Message from key school bodies

Tara Anglican School for Girls is a school with a great sense of purpose - a Christian learning community, characterised by excellence, which encourages and empowers girls to achieve and serve in a dynamic world. This purpose is supported by four distinctive values: Affirmation, Service for Others, Opportunity and Integrity, which our strong and proud traditions, our Christian beliefs, and our commitment to providing an inspirational learning environment for every Tara girl.

In 2019, we have continued our pursuit of providing the best research based learning environment for our students. The Junior School achieved an outstanding rating for our Primary Years Programme with the International Baccalaureate Organisation earlier in the year. We are impressed with the focus on learning which sees girls really understanding the purpose of their learning and the relationships between the different subjects as they learn to understand and solve real world issues. In the Senior School, we have completed the first four years of the Middle Years Programme of the International Baccalaureate and we are pleased and impressed with the standard of achievement of the cohort. Our aim in introducing the framework, was to allow Tara girls to develop the skills to learn how to think, analyse, evaluate, reflect and respond to complex issues to strengthen them as learners for the HSC years. They have done this and in fact, our expectations of them as learners, have been greatly exceeded and we feel that they are very well prepared to tackle the rigour of the HSC.

As part of the current strategic plan we have also been investigating the best learning approach for our most senior girls to support them in attaining excellent HSC results and just as importantly, preparing them to be successful tertiary students and for life beyond. We have decided that the best way forward in our context is a Tara developed approach and we will begin trialling this in 2020. Our focus on the way girls learn best has required significant commitment by well qualified and successful teachers who have worked collaboratively to enrich their programs. I am very grateful for their willingness to grow and learn themselves. To not just be satisfied with what they know but to also ask, how can we do this even better for our students?

We were once again, thrilled with the HSC results for Tara girls in 2019. The results, summarised in this report, arise from a strong and supportive learning culture and students and staff committed to academic excellence. We congratulate them and wish them well as they move on to life beyond our School gates.

Mrs Susan Middlebrook, Principal

As a Christ centred and nurturing environment, Tara’s genuine care and dedication encourages each girl to strive for excellence, consistently applying herself both in and out of the classroom. The support of staff and students alike are invaluable towards the learning and growth of each girl, as we constantly celebrate the diversity of talent and interests of Tara women.

The key Tara values of Affirmation, Service for Others, Opportunity and Integrity, aim to embody the actions of all girls. This is applied not only throughout our enriched academic and cocurricular endeavours, but within the ordinary interactions of School life that unite each girl, creating a shared identity as a proud woman of Tara. More than a stepping stone into the next chapter of our lives, the Tara Community fosters strong and confident women, offering each girl friendships, experiences and opportunities that extend beyond the gates!

Prisca Lam, Head Girl (2019/2020)

From the Principal

From the Head Girl

About Tara Anglican School for Girls

Contextual information about the School

Tara Anglican School for Girls is a specialist in girls’ education. Tara is an independent, Anglican day and boarding school for girls located on 12 hectares of beautiful grounds in North Parramatta.

Established in 1897, Tara has a rich heritage of more than 123 years, an active School community, and a bright and exciting future. Under Principal, Mrs Susan Middlebrook, our purpose is to be a Christian learning community, characterised by excellence, which encourages and empowers girls to achieve and serve in a dynamic world.

Tara is an inspirational learning environment for students from Pre-Kindergarten to Year 12 for both day girls and boarders. Tara has a strong and proud tradition as a non selective school for girls which nurtures its students academically, as well as provides wonderful opportunities in the cocurricular arenas of the performing and creative arts, sports and the service of others. It is a school filled with energy and vitality and the students enjoy impressive facilities and excellent teaching by passionate and dedicated staff.

The Strategic Plan 2016-2020 provides the impetus and direction for the development of the School. Our aim is to build a future that optimises each girl’s ability to learn and develop as a strong, resilient young woman who leaves Tara well prepared to embrace life’s adventures. Our vision in our current plan is that by the end of 2020, Tara will be a leader in girls’ Christian education: research informed teaching and learning with an emphasis on the holistic development of each student, and where every student is cared for, challenged and equipped to live out the distinctive values of the School. Tara will continue to promote excellence in all aspects of School life. The relational aspects of connection and support will continue to be key defining aspects of the School’s culture and the Christian faith will continue to form our foundation.

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AffirmationService for Others

OpportunityIntegrity

Our NAPLAN results in Years 3 and 5 remain consistently strong, as evidenced in the comparison tables. In 2019, the Junior School completed NAPLAN online, except Year 3 writing, which was a paper test. By completing the tests online, we are able to ascertain a more detailed understanding of our students. Previously, the Year 3 scale finished at Band 6. It now goes to Band 10. In Year 3, 50% of the cohort was in Band 6 (the highest band allocated to Year 3 on parent reports) or above. In Year 5, 32% of the cohort was in Band 8 (the highest band allocated to Year 5 on parent reports) or above. 53% of the cohort was in Band 7 or above.

In unpacking the results, it is important to note that it is not just where the girls sit at the top or bottom of the scale, but the students who have moved in the middle due to Junior School’s targeted programs (before school ‘boost groups’ and targeted in class support). Year 3 2019 is the first Kindergarten year group to complete NAPLAN since we implemented our Literacy Project with the AIS. In Reading, 75% of girls in Year 3 achieved Band 5 or higher, with three students achieving Band 10.

In 2019, the Junior School began a two year focus on writing. We diagnosed five areas for growth: in writing for an audience, text structure, ideas, sentence structure and paragraphing. All staff undertook professional learning and completed NESA’s online training courses in NAPLAN marking. In Year 5 in 2018, we had no students in Band 8 or above. In 2019 we had 7 students, and more than doubled the gap between the School and Stage average. In Year 5 Reading we increased the gap between the School and State average by over 20 scale scores. Gains were also made in Grammar and Numeracy.

Student outcomes in NAPLAN

Y E A R 3READING % WRITING % SPELLING % GRAMMAR &

PUNCTUATION % NUMERACY %

BAND Tara State SSSG Tara State SSSG Tara State SSSG Tara State SSSG Tara State SSSG

1 0.0 2.2 0.5 0.0 1.2 0.2 0.0 4.6 1.1 2.5 3.5 0.8 0.0 2.8 0.4

2 5.0 9.0 2.2 0.0 0.4 0.9 0.0 6.6 2.7 0.0 6.8 1.7 5.0 9.5 3.0

3 5.0 13.1 5.6 2.5 11.3 5.3 5.0 14.3 8.7 2.5 12.9 6.4 7.5 18.6 8.7

4 15.0 19.9 14.0 27.5 25.5 19.4 12.5 20.2 17.3 15.0 16.4 10.1 27.5 25.9 21.4

5 30.0 24.5 25.1 35.0 38.6 42.4 25.0 24.8 25.8 27.5 21.8 20.3 25.0 23.4 28.4

6 0.0 22.7 36.6 35.0 19.4 31.8 35.0 23.2 34.7 20.0 27.9 41.9 17.5 15.3 28.2

7 7.5 5.3 8.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 7.5 4.9 7.5 10.0 5.7 8.9 7.5 3.1 6.6

8 7.5 2.0 3.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 7.5 0.9 1.1 2.5 3.0 6.2 7.5 1.0 2.1

9 2.5 0.9 2.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 7.5 0.5 1.1 12.5 1.4 2.7 2.5 0.2 0.6

10 7.5 0.4 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 7.5 0.5 1.2 0.0 0.1 0.6

Junior School NAPLAN 2019

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Y E A R 5READING % WRITING % SPELLING % GRAMMAR &

PUNCTUATION % NUMERACY %

BAND Tara State SSSG Tara State SSSG Tara State SSSG Tara State SSSG Tara State SSSG

1 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

2 0.0 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.8 0.0 0.0 1.0 0.1 0.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.0

3 0.0 3.8 0.4 0.0 4.4 0.7 0.0 3.5 0.6 0.0 5.7 0.8 0.0 2.7 0.4

4 0.0 9.1 2.4 6.7 10.9 3.8 2.2 7.5 2.4 0.0 10.9 3.4 2.2 11.0 2.4

5 11.1 18.4 8.5 28.9 31.9 22.3 11.1 20.8 13.0 22.2 20.1 12.0 11.1 25.3 12.2

6 24.4 28.2 22.8 33.3 32.2 38.4 42.2 27.0 26.4 24.4 21.5 19.0 35.6 28.5 27.2

7 22.2 22.8 29.5 15.6 13.4 23.0 11.1 25.2 32.7 17.8 22.0 30.6 28.9 19.3 31.2

8 28.9 15.0 30.9 11.1 5.6 10.4 26.7 13.1 21.7 17.8 13.9 25.5 15.6 10.5 21.4

9 11.1 1.9 4.6 4.4 0.4 1.0 4.4 1.5 2.4 6.7 3.0 5.2 4.4 1.9 4.1

10 2.2 0.3 0.7 0.0 0.1 0.3 2.2 0.5 0.7 11.1 1.8 3.4 2.2 0.6 1.1

Student outcomes in NAPLAN

Senior School NAPLAN 2019

Y E A R 9READING % WRITING % SPELLING % GRAMMAR &

PUNCTUATION % NUMERACY %

BAND Tara State SSSG Tara State SSSG Tara State SSSG Tara State SSSG Tara State SSSG

1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

3 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.6 0.1 0.0 0.5 0.1 0.0 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0

4 0.0 0.8 0.1 0.0 1.3 0.3 0.0 0.9 0.2 0.0 1.2 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0

5 0.0 5.7 0.8 0.0 12.3 3.1 0.0 4.5 0.9 0.0 7.1 1.0 0.0 1.3 0.2

6 2.5 12.7 3.7 3.8 21.3 11.9 7.5 10.6 3.9 3.8 17.3 7.8 0.0 14.0 2.5

7 10.0 25.9 15.9 17.5 25.3 24.1 11.3 27.6 19.9 13.8 27.4 22.4 10.0 28.6 13.7

8 27.5 29.4 33.9 35.0 24.7 34.5 17.5 30.2 34.4 21.3 24.6 29.5 22.5 27.2 29.7

9 31.3 18.4 30.3 28.8 9.4 16.6 23.8 17.9 28.5 31.3 14.6 24.6 30.0 17.2 29.6

10 28.8 7.1 15.1 15.0 4.4 9.2 40.0 7.8 12.3 30.0 7.5 14.4 37.5 11.5 24.3

Y E A R 7READING % WRITING % SPELLING % GRAMMAR &

PUNCTUATION % NUMERACY %

BAND Tara State SSSG Tara State SSSG Tara State SSSG Tara State SSSG Tara State SSSG

1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.4 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

3 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.0 1.2 0.1 0.0 1.2 0.1 0.0 0.8 0.1 0.0 0.3 0.0

4 0.0 4.0 0.5 1.4 6.2 1.5 0.0 3.7 0.6 0.0 6.2 1.1 1.4 3.6 0.5

5 1.4 11.3 2.7 12.3 18.4 7.9 2.7 8.9 3.5 4.1 14.5 4.2 2.7 10.9 1.8

6 9.6 22.3 10.4 16.4 31.0 25.1 9.6 21.6 13.6 9.6 19.1 12.0 6.8 21.3 8.1

7 21.9 29.9 28.5 19.2 23.4 30.2 20.5 29.4 30.0 27.4 26.6 28.6 20.5 26.2 22.8

8 32.9 20.4 32.2 31.5 14.7 25.5 35.6 21.6 30.2 23.3 17.1 25.3 28.8 19.7 29.2

9 20.5 10.2 20.7 13.7 3.8 7.7 15.1 12.1 18.4 20.5 13.6 23.5 15.1 14.6 27.0

10 13.7 1.5 5.1 5.5 0.5 1.1 16.4 1.5 3.6 15.1 2.0 5.3 24.7 3.4 10.7

Year 7

Overall, the 2019 Year 7 cohort results compare extremely well with the State and SSSG. The results in all domains include many impressive results, with more students achieving the top bands than both State and SSSG. Numeracy is an area of strength with 24.7% of students achieving Band 10. The average NAPLAN score for Year 7 is consistent with the average score over the last 7 years.

Year 9

2019 Year 9 results are an improvement on any cohort since 2013. This cohort far exceeded state and SSSG scores in all areas. As such, there is no area of weakness for this group. In comparison to previous cohorts, these are the strongest results for any group over the last 7 years. The difference in average score between Tara and SSSG is also the largest it has ever been in the last 7 years.

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HSC results 2019

• 2 All Rounders• 2 students on the Top Achievers List • 120 Band 6 results from 65 candidates• 13 courses with 100% of students achieving at Band 5

or 6 level• 28% of students achieved an ATAR over 95 and 45% of

students achieved an ATAR over 90• 42 students on the HSC Distinguished Achievers List

SUBJECT STATE % TARA %Biology 31 77

Business Studies 32 79

Chemistry 46 76

Design and Technology 47 60

Drama 43 100

Economics 52 20

English Extension 1 94 100

English Extension 2 79 66

English Advanced 62 76

English Standard 79 n/a

ESL/EALD 23 100

Food Technology 33 81

French Continuers 64 50

Geography 43 87

German Continuers n/a n/a

History - Ancient 35 69

History - Extension 77 81

History - Modern 40 81

Hospitality 28 95

Industrial Technology 21 100

Japanese Continuers n/a n/a

Japanese Extension n/a n/a

Legal Studies 41 55

Mathematics Advanced 49 44

Mathematics Extension 1 80 87

Mathematics Extension 2 85 100

Mathematics General 24 52

Music 1 66 100

Music 2 90 100

Music Extension 66 100

PDHPE 31 100

Physics 37 100

Science Extension 69 100

SDD 44 100

Senior Science n/a n/a

Studies of Religion 46 86

Visual Arts 62 100

Combined Band 5 and 6 HSC results in comparison to the state.

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HSC Longitudinal Band Comparison (Bands 5 and 6 from 2017 to 2019)

Please Note:• This data is not longitudinal i.e. it does not attempt to map the students’ progress through School Certificate, NAPLAN and Allwell • The proportion of Band 6 results awarded across the state for different courses varies. The proportion of Band 6 results across years also varies. There is greater stability across Bands 5 and 6 thus

making comparisons across these bands, across courses and years more valid.

There were no Records of Student Achievement granted to Year 10 students in 2019.

Record of Student Achievement

SUBJECT % OF TARA CANDIDATES IN BANDS 5 & 6 IN

2019

% OF STATE CANDIDATES IN BANDS 5 & 6 IN

2019

% OF TARA CANDIDATES IN BANDS 5 & 6 IN

2018

% OF STATE CANDIDATES IN BANDS 5 & 6 IN

2018

% OF TARA CANDIDATES IN BANDS 5 & 6 IN

2017

% OF STATE CANDIDATES IN BANDS 5 & 6 IN

2017Biology 77 31 56 37 52 40

Business Studies 79 32 48 37 68 36

Chemistry 76 46 65 42 58 43

Design and Technology 60 47 57 46 60 43

Drama 100 43 100 42 91 42

Economics 20 52 43 46 80 49

English Extension 1 100 94 100 96 94 93

English Extension 2 66 79 66 70 100 78

English Advanced 76 62 74 61 67 64

English Standard n/a 79 0 15 0 16

ESL/EALD 100 23 40 25 25 25

Food Technology 81 33 80 32 75 30

French Continuers 50 64 100 64 67 66

Geography 87 43 90 43 40 42

German Continuers n/a n/a n/a n/a 14 59

History - Ancient 69 35 84 36 76 36

History - Extension 81 77 88 78 89 80

History - Modern 81 40 71 42 71 39

Hospitality 95 28 54 17 79 21

Industrial Technology 100 21 100 22 n/a n/a

Japanese Continuers n/a n/a 100 61 100 61

Japanese Extension n/a n/a 100 89 100 90

Legal Studies 55 41 83 44 70 43

Mathematics Advanced 44 49 67 52 45 53

Mathematics Extension 1 87 80 95 79 64 82

Mathematics Extension 2 100 85 80 85 67 84

Mathematics General 52 24 48 26 63 25

Music 1 100 66 100 20% 100 65

Music 2 100 90 100 90 100 89

Music Extension 100 66 100 66 100 95

PDHPE 100 31 53 33 75 30

Physics 100 37 66 34 13 34

Science Extension 100 69 n/a n/a n/a n/a

SDD 100 44 83 36 75 35

Senior Science n/a n/a 66 21 0 24

Studies of Religion 86 46 54 37 79 50

Visual Arts 100 62 100 52 86 54

Total number of staff - 322*Staff who identified themselves as indigenous - 1

Workforce composition

*Total number of staff based on permanent and casual support and teaching staff, including cocurricular and coaching staff

Post school destinations - Number of University Offers

• 94% of students received at least 1 offer from a university or college in the UAC Offer Round period from November 2019-February 2020

• 118 offers were made to students from UAC with approximately 55% being double degrees• 1 student received 5 offers, 1 student received 4 offers, 13 students received 3 offers, 20

students received 2 offers and 24 students received 1 offer • 63% of Year 12 students received at least one offer. Early offers were made directly to

students by universities or private institutions, many of these were prior to the HSC

92% of Year 10 students in 2017 were retained through to Year 12 in 2019.

Retention

Student attendance rates and management of non-attendance

Junior School attendance for 2019 - 94%Senior School attendance for 2019 - 96%

• Contact is made to parents each morning if a student is absent from School without notification

• Letters are sent to parents requesting reasons for student absences in writing, if these have not been received within a reasonable time of the absence

• A formal ‘Request for Leave’ form is required for absences of 3 days or more in succession

• Extensive absences or absences of concern are followed up by the Year Coordinator or Class Teacher

• Awards are presented to students with full attendance each term

• 22 VET students who all achieved the VET qualification in Hospitality: Food and Beverage which represents 31% of the year group.

Senior secondary outcomes

Summary of professional learning undertaken by teachers

Tara has offered Junior School teachers and staff internal professional learning opportunities through our fortnightly professional learning meetings, external workshops and personal professional reading. As an IB World School, through our participation in the NSW PYP Schools Network and North West Professional Development Network, and through our membership of the AIS and IPSHA, staff experience quality professional learning and networking. In 2019, the professional learning focus area for Junior School teachers was peer coaching: using the work of Jim Knight to video and reflect on our teaching practice within ‘coaching triplets’, using the Pedagogical Playbook written by the Junior School Leadership Team over the past two years in preparation for this project, develop individual learning plans for improvement of practice, measuring effects on student learning, and reporting back to colleagues in a reflection session. This process, while in its first iteration, demonstrated common themes amongst teachers regardless of their classroom or specialist status, such as student questioning, teacher talk time, student engagement, high potential students, and starting and finishing lessons well. We look forward to growing this highly individualised, needs-based approach to professional learning in 2020. Additionally, individual or small group professional learning included areas such as: the PYP Exhibition, an introduction to the PYP, implementing enhancements to the PYP, narrative and persuasive writing, the literacy block, literacy in the early years, using mentor texts when teaching writing, developing number sense, singing, playing and improvising in the music classroom, STEM, supporting the digital wellbeing of students implementing the new PDHPE syllabus, Dads and Daughters cricket, and turning anxiety into resilience.

Junior School

Tara has offered Senior School teachers internal professional development sessions before and after school, during extended faculty times and staff development days. Throughout 2019 there was a particular focus on the authentic use of our Learning Management System, Canvas, to enrich the learning experiences of all students and ensure a flexible learning environment for students and teachers. Such Professional Development was delivered by suitably qualified Tara staff or external providers. In 2019, an average of $500.00 per Senior School staff member, per subject, was allocated to fund attendance at external courses. Many of Tara’s teachers have also had the opportunity to be involved with HSC Examination marking, HSC Examination committees and various NESA committees. These experiences along with Professional Development courses run by NESA facilitated the smooth implementation of new syllabi in many subject areas. Six teachers, who commenced their employment as a teacher in NSW after 1 October 2004 or returned to teaching after a five year break, are currently undergoing the processes to be accredited as a NESA Proficient Teacher. Ten teachers are also currently undergoing the process to be accredited at Experienced Teacher Level through ISTAA. Future directions identified for staff professional development included innovations in pedagogy (with an emphasis on girls’ education), pastoral care, curriculum differentiation, catering for students with autism, developing programs for high potential learners, International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme, information technology including ‘one to one’ laptops and online learning.

Senior School

Teacher accreditation status

90 teachers with Australian or AEI-NOOSR teaching qualification from higher education.

0 teachers without formal teaching qualification.

YEAR LEVEL ATTENDANCEELC 93%

KINDERGARTEN 92.1%

YEAR 1 95.2%

YEAR 2 94.5%

YEAR 3 95.1%

YEAR 4 96%

YEAR 5 94.6%

YEAR 6 95%

YEAR 7 96.3%

YEAR 8 94.7%

YEAR 9 94.7%

YEAR 10 95.4%

YEAR 11 95.5%

YEAR 12 97%5

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Enrolment policies and characteristics of the student bodyTara is an Anglican, non-selective day and boarding school for girls, which maintains an inclusive approach to the enrolment of students, regardless of their religious or cultural backgrounds. The School aims to provide the best educational outcomes for all students who become part of the School community.

Additional information regarding enrolment and compliance is available via the website: Full text by link for enrolmenthttps://tara.nsw.edu.au/enrolments/how-apply/

Full text by link for international compliancehttps://tara.nsw.edu.au/enrolments/overseas-applications/

School policies

Attention to student welfare is a central focus at Tara reflecting the Christian faith and values that underpin all aspects of the School

culture.

Student welfare programs concentrate on strengthening physical and mental health, as well as the development of skills used to promote lifelong personal growth. Such programs at Tara also focus on social and emotional learning as shown in the model below.

For more details on our student welfare and pastoral care program see our Information Handbooks and website via the links below.

Full text by link Information Handbooks https://issuu.com/taraanglicanschoolforgirls

Full text by link - School Policies https://tara.nsw.edu.au/explore/governance-policies/

Student Welfare

By their nature and developmental levels, children need boundaries within which to grow and assimilate into their environment. At Tara, it is recognised that the experience of children at School constitutes a major influence on their lives and provides a broader cultural context in preparation for entering society in general. Where it is necessary for student management to take the form of correction, this will be most effective if approached as a context for learning rather than as an essentially punitive experience. Personal restoration, reconciliation and a sense of moving forward from misdemeanours are the overriding goals when student management measures are required. Policies for discipline are published in a variety of publications including the Student Planner, Staff Handbook and Parent Orientation Material. For further information on these policies please see the links below.

Discipline

ELC to Year 6: Students who have a complaint or grievance should go to their class teacher and from there the Deputy Head of Junior School.Years 7 to 12: Students who have a complaint or grievance should go to Student Reception and ask to see their relevant teacher or Head of Department, Dean of Learning or Mentor, Year Coordinator, Director of Student Wellbeing, Head of Senior School or the Principal. Parents: Parents or support people for the student who have a complaint or grievance should go to the Mentor, relevant teacher or Head of Department, Year Coordinator, Dean of Learning or Head of Senior School and this will be managed appropriately.

Policies for Complaints and Grievances are published in a variety of publications including the website, Student Planner, Staff Handbook and Information Handbooks.

Full text by link - Information Handbooks https://issuu.com/taraanglicanschoolforgirls

Complaints and Grievances

At Tara, bullying or harassment is not acceptable in any form. Students have the right to expect that they will be free from the fear of bullying, harassment, intimidation and victimisation during the School day.

Policies related to Anti-bullying are published in a variety of publications including the Student Planner, Staff Handbook and Parent Orientation Material. Presentations in Assembly, Chapel, Pastoral Care activities and within the curriculum (PDHPE) reinforce these policies.

For further information on these policies please see the links below. Full text by link - School Policies https://tara.nsw.edu.au/explore/governance-policies/Full text by link - Information Handbookshttps://issuu.com/taraanglicanschoolforgirls

Anti-bullying

Full text by link - Information Handbookshttps://issuu.com/taraanglicanschoolforgirls

Full text by link - School Policies https://www.tara.nsw.edu.au/school-policies

Initiatives Promoting Respect and Responsibility

During 2019 no changes were made to the policies for Student Welfare, Discipline or Anti-bullying.

Service for Others remains a key focus of the Pastoral Care Program at Tara. For students in Years 7–9 a third years of partnership with the House of Welcome, a non for profit organisation for refugees and asylum seekers allowed girls to learn about the challenges and experiences of these groups. Girls in Year 7 made Christmas individual boxes for a range of ages to be delivered to families. Year 8 knitted squares that were made into over 30 rugs and Year 9 ran the annual food drive.

For the students in Year 10 the city-based service camp, partnering with Kids Giving Back, enabled them to participate in a variety of activities in central Sydney. Production of meals for Rough Edges in Darlinghurst, sorting clothing for Thread Together and visits to Nursing Homes all provided excellent opportunities for promoting respect and responsibility.

The explicit teaching about respect and responsibility in younger years have led to student led initiatives amongst the older girls. The individual MYP Special Projects developed by Year 10 students featured many presentations promoting this theme. By way of example, ‘Who Stopped the Rain’ by Grace provided a personal insight into the impact of drought in country NSW. Publication of this book led to further promotion of this and raising of funds which were distributed to people experiencing drought. An initiative by Year 11 student Isabella saw girls collect and deliver dinner and 100s of socks to inner city refuges prior to the onset of winter. Year 12 Sign up and Serve Day, saw students volunteer time during their final week at School to contribute to the broader community by cooking meals for Dignity Homes, making sanitary pads for Days for Girls and donating to Blood Bank.

Senior School

Initiatives Promoting Respect and Responsibility

The School conducted a satisfaction survey for students, parents and staff which sought feedback on 11 aspects of Tara’s offering. The elements of the survey are used by many schools and allow us to benchmark the results against other schools across Australia.

Satisfaction data

Junior SchoolThe Junior School Wellbeing and Restorative Action Policy uses an approach of restorative justice to build resilience and empathy. Central to this approach is the circle solutions model which is used to support and nurture students towards respect for self and others, personal integrity and responsibility, compassion and appropriate conduct. All students participate in service learning activities, raising awareness and enabling action in support of others.

Service Learning in the Junior School:• Is an expression of the Christian values of our School – demonstrating God’s love to others• Is an outworking of our status as an IB World School, providing the opportunity to learn the elements

of agency and action: by participating, supporting, standing up for others, designing something new, or making a lifestyle choice.

• Helps us to develop empathy for others• Helps us to learn more about children and families whose lives are the same or different to our own• May be a planned annual commitment (such as Compassion and Toys n Tucker), an outworking of

learning within a unit of inquiry (such as Year 4 selling 3D printed ‘collectibles’ for the CWA), or in response to a current local or global need (such as RMH and drought relief)

• May be initiated by an individual student or group of students, and is part of a School-wide program of service implemented through the House system

In 2019, under the banner Service for Others - hearts and minds in action, students led and participated in actions which supported:

• Compassion (sponsoring a child in Mexico)• Ronald McDonald House (groceries for families staying at RMH, Westmead)• Parramatta Mission (donations of food and essential personal items like toiletries, nappies, socks and

underwear)• Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children• Anglicare Toys n Tucker• Drought relief for farmers (Year 4 initiative as an outworking of their unit of inquiry)• Breadtags for Wheelchairs• Lids for Envision

Higher than Benchmark Aspects of Highest SatisfactionStudents 7.5% School Environment

Learning OpportunitiesTechnology and ReservesParent CommunicationLeadership and Management

Parents 6.5% In addition to students, identified high levels of satisfaction:Teacher QualityGuidance and Support

Staff 7.2% School Environment Learning Opportunities Technology and ResourcesSchool CurriculumTeacher QualityLeadership and Management

Summary Financial InformationIncome

Expenditure

CRICOS 02320A

8

• Embedding of Middle Years Programme of the International Baccalaureate as learning framework for years 7-10

• Tracking of integrated learning achievements for each student program implemented• Provision of STEM opportunities for students in dedicated programs E-12• Extension of student wellbeing program with additional online resourcing and personnel

School-determined improvement targets

The Tara Experience

• Continued refurbishment of learning spaces in both Junior and Senior School in line with researched best practice

• New technology installed to monitor and improve energy efficiency across the School

Resourcing Our Future

• Involvement in Global Service Learning program with World Vision• Student voice in responding to social justice and need extended

Christian Identity

• Investigation of approaches to learning for students in Years 11 and 12• Student feedback survey used to inform staff professional development both individually

and collective• Gifted and Talented program developed for students with dedicated resourcing

Leaders of Learning

Masons Drive North Parramatta NSW 2151

Telephone: 02 9630 6655

publications@tara.nsw.edu.au

www.tara.nsw.edu.au

Note:0% income obtained from government capital grants and other capital grants