St Joseph s School, Tara

St Joseph’s School, Tara

TCS Quadrennial school review Full report

November 2019

St Joseph’s School, Tara Quadrennial School Review full report of 13

Foreword

Although much has been written about school reform in past decades — national reports, studies, descriptions of findings — insufficient attention has been given to the important relationships among the adults within the school, and to a consideration of how the abundant untapped energy, inventiveness and idealism within the school might be encouraged.

Roland Barth, Harvard Graduate School of Education

The philosophical approach to the review is based on Appreciative Inquiry, a well-established approach used by organisations varying from international corporations to not-for-profit social organisations. Appreciative Inquiry begins with the assumption that there are good things happening in the organisation and identifying these. It then moves to what people see as areas needing attention, improvement or change. The key principle is that these are placed in the context of what the organisation does well, so it moves beyond a problem-solving agenda to an improvement agenda. Appreciative Inquiry aims to bring ownership to the school. The review team hears ‘the story’ of the school through its stakeholders, and this informs the key findings and improvement strategies that the review team has recommended. Exactly how the school addresses the key findings and improvement strategies is left for the school to determine, but it is mandatory for the school to address them over the following four years. Leaders of continuously improving organisations bring a learning mindset to the work of their staff. They focus on establishing disciplined processes for developing, testing, and improving core work and programs to build capacity. They invest time and energy in enabling staff to embed these processes into day-to-day work and to create an organisational openness to review and change. Park, S., Hironaka, S., Carver, P. and Nordstrum, L. (2013). Continuous improvement in education, Carnegie Foundation, Stanford.

St Joseph’s School, Tara Quadrennial School Review of 13

Methodology The review was conducted from Monday, 11 November to Wednesday, 14 November 2019

Reviewers Mr Paul Murphy, Senior Education Leader, Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office (Chair) Mrs Terry Carter, Manager: Teaching & Leaning, Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office Mr Brendan Redinger, Principal: St Patrick’s, St George The review consisted of structured interviews of the following school community members

• The Principal • Fr Jack McGinley, Parish Priest • Teaching staff (2), Middle Leader/Learning Support Teacher (ML/LST) • School Officers including Administration, Cleaner and Teacher Aides (5) • Parents including Parents and Friends Association (P&F) members (6) • School Counsellor • Students Years 3 to 6 (3) • Students Prep to 2 (3)

School Renewal and Improvement (SRI) domains and components The reference document for the review was the SRI domains and components from the Toowoomba Catholic Schools (TCS) School Renewal and Improvement Framework.

Domain 1 Teaching and learning Component 1.1 Students and their learning Component 1.2 Curriculum structure and provision Component 1.3 Pastoral care and student wellbeing

Domain 2 Mission and identity Component 2.1 Religion curriculum Component 2.2 Religious life of the school

Domain 3 Continual renewal Component 3.1 School improvement culture Component 3.2 Community partnerships

Domain 4 Strategic resourcing and stewardship Component 4.1 Staff development and wellbeing Component 4.2 Use of resources facilities and the learning environment


Prologue The purposes of the Toowoomba Catholic Schools quadrennial school review are

a. to engage the school community in a process of self-reflection and continual renewal b. to ensure the school review focuses on the quality of teaching and learning c. to provide the school community with an opportunity to participate in a thorough reflection on their

school’s effectiveness d. to provide an external panel perspective including findings and improvement strategies to affirm and

improve teaching and learning. As you enter the gates of St Joseph’s it is clearly apparent that the school is a welcoming and safe place for all community members. Greeted by seating, sandwich board displays and wellbeing messages one clearly can see that the school’s mission of faith and friendship is evident in the day to day practices of the school. The office foyer offers a variety of student images that show students engaged in the two pillars of Toowoomba Catholic Education. The school has exceptionally clean learning spaces, staffrooms, offices and travel spaces that indicate the esteem in which staff and students hold their school. A common message throughout the review is that St Joseph’s is in a very positive place, and it is clear that a focus on quality teaching and learning is now the next step for the school. It is important to note that the review panel treats many of the data sets (NAPLAN, parent/staff/student perception) with caution as the small cohort of students and survey responders makes identifying trends and themes statistically difficult. The review panel thanks the St Joseph’s community for the generous spirit and commitment given to this review.

Domain 1 Teaching and learning

Component 1.1 Students and their learning Findings Explicit improvement agenda The Review panel congratulates the staff of St Joseph’s School for their deliberate approach to incorporating an improvement agenda into their ways of working. The use of student data with targeted planning and implementation of improvement strategies is evident in the improved academic achievement of the students. The school has a clear teaching and learning goal that all students achieve twelve months growth for twelve months learning and this goal is evident in the school-wide approaches to learning. Staff identify student needs through the analysis of student data from NAPLAN, PAT-R, PROBE, PM Benchmarks; whole school testing; classroom observations and portfolios of student work. The intention is that this analysis is then combined with the use of High Impact Teaching Strategies (HITS) such as using Learning Intentions (LI) and Success Criteria (SC), formative and summative assessment, gradual release of responsibility and feedback. Some of these approaches are beginning to be implemented, and there are opportunities to expand the use of HITS across the whole school.


St Joseph’s School is a Wellbeing Lighthouse School and through that project, uses various strategies for improving levels of student achievement and wellbeing. Progress towards targets is monitored, and opportunities exist to evaluate initiatives and programs for their effectiveness in producing desired improvements in student learning and achievement. Analysis and discussion of data The school uses a large group of data sources which includes

• NAPLAN • PAT-R, PROBE, PM Benchmarks • whole school testing • classroom observations • portfolios of student work • student voice interview clips/student wellbeing meetings • Reading Advancement for Targeted Students (RAFTS) intervention, Reading Our Way, Mini-lit • University of Queensland Telehealth Speech Language Pathology (Telehealth) • School Counsellor • School Officer collaboration • Three-way student/parent/teacher learning meetings • Essential Skills for Classroom Management (ESCM) Classroom profiling • Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD)

As can be seen from the list of data sources above, both quantitative and qualitative data are considered in collection and analysis, and efforts are made to triangulate data to create a more accurate picture of student needs and progress. The data is used in a review and respond process. This is facilitated through accessing Education Officers from Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office (TCSO) to support teacher pedagogy; leadership support with co-planning, modelling, coaching, walk through/observations; financial allocation for resources (human, physical) in targeted areas; and the scheduling of regular additional release time. Learning culture It is clear that the school values and appreciates students’ and families’ varying cultural backgrounds. They work closely with various groups, particularly in the area of Indigenous education, to raise awareness of the culture of learning that can be embedded across the whole school. The panel saw evidence of the use of HITS with the use of a Bump It Up Wall as well as LI and SC beginning to be used. Some students are able to talk about their learning goals, how they know what they’re learning and how to access resources to help their learning — for example, using the “5 Bs”.

‘The class has a routine and students know what’s expected of them — even if the teacher is away, the students know exactly what they need to do.’

School Officer The learning culture is significantly enhanced by the school’s work in student wellbeing. This impacts positively on staff and students. How well the staff are working in this area is evidenced by the school having discussions with the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) about using the school’s ESCM video of teaching practice to support the induction of early career teachers at a national level.

‘The school takes care of all my child’s learning needs. We are very happy at this school.’ Parent


‘Teachers are so hard-working — they live for the students. You can see it from the moment the children step into the school grounds and it extends into the weekend. It’s like a big family. You feel like part of the family as soon as you walk in the door.’

School Officer Improvement strategies

• Continue to provide professional learning for staff about HITS such as using LI and SC, formative and summative assessment, gradual release of responsibility and feedback.

• Further develop teachers’ use of LI and SC as ways to bring clarity to planning and teaching. • Embed these practices consistently in planning, teaching, assessing and reporting for all classes. • Provide clarity for students through the use of LI and SC and learning goals that equip the students

to talk about their own learning through questions such as: What am I learning? Why am I learning it? and How will I know that I have learned it?

Component 1.2 Curriculum structure and provision Findings Systematic curriculum delivery The Diocesan Learning Profile (DLP) demonstrates that the curriculum structure — program, class structure and standardised test records — are complete and the Principal has endorsed all the Australian Curriculum Learning Areas in the School Learning Framework. The Principal and Middle Leader coordinate curriculum planning and work with teachers on overall unit planning. The school also welcomes and receives support from Education Officers and the Inclusion Coach from TCSO.

Planning for Personalised Learning (PfPL) is also being embedded across the school with 50% of Students with Disabilities (SWD) already having their goals specifically linked to the Australian Curriculum. Teachers are progressing well with adjusting curriculum content and recording student needs in the DLP. The next implementation phase of PfPL focusses on adjustments for High Potential Learners.

Data entry is evident at the ‘Master Class grid’ level for students across all classes. There is occasional evidence of this information being considered at unit plan level and of some adjustments being made to classroom teaching. The embedding of the Diocesan-wide Reading Improvement Strategy (RIS) has been an ongoing focus for St Joseph’s and its effects are being seen in student reading data. For example, in PM and Probe assessments completed at the end of 2018 and again at the end of Semester 1 2019, the majority of students in Year 2 to 5 have made average to high growth in reading during this six-month period. Steady growth is being made in Prep and Year 1 as staff continue to work to address students’ needs, particularly in oral language. Professional Learning Community (PLC) In the 2019 RADII Staff Satisfaction Surveys, staff responded positively around the topics of leadership and PLCs having a clear focus on teaching and learning and on collaboration amongst the whole staff, including school officers. There are teaching and learning collaborations, performance and goal setting meetings and collaborative planning meetings, peer and leadership observations. School context St Joseph’s has an Index of Community and Social Educational Advantage (ICSEA) of 816 placing it well below the national average of 1000. Indigenous students account for over 28% of the student cohort and the school works closely with the Education Officer: Indigenous Education and a School Officer who also acts as a consultant for the school in supporting Indigenous students within the school and the broader Tara community. Over 15% of students have English as a Second Language (ESL) and the Education Officer: English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EALD) works in well with the school in providing support.


Improvement strategies • Continue to link SWD goals to the Australian Curriculum to ensure accurate monitoring and tracking of

student progress. • Continue to support student learning by recording adjustments to the teaching and learning

environment. • Begin a collaborative approach to planning inclusive differentiated practices in the classroom to

support high potential learners. • Collaborate with TCSO staff, particularly Education Officers, on ways to support teachers in the above

areas.

Component 1.3 Pastoral care and student wellbeing Findings Student social and emotional wellbeing

‘We have lots of support around us and if you don’t feel safe you can go to the teachers.’ Early years student

A common theme through all interviews is that St Joseph’s has a family atmosphere where the wellbeing of all students is paramount. The six students interviewed demonstrated a healthy self-esteem and interacted candidly and respectfully with the review team. Students identify swimming and dance as two co-curricular activities that they really enjoy. The learning support teacher works with both classes on a Thursday to explore self-regulation strategies through ‘Zones of Regulation’. Investigation of a broader based classroom teacher implemented social and emotional whole school skill development program is currently being undertaken by the school. Parents interviewed are effusive in praising the Telehealth program and the benefits the program has brought to their children’s language development. St Joseph’s participates in skill building activities and programs including: Bullying No-Way Day, Day for Daniel, Harmony Day, Cyber safety education for parents and students and Mothers/Fathers/Carers Day. The Principal is responsible for organising the MacKillop Club and this club intends to undertake more social justice work within and beyond the community of Tara. Adopt-a-cop visits are scheduled for once per school term. During classroom visits it was noted that some student goal setting in curriculum and personal and social competencies is evident. A small number of interviewees suggest that the school investigate opportunities for students to undertake more perceptual motor type programs at the school. This was identified as being important as currently the school does not have a physical education teacher or regular timetabled weekly physical education lessons. Relationships

‘We get invited to Tarcoola (nursing home) — children read, play games, sing, participate in the Easter Parade, 4 times per year usually, Tara Hospital for Reconciliation and NAIDOC Week — students participated in smoking ceremony, acknowledgment, sang indigenous song. Children are learning Silent Night in language.’

School Officer


All parents interviewed believe that the school is making many positive attempts to engage with the school parent community. Parents express appreciation of the variety of communication channels (email, SMS etc) used by the school to connect with families. Parents indicate that the involvement of parents in after school activities can be problematic as many families live quite a distance from the school. Some suggested a planned calendar of yearly events, at times that are most suitable for parents, may assist in making the most of these opportunities. Seating for parents near the school gate has assisted with the flow of students from classrooms and provides a welcoming gathering place for parents and care givers before and after school. It is clear that the school has a strong partnership with the wider community through ANZAC and Remembrance Day commemorations, visits to Tarcoola (aged care home) and town NAIDOC celebrations. Effectiveness of systems and structures

‘The school runs like a well-oiled machined.’ Parent

‘Accessibility to the counsellor every 2nd Monday — helps students deal with problems from their perspective not ours.’

Parent A Student Behaviour Support Plan (SBSP) is in place at the school. This plan identifies positive and negative consequences for student behaviour. RADII perception data indicates that St Joseph’s students, parents and staff are very positive as to the current overall behaviour of students at the school and how behaviour incidents are managed. The student rewards system is identified as a positive addition to the overall wellbeing of the school with most interviewees able to generally explain how the reward system operates. A number of parents interviewed consider that there is some inconsistency in the application of the rewards system across the school, particularly in relation to the recognition of student ‘effort’ not just ‘achievement’. RADII data identified that the school counsellor role is well valued at the school and that the current service provision model is meeting the needs of the school community. Student attendance data indicates that overall attendance is 90% and typifies the enthusiasm of the students to be at school. Indigenous student attendance is 93%. Parents indicated that the students loved being at school and believe that the love and encouragement by the school staff is responsible for this enthusiasm to attend school. Improvement strategies

• Investigate the rewards system with a view to establishing greater clarity and consistency in the criteria.

• Implement an evidence-based whole school social-emotional skilling program (such as You Can Do It which was identified as a possible program for the school).

• Investigate ways to increase student opportunities to engage in perceptual motor programs.


Domain 2 Mission and identity Component 2.1 Religion curriculum Findings Systematic curriculum delivery

‘This is a great little school.’ Parent

The school has a well-developed and systematic delivery of Religious Education (RE) curriculum. The RE curriculum is being followed by all teachers as evident in DLP planning. The teaching of RE is taught across the week for 2.5 hours in each class as evident in the teachers’ timetable. The school has a Mission Statement that it refers to in planning processes. It has been some years since this has been reviewed. The school has multi-age classes and the RE Learning Area Programs (LAPs) cover the year level achievement standards and content descriptions reflecting the needs of the classes. The RE units are completed and recorded onto the DLP for all classes by the classroom teachers. There is evidence of the expected use of Learning Intentions (LI) and Success Criteria (SC) in the area of RE that align with the curriculum. Teachers work regularly with the Principal who also undertakes the role of Assistant Principal Religious Education (APRE) and the Education Officer: Formation and Identity (EO:F&I) each term to consolidate planning, teaching and assessment. Scriptural texts, resources and prayers are selected as appropriate for multi-age classes. Of the parents and staff surveyed 100% responded in every area of Mission and Identity with either agree or strongly agree. Though Census data nominates 20% of the student population as baptised Catholics, there is a very low percentage of parents and families who are practising Catholics in the local parish. Professional Learning Community (PLC) A common and shared language of Catholic tradition and history is communicated and discussed amongst staff. Professional development opportunities are utilised with a central focus on support and collaboration. The leadership team use goal setting and performance meetings and the PLC to discuss the annual goals for Mission and Identity. Staff align their teaching goals with the annual goals to reaffirm and reinforce the school’s direction. School context The school recently completed the Enhancing Catholic School Identity (ECSI) survey. Overall, the results are very supportive of the school’s Catholic identity. The results indicate that it could be strengthened through further work in recontextualisation. Improvement strategies

• Establish a shared language of culture and identity by exploring the ECSI survey and the use of recontextualising of scripture to build capacity for more symbolic than literal interpretation and greater relevance to students’ lives.

• Review the Mission and Vision Statement from a 21st Century Catholic perspective.


Component 2.2 Religious life of the school Findings Evangelisation and formation The school ensures that the community can identify St Joseph’s as a Catholic school in the Mary MacKillop tradition through the many religious iconography, signage and artworks that are placed throughout the school. Prayer tables can be seen in all classrooms, the foyer and staffroom of the school. The Mary MacKillop values are also evident in the way that students, staff and parents interact with one another. The charism of 'never seeing a need without doing something about it’ is evident through the formation of staff and students at regular retreats and inductions from the EO: F&I, Sister Di Phillips and the Principal. The school prayer highlights the virtues of Mary MacKillop. Regular promotion of the school charism is visible around the school through displays, newsletter contributions, staff formation days, prayers and the school website. School values are present and acted out in every classroom. Prayer and worship The school takes advantage of its open areas to create a welcoming and encouraging feel for all visitors. Christian hospitality is practiced daily with all students beginning and ending classes with ‘Good morning may God bless you.’ There is an active engagement of staff, students and parents in communal prayer in classrooms and whole school opportunities which include student-led meditations, significant religious days and celebrations throughout the year. Prayer practices connect with the rural context of the school and the use of dance, art and music make for a lifegiving liturgy which is tailored to suit the community needs. Mary MacKillop hand-held crosses and Jesus crosses are incorporated at every ritual, liturgy or sacred space. The local Parish Priest, Fr Jack MacGinley, promotes the positive relationships between the school and parish. He is visible within the school grounds most mornings, talking with students, parents and staff. Fr Jack takes a pastoral role in the school and in the local community. He writes a regular column in the newsletter which is well received by the community. ‘Parents love reading Fr Jack’s column’ — Staff member. Fr Jack also makes himself available for enrolment meetings. RADII data suggests that an area to continue to work on is providing opportunities for students to experience life-giving liturgy and experiences. Social action and justice The school plays an active role in developing an awareness of charity and outreach services to the community. The school has a Mary MacKillop Club which focusses on social action and justice. The Club is for students and staff. Currently the Club is facilitated by the Principal. To be more effective, the leadership of the club may benefit from including Year 3–6 students and other staff so that students and staff have ownership and leadership opportunities in this important dimension in the life of the school. Meeting once per term, the MacKillop Club puts into action Jesus’ call to serve others. Discussing local, national and global concerns, the club works with other students to address these needs which includes food or blankets for the needy, learning about and raising money for cancer research, disasters and disadvantaged Australians and global communities. Regular visits to Tarcoola Retirement Village enable the school to build positive relationships within the community, connecting students to the elderly. It is evident that the school works closely with families to promote inclusivity, enhance communication and a sense of welcome. Successful transitions are accomplished through consultation with families and identification of needs.


Improvement strategies • Investigate ways to strengthen opportunities for students to experience life-giving liturgy and

experiences. • Continue to build family involvement within the school and at community events. • Investigate ways to broaden leadership opportunities in the Mary MacKillop Club to include the

Year 3–6 students and other staff. • Continue to build outreach and social justice activities with the local community.

Domain 3 Continual renewal Component 3.1 School improvement culture Findings Collective teacher efficacy

‘My planning is a lot better now.’ Teacher

A professional learning community is utilised by the school for teachers to share student performance data and to undertake review and respond sessions. Staff are becoming more conversant with the data sets available to them and some transference into teacher planning is noted. The leadership team has developed a deliberate strategy to provide teachers additional planning time so that the needs of all students can be supported. Teachers meet weekly with the Learning Support Teacher to support the PfPL process. Some consistency of HITS and attempts to make learning visible to students is evident in the classrooms. Given the positive learning culture that now exists at St Joseph’s, it is important that consistent HITS are implemented in both classrooms. School culture In 2019 the school has all teachers being recognised as Essential Skills of Classroom Management (ESCM) profilers. The positive impact of ESCM on classroom tone is noted by school staff. Teachers are in the early stages of modelling and providing feedback to each other. School leadership is supportive in providing release time for teachers to take part in the process. The TCSO reading coach has provided modelling of effective practices in the teaching of shared and guided reading. School leadership is continuing to link the school annual action plan goals and strategies directly through to staff goal setting. Staff and student achievement are recognised through the school newsletter and Facebook posts. Improvement strategies

• Strengthen the ways group and individual student performance data is analysed and applied for differentiation by teachers in their classrooms.

• Collaboratively decide on a core set of HITS that will be implemented consistently across both classrooms.

• Continue to strengthen a culture of observation and feedback by staff.


Component 3.2 Community partnerships Findings Partners The school has developed sustainable and accepted partnerships with the parish and other community organisations. In the school data, responses to the statement ‘The school has a positive profile within the community’ suggest that staff and parents believe the profile of the school could be stronger. Student needs St Joseph’s has ongoing positive connections with Telehealth, Royal Queensland Bush Children’s, Health Scheme, Vital Health allied Health Services ah Hear and Say Impaired hearing services. Improvement strategies

• Investigate opportunities for the school to strengthen its profile in the community. • Continue the relationship with Telehealth and other community groups as deemed appropriate. • Conduct an investigation into the ways the school’s current community links benefit the students

and the school.

Domain 4 Strategic resourcing and stewardship Component 4.1 Staff development and wellbeing Findings School culture

‘All the staff are so approachable. Mary is always there for you, always an open door, makes working here a bit easier.’

School Officer St Joseph’s staff present as a united, cohesive and focussed team. A staff ‘Wellbeing Champion’ is in place and a number of wellbeing activities are planned each term. A weekly wellbeing message is displayed to all community members. Week 6 of each school term is designated as Wellbeing Week with student games and staff massages included in the weekly activities. Caring for the individual Additional time is provided to support the teachers to apply effective and expected teaching practices. Staff state that they are generally happy with the quality and level of communication from leadership to them. Attraction, selection and retention It is a credit to the school leadership that the school is currently in a period of staffing stability. All staff indicate that they are happy and indeed in some cases privileged to work at St Joseph’s.


Nurture and empowerment Consistent staff goalsetting procedures are in place at the school. Staff access TCSO provided professional learning as well as school sourced professional learning. Opportunities to visit peers in Toowoomba Catholic Schools is also a mode of professional learning that is in place. Improvement strategies

• Devise targeted and specific professional learning to support staff as they develop their capacity to implement quality teaching practices.

Component 4.2 Use of resources facilities and the learning environment Findings Resources

‘This school puts the students first.’ School Officer

The school budget reflects that fiscal resources are directed to ensuring that teachers and students have access to quality teaching and learning resources. Alignment of resource selection with the Australian Curriculum is in its early stages. A continued challenge for the school is the updating of information and communication technology (ICT). The current development of an eLearning and Technology plan is intended to assist the school to plan for future rollout of hardware and digital pedagogies. Facilities The school presents as a well looked after learning environment. The interior of the buildings is immaculately maintained by the school cleaner. The Principal has focussed on developing a comprehensive maintenance plan and is methodically implementing this plan. Current projects include preparations for external painting of the school and the installation of new playground equipment. Learning environment Generally, classrooms are vibrant learning spaces. Students and teachers have access to quality teaching and learning resources. The school is building a greater collection of computer devices for student use. The library is well resourced and is currently focussed on building the collection to support the effective implementation of the RIS. Improvement strategies

• Continue the development and implementation of the eLearning and Technology plan. • Continue to implement the maintenance plan. • Align resource selection to the implementation of the Australian Curriculum.

Conclusion The review of St Joseph’s has been an uplifting experience for the review panel. It is the belief of the panel that St Joseph’s is well placed to take the next step of collaboratively seeking ways to continue to improve the quality of learning and achievement for all students at the school. The review panel wishes the school community well as it moves into the next stage of its journey.

St Joseph s School, Tara

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