Queensland State School Reporting
2012 School Annual Report
/ Postal address / School Road Narangba 4504
Phone / (07) 3491 1333
Fax / (07) 3491 1300
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 / Principal Mr Martin Leach
Principal’s foreword
Introduction
This report aims to provide parents and the community with information that is common to all schools inQueensland. It outlines the highlights and successes of Narangba State School during the 2012 academic year.
Our school mission statement is to provide every student with the opportunity to develop knowledge,
skills and values, enabling them to maximize their learning potential and become caring valued members of
Society.
Our 2012 school focus was on the following key strategic directions:
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PRIORITIES FOR 2012
- Implementation of The National Curriculum in Maths, Science and English utilising the ‘Curriculum into the Classroom’ (C2C) resources.
- Improve the performance of all students in numeracy through a review of current practice against the principles of First Steps Mathematics: number, consistent explicit teaching, targeted initiatives, differentiation and careful ongoing student assessment and monitoring.
- A strong focus on school wide pedagogy aiming to strengthen and build teacher capabilityand to achieve pedagogical excellence and consistency across all classrooms. (Includes Key Learning Areas and the Essential Skills of Classroom Management)
- Differentiated classroom learning; teachers will be supported to closely set goals and targets for individual students, monitor the progress of individuals, identify learning needs and tailor learning activities to individual needs.
- Improve the performance of all students in reading comprehension through a review of current practice, consistent explicit teaching, targeted initiatives, differentiation through literacy groups and careful ongoing student assessment and monitoring.
School progress towards its goals in 2012
Snapshot of Narangba State School 2012 Achievements:- Successful delivery of the ‘Sounds to Letters’ program across prep to 3 classrooms and alignment of Sounds to Letters spelling and ACARA to develop and implement school spelling program.
- Successful ability grouped classes for specific Literacy sessions leading to greater differentiation and individualised learning.
- ‘Parent Forum’ established with parent representatives from every classroom and meetings with admin team every term.
- Art and Science of Teaching (ASOT) selected as the school’s pedagogical framework.
- At or above National mean in 42 out of 45 individual NAPLAN measures in the grade 3, 5 and 7 2012 NAPLAN tests.
- NAPLAN Student Relative Gain measures reflected improvement in the focus areas of reading and numeracy: In Reading 19% of grade 5 students and 40% of grade 7 students displayed higher gains than their State School peers from when they completed NAPLAN in 2010. In Numeracy 24% of grade 5 students and 18% of grade 7 students displayed higher gains than their state school peers from when they completed NAPLAN in 2010.
- Student representatives in district, regional and state sport.
- Distinctions in the University of NSW International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS)
- Teachers continued the systematic process of setting individual goals and targets for all students.
- The teaching of reading was observed and monitored by key staff across the school with a view to improving teaching and achieving consistency of excellent practice across the school.
- Teachers were encouraged to view their peers teaching reading and to welcome observations of their own practice. This practice gained momentum throughout the year.
- 96.4% of parents were satisfied ‘My child’s literacy skills are being developed at this school’and 93% of parents were satisfied ‘My child’s numeracy skills are being developed at this school.’
- 96.4% of parents were satisfied that ‘That this is a good school’ and ‘My child is getting a good education at this school’
- 99.6% of staff were satisfied with ‘Staff Morale.’
Future outlook
Key School Improvement Priorities for Narangba State School 2013Implement the Australian Curriculum
Develop and enact a pedagogical framework based on the Art and Science of Teaching (ASOT)
Improve the performance of all students in reading comprehension
Our school at a glance
School Profile
Coeducational or single sex: coeducational
Year levels offered in 2012: prep - year 7
Total student enrolments for this school:
Total / Girls / Boys / Enrolment Continuity(Feb – Nov)
2010 / 550 / 289 / 261 / 96%
2011 / 594 / 302 / 292 / 95%
2012 / 627 / 294 / 333 / 94%
Student counts are based on the Census (August) enrolment collection.
Characteristics of the student body:
Our school is characterised by students who are generally from mid to high socio-economic backgrounds.There is a small degree of transience and a significant number of families with children at the school live outside the immediate area. Just over 3% of our students are indigenous with about 2% receiving Intensive English lessons as they are from non-English speaking backgrounds
Average Class sizes
Phase / Average Class Size2010 / 2011 / 2012
Prep – Year 3 / 22 / 23 / 22
Year 4 – Year 10 / 26 / 26 / 21
Year 11 – Year 12
School Disciplinary Absences
Disciplinary Absences / Count of Incidents2010 / 2011 / 2012
Short Suspensions - 1 to 5 days / 12 / 38 / 26
Long Suspensions - 6 to 20 days / 2 / 3 / 1
Exclusions / 0 / 0 / 0
Cancellations of Enrolment / 0 / 0 / 0
Curriculum offerings
Our distinctive curriculum offerings:
The implementation of the ‘Sounds to Letters’ early literacy program is based on active student engagement and participation. The students are highly engaged in these lessons and enjoy them. The strong connection between oral language and writtenlanguage in the program means that reading and writing form a strong link and this increases the success of the program.A Literacy and Numeracy Support Teacher coordinates the intervention programs and works closely with the
Head of Curriculum, and classroom teachers, to ensure the curriculum is accessible to all students and is meeting the needs of a range of student abilities. Visiting support personnel are in the school on a regular basis. Children with special needs are catered for by a team of teachers, teacher aides and parent classroom support. Four of our teachers specialize in developing educational programs for students with a disability and form a collaborative team together with the classroom teachers to support our students.
Our students are encouraged to strive for academic excellence and our teachers employ a variety of
problem-solving strategies that challenge all students in a supportive learning environment. The integration of information and communication technologies into classroom practice has occurred at all year levels and the school is adopting many practices that ensure our classrooms are Smart Classrooms.
Every classroom at Narangba State School is equipped with a data projector. The projectors, linked to teachers’ laptops, ensure optimum learning through the strategic use of the ‘Curriculum to the classroom’ online resources.
Extra curricula activities:
In addition to the formal school curriculum, students have access to a number of extra-curricular programsincluding:
- A strong instrumental program (brass, woodwind and percussion) which begins for students in year 5 and links with similar programs in our main feeder high school
- A school choir at both junior and senior level
- AFL Development Program which has strong links with the local high school
- Interschool sport for our senior students
- Annual Sports Day, school discos, weekly school parades visiting programs such as Auskick, Rugby League and in2CRICKET, All Schools Touch Football
- Excursions, Arts Council productions, academic competitions
- Swimming lessons for students in prep, year 1 and year 2
- School camps for students in years 4 to 7
- Student Council, chess club, craft club
How Information and Communication Technologies are used to assist learning
The school has a 28 computer pod classroom and interactive whiteboard in the library as well as a 25 computer laboratory in C Block. There are interactive whiteboards in several classrooms across the school with all classes having access when required. Each classroom is equipped with a data projector and our P&C has spent significant monies ensuring these are mounted for optimum student engagement. The facilities providing whole class access for students are very popular. The use of a teacher aide in the role of ICT Manager in the lab to support curriculum delivery has produced some outstanding student work.Each classroom also has a pod of computers which enable the inclusion of ICTs into daily classroom tasks. Our focus for 2012 was to further expand these pods to increase student access and frequency. This equipment enables a high level of student participation and increasingly inclusive classroom practices.
Classes across years 5, 6 and 7 participate in online learning, develop blogs, participate in online forums and generally incorporate computer technology into their classroom learning as a matter of course. This is evident in their assessment and daily communication as well as classroom generated activities.
In 2012 there was a continued focus on flexible technology and providing the widest variety of useful equipment to encourage and enable a range of learning and teaching styles. This included the application of a pod of 15 laptops, MP3 players and digital cameras. These operated within a pilot classroom as well as across the school.
2012 also saw the school prioritise the installation of data projectors into every classroom. These data projectors combined with the Computers for Teacher initiative has really enhanced the integration and application of ICT across the curriculum.
Social climate
The school provides a supportive and safe environment for all students, the basis of which is the school’s positive behaviour policy.Our three School Rules are clear and positive:“Be safe, be respectful and be an active learner”
All students undertake “You Can Do It” social/emotional skills program where they learn and develop a wide range of social and life skills. Positive school behaviour is supported by our responsible behaviour plan.
Additional student support is provided by the school Guidance Officer, available three days per week and a school chaplain who is available three days a week.
We believe that quality student outcomes are the result of a partnership between parents, teachers and the
school administration and supported by a safe and supportive school environment, quality school curriculum
and excellence in teacher pedagogy.
Parent, student and staff satisfaction with the school
As indicated in the table below, parents, staff and students are generally highly satisfied with the education provided at Narangba State School. In all areas the school is either at orabove the means for similar schools and schools across the state.Performance measure(Nationally agreed items shown*)
Percentage of parents/caregivers who agree that: / 2012#
their child is getting a good education at school / 96.4%
this is a good school / 96.4%
their child likes being at this school* / 100.0%
their child feels safe at this school* / 96.4%
their child's learning needs are being met at this school* / 96.4%
their child is making good progress at this school* / 96.4%
teachers at this school expect their child to do his or her best* / 96.4%
teachers at this school provide their child with useful feedback about his or her school work* / 92.9%
teachers at this school motivate their child to learn* / 92.9%
teachers at this school treat students fairly* / 96.4%
they can talk to their child's teachers about their concerns* / 100.0%
this school works with them to support their child's learning* / 96.3%
this school takes parents' opinions seriously* / 92.6%
student behaviour is well managed at this school* / 89.3%
this school looks for ways to improve* / 85.2%
this school is well maintained* / 96.4%
Performance measure (Nationally agreed items shown*)
Percentage of students who agree that: / 2012#
they are getting a good education at school / 82.4%
they like being at their school* / 91.7%
they feel safe at their school* / 95.2%
their teachers motivate them to learn* / 83.1%
their teachers expect them to do their best* / 96.5%
their teachers provide them with useful feedback about their school work* / 81.2%
teachers treat students fairly at their school* / 79.8%
they can talk to their teachers about their concerns* / 77.1%
their school takes students' opinions seriously* / 89.0%
student behaviour is well managed at their school* / 81.0%
their school looks for ways to improve* / 95.2%
their school is well maintained* / 94.1%
their school gives them opportunities to do interesting things* / 85.9%
Performance measure (Nationally agreed items shown*)
Percentage of school staff who agree: / 2012#
that they have good access to quality professional development / 92.3%
with the individual staff morale items / 99.6%
* 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
Parental involvement is encouraged and highly valued at Narangba State School. The school has a strong Parents and Citizens Association which has a long history of providing resource support for the students of the school and working positively and cooperatively with school staff for the benefit of our students.Many parents and caregivers attend our weekly parades to see their children receive achievement awards and many parents are involved in classrooms as parent helpers. The majority of parents participate in parent-teacher interviews and work closely with teachers to support the learning of their children. All parents are welcome to attend and participate in school activities and many attend our special events such as Under 8s Day, our ANZAC Day ceremony, Education Week, Book Week parade and Sports Day which is always a popular community event.
Parents also participate in workshops for literacy, support-a-talker, and support-a-reader and phonics program, ‘Sounds to Letters’. Having completed these workshops many parents becomeskilled and valuable support in classrooms.
Our ‘Parent Forum’ established in 2012 meets each term and is made up of parent representatives from every classroom. This forum provides enhanced communication between parents and the admin team and provides an opportunity for in depth explanation of school strategic direction and a platform by which parents can provide feedback.
96% of parents are satisfied that Narangba State School is a good school.
Reducing the school’s environmental footprint
Data is sourced from school's annual utilities return and is reliant on the accuracy of these returns.The schools environment is very important to the school community and a lot of work is put in by our excellent groundsman to present the grounds in the best possible way. The school is situated on an undulating attractive block graced by established trees complete with koalas.
Administrators, teachers and students in the school have formed a partnership with Moreton Bay Regional
Council to participate in a School Waste Minimisation Initiative. This has involved student lessons and
workshops to establish worm farms and compost bins in the school. The school has a partnership with a
local contractor for the collection of paper to be recycled. An audit has been conducted on the amount and
type of waste produced by staff and students and a waste minimisation action plan was created. Part of this
action plan will be resourced with products received through a successful DERM ‘Do the right thing’ grant
application.
The school is equipped with solar panels to create electricity and reduce our expenses. Each classroom is responsible for a specific part of the school grounds and weekly parades reward the class with the most attractive neat and tidy area.
Environmental footprint indicators
Electricity
kWh / Water kL
2009-2010 / 144,368 / 2,251
2010-2011 / 155,104 / 1,653
2011-2012 / 149,120 / 2,034
Our staff profile
Staff composition, including Indigenous staff
2012 Workforce Composition / Teaching Staff / Non-teaching Staff / Indigenous StaffHeadcounts / 43 / 23 / <5
Full-time equivalents / 38.5 / 14.7 / <5
Qualifications of all teachers
Expenditure on and teacher participation in professional development
The total funds expended on teacher professional development in 2012 were $21860.56.The major professional development initiatives are as follows:
• Literacy and reading comprehension
• Sounds to Letters Phonics Program
• Differentiation
• Assessment and reporting
• Embedding ICTs into classroom practices
The involvement of the teaching staff in professional development activities during 2012 was 100%.
Average staff attendance / 2010 / 2011 / 2012
Staff attendance for permanent and temporary staff and school leaders. / 96.9% / 96.9% / 96.1%
Proportion of staff retained from the previous school year
From the end of the previous school year, 100% of staff was retained by the school for the entire 2012 school year.School income broken down by funding source
School income broken down by funding source is available via the My School website atTo access our income details, click on the MySchool link above. You will then be taken to the My School website with the following ‘Find a school’ text box.