School plan 2018-2020Tumut Public School 3278

Printed on: 2 May, 2018Page 1 of 6 Tumut Public School 3278 (2018-2020)

School background 2018–2020

School vision statement School context School planning process

Tumut Public School enables excellence by providingquality teaching programs to inspire every child, every dayto achieve their full potential.

                       

                                               'STRIVE TO LEARN –LEARN TO STRIVE'

SCHOOL VALUES

• student achievement and student wellbeing are thefundamental pursuits of Tumut Public School

• every student can succeed regardless of personalcircumstances

• it is our responsibility to act in ways that makeindividual success a reality

• the harder you work the smarter you get

• as a school be on a journey of excellence

Tumut Public School is situated in rural New South Wales.The school caters for 350 students Kindergarten to Year 6.

The school maintains a culture which is based uponcontinuous student improvement and learners operatingcollaboratively with their classmates. Learning is becomingincreasingly student–centered with teachers becomingfacilitators ensuring that knowledge is generated not justdelivered. Our students are seen as lifelong learners. Ourcurriculum has been reshaped so that it is progressivelymore connected to students' interests, experiences, talentsand the real world. We are increasing the use of technologyin our everyday learning as it becomes a tool for gainingand presenting information. Students are encouraged touse research to find answers to the questions raised intheir learning.

Students have access to a wide variety of experiences toenhance and extend their learning. These includeexcursions, debating, chess competitions, Tournament ofMinds, ICAS competitions, instrumental music lessons,NSW Premier's Spelling Bee, NSW Premier's ReadingChallenge, public speaking, dance festivals, choir andmusical productions. Tumut Public School promotes ahealthy awareness of the importance of physical activitythrough our physical education and sport activities.Students are involved in knockout competitions andrepresentative teams in a variety of sports.

In 2017 the school used a consultative process to seek theopinions of staff, students and parents. Our planningprocesses included consultation with staff, students,parents and community members. An extensive review ofour current educational practices was undertaken. Thisinvolved using Simon Sinek’s – The Golden Circle andinformation sessions about the current reforms; theMelbourne Declaration, Great Teaching–Inspired learning,Local Schools–Local Decisions and Rural and RemoteEducation. These assisted our whole school community inunderstanding the importance of engaging with theplanning process. School personnel and communitymembers are aware of the current model for schoolplanning and reporting developed by the Department ofEducation. School staff revisited the school vision andmission statements and aligned them with currentdocuments. The school executive assisted with the writingof the School Plan and participated in learning modules sothat they were familiar with the layout of the Planning Tool.The School Plan was continually taken back to allstakeholders for ongoing consultation and refinement.

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School strategic directions 2018–2020

STRATEGICDIRECTION 1

LEARNING

STRATEGICDIRECTION 2

TEACHING

STRATEGICDIRECTION 3

LEADING

Purpose:

Our purpose is to provide a learning culture based on highexpectations and quality teaching and learning therebyenabling students to be actively engaged in meaningful,challenging and future–focused learning experiences toachieve and thrive as self–directed learners.

HIGH EXPECTATIONS AND QUALITY TEACHING ANDLEARNING RESULTING IN ENGAGED MOTIVATEDLEARNERS.

Purpose:

Our purpose is to ensure that teaching is a practice ofongoing learning in a culture of collaboration, innovation,reflection, communication and empowered leadership inwhich passionate and skilled teachers inspire lifelonglearning. We are particularly focused on the teaching ofLiteracy and Numeracy skills across all learning areas.

This will be underpinned by a school wide collectiveresponsibility for student success with high levels ofcommunity engagement.

Purpose:

Our purpose is to embed quality leadership andorganisational practices which support a culture of highexpectations and community engagement. This will resultin sustained and measurable whole–school improvement.

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Strategic Direction 1: LEARNING

Purpose

Our purpose is to provide a learning culturebased on high expectations and qualityteaching and learning thereby enablingstudents to be actively engaged inmeaningful, challenging andfuture–focused learning experiences toachieve and thrive as self–directedlearners.

HIGH EXPECTATIONS AND QUALITYTEACHING AND LEARNING RESULTING

Improvement Measures

VA3–5, measuring the contributionbetween Year 3 and Year 5. AverageReading and Numeracy NAPLAN scoresare used for both years.

VA–5, measuring the contribution betweenYear 5 and Year 7.

Tell Them From Me Student Surveyparticularly analysing the belonging andengagement component.

Reflection and learning journals.

People

Students

Develop an understanding of their role andresponsibility in identifying and engagingwith their learning; to take control over theirlearning (metacognition).

Understand the role of effective feedbackand its impact on their learning.

Students use future focused skills toproblem–solve, think critically, investigate,collaborate and communicate.

Staff

Build capacity to deliver explicit, highquality teaching and learning programs.

Develop reflective practice by activelyengaging data to inform teaching.

Understand powerful learning.

Leaders

Establish structures and processes toidentify, address and monitor studentslearning needs, through the analysis ofdata to guide decision making.

Parents/Carers

Take a collective responsibility for learningwhilst demonstrating aspirationalexpectations of learning progress andachievement, and a commitment to thepursuit of excellence.

Community Partners

Engage expertise of school community tosupport classroom programs.

Processes

Curriculum and Learning

Deliver teaching and learning programswhich are dynamic, showing evidenceof planning based on assessment andfeedback. 

Learning experiences which enablestudents to understand how they learn andto set and achieve their learning goals.

.

Performance Measures

Establishment of benchmarks for keyaspects of learning.

Writing of learning goals and the monitoringof progress towards success.

Implementation of the progressions forlearning.

Capacity Building

Build a framework for continuing learning,guided by professional standards.

Learning Protocols

Adopt consistent learning protocols in allclasses.

Evaluation Plan

Data collection by triangulating databetween self–observation, peerobservation and leader observation. Thismay be done by developing surveys, groupprocess observation tools, and journals.

Achievement of personal learning goals.

Practices and Products

Practices

Teachers accurately identifying studentbenchmarks, using PLAT and thecontinuum, leading to successful tieredintervention for identified students.

Feedback for all which is genuine,responsive and focused.

A school policy or framework on learning,identifying the key learning skills requiredand the use of self assessment.

Middle school program

Products

When we adopt consistent learningprotocols all students will experience anenhanced capacity to learn and to developskills, confidence and curiosity.

A successful transition program thatstrengthens existing school–basedprograms to support and improve students'experiences as they move from primary tosecondary school.

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Strategic Direction 2: TEACHING

Purpose

Our purpose is to ensure that teaching is apractice of ongoing learning in a culture ofcollaboration, innovation, reflection,communication and empowered leadershipin which passionate and skilled teachersinspire lifelong learning. We are particularlyfocused on the teaching of Literacy andNumeracy skills across all learning areas.

This will be underpinned by a school widecollective responsibility for student successwith high levels of community engagement.

Improvement Measures

• increased use of evidence–informedpedagogy by all teachers

• improvement in NAPLAN results

Reading

At least 50% (2018), 55% (2019) and 60%(2020) of Year 3 & 5 students achieving inthe highest two bands in NAPLAN Reading.

At least 80% (2018), 85% (2019) and  90%(2020) of students achieving exit readinglevels, meeting the following benchmarks:

Kinder–Level 7, Yr 1–Level 16 and Yr2–Level 26.

Numeracy

At least 40% (2018), 45% (2019) and 50%(2020) of students Years 3 & 5 achieving inthe highest two bands NAPLAN Numeracy.

• Increased student achievement on A–Ereporting

People

Staff

The achievement and learning of studentsis at the centre of all that teachers do.

Students

When the focus is on powerful learningthen students attain more and develop theircognitive and social skills.

Leaders

A culture of teaching and learning will beestablished with a common whole schoolfocus and approach.

Parents/Carers

Families will engage with children'slearning, building capacity to best supporttheir child's learning, behaviour andwell–being at school and home.

Processes

A focus on strategies that acceleratestudent achievement and emphasiseinquiry focused teaching.

• set challenging learning tasks

• scaffolding of learning tasks

• learning intentions, narrative and pace

• consistent teaching protocols

• inquiry focused teaching

• high expectations

• authentic relationships

• higher order questions

• assessment for learning

• cooperative learning

• feedback

Data is used to monitor, provide feedbackabout and enhance student performance.

Evaluation Plan

Were goals set for student achievement?

Was the curriculum and teaching strategiesthe most appropriate for meeting andexceeding those standards?

Was effective professional developmentundertaken on the teaching and learningcycle?

Was effective professional developmentundertaken on learning intentions?

Was effective professional developmentundertaken on feedback (Hattie VisibleLearning) ?

Practices and Products

Practices

High expectations of students and staff.

An environment conducive to increasingthe rigor of classroom instruction.

Set tasks within a student's zone ofproximal development. 

Provide feedback – behavioural andacademic.

Assessment for learning and peerassessment.

Giving students a voice in their ownlearning

Consistent teaching protocols with a sharedvision.

Products

Developing curiosity through fertilequestions, (Harpaz 2005) settingchallenging learning tasks using taskscaffolding .

Develop a common practice of teachingand learning with an emphasis on Literacyand Numeracy.

Establishment of procedures that provideformative, ongoing and transparent data onthe performance of the student, school andsystem.

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Strategic Direction 3: LEADING

Purpose

Our purpose is to embed quality leadershipand organisational practices which supporta culture of high expectations andcommunity engagement. This will result insustained and measurable whole–schoolimprovement.

Improvement Measures

Improvement according to the schoolexcellence framework.

Analyse school excellence framework datareports, especially value–added, studentattainment, attainment of equity groups andattendance.

Internal data analysis

People

Leaders

Leadership is instructionally focused andwidely distributed with the formation of aschool improvement team.

Staff

Build leadership and technology skills at alllevels through authentic opportunities tolead the implementation of school projectsand manage the associated resourcesrequired to attain desired products andpractices.

Students

Provide formative feedback to theirteachers and the school regardingteaching, learning, well–being andengagement practices.

Parents/Carers

Provide formative and summative feedbackto the school regarding educational andmanagement practices.

Develop an understanding of, and value,the models of learning and strategicdirections that underpin the school'seducational philosophy.

Processes

Educational Leadership

The school leadership team and expertteachers model instructional leadership andhigh quality management practices thatsupport a culture of high expectations andcommunity engagement, resulting insustained and measurable whole schoolimprovement.

Evaluation Plan

To build into the curriculum problem solvingand the application of knowledge.

The school purposefully developed newways of working, that over time, add valueto the school.

Practices and Products

Practices

Assist teachers in learning how to createand maintain a rigorous environment intheir classrooms.

Build capacity for continuous improvement,particularly through professional learningcommunities.

Keep focus on the core purpose ofschooling, prioritise high expectations,authentic relationships and the focus onstudent learning.

Products

Lessons predominantly structurediscussions as independent peer–to–peer.The teacher facilitates and redirects thediscussion, as needed, while evaluating thequality.

The next generation of teachers and schoolleaders are being developed and aremodelling the life–long approach tolearning that we want our students toembody.

There is a shared understanding across theschool about learning and achievement.

Experimentation and risk taking isencouraged on the understanding that reallearning lies in understanding the failuresand the successes.

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