St Clare's Catholic High School,Hassall GroveLocked Bag 1412, Plumpton 2761Principal: Mr Kevin JonesPhone: 02 9830 2400 Fax: 02 9830 2499Email: clarehassallgrove@parra.catholic.edu.auhttp://www.clarehassallgrove@parra.catholic.edu.au

Introduction

About the Annual School ReportSt Clare's Catholic High School is registered by the New South Wales EducationStandards Authority, NESA, as a member of the Catholic system of schools in theDiocese of Parramatta.

The Annual School Report provides parents and the wider school community with fair,accurate and objective information about various aspects of school performance anddevelopment. The Report describes achievement of school development priorities in2020 and gives information about the 2021 priorities.

This Report is a legislative requirement under the Schools Assistance Act, 2008 and theEducation Amendment Act 2004.

The information in this Report is complemented by the school website where otherschool publications and newsletters can be viewed or obtained from the school.

Key Messages

PrincipalSt Clare's Catholic High School continues to provide quality Catholic education to ourcommunity in the Greater Mt Druitt area. We live out our motto, Praise God by Your Life,as well as label ourselves as a Catholic school of excellence and improvement. This isheld up by four actions which we call the '4Ps'.

Peacemaker:praise God by your lifebe respectfulsafe environmentlive a good (fulfilled) lifelive a Christian life - justice, compassion and hope

Passion for learning:learning is communicatinglearning means growing as a personlearning is critical thinkinglearning is being creativelearning is collaborating

Persistence:never give uplook for the positivesexamine all options

Pride:uniformbe part of a communityparticipate in all aspects of what is on offer

Our school goals were to improve literacy and formation outcomes for all students andto strengthen the community's understanding of the New Testament Scriptures.

We have continued to maximise our learning spaces. The spaces allow staff andstudents to have more ready access to a greater range of technologies and toexperiment with more cooperative and creative learning opportunities.

ParentParents are seen as very important partners in their children’s education and areencouraged to be involved in all aspects of school life.

In 2020 regular information and parent/teacher evenings were offered via Zoom as aresult of the pandemic.

St Clare's Catholic High School also enjoyed good relationships with the broadercommunity, particularly with the local Catholic parishes and schools.

The parent body was kept informed of school events and news via correspondence inthe form of weekly parent updates as required as well as Facebook, Skoolbag andthrough the school website.

StudentStudents have always had a strong voice at St Clare's Catholic High School. Multipleleadership opportunities throughout the year enabled students to develop their skills inleadership and effectively follow the school motto. Student leadership portfolios in theareas of house, events and communications allowed student participation in whole-school initiatives and celebrations. Through the Student Representative Council studentswere involved in supporting the school.

There were numerous ways for students to make contributions to the school, includinginvolvement in school masses, liturgies, excursions, sporting events and participation inextra-curricular activities.

Who we are

History of the schoolSt Clare's Catholic High School was established in 1994 as Clare Catholic High School. Itexisted as a stand-alone school until 1999 when it combined with two other localCatholic schools, St Agnes Catholic High School and Loyola Senior High School, to formChrist Catholic College, a tri-campus coeducational college. The name has sincechanged from Clare Catholic High School to St Clare's Catholic High School in 2009. StClare's Catholic High School is very well resourced and offers a coeducational Year 7 toYear 11 Catholic education. In 2020 the school had its very first Year 12 cohort sittingthe Higher School Certificate. St Clare's Catholic High School is very proud of, andcontinues to build on, its Franciscan and Clarion heritage and offers quality Catholiceducation to the local community.

Location/drawing areaThe school is located in Hassall Grove and draws on students from: Good ShepherdPrimary School, Plumpton; St Francis of Assisi Primary School, Glendenning; Holy FamilyPrimary School, Emerton; and other schools in the local area. Students come from thePlumpton Parish, Holy Family Parish and other parishes within the greater Mt Druittarea.

Workforce Composition

Category Number ofStaff

Number of teachers who are Conditionally or Provisionally Accredited 6

Number of teachers who are Proficient or Highly Accomplished/Lead 59

Number of teachers accreditated to teach Religious Education 8

Number of teachers currently undertaking accreditation to teachReligious Education

1

Number of non-teaching staff (includes teachers' aides) 15

Percentage of teachers who are indigenous 0

The average teacher attendance for 2020 94

Percentage of 2020 teaching staff who were retained from 2019 91

Catholic Identity and Religious Education

Prayer, Liturgical Life and Faith ExperiencesLike all Australia, 2020 was a complex and challenging year for engaging in the prayerand liturgical life of the Church as a school community. Opportunities for formal liturgicalexperiences became restricted with social distancing and other COVID-19 regulations;whilst the need for prayer-filled reflection reached a crescendo in social isolation andhome learning.

At St Clare's Catholic High School we celebrated Ash Wednesday Mass and completed a2-day Retreat for Year 12, prior to the imposition of COVID-19 restrictions. During thelock down, prayer life was encouraged through our Pastoral and House Mentor teamswith daily prayers and reflections shared with students. We integrated the Lenten call toprayer and fasting into this period.

When we returned to school we celebrated the Feast of St Clare via a Zoom liturgy,using our newly opened sacred space. We also celebrated All Saints and All Souls viawhole-school prayer in the morning, led by our student leaders. For the first time, wecelebrated the Graduation of a Year 12 Class. We celebrated with a liturgy that recalledthe key messages and Scripture of their retreat.

At the end of the year we were able to reconnect as one community for our Advent andChristmas Liturgy, as well as our Staff Formation Day.

Social JusticeThe school community raised over $670 for Caritas' Project Compassion Appeal. Thiswent to communities in need. The school community also donated 150 green envirobags of non-perishable food items for the St Vincent de Paul (SVdP) Christmas Appealas well as gifts for those supported by SVdP.

The students participated in various training days where they increased their skill set tomake the Social Justice Group more successful than ever. Due to COVID-19 we wereunable to do many of our awareness campaigns so the Social Justice Group focused onsupporting student mental health in this difficult time. This included organising Zoomsessions where students could come together during quarantine. Once we returned toschool we held games at lunch for students to come and support each other during thisdifficult year.

The Social Justice Group organised participation in Project Compassion and St VincentDe Paul Society appeals through 2020 and we commend them on their work insupporting our school and wider community.

School home and parish partnershipsThe partnership we have with our Good Shepherd Parish and parish priests, and thestudents' families, is very important at St Clare's Catholic High School.

The parish priest and assistant priest continued to be a part of our community, presidingat school masses and celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation at the school until thiswas affected by the COVID-19 restrictions.

The celebration of Catholic Schools Week highlighted the centrality of the school, parentand parish relationships to the success of Catholic Education.

Religious EducationIn 2020, Religious Education continued to provide opportunities for learning, growth,challenge and formation in all students. Through their learning, students were able togrow in their appreciation of our patroness, St Clare, as well as St Francis and ourHouse Mentors. Through their examples, our students were challenged to listen for theirown call in their life and respond to this calling.

With the implementation of the new Religious Education curriculum on the horizon, thelanguage of Head, Heart and Hand (3H) paradigm and the Transcendental Preceptsbegan to permeate Religious Education. The challenge to respond became centred onthe Heart and Hand dispositions. In preparing for implementation, Year 10 trialledLearning Cycle 4. This experience then informed the professional learning initiatives.

Professional Learning of staff in Religious EducationWith the implementation of new curriculum for Stage 5 and 6, professional learning wastargetted at upskilling teachers with the tools needed to program, teach andevaluate the implementation of new curriculum. Critical elements of the new curriculumwere selected for professional learning: the Head, Heart and Hand paradigm and thebreakdown of the Learning Cycles were central.

In addition, we provided our new Studies of Religion teams of teachers opportunities toupskill in other religious traditions and the expectations of the HSC examinations.

Learning and Teaching

National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN)Education ministers made the decision to cancel NAPLAN in 2020 due to the ongoingCOVID-19 pandemic. This means the current Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 did not undertake theassessment this year.

Record of School Achievement (RoSA)In 2020 8 students, at the conclusion of Year 10, requested a Record of SchoolAchievement from the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA).

Higher School Certificate (HSC)Percentage of students in performance bands 4, 5 and 6 compared to the state.

HIGHER SCHOOL CERTIFICATE

Percentage of students in top 3 bands

2020

School State

Studies of Religion I 0 77

English Standard 9 57

English Advanced 70 95

Biology 92 62

Mathematics Standard 2 75 50

In 2020, St Clare's Catholic High School provided students with Year 12 study and theHSC qualification for the first time. The results indicated promising results inMathematics and Sciences, with both Biology and Mathematics Standard 2 obtainingresults above state average. This is a significant achievement for the school in its firstyear delivering the courses, and testament to dedicated staff and talented students.Biology, Physics, Mathematics Advanced, Mathematics Standard 2 and Legal Studiescourses saw significant and expected learning growth for students. In Music, the schoolalso obtained its first band 6 result which is another promising result as the schoolcontinues to offer Stage 6 education to the young people in the community.

Staff have analysed the results and identified areas for improvement for our students incourses. This includes focused attention on improving students' writing skills throughmore effective feedback. This should see greater improvement in courses where thereare greater writing demands. Staff will be engaging in Professional LearningCommunities throughout the year to track student progress in their writing andapplication of feedback. This will be enhanced by students' participation in surveys tocommunicate their feedback needs and experiences to their teachers.

School curriculum

We offered a wide range of electives so that students at the school could diversify andenrich their learning experiences. In Stage 5 these electives included:

CommerceFood TechnologyGraphics TechnologyDramaVisual ArtsTextilesDanceItalianElective HistoryPhysical Activities and Sports StudiesMusicIndustrial Technology – Timber

In Year 11 the following courses were offered.Ancient HistoryBiology Business ServicesBusiness StudiesChemistryCommunity and Family StudiesConstructionDesign and TechnologyEnglish Advanced 2 unitEnglish Extension 1 1 unitEnglish Extension 2 1 unitEnglish Standard 2 unitEnglish Studies 2 unitFood TechnologyHospitalityIndustrial TechnologyInformation and Digital TechnologyInformation Processes and TechnologyLegal StudiesMathematics Advanced 2 unitMathematics Extension 1 2 unitMathematics Standard 1 2 unitMathematics Standard 2 2 unit

Modern HistoryMusicPersonal Development, Health & Physical EducationPhysicsSociety and CultureSoftware Design and DevelopmentStudies of Religion I 1 unitStudies of Religion II 2 unitTextiles and DesignVisual Arts

At St Clare’s Catholic High School we had a clear focus on more effectively organisinglearning interventions for students requiring remediation in relation to their acquisitionof key skills. This included offering Extending Mathematical Understanding (EMU) inYear 7 and 8 which utilised small group exercises and individual challenges to enhancenumeracy and mathematical skills.

Our Diversity program offered students support in reading through the various modes ofintervention. We offered small group reading support as part of our program supportingstudents to accelerate their reading skills. We resourced and supported a TargetedLearning Partnership (TLP) to support students requiring a personalised readingintervention tailored to meet their needs.

Initiatives to promote respect and responsibilityAs a school community we celebrated Harmony Day, which is a nationally recognisedcelebration. Harmony Day is a day of cultural respect for everyone who calls Australiahome – from the traditional owners of this land to those who have come from manycountries around the world. By celebrating Harmony Day, we can learn and understandhow all Australians from diverse backgrounds equally belong to this nation and, mostimportantly, enrich it. This is particularly important at St Clare’s Catholic High School aswe are a diverse multicultural community, with an array of cultures which all contributeto our identity.

Year 7 participated in the Peer Support program in Term 2 in which specially trainedYear 10 students worked with small groups of Year 7 students to assist in theirorientation and transition to high school. Student evaluation of the program was verypositive.

Professional LearningThe main focus of professional learning in 2020 was on improving teacherinstructional practice to maximise student learning outcomes. This was very muchconcerned with working on making students assessment-capable learners. Underpinningthis was an approach that required each teacher to monitor the progress of four of thestudents they taught in one class. These students were selected so that they reflectedthe diverse abilities of the students in the class. This allowed then for an evaluation ofthe effectiveness of the differentiation provided to meet students' needs. This alsoallowed for professional learning to be derived through discussion of the progress ofsimilar, individual students, in different classes. Some initial learning was also begun onthe effectiveness of the feedback provided to these students.

School Improvement

Annual school priorities

Priority 1 To improve the quality and frequency of our communication withparents

Reason forpriority 1

Steps taken in this area showed the importance of regularfocused communication with parents about students' progressand learning. In particular, the value of positive contact withparents was underlined as we received impressive feedback inresponse to these contacts.

Steps taken toachieve priority 1

The trial introduction of professional support to enhancecommunication with parents was formalised with theappointment of a Parent Contact Liaison (PCL). This part-timeteacher has the role of contacting parents by phone, on behalfof the school and individual teachers, to provide key informationfor parents, conducting evaluations and alerting them toconcerns. This position was a support to parents.

Status of priority1

On-going

Priority 2 That students will improve using regular and varied feedbackwhile engaged in a variety of learning experiences

Reason forpriority 2

More regular differentiated feedback is needed for each studentand the student needs to be provided with opportunities to usethis feedback so they can recognise their improvement. Focusingon the nature and the frequency of this feedback would helpwith this. Quality feedback should provide all students with theappropriate level of challenge so that they are working in aproximal zone of development despite their diverse learningneeds.

Steps taken toachieve priority 2

A series of steps were taken in order to achieve this priority. Thisincluded planning for a variety of learning experiences so thatstudents have the necessary opportunities to receive and applyfeedback in order to master the keys skills, language andcontent. The application of this feedback is key.

Status of priority2

On-going

Projected school priorities

Priority 1 To improve the quality and frequency of the feedback receivedby students

Reason forPriority 1

More regular differentiated feedback is needed for each studentand the student needs to be provided with opportunities to usethis feedback so they can recognise their improvement. Focusingon the nature and the frequency of this feedback would helpwith this. Quality feedback should provide all students with theappropriate level of challenge so that they are working in aproximal zone of development despite their diverse learningneeds.

Steps to be takento achieve Priority1

A series of steps will be taken in order to achieve this priority.This will include planning for a variety of learning experiences sothat students have the necessary opportunities to receive andapply feedback in order to master the keys skills, language andcontent. The application of this feedback is key. The ability ofthe student to use the feedback received will be used toevaluate its effectiveness.

Priority 2 That overall school attendance will improve

Reason forPriority 2

Regular attendance at school leads to our students having everyavailable access to all educational opportunities. When studentsmiss days of school it is very easy for them to fall behind in theirlearning. This can also lead to more severe absenteeism andstudent disengagement. A focus on tracking studentabsenteeism and communicating regularly with parents helps theschool gain a context of the reasons around poor attendanceand work out ways to support the students' needs.

Steps to be takento achieve Priority2

Steps to achieve this will include:regular weekly contact for absenteesattendance tracking: monitoring attendance online viastudent completion of workattendance letters issued to parents whenattendance/online engagement is decliningdevelopment of attendance plans via Zoom or email withclear steps for the student to help them re-engage withschoolpositive letters/SMS sent home for improved attendanceand rewards for student attendance goal achievement

Community Satisfaction

Parent satisfactionThe Tell Them From Me (TTFM) data collected and reported to our parents indicatedthat parents were satisfied with the religious dimensions and the Catholic life of theschool, being clearly visible and saw it as a central focus of their child's schoolingexperience.

Student satisfactionThe TTFM data collected and reported to our parents, staff and students showed thatstudent confidence overall could be higher, but they felt connected to the school andthat they were experiencing stimulating learning experiences. Students also indicatedthat they felt supported at school.

Teacher satisfactionThe TTFM data showed an improvement in the areas of leadership and collaboration.

Teachers continued to feel a need for greater feedback on their performance andrecognition of their work within a busy secondary school environment. They indicatedthat they still required greater professional learning experiences to continue to buildstudent achievement and to sharpen the focus of discussion on student learningoutcomes.

Overall these results were an improvement on the results from 2019.

Student Profile

Enrolment PolicySt Clare's Catholic High School follows the Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta(CEDP) Enrolment Policy and Procedures. The full text or a link to the full text of theschool’s enrolment policies, including all prerequisites for continuing enrolment can beobtained from the school office or can be accessed on the school's website showing theCEDP Enrolment Policy , Procedures and Guidelines

. The enrolment policy can be located on the school website under'ABOUT US' on the 'Policies and Procedures' page under the 'Enrolment' category.

Current and previous years' student enrolment

Year Boys Girls Total

2018 235 268 503

2019 274 290 564

2020 269 288 557

Student attendance ratesThe table below shows the percentage of student attendance by Year level and schoolaverage.

Year 7 91

Year 8 89

Year 9 89

Year 10 90

Year 11 90

Year 12 91

School average 90

Characteristics of the student bodyThe table below shows the number of students in each of the categories listed.

Language background other than English (LBOTE) 138

Students with disablities (SWD) 104

Indigenous 32

Managing Student Non-attendanceRegular attendance at school is essential if students are to maximise their potential.Schools in partnership with parents and guardians, are responsible for promoting theregular attendance of students. The compulsory schooling age is 6-17. Parents andguardians are legally responsible for the regular attendance of their children, explainingthe absences of their children in writing within several days to the school, and takingmeasures to resolve attendance issues involving their children. School staff as part oftheir duty of care, monitor part or whole day absences.

They maintain accurate records of students' attendance, follow up unexplainedabsences through written and verbal communication, implement programs and practicesto address attendance issues when they arise, and provide clear information to studentsand parents regarding attendance requirements and the consequences of unsatisfactoryattendance. The principal or their delegate, may grant permission for late arrival or earlydeparture from school, leave or exemption from attendance only in individual cases, onwritten request from parents and guardians.

The principal/delegate will undertake all reasonable measures to contact parentspromptly if an unexplained absence occurs. If truancy is suspected, the principal willcontact the parents/guardians to ascertain the reason for the absence. If a satisfactoryresponse is not received, the matter will be referred to the relevant staff at the CatholicEducation Office, Diocese of Parramatta who will follow up unexplained absences as perlegislative requirements.

Student retention ratesThe retention rate of students for Year 10 to Year 12 was 49%.

Senior secondary outcomesThe following table shows the percentage of Year 12 students who undertook vocationaltraining or training in a trade while at school, and the percentage that attained a Year12 certificate or equivalent vocational education and training qualification.

Percentage of Year 12 students who undertook vocational training while at school 24

Percentage of Year 12 students who undertook training in a trade while at school 0

Percentage of Year 12 students who attained a Year 12 (HSC) or equivalentvocational education and training qualification

100

Post school destinationsEach year St Clare's Catholic High School collects destination data relating to the Year12 student cohort. The table below sets out the percentages of students for the variouscategories.

Destination of students leaving Year 12 %

University 32

Technical, and Further Education (TAFE) 23

Workforce 45

Other/Unknown 0

Student wellbeing

Student welfare, discipline and anti-bullying policies and pastoral careThe St Clare’s Catholic High School Student Management policy and Anti-bullyingprocedures affirmed that all members of the school community have the right to betreated with respect and dignity and to learn and work in a safe and supportiveenvironment. The policy incorporated the school motto, Praise God By Your Life, as anunderlying core principle.

As a school, we have been committed to the development of the whole person for allour students. All students were expected to show respect at all times and displaybehaviour that reflected well on themselves, their families and the school. This could besummarised into four basic actions: peacemaker, pride, persistence and passion forlearning.

As a school, we strove to be a learning community based on the Catholic values of StClare. We strove to be respectful and inclusive. This commitment was firmly grounded inthe principles of justice, self-discipline and reconciliation and it acknowledged that anyconsequence that lowered the dignity of the person was totally inappropriate. Theschool does not tolerate bullying of any kind.

At St Clare’s Catholic High School, corporal punishment is expressly forbidden. This is achild protection issue and is supported by Catholic Education, Diocese of Parramatta(CEDP).

St Clare’s Catholic High School practised procedural fairness and natural justice. Thiswas seen as a basic right of all when dealing with authorities. In this way, a student hadthe right to:

know the allegations being made against them and any other information whichwould be taken into account in considering the matterknow the process by which the matter would be consideredrespond to allegationsknow how to seek a review of the decision made in response to the allegationsknow that an unbiased decision included the right to impartiality in aninvestigation and decision-making and an absence of bias by a decision-maker

In 2020, the school supported the transition of the incoming Year 7 cohort through aPeer Support program. The Year 10 peer support leaders were trained in the programand conducted sessions with their group.

A full copy of the St Clare’s Catholic High School Student Management policy and Anti-bullying procedures can be obtained via the school office by phoning: 98302400.

There were no changes to the policies during 2020.

Complaints and grievances policyThe school has formal written protocols in place to address complaints andgrievances. These protocols are in line with the Catholic Education, Diocese ofParramatta (CEDP) Managing Complaints policy and procedures.

A copy of the policy is available from the school office or is available on the CEDPwebsite http://www.parra.catholic.edu.au/policy-central.

There were no changes to the policy during 2020.

Section Eleven: Financial Statement

Income Expenditure

Commonwealth (69.3%)Capital (0%)State (19.5%)Fees (10.9%)Other (0.3%)

Capital (37.4%)Salary (48.1%)Non-Salary (14.5%)

RECURRENT and CAPITAL INCOME

Commonwealth RecurrentGrants1

$7,931,506

Government Capital Grants 2 $0

State Recurrent Grants 3 $2,238,379

Fees and Private Income 4 $1,254,066

Other Capital Income 5 $28,768

Total Income $11,452,719

RECURRENT and CAPITALEXPENDITURE

Capital Expenditure 6 $6,945,172

Salaries and RelatedExpenses 7

$8,926,202

Non-Salary Expenses 8 $2,701,391

Total Expenditure $18,572,765

1. Commonwealth relates to Commonwealth Recurrent Grants including percapita funding and special purpose grants.

2. Capital relates to Government Capital Grants.3. State relates to State Recurrent Grants including per capita funding, interest

subsidy and special purpose grants.

10.9%

19.5%

69.3%

■

■

■

■

■

37.4%

14.5%

48.1%

■

■

■

4. Fees relates to diocesan and school based fees, excursions and other privateincome from parents.

5. Other refers to Other Capital Income including drawdowns from the DiocesanSchool Building Fund to fund Capital Expenditure.

6. Capital refers to Capital Expenditure including School Buildings, Furniture andEquipment.

7. Salaries refers to the total of all Salaries, allowances and related expenses suchas superannuation, workers compensation and leave.

8. Non-Salary refers to all other Non-Salary Recurrent Expenses.