The Hills School Annual Report

The Hills SchoolAnnual Report

2017

5688

Printed on: 22 July, 2018Page 1 of 24 The Hills School 5688 (2017)

Introduction

The Annual Report for 2017 is provided to the community of The Hills School as an account of the school's operationsand achievements throughout the year.

It provides a detailed account of the progress the school has made to provide high quality educational opportunities forall students, as set out in the school plan. It outlines the findings from self–assessment that reflect the impact of keyschool strategies for improved learning and the benefit to all students from the expenditure of resources, including equityfunding.

Peter Gurrier–Jones

Principal

School contact details

The Hills SchoolMary StNorthmead, 2152www.thehills-s.schools.nsw.edu.authehills-s.School@det.nsw.edu.au9639 8448

Message from the Principal

It has been another wonderful year of great learning and success at The Hills School. Students have participated fully inthe many, carefully planned learning opportunities that they have been presented with throughout the year. It iswonderful to be able to lead a school with such enthusiastic learners, dedicated and highly skilled staff and a fantasticparent/carer community.

During the course of the year, students have given their best while learning and growing in many wonderful ways.Outlined within this report are the many excellent student achievements, programs and initiatives showcasing the greatteaching and learning programs taking place at our school. The Hills School embraces a genuine whole–team approachthat is required to best support the unique learning needs of our students.

The role that the students, staff, families and wider community play in contributing to student learning and to the life ofthe school is highly valued. Also greatly appreciated is the involvement and contribution of The Hills School P&C. Wethank The Hills School P&C for their assistance in helping to make The Hills School a dynamic school and community tobe a part of.

Working together, the school has achieved great progress as we work towards accomplishing the key goals outlined inour school's three Strategic Directions. Progress made during 2017 has also assisted in informing the school's goals aswe move into 2018 and beyond. Outlined within this report are the many and varied highlights and achievements of2017.

The opportunity to be Principal of The Hills School is a great pleasure. I am very proud of all our students. I am alsothankful to the terrific parent and carer community as well as the committed and skill of staff. To all the students, Icongratulate you on your hard work, positive attitude and your achievements throughout the year. We look forward toachieving many more great things in 2018.

Peter Gurrier–Jones

Principal


School background

School vision statement

At The Hills School, we believe that we are all growing in our learning and understanding each and every day. Webelieve that learning is best when it is fun, purposeful and when it takes place as part of a connection with others. As aresult –

The Hills School guiding vision is:

“We Love Learning”

Ten individual, yet interrelating goals form the foundation for our school’s values, direction and aspirations.

The Hills School Goals are: • Opportunity; • Community; • Achievement; • Friendship; • Safety; • Learning; • Independence; • Communication; • Functionality & • Fun.

School context

The Hills School at Northmead, is a caring and supportive learning community providing quality educational programs forstudents with a diverse range of learning needs, from Kindergarten to Year 12 (113 students).

The Hills School caters for students with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities, which may include physicaldisabilities, sensory impairments or Autism Spectrum Disorder. The school has modern, specialised assistivetechnologies and state–of–the–art facilities including a heated indoor pool. In addition, numerous attractive,well–resourced and engaging playgrounds provide for a calm, positive and purposeful learning environment.

The school has established links with partner primary and high schools and has a proud tradition of promoting studentparticipation and inclusion in the arts, sport and leadership initiatives. Student achievement is rewarded and widelycelebrated. The Hills School prizes its parents and caregivers as key partners in their child’s education. Highly skilled andcaring staff are guided by an inclusive, collaborative ethos ensuring a shared vision and approach to rich, individualisedteaching and learning programs. The Hills School strives to establish and maintain quality community partnerships thatbenefit all involved.

The school vision, 'We Love Learning' is supported by strong school–wide belief and ethos that is reflected andembraced in positive behavioural approaches and student learning within the school.


Self-assessment and school achievement

Self-assessment using the School Excellence Framework

This section of the Annual Report outlines the findings from self–assessment using the School Excellence Framework,school achievements and the next steps to be pursued.

This year, our school undertook self–assessment using the School Excellence Framework (Version 2). The frameworksupports public schools throughout NSW in the pursuit of excellence by providing a clear description of high qualitypractice across the three domains of Learning, Teaching and Leading.

The Hills School is committed to demonstrating excellence in learning, teaching and leading as it strives to positivelyinfluence student outcomes. Working in partnership with parents, carers and the community to impact on studentlearning and engagement is a key priority.

LEARNING

Learning Culture

The School is delivering on its aim to provide and promote a positive and productive learning culture. Staff workcollaboratively with parents and carers to help deliver on both individual and wider whole–school learning priorities. TheSchool sets high expectations for learners while ensuring the correct and necessary learning supports are in place.Teachers work together to help ensure smooth transitions for students across learning stages and smooth transition intopost–school options programs. Systems are in place to help promote regular and consistent school attendance bystudents. The well–developed policies, programs and processes assist in identifying, addressing and monitoring studentlearning needs. Positive parent/carer and staff survey data help provide evidence of the positive and valued learningculture within the school.

Wellbeing

The School is delivering, sustaining and growing on the key focus areas of promoting and nurturing the wellbeing ofstudents, staff and the community through clear structures and positive practices and approaches. The School'scommitment to Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) principles, open and regular communication with families, togetherwith key survey data are a number of ways the school is delivering in this endeavour. The individual learning needs ofeach and every student at the school is recognised, recorded and planned for through a number of school systemsincluding student Individual Education Plans (IEPs). Staff recognise the important role of communication and working inpartnerships with families to enhance students' general wellbeing and to promote improved student outcomes.

Curriculum and Learning

The School is delivering on its strong and ongoing commitment to provide a quality, meaningful, individualised andengaging curriculum. Individual Education Plans (IEPs) are a key aspect of this commitment, developed to meetindividual student learning needs. A crucial aspect in the success of these plans is the involvement of parents and carersduring plan development. The School provides additional support to students and families through transition periodsas seen within the School Plan (2015 – 2017). Also prioritised is the development of ongoing student success in a varietyof settings. This being a clear focus when writing learning and teaching programs. The School is committed to workingcollaboratively with Post–School Option programs and centres, maximising the opportunity for student success andlearning. At the forefront of school and teacher planning is the school's commitment to the learning and teaching cycle.This focus and school system helps ensure the school is providing an engaging and differentiated curriculum to meet allour students' diverse learning needs. The Communication Passport, which details additional differentiated goals,assessment markers and learning opportunities, enables the school to link outcomes and content as outlined in the NSWSyllabus. A whole–school approach to identify and address student learning needs is the result of successful schoolsystems and staff collaboration.

Assessment and Reporting

The School is delivering in its pursuit to develop and implement school–wide practices for quality assessment andreporting. Supervisors and teachers work together assessing, monitoring, adjusting and reporting on student learningacross the curriculum. A variety of assessment tools are used by teachers to monitor student learning and progress,including syllabus outcomes and content, The Communication Passport, Task Analysis and student support checklists.This enables programs and strategies to be adjusted as required. Parents and carers are involved in the culture of awhole–school approach with respect to the student's learning journey. Throughout the year, formal and informalcommunication and meetings with parents and carers take place. These school–family relationships impact positively on


student learning outcomes. Student success and learning is outlined in student reports. Reports and IEP meetingshelp provide and set future student learning directions. Parents and carers are encouraged to provide feedback. Thisfeedback enables the school to monitor the clarity of communication contained within student reports.

Student Performance Measures

The school is delivering in the pursuit to achieve value–added results. Students' strengths and future areas ofdevelopment are identified through assessment, syllabus standards and through consultation with families as part ofstudent IEPs. Programs are developed in consultation with parents and carers. Formal and informal assessments takeinto consideration the 'whole child' when carefully monitoring each students' skill levels. Over time, student success andlearning is monitored, enabling adjustments to teaching strategies and curriculum to be made. The School recogniseshighly and celebrates, individual student learning and success. The success of whole–school systems to support studentlearning and success in a variety of environments is regularly reviewed and adjusted as appropriate. Data and feedbackhelp guide and inform decision making.

TEACHING

Effective Classroom Practice

The School is delivering on the commitment to provide high quality, effective and rich teaching and learning programs forstudents. The best opportunity for student learning success is provided through careful and strategically engineeredlearning environments. Formal checklists, Communication Passport Data, Syllabus standards and strong supervisorsupport through an instructional leadership model are a variety of methods used by teachers to assist in monitoringteaching programs. These methods are also used to monitor the effectiveness and impact of specifically designedlearning environments. Students are carefully assessed ensuring the most appropriate communication support structuresare in place and used consistently. There are systems in place to share with the staff the support needs individualstudents require to help promote school–wide understanding and consistency in approach when working with individualstudents throughout the school.

Data Skills and Use

The School is delivering in the way data is used, assisting in whole–school decision making. Teachers carefullyreview individual student progress from data collected. This data assists teachers in the development of learningprograms. Syllabus standards, communication, behaviour, social and personal development are a range of studentlearning areas from which information on student performance is collected. This information is used to help staff, parents,carers, therapists, medical professionals, transition and respite environments work in a collaborative and informed way tohelp promote student learning and success across a range of environments. The teaching and learning cycle is a modelthat is used to help ensure that data and deep knowledge of the student by the teacher informs future decision makingand helps review progress.

Professional Standards

All teachers participate in shared classroom visits by colleagues. This strengthens their commitment to raise theirstandard of practice, enabling learning opportunities for our students to be maximised. Personal Development Plans(PDPs) are individually written by the teachers. These PDPs assist teachers when engaging in self–reflection, makingpossible future goal setting and implementation. PDPs also help ensure that there is an alignment of personal goals withschool goals and direction. The School Executive works together with teachers supporting and assisting them tocontinually raise their professional standards. The School is delivering in developing a culture which promotescollaboration, shared commitment and life–long learning for all. This culture enables teachers to recognise andcontinually raise their level of professional practice. The school Executive work with teachers to maintain and also pursuehigher levels of teacher accrediation.

Collaborative Practice

Under the leadership of supervisors, teachers engage in collaborative planning and program development. Collaborativeplanning includes, but is not limited to: program development, assessment, social skills and movement programs,personal development programs, work–skills programming and community access programs. To promote a culture ofshared responsibility and common understanding amongst staff, practices supporting student learning andengagement are regularly and strategically shared at staff meetings. The Hills School is delivering and providing carefullydesigned systems for collaboration and feedback.

Learning and Development

Professional learning for staff is carefully aligned to the School Plan. The school has a clear focus on quality teaching,leadership, communication and life–long learning for all. Carefully planned professional learning programs targeting key


aspects of learning and teaching have involved teacher, School Learning Support Officer (SLSO) and SchoolAdministrative and Support Staff (SASS) participation. These make reference to school processes, supports, structures,vision and purpose. Performance and Development Plans (PDPs) have been written, and are followed by staff. Thepositive and valuable role played by staff in the lives of students is recognised and reinforced through surveys andparent/carer feedback. The school successfully delivers in embodying a community of people working togetherand assisting students to grow and thrive. The positive impact on student learning is supported by the strong learningand development programs, initiatives and structures for staff. The innovative programs and approaches to teaching andlearning and systems that exist within the school is recognised through the school's participation and leading of a'School–Plus – Success for Complex Learners' cluster of schools from around the state and the winning of an associatedgrant from Schools Plus for the cluster of schools involved.

LEADING

Leadership

The Hills School Leadership Team is highly committed to promoting student learning, engagement and wellbeing. TheLeadership Team is delivering on its goal of setting and maintaining high expectations with regards to professionalteacher performance and development. Systems and instructional leadership models are in place to support the ongoingprofessional learning, development and positive practice of the teachers within the school. The Leadership Teamrecognises the collaboration and teamwork required across the whole school. This maximises the opportunity for studentlearning and success and helps to identify and develop strengths and skills of individual staff members. The positiveengagement of families as partners is vital in the pursuit of student learning. Providing student learning and opportunity isassisted by the school's long history of engaging with numerous community members and organisations. The Schoolpromotes community, opportunity and learning for all by supporting ongoing links with partner schools (both Primary andSecondary), therapists, local charity and social enterprise organisations, volunteer programs, universities, professionalpartners and coach and mentor partners.

School Planning, Implementation and Reporting

The key focus areas and strategic directions outlined in the School Plan (2015–2017) and in the upcoming School Plan(2018–2020) are evident in daily practices and planning at The School. The School has a firm commitment to developingall aspects of students' communication through delivery of quality teaching and leadership practices. Key consideration isgiven to and promoted through: life–long learning for students, staff, families and the wider community. The School isdelivering on the goals outlined in the School Plan. This is evident through achievements recorded in milestones.Adopting a culture of shared purpose, staff and families work together promoting learning opportunities and success forstudents. This enables the school to take great pleasure in recognising and celebrating success and achievement.Formal and informal monitoring of student progress, school planning, staff development and partnerships with familiesassist in decision making and in the promotion of ongoing learning and success for all.

School Resources

The Hills School is delivering on achieving improved student outcomes through the strategic aligning ofresources. The alignment of financial, physical and staff resources with current student learning needs requires regularreviews. To assist in maximising learning opportunities for students, access to the curriculum and promotion of wellbeingfor students, staff and families, resources are identified, allocated and reviewed. The collaborative approach to studentlearning and wellbeing, together with partnerships formed with parents, carers, therapists, medical practitioners and otherkey stakeholders in individual student's lives assist in allowing these resources to be appropriately allocated. Decisionmaking regarding the use and deployment of resources and the use of facilities and learning spaces is driven by theneeds of the students and the priorities identified within the School Plan.

Management Practices and Processes

The School's Leadership Team assist staff in their continual development of their own life–long learning as theyimplement quality teaching and learning programs for their students. The Leadership Team continues their commitmentto carefully align administrative and organisational structures to ultimately help maximise opportunity for student learningsuccess. The Hills School has developed supervision and support structures, enabling improved prospects for teacherswhen providing a pathway of learning for their individual students. These structures also provide teachers withopportunities to engage and work collaboratively with others. The School Leadership Team regularly seek and areprovided with, constructive and informed feedback from staff and families. The regular communication of schoolprotocols, procedures and practices is exchanged through meetings, informal and formal dialogue and the distribution ofinformation, continually referencing NSW Department of Education and other legislative requirements. The pursuit toprovide a quality and positive impacting learning environment for all students is promoted through the school deliveringon its commitment to establish processes which promote professional effectiveness. Survey data from students, familiesand staff help provide evidence of the success the school has achieved in these areas. The data received has alsoassisted in informing decision making.

Our self–assessment process assists the school to refine the strategic priorities in our School Plan, leading to further


improvements in the delivery of education to our students and ongoing improvement in building successful partnershipsand collaborative practice.

For more information about the School Excellence Framework:

https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching–and–learning/school–excellence–and–accountability/sef–evidence–guide


Strategic Direction 1

Developing student communication is the foundation for student progress and achievement.

Purpose

To develop quality teaching practice which fully considers each student’s current level of communication, incorporating:explicit assessment, individualised planning and differentiated teaching practice.

Accurately assessed student communication helps ensure IEPs, teacher instruction and family input best meet and buildupon student ability and potential.

Overall summary of progress

Teachers have worked in partnership with families to identify key learning goals to help support student learning anddevelopment in the area of communication. Teachers have used a variety of resources made available to them to helpidentify the specific supports students require to assist in the development of their communication. Through theframework of The Communication Passport, data is collected each semester and is recorded to track student progressacross the year, and across years, when combined with previously collected data on student communication.

Additional resources have been developed and progressively shared among teachers across learning groups andimplemented within programs and teaching strategies to better support student learning in the area of communication.Teachers have begun formally sharing communication data with families through reports and IEP meetings to help shapefuture learning goals and directions, particularly in the area of communication.

Staff worked collaboratively to identify key communication words, photos, symbols and real objects for our studentsacross the school. A uniform approach with regards to presentation and image was adopted to help promote consistencyacross the school. This common approach and agreed–upon consistent images have assisted in allowing teachers todifferentiate the communication supports for each student within their class, while keeping the supports familiar tostudents across the school. Research was used by the school to inform our approach and presentation of thecommunication supports.

The Hills School has been working in partnership with a cluster of schools as part of a 'Fair Education – Schools Plus'grant to continue to develop and share innovative programs and practices. This involvement has assisted in helping toinform and refine the resources we are writing, and teaching strategies we are incorporating, to promote improvedstudent communication in our school setting and beyond.

Progress towards achieving improvement measures

Improvement measures(to be achieved over 3 years)

Funds Expended(Resources)

Progress achieved this year

100% of teachers accessing andusing the CommunicationPassport, the AustralianCurriculum and the NSW DECLiteracy Continuum to accuratelyrecord students’ communicationand literacy skills, report onprogress and to plan for futuredirections.

Total funds (resources)spent acrossinterconnected StrategicDirections 1, 2 & 3:

$45,954 Socio–EconomicBackground

$4,754 AboriginalBackground

$23,198 English LanguageProficiency

$28,156 ProfessionalLearning

$10,788 BeginningTeacher Support

– 100% of students assessed using theCommunication Passport, linked to syllabusoutcomes and tracked across semesters andyears.

– School–wide data collected

– Instructional leadership model used to helpdeepen and broaden teachers' knowledge andprofessional practice.






100% of teachers accessing andusing the CommunicationPassport, the AustralianCurriculum and the NSW DECLiteracy Continuum to accuratelyrecord students’ communicationand literacy skills, report onprogress and to plan for futuredirections.

$32,910 QTTS

$1,794 Literacy andNumeracy

– 100% of students assessed using theCommunication Passport, linked to syllabusoutcomes and tracked across semesters andyears.

– School–wide data collected

– Instructional leadership model used to helpdeepen and broaden teachers' knowledge andprofessional practice.

100% of students demonstratingprogression in communicationand/or literacy using a range ofappropriate tools and strategiesas outlined in the CommunicationPassport, the AustralianCurriculum and the NSW DECLiteracy Continuum.







$32,910 QTTS


– Teaching resources to support programmingdeveloped and teachers provided with ProfessionalLearning to support the quality and impact of theirteaching. Progress of all students measured usingsyllabus standards and Communication Passportindicators. Data collected to see progress ofstudents both within and across semesters.

Next Steps

• Continue professional learning opportunities focusing on communication and The Communication Passportthrough regular team meetings and one–to–one meetings with supervisors.

• Continue writing resources and programming tools to assist teachers to better link assessment data withprogramming and teaching.

• Continue to implement and trial new resources and programming tools to support teachers to differentiate thecurriculum, meeting each individual student's need.

• Continue to share information and data collected through The Communication Passport with parents and carers,through conversations at IEP meetings, to help inform goal setting for students.

• Continue to monitor and track student progress through the Communication Passport Matrix and recordwhole–school data.




The basis for improving student learning outcomes is high quality teaching and leadership.

Purpose

To develop, implement and monitor quality whole–school teaching and learning programs, systems and structures whichpromote student learning, wellbeing and success and which build capacity in all staff.

Research consistently demonstrates that teaching quality is the greatest in–school influence on student engagement andoutcomes. (GTIL p.4, 2014)


An instructional leadership model has been adopted providing learning group supervisors with additional release time towork closely with their team of teachers to develop their individual and collective knowledge and skills to better supportstudent learning. This model has provided additional opportunities for supervisors to support teachers in developingpartnerships with parents in their child's learning. The instructional leadership model has also provided teachers withgreater opportunity for quality and deep professional mentoring to take place. This has assisted in building teachercapacity in the areas of quality assessments, differentiated programming, impacting teaching practice and meaningfulreporting. This approach has helped improve the quality of teaching practice and fostered the collaborative approach thatbest supports student learning and engagement across our setting, which spans Kindergarten to Year 12.

The progress of all students is tracked and recorded using syllabus outcomes through the framework of TheCommunication Passport. Teachers have been able to identify and record student progress and achievement usingindicators within The Communication Passport. Achievement by students can be recorded in fine detail by teachers andthey have been able to adjust their teaching and goals in response to the clarity provided using the availableassessment. Accurately meeting the students' needs and increased teacher capacity and knowledge has seen acontinued trend over a number of years of fewer requests for executive support.

Teachers have used the 'Learning and Support' document to share with all staff individual student's support needs. Thecommon colour code as outlined in The Communication Passport framework has supported whole–school understandingof the support levels required when working with students across the school.

Teachers were supported in the writing of their Personal Development Plans (PDPs). The plans reflected the StrategicDirections of The School in addition to the teacher's own personal goals. The connection in the plans between schoolgoals and personal goals and the close involvement of supervisors in this process has helped promote teacher capacityand learning. All staff were provided with an opportunity to lead at least one aspect of the school plan or one aspect ofthe day–to–day operation of the school. This distributed model of leadership has assisted in fostering a whole–teamapproach to supporting the key members of our school – students, families, staff and the community. Developing aculture of collective responsibility and contribution, and unleashing talent among staff within the school has assisted inpromoting a positive culture among staff as evidenced by our annual staff survey.

A school database was developed and data collected to support the reporting and monitoring of student success, supportneeds, wellbeing and behaviour. The database was developed to reflect the specific needs of our students and schoolneeds. Feedback was gained from trials and incorporated into the final product used by staff. All staff have been trainedon how to use the database and the information that has been entered has been used to inform teaching practice forindividual students and to help inform decisions regarding the wider school.





100% of students demonstratingprogress using measurementfrom one or more assessmenttools or learning continuumsthroughout each semester.


$45,954 Socio–Economic

– All students have been assessed using a varietyof assessment tools including syllabus standards,Communication Passport indicators, checklists andTask Analysis. Data and progress using thesedocuments and tools have been collected andmarked to track and monitor learning and






100% of students demonstratingprogress using measurementfrom one or more assessmenttools or learning continuumsthroughout each semester.

Background





$32,910 QTTS


development.

– Goals developed in line with student IEPs havebeen developed for each student and progressreported through student reports and through theIEP process.

100% of teachers provided withformal opportunities to leadspecific school initiatives and/orco–lead school LeadershipPortfolios through explicitschool–wide systems andprocesses with a link to teacherprofessional development plansand the Australian ProfessionalStandards for Teachers.







$32,910 QTTS


– 100% of staff were provided with an opportunity tolead a particular program or initiative at the schoolwhich contributed to curriculum, schoolorganisation, welfare or to the general building ofcommunity within our school.

– Teachers linked leadership area to PersonalDevelopment Plans (PDPs).

– Leadership for all staff members has allowedsome wonderful opportunities to develop dynamiccurriculum, wellbeing and community buildinginitiatives, with the school.

Next Steps

• Increased Executive release as part of an 'instructional leadership' model to allow increased opportunity formentoring and professional support of supervision group.

• Targeted support by a member of the Executive to help assist staff members in their involvement in theirLeadership and Community groups.

• Continue to formally build upon the links with a ‘hub’ of schools as part of 'Fair Education – Schools Plus' to sharesuccessful and innovative practices and inform school decision making and planning.

• Streamline systems and structures to systematically collect data regarding student learning and wellbeing. • Continue and extend professional learning and support to develop accurate behaviour support profiles for students

using 'Patterns of Learning' framework. • Professional Learning on Key Word Signing and Sensory Supports for students to extend knowledge for teachers

and greater learning opportunity for students.




Success is enhanced through Life–Long Learning for all.

Purpose

To ensure that learning for students, staff, family and community is continuous and is based on meeting the needs ofindividual students as they are today and with a clear vision and purpose for their needs in the future.

Greater understanding, knowledge and focus on the skills students require both in the short and longer term will helpensure successful transition through the school years and through transition to post–school options.


All senior classes have been involved in a 'Work Enterprise' program. All senior classes were responsible for developinga product to make, market and sell. The program emphasised working and communicating in small groups anddeveloping social skills. A range of products were sold on various occasions throughout the year. Examples of productsproduced and sold by students include: timber products, cooking spices, soaps and slices. Students developed a varietyof important skills in line with their IEP goals and skills which will continue to assist them in post–school option programs.Students also developed confidence and pride in their achievement as their products were purchased throughout theyear. Further, students developed self–esteem and a level of participation in the activities. Students also developed theirunderstanding of the purpose of work. The wider community also had an opportunity to learn more about our studentsand school. Work enterprises promotes access to the curriculum and lifelong learning skills.

Personal hygiene and personal care activities were task analysed and linked to the Communication Passport. Thishelped ensure activities and steps within each key activity associated with personal care had the correct supportassociated with each step and in–line with Communication Passport assessments.

Staff continued to invest heavily in supporting students and families in National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)meetings to help best support and alignment of NDIS and IEP goals. This investment has helped promote positive andsustainable links between students, families, and key stakeholders – promoting greater opportunity for long–termlearning and progress for students across a range of environments. Strong links established with various agencies.





Staff to develop a ‘Skillsfor Life’framework to support studentlife–long learning







$32,910 QTTS


– The 'Skills for Life' checklist has been developedand reviewed throughout the year to assist intracking students skills and areas of support. Theframework has assisted in informing teaching andprogramming decisions, student IEPs, transitionplans and in helping to guide our students.

– School has worked strategically and specificallywith other agencies to help target student support ina variety of environments.






100% of student IEPs are linkedwith the school developed ‘Skillsfor Life’ framework.







$32,910 QTTS


– IEPs written and progress reported toparents/carers using a variety of assessment toolsincluding 'The Skills for Life' framework, syllabusstandards and communication passport data. Aframework for discussions to help support the IEPmeeting process was developed and has beenincreasingly used by teachers to help guidediscussions and planning with the explicit aim ofteachers 'knowing their students well'.

Next Steps

• Students in senior classes to continue to develop, produce and market various products as part of an extension tothe 'Work Enterprises' program.

• Extend development and use of Task Analysis across an increasing range of activities and linked toCommunication Passport plus Syllabus.

• Develop a framework for positive 'work habits' and 'pro–social skills' for all students and across all learning groupswithin the school – including and extending into Work Enterprises.

• Further develop units of work based on KLAs and Life Skills subjects with specific reference to TheCommunication Passport – maximising opportunity for targeted differentiation across all learning stages.


Key Initiatives Resources (annual) Impact achieved this year

Aboriginal background loading $4745 – Funds spentaccording to purpose andstrategic directions. Closingbalance rolling to 2018 –$0.

By working together and celebrating together,we increased knowledge and awareness ofthe important role of Australian IndigenousCulture for Australia. A range of activities tookplace assisting our students to connect withAboriginal Culture in our school and widercommunity.

English language proficiency $23198 – Funds spentaccording to purpose andstrategic directions. Closingbalance rolling to 2018– $0.

Numerous strategies have been integratedinto the school's communication procedures,ensuring parents/carers together withmembers of the community from culturallydiverse backgrounds gain essentialinformation. Examples being: increased useof interpreters, phone calls and face–to–facemeetings. Strategies the school understandsstrengthens parent and communityengagement within school activities.

Quality Teaching, SuccessfulStudents (QTSS)

$32910 – Funds spentaccording to purpose andstrategic directions. Closingbalance rolling to 2018– $0.

Progress is reviewed concerning the schoolplan and strategic directions subsequentlyguiding future directions. Teachers knowledgeand understanding of strategies that bestsupport their individual students' learning wasdeepened and extended. Improving teacherpractice assists students' learning andgeneral level of wellbeing.

Socio–economic background $45954 Funds spentaccording to purpose andstrategic directions. Closingbalance rolling to 2018– $0.

Student engagement and attendance hasbeen increased through: subsidising uniformcost, excursions and incursions,extra–curricular activities and communityaccess for students whose parents/carersprovided permission to attend but weren't in aposition to pay the fee. The release ofexecutives/teachers enabling the support ofComplex Case Management, mentoring andattendance at appointments withspecialists, compliments school intervention.

Support for beginning teachers $10788 – Funds spentaccording to purpose andstrategic directions. Closingbalance rolling to 2018– $0.

Executives received the following feedback:beginning teachers felt supported, hadincreased their knowledge of NSW DoEand school processes, their teachingknowledge, experience and skills togetherwith their understanding of the school'swhole–school responsibilities.



Student information

Student enrolment profile

Enrolments

Students 2014 2015 2016 2017

Boys 87 87 84 84

Girls 28 28 28 29

In 2017, The Hills School enrolled 113 students fromKindergarten to Year 12. All students have amoderate–to–severe intellectual disability. Manystudents have a secondary disability, which mayinclude physical or sensory impairments or Autism

Workforce information

Workforce composition

Position FTE*

Principal 1

Deputy Principal(s) 1

Assistant Principal(s) 4

Head Teacher(s) 0

Classroom Teacher(s) 15.72

Teacher of Reading Recovery 0

Learning & Support Teacher(s) 0

Teacher Librarian 0.6

Teacher of ESL 0

School Counsellor 1

School Administration & SupportStaff

21.28

Other Positions 0.65

*Full Time Equivalent

The school did not employ any staff with Aboriginalbackground in 2017.

Teacher qualifications

All teaching staff meet the professional requirementsfor teaching in NSW public schools.

Teacher qualifications

Qualifications % of staff

Undergraduate degree or diploma 100

Postgraduate degree 55

Professional learning and teacher accreditation

Throughout the year staff took part in numerousprofessional learning opportunities. Semesters 1 and 2focused predominantly on developing school andDepartment of Education organisational knowledge,student welfare and quality teaching practices.

To assist in enhanced staff understanding andknowledge concerning CPR, Anaphylaxis and Healthand Safety, the school allocated Professional Learningtime and resources.

The school also placed high importance onproviding professional support, developing staffunderstanding together with delivering quality,meaningful, differentiated and targeted teaching andlearning programs in addition to experiences forstudents. The development of thesenumerous professional learning opportunities as wellas supervision and support structures were establishedto clearly focus on meeting the school's needs whichare outlined in the school's three strategic directions.

'Lifelong learners' is how staff at The Hills School seethemselves. Staff view professional learningopportunities along with supports with an appreciationof the school's vision of 'We Love Learning'.


Financial information (for schoolsfully deployed to SAP/SALM)

Financial summary

The information provided in the financial summaryincludes reporting from 1 January 2017 to 31December 2017.

2017 Actual ($)

Opening Balance 107,208

Revenue 4,610,213

Appropriation 4,519,419

Sale of Goods and Services 0

Grants and Contributions 89,250

Gain and Loss 0

Other Revenue 0

Investment Income 1,544

Expenses -4,673,290

Recurrent Expenses -4,673,290

Employee Related -4,402,328

Operating Expenses -270,961

Capital Expenses 0

Employee Related 0

Operating Expenses 0

SURPLUS / DEFICIT FOR THEYEAR

-63,076

Balance Carried Forward 44,132

Financial summary equity funding

The equity funding data is the main component of the'Appropriation' section of the financial summary above.

2017 Actual ($)

Base Total 703,480

Base Per Capita 36,807

Base Location 0

Other Base 666,673

Equity Total 73,897

Equity Aboriginal 4,745

Equity Socio economic 45,954

Equity Language 23,198

Equity Disability 0

Targeted Total 3,472,485

Other Total 123,810

Grand Total 4,373,672

Figures presented in this report may be subject torounding so may not reconcile exactly with the bottomline totals, which are calculated without any rounding.

A full copy of the school's financial statement is tabledat the annual general meetings of the parent and/orcommunity groups. Further details concerning thestatement can be obtained by contacting the school.


School performance

School-based assessment

The school assessed all students using The HillsSchool Communication Passport. To further monitorand assess student progress, the school appliednumerous measures as appropriate including syllabusoutcomes and content statements as well as the DoELiteracy Continuum. Students worked towards specificgoals outlined in Individual Education Plans (IEPs).Teachers use a variety of student checklists, taskanalysis and event recordings to assist in themonitoring of student learning and progress across arange of areas and across a range of learningenvironments.

Students at school have a wide range ofcommunication abilities and additional support needs.The Hills School Communication Passport in part, helpsprovide teachers with clear teaching strategies to helpsupport the diverse learning among students within theschool. The Communication Passport also assists inhelping to provide increased consistency in the use ofsuccessful strategies and a common school–widelanguage. Teachers have developed a deeperunderstanding of each and every child in their class andhave a broader knowledge of the teaching strategiesrequired to deliver a differentiated curriculum withintheir classroom and across the wider school. Thesedevelopments in improved pedagogy and consistencyin the use of whole–school supports has assisted inhelping to lead to a general decrease in requests forexecutive assistance over a period of time.

With an emphasis on student communication, theCommunication Passport Continuum of Learning wasused to collect data regarding student achievement andprogress. Four specific domains of learning arecontained within the Continuum, focusing on theCognitive, Receptive, Expressive and Social skills ofstudents. This being the third full year in which data hasbeen collected, on a whole–school basis, across thefour domains for each student. The Continuumreferences specific domains of learning. Specific criteriafocusing on certain areas of development and skill arereflected in each colour of thisContinuum. Improvement in learning for students mayresult in progress along the colour Continuum in one ormore of the domains. Progress for all students isrecorded against a range of markers within eachlearning domain and colour group. Student progress isrecorded, and some students may remain within thesame colour group of learning throughout the year.Other students in the school may move across colourgroupings within each respective learning domainthroughout the year. All learning by students at schoolis recognised and celebrated.

Data collected at the end of Semester 1 and at the endof Semester 2 showed that 41% of students movedalong the Communication Passport Continuum in oneor more of the domains. 59% of students remainedwithin a colour domain throughout the year.

Assessment data collected demonstrates that studentsmade progress within each colour domains, and many

students across colour domains.

The detailed data that is collected from all studentsthrough their assessment using the CommunicationPassport is not designed to yield ongoing and continualmovement along the colour continuum of theCommunication Passport for all students. Rather, thedata collected helps inform teacher decisions andprovides additional direction and strategies as teachersseek to differentiate the curriculum and to know theirstudents well.

Before progressing to the next colour level, studentsmust demonstrate significant achievements in anumber of the specific criteria within the relevant colourand domain of the Communication Passport. Thespecific criteria contained within each colour anddomain assists teachers when accurately recordingstudents' skills. The specific criteria also supportsteachers to direct their teaching and learning. Whilstprogress along the Communication Passport is a wayof measuring student development, this is just one ofthe ways in which student development and learningcan be measured. Teachers are confident whenrecording their students' current level of skill. This isdue to the improved targeted and differentiatedteaching and learning taking place at the school. A keypart of the school's Management Plan and direction isthe quality of teaching and leadership within the school.

The Communication Passport helps support and buildan improved knowledge and shared understanding byour staff. This improved knowledge and consistency inpratice and approach has in–part, assisted indeveloping a positive culture in the school whereteamwork and available support is recognised andrecorded. Some of this impact is evidenced in the staffand parent/carer satisfaction data reported upon later inthis document.


Parent/caregiver, student, teachersatisfaction

Every year, The School seeks the views of parents,carers, students and staff about the School. Presentedbelow are their responses.

In 2017, the focus areas for feedback from parents andcarers concentrated on the school's culture and studentwellbeing and the quality of student learning andreporting. A significant number of parents/carersprovided valuable feedback to the school. Following aresome of the key findings ascertained from responsesfrom parents and carers. The responses are analysedand used to help monitor current school achievements,highlight possible areas for improvement and informfuture planning. We greatly value and appreciate allfeedback from our partners in learning – parents andcarers. • A combined 98% of respondents indicated

'Almost Always' or 'Usually' that they 'feelsupported by the school as part of a partnership'in their child's education and wellbeing. We askedparents/carers the extent to which they believed'the school provides opportunities' for them to 'beinvolved in the life of the school'. 83% ofrespondents indicated 'Almost Always' withanother 15% reporting 'Usually'. Very similarfigures were recorded when parents responded toa question relating to how well the 'schoolcommunicates with me about' their 'child'sprogress', with 83% responding 'Almost Always'and 12% reporting 'Usually'. All theseaforementioned figures are important as theschool has a key focus of building community andmaking everyone feel welcomed and valued.Working in strong partnerships withparents/carers and others helps provide anincreased opportunity for student learning andsuccess.

• A combined 100% of respondents indicated'Almost Always' or 'Usually' that 'The schoolprovides interesting and engaging activities,learning experiences and opportunities' for theirchild. Very similar figures were recorded whenparents/carers indicated the extent to which theybelieved that the teachers of their child 'have aclear and accurate understanding' of their 'child'sskills and future directions'. Positive feedbackfrom parents/carers was also formally receivedwhen questioned on the extent to which theschool caters for their 'child's specific needs in thearea of communication'. Further positive feedbackwas reported by respondents when they wereconsidering the extent to which 'the schoolprovides innovative programs' which helps theirchild 'enjoy school and achieve success'. A keygoal of staff at school is knowing students well.This includes having a deep understanding ofhow students are performing at any given point intime and also knowing where they are going nextin their learning and the learning supports theymight require to help them get there. The positivefeedback reported in this area helps add support

that students' parents and carers believe that theteachers know their children and their learningneeds, well.

• 88% of respondents indicated that 'AlmostAlways', their child's report provides clearinformation in regards to their child's progress.83% of parents and carers recorded that theirchild's report is in line with what they see is theirchild's 'areas of strength and areas for futureprogress'. These responses help guide ourschool's decision making in regards to reporting toothers on student progress and also assists inhelping to recognise the extent to whichparents/carers believe that teachers know theirstudents well and have clear plan for futurelearning goals.

• The school also sought from parents/carers theareas of learning in respect to their child and tochildren at the school, that they would like furtherinformation on. This information is important tothe school so in our planning, we can help build ingreater opportunities for dialogue andcommunication concerning specific areas.Strategies to support successful communicationwith their child and patterns of learning –(recognising and responding to their child'slearning and support needs), are two areasparents/carers requested additional informationon. This feedback helps inform our School Plan2018–2020 and helps to reinforce the school'sbanner statement of 'We Love Learning'. Workingand learning together in partnership with parentsand carers is a key goal and aspiration of theschool and staff.

A crucial pursuit at The School is working in partnershipwith our valued parents and carers. We take pride incontinually looking for ways in which to build uponcommunity and purpose among our staff and families.The feedback indicated above supports the strongconnections between families and staff as we workcollectively to help students succeed and reach their fullpotential.

The School encourages direct feedback from ourstudents throughout the year. Below is a snapshot ofsome student feedback, focusing in–part, on monitoringtheir learning and enjoyment at school. • Encouragingly, 100% of student respondents

stated that they liked coming to school. Of thosestudents able to provide a reason why they likedcoming to school, all answered because of theirfriends.

• When surveyed students were asked to identifywhat they enjoyed doing at school, the mostcommon responses were 'PE', 'play games'(board games/puzzles/toys); 'playground'','swimming'' and 'play with friends' or 'play withcomputer'.

• The surveyed students were also asked toindicate what they did not like at school. 'sillyfriends', 'boring things', 'sensory dislikes' (e.g.loud clapping) and 'books' were some of thereasons noted.

• Surveyed students indicated they would like to domore of 'PE', 'play games', 'playground','swimming' and 'play with friends' or 'play with


computer' when asked 'What would you like to domore of at school?'.

Creating a school environment for students where eachand every day they feel welcomed, safe and valued andwhere great learning takes place is a key driver for allthat we do at The School. The preceding feedback by asample of our students is one small way in which wecan monitor our level of success in this area.

The Hills School highly values and recognises thecommitment, valuable contribution and role of its staff.The school understands the vital role staff play inhelping to make the school a 'community'. Suggestions,feedback and responses from staff on numerous keyquestions is regarded highly. Some common themesfrom staff feedback at The School are outlined below. • Staff felt privileged to work in such a rewarding,

supportive, respectful and positive environment.An environment that embraces a culture ofteamwork, whole–school community and family.

• Staff felt supported by their Executive. Staff alsofelt the Executive were approachable andpromoted the culture of teamwork and wholeschool community.

• Staff feel supported by their co–workers andvalue the friendship, working environment andwhole–school community.

• Staff commented on the importance of theconstant communication betweenstaff, Executives and parents/carers in achievinglifelong learning for all, developing students' lifeskills and their ability to make a difference in thestudents' lives.

• Staff also felt supported by their Executive andco–workers in the extra roles they play, in additionto their main role at the School.

Staff commented positively on the range of programsoffered to students throughout 2017, and noted thefollowing highlights: • The Farm; Work Enterprises Program; Athletics

Carnival; Swimming Program; Dance Group;Library, particularly Book Week, and musicprograms; as well as

• The special events – Art Show, Carols Night, andMusical – 'The Wizard of Oz'.

This feedback from staff highlights the partnerships andpositive culture which exists amongst staff atThe School. The School maintains and continues todevelop a sense of belonging. Teamwork, appreciatingthe contribution of staff and recognising the skills ofindividuals are key goals we strive to foster andcontinually develop. These goals help promote apositive culture at the school that values all students,staff and families. The positive culture that exists isevident within the school and is in part, evidenced bysome of the formal feedback reported by students,parents/carers and staff.

The school is working with staff to help continue tolearn the best way to support and teach students'communication skills and their development of skills.These skills will provide assistance tostudents throughout their school years and beyond. Werecognise, utilise and develop individual teacher's andSLSO's expertise and skills. This has been

and continues to be a focus area for our school. Thestaff 'Leadership and Community' portfolios that areoutlined in the school management plan are one way tohelp achieve this goal.

Policy requirements

Aboriginal education

The Hills School has continued its connection andrelationship with Aboriginal Children's Choir 'One GoodDay', This connection is highly valued and we are proudthat two students from school have had an opportunityto perform with the choir throughout the year. TheSchool participated in NAIDOC week. The studentstook part in numerous activities focusing on celebrationof, and reflection on, Australian Aboriginal Culture. Theschool incorporates Aboriginal perspectives whereverpossible into classroom learning, teaching programsand learning activities. RAM Equity funding wasallocated in 2017 to assist students and to provideopportunity to work collaboratively with parents/carersin the implementation and monitoring of the learninggoals for students. The school has identified the namesof four learning groups for use in the school in 2018.The names of the learning groups were identified in2017, using Darug language. The names of thelearning groups were agreed on through consultationwith our Aboriginal Education Group (AEG) andconnection with elders who are authorities in localAboriginal Language. Throughout 2017, the school hasused Darug language to name two learning groups –'Mari' and 'Gili'. The school will move to a model wherethere are four learning groups in 2018. The Daruglanguage that has been used to name the groups are:'Bura', 'Gura', 'Nura' and 'Yura'.

Multicultural and anti-racism education

The school's commitment to the Positive BehaviourLearning (PBL) principles assist in developing students'skills in harmony, tolerance, inclusion and friendship.These learning principles are reinforced throughout ourdaily practice. Crucial to this approach is the


development of students' social skills and interaction. InMarch, Harmony Day was celebrated by students andstaff of the school. Our students focused on activitiesand experiences promoting friendship and cooperation.African Beat, a high energy interactive African drumperformance was enjoyed by students and staff. InAugust, the Australian XinJiang Song and DanceTroupe entertained students and staff at theschool, giving all the opportunity to learn about ChineseCulture and dance through sounds, sight andcolour. This performance provided students with theopportunity to actively participate in numerousadditional learning opportunities, contributing to thedevelopment of the students' understanding of variouscultures.

Other school programs

The School has participated in a number of otherschool programs which aim to foster studentdevelopment and achievement and build a sense ofcommunity and belonging.

Peer Support, Student Volunteers and IntegrationPrograms

The School is fortunate to have ongoing connectionswith a number of schools. These schools includeNorthmead Performing and Creative Arts High School,Crestwood Primary School, William Clarke College,Pacific Hills Christian School and Rouse Hill AnglicanCollege. Each Wednesday afternoon for three terms,students from Northmead Performing and Creative ArtsHigh School visited our school and supported studentsboth within classrooms and in the playground. Primaryschool age students have visited on a regular basis aspart of a specific social program with one class.Students from various high schools visited the schoolthroughout the year. These initiatives enabled visitingstudents to work with our students in a range ofenvironments within our school. The involvement ofstudents and staff from these schools assists indeveloping skills, understanding and learningopportunity for all participants.

The Hills School Musical – The Wizard of Oz

The School Musical 'The Wizard of Oz' was awhole–school event with all students from Kindergartento Year 12 participating. All students were in fullcostume and all had an opportunity to be on stage. Themusical demonstrated the commitment and dedicationof all students and staff as they worked together,learning the music and dance routines. Parents andcommunity members were able to attend the musical,showing their support and helping to acknowledge thehard work of the students and staff.

The Hills School Dance Group

Each Wednesday, the Hills School Dance Group offersan opportunity for students to take part in a regulardance program at the School. Participating studentscan develop their dance, movement and social skills asthey work together with a partner, as well as part of alarger team. The group's skill was recognised, as they

were invited to participate at a number of festivals andpublic performances thoughout the year. The studentsand staff proudly represent the School at these variousevents.

Music Therapy

Throughout the year, a number of classes have takenpart in Music Therapy, provided by Nordoff–Robins. Adiverse range of instruments and music styles havebeen used to engage the students. As a result,students have developed their listening and responseskills, movement, participation and engagement. Thankyou to The Hills School P&C for helping to support thisvaluable program.

Live Life Well @ School

The School proudly takes part in the 'Live Life Well @School' initiative. The World Health OrganisationPromotion School Model indicates healthy eating habitsand physical activity positively impacts on studentshealth and wellbeing, as well as their families.Endorsing and promoting practices and routines, theschool aims to encourage healthy eating and physicalactivity.

Play Skills

Play supports learning across physical, social,emotional, and intellectual areas of development aswell as fine motor and gross motor skills. The schoolencourages student play as a positive way to promotestudent engagement and develop pro–socialbehaviours. Mari classes supported play in thefollowing ways: interacting during play to fosterimagination, creativity and language–related skills,waiting, turn taking, remaining on task, attending toactivity, peer and adults. Some examples of play usedin Mari classrooms included board games, dance,playdough, car and truck play, block/Lego construction,water play and parachute movement. Teachers of Mariclasses planned their classroom environments to assistchildren in achieving specific goals related to students'social, emotional, communication and cognitivedevelopment.

The Hills School Garden Program

During Term 3 on Mondays and Wednesdays, TheSchool initiated a program called 'Come andTry', inviting all classes to visit the school farm.Students and staff were encouraged to assist in thepreparation of dishes, as well as sample the producegrown. This program proved to be overwhelminglypopular with students and staff. Through thisprogram, students also had opportunity within asupported environment to try a variety of new foods anddrinks produced using items grown at the farm.Increasing exposure to a variety of different tastes andfood textures is a significant learning goal for manystudents at school and this program has assisted inhelping students achieve these personal goals. DuringTerm 4, three classes were chosen to participate in apilot gardening program. Students took partin gardening lessons where they learnt and practisedweeding, watering, composting, planting and


harvesting, whilst continuing to sample produce grownon the farm. Staff reported these lessons were highlymotivational for the students as they engaged in andenjoyed the activities.

Dinner on the Table

The School established a link with a local business andsocial enterprise, 'Dinner on the Table', which preparesand delivers high quality ready–made meals. A portionof the cost of each meal sold goes towards supplyingfree meals to families made vulnerable by disability.Each week, Gili AP students brought food scraps fromthis business back to the school, adding it to the schoolcompost bins and feeding the school's chickens. Thestudents supplied 'Dinner on the Table' with herbsgrown on the school farm.

Cafe

Every Wednesday, Gili BD students were given theopportunity to work in the Cafe. They honed their newlylearnt skills to prepare delicious food and meals for thestaff and community at the school. They learnt to chop,measure and mix as well as make chicken stir–frys,curries and burritos. In addition, students in the classwere responsible for taking orders, purchasingingredients and selling the food, developing significantlifelong skills in the process. Gili BD students havereported that they have thoroughly enjoyed theirexperience in the Café.

The Hills School 40th Anniversary Picnic Day

On Saturday, 16th September 2017, many current andformer students, families and staff recognised andcelebrated 40 wonderful years of The Hills School byattending our school's 40th Anniversary Picnic Day.The many students who attended the event were giventhe opportunity to mark the occasion by ringing thenewly–restored original 1977 school bell. A birthdaycake was cut by students and a tree was also plantedin the school gardens. This 40th Anniversary PicnicDay provided a chance for the whole community ofpeople who work together to improve learning andopportunity for our students to come together andcelebrate all that has been achieved over the past 40years. We thank the many members of staff, the manyfamilies and the wonderful students who have been apart of The Hills School over this 40 year period.

Work Enterprises Program

Senior students produced and sold various itemsthroughout the year as part of their Work EnterprisesProgram. Each senior class took responsibility forpurchasing or collecting the required materials ready toproduce and then market a specific item for sale.Examples of items that were sold at various locationsinclude: food spices, soaps, candles, products madefrom recycled timber, cards and cakes. Studentsdeveloped important skills including social skills,communication, problem solving and in understandingthe purpose of work.

Thank you

The School Executive acknowledges and thanks theschool staff for their dedication and commitment inhelping all students to learn and grow as outlined in thisAnnual Report. The school Executive would also like toacknowledge and thank all parents and carers as wework in partnership to help all students achieve theirpersonal best.


Documents

The Hills School Annual Report