Royal Far West School Plan 2012 - 2014
RFWS: Partners in Learning
School Context
At Royal Far West School (RFWS) we believe that all children have the right to achieve their potential - no matter where they live,
whatever their medical condition or disability and whatever their family circumstances. RFWS provides educational services to the
clients of the Royal Far West developmental services (RFW). Although we are located on the beachfront at Manly, all students are
from country NSW, often from remote areas of the state. They come to us with a range of medical conditions, including developmental,
learning, behavioural emotional and communication difficulties and disorders. We work with students aged 3 to 18 years, with 20%
being Aboriginal. All children must be accompanied to RFW by a parent or carer. We work closely with families, country schools and
regions and with RFW to provide information, consultancy, resource advice, professional development and program assistance. We have
a strong focus on working across the state using video conferencing and internet-based video communication for individual, ongoing
student support. For further information see www.royalfarwe-s.schools.nsw.edu.au
School-Identified Priority Areas
Intended Outcomes
Literacy


Improved student reading skills
Increased numbers of students with severe literacy difficulties able to access the curriculum in
rural schools through use of assistive technology
Numeracy

Improved student numeracy skills
Wellbeing and Engagement

Improved engagement in learning
Aboriginal Education

Increased proportion of Aboriginal students completing year 12 or recognised vocational learning
This plan has been endorsed and approved by:
Principal:
Jenny Rayner
Date:
Principal’s initials:
Royal Far West School: School Plan 2012 - 2014
School Education Director:
Date:
School Education Director’s initials
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Outcomes (3 year focus)


Improved student reading skills
Increased numbers of students with severe literacy difficulties able to access the curriculum through use of assistive technology
Targets (Annual)
Outreach students using
SOLVE IT showing
i)
increase in
literacy
scores on
standardised
testing
ii)
increased
attendance
(where
attendance
has been an
issue
iii)
decreased
suspension
(where
suspension
has been an
issue)
Strategies
 Recruitment and training of male
volunteer tutors plus additional
tutors
 Recruitment and training of
university students, including
postgraduate education students
 Recruitment and training of
Aboriginal volunteers
 Additional staff training in Multilit
and Mulitlit Extension programs
 Staff and volunteer training in
resilience program
 Analysis of data to date to
determine impact of key variables
on learning progress including age of
students, time on program,
frequency of implementation, prior
attendance and suspension levels,
co-morbid conditions (e.g. ODD).
 Collection of baseline data to
include a range of measures such as
screens for anxiety, low self esteem,
engagement in education as well as
literacy levels
Royal Far West School: School Plan 2012 - 2014
Indicators
 Higher proportion of male volunteers
 Higher proportion of Aboriginal volunteers
 SOLVE IT staff showing evidence of high level competency
in implementation of program, including trouble shooting
and supporting volunteers to assist students who plateau
 Volunteers demonstrating basic mastery of cognitive
flipping, etc.
 Selection of students and pattern of implementation
being partly determined by data
 Baseline data in place to enable better analysis of program
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Students who access the
Centre for Effective
Reading Manly will show:
i)
increase in
literacy
scores on
standardised
testing
ii)
increased
attendance
(where
attendance
has been an
issue
iii)
decreased
suspension
(where
suspension
has been an
issue)
 Establish integrated Centre Manly
team to manage all targeted and
intensive cohorts
 Centre Manly operating as an integrated entity, with team
responsibilities, planning and reporting
 Develop case management structure
 All students allocated to case manager with regular case
management reviews to ensure all students are on track
 Recruit volunteers to assist program
implementation
 Team of volunteers working in collaboration with Centre
staff
 Training program for staff and
volunteers
 Positive comments from staff, parents and students about
appearance of Centre
 Decorate Centre rooms to be more
appealing and warm
 Planning for 2013 informed by evaluation from parents,
students, home schools, Centre and RFWS staff
 Implement use of evaluation
forms/interviews for parents,
students, RFWS staff, Centre staff
and home schools
 Wide range of additional resources to support programs
available to schools and NSW Centre for Effective Reading
 Home schools and parents accessing resources from
Centre Manly page of RFWS website
 Fiona to develop materials to
support program – e.g. materials to
supplement Mulitlit for use at home
schools
 Centre Manly presence on RFWS
website with links to resources
Royal Far West School: School Plan 2012 - 2014
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Increased number of
preschool students
entering kindergarten
with optimal readiness to
learn
 Investigate collaboration with RFW
clinical services to develop an
integrated Early Intervention Team
consisting of educators, school
counsellor, psychologist, speech
pathologist and occupational
therapist
 Implement in depth assessments for
preschool patients referred to RFW
 Implement broad screening for all
preschool clients and siblings of
clients at RFWS
 Establish links between RFW EI
Team and preschools, NSW DEC and
CEC
 EI Team operating out of base in Group 1 classroom
 Preschool clients referred to RFW for developmental and
learning assessment leave with comprehensive, integrated
written report; parents have meeting with whole team for
feedback and planning; video link with home preschool to
provide and support programming to maximise readiness
to learn at school entry; video link with preschool and
receiving school and RFW EI team prior to school entry
 Bank of recorded demonstration levels showing
incorporation of clinical and educational strategies to
develop readiness to learn
 Group of preschoolers and kindergarten age students
receiving speech pathology programs via SOLVE IT
 Implement video conferences
between preschools and schools and
RFW EI team to offer collaborative
planning and training via video link
 Implement demonstration lessons
using video links
 Implement 1:1 speech pathology
program implementation using
SOLVE IT Centre and speech
pathology students working under
the supervision of a speech
pathologist
Royal Far West School: School Plan 2012 - 2014
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RFWS students accessing
all possible learning
supports at their home
schools
 Establish integrated RFWS Learning
Support Team to encompass Early
Learning, Literacy, Numeracy and
Transition
Royal Far West School: School Plan 2012 - 2014
 Integrated reports to RFW and home schools
 Increased number of video conferences held between
RFWS LST and home school LSTs.
 Improved scores on standardised literacy and numeracy
testing over time
 Parents and student survey responses showing
improvement in satisfaction ranking for home school
support levels
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Outcome (3 year focus)
Increased proportion of Aboriginal students completing year 12 or recognised vocational learning
Targets (Annual)
Increased proportion of
Aboriginal families able
to access intensive
support from RFWS team
Strategies
 Wellumbulla Team established at RFWS as integral part of
RFWS Learning Support Team. Team will case manage all
Aboriginal students of concern by:
- Contact with family and school prior to first visit
- Requests for families to bring PLP to each visit
- Collaboration with home schools to use PLPs to embed
findings and recommendations from RFW/RFWS
- Monitoring of student progress through updated PLPs,
home school reports and standardised testing
- Outreach literacy program if appropriate
- Online mentoring
- Meetings with families during visits to RFW to ensure that
they are accessing all available services
- Networking with statewide government and nongovernment agencies and departments including AECGS
Royal Far West School: School Plan 2012 - 2014
Indicators
 Team meeting weekly for planning
and monitoring of students
 All new families contacted prior
to enrolment
 Families bring PLP at each visit
 Students with significant literacy
difficulties accessing intensive
service at local level or on RFWS
outreach
 Increase in referrals to and from
local services
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Outcome (3 year focus)
Improved engagement in learning for high school students
Targets (Annual)
 Improved attendance levels for
students at their local secondary
schools
 Reduced suspension levels for
students at their local secondary
schools
 Increased numbers of students staying
at school until the end of year 12
Strategies
 Refer to Literacy and Numeracy
priorities
 Modified Rock and Water group
program in operation at RFWS
 Refer to Aboriginal Education priority
 Lessons developed and taught that
incorporate resilience building,
problem solving and planning for the
future
 Establish Rock and Water group
program in high school group, possibly
in collaboration with RFW clinical staff
 Embed resilience activities into high
school program
 Students using assistive technology in
the high school classroom (as
appropriate)
 Embed School to Work program into
high school classroom
 Students using assistive technology in
their own schools (as appropriate)
 Career Voyage and Transition Planning
to be embedded into high school
program
 Increased number of high school
students on outreach literacy program
 Use of assistive technology for
students with significant, intractable
learning difficulties
 Training of home school staff in use of
assistive technology to support
students in rural areas
Royal Far West School: School Plan 2012 - 2014
Indicators
 Review VCs being held as a matter of
course for complex cases involving high
school students
 Positive feedback from students,
families and home schools
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 Video conference collegial planning
with RFW clinical staff, RFW school
staff, home school and regional staff,
parents and high student.
 Review VC timetabled at initial VC to
ensure follow up at a local level and
ongoing support during transition back
to local service
 RFWS high school staff to be involved
in VCs with home schools
Royal Far West School: School Plan 2012 - 2014
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Outcome (3 year focus)

Improved student numeracy skills
Target (Annual)
Strategies
Indicators
Numeracy assessments available on referral
from RFW as part of holistic assessment
 Members of Learning Support Team
trained in the assessment of numeracy
skills
 Numeracy assessments being carried out
on request and followed up by userfriendly reporting
Parent education program in early numeracy
skills
 Development of template for simplified
reporting to parents and home schools
with links to resources on website and
online programs
 Maths parent education group operating
weekly
 Parents of children up to the age of 6 to
have an appointment for a numeracy
group session to learn simple strategies to
development early concepts using hands
on activities
Royal Far West School: School Plan 2012 - 2014
 Take home Maths Packs of games and
activities to develop early concepts
 Maths resources available on RFWS
website
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Royal Far West School: School Plan 2012 - 2014
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