Queensland State School Reporting
2012 School Annual Report
/ Postal address / PO Box 67 Zillmere 4034
Phone / (07) 3867 2333
Fax / (07) 3263 7802
Email /
Webpages / Additional reporting information pertaining to Queensland state schools is located on the My School website and the Queensland Government data website.
Contact Person / Mr Chris Lassig (Principal)
Principal’s foreword
Introduction
In 2012 our school community came together to set the direction of our school for the next four years through our Quadrennial School Review process. This collaborative process involving our families, staff, volunteers and community members resulted in the development of a new Strategic Plan (2012-2015). This reflective and planning process was a highlight of the school year – this report provides an insight into other key achievements of our school in 2012. It outlines our unrelenting focus on student support and achievement and our investment into our people so that they in partnership with our parents and carers maximise outcomes for every one of our students. We hope you enjoy reading this report as much as our school community enjoyed compiling it.Kind regards
Chris Lassig
Principal
School progress towards its goals in 2012
2012 School Goal / Progress / CommentaryDevelop New Strategic Plan (2012-2015) / Completed / Our school community engaged in a series of reflection and planning workshops that resulted in the collaborative development of a new Strategic Plan that outlines key school priorities in the areas of: School Curriculum; High Quality Teaching Practices; Leadership and Staff Performance and Development; and School and Community Partnerships.
Implement C2C units (P-10) for Intentional Learners in Middle School / Completed / All students in the Middle School engaged in Curriculum into the Classroom (P-2) units of work from the Australian Curriculum in Maths, English and Science. Students were assessed using a range of diagnostic and unit-based assessments, with achievement reported to parents through mid-semester and end of year reports.
Implement PATH process for all students Yr10 equiv. and above / Completed / All students in the Senior School (Year 10-12) engaged in the development of a PATH Plan. This student-driven process was complimented by the collaborative development of a Senior Education and Training (SET) Plan aligned to the Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement (QCIA).
Consolidate Tier 1 SWPBS process / Completed / Our school’s commitment to a whole school positive approach to supporting student behaviour continued in 2012. Whilst enacting the SWPBS Action Plan, the school community embedded all elements of Tier 1 and developed and implemented a range of Tier 2 strategies. The success of these strategies is evidenced through strong SWPBS data and very strong School Opinion Survey (SOS) results for items pertaining to supporting student behaviour.
Teacher Education Centre of Excellence (Special Education) / Significant Progress / As lead school of the Centre of Excellence we continue to support the development of high quality pre-service and beginning teachers to teach in Special Education. This is achieved through a three strand approach comprised of: matching pre-service teachers with high-performing mentor teachers; providing disability-specific knowledge and skills that adds value to their study through university courses and; expose pre-service teachers to an extensive and high quality induction into the Department of Education and Training (DETE).
Future outlook
Key priorities for the school in 2013 include:
· Enact key Action Plans – Curriculum, SWPBS, Audit, Staff Wellbeing and Staff Safety;· Establish a Chaplaincy Program;
· Establish an Out of School Hours Care Program with YMCA;
· Implement the Sexuality and Relationships Education (SRE) Program across the school; and
· Build our Culture of Reflection through Classroom Profiling, Structured Classroom Observation, Developing Performance Conversations and Mentoring.
Our school at a glance
School Profile
Coeducational or single sex: Coeducational
Year levels offered in 2012: Year 8, 9, 10. 11, 12
Total student enrolments for this school:
Total / Girls / Boys / Enrolment Continuity(Feb – Nov)
2010 / 74 / 22 / 52 / 97%
2011 / 77 / 24 / 53 / 96%
2012 / 90 / 27 / 63 / 96%
Student counts are based on the Census (August) enrolment collection.
Characteristics of the student body:
In 2012 Aspley Special School provided educational programs for 90 students aged between 12 and 18years of age with intellectual impairment and additional disabilities. These additional disabilities include; autistic spectrum disorders, physical, vision and hearing impairments. The statistical constitution of these disabilities as a per cent of the whole student group is below:
· Intellectual Impairments – 100%
· Autistic Spectrum Disorders – 41%
· Physical Impairments – 17%
· Vision Impairments – 8%
· Hearing Impairments – 5%
Of these students in 2012, 48% have an additional disability (2 verified disabilities) and 9% have multiple impairments (3 or more verified disabilities). Many students require additional support for specialised health requirements and complex and challenging behaviours. As a result, our students require the highest level of support and adjustments to access the curriculum.
Average Class sizesPhase / Average Class Size
2010 / 2011 / 2012
Prep – Year 7 / NA / NA / NA
Year 8 – Year 10 / 6 / 6 / 6
Year 11 – Year 12 / 7 / 7 / 7
School Disciplinary Absences
Disciplinary Absences / Count of Incidents2010 / 2011 / 2012
Short Suspensions - 1 to 5 days / 1 / 5 / 4
Long Suspensions - 6 to 20 days / 0 / 0 / 1
Exclusions / 0 / 0 / 0
Cancellations of Enrolment / 0 / 0 / 0
Curriculum offerings
Our distinctive curriculum offerings
· A Middle school program catering for students in years 8 and 9.· A Senior school program catering for students in year 10, 11 and 12.
· Students are grouped in ‘like-ability/needs’ class groups where curriculum is matched to suit the learning needs and cognitive functioning of students.
· All students have a Senior Education and Training (SET) plan which outlines each student’s individual learning and priority goals.
· In the middle school, teachers have delivered collaborative English, Mathematics and Science units of work which were drawn from Curriculum into the Classroom (C2C)
· In the senior school, all students received a Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement through outcomes obtained via individual and class-based programs.
· VET offerings in the Senior School – Certificate I in Work Readiness and Certificate I in IDMT
· An innovative Hospitality program which prepares students with commercial kitchen skills and encompasses an in-school tuckshop program and coffee-shop preparation group linked to the schools award winning ‘Frothee Coffee Shoppee’.
· A highly successful work experience program which places all students for whom work experience is appropriate.
· A Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden program where students acquire healthy living practices through engaging in linked gardening and kitchen programs.
Extra curricula activities
· Innovative ‘Friday Program’ with options such as; inter-school sport, hospitality, yoga, swimming, sensory activities, technology and media, choir, environmental studies, SRE, music and band rehearsals, art classes, drama and social-skills focused groups.· International Study Tour to New Zealand
· School-wide, differentiated daily exercise programs.
· Performing arts events
· Annual school events including the formal, celebration evening, in-school discos, fun run, Remembrance Day and
ANZAC day ceremonies, Darling Point and Peninsula Fun Runs.
· A variety of targeted school-camps for the diverse range and age of learners within the school including the annual special school fishing competition.
How Information and Communication Technologies are used to assist learning
In 2012 we have invested in both our physical ICT resources and the capacity of our staff to utilise these resources and other ICT strategies within the classroom. 2012 saw the acquisition of ten additional student laptops. Also, through the National Secondary Schools Computer Fund the school purchased a further twenty iPads – bringing the total number of iPads to fifty within the school. Furthermore, investment in the training for teachers and teacher aides in managing the use of iPads and Apps in a special school context has ensured that staff are well equipped to deliver the required learning for today’s technological world. In addition to this, the school purchased numerous apps for use in the classroom including significant purchases such as the communication software Proloquo2go and iCommunicate and another copy of the Boardmaker software resource.Interactive technologies continue to be embedded in teacher planning and classrooms practice with the school investing in the purchase of a further three Touch Screens devices. Significantly, the acquisition of one iPad to every two students, combined with student laptops and PC devices achieves the target of one technology device for each student. This achievement and the acquisition of resources, skills and knowledge clearly demonstrate the school’s ongoing investment in ICT’s.
Social climate
Our school has benefitted tremendously from our School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) program which has been integral in assisting to create a caring, safe, respectful, accepting of difference and positive school environment. This climate is regularly commented upon by our students, staff and visitors and reaffirmed within the data and responses from our parents and carers in our school opinion survey.The core foundation of these beliefs at our school is our ‘Rule of 5’. These five expectations permeate all aspects of life here at Aspley Special School and act as the single point of truth for both staff and students to both refer to and act from. The introduction of the SWPBS rules matrix this year contextualised these expectations to the different learning areas of the school and enabled more consistency within staff reinforcement and correction strategies.
The school has an effective pastoral care system in place where all students are attached to a home group and have a key staff member who acts as their case manager and point of reference in areas where they may require additional support. The school’s leadership team works collaboratively with staff, and the school’s Guidance Officer, to respond supportively to the variety of issues that students may experience both within and outside of the classroom with student wellbeing always the priority of all intervention.
Our extremely positive parent and carer responses from the school opinion survey are testament to the nurturing school climate that
exists in our school.
· 100% of respondents agreed that their child was safe at the school;
· 100% agreed that their child was treated fairly at school;
· 100% agreed that teachers are interested in their child’s wellbeing;
· 97% agreed that student behaviour is well managed;
· 97% agreed that their child likes being at our school.
Notably, no parents and careers involved in the school opinion survey were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with the above areas relating to school climate.
Parent, student and staff satisfaction with the school
Based on the 2012 School Opinion Survey results parents and carers were extremely satisfied with all aspects of the school and staff were generally very satisfied – this satisfaction was higher than the already strong results from 2011. Key outcomes from the 2012 School Opinion Survey are outline below.Performance measure (Nationally agreed items shown*)
Percentage of parents/caregivers who agree that: / 2012#
their child is getting a good education at school / 100.0%
this is a good school / 100.0%
their child likes being at this school* / 97.1%
their child feels safe at this school* / 100.0%
their child's learning needs are being met at this school* / 100.0%
their child is making good progress at this school* / 97.1%
teachers at this school expect their child to do his or her best* / 100.0%
teachers at this school provide their child with useful feedback about his or her school work* / 100.0%
teachers at this school motivate their child to learn* / 100.0%
teachers at this school treat students fairly* / 100.0%
they can talk to their child's teachers about their concerns* / 100.0%
this school works with them to support their child's learning* / 100.0%
this school takes parents' opinions seriously* / 100.0%
student behaviour is well managed at this school* / 96.8%
this school looks for ways to improve* / 100.0%
this school is well maintained* / 100.0%
Performance measure (Nationally agreed items shown*)
Percentage of students who agree that: / 2012#
they are getting a good education at school / 100.0%
they like being at their school* / 97.1%
they feel safe at their school* / 100.0%
their teachers motivate them to learn* / 100.0%
their teachers expect them to do their best* / 100.0%
their teachers provide them with useful feedback about their school work* / 100.0%
teachers treat students fairly at their school* / 100.0%
they can talk to their teachers about their concerns* / 100.0%
their school takes students' opinions seriously* / 100.0%
student behaviour is well managed at their school* / 96.8%
their school looks for ways to improve* / 100.0%
their school is well maintained* / 100.0%
their school gives them opportunities to do interesting things* / 100.0%
Performance measure (Nationally agreed items shown*)
Percentage of school staff who agree: / 2012#
that they have good access to quality professional development / 92.9%
with the individual staff morale items / 97.6%
* Nationally agreed student and parent/caregiver items were incorporated in the School Opinion Survey in 2012.
# Percentage of respondents who Somewhat Agree, Agree or Strongly Agree with the statement. Due to changes to the School Opinion Surveys in 2012, comparisons with results for previous years are not recommended.
DW = Data withheld to ensure confidentiality.
Involving parents in their child’s education
Aspley Special School prides itself on the fostering of positive relationships with parents and carers to involve them whenever possible in their child’s education. Our success in engaging our parents in everyday school life is evidenced through strong school opinion survey results and percentage of parents/caregivers who agree that:· 100% I can talk to my child’s teachers about my concerns;