Batemans Bay Public Schoolback to top |
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Type: Large Government Primary School |
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Location: NSW South Coast |
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Description The school provides academic, sporting and cultural opportunities to ensure its 483 students experience success. There is a strong commitment to literacy. The school has a well resourced preschool which offers quality programs and a valuable transition to kindergarten. Many of the teachers have received regional excellence awards, and are committed to helping their students, of whom they have high expectations in relation to academic and social development. During the period of the case studies, the school provided a wide range of programs including: Ready Set Go (Transition to School), a whole school camping initiative, Aboriginal Education, including the teaching of the local Dhurga language, support for students with special needs, student leadership opportunities, quality Literacy and Numeracy learning experiences, a large range of sporting opportunities, school choir, flute, recorder and band. The school has a caring learning environment, modern classrooms, a well resourced library, a computer lab, large shaded areas, junior and senior playgrounds and grassed playing areas. Interactive whiteboard technology is in all classrooms. The school is a proud and active member of the Eurobodalla/Braidwood Learning Community, a group of 12 schools that provides opportunities/programs for Year 5 to 8 students. Parents are encouraged to be active partners in school activities and to have valuable input into their child's education. |
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Bonnyrigg Public Schoolback to top |
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Type: Medium size government primary school |
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Location:South-Western Sydney |
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Description The school has an enrolment of 203 primary students and 40 preschool children. Three quarters of all students are from language backgrounds other than English and 7% of students are Aboriginal. Community engagement is a key goal at Bonnyrigg Public School and the school has seen improved student outcomes with increased parental engagement. |
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Bourke Public Schoolback to top |
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Type: Small government primary school |
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Location: Western NSW |
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Description Bourke Public School is situated in far Western NSW and has around 200 students from K-Year 6. Around 70% of the students are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders. The school aims to provide knowledge, develop skills and foster understandings that will help children operate effectively as members of society now and in the future. Focus areas have been literacy, technology and student management, particularly attendance. A Targeted Attendance Mentor regularly checks attendance rolls and visits families whose children are absent without explanation. The school is supported through the Country Areas Program, the Disadvantaged Schools Program, Norta Norta, National Partnerships (Literacy and Numeracy and Low SES School Communities), the Aboriginal Language Program, Schools in Partnerships and the Aboriginal Student Support and Parent Awareness (ASSPA) Program. |
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Type: A large government high school |
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Location: Western suburbs of Sydney |
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Chester Hill High School is a comprehensive co-educational high school of 1100 students, serving a low socio-economic community. During the case study period it was part of the Smarter Schools Low SES National Partnerships Program. The school has a number of literacy programs and numeracy programs , and also employs a refugee transition officer, a school to work transition officer, and an Aboriginal education officer within the school. National Partnerships funding is also being used to fund teacher professional learning and to employ a deputy principal to oversight the National Partnerships initiatives. The school aims to close the gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and other students, to improve the educational outcomes of Aboriginal students, and involves parents in that process through the creation of a mural and cultural programs such as Aboriginal dancing. National Partnership funding has also supported teachers’ reflection on their teaching practice, with in-school professional learning. The National Partnership resources have allowed the school to more effectively reach out and engage people in the community.
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Cowra Public Schoolback to top |
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Type: A medium size government primary school |
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Location: Western NSW |
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The school population is around 330, with around 20% Aboriginal students and 2% with a language background other than English. The school has challenges such as Kindergarten students entering with very poor concepts of print and poor language and speech skills. The school tries to encourage a higher presence of Aboriginal community members in the school, to increase the value of education and outcomes for their children. Through the National Partnership the school employed six additional student learning support officers, three of whom are Aboriginal community members, with one a Wiradjuri Elder. These people are trained to be reading support tutors who work with students on an individual basis. Results from the first round of testing saw an average improvement of nine months in 15 weeks - for some students it was up to two years. As Cowra is on the traditional lands of the Wiradjuri people, the school now has a designated meeting place for Aboriginal people. There is also a boys mentoring group, in preparation for high school. |
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Fairfield High Schoolback to top |
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Type: Large government secondary school |
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Location: Western suburbs of Sydney |
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The school is a co-educational high school offering a broad curriculum and comprehensive education with an emphasis on catering for the needs of the individual. Students from various backgrounds are included in this multicultural learning community. A well-established Intensive English Centre (IEC) caters for new arrivals. Many of the IEC students exit into the high school on graduation. The positive nature of the school is evident in its award and welfare systems which focus on the need for each student to achieve his/her academic, sporting and social potential. The development of literacy and numeracy skills in all students is seen as critical to providing a successful platform for them to enter the community as future leading citizens. |
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Farmborough Rd Public Schoolback to top |
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Type: A medium size government primary school |
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Location: Wollongong suburb of Unanderra |
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The school strives to provide a safe and caring learning environment, catering for the diverse needs of around 220 students through the implementation of a range of educational programs. Students have the opportunity to participate in programs in literacy, numeracy, environment, dance, choir, public speaking, debating, welfare, technology and sport. The school is known for its tradition of fostering fine sporting achievements and fitness programs for students and is being recognised for the quality of its learning and student welfare programs. An example is the Positive Behaviour for Success Program which advances the values of respect, responsibility and excellence. The Transition to School Program has been developed to support students moving into formal schooling for the first time. The Families at Farmborough Community Centre, located in the school grounds, offers a range of programs for children and their families. The school has an active and supportive Parents and Citizens Committee that together with the wider school community are involved in many aspects of school life. |
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Ingleburn Public Schoolback to top |
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Type: A large government primary school |
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Location: South-western suburb of Sydney |
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Ingleburn Public School, with an enrolment of around 560 students, was established in 1887 and is situated near the growing Ingleburn Industrial belt, next to the Ingleburn shopping precinct. The school is set in a bushland environment and enjoys a strong sense of community. It strives to provide a balanced education that addresses the academic, social, emotional and physical aspects of students' lives. The school is recognised for innovative numeracy and literacy programs which are complemented by enrichment and performing arts programs such as band, choir, dance, drama and music. |
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MacKillop Catholic Collegeback to top |
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Type: Large Catholic K-12 college |
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Location: Warnervale, in NSW Central Coast |
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The school is a Kindergarten to Yr 12 Catholic College situated on the Upper Central Coast of NSW, with an enrolment of over 1500 students. It opened in 2003 and provides spiritual enrichment, quality academic support, leadership programs, sporting and cultural experiences and opportunities. Situated in the same campus is the Catholic School and Parish Community. The College’s ethos promotes a strong tradition of mutual support and help.
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Maroubra Bay Public Schoolback to top |
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Type: Small government primary school |
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Location: Eastern suburbs of Sydney |
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The school is situated in the coastal suburb of Maroubra and caters to around 160 students who reflect the cultural and socio economic diversity of the area. Around 11% of the students are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander backgrounds. All students learn about Aboriginal history, culture and contemporary Aboriginal Australia, with Aboriginal perspectives incorporated into the teaching and learning programs. Aboriginal students are also supported by designing individual learning programs and seeking advice from community members and Elders. The school has a dynamic leadership team and is well connected with its community - it has close links with Randwick Boys High School Randwick Girls High School, South Sydney and Matraville Sports High Schools as well as other local primary schools and pre-schools. The Russian School of Community Languages operates on the school site on Sundays and the District Guidance Officer is also based on site. Significant community support, including from local businesses, has allowed the school to develop a garden, including planting a eucalypt forest and a duck and chicken community, seeing the school win "best school garden" competition in Randwick Council. The National Partnership focused on reading with students in Years 3-6 and improving all students’ performance in NAPLAN testing. The analysis of data and subsequent evaluation allows the school to measure success and to use this to plan more effectively. For example, around 96% of students believe that their teachers have high expectations for their reading (with the same percentage of teachers holding the same view). The Literacy and Numeracy National Partnership allowed the school to employ two Assistant Principals who model, guide and mentor staff in implementing reforms and new initiatives such as Language Learning and Literacy (L3). The L3 initiative was introduced in 2010 and resulted in Kindergarten students exiting their first year of schooling on much higher reading levels than in the past. The work of the principal and the two APs is significant in enhancing teacher capacity and in ensuring the embedding of changed practice into the culture of the school. Maroubra Bay Public School is also supported through the Priority Schools Funding Program which enables the school to offer additional educational programs for students and to provide both consultancy and professional development for teachers. Students are also supported through a student welfare system. A seven week transition program, “Big Start”, prepares new children to come to the school, while parents are offered information sessions that help give them information they need to prepare their children for school. Current priorities are to increase level of literacy and numeracy for all students from K-Yr 6, with targets and strategies clearly set out by the school to measure and report performance in these areas. |
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Mayfield East Public Schoolback to top |
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Type: A medium size government primary school |
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Location: Suburb of Newcastle |
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Established in 1858 and located close to the inner city of Newcastle, the school serves a diverse community with a growing number of younger families. Over 290 students are offered a varied range of learning and cultural experiences by the 13 teaching staff and 6 non-teaching staff. There is a focus on developing the whole child and as a consequence students are exposed to many educational, performance, sporting and recreational opportunities. Examples include:
During the evaluation period, the school received funding from the Priority Schools Program. Extra resources were purchased to support programs in Literacy, Numeracy, Community Engagement and Connected Learning. The school has received a Director General’s School Achievement Award for its program “We Grow and Learn Together”. |
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Minimbah Aboriginal Schoolback to top |
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Type: Small independent primary school |
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Location: New England area of NSW |
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Minimbah is a small independent primary school in the Northern NSW town of Armidale. It has 2 preschool classrooms and around 60 primary school students in Kindergarten to Year 6. Aboriginal students make up over 90 per cent of school enrolments. The school identified increasing the reading proficiency of Aboriginal students in Years 2-6 as a focus area for improvement at the school. Minimbah engages with the Aboriginal Education Policy, which has two key aims: • To promote the educational achievements of Aboriginal students • To educate all students about Aboriginal Australia. All curriculum, teaching and assessment programs are challenging and culturally appropriate, working in collaboration with the school’s Aboriginal Education Committee. |
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Type: A small independent co-educational college for Pre-school – Yr 12 |
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Location: Western Sydney suburb of Doonside |
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The College was established in 1968 and is operated by the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. It offers classes from Preschool to Year 12, with 277 students in the primary years. The values empahasised by the school are respect, joy, responsibility, trust, acceptance, self-discipline, compassion, honesty, forgiveness, initiative and self-worth. The College provides streamed classes in literacy and learning support where required and endeavours to maintain small class sizes. It fosters creativity through activities such as music, performance, drama and visual arts and has an active lifestyle program. The College's facilities include a farm (horticulture and animal husbandry). |
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Namoi Valley Christian Schoolback to top |
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Type: Small independent primary school |
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Location: North-Western NSW |
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Namoi Valley Christian School (NVCS) is an independent primary school situated in Wee Waa, in North-West NSW. The school caters for 38 students from K - 6; one third of whom are Aboriginal, and a significant number of whom live on farms or in smaller townships located a considerable distance from the school (some over 60km). NVCS students represent a diverse range of family educational backgrounds. |
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Peak Hill Central Schoolback to top |
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Type: Government Central school |
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Location: Central West of NSW |
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Peak Hill Central School serves a rural community of approximately 1400 people in the Central West of NSW. The school has classes from Kindergarten to Year 12, and is the hub school for the Western Access Program, which delivers senior school programs to students in six other smaller central schools, using telematic technology (for distance learning). The school aims to provide a quality educational environment in which every student regularly achieves 'Success Through Effort'. Student welfare is emphasised as a necessary adjunct to the learning process, and our school is noted for its successful student welfare, behaviour management and Aboriginal education programs. Priorities for the school are the improvement of both literacy and numeracy as well as targeted professional development to support these aims. |
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Punchbowl Public Schoolback to top |
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Type: Large government primary school |
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Location: South-Western suburb of Sydney |
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The school serves a diverse multilingual community, with 97% of the Preschool to Year 6 students having a language background other than English. Located in South Western Sydney, Punchbowl Public School has a K-6 enrolment of approximately 620 with an additional 80 students in the preschool and an early intervention unit (a preschool for students with support needs). The school has a number of students successfully integrated in the mainstream with a range of intellectual and support needs. From 2011 Punchbowl Public School was supported by the Priority Schools Program (PSP) and two Smarter Schools National Partnership programs, Literacy and Numeracy and Low Socio-Economic Communities. These programs support initiatives that promote improvement in literacy and numeracy, the implementation of the NSW Quality Teaching Framework, information communication technologies and the development of home-school partnerships. The school is characterised by strong professional teamwork and effective positive relationships between students, staff and the community. The school has a strong focus on continuous improvement and has high expectations for student learning outcomes in both literacy and numeracy whilst maintaining a balanced curriculum in all key learning areas. Teachers work in partnership with families and the community to provide a stimulating and nurturing environment that caters for the diverse needs of the students and presents a wide range of opportunities for them to learn and succeed. The school community is also supported by the Schools as Community Centres program which aims to facilitate the provision of local school and community services to families with children from birth to eight years through inter-agency collaboration. |
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Rosemeadow Public Schoolback to top |
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Type: A large government primary school |
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Location: Campbelltown, an outer South-Western suburb of Sydney |
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Rosemeadow Public School is located 8 kms south of Campbelltown. The school is characterised by diverse family dynamics and cultures. Rosemeadow Public School is a well-resourced and positive learning environment. Staff and community are motivated to implement a range of proactive student welfare programs including Positive Behaviour for Learning. Rosemeadow Public School has an enrolment of 630 students, including 42% from a non-English speaking background and 11%from an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background. The school also has three classes in its Support Unit, supporting 21 students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The school receives Aboriginal Transitional Funding for Aboriginal Education. An Aboriginal School Liaison Officer is employed to work with students on Individualised Learning Plans according to their individual needs as specifically stated in SMART Data. Funding also supported the establishment of a homework centre to build parents’ skills and knowledge to support their children’s learning and enhance communication. Rosemeadow PS participates in the ‘Empowering Local Schools’ initiative, enabling a strengthening of partnerships with the community. A Speech Therapist is employed with over 25 students accessing the service. Intensive reading classes are held 3 times a week for kindergarten students needing additional support to improve their reading. |
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Sawtell Public Schoolback to top |
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Type: Medium sized government primary school |
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Location: Mid North Coast of NSW. |
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The major educational focus of the school is on the basic skills of literacy and numeracy. Students participate in a variety of academic, cultural and sporting activities that utilise the skills of teachers and community members, and the physical resources of the local environment. There is a strong creative arts program and teamwork is promoted via a range of sporting opportunities. Outdoor learning activities and an extensive excursion program develop the students' knowledge of their environment. The school promotes the values of co-operation, participation and respect. It encourages students to try their best in all they do, and be responsible members of the school and their wider community. |
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St Felix Primary Schoolback to top |
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Type: A large Catholic systemic primary school |
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Location: Bankstown – a Western suburb of Sydney |
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The school is part of the St Felix de Valois Parish in Bankstown. The school was established in 1853 under lay leadership, however the Sisters of St Joseph assumed control in 1886 and continued in their involvement until 1983. Today the school is staffed by lay teachers. The school caters for approximately 420 students in Years K-6 from a diverse range of languages and cultural heritages. The school obtains results in the National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) consistently above the State averages. English as a Second Language (ESL), Bi-Lingual and Special Needs programs are available to support students in their learning. Gifted Education, School Choir, a Student Representative Council (SRC) and the Restorative Justice Program are also provided to support and engage students. |
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St Joseph’s Primary Schoolback to top |
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Type: Small Catholic primary school |
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Location: Walgett – North Western NSW |
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Walgett is a town in North Western NSW with a population of around 2500, around half of whom are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders. St Joseph's School was begun in 1896 by the Josephite Order of nuns. The school offers general and specialist programs to cater for the needs of individual children. Programs include; Focus on Reading 3–6, QuickSmart, amathematics intervention program, Bounce Back, a resilience program, Jolly Phonics, a spelling and phonemic awareness program, Iki Magic, a fitness, health & well-being program andWii Gaay, an enrichment program targeting underachieving but high academic potential Indigenous students. St Joseph's celebrates the differences, richness and beauty of all children and cultures. |
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Waratah West Public Schoolback to top |
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Type: Small government primary school |
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Location: Suburb of Newcastle |
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School enrolment in December 2012 was 65 students (49 families). The school structure consists of K-6 multi-grade classes. The population of Aboriginal students rose significantly from 25 per cent in 2007 to 41 per cent in 2012. 61 per cent of students enrolled in Years 2 – 6 have been at the school for the last 3 years. Staff consists of one teaching Principal, 4 classroom teachers, one English as a Second Language teacher (1 day per week), one Highly Accomplished Teacher and one Learning Assistant Support Teacher (2 days per week Semester 2). In addition 2 School Learning Support Officers were employed on a casual basis and an Aboriginal School Learning Support Officer was employed 2.5 days per week through National Partnership funding. The school has undergone a number of changes over the last two years. Due to fluctuations in student numbers significant staff movement has impacted on consistent learning programs, and while student attendance is close to the region’s average, performance has not met region or state averages in literacy and numeracy. The school is part of the Priority Schools Program (PSP). Building school and community partnerships has been a priority to ensure parent confidence in the school is maintained. The school is developing a relationship with local business groups who have sponsored a daily breakfast club, administration costs for the SPIN Speech Pathology In Schools (2012) and student swimming lessons. The school has also developed a relationship with The Songroom, a community sponsored creative arts program. |
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Warilla Public Schoolback to top |
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Type: A medium size government primary school. |
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Location: Approximately 25 kms south of Wollongong |
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Warilla Public School is located between the Illawarra escarpment and the sea, not far south of Lake Illawarra. The school zone from which is draws most of its students has public and affordable private housing. Student enrolment for 2012 was around 200 students K to 6. This includes 22 indigenous students and 21 students in Mulloka ED unit. The school is in the Priority Schools Program (PSP) and participated in the National Partnerships- Literacy and Numeracy (2009-2011). The school’s quality teaching programs have been well supported by the school’s inclusion in both the PSP and National Partnerships Programs. The school's primary purpose is the enhancement of love of learning and learning outcomes. There is a strong emphasis on providing literacy and numeracy programs that are relevant and responsive to students’ needs. There is collective teacher responsibility, consistent high expectations and pastoral care. The school participates in the 'You Can Do It' social skills program. This teaches students persistence, organisation, confidence, getting along and resilience. The school is working to extend its creative and practical arts program, building upon its success in 'Wakakirri,’ a national dance competition, Wollongong Schools' Music Festival and junior Music Festival. |
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