St Lucy’s School Annual Report 2016 · 2017-06-23 · St Lucy’s School Annual Report 2016 21 Cleveland Street, ... architects Stanton Dahl and Associates to consult with the community

St Lucy’s SchoolAnnual Report 2016

21 Cleveland Street, Wahroonga, NSW

Excellence in education for children with intellectual disabilities

Annual Report 2016 Page 2

MESSAGE FROM KEY SCHOOL BODIESPrincipal’s MessageThe Annual Report to the School Community provides information about school performance, initiatives and developments during the year and achievements arising from planned development.

The report draws together information of major interests and importance to the school community and demonstrates accountability to Dominican Education Australia and Government regulatory bodies. This report complements and is supplementary to the school newsletter and other regular communications. Further information about the school and/or this report is available at the School.

St Lucy’s School is dedicated to students with an intellectual disability. St Lucy’s mission is to provide “an excellence in education that empowers students with the values, knowledge, attitudes and skills to flourish and participate fully in society”.

Success of this Mission is achieved within the framework of the three-year strategic plan for the school, developed in 2014, that has three major goals. These being that St Lucy’s:

• Continue to be a Catholic school in the Dominican tradition serving its students and their families;

• Continue to be a centre of excellence and best practice in education, and

• Strengthen the management processes and structures of the School and Foundation that support effective and transparent governance to ensure the School’s long term sustainability.

St Lucy’s has had a successful year with a number of initiatives introduced to facilitate the achievement of these broad goals:

The Dominican Order celebrated their 800 year Jubilee with a staff day of prayer and reflection and a Feast Day which included a liturgy, concert and a range of activities, shared with Prouille Catholic Primary School. The Promoter of Charism in Dominican Schools, Marg O’Shea worked with the Leadership Team and staff to organise, promote and celebrate the 800 years of the Order of Preachers. The theme was ‘Preaching the Gospel’. A Religious Education Coordinator with a wider purview was appointed to further develop Catholic identity in the St Lucy’s community. A very comprehensive Sacramental policy was developed with Fr David the Parish Priest, Bishop Peter, parents, the staff and the St Lucy’s Board.

The tragic death of Maria, Eli, Martin and Fernando was deeply felt by the whole St Lucy’s community. It became a national story because of Maria’s extraordinary personal generosity and humility, the giftedness of the children and the challenges that intellectual disability can bring to a family. Parents and friends of the family rallied to develop a bursary in their memory. The Art Studio will be renamed the Eli and Martin Art Studio on the 1 year anniversary of their deaths. Our Parish Priest, Fr David Ranson assisted the family who flew in from Columbia and united everyone in a celebration of a beautiful family.

A building Masterplan process began that aims to provide modern spaces/classrooms, therapy rooms, a clinic and administration area for the future. Consultation processes have been extensive. The Catholic Education Commission continued to be most helpful.


A reduction in student-teacher ratio for 2017 was made possible due to strategic rationalising of resources and restructuring of staff.

Teaching staff worked in learning teams on further developing the Mathematics with Meaning program, text type resources, hands-on Science and Technology learning opportunities, the implementation of SoSafe and the Spirituality program. The Reading Tutor Program implemented with a team of volunteers continued to produce improvements in communication, reading and writing. The Mathematics with Meaning program was further developed and implemented with Stage 3 students. This produced improvements in numeracy and their practical application of Number to real life situations.

The Therapy team continued to provide a focus on therapy services to the early years. Early Stage 1 and Stage 1 classes have an allocated Speech and Occupational Therapist who works in partnership with class staff, assisting them with assessments, goal setting, programming and resource development. The Therapists work with class staff to team teach and provide small-group therapy to students. Communication skills were enhanced through increased opportunities for students who use AAC.

Workshops were delivered to members of our community and external professionals in Triple P, Key Word Sign, NDIS and Sarah Starr’s Fussy eating workshop (funded by a Carers NSW grant).

Stage Facilitators successfully worked with Stage teams to maximise the use of staffing, increase the flexibility within the school timetable to enable further small group and individual work with students and to collaborate on curriculum and resource development.

An After School Care program was introduced with the hope that funding through NDIS will assist parents in funding the program.

The St Lucy’s Respite Committee whose brief it is to look at ways that St Lucy’s can further support families in caring for their child and provide respite to family members, held an evening for parents to have a night out while staff looked after the children. St Lucy’s held a Siblings Day with about 30 siblings attending. Siblings had a chance to spend time in class with their St Lucy’s sibling, meet other children who have a brother or sister with a disability and ask questions of staff about their brother or sister’s educational program and disabilities in general.

The St Lucy’s Holiday Program was well attended and greatly appreciated by parents.

A transition of leadership to the new Principal, Mr David Raphael was conducted during Term 4. A thorough induction program took place. This included examining administrative tasks, classroom visits, planning with the Leadership Team, networking with key members of the community, meeting with parents and attending a Board meeting.

The initiatives described above provide a brief summary of some of the innovative work that has been undertaken at St Lucy’s during the past year. I would like to pay tribute to the staff, the parents, the volunteers and the wider school community. Their commitment and hard work ensures the goal of St Lucy’s to provide “an excellence in education for children with disabilities” is accomplished.

Warren HopleyActing Principal


Chair of the St Lucy’s School Board2016 was a very important year in the School as we celebrated 800 years of the Dominican story. The story of Dominic and his establishment of the Dominican Order for women and men has come down to us through the commitment and work of generations of hard working and faith filled people. The values that Dominic espoused in 13th Century Europe are as relevant today as they were in his day. Dominic was a visionary in his time. In establishing his Order of Preachers, he moved out of the traditional monastic life of the times and into the day to day world of the people to preach the Christian gospel.

So too have the Dominican Sisters embarked on a new path in terms of the governance of their current schools, At the request of the Dominican Sisters of North Adelaide, the Dominican Sisters of Eastern Australia and the Holy Cross Congregation of Dominican Sisters, Dominican Education Australia (DEA) was established by the Catholic Church on 28 January 2015. DEA has oversight of seven schools/centre, one of which is St Lucy’s School and it was inaugurated in August 2016. At the beginning of 2017, DEA assumed the oversight of St Lucy’s School and the other six schools/centre.

At the beginning of 2016, Warren Hopley, a very experienced Catholic primary principal agreed to take on the position as Acting Principal of St Lucy’s initially for a period of six months and ultimately for the whole year as the School Board put in place a process for the selection and appointment of a new principal for St Lucy’s to commence in 2017. We were assisted in the process by the NSW Association of Independent Schools. We were delighted when David Raphael who was Principal of William Clarke College in Kellyville, a Pre-school to Year 12 school for 15 years accepted the position as Principal of St Lucy’s from January 2017.

I was very grateful as were the rest of the Board that Mr Hopley so graciously and generously took on the Acting Principal role. He was welcomed by the staff and parents and over the year carried out the role to the great benefit of the St Lucy’s community. I thank him for the great contribution he made to the school and I wish him well for his future, personally and professionally.

The other key focus of the Board was the initiation of the development of a Master Plan which will provide a blueprint for the enhancement of the school facilities to provide the best possible learning environment for our students. After an open selection process, the Board chose the architects Stanton Dahl and Associates to consult with the community and develop a Master Plan for the school. At the same time, we consulted with the staff of the Catholic Education Commission to seek their advice as to current state of the art facilities for students with disabilities and the process to use to seek capital funding from the Federal Government for the funding of the Plan. At the end of 2016, the draft Master Plan had been developed to be taken to the Board for their approval at the beginning of 2017.

St Lucy’s School offers a very rich and diverse curriculum to meet the needs of its students. It is unable to do so based on the funding we receive from government and on our school fees alone so we do need to fundraise to meet our costs. I would like to acknowledge and thank all our donors for their generosity and support. Each year there are several activities organised where we invite our donors to contribute ranging from the Parliamentary lunch, Week Without Words and other activities during the year. We have also been very grateful for bequests and other donations that we have received

In October 2016, St Lucy’s suffered a tragedy that caused great sorrow and heartbreak with the deaths of the Manrique-Lutz family, Eli and Martin who were students of the school and their


parents, Maria and Fernando. I acknowledge and thank Mr Hopley and all the wonderful staff for the way in which they managed such a tragic situation. In spite of their own distress, they were there for the students and the families, providing solace and counselling for those who sought it. There was also wonderful support from Father David Ranson and the Hope Group from the Holy Name Parish, Wahroonga and all the local schools, in particular, St Edmund’s, Prouille and Knox. In fact so many schools, groups and individuals reached out to St Lucy’s at this time, it is impossible to thank them all individually. I must also compliment the media for the compassionate and respectful way they handled the tragic situation.

I would like to thank the Board Directors for their support of and commitment to St Lucy’s this year. They generously give of their time and expertise in a voluntary capacity. Thank you to Steve Graham, Jack Flanagan, Paul Reid, Sr Rosemary Lewins OP, Nick Ogden, Sue Fabian, Helen Mattick, Susan Roberts, Miriam Stiel and Jim Verco. During the year, we farewelled Sue Fabian who has taken on the role as Chair of the Trustees of Dominican Education Australia, Helen Mattick and Susan Roberts.

I look forward to 2017 and the beginning of the implementation of the St Lucy’s Master Plan.

Kitty GuerinChairSt Lucy’s Board of Directors

President of the Parents and Friends AssociationDuring 2016, the P&F Volunteer team worked on bringing our school community together. With our shared grief at the passing of the Manrique/Lutz family a special memorial service was held at school that was supported by the P&F so we could all be together as a group and share our happy memories.

The Parent Information Night at the beginning of the year is always terrific fun as we met all our new families and were reacquainted with old friends. The night provided opportunities to socialise – something that our community really enjoys doing given that opportunities are more challenging to find due to the wide geographic spread of our community. We organised the Friendship list that was distributed via the class parents at the beginning of the year to promote families in getting together with their class and getting to know each other. Due to the lists we were able to create many opportunities to gather through both class dinners and evening catchups.

Our P&F meetings have been very well attended, primarily as a reason to socialise and share ideas. Each meeting had a core information focus and the topics have been wide ranging. Particular interest has been shown regarding the capital works program with the architects presenting and the new school uniform. It’s rare to have input into a uniform at a school which will likely be in place for many years! Our parents were very vocal about their ideas! .

We have also held raffles and participated in the Let’s Walk and Talk initiative by Prouille to raise money for our school.

The P&F of 2016 recognise that at the core of our work are the students of our wonderful school. All our volunteer efforts are made worthwhile by seeing their beautiful smiling faces.

Ashlee BallPresident, St Lucy’s Parents and Friends Association


CONTEXUAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL Mission Statement St Lucy’s School is a Catholic school in the Dominican tradition for students with disabilities. We provide excellence in education that empowers students with the values, knowledge, attitudes and skills to flourish and participate fully in society.

ValuesThe values of St Lucy’s School are based on the teaching of the Catholic Church and St Dominic. These values are modelled by our behaviour, expressed in our decisions, practised in our relationships and taught to the children.

TruthTruth (Veritas) is St Lucy’s motto. God is truth and we find what is true through open discussion and attention to the knowledge and thinking of others, reflected on through study and prayer.

CommunityWe are open to all, especially the stranger, the unwanted and the unnoticed, welcoming and caring for the Christ in each other. We value the uniqueness of each individual. We enable all to participate actively and contribute to the community of St Lucy’s.

IndividualityEvery individual is precious as each has been uniquely made in the image of God. We rejoice in and celebrate difference, know and accept each one’s gifts and acknowledge the life and faith journey of each.

JoyfulnessThe experience of joy is a way to God. Our own experiences of joy call us to assist in the transformation of the suffering and pain of those who do not know the fullness of joy.

JusticeChrist calls us to stand compassionately with those in need to help them seek for themselves their rights and dignity when these are denied.

KnowledgeWe see complexities and contradictions as capable of ultimate resolution within God. The Dominican value is to thirst for understanding and life meanings. We evaluate new thoughts, ideas and movements carefully before passing judgement.

Peace and peacefulnessPeace in Dominican terms is developing right and just relationships with others. We are committed to healing and reconciliation between peoples based on justice, responding with Christ’s compassion and forgiveness to all.

The aestheticWe view all people, including ourselves, as a work of God’s art. We value and explore creative and artistic expression as an expression of God’s being. We foster the imagination and creativity within each individual.

Unity of creationThe interdependence of all God’s creation calls us to collective stewardship of our earth. We believe that the entire world’s people should be able to access its natural and manufactured goods.


As part of creation, we accept our responsibility for a just sharing of resources.

Contemplation and prayerWe seek to nourish the children’s inner spiritual life and to satisfy the hunger for the sacred in us all, exploring forms of prayer and worship that are meaningful to the children and pleasing to God.

SCHOOL PROFILESt Lucy’s School Wahroonga is an incorporated body owned by the Dominican Sisters of Eastern Australia and the Solomon Islands and managed by a Board of Directors. St Lucy’s is an independent, primary, co-educational special school, registered (Years K-6) by the (NSW) Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards.

St Lucy’s caters to primary aged students on our main campus in Sydney’s Wahroonga and in satellite classes on the Northern Beaches. At St Lucy’s, we view each child individually to unlock their unique potential and encourage them to become independent. We provide a holistic education, offering outstanding academic programs taught by special educators. Access to the programs is achieved through the involvement of the Therapy Services Team. The Therapy Services comprise Speech Pathology, Occupational Therapy and Psychologists. It is part of our mission to raise awareness of issues pertaining to disability in the wider community.

Teaching and LearningThe St Lucy’s curriculum is based on the six BOSTES Key Learning Areas and is delivered at our main campus in Wahroonga and satellite classes by specialist staff including teachers, teacher’s aides, therapists and creative artists.

Planning and programming in each learning area requires a high level of differentiation, with teaching and learning strategies selected to meet the strengths and needs of individual students within each class. St Lucy’s staff utilise the latest research to inform teaching and learning and view collaboration between teams of staff and parents as key to successful outcomes for students. Each student has an Individual Education Plan which is informed by parent’s priorities and detailed assessment information. St Lucy’s acknowledges the role of parents as primary educators of their children and supports them as partners in learning.

Additional programs are offered to further develop student’s academic, creative and social skills. These include the Reading Tutor Program, Mathematics with Meaning, Handwriting Without Tears, Creative Arts’ scholarships, play programs and after school programs.

Professional learning is provided to parents, external educators and therapists by our expert staff.


Spiritual Life of St Lucy’s The Dominican Order celebrated their 800 year Jubilee in 2016. The staff had extensive preparation provided in leading up to the Jubilee year. A retreat day was held to further consolidate the Dominican Charism as part of the story and person of Jesus. Marg O’Shea supported the day and spent time with the Leadership Team assisting in the promotion and celebration of the 800 years of the Order of Preachers which had a theme of preaching the Gospel. Sr Helen’s contribution to the Jubilee and indeed all aspects of the spiritual life of the school has been invaluable.

The newly expanded position of Religious Education Coordinator (REC) has enhanced the spiritual life of the school. Increased involvement of the Parish Priest Fr David Ranson and the Bishop has been greatly beneficial to the religious life of the school. Fr David’s wisdom and compassion pervades all his interactions with St Lucy’s children, parents and staff.

A comprehensive Sacramental Policy was developed involving Sr Helen, the REC, Parish Priest, and Bishop. Eight children received the sacraments of Confirmation, Reconciliation and First Eucharist and one was baptised in 2016.

Pastoral Care Pastoral Care at St Lucy’s extends to families as well as to the students enrolled at the School. All staff see their role as being one of support and understanding. The Religious Education Coordinator and Sister Helen worked with Mrs Jennifer Gregory (who is employed in the role of Pastoral Care worker) to meet with parents, grandparents and carers. Ministering to the families particularly by listening, our Pastoral Care workers have enabled individuals to gain a new perspective or a sense of not travelling alone. Assistance in identifying and accessing support services outside the school is another means of support. Pastoral Care at St Lucy’s also includes the facilitation of support groups which can be a venue for a “letting go” of stress and anxiety, even if only for a brief respite. Sharing stories over morning or afternoon tea in an atmosphere of trust and confidentiality have provided much-needed companionship and encouragement.

A Men’s Group was introduced because of a significant need amongst Dads. Gatherings are held each Term with time for Dads to discuss the pressures on their wives and on themselves. About 25 Dads attended each gathering.

The St Lucy’s Respite Committee whose brief it is to look at ways that St Lucy’s can further support families in caring for their child and provide respite to family members, held an evening for parents to have an evening out while staff looked after the children. St Lucy’s held a Siblings Day with about 30 siblings attending. The St Lucy’s Holiday Program was well attended and greatly appreciated by parents.

Additionally, in partnership with the Therapy Services team, free information evenings are facilitated on a range of topics relevant to the needs of the children and families of St Lucy’s. When needed, Pastoral Care at St Lucy’s also includes the provision of meals for families experiencing difficulty such as illness etc. Under the umbrella of OASIS, our Pastoral Care seeks to offer St Lucy’s families partnership, support and refreshment.

Parents frequently express their gratitude for the enormous support offered by the staff at St Lucy’s School.


CHARACTERISTICS OF THE STUDENT BODY

Students by Primary Disability

Primary Disability Boys Girls Total

Autism Spectrum Disorder 51 14 65

Cognitive Disability: mild 9 8 17

Cognitive Disability: moderate-severe 25 13 38

Cognitive Disability: Severe 10 5 15

Mental health 1 - 1

Grand Total 96 40 136

Students by Gender and Year2016 KG Y1 Y2 Y3 Y4 Y5 Y6 TOTAL

Girls 6 10 3 4 3 8 6 40

% 15% 25% 8% 10% 8% 20% 15% 100%

Boys 28 19 9 11 14 10 5 96

% 29% 20% 9% 11% 15% 10% 5% 100%

TOTALS 34 29 12 15 17 18 11 136

% 25% 21% 9% 11% 13% 13% 8% 100%

STUDENT OUTCOMES IN STANDARDISED NATIONAL LITERACY AND NUMERACY TESTING In 2016, four year 5 students from St Lucy’s took part in the NAPLAN (National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy). No students participated from year 3. Achievement for year 5 is reported from Bands 3 to 8 with a National Minimum Standard of Band 4. Students scoring below the National Minimum Standard have not yet achieved the learning outcomes expected for their year level and require targeted intervention. Students achieved Band 4 and above for twelve out of nineteen tests which is a fantastic result. Pleasing individual results include a student who achieved two Band 5’s, and another student who achieved one Band 5.

SENIOR SECONDARY OUTCOMES (STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT) This part of the report is not relevant to St Lucy’s School.


TEACHER QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL LEARNING Teacher qualificationsThe following table provides details of the qualifications of St Lucy’s teaching staff who were employed during 2016.

Qualifications Number

Graduates in Teaching or Special Education 12

Post-graduate Special Education Qualifications 2

Masters Degree 7

Total Teacher Headcount 21

Professional Learning The following table provides information pertaining to the professional learning provided by external providers undertaken by St Lucy’s staff during 2016.

Training Category Staff Attending Total Days

Augmentative Communication 1 1

Compliance 4 4.5

First Aid - Course 1 2

First Aid - School All-Staff 1

Leadership 1 1

Administration and Support 3 8

Spiritual & Personal Development All-Staff 0.5

Pastoral Care 2 1

Teaching and Learning 14 78

Therapy 1 8

Vision & Hearing 2 1

WHS/Safety 3 3


WORKFORCE COMPOSITION The table below shows the workforce composition in 2016.

Staff Category Head Count Full-Time Equivalent

Teachers 21 17.2

Teachers’ Aides 22 18.8

Admin, Business Office & IT 7 6.1

Artists in Residence 6 1.9

Development Office 3 2.8

Therapists 6 4.4

PE 1 1.0

Pastoral 2 0.5

Maintenance 1 1.0

Total 69 53.7

STUDENT ATTENDANCE RATESThe student attendance rate in 2016 was 93.71% , which is an average of 11.6 days absent per student.

Student attendance rates by year group

Year Percentage attendance

K 90.70

1 91.10

2 96.70

3 95.09

4 94.57

5 93.23

6 94.59

Management of non-attendance St Lucy’s monitors and keeps appropriate attendance records thus meeting it’s obligations with regard to student’s education, safety, protection and well-being. Student attendance is recorded daily on the student management database. Parents/guardians email absent@stlucys, as well as the class staff if their child is away to notify of absence, and provide the reason. All cases of unsatisfactory attendance and unexplained part or full day absences from school are investigated promptly. Unexplained absences will be acted upon as follows:

Names of children with an extended, unapproved absence (more than 5 days) or who are regularly absent must be reported to the Principal and Registrar by the class teacher and administration person on front desk. This also applies for children who are frequently late (on more than 5 occasions) without an acceptable reason. The Principal will act upon unsatisfactory attendance by organising a meeting with or sending correspondence to the parents/guardians. The attendance issue and any action taken


will be recorded, as appropriate, on the student file. In cases where a student has an unexplained absence that exceeds 30 days in 100, the Principal will access the mandatory reporters section of the Keep Them Safe website to determine whether a report is required.

Enrolment Policy St Lucy’s School is an independent Catholic Special School which is part of the Mission of the Dominican Sisters of Eastern Australia and the Solomon Islands. St Lucy’s provides for children with a wide range of disabilities that include cognitive impairment, autism and/or language disability. “The School’s policies, which are made from time to time, are made pursuant to the registration requirements set out in section 47 of the NSW Education Act and the Board of Stud-ies, Teaching and Educational Standards.”

PurposeThis Policy and appendices detail the guiding principles, eligibility criteria and procedures for enrolment.

ScopeThis Policy document is to be provided to parents or carers who are considering enrolment of their child at St Lucy’s School or whose child is enrolled at the School.

The School is committed to ensuring that it complies with the requirements of the following Legislation:

• Disability Discrimination legislation• Child Protection legislation• Workplace Health and Safety legislation• State and Commonwealth Education Acts

The PolicySt Lucy’s was established as a Special School for Catholic children, but is open to children from other faith backgrounds provided that the Catholic ethos of the school is accepted and respect-ed. It is expected that students and their families will participate in the liturgical and spiritual life of the school.Where places are available, enrolment will be accepted provided that the applicant’s needs can be met by the pedagogical philosophy and strategies of St Lucy’s and the availability of place-ment in the appropriate class or student group where the relevant vacancy exists.

Enrolment is at the sole discretion of the Principal, who will take into consideration the school’s capacity to educate and provide for the appropriate care of the student. The need to avoid unjustifiable hardship to other students or the School will also be considered.

• Comprehensive information regarding the student’s eligibility for enrolment must be provided, to-gether will full disclosure of the student’s support needs. This includes those required to support behaviour management and other specific requirements and/or adjustments. Failure to comply with this responsibility to disclose may jeopardise an offer, or continuation, of enrolment.

• Proof that the student meets the enrolment criteria, and any other documentation requested by the School, must be supplied.

• If the applicant is from overseas, the Principal or Registrar must be able to sight his/her ORIGINAL passport, visa and citizenship documents. The applicant must meet all other enrolment require-ments and all supporting documents must be accompanied by certified copies in English.

If Government funding does not apply to the student, his/her parents/guardians must agree in writing to meet the full cost of the student’s education for enrolment to proceed.


OTHER SCHOOL POLICIESStudent Welfare and Discipline The St Lucy’s Pastoral Care of Students and Positive Behaviour Support Policies provide processes by which St Lucy’s seeks to provide a safe and supportive environment to support the mental, physical and emotional wellbeing of students. St Lucy’s School, as a Catholic school, recognises that the Gospel values of love, compassion, reconciliation and justice foster an environment which caters to the needs of all members with students’ needs being of primary concern. We recognise and respect the worth of every individual, helping all to achieve their full potential. St Lucy’s adopts a positive behaviour approach in the management of students which consists of reinforcing appropriate behaviour and ignoring inappropriate behaviour which is not injurious.

When a student’s behaviour becomes injurious to the student or others, a functional assessment of the student’s behaviour is undertaken to identify the triggers and likely reinforcers so that the environment can be adjusted accordingly. Consequences for continuing inappropriate behaviour range from time-out to loss of privileges such as a favoured activity. When inappropriate behaviour continues to concern staff, parents are informed and a team approach to positive behaviour support is undertaken. Corporal punishment is not used at St Lucy’s under any circumstances.

Exclusion from school is used very rarely and only when a child’s behaviour is such that the safety and well-being of other children is compromised and the school needs time to put appropriate behavioural responses in place. This will only be after an extended period of documented intervention.

Occasionally it becomes apparent that St Lucy’s is not the right place for a particular child, either because they need more intensive supervision than St Lucy’s pedagogy and staff structures can provide or because the St Lucy’s academic, social or physical environment is judged to be inappropriate for the student. Such a decision will be taken by the school in consultation with parents and often with external professionals or service providers.

The full text of the school’s Pastoral Care of Students, Discipline and Positive Behaviour Support Policies can be accessed by request from the Principal or from the school.

Anti-bullying The school Bullying: Preventing and Responding to Bullying Policy provides processes for responding and managing allegations of bullying. The full text of the school’s Anti-bullying policy can be accessed by request from the Principal or from the school.

Complaints and grievancesIf a parent or staff member or member of the public has a complaint, the first step is for them to meet with the staff member most involved to discuss the issue of concern. If the complainant remains dissatisfied, the second step is to put the complaint in writing to the Principal who will then respond. If still dissatisfied, the complainant may write to the Principal who will pass it on to the School Board. The Board’s response will depend on the circumstances and nature of the complaint. Where appropriate, external expertise will be called upon. St Lucy’s School is committed to the principles of due process, procedural fairness and transparency.


SCHOOL DETERMINED PRIORITY AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT Goals for 2016Commence implementation of the ICT Strategic ReviewAn ICT Steering Committee, consisting of Executive, teachers and the IT Coordinator were appointed to explore and implement the aspects of the review pertaining to teaching and learning.

St Lucy’s Server platform hardware was replaced and upgraded. In addition, a WIFI network was installed across the school buildings and playground.

Review the Spirituality Scope and Sequence with further development of resources and strategies for teaching and learningThe Spirituality Scope and Sequence was reviewed by the REC in collaboration with Sister Helen and Marg O’Shea, the Promoter of Charism in Dominican Schools. The Curriculum was further deepened and more closely aligned to the Diocese of Broken Bay’s Religious Education curriculum.

Implement the Revised Professional Learning Plans for Teaching Staff and TherapistsTeachers and Therapists developed Professional Learning Plans, identifying goals and appropriate learning strategies to meet these goals. Strategies included external Professional Development, involvement in professional networks, collaborative work groups, and observation of additional programs at St Lucy’s. Teachers and Therapists also identified staff with particular expertise for observation at St Lucy’s and from other schools. The implementation of the Professional Learning Plans resulted in increased dialogue and capacity.

Develop a Masterplan for St Lucy’s and commence planning for a Building ProjectSt Lucy’s appointed an Architect in October 2016 to develop a Masterplan and Stage 1 of the building project. As part of this process a series of workshops were then held with parents, staff and the Board to provide input into the Masterplan and Stage 1 of the building project. The Masterplan will be finalised in 2017.

Develop a Risk RegisterRisk Register was prepared and presented to the Board and deferred for discussion until early 2017.

Goals for 2017• Finalise a Building Master Plan • Review the implementation of Professional Learning Plans and further develop across departments• Review existing initiatives to enhance the well-being of staff• Evaluate the use of ICT resources across the school• Implement the Handwriting Without Tears program• Orientate the newly appointed Principal for 2017• Orientate the newly appointed REC


INITIATIVES PROMOTING RESPECT AND RESPONSIBILITY The School rules were implemented, modelled, and reinforced to students. The rules are Be Kind; Be Safe; Be Your Best. Positions of responsibility for students that promote respect and responsibility are embedded in activities undertaken in the classroom and whole school initiatives.

Students from several high schools and universities were welcomed into the school in 2016, to participate in practicum sessions and community service. Each of these students were taken through an induction to St Lucy’s and disability and given the opportunity to work closely with our teachers and students.

Parent satisfactionParent satisfaction was measured by a school improvement survey of parents.

Fifty nine parents completed the online survey; a response rate of 45%. The survey provided evidence that parent satisfaction pertaining to many aspects of the School’s operations and service delivery was high. An analysis of the data obtained from the survey is used to ensure continued school improvement. In addition to the school improvements survey, exit surveys of parents whose children were leaving were undertaken to determine satisfaction levels of these parents.

From the School Improvement Survey the results were:• 84% of parents feel that the teachers expect their child to do his/her best.• 90% of parents feel that Individual Education Planning meetings with my child’s teacher are useful.• 75% of parents feel that teachers at St Lucy’s provide my child and me with useful feedback

about his/her school work.• 93% of parents feel that teachers at St Lucy’s treat students fairly.• 95% of parents feel that I can talk to my child’s teachers about my concerns.• 86% of parents feel that teachers at St Lucy’s motivate my child to learn.• 93% of parents feel that my child is making good progress socially at St Lucy’s.• 84% of parents feel that St Lucy’s works with me to support my child’s learning.• 79% of parents feel that they are happy with the academic progress their child has made this year.• 98% of parents feel their child is safe at St Lucy’s.

Student satisfactionThe use of a school improvement survey to measure student satisfaction is not an appropriate tool to measure the satisfaction of the majority of St Lucy’s students. At St Lucy’s, student satisfaction can reasonably be measured by parent report. The majority of parents, when surveyed, report that their child is very happy at St Lucy’s.

Staff satisfactionStaff satisfaction was measured by a school improvement survey of staff conducted on-line at the end of 2016. Thirty eight staff completed the survey; a response rate of 69%. The survey provided evidence that staff satisfaction pertaining to many aspects of their employment at the school was high and that staff would recommend St Lucy’s as a place to work. An analysis of the data is used to ensure ongoing school improvements.


SUMMARY FINANCIAL INFORMATION Finances State and Commonwealth grants contributed 66% of St Lucy’s operating revenue in 2016. The primary component of ‘Fees and Private Income’ and ‘Other Capital Income’ is donations and fundraising which provided a total of 22.4% of overall income. St Lucy’s School is reliant on these donations and fundraising to cover it’s operating deficit.

The Revenue and Expenses for the 2016 year are shown in the graphs below:

St Lucy’s Expenses for 2016

Salaries, allowances and related Expenses 73%

Non Salary Expenses 21%

Capital Expenditure, 6%

St Lucy’s Revenue for 2016

Fees andPrivate Income, 19%

CommonwealthRecurrent Grants, 34%

StateRecurrent Grants, 32%

Other Capital Income, 15%


FUND AND FRIEND-RAISING The role of the St Lucy’s School Foundation is to work to secure the future of the school by helping to offset the annual deficit. The Foundation is managed by the Foundation Trust Board of Directors. In addition, the school is supported by the Foundation Advisory Council, a body made up of parents and friends of the school who support its fundraising activities.

The Foundation Advisory Council is served by the school’s Development Office whose goal is to maintain a sustainable income stream, organise fundraising events and campaigns, nurture donors, manage the Bequest program and seek grants and donations. The Development Office oversees the school’s branding and identity through publications, the school website and our social media presence.

The management of the volunteer network at St Lucy’s is a very critical part of the Development Office. This includes our wonderful Classroom, Reading Tutor Program, Mathematics with Meaning, Swimming and administration volunteers as well as our invaluable corporate volunteers.

2016 was full of activities within the St Lucy’s community. The annual St Lucy’s Parliament House Lunch with David Gonski as the guest speaker was a huge success and the financial support from the corporate community has been tremendous.

Our Week Without Words campaign has the dual purpose of raising awareness for those who live with a communication disability in our community and to raise funds to pay for speech therapy, behaviour programs and communication devices that enable our children to have a voice.

Other events included Red Energy’s installation of 95 x JA Solar 265W polycrystalline panels on the gymnasium roof and a Panasonic lithium-ion 8kWh battery. We also welcomed former Principal Jo Karaolis’ to celebrate her ‘With Enough Love’ book launch, Parent’s Retreat, Grandparents’ Days, Volunteer thank you events, the New Parents’ Welcome Picnic and Sacramental celebrations. The children’s celebrations also included a very successful Book Week, Easter Hat Parade, St Dominic’s Day, Siblings’ Day, Christmas Concert.

PUBLICATION REQUIREMENTS The 2016 St Lucy’s Annual Report will be published by 30 June 2017. The Annual Report will be made available to the BOSTES online. The report will be published in hard copy and made available from the School. It will also be made available to the public online, on the School’s website.

In addition to formal requirements for publication relating to the Annual Report, St Lucy’s School notes that information may be requested at any time by the NSW or Australian Governments and in order to meet the requirement to have policies and procedures that will facilitate the provision of data to the Minister if any additional information is required at any time (Ref: Registered and Accredited Individual Non-Government Schools (NSW) Manual 3.10.2). Additional information that is requested by the Minister will be provided to the BOSTES in an online or appropriate electronic form.

Documents

St Lucy’s School Annual Report 2016 · 2017-06-23 · St Lucy’s School Annual Report 2016 21 Cleveland Street, ... architects Stanton Dahl and Associates to consult with the community