Picnic Point High School Annual Report from the Principal Picnic Point High School was established...

Picnic Point High School Annual Report

8377

2015

Introduction

The Annual Report for 2015 is provided to the community of Picnic Point High School as an account of the school’s operations and achievements throughout the year.

It provides a detailed account of the progress the school has made to provide high quality educational opportunities for all students, as set out in the school plan. It outlines the findings from self-assessment that reflect the impact of key school strategies for improved learning and the benefit to all students from the expenditure of resources, including equity funding.

School contact details:

Picnic Point High School 61 Kennedy Street Panania NSW 2213 http://www.picnicpt-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/ [email protected] 02 9772-1700

Message from the Principal

Picnic Point High School was established in 1962 and has an excellent reputation for providing quality education within a caring and well-disciplined environment. The school population has grown to 1028 students in 2015. The school is a dynamic learning environment that encourages all students to achieve their personal best and become responsible, informed citizens.

In 2015 staff, parents and student leaders worked collaboratively to develop the following new school vision:

“Picnic Point High School inspires lifelong learners to set high expectations in order to achieve continual improvement in their learning. Through innovative, engaging and relevant learning experiences we will challenge students in a safe, inclusive and supportive community to become self-confident, productive and respectful members of society”.

The school's image in the community is enhanced by students' exemplary achievements in external examinations. We congratulate the dux of the year, Isaac Heslop with an ATAR of 93.66. The other high achievers include; Jayden Zangari (ATAR 93.55), Kristen Dick (ATAR 92.9), Sarah Little (ATAR 92.5), Isabella Bull (92.25) and Holly Atherton (90.5).

Isaac Heslop Jayden Zangari Kristen Dick Sarah Little Isabella Bull Holly Atherton

In the 2015 Higher School Certificate:

students achieved 18 band 6s and 141 band 5s and 6s;

6 students achieved an ATAR of 90 and over;

11 students achieved an ATAR of 80 and over;

18 student results (10 different students) were published on The NSW Board of Studies, Distinguished Achievers List;

Nathan Arfanis was named in the BOS top achievers list and came equal 7 in the HSC Construction examination in NSW from a cohort of 2312 students and

Daniel Kotsapas’ Industrial Technology project was selected for inclusion in InTech 2016, the annual exhibition of outstanding Major Design Projects developed by 2015 HSC Industrial Technology students.

The wide range of students’ sporting achievements contributes to the strong reputation of the school. Picnic Point High School students and sporting teams perform with distinction in Bankstown Zone, Sydney South West Region and at NSW Combined High Schools. The school also offers a Talented Sports Program for both boys and girls in the sports of Water Polo, Cricket, Basketball and Touch Football.

There is also a long standing Performing Arts tradition and extra-curricular Music, Dance and Drama continue to be both very popular and successful programs at Picnic Point High School. Performing Arts events also highlight the talents of our students in VET Entertainment classes who run the technical aspects of the shows.

The growth in student population has enabled the school to offer a very comprehensive and diverse curriculum, including three Vocational and Education and Training framework courses, Construction, Entertainment, Sports Coaching and Hospitality in Years 11 and 12, while still maintaining a strong, nurturing student welfare program focused on close contact with students and their parents.

The school has upgraded many of its facilities and teaching resources due to the support of the State and Federal Governments and the generous support of a very active and supportive Parents and Citizens Association. Our upgraded facilities include:

connected classrooms technology, enabling video conferencing;

33 Interactive Whiteboards;

six newly refurbished Science Laboratories;

a new 21st Century learning space (Mezzanine level in the library);

a new ICT Learning Space (Mezzanine level in the library);

a designated learning centre for individual student assistance;

library refurbishment to coincide with the creation of 21st Century learning spaces;

tablets in the library and in science, special education and visual arts faculties;

chromebooks in the library and special education;

an afternoon tutorial program staffed by teachers;

a music practice room;

a specialised Dance Room;

a specialised Drama Room;

a commercial kitchen;

a commercial coffee machine for VET Hospitality (Food & Beverage);

an international sized sporting gymnasium;

a Weights/Fitness Centre;

outdoor basketball courts;

an AstroTurf Futsal court;

an amphitheatre, and

a 25 Seater School Bus.

The Parents and Citizens Association supports the school in partnership with teachers to collaboratively influence the future directions of the school. The School Council monitors and ratifies financial budgets and reports, helps develop broad policies in relation to education and student welfare and ensures that school facilities meet the needs of the school community.

We strongly believe that positive interpersonal relationships are the single most important ingredient in a successful school. Students, parents, visitors to the school and teachers remark on the positive, sociable, friendly and warm atmosphere. Such a feeling cannot be mandated. It is the essence and culture of our school and is the product of students, parents and teachers learning together.

I certify that the information in this report is the result of a rigorous school self-assessment and review process undertaken with staff, parent and student leaders and provides a balanced and genuine account of the school’s achievements and areas for development.

Wolly Negroh Principal

School background

School vision statement

Picnic Point High School inspires lifelong learners to set high expectations in order to achieve continual improvement in their learning. Through innovative, engaging and relevant learning experiences we will challenge students in a safe, inclusive and supportive community to become self-confident, productive and respectful members of society.

School context

Picnic Point High School is a comprehensive co-educational secondary school established in 1962 with 1028 students enrolled in 2015. There are 80 teaching staff with a diverse range of experience. The growth in student numbers in recent years has enabled the school to offer a diverse curriculum while still maintaining strong, nurturing student welfare programs.

24% of students are from backgrounds where a language other than English is spoken at home and 2% of students identify as Aboriginal. The Special Education faculty consists of three support classes (1 IM, 2 IO).

The school has an outstanding and proud reputation in the community for providing quality education within a supportive and well-disciplined environment. Our school's image in the community is enhanced by students' exemplary achievements in external examinations and their involvement in student leadership programs. The post school data indicates a successful school transition which is highlighted by a high level of tertiary admissions, vocational education and training and workforce employment.

There are established traditions in providing a wide variety of opportunities in sport and the school has a long history of excellent student performance. There has also been a long standing Performing Arts tradition and extra-curricular Music, Dance and Drama continue to be both very popular and successful programs at Picnic Point High School.

The Parents and Citizens Association and School Council support the school in partnership with teachers to collaboratively and positively influence the future directions of the school.

Self-assessment and school achievements

Self-assessment using the School Excellence Framework

This section of the Annual Report outlines the findings from self-assessment using the School Excellence Framework, our school achievements and the next steps to be pursued. The Framework supports public schools throughout NSW in the pursuit of excellence by providing a clear description of high quality practice across the three domains of Learning, Teaching and Leading. This year, our staff at Picnic Point High School were introduced to the School Excellence Framework and its implications for informing, monitoring and validating our journey of excellence. On School Development Day 3, staff had time to discuss in groups the different types of internal and external evidence. The Executive collaboratively worked on mapping the products and practices of each strategic direction against the elements of the School Excellence Framework and also reflected on the progress being made across the school as a whole whilst also plotting the evidence against the Framework. This provided an important overview of our school’s strengths and areas for development in 2016. In the domain of Learning, our primary focus has been on learning culture and assessment and reporting. Teachers have demonstrated a commitment to increase student engagement by addressing the needs of all students in their curriculum delivery and an improvement in staff student relationships, underpinning a productive learning environment which supports student development. Another component of our progress has been the implementation of a Literacy Report and the Personalised Education Plans which has given parents information regarding their child’s performance to further support learning. Additionally, goal setting has been introduced to increase student responsibility and engagement with their learning. In the domain of Teaching, our priorities have been on collaborative practice, learning and development, and professional standards. By focusing on a culture of collaborative professional learning, our staff are successfully delivering engaging learning experiences designed to meet the needs of students by embracing 21st century teaching and learning pedagogy. Our teacher professional development programs demonstrate a commitment to supporting teachers’ ongoing development which is evident in the school’s refined lesson observation, reflection and feedback process. Our major focus in the domain of Leading has been on leadership. Picnic Point High School recognises that leadership development is significant for the achievement of school excellence. The leadership team has been successful in leading the initiatives outlined in this report, building the capabilities of staff and effectively implementing our key strategic directions throughout the year. The increase in the number of staff who have confidently taken on leadership roles and also relieved in higher positions demonstrates that the structures in place to support staff are effective and allow for leadership density. We have also successfully provided for the participation and contribution of Aboriginal community organisations to work with our students. The new approach to school planning, supported by the new funding model to schools, is making a major difference to our progress as a school. The achievements and identification of next steps are outlined in the following pages of this report. Our self-assessment process will further assist the school to refine the strategic priorities in our School plan leading to further improvements in the delivery of education to our students.

Strategic Direction 1

21st Century Teaching and Learning

Purpose

To develop learners who are responsive to and have developed the intellectual quality required to engage with and learn through the delivery of a challenging curriculum.

To develop the capacity in teachers to enhance the skills of the 21st century learner by designing and delivering a curriculum that is relevant, meaningful, rich in quality teaching and explicit literacy.

Overall summary of progress

The Project Based Learning Team achieved its target each term, which involved differentiated teaching and learning activities being introduced to a number of faculties including PE, Science and English, through professional learning sessions in faculty meetings and then implemented in specific classes.

The Differentiation of Teaching and Learning Team focused on the development of skills in a core group of four members who worked with faculty colleagues on developing differentiation strategies.

The Learning Innovation Team successfully delivered professional learning on Flipped learning to all staff at SDD4. This pedagogy was then supported by the increase in 21st century learning spaces within the Library where teachers used instructional practice to increase student learning activities.

In Literacy, the school introduced professional learning which focused on both the Literacy continuum and improving teacher practice through the explicit teaching of reading comprehension strategies and reciprocal teaching pedagogy.

Progress towards achieving improvement measures Resources (annual)

Improvement measure (to be achieved over 3 years)

Progress achieved this year <$>

Increase on TTFM Benchmark data from Years 7-11 in areas of Effective learning time (6.6/10) Relevance (5.8/10) Rigor (6.2/10)

Flipped learning was piloted with a Stage 6 English class during Semester 2. Student class survey results indicated a high level of success from implementing the Flipped Learning model with all but two of the class participants accessing the PicMe channel regularly during home hours. Four other faculties have now sent through videos to be harvested and collated to post onto PicMe for students to access during study periods.

A survey of staff at the school found that teachers of practical subjects had a good understanding of Project Based Learning and the team professionally developed the PE, Science and English faculties by providing examples of PBL strategies.

School Growth data shows an upward trend in NAPLAN Literacy areas compared to current benchmarks.

Bench marking again took place which is evidenced through the data entry into PLAN, Millennium and dissemination to parents through a school designed Literacy Report for Stage 4 students. The second round of this assessment will take place during Semester 1 in 2016.

Evidence of explicit literacy, QTL and instructional

The Literacy Team collaborated, designed lessons, presented to their respective faculty and implemented the explicit teaching of literacy strategies in Stage 4 Science,

$150.00 Room

Literacy


pedagogy in Stages 4 and 5 Teaching, Learning and Assessment programs.

Stages 4 and 5 English, Year 8 Japanese and Maths. Literacy assessment against the continuum lead to individual literacy reports being constructed for all Stage 4 students, and that data being validated through a school-designed collaborative process of data drill-down, online assessment and professional judgement. Quantify Literacy Inclusion of specific strategies - 2 assessments completed in Science, PE and English.

Conference PL $400 x 5 staff

$400 x 5days to design lessons

All class teachers develop a deep understanding of the Literacy Continuum.

Professional learning on the Literacy continuum in 2015 was targeted to select staff across KLA’s in order to redesign two Stage 4 faculty assessment tasks which were mapped against the Literacy continuum. Whole faculty professional learning was delivered to Science, TAS, PE, CAPA, History and English.

Reduction of negative student referrals, including Aboriginal students in Millennium data, including ‘Academic Concern’, ‘N Awards’ and ‘Behaviour’.

At this stage we have not measured the change in this area.

Next steps

In 2016, the Learning and Support faculty will build teacher capacity by team teaching and working collaboratively to embed differentiation in teaching and learning programs. The Project Based Learning Team has planned to develop an exemplar program for cross-curricular PBL at PPHS. The plan is currently to target Extension students in Year 8. Flipped learning will be further implemented after a student evaluation validated this strategy as a mechanism to engage and develop student content interest and learning.

All staff will be professionally developed on the Literacy continuum and the eight reading comprehension strategies. The Literacy Team will continue to design lessons, model the strategies, collaborate and guide teachers in implementing these strategies into their Stage 4 classes.


Leaders in Learning

Purpose

To support teachers in being active facilitators of innovative, engaging and relevant learning experiences which cater to the needs of all students to maximise their learning outcomes.

To encourage teachers to continually develop and reflect on their practice through a focus on quality teaching.

To foster and enhance staff leadership opportunities and processes to build capacity and develop staff to take on more roles within the school and to be able to manage change as it occurs.


Quality Teaching Rounds were implemented with a team of four teachers using the Quality Teaching Framework to collaborate, share and reflect on their own practice. At the end of the year team members have the capability to lead rounds in 2016 with new team members.

Early Career Teachers were supported throughout 2015 by completing workshops on topics including behaviour management, school processes and accreditation. Teachers shared classroom practice through observation of staff. As a result of the workshops, collegiality and support, six ECT successfully completed their accreditation with BOSTES at Proficient Teacher.

The Mentoring Program was successfully continued in 2015, increasing to seven mentors and 12 mentees. As a result of the training, collaborative discussions and constructive feedback, mentors were able to effectively support their mentees.




All teachers have successfully achieved accreditation at Proficient with an increasing number achieving Highly Accomplished and Lead career levels.

The Accreditation and Maintenance Project Team was established, with regular meetings held. Project Team members were trained in the accreditation process. Three after school workshops were presented to early career teachers on accreditation and maintenance. Staff awareness of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers was increased through activities during staff meetings.

Three ECTs achieved accreditation at Proficient Teacher.

There were no teachers working towards achieving higher levels in 2015.

An increase in the number of students who are intellectually engaged, interested and motivated in class as observed through lesson observations and TTFM survey data with an increase from 42% for intellectual engagement and 20% for interest and motivation.

Review of the 2015 lesson observation documentation demonstrates a development in the behaviour management, pedagogical competence and content delivery from all early career teachers.

Teachers increased their knowledge of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers at Staff Meetings. These presentations were delivered using a diverse range of new technology teaching strategies which were then observed in teacher lesson observations.


At least 10% of staff are successful in attaining substantive leadership positions.

Eight staff relieved in higher roles for extended time periods within the school and two teachers relieved at other schools. Four staff relieved for a shorter period of time.

In 2015, one staff attained a substantive leadership position.

Next steps

In 2016, Picnic Point High School will work with the School Director and PSL to develop a leadership program amongst local schools. Staff looking to complete accreditation at a higher level will have support from a network of teachers. The Accreditation and Maintenance Team will train all pre-2004 staff on Maintenance of Accreditation requirements in order to be ready for implementation in 2017. The Quality Teaching Rounds Team will continue to increase in staff participation with a new leader being trained in the QTR process. Four new staff will be involved in 2016 to make a second team. The Early Career Teacher and Mentoring Programs will continue to be further enhanced through the cycle of plan, implement and review.


School Learning Culture

Purpose

To support an educational environment where students actively take ownership of their learning, continually striving for improvement. This will result in all students achieving at a higher level.

To encourage, acknowledge and reward improvements in student achievement in our school.

To maintain and further develop strong and viable partnerships with both the local and wider community in order to enhance the educational learning experiences and achievements of our students.


The school has moved a step closer to having students take ownership of and more responsibility for their learning. Across the school, the language of goal setting has been established and Personalised Education Plans (PEPs) have been implemented for Year 9 students. Student performance has been analysed and comparative data included in the PEPs for all Year 9 students. Work continues on building positive student/teacher relationships, with the Boys Mentoring Program being implemented, resulting in more positive student behaviour.

The Community Partnerships Team developed a process of recording and evaluating current school and community events.




Improved academic performance in all subjects using Grade Point Average (GPA).

30% of Year 9 students improved their GPA. 60% of Year 9 students either improved their GPA or maintained the same level.

Casual teacher days

5 x 400 = $2,000

Increased student interest and motivation in their learning (an improvement from the TTFM survey of 20% of students against the NSW pilot norm for these years of 25%).

All students are setting goals on a weekly basis.

Year 9 students seem more focused in lessons as observed in lesson observations and feedback from staff.

There has been a 16% reduction in negative behavior recorded by Year 9 students.

Improved positive staff and student relationships (an improvement from the TTFM survey of 6/10 against the NSW pilot norm of 5.6/10).

Students are more focused in class and appear to be more engaged in lessons, based on teacher observations.

There has been a 26% reduction in negative behavior recorded in Millennium for the junior school.

Improved levels of advocacy for students (having someone at home or in their community who consistently provides encouragement and can be turned to for advice (an improvement from the TTFM survey of 5.2/10 against the

At this stage we have not measured the change in this area.


NSW pilot norm of 4.6/10).

Next steps

In 2016, we will complete the TTFM survey and analyse the results, produce PEPs for the current Year 9 students and continue the PEPs for Year 10 students with a focus on performance and their pathway in 2017 (Year 11, TAFE or work). The Student Performance Team will produce a more comprehensive and informative report on student programs in Year 7 and possibly Year 8, after review and feedback on the Year 7 student report. The Goal Setting Team will establish reflective writing through goal setting and reward students who achieve their goals.

The Community Partnerships Project Team will endeavour to strengthen parent and community partnerships with the school by introducing new programs and building on existing links.

Key initiatives and other school focus areas

Key initiatives (annual) Impact achieved this year Resources (annual)

Aboriginal background funding

Strategic Direction 1 Improvement measure 5 Reduction of negative student referrals, including Aboriginal students in Millennium data, including ‘Academic Concern’, ‘N Awards’ and ‘Behaviour’.

Strategic Direction 3 Improvement measure 5 All Aboriginal students are provided with the opportunity to engage with Aboriginal culture through a variety of experiences.


Millennium data indicated a 28% reduction in negative student referrals from the previous year in areas of behaviour, academia, and assessment completion.


All Aboriginal students were provided with a range of opportunities to engage with their culture through a variety of experiences. Reconciliation Day celebrations, NAIDOC Week, the Belonging Program and the Edible Garden Project were made available to all Aboriginal students and allowed them to experience different aspects of their culture, whilst also forming relationships with each other to further enhance their cultural connections.

$13,207 (0.2 of teaching per week)

Education teacher one day a week supporting students with individual learning needs.

English language proficiency funding


Learning Support teacher one day a fortnight working with students with individual language and learning needs.

$7,671 (0.1 of teaching per week)

Socio-economic funding


This funded the employment of a third Deputy Principal to lead school strategic planning, professional development and develop, implement and deliver school based literacy programs.

$71,232

Low level adjustment for disability funding


This funded an additional 0.8 in staffing for Learning Support to students with individual learning needs.

$57,181

Support for beginning teachers


The second year beginning teacher was placed on a reduced load and was supported by her supervisor and mentor. Part of the ECT Program delivered workshops on attaining accreditation at proficient. Our

$4,020

Beginning teacher reduced timetable load.

Temporary teachers one day release

beginning teacher was 1 out of 3 teachers to have successfully completed this program in 2015.

Release for early career teachers was provided to engage in professional discussions with supervisors and mentors.

time.

Student information

It is a requirement that the reporting of information for all students be consistent with privacy and personal information policies.

Student enrolment profile

The school population for 2015 was 1028 students. The student population patterns over the last eight years are displayed in the graph below.

Student attendance profile

Post-school destinations

Proportion of students moving into post-school education, training or employment

Year 10

%

Year 11

%

Year 12

%

seeking employment 0 1 0

employment 6 8 29

TAFE entry 1 2 22

university entry 0 0 43

other 0 0 4

unknown 0 0 2

Of the 138 students who sat the HSC, 59 accepted an offer to study at University. 36 enrolled in TAFE or private colleges. 19 students commenced an apprenticeship or traineeship. A further 21 students

moved directly into the workforce. 3 students were not able to be contacted.

Year 12 students undertaking vocational or trade training

In 2015, Picnic Point High School was again able to provide significant opportunities through the corridors of Vocational Education and Training (VET), TAFE (TVET), Community Partnerships, external training organisations and transition pathways. 49 (33%) students completed school based VET programs and 40 (27%) students completed external VET programs via TAFE NSW and NSW Health.

Year 12 students attaining HSC or equivalent vocational educational qualification

Vocational Education frameworks were present in over 60% of senior students’ patterns of study, with a number accessing both school delivered and TAFE delivered courses concurrently. From this statistic, 49 students who completed their HSC in 2015 studied a school delivered VET framework.

School delivered qualifications across Year 11 and 12 for 2015 included:

Certificate II in Construction Pathways,

Certificate II in Hospitality (Food and Beverage),

Certificate III in Live Production, Theatre and Events (Technical Operations), and

Certificate II in Sports Coaching.

Students accessed various courses delivered by the Sydney and South West Sydney Institutes of TAFE in addition to the frameworks above.

Picnic Point High School was supported by Creating Brighter Career Connections (CBCC) in allocation of student VET work placements. The current HSC cohort completed 3430 hours of collective placements, with pleasing feedback gained from host-employers. Local businesses continued to support this learning process and in turn allowed us to continue to forge stronger school-community links.

There was a significant increase in recognition of student excellence in VET with two students receiving regional awards through the DEC and a further three students also accepting a Rotary Award for Excellence in Vocational Education and Training.

In 2015, Picnic Point High School invested heavily in the creation of a new framework course to deliver VET Hospitality Food and Beverage. The school was able to secure the donation of a commercial coffee

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Student attendance rates

School State DoE

machine and grinder and create a partnership with a local coffee distributor to help deliver industry recognised training and strengthen industry ties for enhanced student outcomes. This demonstrates the school’s commitment to the Vocational Education and Training portfolio and to increasing relevant learning opportunities for our students.

Workforce information

Reporting of information for all staff must be consistent with privacy and personal information policies.

Workforce composition

Position Number

Principal 1

Deputy Principal(s) 3

Assistant Principal(s) 0

Head Teacher(s) 11

Classroom Teacher(s) 52.4

Teacher of Reading Recovery 0

Learning and Support Teacher(s) 2.6

Teacher Librarian 1

Teacher of ESL 0.2

School Counsellor 1

School Administrative & Support Staff 14

Other positions 0

Total 86.2

At Picnic Point High School 1% of the workforce is of Indigenous background.

Teacher qualifications

All teaching staff meet the professional requirements for teaching in NSW public schools.

Qualifications % of staff

Undergraduate degree or diploma 100

Postgraduate degree 13

Professional learning and teacher accreditation

The Professional Learning Team met twice each term to strategically plan the professional development of staff during 2015, utilising the school plan for direction and planning of activities. In 2015, expenditure on professional learning was $53,838.10.

In 2015, all staff members joined a school project team which worked on aspects of the school plan. In total there were 14 teams from the three strategic directions and also the key initiative, Aboriginal Education.

The Early Career Teacher Program continued to run in 2015 supporting the 36 New Scheme Teachers at

Picnic Point High School. Release time was provided for staff to complete a variety of activities to support their professional development, including the observation of other teachers’ lessons, engaging in professional discussion and personal reflection, team teaching, lesson observation and compiling evidence to achieve and maintain accreditation at Proficient Teacher with BOSTES Teacher Accreditation. In 2015, there were 11 teachers working to achieve accreditation and 25 maintaining their level of accreditation at Proficient Teacher. There were four members of staff who completed their first round of maintenance of accreditation after having accumulated 100 hours of professional learning. There were no staff accredited at or seeking voluntary accreditation at Highly Accomplished or Lead.

All staff participated in the Lesson Observation Reflection & Feedback Program with the senior executive and head teachers observing the learning in each teacher’s classroom. This provided valuable opportunity for staff to engage in professional learning to extend and refine teaching and learning practices. It also gave opportunities for staff to participate constructively in formal and informal professional discussions with colleagues.

This year, four staff members participated in Quality Teaching Rounds as a part of their Strategic Direction 2 Leaders in Learning project team. All four members completed professional learning on the Quality Teaching Framework, worked as a team to observe each others lessons and then coded them based on the Quality Teaching Framework. This provided opportunities for discussions about learning in the classroom and also provided each member of the team leadership opportunities for one round.

Individual staff completed their own professional learning throughout the year through activities run both internally and externally.

The school provides support for beginning teachers through:

allocation of funds to relieve beginning teachers to complete lesson observations, educational research and to complete BOSTES requirements,

school developed lesson observation, reflection and feedback program as part of an ongoing observation/feedback cycle,

provision of suitably experienced and trained mentors and

regular maintenance and accreditation support meetings.

Financial information

Financial summary

This summary covers funds for operating costs and does not involve expenditure areas such as permanent salaries, building and major maintenance.

A full copy of the school’s 2015 financial statement is tabled at the annual general meetings of the parent and/or community groups. Further details concerning the statement can be obtained by contacting the school.

School performance

NAPLAN

In the National Assessment Program, the results across the Years 7 and 9 literacy and numeracy assessments are reported on a scale from Band 1 to Band 10. The achievement scale represents increasing levels of skills and understandings demonstrated in these assessments.

The My School website provides detailed information and data for national literacy and numeracy testing. Click on the link My School, insert

the school name in the Find a school and select GO to access the school data.

Picnic Point High School evaluates Year 9 NAPLAN results to assess the students’ expected growth from their Year 7 results.

Higher School Certificate (HSC)

In 2015, 132 students sat for the Higher School Certificate. Picnic Point High School offered a broad senior curriculum including four Vocational Education and Training frameworks. Students achieved results above state average in the subjects of ancient history, English standard, mathematics general 1, history extension, music, society and culture, visual arts and VET construction.

In the Higher School Certificate, the performance of students is reported in bands ranging from Band 1 (lowest) to Band 6 (highest).

Overall, students achieved 18 Band 6 results and 141 Band 5 and 6 results.

18 student results were published in the Distinguished Achievers List for achieving marks over 90 in one or more courses. Student achieved Band 6 results in 12 different subjects. These included ancient history, biology, VET construction, English extension 1, English advanced, industrial technology - timber, mathematics, modern history, music, personal development health and physical education, society and culture and visual arts.

One student from VET construction was named in the Top Achiever’s List having come seventh in the HSC construction examination.

Date of financial summary 30/11/2015

Income $

Balance brought forward 652734.00

Global funds 602695.19

Tied funds 327657.73

School & community sources 530664.36

Interest 18776.85

Trust receipts 68142.16

Canteen 0.00

Total income 2200670.29

Expenditure

Teaching & learning

Key learning areas 140992.46

Excursions 141009.88

Extracurricular dissections 125914.58

Library 19602.28

Training & development 540.00

Tied funds 330272.17

Casual relief teachers 184231.65

Administration & office 293502.72

School-operated canteen 0.00

Utilities 114992.42

Maintenance 48661.13

Trust accounts 68915.88

Capital programs 0.00

Total expenditure 1468635.17

Balance carried forward 732035.12

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http://www.myschool.edu.au/

Parent/caregiver, student, teacher satisfaction

In 2015 PPHS participated in the Tell Them From Me Survey for the first time. This suite of surveys gave parents, student and teachers a voice to share individual and group perceptions across a complex cross-section of educational indicators. This data was used to inform the creation of the school plan 2015-17 and is relied upon as a mechanism for improvement during our school evaluation cycles which we complete annually to obtain and authenticate progress towards completion of school strategic directions and their related projects. We will continue to deliver these surveys annually. A snap-shot of the results from the TTFM student survey are below.

A Framework for Assessing Student Engagement:

The Tell Them from Me (TTFM) Survey includes ten measures of student engagement categorized as social, institutional and intellectual engagement.

For each aspect of engagement, students were asked to indicate the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with a number of statements, such as “I get along well with others at school.” Their scores were scaled on a 10-point scale, and students with scores above 6.0 (i.e., a mild to moderately favourable view) were considered engaged. Similar criteria were established for participation in sports and clubs and school attendance.

Figure 1: School-levels factors associated with engagement at Picnic Point High School.

Figure 2: Percentage of students socially engaged at Picnic Point High School.

Figure 3: Percentage of students institutionally engaged at Picnic Point High School.

Figure 4: Percentage of students intellectually engaged at Picnic Point High School.

Further data drilled-down to identify specific cohort responses in relation to Drivers of Student Outcomes.

Positive Learning Climate

There are clear rules and expectations for classroom behavior. Students understand these and teachers maintain high expectations that they be followed.

In this school, students rated Disciplinary Climate of the Classroom 6.1 out of 10; the NSW DoE norm for these years is 6.1.

In this School, Disciplinary Climate of the Classroom was rated 6.1 out of 10 by girls and 6.1 out of 10 by boys. The NSW DoE norm for girls is 6.1 and for boys is 6.

Advocacy at School

Students feel they have someone at school who consistently provides encouragement and can be turned to for advice.

In this school, students rated Advocacy at School 2.9 out of 10; the NSW DoE norm for these years is 2.9.

In this school, Advocacy at School was rated 3.1 out of 10 by girls and 2.8 out of 10 by boys. The NSW DoE norm for girls is 2.7 and for boys is 3.

Rigour

Students find the classroom instruction is well-organised, with a clear purpose, and with immediate and appropriate feedback that helps them learn.

In this school, students rated Rigour 6.2 out of 10; the NSW DoE norm for these years is 6.1.

In this school, Rigour was rated 6.1 out of 10 by girls and 6.3 out of 10 by boys. The NSW DoE norm for girls is 6.1 and for boys is 6.2.

Effective Learning Time

Important concepts are taught well, class time is used efficiently and homework and evaluations support class objectives.

In this school, students rated Effective Classroom Learning Time 6.6 out of 10; the NSW DoE norm for these years is 6.6.

In this school, Effective Classroom Learning Time was rated 6.5 out of 10 by girls and 6.7 out of 10 by boys. The DoE norm for girls is 6.6 and for boys is 6.6.

Relevance

Students find classroom instruction relevant to their everyday lives.

In this school, students rated Relevance 5.8 out of 10; the NSW DoE norm for these years is 5.9.

In this school, Relevance was rated 5.5 out of 10 by girls and 6 out of 10 for boys. The NSW DoE norm for girls is 5.8 and for boys is 6.

Policy requirements

Aboriginal education

Picnic Point High School is committed to improving the educational outcomes of Aboriginal students so that they achieve and maintain equity with the broader community. The school is also committed to involving all students in opportunities to experience and appreciate Aboriginal culture and history.

Aboriginal Education across KLA’s

Key Learning Areas at PPHS have all followed policy from the Department of Education in including mandated Aboriginal Education in specific units of work. Subjects that are part of the new Australian Curriculum have embedded compulsory aspects of their courses to meet the required outcomes regarding Aboriginal Perspectives and content. Further to this, other faculties are incorporating content and tasks designed to address Aboriginal history, culture and traditions. Staff are provided opportunities and resources through the Aboriginal Ed team and the PPHS Strategic Direction team to learn about and implement Aboriginal perspectives and culture in their classroom, whilst also being able to participate in a variety of cultural, educational and traditional celebrations.

Professional Learning Plans and Tutoring

All Indigenous students at Picnic Point High School have a Personalised Learning Plan (PLP). Parents and students are interviewed as part of a detailed process to develop a learning plan that is suited to every individual student and their specific goals. These plans are then made available to all staff so that learning needs can be addressed consistently throughout the year.

Picnic Point High School also offers the Norta Norta tutoring program for senior students. All students in Years 11 and 12 have access to tutoring sessions on subjects of their choice to assist in increasing syllabus knowledge, improve performance in assessment tasks or better prepare for examinations. This program is funded by the government and involves a number of teachers from Picnic Point High School who provide their expertise in a variety of subject areas.

In 2015, we continued the tutoring program for students in Years 7-10. The Learning Centre that was established in 2014 has continued to thrive as students are timetabled to come out of their regular class and spend one hour with our librarian, Miss Ng, receiving one on one tutoring in a subject area in which they required assistance. The students have

once again responded extremely well and gained significant benefits from participating in the program.

Reconciliation Week

As part of our commitment to increasing the awareness and understanding of Aboriginal History and Culture we recognise and celebrate Reconciliation Week in a number of ways. During the week we held a quiz competition on each morning assembly. Questions on Aboriginal history, culture and traditions were submitted by students in the weeks prior which were then read out on assembly. The students who answered correctly were awarded prizes which were redeemed at a BBQ and performance held on the front oval for all students on the Friday lunch time. This was a highly successful celebration that saw the majority of the student population share in reconciliation and included some wonderful performances from students.

Belonging Program

The Belonging Program was once again undertaken by the students at PPHS. Students attended a Belonging Day festival at Sir Joseph Banks High School where they gained instruction on Boomerang making and throwing, Aboriginal artwork, traditional dance and music, food and stories from local elders. A highly successful and extremely rewarding day was had by our junior students and Miss Martin. One of the highlights was the didgeridoo performance of Cory Brown which resulted in a standing ovation from all the people at the celebration. This was followed up later in the year with another Belonging Day held at Panania Public School which again was highly rewarding and a wonderful cultural experience.

Edible Garden

Following on from our Native Garden project in 2014 we are now developing an Edible Garden to educate Indigenous and Non-Indigenous students on the edible plants that are native to our area. We are also incorporating native plants from surrounding areas to give students as broad a base of information and knowledge as possible. This is an exciting project that we hope will become part of some Project Based Learning activities across different faculties at PPHS.

Multicultural Education and Anti-racism

The school values inclusive multicultural education which is evident throughout both teaching and learning and school environments. During the school year students access learning experiences which develop citizenship capabilities. Celebration of

NAIDOC week, Harmony Day and the Belonging Program highlight some of the key initiatives employed to create awareness and acceptance of the diversity in which our school community exists.

Multicultural education is supported through strong school policy which underpins both student learning and behavior expectation, that maintains a healthy workplace free of racism and discrimination and that fosters dignity and respect.

Student Leadership

In 2015, 152 students from Years 7 to 11 participated in the Student Leadership Program at Picnic Point High School. The program is highly regarded by the school community, as it is centred on the premise of continual development of all students’ leadership skills. The program was established in 2006 and has become an integral component of the school culture due to its significant impact on a large number of students. The program offers all interested participants a variety of leadership opportunities and experiences. It is a highly effective program that ensures each student is able to learn about and practise the methods of successful leadership.

The Student Leadership Program provides a comprehensive and engaging leadership learning experience. In Term 1 and 3, all student leaders participated in two whole day workshops. These workshops include a broad range of activities which develop the individual leadership abilities of each student. Students are also afforded the opportunity to develop their collaborative and group work skills in a supportive environment.

During Term 3, all leadership students are invited to apply to attend the annual Student Leadership Camp. 60 students were successful in their application to attend the 2015 camp at the Stanwell Tops Conference Centre. The theme of this year’s camp was ‘It’s Ok to Fail’ and ‘Leaving a Leadership Legacy’. All students worked diligently to complete many theoretical and practical tasks to further develop their leadership capabilities.

Elections for Prefects and SRC are conducted in Term 2 and nominees present speeches to their year group and leadership students, outlining their vision and goals for effective leadership at Picnic Point High School. Once voting is complete, each representative represents their peers and the school throughout the ensuing twelve months. The 2015 Student Representative Council consists of 27 students – 12 Prefects [Year 12 students] and 15 students from year 7 to 10.

The SRC has had a busy and eventful 2015.

During Term 1 the SRC organised the Harmony Day. On this day the entire school was involved in watching cultural dances from New Zealand, Samoa and Greece, Lebanese drumming and Sikh Martial arts. Students also listened to inspirational speeches from representatives from human rights organisations. During lunch, the SRC and Prefects organised a sausage sizzle and gelato stall.

Term 2 is always significant, as the new representatives of the school are elected. 15 new representatives were elected, four students from each year, with three students from Year 8. The newly elected SRC representatives completed a two hour induction workshop in June, to further develop their leadership skills and prepare effectively for their role as student representatives.

Term 3 saw the SRC raising funds for its World Vision sponsor child Wendy. The SRC presented a PowerPoint at all Formal Assembly and collected donations for Wendy. $500 was sent to World Vision for Wendy – a fantastic effort. In Term 4, the SRC supported Social Inc’s ‘Say Hi!’ Day by organising a slushy stall. In 2016, the SRC is aiming to purchase some items for the school - unbreakable mirrors for the girls toilet and a BBQ for the school.

Each term, all year groups hold a Formal Assembly, which ensures leadership students have many opportunities to demonstrate their public speaking and leadership skills, providing a real world application to the work undertaken during the leadership workshops.

Throughout 2015, students at Picnic Point High School have worked diligently to develop their leadership skills through a variety of activities:

The Prefects conducted the annual Valentine’s Day fundraiser and worked conscientiously to ensure over 250 roses were successfully sold to members of the school community

Sarah Lord and Madeleine Buckley [Year 12 Prefects] attended the 2015 Secondary School Student Leadership Program held at NSW Parliament House in June.

Daniel Papagianopoulos and Annalise Summers [Year 10 SRC Representatives] attended the Global Dignity Day at NSW Parliament House in October.

The Year 12 Prefects demonstrated their ability to successfully work together as a group and their efforts to promote inclusion

for all by organising sausage sizzle fundraisers throughout the year

Work Ready Awareness Program (WRAP)

The Work Ready Awareness Program (WRAP) was conducted at Picnic Point High School for the second time in 2015 since its inception 2014.

The aim of the WRAP project is to:

re-engage students with a more relevant school curriculum;

enable students to develop clear goals and work pathways;

provide practical skills in a number of work related tasks and areas;

develop communication and other employability and social skills;

encourage students to take part in Vocational Education; and

equip students for transition into the workplace or onto senior study.

During 2015 WRAP consisted of timetabled lessons with the Careers Adviser over the fortnightly cycle. The structure of the timetable involved a double period to allow for practical activities and the other period for theory. This resulted in greater student engagement and participation in the program.

WRAP included all lessons being linked to the Work Education Stage 5 syllabus outcomes, resulting in all students gaining the accreditation of Work Education 100 hour on their Record of School Achievement (RoSA). In conjunction with these reforms, the majority of students enrolled in a 120 hour Stage 5 TVET course to gain further accreditation for their RoSA and to equip them with the skills to be work ready or to continue on to senior studies. Students also took part in ongoing Work Experience and were involved in practical projects such as rebuilding an outboard motor. Of the 10 participating students, six have transitioned into the workforce at this point, and four are continuing senior studies enrolled in both School Based VET and TVET courses. WRAP will continue to deliver an engaging program to at risk and disengaged students in Term 2 of 2016.

Student Welfare

Student Welfare at Picnic Point High School is committed to promoting a safe and supportive environment for all students. The foundation of this ethos is that by providing a strong student welfare

network, supported by all members of the school community, students are better equipped to engage with their learning, achieve their goals and become accomplished citizens. There is a strong emphasis on student leadership, personal responsibility and resilience, increased participation in school life and improving school attendance.

Picnic Point High School promotes positive peer relations and strives to provide quality learning experiences that demonstrate how to actively engage with others and develop a strong sense of self. Student welfare programs at Picnic Point High School aim to empower students and develop their understanding of their place in the wider school community.

In 2015, the Year 8 welfare lesson Belonging, Motivation, Wellbeing [BMW] incorporated a broad range of themes, including decisions and consequences, cyber bullying, setting goals, study skills, conflict resolution and a separate eight session of and individualised boys and girls program. The boys’ program was delivered by male staff and covered sessions on self-esteem, self image, masculinity, peer relations, particularly with girls and team building activities. The girls participated in the Stride MPower Girls program delivered by three female staff, focusing on the topics of empathy, peer relations, self confidence and assertiveness.

In Term 1, 58 Year 10 leaders completed the highly successful Peer Support program with all Year 7 students.

In Term 2, Year 7 students attended the three day Great Aussie Bush Camp at Kincumber. Students completed team building activities in a variety of challenging outdoor environments and the Rock and Water Program, which aims to develop students’ resilience and problem solving skills.

In Term 1, Year 11 students attended the three day Crossroads Camp at the Great Aussie Bush Camp, Kincumber

Class Act Theatre presented two important performances in 2015 - Year 7 students attended the anti-bullying performance of Bully Busters in Term 3 and Year 8 students attended the performance of Cyber Busters in Term 1. Year 9 students attended the Brainstorm production of Cheap Thrills in

Term 2, focusing on raising awareness of drugs and alcohol in society.

The school PYLO, Senior Constable Danny McManus presented workshops to Year 7, 8 and 9 students on the topics of online safety, harassment, stealing and the Young Offenders Act

Year 8 students participated in Bankstown Council’s Anti-Graffiti workshop presented through Bankstown Council

International Women’s Day was celebrated by Year 9 girls who developed their understanding of women and their place in the world

Year 11 students completed the Rotary Youth Driver Awareness [RYDA] program in preparation for gaining driver learning permits in Term 3

Year 12 students attended the ‘bstreetsmart’ workshop at Olympic Park, focusing on road safety education

Years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 completed study skills workshops and Year 12 participated in the Elevate Education study skills program and an optional stress management workshop presented by the school counsellor

Year 10 students completed the National Association for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN) and the NSW Department of Education ‘Love Bites’ program in Term 1, presented by local youth workers, the School Liaison Officer, Bankstown Council, Centrelink, Sexual Assault Counsellors and Mental Health Workers from the Bankstown Local Government area. The day was split into 3 separate activities, focusing on the issues of sexual assault, domestic violence, the impact on individuals and families and the legal consequences. The other session was about domestic violence, where we learnt about the laws and consequences of these actions. The last session was a creative activity. Students had the choice to create a rap or poster about what they had learnt during the day.

The Year 10 Alternate Program was presented over three days in Week 10 of Term 4, encompassing a variety of workshops including the crime prevention

workshop ‘Burn’, focusing on social media, presented by Legal Aid; a safe partying workshop presented by the NRL Canterbury Bulldogs; learning how to manage finances, presented by CommBank; online reputation presented by Optus; the ‘Live Learn Drive’ program presented by the NRMA; an online safety workshop ‘Tagged’, devised by the Australian Communication and Media Association and ‘All My Own Work’, a BOSTES requirement prior to the commencement of Stage 6.

In Term 4, the Supervisor of Girls developed a presentation for all students to highlight White Ribbon Day and its efforts to educate students on the issues of domestic violence – the Prefects spoke to students at all Formal Assemblies about this issue and students were then invited to write a message on their own white ribbon, which were then displayed around the school

In Term 4, 59 Year 9 students completed Peer Support Training, in preparation for the program in 2016 and to assist Year 6 students during Orientation Day in December 2015

2015 Social Inc. Report

Social Inc. program at PPHS seeks to overturn the stigma and social disadvantage around disability in our school. This program challenges young people to help change the perception of disability in our school through awareness, active social networks and engagement. Social Inc. takes the school community on a guided journey of understanding, acceptance, belonging and giving back. There were 57 students participating in the program.

The Social Inc. 2015 projects included:

Lunch swap – getting to know each other

Harmony Day - raising awareness about different abilities

Social Inc. Leadership Conference

‘Matilda, the Musical’ – excursion to the Lyric Theatre

Social Inc. Cake Stall Fundraiser

I say Hi! Campaign at PPHS with invited schools – Broderick Gillawarna, Caroline Chischolm and Sir Joseph Banks High School

http://www.picnicpt-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/Faculty_Webs/SocialInc/photogallery.php?page=launch

http://www.picnicpt-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/Faculty_Webs/SocialInc/photogallery.php?page=hiCampaign

Outcomes:

An increase in the awareness of school communities about students with a disability and promoting a culture of social inclusion;

An increase in inclusive opportunities/activities for all participants;

An increase of knowledge by the mainstream population resulting in more responsive and positive perceptions of students with a disability; and

Leadership opportunities for students who want to develop and enhance their leadership skills.

The large number of students involved, their time dedicated to volunteer and the benefits of friendships developed among students can measure this program’s success. Social Inc. has been used as a social catalyst/strategy for students from mainstream who have been experiencing difficulties socialising and building friendships with others.

Achievements in the Arts 2015

Picnic Point High School continues to provide quality Creative and Performing Arts Programs while also offering a wide variety of extra-curricular opportunities.

Major achievements in 2015 include:

Five talented students were selected to be a part of the Bankstown City Talent Advancement Program – Laura Cuddy (yr11), Tara Stimpson (yr11) Dakota Smith (yr10), Renee Hewson (yr8), Harry Houllis (yr7).

Emily Reynolds (yr9) and Imogen Wallace (yr9) were successful in gaining placement in the NSW State Dance Ensemble.

Emily Reynolds (yr9) was successful in gaining placement in the State Tap Ensemble.

15 students participated in the NSW Combined Choir at InConcert 2015 at the Sydney Town Hall.

45 Dance students participated in the Bankstown/East Hills Dance Festival.

Two Dance Ensembles comprising of 40 Dance students participated in the South West Regional Dance Festival.

60 students were involved in the East Hills Choral Festival as Vocal Soloists, Dancers, Instrumental Accompanists, Comperes, Combined Choir and VET Entertainment Technical Crew.

21 students represented the school at Schools Spectacular: 13 students participated in the ‘Combined Dance Ensemble’ item. Two students participated in the NSW State Dance Ensemble and NSW State Tap Ensemble. Two students participated in the NSW Millennium Marching Band. Four VET Entertainment Work Placement students.

150 students participated in the MADD Festival. In 2015, Primary School Ensembles were invited to participate in the Matinee performance. 400 primary school students from local schools attended this event.

50 students have participated in the Musical Theatre Ensemble Group, performing ‘School Song’ from Matilda at the Presentation Day Ceremony.

7E Music won a Casio Digital Piano for the school in the Keyboard Evolution National Competition in the category 'Whole of Class Performance'.

Charlotte Humphrys from 7E Music won the Keyboard Evolution 'Open Division' winning a Casio watch.

The Creative and Performing Arts Faculty showcased many events at Picnic Point High School where our Extra-Curricular Music, Dance and Drama Ensembles were featured. These included:

Senior Music Showcase

ANZAC Day Ceremony

MADD Festival – 3 shows

HSC Music Recital

HSC Major Work Evening

East Hills Choral Festival

Evening of Dance

Presentation Day

East Hills Choral Festival

Achievements in Sport 2015

Attendance

At Zone Age

Champions Regional State

Swimming 59 3 47 13

Cross Country

115 6 28 5

Athletics 113 3 50 11

In 2015, Picnic Point High School continued to be successful in many areas of school and competition sports. The school fielded 42 grade teams with three teams winning grade competitions. Students also participated in 24 different recreational activities.

Picnic Point High School performed well again in 2015 at regional, zone and state levels. 18 students were selected in regional teams and 29 students represented Picnic Point High School at CHS Carnivals. Picnic Point High School students were Zone Swimming Champions for both boys and girls and Zone Athletics Champions for girls. 17 teams represented the school in State Knockout competitions. The results included:

1 State Champion (Boys Cricket),

2 NSW Combined High School State Semi- Finalists (Girls Baseball, Boys Soccer),

4 teams Final 16 in NSW Combined High School and

9 Sydney South West Regional Champions.

Picnic Point High School Annual Report from the Principal Picnic Point High School was established...

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