School plan 2015 – 2017
Sydney Secondary College Blackwattle Bay 8539
Students
Staff
Community
Sydney Secondary College Blackwattle Bay Campus 8539
School background 2015 - 2017
School vision statement
School context
School planning process
Sydney Secondary College will challenge
students of all abilities to achieve excellence
as successful, futures focused learners
through positive participation in a changing
society.
Sydney Secondary College, with campuses at
Balmain, Leichhardt and Blackwattle Bay is an
innovative multi campus co-education public
education facility. Our College caters for all learners
with an academically selective stream and support
classes for students with disabilities,(intellectual,
physical and Autism)
A College planning team led consultation with parents,
students and representatives from our Aboriginal
community. Staff members were also surveyed and
consulted for their input. Surveys and focus groups
took place during this process of consultation.
By offering a differentiated, inclusive and
rigorous curriculum to our students, they will
become resilient, responsible and independent
people respectful of diversity and advocates of
social justice.
In partnership with parents and the community
our highly motivated and professional staff will
encourage each student to achieve their full
potential as good communicators, creative
thinkers and problem solvers in a disciplined
and caring environment, based on mutual
respect.
The diversity of students from a multiplicity of
cultural backgrounds creates the opportunity for
future focussed learning and authentic experiences.
Located in the inner city, with two harbour side
locations, students complete Year 7-10 education at
Balmain or Leichhardt where the focus is on middle
schooling. They move to the young adult learning
environment of Blackwattle Bay Campus for Years
11 – 12 with its broad curriculum and links to TAFE
and universities.
Sydney Secondary College offers an invigorating
range of opportunities for our students. In 2015 we
have a College population of over 2200 students.
We have a very supportive and proactive parent
and carer community who meet regularly through
P&C and Campus events.
Blackwattle Bay Campus: All teaching and nonteaching staff is focussed on developing the school’s
learning culture which includes improved student HSC
outcomes and post school pathways. Teaching staff and
Student Learning Support Officers work collaboratively in
C teams (Capability, Capacity, and Climate) to improve
the learning environment of the school.
Sydney Secondary College Blackwattle Bay Campus 8539
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The school executive team evaluated the previous plan
and identified carry over areas for inclusion as well as
reviewing all the input from other stakeholder groups to
determine priorities for inclusion in this plan.
Individual teachers provided input via a survey and
faculty and working party plans for 2015 were also
utilised.
Data to inform planning was extracted from the
following:
1. Tell Them From Me 2015
2. Early Career Teacher Mentor Scheme
Feedback (2014 & 2015)
3. 15 Term 1 Staff Survey
4. Principal Feedback Survey 2015
5. NAPLAN data.
Blackwattle Bay Campus: A school planning team was
established which comprised the Principal, Deputy Principal
and two Head Teachers. All teaching and non-teaching staff
provided input via: staff meetings, faculty meetings,
executive planning sessions and two Staff Development
Days. Year 11 and Year 12 students were surveyed and the
Student Representative Council also provided feedback. The
school’s P&C and other stakeholder groups were also part of
the consultation process.
School strategic directions 2015 - 2017
STRATEGIC
DIRECTION 1
STUDENTS
Purpose:
Our students will be engaged learners who strive to
achieve their best in a future focused environment.
Students will be creative and critical thinkers and
resourceful, collaborative lifelong learners. Our students
will be empowered to be successful, empathetic and
resilient individuals.
STRATEGIC
DIRECTION 2
STRATEGIC
DIRECTION 3
STAFF
COMMUNITY
Purpose:
Our staff will be at the forefront of professional learning to
ensure an ongoing Sydney Secondary College culture of
high expectations. This will be based on continuous
professional learning, innovative practice and collaborative
leadership.
.
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Purpose:
Our community will be actively and strategically engaged
in providing quality learning opportunities and
experiences to support the development of our diverse
student cohort. Working together we will build effective
learning alliances to inspire students to learn and
achieve.
Strategic Direction 1: Students Blackwattle Bay Campus
Purpose
People
Processes
Products and Practices
Why do we need this particular
strategic direction and why is it
important?
How do we develop the capabilities of
our people to bring about
transformation?
What is achieved and how do we
measure?
To ensure our students are engaged
learners who strive to achieve their best
in a futures focussed environment.
To encourage creative and critical
thinkers and resourceful and
collaborative lifelong learners.
To empower students to become
successful, empathetic and resilient
individuals.
Students: Students will develop the skills
to become critical thinkers and
independent learners who are equipped
for the challenges of 21st century
learning.
How do we do it and how will we
know?
1.Evidence Based Teaching and
Learning: (Capability Team)
Use of qualitative and quantitative
student data to inform all teaching and
learning programs to meet the learning
needs of individuals and groups,
including:

The library and the senior
study

Learning Area programs
2.Intensive learning support
programs for targeted students
Individualised assistance and learning
adjustments provided to give support to
EALD, Aboriginal, International
students and students with learning
difficulties /disabilities. Targeted literacy
programs including reading programs to
be provided.
3.Student wellbeing and engagement
To identify and support student’s
successful transitions from Year 10 to
Year 11 and from Year 12 to post
school destinations.
Students understand the behaviours,
attitudes and expectations that enhance
wellbeing and lead to improved student
outcomes.
Students value the importance of
lifelong learning and be empowered
with their preparation for post school
options.
Evaluation Plan
The creation of three whole school staff
teams to design, implement and report
on initiatives based on student data to
assist the individual needs of students.
Improvement Measures






All teaching programs reviewed to
ensure that they embed: A Learning
and Response Matrix (ALARM), ICT,
literacy, differentiated tasks.
Use the Tell Them from Me Survey
to measure: stronger engagement in
effective learning time and
opportunities for post school options.
Students in Years 11 and12 show
stronger engagement in school
assessment across all curriculum
areas as measured by a decrease in
“n warning” letters by 10%
More than 20% of bands achieved
are in bands 5 & 6 in the HSC.
A 5% reduction in bands 1&2 in the
HSC.
Improve school retention rates and
post school opportunities by 5%.
Staff: Develop a collaborative whole
school approach (Climate, Capacity and
Capability teams) to inform teaching and
learning practice catering for individual
student learning needs and focussing on
exceptional 21st century learning
Parents/Carers: Through the provision
of inclusive partnership opportunities,
parents will be enabled to contribute
confidently to support the needs of a
student in a young adult environment.
Community Partners: Partnerships will
be strengthened to provide real world
learning opportunities and experiences
for students through mutually beneficial
programs and iniatives. This will enhance
post school opportunities including
vocational training and the development
of work readiness.
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Product: All teaching and learning
programs and assessment tasks have
embedded literacy strategies that engage
students with authentic tasks.
Practice: Teachers deliver explicit literacy
strategies that target higher band HSC
responses including ALARM and meet
individual student literacy needs.
Product: The school learning environment
technology infrastructure and assets
support 21st century learning practices.
Product: A whole school approach to
differentiated curriculum that includes the
targeting of specific and identified student
needs which has been informed by data.
Practice: Teachers regularly review
learning processes with students ensuring
they have a clear understanding of how to
improve.
Practice: Faculty practice ensures that
students with targeted needs are provided
with learning adjustments and
accommodations in consultation with the
relevant support teams.
Practice: Current transition programs to be
evaluated. (Climate Team) to ensure
ongoing positive school experiences.
Practice: Review exit strategies to ensure
all students are well prepared for post
school options.
Practice: Embed positive behaviours
through Positive Behaviour For Learning
(PBL), Crossroads and Mentoring so as to
ensure the development of global citizens.
Strategic Direction 2: STAFF
Purpose
People
Processes
Why do we need this particular
strategic direction and why is it
important?
Our staff is at the forefront of professional
learning and development, embedding
quality leadership and organisational
practices to model quality teaching and
innovative practice, and develop learning
alliances and leadership sustainability
How do we develop the capabilities of
our people to bring about
transformation?
How do we do it and how will we
know?
Improvement Measures







100% of staff access available data
to improve teaching practice e.g.
RAP and Smart data.
Feedback from lesson observation
and teacher self-reflection is used as
a continuing professional
development tool by all staff and
informs Professional Development
Plans.
‘Tell Them From Me Survey’ is a
strategic target in school planning
All teachers undertaking
accreditation successfully complete
and maintain the process.
100% active participation in strategic
direction teams (3C’s).
Staff engage in professional
development to enable accreditation
at higher levels.
SASS Administration staff engage in
collaborative work practices.
Students: Classroom experiences will
challenge students to strive to achieve
their personal best.
Staff: Teachers will identify their own
learning and professional needs in
conjunction with the learning needs of
their students to deliver innovative quality
teaching linked to the Australian
standards and other school targets.
Parents/Carers: Parents will have an
understanding of what their children are
learning and receive regular information
concerning progress.
Community Partners: Develop and
maintain vocational expertise to deliver
high quality industry specific standards in
the curricula and forge continuing
alliances with business groups.
1. There is demonstrated commitment
within the staff to strengthen and deliver
best practice in their teaching.
Professional learning communities
underpinned by positive, respectful
relationships are established to sustain
on going school wide improvement in
teaching practice.
2. Teachers are skilled in the use of
data to monitor achievements and gaps
in student learning. Data is used to
inform planning for particular student
groups and individual students.
3. Building the capacity of non-teaching
staff to navigate change through
professional learning, job sharing and
multi skilling.
Leaders: Develop confident and highly
skilled professional staff who engages in
regular professional development so as
to lead whole school and faculty focussed
iniatives.
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Products and Practices
What is achieved and how do we
measure?
Product: A culture of collaborative
professional learning that is valued and
builds the capacity of all staff.
Practice: Lesson observation is
established as a process to evaluate
impact of teaching interventions on student
learning.
Product: A data tool is established to
inform school planning.
Practice: All teaching staff has individual
Performance & Development plans aligned
to the Australian Professional Standards
for Teachers and supported by the Head
Teacher.
Product: Teaching staff expands their
skills and leadership potential to deliver on
school learning priorities including the
introduction of Stage 6 of the NSW
Syllabuses for the Australian Curriculum.
Practice: All teaching staff and SLSO’s
actively engage in professional learning
teams (3 C’s) to encourage the use of
evidence based teaching practices and
innovative delivery aligned with the
Australian Teaching Standards.
Practice: Teachers demonstrate a
sophisticated understanding of student
data to monitor the effectiveness of their
teaching practices and assessment.
Product: The school has procedures to
ensure succession planning for SASS staff
and to develop professional skills.
Practice: All SASS Administration staff is
confident in the use of technology and able
to transition effectively to Learning
Management Business Reform (LMBR)
Strategic Direction 3: COMMUNITY
Purpose
Why do we need this particular
strategic direction and why is it
important?
Our community are strategically engaged
in providing learning opportunities and
experiences to support the development
of our students as resilient, responsible
and independent problem solvers who
think critically and creatively about their
world
Improvement Measures
 Use the TTFM survey data to gauge
student and staff emotional wellbeing.
 Increase by 5% student engagement
(attendance, punctuality, fractional
truancy) and reporting of this
information to parents/carers.
 Use PBL self-evaluation tool to
measure staff and student
engagement in PBL.
 Increase the attendance and
engagement of parents/carers at
school events such as parent/teacher
nights, information sessions and P&C
meetings by 5%.
 Establish an environmental policy in
conjunction with the school’s P&C,
student representatives and the wider
community.
 100% of teaching staff engaged in at
least one co-curricula/whole school
initiative.
 10% increase in students initiating
and leading whole school event
People
Processes
How do we develop the capabilities of
our people to bring about
transformation?
How do we do it and how will we
know?
Students: Students will become selfreflective and independent learners who
aspire to relevant post school education.
Staff: To enhance staff capabilities in
teaching practice, management and
school leadership in an inclusive
supported environment.
Review existing support networks to
ensure student needs are
communicated and addressed.
Continue to develop teacher
expertise through their involvement
in whole school teams (3 C’s).
Parents/Carers: To create an involved
and active parent community which
seeks to support the school iniatives and
provide feedback concerning the school
plan and future development.
Strengthen all forms of
communication ensuring consistent,
appropriate and direct information is
clearly disseminated.
Community Partners: Strengthen
strategic partnerships with all
stakeholders including junior campuses,
feeder primary schools, Glebe Pathways,
to create an environment which fosters
open communication and strong
networks.
Continue to foster philanthropic projects
with sister schools in East Timor and
China and other charitable targets.
Develop new initiatives which link
learning programs to the community
so as to engage students with
individual learning needs.
To establish through the ‘Climate
Team’ diverse new partnerships
with community stakeholders.
Leaders: To continue to link the school
with prominent representatives from the
wider community thus ensuring a
comprehensive profile of the school is
presented to the community.
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Products and Practices
What is achieved and how do we measure?
Product: 100% of teaching staff use available
data e.g. TTFM survey to support cognitive
and emotional wellbeing.
Product: Create resilient and thoughtful
students who understand the behaviours,
attitudes and expectations that enhance
wellbeing and lead to improved outcomes.
(PBL).
Practice: 100% of students recognise and
respect cultural diversity and identity
Practice: teaching and non-teaching staff build
positive relationships and actively engage with
co curricula and whole school initiatives.
Practice: The ‘Climate Team’ evaluates
current social media forums to ensure active
parent and student involvement in the school.
Product: Increase by 5% student led initiatives
both humanitarian and environmental which
foster cultural connections and social
entrepreneurship.
Practice: All teaching and non-teaching staff,
students and parents promote the school’s
unique position in public education where a
young adult learning climate is fostered.
Practice: Maintain and develop the extensive
broad curricula to reflect changes in tertiary
and employment opportunities in line with 21st
century demands.
Practice: Increase by 5% parent
understanding of 21st Century learning
technologies to improve educational outcomes
in Years 11 & 12.
Practice: The NSW syllabuses for the National
Curriculum focus areas of environment,
Aboriginal and Asia to be embedded into the
ethos of the school culture so as to reflect the
school’s diverse cultural groups and unique
harbour position.
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