School Strategic Plan for
Gowrie Street Primary School
2015 - 2017
The grey boxes included throughout this template denote either components of the School Strategic Plan that are
mandated by either legislative or regulatory requirements, or drafting notes to support schools in their
development of the plan.
Please remove these notes once the Plan is complete.
Purpose
A quality strategic plan that engages the whole school community in its development ensures that the school is
united by a common purpose. The plan helps to establish a clear and shared understanding of the school’s
strategic direction for the next four years, expressed through goals, targets and key improvement strategies.
The School Strategic Plan draws on the information gathered and directions identified through the school selfevaluation and review processes.
It is informed by extensive consultation with students, staff, parents and carers, and engagement with the broader
community including relevant community agencies and business.
Importantly, the Plan is a living document; if the circumstances of the school change, then so too should the plan.
The School Strategic Plan can be modified at any time through a process of re-endorsement by the Principal,
School Council President, and the delegate of the Secretary of the Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development.
Legislative context
The development of the School Strategic Plan is required under the Education Training and Reform Act 2006
Section 2.3.24, subsection (1.) The Act states that:
“A school council must, in accordance with any Ministerial Order, prepare a school plan that sets out the school's
goals and targets for the next 4 years and the strategies for achieving those goals and targets.”
Effective planning
There is no single best way to develop a quality strategic plan, but there are common processes that underpin
effective planning. These includes:

Engaging the whole school community in the development process

Defining the school’s vision, purpose and values

Focusing on a ‘desired future’ for the school, its students and the community more broadly.

Agreeing on a discrete set of outcomes to be achieved over the next four years

Selecting a small number of improvement strategies that, based on the available evidence and the
context of the school, will most likely lead to the achievement of the agreed outcomes.

Planning the implementation of each strategy, with clear allocation of resources, roles and
responsibilities to the achievement of each step

Identifying, in the form of milestones and targets, what success will look like when it has been achieved.
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Endorsements
Signed……………………………………….
Endorsement by
School Principal
Name Travis Eddy
Date……………………………………………
Signed……………………………………….
Endorsement by
School Council
Name Ros McPherson
Date……………………………………………
School Council President’s endorsement represents endorsement of School Strategic
Plan by School Council
Signed……………………………………….
Endorsement by the
delegate of the
Secretary
Name………………………………………….
Date……………………………………………
Legislative context for endorsement
Section 2.3.24, subsection (2) of the act states that “A school plan prepared under subsection (1) must be signed
by both the president of the school council and the principal and must be submitted to the Secretary for approval
within the period specified in a Ministerial Order.”
Ministerial Order 470 states that “the requirements for the school plan are set out in guidelines produced by the
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.” This template forms the guidelines.
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School Profile
At Gowrie Street Primary School students will develop their individual talents, critical thinking, and collaborative skills by being actively engaged in the learning process.
Promoting high expectations, teachers, parents, and the community will share the responsibility of providing a balanced, varied school curriculum designed to meet the
academic, cultural, and social needs of individuals from the diverse backgrounds of our community. Maintaining a safe, supportive and inclusive learning environment
will ensure that our students are proud, self-directed, lifelong learners who care for their learning, others, our school and themselves.
Purpose
-
-
Values
Environmental Context
Emphasising high expectations on all
Emphasising a strong focus on consistent Literacy and Numeracy practices
Promoting our school values of Caring for your learning, others our school and themselves
Recognising and catering for individual differences and needs, providing programs that promote high expectations for every
student
Having a welcoming ‘open door’ environment which promotes opportunity for parent and community participation, facilitating
decision-making partnerships supportive of education, early childhood development, extra-curricular activity, welfare and
disability assistance for students and their families through specialist professional support
Ensuring a quality inclusive learning environment, ensuring the use of enriching and engaging resources responsive to student
voice, and supportive of student wellbeing
The school’s purpose is to provide a stimulating, safe and secure learning environment for all community members. The school’s
vision is based on the School Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) program values:
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Care for Yourself
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Care for Others
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Care for Your Learning
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Care for Your School
Gowrie Street PS is located four kilometres north-west of the central business district of the city of Shepparton. The school has been
in existence since 1951. The school is known for catering for a wide range of cultures and socio-economic groups and is proud of
the way such complexity is managed.
The school’s Student Family Occupation (SFO) Index, which is a broad indicator of the socio-economic status, has increased from
0.7795 (2012) to 0.8020 (2014). This is above the State median of 0.5186. The SFO Index of school which means that the overall
socio-economic profile is in the low category. The current student enrolment is 271 (2014), which is an increase from the 2012
enrolment of 246. There is a high transient population. Students enrolled at Gowrie Street PS are from a variety of cultural
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backgrounds, with 29% from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent, and 12% from a background of English as an Additional
Language (EAL). Currently, 33% of students are individually case managed for a variety of additional needs. Many of the school’s
students begin school with very low levels of literacy and language development, counting and early number concepts.
The school’s physical environment includes spacious grounds with students having access to two adventure playgrounds, two ovals,
undercover and passive areas. The school facilities include a hall, Library, Art room, Music room, Wellbeing Centre; Nurture Room,
and eight Light Timber Construction (LTC) general-purpose classrooms. Under the Federal Government’s Building the Education
Revolution Program (BER Program), the school obtained a multi-room learning centre. The school has onsite a kindergarten
catering for three and four year old children and a community centre that are licensed by the School Council. The school also has a
Specialist Consulting Hub.
The staffing profile currently comprises one Principal, one AP, three leading teachers, 20 teachers and 20 Education Support (ES)
staff that include ten integration aides, administration officers, Indigenous language and cultural workers, and early childcare
workers. A school chaplain, a social worker, kindergarten, occasional care and playgroup staff also support the school. A Koorie
Education Support Officer (KESO) works with the school weekly to support family relationships with the school.
Wellbeing and Engagement has been a primary focus for the school. Currently the school framework for Student Engagement and
Wellbeing is centred on SWPBS. The school offers a 12 year developmental program commencing with facilitated playgroups, three
year old fun group and four year old funded kindergarten. The learning areas are in the domains of Mathematics, English, Health
and Physical Education, Science, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Interpersonal Development, Thinking and the
Arts. A number of learning domains are integrated into theme cycles to provide a planned Integrated Studies program.
The educational program prioritises Literacy, Numeracy, Language and Culture and SWPBS. Foundational language and literacy
acquisition are the particular foci of the Early Years, as student’s transition from the Early Childhood Centre to school, where
developmental play continues to promote learning. In Prep to Year 6, Visual Arts, Physical Education, Indigenous Language, Civic
Responsibility and Music compliment the core curricular. Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) is a strategy the school has adopted to
promote reading and address attendance.
The school recognises that student welfare is paramount. A breakfast and lunch program operates daily for any student in need.
The school facilitates families’ access to therapeutic services via onsite visits.
Service Standards
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The school fosters close links with parents and the broader school community through its commitment to open and regular
communications.
The school commits to the active sharing of its vision and goals to ensure school community engagement in the school’s
strategic plan.
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The school guarantees all students access to a broad, balanced and flexible curriculum including skills for learning and life.
The school provides a safe and stimulating learning environment to ensure all students can achieve their full potential.
All students will receive instruction that is adapted to their individual needs.
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Strategic Direction
Purpose: A school’s strategic direction is defined by goals and targets for improvement in the four outcome areas, and key improvement strategies to achieve the goals and
targets.
Schools have significant flexibility in defining their goals, targets and key improvement strategies according to the needs and expectations of their community. Typically, the
Strategic Plan will have one goal against each outcome area, though schools may choose to include more.
The goals, targets and key improvement strategies articulated in the School Strategic Plan will underpin individual performance and development planning for school staff.
Regulatory context
Under the Education Training and Reform Act 2006 Section 2.3.24, subsection (1) of the Act states that:
“A school council must, in accordance with any Ministerial Order, prepare a school plan that sets out the school's goals and targets for the next 4 years and the strategies for
achieving those goals and targets.”
Goals
Goals are aspirational statements. They
define what outcomes the school is
striving to achieve. Goals evolve from the
school’s purpose, values and context and
build on the analysis of student outcomes
undertaken through the self-evaluation
and review processes.
Achievement
Achievement refers to both the absolute
levels of learning attainment and growth
in student learning that schools strive to
support.
While recognising that literacy and
numeracy are essential foundations for
students’ success, achievement
outcomes encompass a broader view of
Improve individual student learning
outcomes in Literacy and Numeracy
Targets
Key Improvement Strategies
Targets are defined measures of the
successful achievement of the school’s
goals. Targets can take a number of
forms and may focus on the outcomes
achieved by all students, such as the
learning growth all students will be
expected to achieve, or on the outcomes
of a smaller group of students.
Increase the percentage of students
making 1.00 growth, Semester 2 to
Semester 2
Domain
Reading
Writing
Speaking &
Listening
Number
2013-2014
68%
64%
73%
2015-2016
100%
100%
100%
75%
100%
Key improvement strategies are the highlevel actions that the school will
undertake to achieve its goals and
targets. They represent the sequential
process of change that will need to occur
if the goals and targets are to be realised.
Key improvement strategies are broad
and are likely to take several years to
implement successfully and sustainably.
Implementation of the key improvement
strategies will be documented in detail
through the school’s Annual
Implementation Planning process.
Create a culture of high expectations for
all students and staff
Enhance student learning capacity by
building the capacity of teachers and
ESS staff
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learning, spanning the full range of
curriculum domains, as well as students’
co-curricular achievements.
Increase the percentage of student in the
top two bands in NAPLAN as follows
Domain
Reading
Writing
Numeracy
Reading
Writing
Numeracy
Year
Year 3
Year 3
Year 3
Year 5
Year 5
Year 5
2014
2.6%
5.2%
16.2%
17.7%
0%
6.1%
2017
>10%
>10%
>20%
>22%
>5%
>12%
Increase the percentage of students
achieving high relative growth on
NAPLAN
Domain
Reading
Writing
Numeracy
2014
8%
4%
21.7%
2017
>25%
>25%
>25%
Reduce the percentage of students
achieving low relative growth on
NAPLAN
Domain
Reading
Writing
Numeracy
Engagement
Engagement refers to the extent to which
students feel connected to and engaged
in their learning and with the broader
school community.
Engagement spans students’ motivation
to learn, as well as their active
involvement in learning.
Engagement also refers to students
engagement as they make critical
Increase individual student engagement
in and ownership of their learning
2014
40%
44%
35%
2017
<25%
<25%
<25%
Improve the mean scores, Years 5 & 6 in
the Students Attitude to School Survey
Factor
Teacher
Empathy
School
Connectedness
2014
4.61
2017
4.7
4.49
4.56
Embed student voice in learning tasks
and wellbeing structures
Improve Student Attendance data to be
commensurate with state wide averages.
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transitions through school and beyond
into further education and work.
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Improve the mean score, Years 5 & 6 in
the Students Attitude to School Survey
Factor
Student
Morale
2014
5.58
2017
5.75
Improve Parent Opinion Survey variables
Wellbeing
Students’ health, safety and wellbeing
are essential to learning and
development. An inclusive, safe, orderly
and stimulating environment for learning
is critical to achieving and sustaining
students’ positive learning experiences.
Enhance the well being of all students
within the school
Factor
School
Connectedness
Student Safety
Social Skills
Classroom
Behaviour
2014
6.21
2017
6.35
4.79
6.13
4.98
5
6.25
5.2
Build the capacity and efficacy of all the
staff
Growth on the Staff Opinion Survey on
the dimensions of Parent and Community
Involvement
Factor
School Climate Community and
Parent
involvement
Trust in students
and parents
2014
63%
2017
>90%
23%
>90%
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Growth on the Staff Opinion Survey in
School Climate in the dimensions of Staff
Trust in Colleagues, Collective
Responsibility and Professional Learning
in the dimension of Coherence
Productivity
Productivity refers to the effective
allocation and use of resources,
supported by evidence and adapted to
the unique contexts of each school.
Successful productivity outcomes exist
when a school uses its resources –
people, time, space, funding, facilities,
community expertise, professional
learning, class structures, timetables,
individual learning plans and facilities – to
the best possible effect and in the best
possible combination to support
improved student outcomes and achieve
its goals and targets.
Build the collective efficacy of the school
leadership team
Factor
School Climate Trust in
Colleagues
School Climate Collective
Responsibility
Academic
Emphasis
Teacher
Collaboration
Trust in
Colleagues
Guaranteed and
Viable Curriculum
Collective Focus
on Student
Learning
Shielding /
Buffering
Professional
Learning –
Coherence
2014
47%
2017
>90%
74%
>90%
41%
>90%
59%
>90%
62%
>90%
66%
>90%
75%
>90%
41%
>90%
68%
>90%
Develop role clarity, organisational and
distributive leadership structures
Build teacher capacity
Improve student learning outcomes by
building the capacity of the Leadership
Team
Sustain Performance of Parent
Satisfaction with School Improvement
and General Satisfaction at or greater
than 75th percentile
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School Strategic Plan 2014- 2017: Indicative Planner
Purpose: the purpose of the indicative planner is to assist the school to prioritise key improvement strategies to support resource allocation and to describe
the changes in practice and behavior that might be observable at the school if the key improvement strategies are being implemented as intended.
Key Improvement Strategies
Actions
Actions are the specific activities to be
undertaken in each year to progress the key
improvement strategies. There may be more
than one action for each strategy. Schools
will choose to describe actions with different
levels of detail.
Achievement Milestone
Achievement milestones are markers of
success. They are useful in demonstrating
whether the strategies and actions have
been successful. Achievement milestones
often reflect observable changes in practice
or behaviour. To simplify and focus the
school’s monitoring of progress, only a
limited number of achievement milestones
should be set.
Review and document a whole school curriculum
plan
Whole school line of sight curriculum planning
completed and being consistently implemented
Achievement
Create a culture of high expectations for all
Review and improve feedback structures
(including classroom observations) and Staff
Performance and Development processes
Year 1
Develop and clearly articulate a pedagogical
vision and strategic direction around teaching and
learning
Develop and document behavioural expectations
for staff, based around the school’s values and
pedagogical vision
Develop and document the terms of reference of
the Leadership Team
Classroom observations seen as a powerful form
of feedback and professional learning (staff
survey)
The documentation of a clear pedagogical vision
to inform instructional practices and curriculum
resource management over the next 3 years
Documentation of behavioural expectations for
staff based around the school’s values and
pedagogical vision
Terms of reference completed and reviewed
annually
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Enhance student learning capacity by building
the capacity of teachers and Education
Support Staff
Review the whole-school assessment plan and
develop an accompanying professional learning
plan to support teachers in using the data to
inform teaching and learning (with a major focus
on assessment for and as learning)
New assessment schedule developed with a
major focus on assessment for and as learning.
Establish a school action research on a schoolwide instructional model
School-wide pedagogy practices / instructional
model, embedded in evidenced-based
Performance & Development processes
Audit and document a whole school curriculum
plan (based on AusVELS) with a line of sight from
a yearly overview to daily differentiated planning
Whole school line of sight curriculum planning
document and reviewed regularly
Investigate a school-based professional learning
and accreditation program for Educational Support
Staff
School-wide data analysed regularly at PLT’s and
staff meetings
Development and implementation of a schoolbased professional learning and accreditation for
Educational Support Staff (ESS)
Strong focus on data analysis and instructional
practice on PLT agendas
All planning for student learning is evidenced
based, informed by data.
Year 2
Implement whole school curriculum plan
Year 3
Review whole school curriculum plan
PLT’s planning against whole school
curriculum planning documents
Plan updated to include any refinements
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Engagement
Develop and document a whole-school
instructional model that empowers students by
giving them choice and ownership of their learning
and opportunities to be analytic, curious, creative
and reflective thinkers
Embed student voice in learning tasks
Year 1
Improve Student Attendance data to be
commensurate with state wide averages.
Build staff capacity in personalised and inquiry
learning and the use of engaging and current
technologies
Analyse the 2014 attendance data by year level,
cohort and individual to identify explicit issues and
foci for a school attendance plan to be developed
Year 2
Year 3
Curriculum planning reflects and demonstrates
student voice in learning
Students feeling more empowered and being selfregulated learners. Student surveys and
classroom observations
Teacher Professional Learning Program and
Team Meeting Minutes, showing time allocated to
personalised learning; inquiry / discovery learning
and ICT skills development
Leadership / Staff Meeting and PLT’s minutes
reflect the work is concentrating on improvement
of student attendance
Implementation of agreed attendance
strategies
PLT’s planning against whole school
attendance strategies
Review attendance data
Review attendance data
Plan updated to include any refinements
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Year 1
Wellbeing
Build the capacity and efficacy of all the staff
Develop and document whole staff workshops that
build staff capacity to understand and support
Students with additional needs
Meeting schedule and minutes to reflect
opportunities for staff development
Implement a school-based professional learning
and accreditation program for Educational Support
Staff
Analysing appropriate data to inform planning and
instruction.
To build upon our school-wide positive behaviour
support and restorative practices for all children
Continuation of the DET SWPBS Mentor Program,
supporting the implementation of SWPBS across
the NEV Region
Implement programs and/or learning experiences
that nurture and embed positive character traits
and our agreed values.
Productivity
Develop role clarity and distributive leadership
structures
Year 2
Implementation of agreed whole staff
professional learning model for capacity
building
PLT’s using learnings to implement
strategies for students with additional
learning and wellbeing needs
Year 3
Review professional learning model and
learning that is included
Plan updated to include any refinements
Year 1
Review workforce planning - structure and role
clarity of the leadership team to support and
monitor teaching and learning programs. This
includes employing a second Assistant Principal
designated to improving teaching and learning
practices and student learning outcomes.
Substantive second Assistant Principal employed
Role descriptions of Leadership Team developed
and documented
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Build teacher capacity
Restructure the learning spaces to allow for
delivery of a more individual needs-based
curriculum.
Development of a timetable structure to allow for
(1) the implementation of an ongoing feedback
schedule for all staff and (2) classroom
observations (3) effective PLT’s
Improve student learning outcomes by building
the capacity of the Leadership Team
Build the instructional and human leadership
capacity of the leadership team by employing a
leadership coach
Establish a distributive leadership model
Build the instructional leadership capacity of
the Principal
Year 2
Implementation of a distributive leadership
model
Teams of teachers working together in open plan
and flexible learning spaces where team teaching
can enhance student learning
Development of a new timetable and PLT
structures for 2015 to allow for team PD and
collaborative planning
A restructure and documentation of the role of
Professional Learning Teams (PLTs) at Gowrie
Street PS
Classroom observation plan implemented and
embedded in staff P&D processes
Leadership coach employed
A restructure of the Leadership Team to reflect a
more distributed leadership model
Senior Adviser meeting regularly with the
Principal to support with, and monitor the
Intervention Plan
Plan updated to include any refinements
Implementation of defined role clarity
documentation accordingly
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Year 3
Implementation of a new timetable structure
Review whole school plans, timetable and
distributive leadership
Plan updated to include any refinements
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