NSW Department of Education & Training 8498

2009 Annual School Report Muirfield High School

NSW Public Schools – Leading the way

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Principal's Message Muirfield High School continues to enjoy a well earned reputation in the local community and beyond. As a result, our enrolment continues to climb. We can look forward to support being provided by two Deputy Principals, together with betterment in the number of teaching and support staff.

It has been a time of unprecedented spending on schools across the state. As part of the Building Education Revolution (BER), we have successfully completed our major construction project of additional learning and storage facilities on the school farm, together with a major renovation of the conference room and attached kitchen. The Digital Education Revolution provided laptops for all our Year 9 students, leading to a change in the delivery of learning experiences and learning outcomes. The school has been cabled to allow wireless internet access for all students no matter where they may be working.

Muirfield High School continues to provide quality education for the local community and beyond. We believe that we provide a unique learning environment that offers our students a wide range of opportunities to achieve and experience success. We continually review the school’s vision as we strive for continued improvement in academic and social outcomes for our students. A committed team of teachers is working on the “Values in Education” initiative, with an ongoing consultation process commencing in 2010 which will seek input from students, teachers and the wider community.

The team proposes, with community consultation, that the following values are an integral part in the life of a student at Muirfield;

I certify that the information in this report is the result of a rigorous school self-evaluation process and is a balanced and genuine account of the school's achievements and areas for development. David Tanner (Relieving Principal)

P&C Report 2009 The P&C enjoyed yet another successful year in maintaining its traditional role in providing connectivity between the school and the parent/citizen body. This role is multi-faceted, not the least being the provision of essential funding and human resources in revenue earning areas viz. the Canteen, the Uniform Shop and the Computer Market. These same resources also provided expertise in the area of Capital Works and in maintenance and improvement of the grounds.

It is a well established fact that no organisation will function, let alone prosper, without good, dedicated and competent people. I trust you will share my recognition of, and thanks to, the following people:

Lynda Rosevear, greatly assisted by Sally Carter, in running the Canteen. Kerri Swadling and supporting parents in running the Uniform Shop. Cheryl Wilson and her beefy assistant Mark Hutchins in bringing the school grounds to an appealing standard of care. Malcolm Batchelor and Ray Hayes in running the Computer Market, utilising the skills of the two managers, Chris and Anthony, and the sweat and intuition of their band of students. Ken Paton and Chris Fitzgerald for their work behind the scenes in the Computer Market. Committee Conveners - Gai Swales (Canteen), Lynda Rosevear (Uniform Shop), Malcolm Batchelor (Computer Market) and Beth Mitchell (Hall Committee). Although organised social activities were reduced to one main event, namely “The Thistle Ball”, it was a huge success and for that we can thank Barbara McKenzie.

A hearty thanks to my fellow Executive Committee members, Meredith Petersen as Secretary and Minute Secretary, Ray Hayes for a superb job (again) as P&C Treasurer coupled with that of Treasurer for the Computer Market, Beth Mitchell and Margaret Miller as Vice Presidents and ex-officio members Steve Billington and David Tanner who, sharing the role of School Principal, provided excellent assistance and advice during the year. A first (certainly in recent years) was a combined P&C meeting between Muirfield HS and North Rocks PS. This proved to be of great value and thanks to North Rocks PS for taking the initiative. The P&C’s various committees function well, if for no other reason than the unsung heroes that contribute with their energies and expertise working away quietly behind the scenes. This is indeed a real blessing providing more benefits to our students. An example of this is the CAPA Parent Committee which is developing a reputation for Muirfield High School as a seat of learning for aspiring students of the arts. Thank you also to those stalwarts. I encourage you to continue with your valuable contribution and to encourage others to get involved. The arts are well supported by our parents and, therefore, the P&C felt justified in providing financial support to Joel and David Williams to facilitate their participation with the DET Western Sydney Regional Jazz Orchestra and its visit to the Performing Arts School in Ningbo, China. In all, the P&C committed funding to the school in the order of $260K. Traditional areas included schools requisitions, Rock Eisteddfod, band program & youth workers (Shayne and Stuart), while the bulk was pigeon-holed for “greening” of the school and large capital items viz. shared DET funding for cover to basketball courts and solar/water tanks, technology upgrade and hall upgrade. On occasion, funds were called upon to address an urgent issue or two and this was found. In addition to the capital works mentioned above, the school received a $200K grant under the Federal Governments BER program; this gave the school a much needed upgrade to the farm buildings and associated teaching facilities, as well as improvements to the staff common room which included a

• Integrity — I do what's right • Excellence — I do my best • Respect — I respect myself and others • Responsibility — I act responsibly • Cooperation — I work well with others • Participation — I participate • Care — I care for myself and others • Fairness — I act fairly • Community — I belong

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new kitchen and staff resource facilities. The P&C’s involvement in these works was to respond to the government’s requirement for the school to have P&C agreement on scale, suitability, method of delivery and value for money. The writing of this report is my final duty as President. The change from old to new executive has already occurred and I wish to convey my warm regards to all, and to express my confidence that the P&C will continue to prosper under the hand of my successor Margaret Millar, ably assisted by the new Executive group, committees and sub-committees. Some of these positions are quite challenging, none more than that of Treasurer and I take this opportunity to thank Amanda Bartlett for stepping up to the plate to take on this fairly onerous task. It is a goal that I had striven to achieve during my term as President. I close by saying that I have enjoyed serving as President and expressing my thanks for the support of my fellow executives, the membership at large and Principals Steve Billington and David Tanner. Ken McCracken, P&C President 2009

Student Representative's Message During my final year at Muirfield, I was given the opportunity to represent my school on a number of occasions. Why, you may ask? This was because I was a member of the Student Leadership Team. This team consisted of members of the Student Executive Team, the Student Representative Council and Yr 7 Leadership group. We all worked collaboratively to: • promote our school in the wider community, • be a positive role model to our peers, • demonstrate the importance of service to others, and • to encourage whole school participation in

all activities.

During the year we held many fundraising activities to raise awareness of the needs of others who are not as fortunate as we are. These activities included the ‘Goat BBQ’ to raise funds for our World Vision Sponsor Child (no, goat was not on the menu!) The 40 Hour Famine with a twist - try going without technology for even 1 hour, let alone without food! Jeans for Genes Day always ensures a great turnout. Bandanna Day was a great success and it was with much merriment that we witnessed members of our school community trying to outdo each other by wearing all their bandannas in very inventive ways. Spirit Week brought all the year groups together, as stalls were set up to entice students to their activities, and culminated in students and teachers dressing up for the Theme Day. The Leadership Camp in November was a definite highlight. The two-day workshop aimed at informing every one of the importance of leadership and what is involved, and facilitated the forming of friendships within the Leadership Group itself. The activities were both interesting and challenging. They helped us focus on goals for the year and formulating appropriate strategies to achieve them. All in all it was a great opportunity to become involved in a wide variety of school activities, and I was challenged to come up with new and fun ways to get to know other students outside my own year group. Gabrielle Secomb-Flegg

School Context

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

Student attendance profile Student attendance rates have risen above the State average for the first time in many years. This has been the result of improved practices in recording attendance data, an active enforcement of the school attendance policy and also an increasing engagement of students in the curriculum programs that are run at the school.

Management of non-attendance Accurate records are maintained of student attendance. Regular attendance is encouraged and rewarded. Parents/Caregivers are informed of unexplained or unsatisfactory attendance.

Students whose attendance falls to 85% or less are referred to their respective Year Adviser for support and counselling. Strategies to improve lateness or poor attendance include the issue of an attendance monitoring card, parent support and the development of an attendance improvement program with support provided by the Home School Liaison Officer.

Retention to Year 12 Our retention rates are below the regional levels, however they are well above the state average. The number of students remaining at school has increased, reflecting the school’s commitment to provide curriculum catering for students’ needs.

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Students leaving school at the end of Year 10 are taking up employment or commencing studies at TAFE. Programs such as the “On the Job Initiative” have been instrumental in assisting students with transition to work or further education planning.

Post-school destinations Most of our HSC students moved into either full or part-time study at university, TAFE or other tertiary education institutions. • 54% of our HSC students were accepted into the

university courses of their choice. The universities offering places to our students included Macquarie University, University of Western Sydney, Sydney University, Charles Sturt University, the University of New South Wales, and the University of Technology.

• 22% went on to further study at TAFE or private colleges.

• 21% of students went on to work in apprenticeships, traineeships, full and part time work.

• 3% unknown.

Year 12 students undertaking vocational or trade training Vocational Education programs continue to be valued by our senior students. Forty per cent of all senior students included one or more VET subjects in their program of study, with 53% of Year 12 students including one or more VET courses in their HSC program of study. The most popular choices were Hospitality, Construction and Primary Industries delivered at school, followed by TVET courses delivered by Hornsby, Meadowbank and Baulkham Hills TAFEs. Many students who chose VET used their experience as a transition into a related field in further study at university or TAFE. Congratulations to Leo Guisti and Scott Garratt who won the HillsSIP Award for Outstanding Achievement in Vocational Learning. Andrew Brunger, Elise Aashour, Jessica Dominello and Leah Renaux were recognised by Hornsby and Meadowbank TAFE NSW as outstanding students in Auto Sound, Property Services, Beauty Therapy and Computer Aided Drafting respectively. Congratulations also to Luke Saunders for winning the Inspire IT award for excellence in Information Technology. Other Vocational Programs In 2009 a number of students were able to access Outreach programs offered by TAFE. These included prevocational courses in automotive, carpentry,

hairdressing, beauty, landscaping and hospitality. In addition, a number of students were able to complete their OHS training through TAFE. The school was invited to participate in a pilot program, On the Job Training Initiative, which enabled a number of students to access TAFE taster courses and work experience as part of a program which provided them with a mentor to work one on one with them in career pathway planning and implementation. Year 10 and Year 11 girls participated in a Digi Girls film making course at North Sydney TAFE.

Both Year 10 and 12 students attended Career Expos at the University of Western Sydney and Macquarie University. Year 11 students participated in a student orientation program at The University of Western Sydney, Penrith campus, and also participated in the “GP in schools” program run by Northern Sydney Health and Sydney University. Students in Years 10 and 11 took part in a CSI day organised by Hills School Industry Partnership (HillsSIP) and potential school leavers were invited to attend interviews with employers at an Apprenticeship and Traineeship evening organized by HillsSIP. Senior students attended school seminars run by TAFE, university and employer groups to assist them with post-school planning. All Year 10 students participated in a series of workshops in “Lets Get Real” week after their School Certificate exams. These included visits to TAFE and university, participating in a pilot for an electronic resource called e-me and a Work Wise workshop, including mock interviews run by HillsSIP.

Year 12 students attaining HSC or equivalent vocational educational qualification All but one of our students enrolled in our year 12 group were successful in gaining accreditation by way of the HSC.

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

Staff establishment Position Number Principal 1 Deputy Principal(s) 1 Head Teachers 9 Classroom Teachers 48 Teacher of Emotional Disabilities 2 Support Teacher Learning Assistance 0.3 Teacher Librarian 1 Teacher of ESL 0.8 Counsellor 2.5 School Administrative & Support Staff (SASS) 12.3

Total 77.9

Teacher qualifications All teaching staff meet the professional requirements for teaching in NSW public schools. Qualifications % of staff Degree or Diploma 100% Postgraduate 42%

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Proportion Staying On (SC to HSC)

School SEG State

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

Date of financial summary: 30/11/2009Income $

Balance brought forward 498 054.51Global funds 482 890.24Tied funds 532 124.85School & community sources 546 678.20Interest 27 360.78Trust receipts 71 164.70Canteen 0.00Total income 2 158 273.28

ExpenditureTeaching & learning Key learning areas 217 071.87 Excursions 172 570.31 Extracurricular dissections 122 782.34Library 10 695.72Training & development 0.00Tied funds 217 394.58Casual relief teachers 132 388.91Administration & office 225 324.72School-operated canteen 0.00Utilities 104 542.31Maintenance 37 285.34Trust accounts 162 957.90Capital programs 22 672.61Total expenditure 1 425 686.61Balance carried forward 732 586.67

A full copy of the school's 2009 financial statement is tabled at the annual general meetings of the School Council and/or the parent body. Further details concerning the statement can be obtained by contacting the school.

School performance 2009

Achievements HSC Industrial Technology (Wood) 2009 was a rewarding year for Muirfield High School students of HSC Industrial Technology, both in Multimedia and Timber and Furnishing. Three students gained Band 6 results 91%, 93% and 93%, which placed then in the top 10% of candidates in NSW. A most pleasing outcome was the nomination of Cameron Whittle to exhibit his major practical project at the prestigious “Working with Wood Show” held at Fox Studios in 2010. Exposure to the general public at such events greatly enhances the reputation of Muirfield High School.

Cameron Whittle’s sideboard table

CAPA We are very proud to have had a marked increase in the number of students successful in competing for places in state level performing arts ensembles, productions and competitions. Success at these elite levels always follows a rigorous process of auditions, sometimes more than one. A significant commitment is required throughout the year, with regular rehearsals, workshops and performances. These students maintained their level of commitment to school events in addition to their involvement at this elite level.

Muirfield was represented at state level by the following students:

• Aaron Pozorski and Tom McCracken (Year 9) in the NSW Public Schools Millennium Marching Band

• Cihan Saral (Year 11) in the State Drama Ensemble

• Oliver Rynn (Year 11) in the State Drama Company

• Rebekah Peterson (Year 11) in the NSW Public School Singers

• Cihan Saral and Oliver Rynn were selected to attend the State Drama Camp

• 16 students performed as part of the combined choir at the School Spectacular

At regional level: • 24 students were selected to perform an individual item

as part of the Muirfield High School Vocal Ensemble

• Tom Sinden, Thomas Gosper, Anastasija Stefanovic and Fiona MacDonald attended the ArtsNorth Regional Drama Camp

At school, we staged numerous performance and exhibition evenings that were very well attended by an appreciative audience from the wider school community. Attendance at our CAPA events, “MADD” Night, “Bravo!” and “SummerArts”, was approximately 250 people. The CAPA Parent Committee generously played a role as front of house and provided refreshments at our events. Two hundred students participated in Semester 1 MADD (Music, Art, Dance and Drama) Night in June. Seventy-eight HSC students participated in “Bravo!” in September; this is our annual showcase of HSC performances, compositions and

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submitted works. SummerArts, our end of year showcase held in December, featured the work of 200 students. Our performing artists were featured at every formal assembly.

Music The Concert Band has doubled in size since 2007 to 44 students. This growth can be attributed to the leadership of Conductor Steve Lavis, a program of outreach to primary schools involving a mini tour and a combined workshop, and increased community confidence in our programs. Music Camp in May was attended by 41 students who received small group instrumental tuition over two days, culminating in an impressive concert for parents. Thirty-three students performed solo or in ensembles at a Cabaret Night in June. The Vocal Ensemble rehearsed weekly under the directorship of Ms Juriansz and achieved acclaim at every performance. Recognition of its excellence was gained at state and regional levels, with a group of singers representing the school as part of the Schools Spectacular at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. The ever popular after school Guitar Program consisted of four classes of small group tuition which were held weekly with a professional tutor. A new group, an eight member contemporary pop group, was formed in response to student needs and interests as part of a gifted and talented program. These students were guided by Music teacher Ms Ng in composing and arranging music and, later in the year, embarked on a recording project which resulted in the production of a fabulous CD. This project was supported financially by the P&C.

Visual Arts Students attended an excursion to see the ARTEXPRESS exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW and exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Eighteen artworks by Year 7 students were selected for the “Impact” exhibition at the Hills Community Health Centre, as part of the centre’s youth program. Dance HSC student Kate Morris was shortlisted for “Callback”, the Department of Eduation’s showcase of top HSC Dance performances. Drama Eighteen students participated in the second year of Extravagander, a stand-up comedy night held in August. This event was coordinated by Ms Conteh, with senior students directing performances for the event. Eight students competed in the Theatresports Competition and were successful in gaining fifth place in the state. Four students entered Class Clown, a stand up comedy competition for students. Students attended two excursions to see live theatrical performances, first to see Ruby Moon, one of the plays set for study in the HSC course, and also to see OnStage, the showcase of exceptional Individual and Group projects from the 2008 Drama HSC examination.

Sport This year has seen students participate in a wide range of sporting activities. The sports program caters for all students and offers them an opportunity to be involved in both team sports and leisure pursuits. All students at Muirfield are given the opportunity to improve their fitness, learn new skills and participate in team sport and school carnivals. Grade Sport During grade sport, Muirfield students compete in the Hills Zone Competition. A variety of competitive sports are offered through this competition including basketball, baseball, cricket, hockey, softball, touch, Rugby League, AFL, netball, soccer and volleyball. The students who do not participate in grade sport have the opportunity to be involved in Ice Skating, Ten Pin Bowling, school gym, tennis, table tennis, fitness, dance, and rock climbing. It is important to encourage students to lead an active and healthy lifestyle and to educate them in the benefits of exercise. To this end we offer a varied and interesting sports program to cater for a variety of interests and ability levels. Knockout Sport Muirfield High School entered the Combined High Schools Knockout Competitions for a number of sports in 2009. It was terrific to see the students’ enthusiasm and sportsmanship in all matches. The Knockout teams for 2009 were in rugby league, rugby union, soccer, hockey, softball, indoor soccer, water polo, tennis, golf, netball, baseball, basketball and cricket. New Sports Uniforms This year we were able to introduce new sports uniforms with very generous funding from the P&C. The students look fabulous in this new gear and Muirfield certainly stands out at every sporting event.

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Carnivals Our 33rd Annual Swimming Carnival was held at Granville pool. Attendance was at an all time high. The champion house in swimming was again Freeman. Students enjoyed competition races and the newly introduced novelty races, held in the 25-metre pool, were very popular. The inclusion of these new activities gave all students the opportunity to participate in one way or another. There were 57 students who went on to represent Muirfield High School at the Hills Zone Swimming Carnival. Muirfield had their best results for a number of years finishing in 5th position. The Muirfield High School swimming caps made all our swimmers feel part of a team and look fantastic.

The Annual Cross Country was a competitors’ only event this year. All students had the opportunity to run 3km, 4km or 5km, depending on their age. The 33rd Annual Athletics Carnival was a great success. The carnival was held at Roxborough Park, Baulkham Hills. Attendance and participation by all students was excellent. The champion house for Athletics was Eales.

The Hills Zone Athletics Competition was held at Homebush Stadium. There were 89 students representing Muirfield at this carnival. The Premier House trophy is presented to the house that gains the most overall points in all three school carnivals. The winning House for 2009 was Freeman. Senior Sports Team of the Year – Boys Open Volleyball Junior Sports Team of the Year – Girls 15’s Basketball Sportsman of the Year – Kyle Plant Sportswoman of the Year – Jean Harvey Junior Sportsman of the Year – Grant Whiteley Junior Sportswoman of the Year – Renae Hutchens

The year 2009 was a particularly busy one in the sporting arena. Muirfield students participated with enthusiasm and great spirit, resulting in a fantastic year of sports achievement. Golf Program This program is now in its 6th year and continues to grow in popularity. The golf professionals at Muirfield Golf Club generously provide coaching and guidance every Thursday afternoon, assisting beginning golfers among staff and students. As students become more confident they are able to play nine holes of golf and endeavour to improve their handicap.

Academic Rio Tinto Big Science Competition In May, 135 of our Year 7-10 students participated in this competition as part of the Science Gifted and Talented program at Muirfield High School. A number of students gained outstanding results, with 7 Distinction and 41 Credit awards being achieved. Students who achieved the highest awards are:

Student Year Award

Thomas Pearson-Hatchwell 7 Distinction

Alan Ngo 7 Distinction

Beth Proctor 7 Distinction

Miriam Osburn 7 Distinction

Nicholas Andrews 9 Distinction

Taren Bettler 9 Distinction

Brenton Thew 11 Distinction

2009 Australian National Chemistry Quiz In July, 50 students ranging from Yr 7 to Yr 12 participated in the Australian National Chemistry Quiz. This competition is open to Science and Chemistry students throughout Australia, the Pacific Islands and some countries in South East Asia. Of the students who entered in the Quiz, 11 students received Credit awards, 4 students received Distinctions and 1 student achieved a High Distinction. Students who achieved the highest awards are:

Student Year Award

Briana Barton 7 Distinction

Thomas Pearson-Hatchwell 7 Distinction

Todd Ripps 8 Distinction

Brenton Thew 11 Distinction

Chris Jacka 12 High Distinction

Other enrichment activities run by the Science faculty to promote student engagement through 2009 included the Science in the Suburbs excursion for 7B and 9B, the Year 7 Science Activities Day, and the Transformation Sustainability Project which was an initiative between 7B and the Yr 6 GAT class of Murray Farm Public School.

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Australian Mathematics Competition The Australian Mathematics Competition was held on 6 August, 2009. Seventeen per cent of students from our school participated in the competition. Of the 118 students from years 7-12 who participated, a number of students achieved outstanding results, with 12 Distinction and 47 Credit awards being won.

The following students received the highest awards:

Student Year Award

Richard Li 7 Distinction

Ian Loo 7 Distinction

Yong-Jhong Rhee 7 Distinction

Harrison Mace 8 Distinction

Todd Ripps 8 Distinction

Craig Whittle 8 Distinction

Lucas Fyffe 8 Distinction

Viveik Vinoharan 8 Distinction

Alicia Zou 9 Distinction

Rees Wilson 9 Distinction

Taren Bettler 9 Distinction

Luke Hammond 9 Distinction

Lingfeng Yang 11 Distinction

UNSW English & Writing Competitions Students in years 7-10 who participated in the UNSW English and Writing Competitions achieved to an outstanding level, with more than two thirds of all entrants scoring a Credit or higher. All participants scored well above the State and interstate averages.

Premier’s Reading Challenge All Year 7 participate in the Premier’s Reading Challenge to meet reading outcomes. In 2009, 50 students successfully completed the Challenge, which was to read 20 books in the year.

Debating Muirfield had Year 10 and Year 11 debating teams compete in the Premier’s Debating Challenge. Despite some success, neither team progressed to the second round. The Year 10 debating students received training as adjudicators, however, and received valuable experience adjudicating for the local primary schools’ Years 5 & 6 debating competition.

NAPLAN In the National Assessment Program, the results across the years 3, 5, 7 and 9 literacy and numeracy assessments are reported on a scale from Band 1 to Band 10.

The achievement scale represents an increasing level of skill and understanding demonstrated in each area of assessment.

Year 7: ranging from Band 4 (lowest) to Band 9 (highest for Year 7)

Year 9: ranging from Band 5 (lowest) to Band 10 (highest for Year 9)

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

Literacy – NAPLAN Year 7 Muirfield High Students demonstrated solid skill bases in all fields of Literacy. Year 7 students achieved results significantly above the State average in Reading and Writing. In Reading 71.2% of our students were placed in the top three bands compared with 49.7% of students across the State. In Writing 34.3% of our students achieved results in the top two bands compared to 22.3% across the State. Our Year 7 Spelling and Punctuation results were in line with our Local School Group and well above whole State scores.

Numeracy – NAPLAN Year 7 Students at Muirfield High School in Year 7 demonstrated good ability in the Numeracy component of NAPLAN 2009, particularly when compared on a state-wide basis. Of Muirfield’s candidates, 69.4% achieved in the top three bands, compared with 49.7% state-wide; and only 8.9% in bands 4 and 5, compared with 23.7% state-wide.

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Literacy – NAPLAN Year 9 Students at Muirfield High School demonstrated sound ability and skill growth in all areas of Literacy. Results in the areas of Reading and Writing show scores in the top two bands which is significantly greater than our Local School Group and the State, as indicated by the accompanying graph. Spelling, grammar and punctuation scores in the top two bands were 37.7%, compared to 18% across the State.

Numeracy – NAPLAN Year 9 Students at Muirfield High School in Year 9 demonstrated sound ability in the Numeracy component of NAPLAN 2009, particularly when compared on a state-wide basis. Of Muirfield’s candidates, 64.3% achieved in the top three bands, compared with 48.6% state-wide, and only 11.6% in Bbands 4 and 5, compared with 22.9% state-wide. This is further emphasised by the average mark in the school being 24.4 points higher than the State average.

Progress in literacy Literacy growth and target achievements are constant and demonstrate significant improvement in all bands, with our school profile reflective of this growth.

Progress in numeracy In 2008, based on their NAPLAN results, the boys in Year 9 demonstrated an average growth on their Year 7 results of 42.3 points, while the Year 9 girls demonstrated a growth of 32.7 points; a difference of 9.6 points. In 2009, after a concerted effort on "Girls in Numeracy" across the school, the girls have narrowed the gap to 2.4 points. This compares most favourably with the State, where the average difference between boys and girls is 5.9 points

School Certificate In terms of the percentage of students at Muirfield who achieved results in the top two bands (Bands 5 & 6), our results were reflective of the state-wide figures in most School Certificate courses. The best performing course was Australian History, Civics and Citizenship where our student performance at the higher end of achievement was significantly better than the state-wide results.

School Certificate relative performance comparison to Year 5 (value-adding) Analysis of the data package received by our school shows that significant value was added to student performance across a number of areas. Areas where value added (as students progress to the School Certificate) ranked our school in the top 30% of schools across the state are indicated in the table below.

The challenge is to further enhance value added in all subjects across all Year 5 performance groups. Analysis of the data has resulted in strategies being put in place across all subject areas to achieve this outcome.

Higher School Certificate There was a number of courses in the 2009 Higher School Certificate where the mean score for Muirfield High students

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Subject Significant value added to: Mathematics Middle performing group at Year 5

English Top performing group at year 5 Australian History Both top and middle performing groups

Australian Geography Both top and middle performing groups Computing Skills Middle performing group at Year 5

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was significantly higher than the overall State mean. These subjects included Industrial Technology: PE/H/PD; ESL English; Information Processing & Technology; Agriculture and VET Information Technology. Most other subjects were at, or very near, the state mean.

Higher School Certificate relative performance comparison to School Certificate (value-adding) Analysis of the value-added component of the data package received by the school indicates that we are adding significant value to the lower band candidates from the School Certificate as they progress to the HSC. The challenge to the school is to maintain the recent trend of improving value added across all performance bands. The school has developed programs which are currently being implemented where the anticipated outcome is to further enhance student engagement and therefore performance throughout Stage 6.

Minimum standards The Commonwealth Government sets minimum standards for reading, writing, grammar and punctuation, spelling and numeracy for years 3, 5, 7 and 9.

The performance of the students in our school in the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy is compared to these minimum standards. The percentages of our students achieving at or above these standards are reported below.

Percentage of Year 7 students in our school achieving at or above the minimum standard in 2009

Percentage of Year 9 students in our school achieving at or above the minimum standard in 2009

Significant programs and initiatives

Aboriginal education Muirfield High School has 12 students who identify as being of Aboriginal descent. This is an increase from seven in 2008 and reflects the success of the school’s education program. The school emphasises the importance of all students having an awareness of Aboriginal history, culture and current issues.

Stage 5 History and Geography (Years 9 &10) Australian History and Geography courses explicitly address all aspects of the DET Aboriginal Education Policy through the content that is covered.

The Aboriginal Education Committee provides support and a voice for Aboriginal students. A whole school perspective is encouraged in the assemblies for Sorry Day and National Apology Day. The Remembrance Day ceremony focussed on the experience of Aboriginal diggers on the Western Front during the First World War. These assemblies were planned and conducted by Aboriginal students. Students participated in the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience through Macquarie University. The purpose of the AIME program is to support Aboriginal students complete secondary education.

Kyle Plant received the Darug-Guringai Award for Outstanding Junior Sportsperson in the Northern Sydney Region. Kyle also participates in the Jumpstart London 2012 program with the Australian Institute of Sport.

Josh Merriman was selected as a Regional Representative on the State Equity Advisory Team.

Aboriginal Education and Training is included as an integral part of the Muirfield High School Plan. All staff members have been trained in the implementation of the Aboriginal Education and Training Strategy 2009-12. Future directions for Aboriginal Education in 2010 include the development of Personal Learning Plans for all Aboriginal students, utilising Norta Norta funding and commemorating NAIDOC Week, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day and Reconciliation Week.

Multicultural education Harmony Day On the 19th March, the Muirfield school community celebrated Harmony Day, a day to recognise and appreciate our cultural diversity. Muirfield students and staff, like Australians in general, have heritages which link to cultures from many parts of the world. The three slogans of Harmony Day are You + Me = AUStralians, Say “No!” to Racism, and We All Belong, and the spirit of harmony and goodwill established on the day showed that our community supports these sentiments. While many students and members of staff wore orange, the official Harmony Day colour, an increasing number wore national dress, or clothing which reflected their cultural heritage. At our Harmony assemblies, student speakers with complex and interesting stories outlined their cultural backgrounds. Dance and musical performances underlined the theme of harmony, and received acclaim from the audience. Food from Germany, Mexico, the Middle East, and Japan was on sale at lunchtime, whilst activities such as calligraphy and origami were available in the Quadrangle. A thrilling interactive experience was arranged for Year 7, with musicians from ‘Drum Beats’. Funds were raised Mahboba’s Promise, a charity supporting schools and orphanages in Afghanistan, as well as for the victims of earthquakes in Haiti and Chile. By the end of Harmony Day, we had again been reminded that, at Muirfield, we should be unified in treating others with fairness, respect and equality.

Reading 98.3Writing 97.1Spelling 98.3Punctuation and grammar 97.1Numeracy 99.4

Percentage of Year 7 students achieving at and above minimum standard

Reading 96.5Writing 93.0Spelling 94.7Punctuation and grammar 94.7Numeracy 99.1

Percentage of Year 9 students achieving at and above minimum standard

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Respect and responsibility Merit Assemblies These recognition assemblies continued to be held each term to recognise student achievement in areas such as application and effort, improvement and growth, community service and achievement. These assemblies play an important role in providing performance opportunities for our musicians, dancers and actors to demonstrate their skills. A special morning tea is held for parents who attend. This enables parents to share in recognising and celebrating the different ways that our students contribute to the school.

Other programs SRC Muirfield has continued to support student leadership through its Student Leadership Team, Student Representative Council and Year 7 Leadership Team. These leader groups have worked diligently and collaboratively throughout the year to foster school pride.

SRC’s focus was on continuing to encourage students’ spirit, pride and positive interactions at school. Our annual Spirit Week was held in early Term 2 where our leaders developed a week of fun-filled activities including raffles, breakfast and recess treats, lolly hunts, bazaar stalls and, of course, culminating with Theme Day where students and staff dressed up in costume and paraded down a catwalk to the applause of a captivated student body. A school dance was also held this year where students and staff boogied on, the Student Executive raising money for Muirfield’s Sponsor Child with food and drink sales on the night.

Lead by two enthusiastic SRC members, Sharna Holman and Kirsten Dubois, the 40 Hour Famine was run in August. Twenty-eight motivated students were recruited to participate in a variety of ways, including going without food and technology for the ‘Famine’ weekend. Over $3000 was raised by these students, and the school was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation by World Vision Youth Relationship Representative, Jacob Sarkode. The SRC was pleased with the tremendous efforts of our participants and congratulated them with a Pizza Luncheon after the Famine. Charities are a major focus for the SRC and serve to increase student awareness of others’ needs and also raise money for important causes. Members spent time fundraising with their Year Advisors and year groups to raise money for specific charities including Crazy Hair Day, RSPCA, Jeans for Genes Day, Biggest Morning Tea, and CanTeen. Also, in the final weeks of Term 3, the SRC worked hard to promote Stewart House, which included

clothing bag donations, blue jelly and ice-cream, and even a sponge throw to raise funds for such a worthy cause. The enthusiasm of the Year 7 Leadership team was overwhelming and they worked collaboratively with the SRC to help to get the above projects up and running. 2009 has been a successful year for student leadership, with many students rising to the challenge of meeting set goals. We are looking forward to continuing this in 2010. Student Executive An integral part of student welfare is the building of student leadership. Each year, Year 11 into 12 students have the opportunity to attend The Mitchell Youth Leadership Forum, which is designed to equip students with leadership skills and is an essential part of having a strong student voice in the organisation and decision-making in our school. It is also an essential part of preparing students for active participation in their community and workplaces. It encourages students to consider the values of service to others, integrity and courage.

The Forum gave eight of our Year 11 executive leaders a chance to come together with students from different schools in the Mitchell area and to share thoughts and ideas on how to be great, inspirational leaders in their schools. At Vision Valley they experienced the wise knowledge of exceptional leaders and speakers, as they shared their personal stories and secrets about what it is to be a great leader each and every day.

Our own school overnight Leadership Conference was attended by the 25 students who were elected as leaders for the 2009/10 term of office. This involved both the Student Executive Team and all the year 8 through to year 12 SRC representatives. Our conference at Vision Valley provided an ideal setting for the students to come together and gave them an opportunity to participate in team building workshops run by Impact Leadership, identify priority areas for action and develop projects/plans for the year ahead.

The Executive Team continues to support our World Vision Sponsor Child and, this year, held an extra ‘Goat BBQ’, the proceeds from which were to purchase a goat for the village so that all people living in that village might benefit. Together with the SRC, fundraising activities for Jeans for Genes, CanTeen, the Red Shield Appeal and Legacy continue.

For the fifth consecutive Year, four members of the Executive Team attended the International Women’s Day Breakfast held at Asquith Girls High School. The breakfast highlights the commitment of Mahboba Rawi in helping the women and children in Afghanistan by building and supporting the running of Abdara (an all-girls school) in Panjshir Valley and is an annual fundraising event.

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Members of the Student Executive Team are committed to encouraging involvement and maintaining school spirit. They actively worked throughout the year to foster connections between the grades and this is an ongoing commitment for 2010.

Student Equity Advisory Team The Northern Sydney Region was represented for the first time ever on the State Student Equity Advisory Team (SEAT). This team is made up of two students and a support teacher from each region across the state and its role is to advise the Director-General of The Department of Education on equity issues in schools. The two representatives for 2009-10 are Melektha Zechariah-Watters and Joshua Merriman, both from year 8. They are supported by Head Teacher, CAPA, Ms White. Melektha and Joshua attended the SEAT induction in May and then played a role chairing a workshop at the two day State Equity Conference held at Darling Harbour Convention Centre which was attended by over 1000 participants. The State SEAT has met twice a term via video conference. Since their induction, they have established a school SEAT, conducting an action research project around students’ awareness of equity issues. Melektha and Joshua, together with Tamara Craig, have also played an important role in the establishment of the Regional SEAT, sharing their understanding of how schools can evaluate how equitable their school is. They attended the inaugural ‘Regional SEAT meet’ in which seven schools were involved. In 2010 it is intended that the school SEAT be expanded to form a Social Justice and Equity Committee which will host a series of focus groups to find solutions to the problems students identified in surveys conducted as part of the action research. Gender Equity Muirfield recognised International Women’s Day with its sixth annual IWD Assembly. The theme was “Not Just a Woman’s Day”, and the keynote speaker was school captain Belinda Baker. Belinda shared her strong views around gender equity which had developed over the previous five years involvement in the IWD Assembly. The Assembly featured performances by Year 10 Drama students and a musical item. We also celebrated the achievements of women around the world at our fifth Mother-Daughter Breakfast. Girls were invited to bring along their mother, grandmother, aunty or other significant woman in their life to share in a breakfast, and to raise awareness and funds for one of our school charities, Mahboba’s Promise.

Peer Tutoring Year 10 students participated in a TAFE course in Literacy Volunteer Tutoring in which they spent 20 hours at TAFE in theory and 28 hours in field work undertaken at school tutoring Year 7 students who struggle with literacy. These 28 hours of field work were completed over three terms each morning in the library, during which each Year 10 student tutored a Year 7 student in English, Science and Literacy activities. In 2009, 17 students achieved their TAFE certificate of completion in Literacy Tutoring.

Special Events Literature Alive Day Literacy Alive Day is a joint initiative with Book Week. All Year 7 classes participated in workshops run by well known picture book authors. The P&C grant enabled Muirfield to include a Year 6 class from North Rocks Primary School as part of links with our local feeder schools. This day was a great success, and was welcomed and enjoyed by all who participated.

Rock Eisteddfod A team of 57 students entered the RAW division of the Rock Eistddfod Challenge with “Rock On”, a tribute to Rock and Roll music. This was Muirfield’s second year in the RAW division, which does away with sets and elaborate costuming in order to focus on the performances of the students. This was the first year that the RAW division had its own grand final, having previously been judged on a points system during the heats. Muirfield made it through to perform at the final at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, and received one Award for Excellence on the night.

Human Rights Assembly

In term 4 of 2009, 9B English undertook an impressive project in response to a number of stories in the media. This project was to come up with an Australian Human Rights Charter that reflected their views and opinions and was a symbol of their hope for the future.

Under the supervision of Ms Frangi, the project was entirely student-directed and modelled upon the Quality Teaching Framework. Students researched human rights and human rights abuses around the world, investigated the various human rights charters existing in different countries around the world, including the Universal Declaration for Human Rights, and then, as a class, debated and voted on the final wording of each clause to be included in the Muirfield Human Rights Charter.

At the conclusion of the project, a special assembly was held with special guests Ms Julie Owen, Federal Member of Parliament for Parramatta, and Ms Elizabeth Ban from Amnesty International. The students from 9B conducted this special assembly, educating the students on the importance of human rights and a human rights charter for Australia, then presenting the completed Charter to Ms Owens and Ms Ban in the presence of local media.

A survey of students participating in this project reported that all students regarded the outcome of the project as something of which they were extremely proud. This activity was consistent with Muirfield High School’s approach to Values Education.

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Progress on 2009 targets

Targets for 2009

Target 1: Connected Learning

Specifically to:

• improve the use of interactive technologies for teaching and learning,

• enhance school-wide access to digital educational resources for teaching and learning,

• broaden curriculum options for every student through information and communication technologies and communities of schools.

Our success was measured by:

• increased opportunities for staff to train in the use of the Connected Classroom,

• regularly use of the Connected Classroom by all faculties,

• improved learning outcomes for students through the effective use of the Connected Classroom.

Target 2: Literacy and Numeracy Specifically to:-

• increase teachers’ capacity to identify and address students’ literacy and numeracy learning needs,

• improve student performance in external examinations,

• encourage students to identify their own strengths and learning styles leading to improved engagement and more effective learning outcomes.

Our success was measured by:

• all KLA’s have identified and developed strategies to enhance performance,

• improved results in state-wide tests such as NAPLAN, School Certificate and Higher School Certificate,

• all faculties have embedded aspects of the Quality Teaching framework into programs.

Target 3: Student Engagement and Retention Specifically to:-

• create a school culture and practice that respects and responds to every student’s aspirations, culture, gender and learning potential,

• provide Personalised Learning Plans for all Indigenous students within the school,

• improve social and emotional wellbeing and social skills of every student,

• continue to promote the Anti-Bullying strategies agreed to by all students.

Our success was measured by:

• evidence that the Quality Teaching Model is applied in all classrooms and in all professional learning and curriculum resources,

• increased access to professional learning activities for teachers that focus on delivering a rigorous curriculum for every student,

• the increased proportion of students achieving in the higher bands, in accordance with State Plan targets,

• improved student attendance rates,

• an increase in “at-risk” students accessing support services.

Key evaluations Early Career Teacher (ECT) Program Background The Early Career Teacher (ECT) Program has been a feature of the professional learning of teaching staff for many years. In recent years, since 2004, the Institute of Teachers (IOT) has been introduced as a professional body to oversee and monitor the accreditation of all teachers in NSW. Muirfield High School offers a program for all early career teachers that offers support at faculty, whole school and regional level.

Teachers in their first three years of teaching at Muirfield High School have been surveyed to determine the level of support provided to them, what improvements can be made to the program and future directions.

Findings and conclusions Teachers involved in the program found the program helpful and informative. They appreciated the support and encouragement which promoted professional development.

Teachers commented that the fortnightly meetings were both relevant and useful. These meetings facilitated a sharing of experiences and covered classroom management, NSW Institute of Teachers compliance requirements, school policies, administrative procedures.

Regular contact with a supervisor and or a mentor was seen as most important and of great value. Feedback given was reported to have been incorporated into lesson plans by a number of early career teachers. Future Directions Ensure that ECT teachers know how to access and use the IOT website, especially in their second year when they are required to log their professional learning hours. Ensure that there is a regular schedule of meetings with supervisors and early career teachers. Continue to provide access to professional learning courses relevant to each individual teacher’s ongoing development.

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Curriculum

Mind Matters Background At the end of 2008, the Welfare Team evaluated its then current Mentor Program that had existed at Muirfield. Using our evaluation and a comparison of whole school welfare programs in other schools, the Welfare Team decided to launch a new program that would still retain some elements of the old program. The new program is a whole-school approach to mental health and student wellbeing based on the Mind Matters concept. Mind Matters is a national mental health initiative for secondary schools funded by the Department of Health and Ageing. The implementation of the program was targeted at years 7 and years 12.

The aim of the Muirfield Mind Matters program is to develop a school environment where students feel safe, valued and engaged and to develop the emotional and social skills required to meet life’s challenges and build resilience. Findings and conclusions During 2009, year 12 students were the targeted group to evaluate the program since they, unlike year 7, had been involved the previous Mentor Program. The year 12 students were asked to evaluate the Semester 1 workshops (Note Taking, Goal Setting, Time Management, Learning Styles and HSC Online) that they attended, using a sliding scale from excellent to poor in relation to Presentation, Relevance and Application. Some workshops scored higher than other workshops on how the Relevance of the topic as perceived by the students. The lowest score for any of the workshops in the area of Relevance was 60%, meaning that 60% of students thought that the workshops had relevance, whilst 78% was the highest score for relevance. The score ranged from 71% to 83% on workshop Presentation. One area that needs to be developed for future years is linking the relevance of the workshop to real life Application. Whilst the workshops scored well in relevance and presentation, some students were unable to make the links in terms of how these skills might be applied in life beyond school.

Future Directions In response to the evaluations, the Mind Matters Program will continue in 2010 with the vision to implement the program across all years of the school. While certain elements of the program have already been designed, the Mind Matters team still realises the importance of regularly evaluating the success of the program in order to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of our students.

Professional learning The focus of Professional Learning in 2009 was focussed on addressing the school’s targets. At Muirfield our School Development days maintain a strong focus on giving teachers a variety of options to fulfil their professional learning needs through the attendance of various workshops. In 2009, workshops covered the following areas: technology (with a strong emphasis on implementing the Digital Education Revolution), career

development, beginning teachers, syllabus implementation and welfare. The Professional Learning Team encouraged teachers to share learning outcomes from courses they attended during the year. Forums for sharing include school development days, faculty and staff meetings and beginning teacher meetings. The Executive Conference in 2009 had an emphasis on developing career opportunities for all Head Teachers by having the School Safety and Response Unit deliver their Satchel Training, which is usually delivered to Senior Executives. All members of the executive found the training to be important.

School development 2010 – 2012 Targets for 2010

Target 1: Connected Learning

Specifically to:-

• improve the use of interactive technologies for teaching and learning

• enhance school-wide access to digital educational resources for teaching and learning

• broaden curriculum options for every student through information and communication technologies and communities of schools

Strategies to achieve this target include:

• trained teachers in the use of Connected Classrooms to demonstrate and provide support to teaching colleagues

• using Connected Classroom technology to facilitate and enhance teachers’ professional learning

• the continued rollout of interactive whiteboards

Our success will be measured by:

• an increase in the number of teachers trained in the use of connected classrooms

• a demonstrated increase in the use of the Connected Classroom for professional learning by staff

• an increase in the number of interactive whiteboards installed across the school

Target 2: Numeracy

Specifically to:-

• increase teachers’ capacity to identify and address students’ numeracy learning needs

• improve student performance in external examinations such as NAPLAN, School Certificate and Higher School Certificate

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• encourage students to identify their own strengths and learning styles in order to improve engagement, leading to more effective learning outcomes

• encourage students to value numeracy-related problem solving skills

Strategies to achieve this target include:

• increasing teachers’ capacity to identify and address students’ numeracy learning needs

• improving student performance in NAPLAN in bands 4, 5 and 6

• ensuring that teachers incorporate students’ individual learning styles into classroom practice

• promoting a culture where student achievement in numeracy is recognised and rewarded

Our success will be measured by:

• an increase in the number of teacher trained in the identification of learning styles

• an increase of 5% in the number of students achieving Bands 4, 5 and 6 in NAPLAN testing

• evidence that individual student learning styles are catered for in teaching programs

• students demonstrating achievement in Numeracy being recognised and rewarded

Target 3: Student Engagement and Retention

Specifically to:-

• create a school culture and practice that respects and responds to every student’s aspirations, culture, gender and learning potential

• improve social and emotional wellbeing and social skills of every student

• continue to promote the Anti-Bullying strategies agreed to by all students

• provide focused support for Aboriginal students and those enrolled in the Support Unit

Strategies to achieve this target include:

• strengthening the implementation of the NSW Quality Teaching Model

• building teacher capacity to provide high quality learning opportunities for all students across all curriculum areas

• implementation of inclusive transition programs to support students and their families throughout schooling

• collecting and collating data in relation to students’ curriculum experiences and using information to inform future practice

• continued implementation of Mind Matters Program

• provision of holistic support for students at risk of not completing schooling

• preparation of Personal Learning Plans for all Aboriginal students and for students enrolled in the Support Unit

Our success will be measured by:

• the use of the Quality Teaching Model by teachers in the preparation and delivery of their lessons

• an ongoing focus on the Quality Teaching Model in professional learning activities

• the continued implementation of effective transition programs at all stages of schooling

• positive responses on the part of students and parents to evaluation of the Mind Matters program

• support provided by outside agencies to students identified as being at risk

• Individual Learning Plans in place for Aboriginal students and for students enrolled in the Support Unit

About this report In preparing this report, the Self-Evaluation committee has gathered information from evaluations conducted during the year and analysed other information about the school's practices and student learning outcomes. The Self-Evaluation and School Planning Committee have determined targets for the school's future development.

David Tanner, Relieving Principal

Sonja Anderson, Deputy Principal

Robert Roughley, Acting Deputy Principal

Stuart Bywater, Head Teacher HSIE

Lindy Price, School Administration Manager

Ken McCracken, President P&C

Kathy McIntosh, Head Teacher English

Kerrie Shortland, Acting Head Teacher Science

David Highman, Head Teacher Mathematics

John Sommerlad, TAS Teacher

Anna Pasternatsky, Science Teacher

Rowan Healey, Sports Teacher

Sarah King, Visual Arts Teacher

Helen Scott, Careers Advisor

Wendy Brown, English Teacher

Taminda Gerke, School Administrative Officer

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School contact information

Muirfield High School

Barclay Road

North Rocks 2151

Ph: 9872 2244

Fax: 9871 4106

Email: muirfield-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Web: www.muirfield-h.schools.nsw.edu.au

School Code: 8498

Parents can find out more information about Annual School Reports, how to interpret information in the reports and have the opportunity to provide feedback about these reports at:

http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/asr