teacher planning
support, access to our internal support structure and referral to external assessment.
This new process supports staff and students to access a range of short term options and
investigate learning needs and strategies prior to moving through to higher level support or
referral.
Early Years class numbers were low ( 20-23) and each class teacher was supported with SSO
time allocated to provide additional Literacy support in the classroom, in addition to time
allocated to run the Read Up programme for 18 students in Years 1-3.
4.1. Early Years Literacy Review
During 2015, DECD released new reading targets aimed at students reading new levels to be
measured each year in September EDSAS data collection period. These new levels were in
draft for most of 2015 and required us to review our reading targets and benchmarks to
identify students to join ‘Read Up’.
Running Records Results September 2015
Year level Previous Target New SEA Rarget
Reception Level 7 or above Level 5 or above
Year 1 Level 16 or above Level 15 or above
Year 2 Level 21 or above Level 21 or above
Graphs showing our results are shown on the following page.
Lobethal Primary School Annual Report 2015
Page 8
Year 1 Reading Levels Compared to State
Year 1 Reading Levels Compared to Disadvantage Category
Year 2 Reading Levels Compared to State
Year 2 Reading Levels Compared to Disadvantage Category
Lobethal Primary School Annual Report 2015
Page 9
We aimed for the following results in 2015 : 90% of students in R-3 to achieve the targets in
September. Based on the new targets set, our results for 2015 were pleasing but we have
specific work to do for students in Years 2 and 3. We recognise that Read Up is a highly
successful programme that helps students reach appropriate reading levels by the end of
Year 1 and 2, but there is a slowing down of progress for older students.
‘Literacy Pro’ support targeted students who remain at Beginner level in Years 3 and 4 by
providing small group SSO support to read with an adult, answer questions about the text
with support and to comprehend the text at a more sophisticated level. The funding
supported 7 students in 2015.
Better Schools Funding was used in 2015 to supplement funding for class support programs
and to employ an additional SSO with a focus on supporting students with social/ emotional
difficulties and ASD through the implementation of “What’s the Buzz?” sessions with small
groups. This was a new strategy for 2015. We funded the training of two SSOs and purchased
resources used in the programme.
5. Student Achievement
5.1. PAT Testing
During September 2015, all students in Years 3-7 undertook the annual on-line tests including
PAT Maths, PAT Comprehension, PAT Vocabulary and Spelling tests. We moved from paper
testing to on-line computer testing in 2015. Data has been collected and collated for
teachers to determine progress made by individuals. We have been able to compare our
data from 2012 to this year, allowing us to measure annual growth. (see Appendix : PAT M
and PAT R results summary)
Our intervention strategies are highly successful and result in many students either making
significant progress, accessing appropriate support or have led to an undiagnosed issue
being identified for external assessment, leading to ongoing DECD funding.
Our Read Up programme has now been adopted by approximately 12 schools and is having
impact from the southern suburbs of Adelaide through to Port Augusta. This is a fantastic
endorsement of the programme, its integrity and its application to a wide range of students.
Quicksmart 2015
16 students in Years 5-7 participated in the Quicksmart programme in 2015. The programme
aims to develop students’ automaticity when calculating and problem solving using
addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. The programme works on redeveloping
neural pathways in the brain. Students are identified based on their PAT Maths Stanine score
obtained in November 2014. Each identified student worked on an intensive 30 minute
programme three times a week, working with a partner on 5 tasks of 5 minutes for 30 weeks.
Results from the SiMERR National Research Centre who oversee the national results, indicate
we have achieved an effect size of 2.13 in 30 weeks (an effect size of 0.8 is considered high
growth in one year)
Read Up 2015
18 Year 1 and 2 students attended Read Up sessions in 2015. Students were identified if they
failed to reach running record benchmarks at the end of 2014. Students attend an intensive
30 minute programme three times a week with a partner. The paired activities include recall
of sight words, reading an text aloud at an easy level then reading a text at instructional
level to gain ‘reading stretch’ and challenge and a word recognition game. Results indicate
the significant benefits for the students who participate, as many achieve appropriate year
level benchmarks at the end of the year and are ‘back in the main game’ with their peers,
reading and comprehending books appropriate to their age level.
Lobethal Primary School Annual Report 2015
Page 10
5.2. NAPLAN 2015
Each year in May, our students in Years 3, 5 and 7 sit the National Literacy and Numeracy
tests. Here is a summary our results for 2015:
The Year 5 group showed improved or similar results from 2013 across all areas.
38% of students in Year 5 demonstrated upper band progress in Numeracy (expected
25%) since Year 3.
All year levels improved their previous years’ results in Numeracy. This demonstrates the
consistent focus the school has maintained on problem-based approaches to Numeracy
in the past few years.
Students in Years 5 and 7 achieved improved results in Reading and Writing.
33.3 % of students in Year 7 demonstrated upper band progress in Reading since Year 3
(expected 25%) since Year 5.
Students in Years 3-5 need support to make higher levels of progress in Reading.
Students in Years 5-7 need support to make higher levels of progress in Numeracy and
Reading.
Our Year 3 results in 2015 were lower as we had a higher than usual number of students
withdrawn from testing by parents, which has a negative result on the overall
achievement levels.
Year 3 mean
Year 5 mean
Year 7 mean
Numeracy State mean
382.8
477.7
537.9
Numeracy School score
373
474.1
531.5
Reading State mean
416.0
487.9
541
Reading School score
394
482.2
544.2
Spelling State mean
401.8
498.6
540.8
Spelling School score
379.9
485
526.2
Grammar & Punc State mean
416.3
491.5
534.6
Grammar & Punc School score
407.1
478.9
515.8
Writing State mean
398.9
463.4
509.3
Writing School score
384.3
384.3
499.1
Above the
State mean
Significantly
below
Lobethal Primary School Annual Report 2015
Page 11
Year 3 NAPLAN Mean Scores
Year 5 NAPLAN Mean Scores
Growth Years 3-5
NAPLAN School Growth: Year 3-5
Mean Scores by Test Aspect
Year 3
2013 2014 2015
Numeracy 355.4 367.8 373.3
Reading 418.9 396.9 394.4
Writing 407.2 357.6 384.3
Spelling 415.4 392.3 379.9
Grammar 409.6 389.3 407.1
Improved
results
Mean Scores by Test Aspect
Year 5
2013 2014 2015
Numeracy 477.2 449.4 474.1
Reading 482.8 478.5 482.2
Writing 458.0 431.8 456.5
Spelling 487.0 471.5 485.0
Grammar 446.0 503.1 478.9
Lobethal Primary School Annual Report 2015
Page 12
Year 7 NAPLAN Mean Scores
Growth Years 5-7
NAPLAN School Growth: Year 5-7
Mean Scores by Test Aspect
Year 7
2013 2014 2015
Numeracy 539.2 496.9 531.5
Reading 538.7 528.3 544.2
Writing 524.0 496.4 499.1
Spelling 554.2 513.0 526.2
Grammar 532.2 508.7 515.8
Improved
results
Lobethal Primary School Annual Report 2015
Page 13
6. Our Students
6.1. Attendance
Attendance by Year Level
% Attendance
2013 2014 2015
Reception 93.3 93.1 92.2
Year 1 93.7 95.8 91.5
Year 2 96.3 95.1 89.0
Year 3 95.6 95.1 91.3
Year 4 95.2 96.9 92.9
Year 5 95.2 94.2 92.6
Year 6 95.5 95.6 93.2
Year 7 95.0 95.0 91.9
Total All Year Levels 95.0 95.2 91.8
Total ACARA 1 TO 10 95.2 95.5 91.7
The Principal and Counsellor reviewed records of attendance data at end of each term so
attendance concerns could be addressed promptly. Letters were sent home to individual
families from the Principal if it was noted their child had a high level of absenteeism and
parents were asked to meet with the class teacher to determine a plan of action. Each term
the Counsellor gives incentive awards for students achieving 100% attendance. All students
who had unexplained absences were asked for explanations from parents/caregivers.
Teachers have an agreed system of notes to send home and this was used consistently in
2015.
We noted that attendance dipped across the school in all year levels in 2015, due to the
increasing number of families applying for exemptions to take holidays in term time and a
higher than usual number of transient students during 2015 who enrolled at the school but did
not attend regularly. In a small school, this had a significant impact on our attendance data
particularly in Years R, 2 and 3.
In Term 3, we trialled a new text message service for parents called Tiqbiz. The service
enables parents to text information to the school if their child will be absent or late. Initial
feedback was positive and parents who used the service reported the service was easy to
use. Tiqbiz will be fully implemented in 2016 as the key means of communication.
Attendance and engagement will be focus in 2016.
Lobethal Primary School Annual Report 2015
Page 14
6.2. Destination
Intended Destination
Leave Reason 2014
School Index DECD
No % % %
Employment 3.5% 2.9%
Interstate/Overseas 1 3.7% 10.5% 9.5%
Other 0.5% 1.4%
Seeking Employment 4.1% 3.8%
Tertiary/TAFE/Training 4.0% 3.6%
Transfer to Non-Govt Schl 4 14.8% 9.8% 9.8%
Transfer to SA Govt Schl 22 81.5% 46.0% 48.8%
Unknown 21.6% 20.3%
Unknown (TG - Not Found) 0.0%
Our destination data indicates the majority of our students transfer for Year 8 or to go to
another primary school chose DECD Government Schools. A small proportion of students
who left during 2015 chose local non-government religious schools.
Lobethal Primary School Annual Report 2015
Page 15
7. Anti-Bullying and Harassment/Behaviour
Strong focus on Lobethal’s Code of Conduct and values as well as classes inducted on the
school’s Grievance Procedures with School Counsellor.
Restorative Justice Practices are used and both victim and perpetrators. Students are
counselled and spend time talking about incidents and finding agreed upon resolutions. A
reflection sheet in used for students in Time-Out to reflect, think about and record Green
Thinking (Good Choices) and Red Thinking (Poor Behaviour Choices).
Provision of lunch-time clubs for students needing alternative to yard play, include Pokemon
and Basketball clubs.
Most incidents are managed at classroom level or by teacher on yard duty. Office Time-Outs
are generally only used after Reminders or Buddy Class have been used or for some extreme
cases.
Time-Out Incidents
Time-Outs in Office Area with Principal or Counsellor 64
Internal Suspensions 2
Take Homes 1
Suspensions 0
Exclusions 0
Out of 153 students Total Incidents = 67
Total Students Involved in incidents = 29 Students (18.95 %) Boys = 25(16%) Girls = 4 (2.95%)
Behaviour by Category
Not Following
Protocols/School Code
of Conduct
Repeated In-
appropriate Choices=
Step System
Interfering with Rights
of Students to
Learn/Teacher to
Teach
Threatening Safety/
Well-being of Others
Boys = 10 Boys = 3 Boys= 3 Boys = 44
Girls = 3 Girls = 1 Girls= 2 Girls = 1
Total = 13 Total = 4 Total = 5 Total = 45
Lobethal Primary School Annual Report 2015
Page 16
8. We Value Your Opinion: Parent and Student Opinion Survey
Opinion surveys were conducted with parents, students and staff during the final weeks of
Term 4 2015. We received responses from 25 online responses from parents which represents
approx. 25 % of our families. 83 students from years 3-7 participated and 96.5% of our
primary student cohort completed the survey. All staff were asked to complete the survey.
12 responded which represents approx. 90 % of our total staff.
We included the following additional questions in all 3 surveys
What does Lobethal PS do well?
What does Lobethal PS need to keep doing?
What should Lobethal PS stop doing?
What should Lobethal PS start doing?
8.1. Parent Opinion Survey
Responses from families were generally affirming and constructive.
Lobethal Primary School Annual Report 2015
Page 17
Comments included
‘’I have really pleased with the support and open communication regarding my son and his
learning difficulties, as well as the kindness and consideration he is shown by all staff. It is also
nice to hear the feedback about his strengths as well. This is so important for both his moral
and mine.’’
“Lobethal Primary is a family friendly school. It provides children a nurturing, safe environment
making them feel important and special.”
“I think it would be good to more specifically focus on behavioural issues with the kids,
particularly around being kind, not excluding, standing up for others, etc. I know that some of
this is being done but there can be some quite toxic situations with some kids, and a whole of
school approach would be good. The buddy programme that was in place a few years ago
seemed to work really well to make kids feel welcome but also to connect them across the
age groups and demonstrate value for kindness, generosity, caring, etc. I'm sure there are
lots of programs around for this.”
Lobethal Primary School Annual Report 2015
Page 18
Our strengths include
The feedback we provide parents about their child.
Our approachable and supportive staff.
Students enjoy being at school.
Areas for us to develop based on parent opinions include
Improving feedback and communication with families
A more consistent and effective approach to dealing with disruptive student behaviour.
Monitoring and sharing progress of students with their parents.
Limited parking
Inconsistent approaches to homework across classes.
8.2. Student Opinion Survey
The student responses were mixed but mostly positive about their experiences and learning
at Lobethal PS.
Lobethal Primary School Annual Report 2015
Page 19
Comments included:
“More time with older kids”
“Have the yard and classrooms cleaner. Have the right equipment before you start the
topic. If there are opportunities let the student take part in them, be a part of it.”
“Lobethal PS does well in PE, Music, Art and Drama as well as fun activities like Sports Day
and art exhibitions and choir.”
“Lobethal PS does well at giving students some independence.”
“Lobethal PS does well at giving feedback and understanding students.”
Staff and student responses were consistent in a number of aspects.
Our strengths:
Treating students fairly.
Students like attending school at Lobethal PS.
Lobethal PS looks for ways to improve.
Areas for us to develop
Attend to disruptive behaviour more consistently and clearly set expectations.
Value the opinions of students more highly and often.
Share with students the progress they made.
Lobethal Primary School Annual Report 2015
Page 20
The survey responses provide evidence and basis for improvements in key areas across the
school. They include
Student behaviour expectations and positive learning culture.
Communicating with our parents openly.
Assessment and feedback for all learners.
Developing a collaborative culture where staff feel valued and receive useful feedback
about their work. My School website http://www.myschool.edu.au/
9. Our Volunteers
An audit conducted early in 2015 indicated we were following the necessary procedures
and had fully compliant record keeping of volunteers and staff working at Lobethal PS. An
SSO is assigned the role of overseeing and updating records each term. We updated our
sign in sheets and volunteers are now required to sign in at the front office and wear a
badge to clearly identify themselves.
9.1. Volunteer Training – Responding to Abuse and Neglect.
Tracey Constable (School Counsellor) and Toni Burford ran afternoon and evening Volunteer
Workshops on site for 26 of our volunteers covering Responding to Abuse and Neglect
Training, Education and Care: Induction for Volunteers. We also covered Work, Health and
Safety and general information about the Roles and Responsibilities of being a volunteer
here at Lobethal Primary School.
Records and copies of Certificates of the volunteers who have completed the training are
recorded and kept updated, along with Criminal History Checks.
10. Our staff
The leadership team included the Primary School Counsellor 0.2 Tracey Constable who was
appointed from Term 2. The staff team for 2015 included 6 class teachers, 3 specialist NIT
teachers, 5 SSOs in administration and support programs, our Gardening specialist Lucy Cahill
and Groundsperson.
Welcome 2015 The school also welcomed Beck Reeves and Steve Gallagher to the teaching
team.
Thank you to Liz Needle for her contributions to the school as a long term teacher and
supporter of the school. Liz taught PE in Terms 1-3 in 2015 and shared her expertise throughout
the year with staff new to Lobethal PS.
Congratulations to Lizzie Ellis who won a permanent position at our school during 2015, ready
for the 2016 school year.
SSOs We welcomed Amie Teagle back as part of the Student Support Team. Pamela Morley
left to take on a new role as Chaplain at the end of Term 1 2015.
10.1. Teacher Qualifications
Lobethal Primary School Annual Report 2015
Page 21
All teachers at this school are qualified and registered with the SA Teachers Registration
Board.
Qualification Level Number of
Qualifications
Bachelor Degrees or Diplomas 16
Post Graduate Qualifications 2
Please note: Staff that have more than 1 qualification will be counted more than once in the above qualification table. Therefore the total number of staff by qualification type may be more than the total number of teaching staff.
10.2. Workforce Composition including Indigenous staff
Workforce Composition Teaching Staff Non-Teaching Staff
Indigenous Non Indigenous Indigenous Non Indigenous
Full-time Equivalents 0 8 0 4.36
Persons 0 8 0 7
11. FINANCIAL STATEMENT
11.1. Income by Funding Source
Funding Source Amount
1 Grants: State 1,394,303.28
2 Grants: Commonwealth 2,800.00
3 Parent Contributions 62,732.76
4 Other 27,335.22
Lobethal Primary School Annual Report 2015 – Appendix A
A1
Appendix A : GOVERNING COUNCIL REPORT
Lobethal Primary School Annual Report 2015 – Appendix A
A2
AGM
1st March 2016
LOBEHAL PRIMARY SCHOOL GOVERNING COUNCIL
CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT
Welcome everybody & thank you for coming.
For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Rebecca Harrison & I was
nominated as chairperson of the Lobethal Primary School governing council for
2015. My daughter Nadia is in year 6, I have a son, Caleb who is in year 9 at
Birdwood High & a 4 year old daughter, Keira. Last year was my 6th year on
Governing Council & my second year as Chairperson.
As a full time working parent I have found that Governing Council has given me an
excellent opportunity to become involved with school decisions that have an
impact on my child’s school experiences. In the past 12 months our council has
been involved with the resurfacing of the courts behind classes 5 & 6, supporting the
school in it’s goal to develop a growth mindset with our students and we have seen
and trialed the new parent communication tool, Tiqbiz. Developing the viability and
ongoing succession planning for our OSHC service has also been a major focus for
our council in the past 12 months.
For the past year we have had a fantastic group of parents on our governing
council, your help is much appreciated & I thank you for your commitment. Our
fundraising committee has been working extremely hard with various fundraisers
throughout the year, the bingo night that was held in October was a huge success &
I wish to thank the members of the fundraising committee for their commitment in
raising funds for our school.
Governing council plays an integral role in the Principal recruitment process and last
year saw us appoint Toni Burford as the Lobethal Primary School Principal for a
further 5 years. We wish her well in this position & look forward to the long term
direction that her expertise can bring to the school.
I would like to encourage anybody who thinks they would like to become more
involved with their child’s school to nominate for our governing council. We meet
once a month on the first Tuesday evening of the month unless it is school holidays.
The contribution of your time to our council would be very much appreciated & all
parents & caregivers are welcome to nominate.
Thank you
Rebecca Harrison
Lobethal Primary School Annual Report 2015 – Appendix B
B1
APPENDIX B - Primary Australian Curriculum Coordinator Report
Leonie Feutrill
Lobethal Primary School Annual Report 2015 – Appendix B
B2
Coordinator, Primary Australian Curriculum – Report - 2015 – Leonie Feutrill
The Coordinator role
The Coordinator position is part of a deliberate strategy to build broader leadership capacity
for curriculum and pedagogy in primary schools. The Coordinator works collaboratively with
the Primary Australian Curriculum Implementation Officer (PACIO –Carly Feegrade), and
Principals from the Partnership, to ensure the successful implementation of the Australian
Curriculum and the Teaching for Effective Learning framework. The Coordinator also plays a
vital role in working directly with teachers to take the AC and TfEL into the classroom.
A major part of the role is to facilitate teacher professional learning, including the
establishment and maintenance of professional learning communities. It is also to improve
teacher knowledge of and access to key professional resources such as SCOOTLE, ‘Leading
Learning: Making the Australian Curriculum work for us’ and the Aboriginal Cultural Studies
resource.
The following is a snapshot of the activities undertaken in 2015.
Combined Pupil Free Days
Day 1 - 21st Century Teaching and Learning
Feedback from the second combined pupil free day in 2014 indicated strong support for
continuing to engage with 21st Century learning ideas. Consequently, a combined Pupil Free
Day for 12 sites including 4 preschools/kindies in the Partnership was organised for March 6th
in the Exhibition Centre, Birdwood HS. This involved negotiating with Steve Hicks around the
focus for the day - ‘Design thinking and Rapid prototyping to continue our work engaging
21st Century Teaching and Learning’. We continued with the process of working with our
own exploratory questions, as facilitated by Steve. This day also led to 2 further combined
staff meetings, where sites and groups within sites, further developed and shared their work
around their exploratory questions.
Day 2 – Digital Technologies
Canvassing Principals from the Partnership and checking through an AC implementation
audit, it was agreed to have some input around the Digital Technologies subject. We were
able to secure the Digital Team from head office to facilitate the day -Australian Curriculum:
Digital Technologies
This day held on 27th April, included an update on the implementation of the Australian
Curriculum and a key note from the Digital Learning Team.
3 breakout sessions were available, and teachers had the opportunity to choose 2 of these.
Lobethal Primary School Annual Report 2015 – Appendix B
B3
Computational thinking for Reception to Year 4
Programming a ‘Choose your own adventure’ story
Exploring the big ideas in Year 5-7 Digital Technologies
More learning around this area is targeted for 2016.
Day 3 -7 Steps to Writing Success
On the recommendation of Lyndsey Martin, who had identified writing as an area for
improvement, we decided to hold a combined PFD on the ‘7 Steps to Writing Success’. This
PD day outlined the 7 strategies that assist students in improving their writing in all text types,
and which are claimed to improve NAPLAN writing scores by 1-2 levels in less than a year.
Funding was sought from the Partnership to support this PD, and 7 of the 8 primary sites
attended the day on Monday 20th July, 2015.
Feedback from this day indicated high levels of engagement with participants reporting they
found it practical, helpful, interesting, informative, interactive, energising, inspiring, relevant,
empowering and useful! There has been much visible evidence of the impact of this day on
classroom practice across the Partnership, and a follow-up Twilight session illustrated some of
the innovative ways teachers are successfully implementing the strategies. The work of the 2
Literacy Coaches at Birdwood has been identified as an integral part of the success of this
program, and is worth exploring further in 2016.
Twilight Sessions
A comprehensive series of Twilight Sessions was delivered over the year with programs
offered for Term 2 (6 sessions), Term 3 (6 sessions) and Term 4 (6 sessions). Presenters were
chosen from a broad range and included teachers with expertise from within our partnership,
and other partnerships, educational consultants, our PACIO and myself.
These sessions involved collaborating with colleagues and others involved in professional
learning regarding the proposed program, and organising session times, dates and the
venue. Afternoon tea, certificates, resources were supplied or shared, and feedback was
gathered and collated and used for future planning.
Attendance at sessions averaged around 15 -20 participants, with around 45 – 50 attending
the sessions with Martin Westwell. All schools and preschools in the Partnership, and many
TRTs were invited. Feedback from sessions indicated participants found them an excellent
opportunity to network and learn with colleagues from across the Partnership.
Topics included learning in the following areas:
Using Digital resources – ‘Making iMovies on iPads’ (2 sessions)
Aboriginal Cultural Studies - Resource, Moodle and ‘Using Aboriginal Dreaming
Stories’
Australian Curriculum: Design and Technology, Economics and Business, and Civics
and Citizenship learning areas
Lobethal Primary School Annual Report 2015 – Appendix B
B4
Connected curriculum/Integration – ‘Building Bridges – exploring the Come Out
theme across curriculum’ and ‘History meets Technology’
Executive Functions with Martin Westwell (2 sessions)
Pedagogy and TfEL. – Growth Mindset, ‘Communities of Inquiry’ and ‘Hand, Heart,
Mind Expo’
Literacy – 7 Steps to Writing Success sharing session
Numeracy – Maths games and challenges
Professional Learning Communities
Professional learning communities this year have moved from having a content focus, to
exploring our pedagogical practices, and the impact on student engagement and learning.
This has led to powerful changes in our thinking, and approaches to planning and
implementing programs. This year both Woodside and Lobethal participated in our
Partnership PLCs.
Mike Chartres Maths PLC
After receiving very positive feedback from participants in 2014, we chose to re-apply to be
part of the Mathematician in Action program with Mike Chartres in 2015. We were successful
and so ran this again as a 4th PLC. This gave teachers the opportunity to work collaboratively
for the equivalent of 3 days, within the Partnership with an experienced mathematician to
design learning with the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics. This year we specifically
worked on number, chance, probability, statistics and data. 15 Educators from all year levels
participated and feedback provided in the final session indicated participants were highly
engaged with this learning. They said:
I…’make sure students have challenging tasks which really test mathematical
thinking’
Give ‘multiple entry points with tasks, and a range of activities to develop thinking’
‘trying different ways to explore topics so students engaged’
‘More confidence in using a bigger range of resources and materials’
It has challenged me to broaden my ideas’
‘the power of investigation time with learning’
‘I do a lot more sharing now, especially around strategies and thinking’
‘my teaching is more sequential, hands-on, child directed and I am more confident’
‘the importance of making connections between curriculum areas when teaching
maths’
Negotiations are currently underway exploring possibilities of working with Mike in 2016.
Early years - Play based learning PLC –
It was agreed by the Partnership to fund the participation of our preschool teachers in PLCs
this year. We decided on a Play based learning focus, exploring aspects of Walker Learning
Investigations Nature and Outdoor play, Reggio Emilia and included visits to multiple sites,
including Recreate at Mt Pleasant. 12 Educators participated in this PLC and members
enjoyed the opportunity to get to know each other and sites, the documents used such as
Lobethal Primary School Annual Report 2015 – Appendix B
B5
EYLF, RRR and Learning Dispositions resource and to be able to learn together to ensure
continuity of learning from preschool to school.
Building learning Power PLC
20 educators across R-7 joined this PLC to explore building learning power based on the work
of Guy Claxton. Areas explored included the 4 R’s -resilience, reciprocity, reflectiveness,
resourcefulness, growth mindset, the learning pit and productive struggle, the power of yet,
and the Irish Assessment for Learning document. Many ideas were trialled and shared, and
even small changes in practice resulted in positive outcomes for students, which were
highlighted during the sessions.
Project based learning PLC
5 Educators from middle and upper primary chose Project Based Learning as their focus for
2015. With input from Steve Hicks and the Learning Frontiers work, and exploring many other
resources, including those from High tech High, Expeditionary Learning, the Buck Institute and
Innovation Unit, teachers planned and trialled REAL projects with their students around a
variety of topics. These included Cows Create careers, Science as a Human Endeavour focus
on advancements in science, Individual science projects, Sustainability, and Reduce, Reuse,
Recycle. We had the opportunity to view exhibitions of student projects at different sites, as
well as hear about the impact on learner engagement during project work.
A joint celebration for PLCs was organised for Term 4, where each group had the opportunity
to share their learning journey this year. There was an opportunity to discuss possibilities for
2016.
Planning with teachers
Individual or group planning sessions took place at the following sites
Lobethal – all teachers around Aboriginal Cultural Studies
Gumeracha,– early career teacher
Mt Pleasant – 2 teachers
Birdwood – multiple teachers
Planning could incorporate - programming support, documenting planning formats,
mapping curriculum including CCPs and GCs, keeping it simple and manageable,
integrated topics based units, linking assessment with Achievement Standards, and
recording same, sourcing, supplying and sharing resources, use of digital resources Scootle,
ACS Moodle etc.
Scientist in Residence Program – Science as a Human Endeavour Program
This involved several half or full day meetings with three teachers to explore ideas around
planning for Science learning from ‘Science as a Human Endeavour’ starting point.
Jye (Year 5/6) - Physics topic of Light and Chemistry topic of Recycling
Kerry (Year 1/2) – Physics - International Year of Light Unit
De-arne (Year 2/3) – Physics – simple machines incorporating Design and Technology
Improved resource collections
Lobethal Primary School Annual Report 2015 – Appendix B
B6
This year I worked with Woodside, Birdwood and Springton on reorganising Science
equipment, and with Gumeracha on Maths equipment. This involved purchasing new
storage boxes and sorting, labelling and auditing equipment. Recommendations were
made around where gaps exist and possible suppliers suggested.
Recommendations for 2015
Planning has commenced around combined Pupil Free Days for next year. Feedback from
PLCs has been positive and has indicated the majority of participants wish to continue
exploration in their current learning area. The PLCs have resulted in the deprivatising and
sharing of practice, with members who inspire and encourage each other’s learning. Twilight
sessions have also been planned for next year, following increased attendance and the
positive response this year.
‘Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the
world….’ Margaret Wheatley
Leonie Feutrill
Coordinator Primary Australian Curriculum/Results Plus
Lobethal Primary School Annual Report 2015 – Appendix C
C1
APPENDIX C : PAT Maths and PAT R results 2015
Lobethal Primary School Annual Report 2015 – Appendix C
C2
PAT Maths Results
PAT-R Comprehension Results
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