School plan 2018-2020Anson Street School 5625

Printed on: 21 March, 2018Page 1 of 6 Anson Street School 5625 (2018-2020)

School background 2018–2020

School vision statement

School context

School planning process

We aspire for our students to achieve independence through learning by connecting with and enriching our school community.

Anson Street School is a School for Special Purposes that caters for students across Kindergarten to Year 12 with diverse and specific needs. We accommodate students with physical and intellectual disabilities, poor mental health or challenging behaviours. 

The philosophy that all students can learn and succeed underpins the practice of all professionals in our context. Highly trained and passionate teaching staff provide all students with access to a high quality, student–centred educational experience. We offer flexible, meaningful learning programs based on both Mainstream and Life Skills Curricula. For secondary students, this includes the opportunity to study electives, undertake work experience in fields of personal interest and access alternative pathways for the achievement of HSC qualification. Specialist services such as speech pathology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and counselling further optimise learning for students who require additional communication, motor, sensory, social and emotional support.

The Orange Learning Centre (OLC) is managed by Anson Street School and is accessed by various local primary and secondary schools. The Centre adopts a transitional model, providing short–term individualised behavioural and emotional support for students exhibiting challenging behaviours. The Return to School Program (RTSP) is also managed by Anson Street School and accommodates students who are currently suspended and wanting to stay connected with their learning.

The school is purpose–built with full wheelchair accessibility. Specialist spaces within the school include sensory gym and playground, hydrotherapy, a gymnasium, café, library, a hall, COLAs and a variety of outdoor play areas. Our on–site farm is used for the delivery of viticulture, horticulture and agricultural technology studies; all of which aim to foster a collective school interest in creating sustainable futures.  Our students are active and engaged citizens who frequently participate inextra–curricular activities such as RDA, sailing, sporting opportunities and excursions.

The school consulted with students and the community through forums and surveys to ascertain the directions for the next three years. Staff then participated in workshops to revise the school vision, context, values and from this developed three strategic directions and the milestones that we will work on throughout 2018–2020.

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School strategic directions 2018–2020

STRATEGICDIRECTION 1

Connect and Belong: be yourbest self

STRATEGICDIRECTION 2

Be Curious: explore andcultivate wisdom

STRATEGICDIRECTION 3

Foster a growth mindset: bewilling to do things differently

Purpose:

To have a strategic and planned whole school wellbeingand positive education approach to ensure that studentsand staff take an active part in their own learning. Toprovide an environment that fosters a sense of belonging tosucceed in life and stay connected with home, school, andcommunity.

Purpose:

Critical and creative thinking are integral to activities thatrequire students to think broadly and deeply using skills,behaviours and dispositions such as curiosity, reason,logic, resourcefulness, imagination and innovation in alllearning areas at school and in their lives beyond school.

Purpose:

To foster a belief in yourself that permeates every part ofyour life to build a growth mindset and positively adapt tochange. To develop the resilience to persist and try newlearnings and experiences

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Strategic Direction 1: Connect and Belong: be your best self

Purpose

To have a strategic and planned wholeschool wellbeing and positive educationapproach to ensure that students and stafftake an active part in their own learning. Toprovide an environment that fosters asense of belonging to succeed in life andstay connected with home, school, andcommunity.

Improvement Measures

Identify the top 20% of students withattendance concerns relating to behaviourand mental health disorders and increasetheir attendance by 1% each year.

Increase all student's sense of belongingresulting in an improvement in emotionalregulation and increased empathy andtolerance towards others. 

100% of the school community contributeto communication networks leading toeffective two–way communication betweenhome and school.

People

Students

Students engage in lunch clubs, cognitivebehaviour therapy–based workshops,positive education initiatives focused onkindness, gratitude, hope and resilience tosucceed and thrive in learning.

Staff

Staff participate in innovative professionallearning to build deeper knowledge andunderstanding about trauma–informedpractice and the benefits of positiveeducation in regulating student dispositionin preparation for learning.

Leaders

Leaders continue to develop their expertiseand share knowledge with colleaguesthrough an instructional leadershipapproach, resulting in  a strong foundationfor deeper learning.

Parents/Carers

Parents and carers will increaseparticipation in social/emotional andlearning programs which will build capacityand understanding of school processesand how to best support their child.

Community Partners

Community partners better understand andengage with the work we are doing atschool to improve communicationand jointly share practices.

Processes

Deliver quality student–centred andself–regulated learning experiences.

School policies and practices, learningactivities and community building initiativeshave built a culture of welcome, inclusionand belonging that reflects and respectsdiversity within the school’s community.

Develop and implement collaborativeprocesses to share and celebrate studentsuccess and build communicationnetworks.

Evaluation Plan

Tell Them From Me and Mindmatterssurveys, parent forums, feedback fromproject teams and regular staff workshopson progress, to revise and refine  direction.

Practices and Products

Practices

Students will have a greater awareness ofthe effect of their behaviour on others and asense of belonging as part of our schoolcommunity.

Staff embed current research andevidence–based practice into their dailyteaching and learning activities.

Families and community memberscontribute to the life of the school in waysthat reflect their interests, skills, experienceand capacity to do so. There is a sharedrepsonsibility of transferring best practicestrategies between home and school.

Products

Students will develop increased confidenceand self–awareness with a more positiveregard for their own and others'  learning.

Staff will master new skills and develop aculture of belonging across the school.

The school has established on–goingstrategic relationships with government andnon–government agencies, communitygroups, businesses and other educationalproviders which enhance learningopportunities and outcomes for students,families and community members.

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Strategic Direction 2: Be Curious: explore and cultivate wisdom

Purpose

Critical and creative thinking are integral toactivities that require students to thinkbroadly and deeply using skills, behavioursand dispositions such as curiosity, reason,logic, resourcefulness, imagination andinnovation in all learning areas at schooland in their lives beyond school.

Improvement Measures

Increase in students completingassessment tasks and engaging withinquiry and problem based learning.

Increase ratings for identified students in alldomains in the creative and critical thinkingassessment tool.

People

Students

Students will see every moment as alearning opportunity.

Staff

Staff will provide activities that willcontextualize learning for students and willenable learners to develop lifelong skills.

Leaders

Leaders will research and explore learningthat is at the forefront of education to bestmeet the needs of our diverse learners.  

Parents/Carers

Parents and carers will become life–longlearners alongside staff and students tobest support their child.

Community Partners

Our broader community will develop astronger understanding of the diverselearners attending our school and be betterable to offer support and guidance.

Processes

Ensure learning is inquiry and problembased and uses the design processappropriately challenge students.

Identified staff lead innovative planning,teaching and assessment for diversestudent learning.

Construct multiple interlocking learningenvironments through which innovativepractices and learning outcomes areconceptualised.

Evaluation Plan

Evaluate the effectiveness of ideas,products, programs and courses of actionagainst given criteria using a matrixdeveloped by executive.

Practices and Products

Practices

Students will engage with a variety ofexperiences and settings to best stimulatethinking and curiosity.

Staff personalise curriculum through adynamic process, constantly updated orchanged, according to variations inachievements and learning styles.

Families and school share responsibility forstudent learning and wellbeing. They worktogether to create positive attitudes tolearning, develop shared understandings ofhow children learn and learning programsbuild on families’ capacity to supportlearning at home.

Products

The school will establish unique learningenvironments that stimulate imagination,interest and creativity. 

Staff will have programs that demonstrateinnovative integrated assessment andlearning practices that unlock studentpotential.

Staff and community partners will co–create a better future for ourstudents through open and transparentconversations and being active contributorsto school decision making and planningprocesses.

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Strategic Direction 3: Foster a growth mindset: be willing to do things differently

Purpose

To foster a belief in yourself that permeatesevery part of your life to build a growthmindset and positively adapt to change. Todevelop the resilience to persist and trynew learnings and experiences

Improvement Measures

All students achieve the personalisedlearning goals developed in collaborationwith staff and parents/carers.

All staff participate in research–basedprofessional learning about growth mindsetand improve their knowledge andunderstanding.

People

Students

Students will have a go at different tasksand types of learning to improve theirresilience and perseverance of completingtasks.

Staff

Staff will be able to reflect on their ownlearning and embrace change when clearpurpose is defined.

Leaders

Leaders support their teachers’ learningand risk–taking by modelling thosebehaviours themselves. They areresponsive to honest feedback, and seek tobuild skills by learning from their teachers.

Parents/Carers

Parents and carers will understand,embrace and celebrate changes that havebeen introduced across the school to bestmeet the needs of their child.

Community Partners

Community partners will share theirknowledge and expertise to enable ourschool to continually grow and thinkbeyond the current boundaries ofeducation.

Processes

Develop a common language to learningthat stimulates us to remain in a growthmindset and focus on our abilities andcharacter qualities.

Student leaders will drive projects acrossthe school that reflect student and wholeschool needs.

Develop and implement a growth mindsetapproach across the school that draws onresearch to inform professional learning forstaff.

Evaluation Plan

Tell Them From Me and Mindmatterssurveys, parent forums, feedback fromproject teams and regular staff workshopson progress, to revise and refine direction.

Practices and Products

Practices

Students will be risk–takers and developresilience to keep trying differentexperiences in an effort to continually grow.

Staff will have high expectations ofstudents and think innovatively to motivateand engage their students. Staff will see

Families and agencies will participateplanning ongoing change practices andhave input to the needs of the school.

Products

Staff will create a toolkit to promote agrowth mindset, resulting in enhancedstudent resilience, a have–a–go attitudeand improved self– belief that they canachieve.

Student will seek opportunities, master newhabits, learn to continually adapt and let goof unproductive thinking while replacing itwith healthier ways to cope, adapt, learnand thrive.

The school community will develop wisdomaround growth mindset: neuroplasticity,analyse behaviours and triggers of a fixedmindset and develop a plan for change.

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