EVIDENCE 5

SENTRAL

ANNOTATION

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Sentral is a comprehensive student information system. IPS uses Sentral and incorporates student attendance, academic progress and wellbeing.

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Not only is student attendance a required legal record for the principal, knowing exactly where your students are is vital for managing their safety and wellbeing. The principal uses a range of reports and statistics that allows him to track the attendance of both individuals and cohorts over time. Reports allow him to monitor explained, unexplained justified and unjustified absences. Rolls are marked electronically using the teacher’s desktop. Stage 1 teachers mark their classes attendance on the interactive whiteboard. For WH&S safety reasons, rolls can easily be printed if needed. Patterns of attendance are easily identified through the use of picture graphs. A percentage of attendance is also provided by Sentral. Teachers, the principal (and HSLO) work together with parents to support each other in trying to get all students to attend 100%.

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Sentral has been the most valuable tool available to staff at IPS. In regards to wellbeing, it allows us to be provided with a holistic view of the students. That is, staff can have the ability to look at the negative incidents of all students. It provides the principal with the ability to check data, dates, who is involved, identify patterns of behaviour, times and teachers involved. Initially staff may have been concerned with ‘why change’, but all now use it and we have reaped the rewards. Sentral allows us to get the complete picture of complex incidents. It allows staff to attach statements, provide letters to parents, give time out from the playground, meet school’s wellbeing practices and stay on top of incidents. Positive incidents are also recorded under wellbeing.  Students who have received multiples of 5 merit cards are recorded and recognised at assemblies.

 

Students who are Aboriginal, more than 18 months behind their peers and receive personalised teaching have an Individual Learning Program (ILP). ILP’s are created by the teacher, in conjunction with the LaST team. ILP’s are revised at the end of Semester 1.

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Professional learning on Sentral occurred during Term 3.. Pleasingly, since then, staff have investigated markbooks and rubrics to establish student rankings as a way of recording a student’s performance. Staff are also using the continuum tracker. Staff can track individuals against the literacy and numeracy markers. Consistently, for the past few years, IPS have created an academic report that IPS can be proud of. Teachers write, save and share comments. We have continued to refine and improve the report. It now delivers clear and accurate information that represent a positive school image.

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The Sentral Dashboard is a virtual bulletin board. As a principal, I consistently use it to remind staff about goals, events, display motivational quotes and variations to routines for the week so that it will be seen by all staff. All meetings are being recorded and minutes taken using Sentral. The meeting agenda is also automatically updated and allows all staff to review and keep up to date with what is going to be discussed and what was said at a meeting should there be an absence.

 

ANALYSIS

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In regards to Curriculum and Learning, Iluka Public School is Sustaining and Growing as all teachers regularly collect and use information to support students’ successful transitions. IPS has procedures in place to ensure that the transition between the preschool and IPS and between IPS and the secondary school is a process and not a one off event. IPS understands it requires both time and commitment for a successful transition to occur. IPS has been careful and thoughtful in building a relationship with its feeder schools with the main intention being the support of all students and their families. Consultation and communication are the keys. It involves people who have significant knowledge and information about the student communicating and discussing effectively. This includes the student’s family, Principal, class teachers, and other community service providers. IPS also relies heavily upon the School Counselor as the ‘bridge’ between primary and secondary school. The School Counselor has a crucial role in mapping and monitoring a student’s transition. IPS also uses Personalised Learning Plans to identify and assist with the wellbeing needs and goals of students.

 

In regards to Assessment and Reporting, Iluka Public School is Delivering. IPS analyses internal and external data in order to make worthwhile decisions for students. Teachers at IPS regularly assess achievement. This is used for creating groupings within classrooms to ensure learning goals are met. Assessments also provide the evidence for reporting student progress. This includes providing students’ strengths and areas for growth. Parents are updated on the progress of their children with written reports provided as well as the opportunity to meet with the class teacher at an interview. IPS also analysed internal and external data to guide decisions being made about staffing resources. Teachers use a rubrics system as a transparent criteria for student assessment. Rubrics assess fairly and efficiently and can be used to develop and enhance student feedback. When given to students they can help guide and inform them as to what is expected from an assessment task.

 

In regards to the Teaching Elements, Iluka Public School rate Collaborative Practice and Professional Standards as Sustaining and Growing. IPS encourages teachers to make a positive contribution to the school culture. All staff are committed to continuous improvement and innovation. The school will use external and internal resources and the creative capacity of all staff to develop and implement practices to address problems or enhance already strong practice. Teachers at IPS work with a spirit of openness and prepared for critical reflection, a sharing of their experiences, ideas and expertise with others. As a learning community, teachers learn about teaching through daily conversation with their colleagues. In the staff room, teachers share their knowledge of effective teaching practice, complex subject matter, the learning styles of different students and new assessment strategies for effective classroom management.

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IPS is an isolated school situated in a low socio economic environment. The Principal and teachers accept their responsibility as being a role model and to act accordingly. All teachers at IPS abide by the NSW DoE Code of Conduct which provides a core set of standards covering the behaviour of staff. Teachers demonstrate a high standard of teaching by accepting responsibility for their own professional learning and development. Teachers also accept responsibility for high quality teaching, providing students valuable opportunities to learn, recognising and developing each child’s unique potential and addressing each student’s educational needs. Teachers know the learning strengths and weaknesses of their students and how to best teach them and how their teaching relates to achieving the school plan. Staff respect cultural, ethnic and religious differences whilst working in partnership with parents and carers.

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In regards to the Leading Elements, Iluka Public School rate School Planning, Implementation and Reporting and School Resources as Sustaining and Growing. Under the School Excellence Framework, IPS staff have developed (by being collaborative, consultative and data informed) a three year School Plan. The School Plan, ratified by the P&C, is reviewed and updated annually to maintain currency and alignment. To gauge the effectiveness of its planned strategies a set of milestones has been established. The Milestones are reviewed regularly. The broad understanding of the School Plan across the school community is to ensure learners are successful, teaching is of a high quality and IPS shows improved student academic achievement.

IPS believe that teacher quality is the single most important feature of successful education. IPS does what it can in terms of strategic financial management. IPS prides itself in getting the staffing structures right, recruiting the right people and ensuring that all teachers are continually supported to improve. IPS also carefully considers the best way to utilise support staff; including SLSO’s, the chaplain and the LaST. Each has the potential to have a significant and positive impact on student outcomes and the school plan when used efficiently. As well, the continuing employment of our high quality School Assistant Manager (SAM) has enabled IPS to manage staffing and other resources efficiently. Furthermore, IPS is part of the Clarence Valley Community of Small Schools. This network of 14 schools has pooled its resources together to enable our cluster to conduct a Staff Development Day and hold Professional Learning opportunities. It is a very strong network and is available to implement strategies for the IPS school plan.