Elizabeth Macarthur High School
Annual School Report 2013
8584
schools at Prairiewood and Moorebank High
Schools. Our first problem of practice to
investigate was purposeful talk. This was a highly
successful and well received process that the
school will be using more to inform our practice.
School context
Our school at a glance
Students
Our focus on raising expectations saw an
unprecedented focus on HSC students. All Year
12 students were interviewed and a post school
destination plan was constructed for each
student which allowed students to focus on their
futures. Our HSC results in 2013 were some of
our best in years, with half of our subjects
achieving state average.
Elizabeth Macarthur High School is a coeducational selective and comprehensive high
school located in the Macarthur School Education
Group. The school has a roll of 965 with a variety
of welfare and educational programs designed
and dedicated to make a difference in the lives of
students we teach and create innovative 21st
century learners
Staff
Elizabeth Macarthur High School also hosted a
joint Staff Development Day with Camden and
Elderslie High Schools, based on joint
programming for the National Curriculum. This
has also lead to joint programming with the
feeder primary schools in the English and
Mathematics scope and sequence to provide a
continuum of curriculum K-10 for all students in
the Narellan area.
The 64 members of staff at Elizabeth Macarthur
High School are a mixture of well established,
experienced teachers, with long term expertise in
public education, and new scheme teachers. Our
staff is committed to academic excellence and
the welfare of the students as a whole.
All teaching staff meets the professional
requirements for teaching in NSW public schools
Principal’s message
2013 saw the creation of the Gifted and Talented
team that worked on programming, assessment
and case management of underperforming
students. This work was recognised with a
Regional Director’s award for Curriculum at the
Director’s Choice Awards. The Aboriginal
Education team was also recognised for their
work in Aboriginal Education with the
presentation of a similar award.
2013 was a year of consolidation for the school
where we finalised our executive staffing by
appointing Ms Morrissey as Head Teacher
English, Ms Robilliard as Head Teacher Home
Economics and Ms Pugliano as Head Teacher
Creative and Performing Arts. This is the middle
year of the 2012-2014 school plan, focused on
sustainable instructional leadership. The school
ran a weekend conference looking at School
Improvement tools to assess the position of the
school. We then looked at the Dynamic Learning
system and how to plan using the new school
plan. In consultation with the staff the school
wrote the 2014-2017 school plan using the new
model of school planning.
The Parents and Citizens Association also ran the
inaugural Elizabeth Macarthur High School
Carnival in September. The Back Oval was turned
into a carnival with rides, show bags and food
stalls. It was an amazing night that raised
thousands of dollars for the school. The P & C
also participated in the Mount Annan Central
shopping Centre promotion where we exhibited
students’ art works and collected dockets from
Centre stores. Our school came second in the
promotion and won $8000. The success with the
P & C fundraising will see the school resurface
our basketball courts and buy new maths texts
books for every student in the school.
Elizabeth Macarthur High School was part of the
regional Instructional Rounds training; Ms
Morrissey was trained in instructional rounds by
Dr Richard Elmore. She then created and trained
a team of teachers at Elizabeth Macarthur High
School before also training teams from our
Community of School Selective Stream partner
1
I certify that the information in this report is the
result of a rigorous school self-evaluation process
and is a balanced and genuine account of the
school’s
achievements
and
areas
for
development.
students. We are a major sponsor of the annual
Presentation Day and are extremely proud that
we witness firsthand the successes of our
students.
Ms Kylie Hedger
Principal
The Uniform Shop continues to do extremely well
with Kay, Samantha and Robert working tirelessly
to ensure the shelves are stocked and our
students have access to the uniform. Thank you
for your dedication and commitment.
P & C and/or School Council message
The P & C has been very busy in 2013 supporting
the school, students, teachers and the wider
community. The dedication of this small group of
people, parents, teachers and executive,
continues to astound me and I thank you from
the bottom of my heart.
The P & C was instrumental in getting the Dollars
4 Scholars promotion up and running. This
involved a partnership with Mount Annan
Central. The school community rallied together
and managed to put so many dockets and tokens
in our barrel that we came second in the
promotion and collected a cool $8000 for our
efforts. This was an outstanding result and a
huge effort by our school community. We
supported the Coles sport for schools promotion
and the YouCan – Youth Cancer program.
The P & C has achieved outstanding success this
year in all its endeavours. We continue to be
successful in our fundraising ventures and are
well known in the community for our famous
sausage sizzles. The sausages taste even better
now, cooked on our brand new BBQ very kindly
donated to the school by Bunnings, Narellan, a
very kind and much appreciated gesture by our
good friends at Bunnings and we simply cannot
thank them enough. Local businesses have been
extremely supportive of our fundraising, donating
sausages, bread, condiments and cans of drink.
Rob and his team, from Mount Annan Meats,
must be the most community minded business
the P & C has ever had the pleasure of dealing
with. Rob, you and your team are a credit to the
community. Thank you so much for all you do.
We have developed and maintained a number of
partnerships and friendships with local
businesses and look forward to fostering and
continuing these relationships as we move into
2014. We owe a huge thank you to you all.
Members of the P & C also dug deep and got
their hands dirty to help build the Memorial
Garden; a tribute to our lost friends and fellow
students.
By far this year’s biggest success story was the
Lizzy Mac Carnival!! This event involved months
and months of dedication and hard work which
all paid off when the oval was transformed into a
picture-perfect carnival. It was more successful
than I could ever have imagined. The carnival
provider, Gary from OCS Carnivals, pulled out all
stops with the rides and was extremely
supportive of our school. Hogs Breath - Narellan
sent along the “Hogster” and he was a huge hit,
making it all the way to the top of the climbing
wall, which was very kindly donated and manned
by Teen Ranch. Camden Hire, Bunnings, Camden
Golf Club, Trazblend, Unique Installations,
Daylight Sportswear and Mount Annan Meats
were all supporters and sponsors of our event.
C91.3 advertised for us and ‘plugged’ the carnival
all day on the radio. All Occasions Fireworks put
on the best fireworks display I have seen in a long
time. Our stallholders all had very kind words to
Again the P & C was there to support all school
productions including the 2567 showcase and the
Lizzy Mac Art Award. We have been directly
involved with the hiring of new teachers, selfselect class, the selective schools process,
orientation day, special assemblies and again,
sponsoring the scholarships for our new Year 7
2
say about our school and our students. The
event was well supported by our community with
over 5,000 people enjoying an event that
Elizabeth Macarthur High School was hosting.
Congratulations, Lizzy Mac, this event is now an
annual event on the school calendar with
preparations for next year’s carnival already
underway. There is one very special person I
would like to mention, Tracey Paton. Without her
friendship, guidance and support, the success we
achieved may not have come to pass. It takes a
very special person to give up all her spare time
and dedicate countless hours to help achieve a
friend’s vision. I cannot thank you enough, my
dear friend. A huge thanks also must go to the
school executive who believed and trusted in me
when I came to them with this somewhat
untested, crazy idea!
our school and helped the SRC achieve great
success on many fronts.
In the following terms we also committed
ourselves to events such as Bandanna Day, Jeans
for Gene’s Day and working towards fundraisers
to raise money for shade sails on the Back Oval.
As well as this, the SRC were constantly reporting
back to the school and student body through
presentations in assembly, to ensure the students
understood how the SRC operated and how they
were productively using all of the money that was
raised. 2013 also saw the SRC continuing to
support our World Vision sponsor child, El Hogi,
and proposing strategies to make our connection
with him a stronger and more beneficial one.
Finally, I would like to say a big thanks to the
students, staff and parents of Elizabeth
Macarthur High School. Without your support
the P & C would not be able to function as
successfully as we do. To my P& C Executive, we
are small in number but big in heart, spirit and
dedication – thank you. 2014, here we come!!!!
2013 ended on a high note with the creation of
our annual Funday, the SRC working together to
create a huge celebration day. This included
organising Fairy Floss, a Barbeque, Lolly Guessing
competition, Ice Creams, Hairspraying and a
Disco. The profits raised through this event were
phenomenal and the money will be put to good
use in 2014 as we continue to work successfully
as the leaders of the student body.
Kim Hope –President, P&C
Elyse Strachan -President
Student Representative’s message
Student information
SRC Annual School Report
It is a requirement that the reporting of
information for all students be consistent with
privacy and personal information policies.
2013 was a major year for the Student
Representative Council as we took part in many
great fundraisers, charity events and started our
now annual Funday.
Gender 2008 2009
Male
397
395
Female
We started off the year with four major groups:
Charities Group, Fundraising Group, Multicultural
Group and the School Improvement Group, all
working towards their goals to help promote the
SRC within the school, as well as providing a
better school environment for all the students (as
outlined in our Constitution). Early events in the
year included work towards installing air
fresheners in the change rooms and a range of
Multicultural days, selling foods of different
origins including Chinese, Mexican and Italian.
These events all helped with the improvement of
372
375
2010
2011 2012
2013
408
443
477
459
427
461
460
460
Student enrolments have decreased slightly from
937 in 2012 to 919 in 2013. While there was a
slight decrease in numbers, which can be
attributed to a number of factors including a
number of new schools in the area opening up,
the overall view is that numbers have remained
relatively stable and current data and trends have
indicated that school numbers in 2014 will again
start to increase, which can be linked to school
successes, both in and out of the school, at
competitions and performances, the continued
3
strengthening of partnerships with feeder schools
and the increase in the selective stream.
It is anticipated that enrolments will continue to
increase in 2014 with the school population
nearing 1000 students.
Student attendance rates
Attendance rate
100
Student enrolment profile
Enrolments
Students
1000
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Year
Male
Female
Student attendance profile
School
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
7
92.8
93.9
91.8
93.4
93.6
8
90.7
89.6
91.1
90.1
92.1
9
88.5
88.8
90.2
90.7
90.4
10
88.0
87.4
88.9
85.7
88.6
11
91.0
88.9
87.5
86.8
88.0
12
90.7
92.1
89.5
87.5
88.8
90.3
90.2
90.0
89.3
90.3
7
92.9
93.7
93.6
93.7
94.3
8
90.9
91.5
91.4
91.3
92.3
9
89.4
90.4
90.2
90.4
91.0
10
88.9
89.1
88.3
88.2
88.9
11
89.6
89.6
87.9
88.5
89.5
12
89.6
90.0
89.5
90.0
90.5
90.1
90.7
90.1
90.3
91.0
7
92.3
92.6
92.5
92.4
93.2
8
90.0
90.5
90.1
90.1
90.9
Region
State DEC
Total
2008
89.7
90.7
9
88.8
89.1
88.8
88.7
89.4
10
88.7
88.3
87.1
87.0
87.7
11
89.4
89.1
87.6
87.6
88.3
12
89.4
89.8
89.2
89.3
90.1
89.7
89.9
89.2
89.1
89.9
Total
25
0
Elizabeth Macarthur High School student
attendance has increased during 2013 rising from
89.3 to 90.3. This is above the state average, a
trend that has continued over the past five years
and only marginally below the regional average.
The increase in the number of students attending
school can be attributed to a number of factors.
These include increased monitoring of nonattendees, continued use of Sentral roll marking
in all classes and the continued use of the SMS
system. The raised school leaving age has
impacted in the attendance rates of Years 10-12
students, while the attendance of Years 7-9 has
remained consistent, in some cases, improved.
However, this has not been enough to counteract the fluctuating attendance of 15-17 year olds,
despite the introduction of engagement
programs into Years 9-12 and the increase of
TVET.
0
Total
50
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Year
School
Region
State DEC
500
Year
75
89.9
Management of non-attendance
Rolls are marked in year groups every morning
before first period. Class teachers then mark class
rolls every period using the new Sentral
attendance system that was introduced into the
school at the start of 2012. The Head Teacher
Administration, conducts interviews with
students who have a poor record of attendance
(generally below 85%). Parent contact is also
initiated.
If there is no improvement, a referral is made to
the HSLO (Home School Liaison Officer). Meetings
are conducted with the Deputy Principal, HT
Administration and HSLO on a weekly basis.
4
Post-school destinations
Retention to Year 12
SC06- SC07HSC0
HSC0
8
9
Schoo
l
51.3
51.1
SEG
51.6
50.1
State
60.3
61.0
SC08HSC1
0
SC09HSC1
1
SC10HSC1
2
SC11HSC1
3
47.1
55.2
62.7
55.8
59.8
64.7
55.9
55.6
63.4
54.1
55.1
64.5
Learning and Support Teacher(s)
Teacher Librarian
Teacher of ESL
School Counsellor
School Administrative & Support Staff
Total
1
1
0.4
1
9
The Australian Education Regulation, 2013,
requires schools to report on the Aboriginal
composition of their workforce.
Of the 64 staff members at the school, 3 are
Indigenous.
Retention to Year 12 (SC to HSC)
100.0
Teacher qualifications
80.0
All teaching staff meet the professional
requirements for teaching in NSW public schools.
60.0
40.0
Qualifications
Degree or Diploma
Postgraduate
NSW Institute of Teachers Accreditation
20.0
0.0
SC06-HSC08 SC08-HSC10 SC10-HSC12
School
SEG
% of staff
100
80
58
State
Financial summary
Retention to Year 12 has remained steady from
2012 to 2013. The gap between school retention
and region is closing. The gap also represents a
large proportion of Elizabeth Macarthur High
School students successfully gaining employment
and apprenticeships at the end of Year 10
This summary covers funds for operating costs
and does not involve expenditure areas such as
permanent salaries, building and major
maintenance.
Date of financial summary
Income
Balance brought forward
Global funds
Tied funds
School & community sources
Interest
Trust receipts
Canteen
Total income
Expenditure
Teaching & learning
Post-school destinations
Information gathered from the Year 12 PostSchool Pathways Survey showed that most of our
students have pursued either tertiary education,
are attending a private institution in specialised
fields, or have followed on with vocational
studies at TAFE since the completion of Year 12.
Our students were offered places in the
Universities Admissions Centre’s Early and Main
Round offers at UWS, UOW, Sydney, Newcastle,
UNSW and Macquarie Universities.
Key learning areas
Excursions
Extracurricular dissections
Workforce information
Library
Training & development
Tied funds
Casual relief teachers
Administration & office
School-operated canteen
Utilities
Maintenance
Trust accounts
Capital programs
Total expenditure
Balance carried forward
It is a requirement that the reporting of
information for all staff must be consistent with
privacy and personal information policies.
Workforce composition
Position
Principal
Deputy Principal(s)
Head Teachers
Classroom Teacher(s)
Number
1
2
10
50
5
30/11/2013
$
436621.34
474211.57
281239.48
384175.65
17617.65
28290.48
0.00
1622156.17
149380.73
114294.40
67257.78
7505.10
1893.33
255670.93
110785.78
139650.37
125782.31
53458.84
29487.89
961.46
1056128.92
566027.25
A full copy of the school’s 2013 Financial
Statement is tabled at the Annual General
Meeting of the School Council and/or the parent
body. Further details concerning the statement
can be obtained by contacting the school.
Year 7 NAPLAN Reading
School
Average
score, 2013
529.4
Skill Band
Distribution
Band
Number in
Band
Percentage in
Bands
School
Average 20092013
SSG % in Band
2013
State DEC % in
Band 2013
School performance 2013
Academic achievements
NAPLAN
In the National Assessment Program, the results
across the Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 literacy and
numeracy assessments are reported on a scale
from Band 1 to Band 10.
The achievement scale represents increasing
levels of skill and understanding demonstrated in
these assessments.
SSG
State DEC
524.7
534.0
4
5
6
7
8
9
13
7.
8
18
10.
8
45
26.
9
58
34.
7
29
17.
4
4
4.
1
6.
6
6.
6
18.
0
18.
2
17.
8
29.
5
30.
6
25.
9
28.
6
23.
9
22.
5
14.
9
14.
8
17.
0
2.4
4.9
5.9
10.
2
Year 7: from Band 4 (lowest) to Band 9 (highest
for Year 7)
Reading data obtained from NAPLAN results
have shown a very pleasing overall result
with the school above both SSG and State
average. Recent programs and initiatives, run
through the English faculty and Teaching and
Learning faculty, have contributed towards
the success of these results, with the focus
on further improvement in 2014 a major
priority. A K-10 continuum has been created
with the feeder primary schools to support
Year 7 Reading and Writing.
Year 9: from Band 5 (lowest) to Band 10 (highest
for Year 9)
The My School website provides detailed
information and data for National Literacy and
Numeracy testing (NAPLAN).
Click on the link http://www.myschool.edu.au ,
enter the school name in the Find a school space
and select GO to access the school data.
NAPLAN Year 7 - Literacy
Percentage in bands:
Year 7 Reading
Percentage in bands:
Year 7 Spelling
35
30
Percentage of students
Percentage of students
40
20
10
0
4
5
6
Bands
7
8
9
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Percentage in Bands
School Average 2009-2013
SSG % in Band 2013
State DEC % in Band 2013
4
5
6
Bands
7
8
Percentage in Bands
School Average 2009-2013
SSG % in Band 2013
State DEC % in Band 2013
6
9
Average score,
2013
School
SSG
State DEC
Skill Band
Distribution
561.9
544.2
551.9
Band
Number in
Band
Percentage
in Bands
School
Average
2009-2013
SSG % in
Band 2013
State DEC %
in Band 2013
Skill Band Distribution
Band
Number in
Band
Percentage in
Bands
School Average
2009-2013
SSG % in Band
2013
State DEC % in
Band 2013
4
5
6
7
8
9
8
4.
7
5.
6
7.
4
7.
4
11
34
19.
9
24.
1
21.
2
20.
2
48
28.
1
28.
1
31.
5
28.
1
52
30.
4
20.
1
21.
6
21.
5
18
10.
5
6.4
13.
6
10.
4
9.9
8.6
7.9
12.
8
NAPLAN results in spelling have continued to
show improvements over the past few years.
The school is now well above SSG and State
average in spelling with a continued
emphasis on this to continue in 2014. The
English faculty has worked extremely closely
with the support faculty to produce these
pleasing results.
5
6
7
8
9
17
17
9.9
9.9
40
23.
4
45
26.
3
31
18.
1
21
12.
3
7.5
13.
8
13.
8
17.
8
17.
7
15.
7
29.
9
22.
0
20.
0
23.
6
21.
6
20.
3
12.
5
16.
4
16.
7
8.6
8.5
13.
4
NAPLAN Year 7 – Numeracy
Percentage in bands:
Year 7 Numeracy
Percentage of students
40
Percentage in bands:
Year 7 Grammar & Punctuation
35
Percentage of students
4
30
20
10
0
30
4
25
5
6
Bands
7
8
Percentage in Bands
School Average 2009-2013
SSG % in Band 2013
State DEC % in Band 2013
20
15
10
5
0
4
5
6
Bands
7
8
9
Percentage in Bands
School Average 2009-2013
SSG % in Band 2013
State DEC % in Band 2013
Average
score, 2013
School
SSG
State
DEC
535.8
519.8
529.7
7
9
Percentage in bands:
Year 9 Numeracy
35
35
30
30
Percentage of students
Percentage of students
Percentage in bands:
Year 7 Writing
25
20
15
10
5
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
4
5
6
Bands
7
8
5
9
Average score, 2013
SSG
494.8
7
Bands
8
9
10
Percentage in Bands
Percentage in Bands
School Average 2011-2013
SSG % in Band 2013
State DEC % in Band 2013
School
505.7
6
School Average 2009-2013
SSG % in Band 2013
State DEC
502.1
Skill Band Distribution
Band
4
5
6
7
8
9
Number in Band
20
38
43
40
21
9
Percentage in Bands
11.7 22.2 25.1 23.4 12.3 5.3
School Average 2011-2013 9.7
24.2 29.6 21.0 11.5 4.0
SSG % in Band 2013
12.0 27.5 29.8 19.3 9.2
2.2
State DEC % in Band 2013
12.4 25.3 27.4 18.5 11.5 4.9
NAPLAN Year 9 - Numeracy
Higher School Certificate (HSC)
In the Higher School Certificate, the performance
of students is reported in performance bands
ranging from Performance Band 1 (lowest) to
Performance Band 6 (highest).
The school performed exceptionally well in the
HSC during 2013 with the majority of courses at
or above state average. As you can see in the
graphs below, the school has performed better
than school average, showing excellent growth in
most subjects.
8
School 2013
School Average 2009-2013
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
9
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
School 2013
School Average 2009-2013
French Beginners
Visual Arts
Textiles and Design
Senior Science
Physics
Personal Development,
Health and Physical…
English (Advanced)
English (Standard)
Dance
Business Studies
Biology
Ancient History
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Information Technology
Examination
Hospitality Examination
Mathematics
General Mathematics
Legal Studies
Information Processes and
Technology
Industrial Technology
Food Technology
School 2013
School Average 2009-2013
School 2013
School Average 2009-2013
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Macarthur High School has with its three feeder
schools and the success of the showcase has now
resulted in this becoming an annual event. The
showcase was coordinated by the CAPA faculty,
in close association with the primary schools, and
was hosted by students from across all schools.
Minimum Standards data
The Commonwealth Government sets minimum
standards for reading, writing, grammar and
punctuation, spelling and numeracy for Years 3,
5, 7 and 9.
The performance of the students in our school in
the National Assessment Program – Literacy and
Numeracy is compared to these minimum
standards. The percentages of our students
achieving at or above these standards are
reported below.
Welfare
The Welfare team meets every second Tuesday
afternoon and continues to deliver a variety of
workshops and programs for students across all
years. During the year the team conducted a
series of welfare days for each year group, with a
specific theme designed to cater for the needs of
students in that year group. These included cyber
bullying and information on the young offenders
act. A series of welfare days were also held on
mental health which involved modules from the
Mind Matters information kit. The Welfare team
conducted an evaluation and planning session at
the end of 2013 to determine future directions. In
2014 they will be under the guidance and
leadership of Ms Morrissey, who has made a
number of informative changes. Planned events
and activities include a whole day boys and girls
Welfare Day.
Percentage of Year 7 students achieving at or
above minimum standard (exempt students
included)
Reading
Writing
Spelling
Grammar & Punctuation
Numeracy
92.2
88.3
95.3
90.1
94.7
Percentage of Year 9 students achieving at or
above minimum standard (exempt students
included)
Reading
Writing
Spelling
94.7
72.7
90.3
Grammar & Punctuation
83.8
Numeracy
84.6
Peer Support
In 2013, the Peer Support Program was launched
at Elizabeth Macarthur High School. 25 students
in Year 11 completed a one day training course in
Peer Support and facilitated four sessions across
Terms 1 and 2 with small groups of Year 7
students. They conducted activities on a variety
of themes including transition to high school,
working together, making friends and the
school's PBL values. The junior students enjoyed
the activities and were very enthusiastic about
making connections with the senior students. The
program was a huge success and lasting bonds
were created between youngest members of the
school and the peer support leaders. This has led
to a further expansion of the program in 2014, as
Year 11 Peer Support leaders were given the
opportunity to attend the Year 7 camp to support
the students in a different setting.
Significant programs and initiatives
2567 Showcase
The showcase was a new initiative that
commenced in 2011 involving four schools,
(Elizabeth Macarthur High School, Narellan,
Harrington Park and Narellan Vale Public Schools)
and continued in 2013. The showcase, now in its
third year, has continued to grow in both
performance and community support and is now
firmly entrenched as an annual event within our
community of schools. The showcase is made up
of a variety of acts including musical, dance and
sport. The performance was held in Term 3 in the
school hall and was extremely well supported by
parents and friends across the four schools. One
of the major goals of the showcase was to further
enhance the close relationship that Elizabeth
Boys’ Program
In 2013, Elizabeth Macarthur High School
implemented a Boys’ Program that was designed
to assist young males across a range of areas
10
associated with their schooling and adolescent
lives. The main objectives of the program were to
increase the boys engagement and motivation
towards their schooling, build their literacy and
numeracy skills, improve assessment task results,
conflict resolution, build their self-confidence and
develop life skills that will assist them in life after
school.
These objectives were achieved through the
various programs and activities that were
implemented at school. The activities ranged
from consistent reading in roll call, withdrawal
from class to focus on literacy and numeracy,
Rugby League gala days, conflict resolution
workshops and outdoor education that
culminated in a two day hike through The Royal
National Park. Most importantly though, the
students achievements thus far can be attributed
to their dedication and application to every
activity they have undertaken.
Post-school destinations
Information gathered from the Year 12 PostSchool Pathways Survey showed that most of our
students have pursued either tertiary education
(over 30%), are attending a private college in
specialised fields (in Wollongong, Liverpool and
Sydney), or have followed on with vocational
studies at TAFE since the completion of Year 12.
Our students were offered places in the
Universities Admissions Centre’s Early and Main
Round offers at UWS, UOW, Sydney, UNSW and
Macquarie Universities. However, overall most
students still chose to attend universities that are
closest in proximity to home.
As all of the teachers implementing the program
agree, working with these young men has been
one of the most rewarding times in our teaching
career. It has been truly satisfying to witness the
personal growth in the boys and the positive
results they have been achieving in their
schooling.
Some of our students gained apprenticeships and
traineeships and 10% work part time to
supplement their studies. Only two of the
respondents went straight into full time
employment that does not require any further
education or training. 23 of the respondents were
VET or TVET students. The majority of these
completed a Work Placement as a mandatory
part of their course. More than half of the
respondents are continuing with studies in their
VET area. These include the areas of Hospitality,
Community Services, Automotive, Construction
and various others.
A very small percentage of students (less than
5%) are currently still looking for work.
Nearly 90% of Year 10 students participated in
the Work Experience Program in 2013. As well as
meeting, if not exceeding those numbers in 2014,
every student will participate in a Work
Readiness Program prior to going out on Work
11
Experience. Students had, and will continue to
have, the opportunity to attend and complete
courses to obtain White Cards, Barista
Accreditation, as well as qualifications in the
Responsible Service of Alcohol.
Learning Support
In 2013, Elizabeth Macarthur High School
introduced a number of innovative programmes
linked to the DEC ESES model. These included:
Assignment assistance, catering for the needs of
all students, Years 7 – 12. Students in Year 12
were able to self-refer, all other years were
referred by staff to the Teaching and Learning
Faculty. Students were prioritised and booked in
to the Tuesday afternoon sessions. The
programme was extremely successful, with peak
times assisting upwards of 40 students at a
session. Many Year 12 students used this time as
a quiet study space whilst knowing that
assistance was at hand.
Year 12 students have the opportunity to attend
a variety of University Open Days. We have
always been closely associated with the
University of Western Sydney and the University
of Wollongong. We are now forging links with the
University of Technology and, in particular, the
University of New South Wales, with the hope of
offering our students more openings and
opportunities for their further education.
Our Careers strategy continues to evolve
according to the changing needs of our students.
Part of our Careers direction for 2014 includes
continued Careers classes for Years 7-10 and the
Year 9 kids@work class with a clear Careers
focus. Individualised interviews for every Year 12
student, as well as Career profiling, will also be a
priority. It is anticipated that every student
leaving Elizabeth Macarthur High School will
leave with a detailed career plan.
Year 9 Withdrawal groups: intensive assistance in
specific areas identified via NAPLAN results was
delivered to small groups of students over a five
week period. Four groups were targeted over
each 5 week period, addressing areas of need
including writing, reading, punctuation and
grammar, spelling and numeracy. Students who
attended this on a regular basis were able to
benefit from explicit teaching of essential skills.
Student referrals: teaching staff and members of
the executive were invited to make referrals to
the Teaching and Learning Faculty on behalf of
students requiring intervention in a number of
learning and behavioural situations. These
students were then assisted by a member of the
Teaching and Learning Faculty through one to
one counselling, in class assistance, diagnostic
testing and other support strategies deemed
relevant to the individual student.
Our website
www.elizabethmacarthurcareers.com
contains a wealth of information and is where
current information can be found. Students will
be taught how to navigate the website in their
Careers classes and it is from this website that
various documentation – for example the Work
Placement forms necessary for Work Experience,
can be downloaded for the students to fill in. This
site is also easily accessible by parents to help
them keep up to date with current Careers news
and activities.
Staff assistance: together with student referrals,
all teaching staff were encouraged to seek the
expertise of members of the Teaching and
Learning Faculty to improve the delivery of their
lessons and to build individual capacity within the
general teaching staff. Such assistance was
sought to craft programmes, create meaningful
assessment tasks, behavioural modification,
differentiation and successful lesson delivery. All
staff, from those newly appointed to the more
experienced teachers were able to benefit from
this service.
As always we are continuing to forge and build on
community and industry links to promote
enterprise learning. Local businesses support our
school and our students by offering work
experience and employment opportunities and
advice. Such encouragement is incredibly
beneficial to our students and their future career
prospects
Year 7 transition: students identified as requiring
more assistance in making the move from
primary to secondary school were involved in a
12
transition programme, where they were able to
make a number of visits to EMHS prior to
enrolment in Year 7 and engage in lessons with
secondary teachers. Students from Year 10 were
recruited to support these students through a
“buddy” system. This transition eased the anxiety
of these students, providing them with skills
necessary to successfully make the transition.
carnivals, gala days, State knockout competitions
and representative trials.
At the three major zone sporting carnivals this
year Elizabeth Macarthur achieved the following
results:5th at the Swimming Carnival
5th at the Cross Country Carnival
4th at the Athletics Carnival
8th place of all the schools at Sydney South West
Swimming
Diagnostic testing: in 2013, all students in Year 7
were tested in literacy to provide a base line and
to identify areas of need. These tests included the
South Australian Spelling Test, a reading
comprehension test and a NAPLAN style
persuasive writing test. The results of this testing
was provided to all Year 7 teachers to facilitate
programming and differentiation.
The school spirit and eagerness to compete
demonstrated at these events was clearly
evident. Students volunteered to compete in
events that were unfilled to ensure maximum
school points were achieved for participation.
The three carnivals brought many of the school’s
best athletes to the fore. In Swimming, Andrew
Lam again led the way as the 14 year boys Sydney
South West Age Champion. He was Silver and
Bronze medalist at CHS in the 100m breast stroke
and backstroke respectively and gold and bronze
medalist at these events at the All Schools
Championships. Clarisse Baker surpassed her
previous results and qualified for three separate
events at CHS. The boys 14 years relay team
finished in a creditable 5th position in the final of
CHS.
Life Skills: A number of students were enrolled in
a Life Skills pattern of study. This involved
consultation by the HT T&L and the LAST with the
student and their caregivers. These placements
will be reviewed annually.
Disability Provisions: a select group of students in
Year 12 requiring Disability Provisions were
successful in gaining this assistance from the BOS,
allowing them to access the examinations on the
same basis as all other students. Year 12 students
were also able to access school based disability
provisions for Half Yearly and Trial HSC
examinations. The most significant issue arising
for students at EMHS sitting the HSC
examinations is mental health, particularly
anxiety and depression. Students in other years
have also been granted school based disability
provisions, including separate supervision, extra
time, readers/writers and enlarged print.
In Cross Country Elizabeth Macarthur had twelve
students represent their zone at Sydney South
West, including Brayden Coleman, Clarisse Baker
and Khaled Bakka who went on to represent their
school at N.S.W Combined High schools. Clarisse
finished 41st and Brayden 52nd.
A number of students also qualified for the CHS
Athletics Carnival. Clarisse Baker qualified for the
1500m and came 13th at State, Liam Perry
competed in the 400m hurdles coming 8th in his
heat and Jack Edgington competed in three
events and earned two bronze medals, for
the100m hurdles and for long jump. The 14 year
girls relay team also qualified for CHS and placed
15th overall.
Out of Home Care. The Teaching and Learning
Faculty have also established a process for
facilitating the needs of out of home care
students. Initially, this process was concerned
with FACS based OOHC students, but has recently
been expanded to include students who are living
with carers other than their parents, such as
family friends or grandparents, on a less formal
basis.
This year we have several students being
acknowledged by Macarthur Zone. The Zone Blue
is presented to the highest achieving athlete from
the zone in a particular sport. Ashlee Norman will
receive a Zone Blue for soccer, Stephanie Wiley
for cricket and Jack Edgington for field athletics.
Sports Report 2013
Once again 2013 has been a busy year in sport.
Students have been actively involved in sports
13
At the beginning of the year the Zone Trials for
team sports were held. An impressive number of
students were chosen to represent Macarthur
Zone. Most notably the Girls Open Soccer team
had 7 Elizabeth Macarthur representatives and
the Open Rugby League had 5 representatives
from this school. Elizabeth Macarthur students
were also chosen to represent Macarthur zone in
Touch, hockey, tennis, netball and soccer.
Thanks also goes to the coaches who trained
teams, organised games and helped with
transporting students. We are equally grateful to
parents for supporting your children’s sport and
helping with transport.
We would like to express our appreciation to the
parents, students and teachers who have
contributed to a successful 2013. We look
forward to your continued support in 2014.
Some of those students selected for zone also
went on to be selected for SSW teams, including:Ashlee Rushton and Aaron Waters in tennis,
Dylan and Josh Atherton and Travis Gibson in
hockey, Janaya Suters in Water Polo, Ashlee
Norman in soccer, Stephanie Wiley for cricket
and Andrew Carter as a shadow player in softball.
In the State Knockout Competitions Elizabeth
Macarthur was represented in many sports
including basketball, cricket, netball, hockey and
soccer. Most success was experienced in Cricket
and Softball. The Girls Cricket team was
successful in reaching the last 16 in the State but
was defeated by Wellington high school. The
boys’ softball team won 3 rounds before being
defeated, thanks to some outstanding pitching by
Andrew Carter.
Creative and Performing Arts Faculty
The Creative and Performing Arts faculty in 2013
continued to provide multiple opportunities for
our singers, dancers, performers, artists and
designers that have challenged, extended and
engaged them in their learning.
Highlights in 2013 on the Creative and Performing
Arts calendar included the Extravaganza and the
Art Attack at Lizzy Mac Annual Art Show. It is
these events that showcase our students’ talents
and hard work that allow for parents and family
to come and view and experience the skills of the
students we have at Elizabeth Macarthur High
School.
A Netball Gala day is held every year for schools
in the Macarthur area. The event is designed in a
round robin format that aims to encourage
participation rather than winning. This year we
had 70 girls participating from Year 7 through to
Year 10. On the same day an ALF round robin
competition was held for the boys. Elizabeth
Macarthur had one boys’ team from a variety of
years but the boys competed strongly. Students
have also been active in refereeing for the local
Primary school gala days and assisting in running
events at the Primary School Athletics Carnivals.
Our Musicians and performers have also achieved
to a high standard this year. In particular the HSC
Music 1 class who received band 5s and 6s as
their final HSC mark. These students, along with
other HSC Creative and Performing Arts students,
had the opportunity to perform/ practise and
exhibit their major works at one of our showcase
nights that occurred for parents to witness what
their children had been working so very hard on.
Dance students of Elizabeth Macarthur High
School are consistently performing for the school
and Region throughout the year. This year,
students from Year 10 performed in the South
West Sydney Regional Dance Festival. The
dancers were selected from their impressive
audition pieces, which were highly refined
demonstrating technique, space, time, dynamics
and intricate concepts. The dancers were
outstanding. Students were also selected via
audition for the School Spectacular held at the
Sydney
Entertainment
Centre.
Students
performed alongside acclaimed performers in this
highly regarded event.
Elizabeth Macarthur was once again involved in
the Premier’s Sporting Challenge but, this year
the challenge involved Year 9 and 10 students
being coached by outside organisations in
beginner coaching. In turn, these students taught
a variety of sports skills to students in Years 7 and
8 and the local feeder primary school students
from Harrington Park, Narellan Vale and Narellan
Public Schools. Thanks to the Sports Committee
students who were largely involved in this
process.
14
Dance at Elizabeth Macarthur High School has
evolved and grown to become a highly engaging
and professional experience for the students as
they perform at prestigious and large events, and
train on a professional dance sprung floor with
engaging visuals and dance mirrors.
For the second time we participated in the
Archibull Prize. Students from both Visual Arts
and Agriculture worked on the cross curricular
Archibull Prize. We were given the topic of “What
does it take to sustainably feed and clothe your
community for a day?” in relation to the "wool"
industry. Many students from Years 9 and 10
Visual Arts pitched in and helped paint at some
point, showing fantastic team work and
collaboration.
Aboriginal Learning. Aboriginal students lead non
Aboriginal students in multiple cultural
awareness activities. During this week, which
included a school assembly for Years 7-9 as well
as Aboriginal Education workshops plus a variety
of other workshops including Aboriginal dance,
Music, Food, Aboriginal Art and Games, we also
held a Book Swap which raised money for the
Aboriginal Literacy Foundation and experienced a
performance and explanation of Aboriginal
weaponry.
In 2013 Aboriginal students were invited to
participate in the UWS Indigenous Mentoring
Program. This program engages students from
Stages 4, 5 and 6 in a whole school project which
is determined by the Aboriginal students. EMHS
students are currently creating a pathway with
Aboriginal artworks which leads to a Bush Tucker
garden on the school grounds. This program aims
at supporting and nurturing students to work
towards achieving a tertiary education.
The number of identified Aboriginal students has
increased from 11 in 2010 to 40 in 2013. 100% of
students in 2013 have a Personalised Learning
Plan to help them achieve learning outcomes and
attain their personal goals.
The Creative and Performing Arts Faculty at
Elizabeth Macarthur High School is an extensive
faculty with highly trained and motivated
teachers who enjoy seeing creativity flourish. Our
students often work at industry standard in the
elective and senior years and showcase their
skills at Regional and State levels. For example, in
2013 we had two students continue their love of
Visual Arts post-school by studying Visual Design
at UOW and another at Billy Blue School of
Design. Another musician received a scholarship
to attend the Australian Conservatorium of
Music.
At Elizabeth Macarthur High School we have the
highest percentage of Aboriginal students who
are in the selective stream. 11% of our selective
students are Aboriginal where the state average
is only 1%. Three of these students have been
selected to participate in the Twugia program.
Our students were selected to create, compose
and participate in the selective schools video to
encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
students to apply for the Selective Schools test.
Within this Creative Arts Key Learning Area we
delivered the subjects of Dance, Drama, Music,
Photography, and Visual Arts.
Aboriginal education
The Aboriginal Education team in 2013 has
worked closely with Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander students to ensure they are supported
and engaged in their education, working towards
closing the gap. This year The Deadly Homework
Centre was introduced which provides an
opportunity for students to have a safe and
resourceful place after school hours to complete
their homework and assessment tasks.
2013 saw the Aboriginal Education team at
Elizabeth Macarthur High School receive a
Director’s Choice award for delivering excellence
in Aboriginal Education, which is an award held in
very high esteem and which was presented to
staff at a ceremony at the State Sports Centre.
Multicultural education
In 2013, NAIDOC Day Celebrations were held
once again and this has become an important
event on our school calendar. Staff in the
Aboriginal Education team has worked at inservicing the whole school staff on how to
include and embed Aboriginal Education into
their own curriculums via the 8 ways of
The school has a diverse cultural base with 18.5 %
of students from a non-English speaking
background (NESB), representing 51 language
groups, the main ones being Spanish, Hindi and
Arabic.
15
Many NESB students achieved above the state
average in NAPLAN and those with learning
needs received a range of support across the
KLAs. This was delivered in one-to-one, small
group and mainstream classes. The ESL and
classroom teachers worked collaboratively to
program for the needs of targeted students. All
school programs have a multicultural focus. An
ESL Peer Tutor Reading Program supported those
with specific literacy needs as identified by
NAPLAN.
underpinned
programs
by
the
Quality
Teaching
Outcomes from 2012–2014



Macarthur Diversity Services Inc. worked in
partnership with the school to support NESB
students through a homework club. At risk
students undertook the Resilience Donut
program. Many newly arrived students engaged
in programs run by the local Cultural and
Linguistically Diverse (CALD) youth worker which
further developed community participation and
social skills. These included sporting activities, a
camp at Stanwell Tops and excursions to
Canberra and Minnamurra Falls Rainforest.

Program information to be shared at
network meetings.
Staff to develop a better understanding of
their syllabus based on the National
Curriculum
Learning Support team to implement
programming meeting between core KLAs
on Orientation Day, Term 4
Report and recommendations presented
final evaluation with information published
in ASR.
Evidence of progress towards outcomes in 2013:
The school held a successful Harmony Day with a
special assembly and cultural awareness activities
and individual curriculum focus. In addition the
SRC organised several multicultural food days.
These
initiatives
increased
students’
understanding of cultural issues and furthered
their appreciation of our school’s cultural
diversity.

All Phase One KLAs have programs that align
to the National Curriculum and underpinned
by the Quality Teaching framework.

These programs have been critiqued by the
senior executive.
Strategies to achieve these outcomes in 2014



School planning and evaluation
2012—2014


Staff to attend professional learning courses
relating to Australian Curriculum.
Programming for Australian curriculummapping the curriculum into concepts and
linking with Stage 3.
Differentiated curriculum for Transition
Program. Linking with community of schools
to create a continuity of learning from Stage
3, 4 and 5.
Faculties to undertake Curriculum evaluation
– one faculty per year.
Systematically assess the both general
capabilities and cross curriculum content is
evident in the programs and the teaming
through lesson observation.
The school planning policy provides direction for
the preparation and implementation of school
plans including the identification of priority areas,
intended outcomes and targets that are
consistent with the NSW State Plan and the
Department’s planning documents.
School priority 2
School planning 2012—2014: progress
in 2013
Aboriginal students make a successful transition
from school to work and further study to equal
the state average of retention to Year 12.
School priority 1
Outcomes from 2012–2014

Establish
classroom
programs
and
assessment tasks that implement the
requirements of the National Curriculum
16
Meet the number of students in the state
continuing and finishing Year 12/ or going on
to tertiary study.
Evidence of progress towards outcomes in 2013:

Differentiated professional learning also focused
on building capacity and a leadership density
through the end of term “Professional Round
Tables” whereby staff, who had attended whole
school focused TPL, presented what they had
learned to their colleagues who could select from
up to 6 sessions on offer during the Wednesday 1
hour session. Over 50% of staff presented at least
one of these sessions in 2012. Staff who attended
professional learning of a specific subject focus,
presented this back in faculty meetings to build a
deeper and shared understanding of current
trends and practices.
Increased numbers of ATSI students in Stage
6 in 2013, with increased numbers in 2014.
Strategies to achieve these outcomes in 2014:

Establish these post school plans in Year 9Year 12.

PLPs for all Aboriginal students.

Make sure students are aware of
scholarships and entry in to university
requirements. Stress the importance of
getting an ATAR.

Attainment strategies for transition into
HSC.

Homework Centre skills opportunities
supported by University of Western Sydney.
In 2013, Elizabeth Macarthur High School
continued to work with our three sets of
Community of Schools (Cos) to enhance teacher
practice. Our 2567 CoS with Narellan Vale,
Narellan and Harrington Park Public Schools saw
a wide range of activities to support transition,
but a focus on developing a greater
understanding of teaching Stage 3 and Stage 4
students was undertaken. As a result, 12
Elizabeth Macarthur High School teachers formed
professional learning partnerships with primary
school colleagues and spent at least a day
observing
lessons,
discussing
classroom
management strategies and sharing assessment
strategies. The Macarthur CoS focused on
professional learning and planning for the Trade
Training Centre and included Elizabeth
Macarthur, Camden and Elderslie High Schools.
The Selective Network CoS4 continues to link the
four partially selective high schools of Elizabeth
Macarthur, Moorebank, Prariewood and
Bonnyrigg. Each faculty developed, implemented
and evaluated a year-long Action Research
Project (ARPs). These ARPs were then presented
by staff to their colleagues from the same KLA in
all schools at the end of 2012.
Professional Learning
Professional Learning at Elizabeth Macarthur High
School is a highly structured, important and
valued element of teacher quality. In 2013, staff
at Elizabeth Macarthur High School engaged in a
number of whole school and faculty specific
learning to improve their knowledge and skills,
with the focus on improving student learning
outcomes at the centre of professional learning,
planning and delivery.
All staff engaged in a minimum of 25 hours of
professional learning through the five School
Development Days. Over these five days, a wide
variety of learning was undertaken that aligned
with the 2011-2013 Elizabeth Macarthur High
School plan. Achievements included every staff
member completing a Professional Learning Plan
to inform whole school and individual training
and development needs. As a result a key focus
was the planning and implementation of
differentiated professional learning to meet the
needs of every teacher. All staff accessed the
NSW DEC Professional Learning and Leadership
Development Directorate online modules as part
of this differentiated learning.
A joint Staff Development Day was held in Term 2
with Elderslie and Camden High Schools, with the
focus on the development and implementation of
programs for the new Australian Curriculum. The
success of this day has resulted in an even
stronger partnership with all three schools with
combined staff development days and networks
to continue in the future.
In addition, all staff mapped their current practice
against the Australian Standards for Teachers, as
outlined by AITSL. As a result, Elizabeth
Macarthur High School staff were engaged with
the new changes, coming as a result from state
based accreditation to the new national
standards, soon after the October 2012 launch of
this document.
The annual school conference was again held in
August and focused on the development and
implementation of the new school planning tool
and plan.
17

Finally, as a partially selective High School,
Elizabeth Macarthur High School requires all staff
to complete the UNSW Mini Certificate of Gifted
Education (COGE). This project is a joint activity
with Macquarie Fields
and Leumeah High
Schools, is funded through the Centre of
Excellence Project and meets the needs of both
selective and community enrolments. This project
is an ongoing program for all new staff across all
three schools and will continue in 2014.
Program Evaluations
Review of EMHS Mathematics Faculty
Background
During Term 4 2013, a detailed evaluation of the
Mathematics faculty was undertaken as part of
the Elizabeth Macarthur High School’s
commitment to continuous school improvement.
The purpose of the evaluation was to explore
aspects of practice within the Mathematics
Faculty. The evaluation team included the
Principal, Deputy Principal and the HT
Mathematics from Elderslie HS. The HT
Mathematics from EMHS played a major role in
driving the evaluation and ensuring that the
preparation of the materials used were of the
highest possible standard. The domains evaluated
were Attitudes, Organisation, Resources and
Student Achievement.
Parent/caregiver, student, and
teacher satisfaction
In 2013, the school sought the opinions of
parents, students and teachers about the school.
Their responses are presented below.
Parents were surveyed at P & C and were
unanimous in their support of the teaching and
learning platform in the school, and the
extracurricular activities of the musical and 2567
Showcase. The P & C were also impressed by the
support that the staff gave P & C in their
fundraising endeavours. Many of the parents
surveyed also found the Agriculture events at the
school were some of best elements of the school
to engage students.
A range of tools was used during this evaluation.
The tools included online surveys of parents,
students, documentation including work samples,
programs and mark books. Surveys were
conducted with all EMHS Mathematics classroom
teachers. The number of responses to the surveys
was significant. Below is a summary of the
demographics of responses.
Students also found Agriculture shows among
the highlights of the school year. Students were
most heavily engaged in the school musical and
sporting events. The school swimming, athletics
and cross country carnivals were highly
supported with more students attending those
days than regular school days.
Attitudes
Teachers reported that the professional learning
opportunities and the Quality Teaching
partnerships were the most valued work of the
school. The 4mat training received the best
evaluation with 99% positive return rate on the
evaluation, respondents believing it was the most
valuable professional learning they had done.
As part of the analysis, the evaluation team
looked at student, parent and teacher surveys
and Sentral data.
Organisation
In this domain, the tools used included the
faculty meeting agendas and minutes, and the
faculty records for assessment and monitoring of
student achievement
School evaluation processes
NSW public schools conduct evaluations to
support the effective implementation of the
school plan. The processes used include:

Review of whole school assessment, using
parent and student surveys, and teacher
interviews and consultation.
Resources
Curriculum evaluation of the Mathematics
faculty, using teacher interviews, parent and
student surveys and lesson observations.
The tools used to analyse the Resources domain
included the stocktake lists and textbook
allocations, parent and student surveys and
budget requests.
18
resources so that there is a seamless transition in
lessons.
Student Achievement
As part of the analysis of this section, the
evaluation team looked at RAP data from Stage 5
and 6 Mathematics, internal assessment tasks
and data, Markbook printouts, student and
parent surveys.
Organisation:
Current practices in organisation to be
maintained and expand the Stage 6 monitoring
process into Stages 4 and 5.
Findings and conclusions
Staff
members
have
clearly
defined
responsibilities but they are administrative in
their focus. The evaluation panel suggests that
individuals take on broader responsibilities and
ownership of recommendations of the review to
further their professional development.
The evaluation team has made recommendations
around the four domains
Attitudes:
The priority of the faculty is to build positive
relationships between the staff, students and
community. This could be done by improving the
quality of the communication with parents and
improving the classroom management of
teachers to create a positive learning
environment.
Student Achievement
Faculty Professional development around the
BOS performance descriptors to align Stage 5 and
6 ROSA grades with state expectations.
Investigate changes to reporting grades to ensure
that students are not being demotivated by the
internal school grading system.
Staff morale and professionalism is critical to
delivering our top priority of maximising student
learning outcomes. Some suggestions include
using team teaching, classroom observations,
instructional rounds, faculty professional learning
and mentoring.
Restructure assessment to value student
achievement and create access points for all
students. The panel thought that the work with
resubmitting past work and reworking solutions
in exams is outstanding and would like to see that
extended and students receiving some marks for
this resubmitted work in line with new BOS
resubmission policy.
The faculty is to develop a short online survey, in
consultation with the senior executive, to revisit
the attitudes of both parents and students no
earlier than six months and no later than twelve
months from this review. The survey can be used
to reflect on the answers that were highlighted in
the responses from the evaluation. The use of
staff surveys with their individual classes to
identify needs may also provide a deeper
contextual understanding of the needs to be
addressed for each faculty member.
Whole school Assessment review
Background
The National Curriculum and changes with the
ROSA had prompted the review of our
assessment policy. Surveys with students and
parents, interviews with staff and external
consultation with the BOS liaison Officer, Cheryl
Russell, were used to write the assessment
review.
Resources:
Improving the quality of resources by purchasing
textbooks for students and investigate online
learning through Mathletics and ICT embedded in
the curriculum. To maximize the benefit of these
resources it is suggested that parents be trained
to support their students at home and explicitly
support students in using these online resources.
Staff also need to be trained in using these
Findings and Conclusions.
It is clear that while we used to need a Year 7-9
policy that differed from Year 10, and then Stage
6, we now need a 7-11 policy and separate Year
12 policy. We discovered that while staff thought
the zero for lateness was a harsh penalty, it
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brought us in line with the rest of the state. A
compromise was sought and assessments for
Stage 4 that were late lost 50%, to give Stage 4
students time to acclimatize to the high school
assessment system.
Ms Meagan Morrissey - Head Teacher English
School contact information
Elizabeth Macarthur High School
Waterworth Drive, Narellan, 2567
Ph: 46461899
Stage 6 assessments are now due in at 8.55am
instead of the lesson and students cannot take
the day off before a task is due. This also stops
any students trying to use other class time to get
assessments finished.
Fax: 46471569
Email: elizabeth-h.schools@det.nsw.edu.au
Web: www.elizabeth-h.schools.nsw.edu.au
School Code: 8584
The stricter policies around N Awards meant that
more students were N determined and a new
procedure will be needed to support this process.
Parents can find out more information about
Annual School Reports, how to interpret
information in the reports and have the
opportunity to provide feedback about these
reports, at:
Assessments were also critiqued by the Senior
Executive before they went out to parents, to
ensure that all tasks were quality controlled.
http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/asr
Future Directions
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Staff to be in-serviced about the new
procedures, to ensure we have a whole
school approach.
Assessment schedules will be discussed at
Exec at the end of the year to ensure that
assessments are spread out throughout the
year so students aren’t under undue stress.
Senior Review Panel to be created to assist
DPs in the process of N Awards.
About this report
In preparing this report, the self-evaluation
committee has gathered information from
evaluations conducted during the year and
analysed other information about the school's
practices and student learning outcomes. The
self-evaluation committee and school planning
committee have determined targets for the
school's future development.
Ms Kylie Hedger- Principal
Mr Angelo Stasos – Deputy Principal
Ms Kim Hope – P&C President
Mr Mark Long – Deputy Principal
Ms Marilyn Noonan- ESL Teacher
Ms Kristy Pugliano- Head Teacher CAPA
Ms Siarn White- Teacher
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