School plan 2015 – 2017
Planning template / Casuarina School
School background 2015 - 2017
SCHOOL VISION STATEMENT / SCHOOL CONTEXT / SCHOOL PLANNING PROCESS
Casuarina’s belief and vision is about the long term success of our students as successful Australian Citizens of the future and focuses on providing them with strategies that equips and empowers them for life after school.
We believe that there are no quick fix solutions to many of the issues facing our students and they will need to be learning for life for a life of learning.
Our curriculum looks at the whole student and is about achieving in the areas of collaboration, communication, flexibility, creativity and the ability to make choices, accept failure and change as part of an ongoing learning process and to learn to empathise with others. We believe that this will enable a successful and positive transition to a future education, career and positive personal and professional relationships. / Casuarina school was established in 2002 as a behaviour school. It caters for the needs of students that have a broad range of complex, behavioural, emotional and social issues.
Many students will not return to mainstream school either because the students do not wish to engage with an integration program or it is not the best option to meet the individual needs of the student.
A vital part of the school culture relies on the support and partnership that the school has with, parents, community and external agencies and businesses.
The school continues to develop flexible and innovative learning practices and environments to meet the complex, changing and challenging needs of the students. / Casuarina does not have an organised parent and community group. All consultation is done on an individual basis. The consultation and process around planning is linked directly in with the student’s individual education plans.
Our directions are determined by the complexity and unique individual behavioural needs of each student and a belief that every student has the potential to succeed.
Our strategic directions focus on: (1) Building a curriculum that equips students to be future citizens. (2) Develop a school culture that increases the capacity of students, staff and parents. (3) Encourage a culture of innovation, leadership and trust.
School strategic directions 2015 - 2017
This page identifies the 3 strategic directions and the purpose of each one. Each strategic direction will:
■  define the key improvements which combine for the school to achieve excellence
■  represent a high level and future-focused educational priority which is evidence based and data informed
■  be a succinct statement that drives the development of the school’s educational and organisational leadership culture
■  make explicit links to the dimension of the school excellence framework.
Casuarina is more than just a school it is an organisation that changes lives. Everything we do is built on the belief that everyone is a unique individual that has the potential to make a difference to the world in some way.
“Learning for Life” is more than just the schools motto, it’s a belief that in order for students to be able to make positive change in their lives and be successful citizens they have to be prepared for a “life of learning”. This means learning how to work collaboratively, creatively, and flexibly, be able to empathise, communicate and have a sense of purpose.
We believe a positive perception of the school and each individual occurs through a process of holistic learning and a flexible curriculum that tackles the hard issues / At Casuarina we believe in a curriculum designed to build the capacity and resilience of staff, students, parents and community. We believe what makes us unique is providing opportunities that build character and promote positive social interaction.
We believe in constructing tailor made processes that encourage persistent self-realising solutions. We foster a culture that visibly displays an unconditional regard and empathy for all people.
We believe building capacity of staff, students, parents and community involves the ability to accept failure and change as part of the ongoing process of learning. The school celebrates commitment, persistence and a shared belief in a common cause that everyone is worthwhile. / At Casuarina we believe in creating meaningful connections by establishing learning environments that are safe, welcoming and fair (as possible). We believe in a culture that promotes a sense of belonging and identity.
We believe in encouraging students to make choices, set realistic standards, talk and negotiate. We celebrate initiative, choice and leadership and foster a culture of forgiveness, trust and empathy that encourages people to take on new challenges and take risks without fear of failure.
We believe in creating meaningful connections that are external to the school by forming partnerships with likeminded, organisations, companies and businesses.
Strategic direction 1: Changing Perceptions
PURPOSE / PEOPLE / PROCESSES / PRODUCT AND PRACTICES
Why do we need this particular strategic direction and why is it important?
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To make parents aware of the quality education offered at Casuarina School and to see that the placement as a valued resource and, as a result establish a positive partnership between families and the school
Set high expectations of students that are about opportunity and choice and remove stigma that students are sent to Casuarina as a punishment
Reduce the stigma associated with ‘behaviour’ by celebrating the positive opportunities, curriculum and programs we provide to students.
Developing a brand – pride, ownership, perception, excitement, identity, sense of belonging, unity
Highlight how the school operates with transition, integration and exit programs and that the school is progressive in education
Develop prospectus – include what a yearly education at Casuarina is worth in dollar terms
Change the culture of the school within the local community and local school community and remove the stigma that Casuarina is a ‘lesser program’
Create a sense of pride, excellence and wellbeing across the whole school
Other schools
To support Casuarina in a positive manner
To recognise and understand our holistic and individualised programs
More effective partnerships integration
Improved Resource sharing
Great understanding of ‘what we do’ and ‘why we do it’
Important for Casuarina to have a positive image for the families coming to our school
Understand the need for students to have an opportunity to generalise their skills and practice what they have learned at Casuarina School
Provide students with opportunity to be successful in a new learning environment i.e. Year 6 students transition to Year 7 as a fresh start with a focus on development of social skills, academics and self-management
Provide students with the opportunity to integrate back to their mainstream setting after developing their skills i.e. Year 8 students focus on integration in Year 9
Provide students with the opportunity to transition to work successfully i.e Year 10 students focus on gaining work placement/traineeship/apprenticeship
Community
Create an awareness that every hour the students are engaged in school saves time, money and resources for the community with policing etc
Students
Feel valued, develop resilience
Have appropriate high expectations of them so they developer higher expectations of themselves – academic, personal, grooming, self-worth, identity
Students won’t take their time at Casuarina seriously if they don’t know why they are they and what we have to offer. Let them actually see what all stakeholders expect, including failures.
Removing the stigma of the setting – adaptable, helping students achieve.
Remove limitations – understand failures are part of learning, positive reinforcement.
Help develop post school aspirations based on their strengths.
Tailor the way the work is sold to the students so they understand why they are being asked to do things. Character building, life skills, increasing potential, creating opportunities / How do we develop capabilities of our people to bring about transformation?
Students:
Develop holistic learning environments
Develop appropriate physical environments for students i.e. open learning, sensory rooms
Decrease in suspension and increase in attendance and engagement
Increase in academic performance for all students in order to allow to allow them to become functional members of society
Wear uniforms and take pride in the school
Staff
Demonstrating observable positive behaviour through social justice and restorative programs i.e. participating in programs with students
School visits and ‘selling the school’ and the programs we implement
Having shared vision and belief in the schools values
Parents
Providing support and participating in all aspects of the school such as meetings, open days, information sharing
Negotiated programs based on student and parent perception of the focus of the individuals plans i.e. Needing to identify the opportunities that are best for the student
Community partners
Mainstream schools developing positive links with students and supporting best practice integration and transition
Developing awareness and value of the school within the community
Work with Casuarina School Staff to develop plans, processes and support practices to best support student needs
Endorsement from the Director to support Casuarina School processes relating to integration and transition procedures
Leaders / How do we do it and how will we know?
Students:
Involvement in community groups and charities
Student reviews – where are they when they come to us, how are the improving over time, where are they when they leave us – use to demonstrate to other schools and families
Utilising data from our processes – staff and student to reflect on results
Definition of “success” for students
Staff
Investing time to get to know students, develop plans, communicate with stakeholders
Support and endorsement from Director
Induction and training around Casuarina processes and procedures to relevant local schools, DEC and Student Services
Leaders
Working with all staff to become advocates for the students and work with the school, students and local community
Evaluation plan
Ongoing review of practice and new programs / What is achieved and how do we know?
Product
Facebook page
Newsletter – include student work, sponsorship from local businesses
Website
Give them responsibilities based on their areas of interest/ability
App
Uniform, school bag- identity, pride – optional/expected – how does it reflect “Learning for Life”
Video – 30 second snapshots of things happening within the school
Meet the Staff bbq, open days so community/parents can come in and see what we do
Parent/teacher interviews
Participation in local shows/competitions
Riverstone Festival
Local newspapers
Revamp existing facilities to improve perception from outside the grounds
[Enter the learning, teaching and leadership practices that are embedded and sustained in the school as a result of this strategic direction ]
Strategic direction 2: Building Capacity
PURPOSE / PEOPLE / PROCESSES / PRODUCT AND PRACTICES
Why do we need this particular strategic direction and why is it important?
Build capacity of all staff by defining and learning new skills, including employing additional staff
Constantly changing clientele
To best meet the needs of the students
To be confident in your abilities
To be able to differentiate for all students
To create an efficient workplace that is not reliant of specific individuals
Modelling of behaviour and expectations
Keeping up to date with technology
To teach strategies to develop resilience and build on students social, emotional, physical and spiritual well being
Create an environment that is focused on teamwork and ensure that all staff are working together towards a common goal
Create clear and consistent lines of communication
Maximise potential of staff and students
Understanding and teaching social skills and character building – model capacity
Developing skills sets and focusing on the professional learning needs of all staff, including staff appraisals
Professional learning opportunities, mentoring and shadowing of executive staff / How do we develop capabilities of our people to bring about transformation?
Students:
Open learning
Working collaboratively
Running programs on resilience, character building etc
Teaching tolerance and perceptions
Staff
Challenging roles as they are
Creating PL internally
Coping with whole school programs
Whole school meetings/communication
Support networks for SLSOs/CRTs
Creating ‘whole school’ capacity – social activities, lunches, gathering
Parents
Creating links with local community programs and parenting information
Capacity of parenting – involving external agencies
Community partners
Working with local schools
Working with local businesses, including CIRCLE, neighbourhood centre, Karabi, etc
Leaders
Building on areas that are strengths
Providing shadowing opportunities
Staff appraisals – 360 degree / How do we do it and how will we know?
Students:
Increasing engagement of students via Open Learning strategies
Engagement of high needs students with mentor teachers and alternative programs within the school
Focus on teaching tolerance and perception via engagement with external agencies
Staff
Employment of additional staff to provide mentoring/shadowing opportunities, provide professional learning and build capacity of all staff
Engagement of specialist teachers roles, providing opportunities for resource development, sharing and mentoring
Employing a part time business manager to assist with linking expenditure with the school plan and milestones to create a more effective use of budget
Professional development and capacity building of teaching staff and SLSOs to work with local schools to develop strong integration and transition links
Developing an integration/transition committee of teaching staff who are responsible for each transition opportunity i.e Year 7 transition – working on transition, working with High School, working with parents
Year 9 transition – working with mainstream setting staff
Work transition – working with external agencies/STT/apprenticeship etc
SLSOs moving across school to increase capacity and increase professional learning opportunities
[Enter the student, teaching or leadership learning activities and processes that will be implemented to achieve the required Products and Practices for this strategic direction]
Leaders
Additional Assistant Principal role – building capacity of all staff through mentor/shadowing opportunities for all CRTs
[Enter the student, teaching or leadership learning activities and processes that will be implemented to achieve the required Products and Practices for this strategic direction]
[Enter the strategy to monitor and evaluate the quality of implementation at regular points in time and the progress achieved towards the attainment of Improvement Measure/s for this strategic direction] / What is achieved and how do we know?