West Coast SESC Annual Report 2018

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ANNUAL REPORT

2018

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2018 was an extremely busy and memorable year for our whole school community with our relocation to Warwick in mid June. The work involved in transitioning to a new site with a new school name and image was incredible and due to the amazing resilience of our students, the fantastic support of our parents and carers and the hard work of our staff, the move was hugely successful. We certainly put into practice the keys of our You Can Do It! Program, especially those of resilience, organisation and confidence. I would also take the opportunity to thank the WSHS staff and students for making us

feel welcome on the site. We look forward to many opportunities for collaboration and cooperation with them into the future. A personal highlight for me during 2018 was holding our very first Open Day in August. This event enabled current parents, who were unable to take part in the transition visits prior to relocation, to view the campus as well as prospective parents to be welcomed to the school for the first time. The day also gave parents and students the opportunity to meet and chat with other parents, staff members and students and to ask questions in a relaxed and informal environment. The day was very well attended and the feedback received was extremely positive. 2018 saw the introduction of another new initiative: the Civics and Citizenship Course for our Year 11 and 12 students. This has been an invaluable course in preparing our students for post-school and learning about politics, finance and citizenship which in turn will enable them to become capable young adults who can contribute to their community effectively. The course resulted in establishing a fantastic relationship with our local MP, Jessica Stojkovski and has since seen her willingness to be involved in a number of different whole school events across the year. We look forward to developing this connection going forward. Another new initiative was launched in the Centre this year in the form of the Work Skills Preparation Program. Through this program, students with complex communication needs have learnt work skill behaviours in a safe and supportive environment. I have been delighted with the success of this program and the opportunities it has provided these students and with links that have been established with local businesses. A notable achievement in 2018 was the amazing success of our students in the Photography Program - just when I thought it wasn’t possible to improve on the success of 2017!! Our students deservingly enjoyed huge triumph in entering their photos into the Chevron Focus Environment Competition, with six students placing in the top three in various categories, as well as five students achieving Encouragement Awards. Well done to everyone involved. Over one third of our students took part in this program which is a reflection of their major interest and capabilities in this subject and one which will naturally continue in social settings post-school. Our You Can Do It! Day and the End of Year Assembly were personal favourite events of mine in the 2018 calendar. The You Can Do It! Day was a whole school celebration of the achievements of the students in the You Can Do It! Program throughout the year and was another opportunity for them to put into practice the skills they have learnt. The End of Year Assembly was a wonderful showcase of student success, presentation of deserving awards; as well as farewelling our leavers, which always creates a mixture of emotions.

We look forward to continued success moving forward and are excited about what our students will achieve next.

Best Wishes

Joanne Kriziotis

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

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ABOUT OUR CENTRE

West Coast SESC caters for students in Years 7 -13 with a diagnosed mild to moderate intellectual disability or autism. School programs are designed to cater for the individual needs of each student. A collaborative process between parents, students, teachers, therapists and representatives from external agencies is utilised to develop Individual Education Plans (IEPs) in Years 7 -10 and Individual Transition Plans (ITPs) in Years 11, 12 and 13. In 2018 we had 79 students enrolled in the Centre. The classes in 2018 were grouped as follows: Year 7, Year 8/9, 10/11, 11, 12, along with a cohort of Year 13 students across a number of upper school classes. Classes accessed and implemented specialised programs such as Direct Instruction, Augmentative and Assistive Communication (AAC), ASDAN and TEACCH. Each West Coast SESC class has a class teacher who is assisted by education assistants to deliver core curriculum in line with WA Curriculum expectations, such as: English, Maths, Health and Society and Environment. During 2018, through the use of Firetech, we expanded the student focus of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) in the curriculum. The welfare of our students and staff is paramount and we train and educate our staff on latest student behaviour procedures using the nationally recognised Team-Teach approach. The emphasis within the Team-Teach framework is that at least 95% of responses should be non physical. Prediction, prevention, de- escalation, the importance of non verbal and verbal communication and structured debriefing and repair are a strong focus of the approach. This approach explicitly emphasises that, without exception, all approaches should maintain safety and dignity for all, be gradual and graded, and be reasonable, proportionate and necessary. Team-Teach is complimentary to the whole school holistic approach of Positive Behaviour Support, with our Zones of Regulation, Restorative Practice, Mindfulness and You Can Do It! All students receive a written report each semester based on the achievement displayed in their IEP or ITP plus work samples and portfolios, to assist parents to keep informed of student progress. West Coast SESC monitors student progress through a variety of assessments such as Multilit levelling, Waddington Literacy and Essential Maths Assessment to achieve longitudinal data. This data informs school planning. West Coast SESC students are exempt from national testing.

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Students at West Coast SESC are encouraged to develop skills relevant to their individual needs and to

take pride in their achievements. They are supported to embrace opportunities to fulfil their

educational and personal goals in order to successfully participate in all aspects of their lives and their

communities. As a staff we are proud of our school and its students.

We strive to respect each other and work collaboratively to make a difference in the lives of our students

and their families.

Our community acknowledges our students’ potential and actively welcomes them into workplaces to

develop skills and confidence for their post-school futures.

VISION STATEMENT

BUSINESS PLAN

Our Business Plan links directly to the objectives and strategies of the DoE WA Strategic Plan for Public

Schools 2016 - 2019. The Plan is organised around four focus areas (priorities) that are particularly

relevant to our setting. Each focus area includes an overview and a business plan that outlines school

targets and / or milestones for 2017-2019. Strategies by which we intend to achieve current year targets /

milestones are also described in a supporting Operational Plan.

These plans link to the Priorities (Focus Areas) of the Strategic Plan for WA Public Schools 2016-2019.

Focus 1 To have high expectations for every student.

Focus 2 To implement a renewed and relentless focus on the best possible teaching practices.

Focus 3 To have strong and empowering leadership in the Centre.

Focus 4 To build a capable and responsive organisation for now and into the future.

We have made progress in all focus areas of the Business Plan during 2018 despite the move to Warwick

and the impact on the workload of the Administration team.

Overarching Aim of the Four Focus Areas

To establish clear expectations for staff and students; create the conditions which enable everyone to

perform at their best; and design accountability settings in which staff can demonstrate their

effectiveness.

We aim to provide a high quality school education for every student whatever their ability.

Being able to complete this three year cycle and develop a new Business Plan for 2020—2022 will allow

West Coast SESC to re-evaluate and develop a comprehensive plan that is responsive to the new

location and facilities.

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West Coast SESC embraces the importance of having high quality and committed staff which has resulted in very low staff turnover and a high level of staff attendance. This ensures stability and continuity for students and their families. The Centre has had steady student growth resulting in the need for new staff. West Coast SESC employs experienced and appropriately qualified staff. In 2018 West Coast SESC invested in staff professional development across many areas of their roles. Staff participated in a range of training opportunities including Augmentative and Assistive Communication (AAC), ASDAN, Team Teach, Supporting Students with Autism, Senior Teacher Modules, So Safe, Mind UP workshop, Social Media and the Law, Office 365, TEACCH, Graduate Modules for New Graduate teachers and core medical training such as Seizure Management, Anaphylaxis and Manual Handling. West Coast SESC is committed to the Department’s Leading School Improvement Strategy by enrolling three Executive Staff Members in the four day/module course of “Leading School Improvement in Special Education” for 2019.

West Coast Secondary Education Support Centre Profile 2015 – 2018 Table 1 outlines the current FTE and headcount of the total number of staff at West Coast SESC.

STAFF REPORT

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Table 2 identifies trends in total employment figures and shows the headcount and FTE for each year (2015-2018)

Table 3 identifies the current proportion of full time employees for each occupational group.

Table 4 presents the student and staff numbers (teaching and support) for each year since 2015.

STAFF REPORT

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BUDGETS AND ACCOUNTS 2018

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West Coast SESC actively encourages parents to contact the school to discuss any areas of concern. We work collaboratively with parents, carers and key stakeholders in the creation of IEPs and ITPs. We consistently receive positive feedback from parents in regard to accessibility to staff and the fact that they feel consulted about their child’s educational and social development. Many prospective families comment that they have chosen West Coast SESC because of the very positive feedback from parents of students enrolled at the Centre. Students at the Centre have indicated that they feel safe and secure within the Centre. They greatly enjoy Structured Workplace Learning and developing skills which they can transfer to the workplace. Recess and lunch clubs have been expanded during the latter half of 2018 due to the availability of areas in which to hold them at the new site. There is a high level of participation in the groups which include a variety of outdoor games including basketball, karaoke, smash club, art, lego, martial arts, photography as well as Zumba. Students build secure friendships whilst at the Centre, with many interacting outside of school on a social level. These friendships often continue when students graduate. West Coast SESC realises the importance of these friendships by producing class contact lists. This enables parents to share information about birthday parties, social gatherings and holiday get togethers with other parents in their child’s class. Visiting therapists, practicum students and external agencies also regularly comment on the nurturing and welcoming environment at West Coast SESC. The voice of the school community is integral to the improvement of practice through reflection at West Coast SESC. In 2018, students, staff and parents were surveyed to voice their opinions on a number of areas across the Centre. A snapshot of the data is shown opposite. All questions in the survey were rated on a five point scale ranging from one – strongly disagree to five – strongly agree. These scale figures were then converted to percentages.

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Student Opinion Survey Question

Percentage of always responses

My teachers care about me 81%

My teachers listen to me 70%

Focus areas for 2019 (based on low percentage response):- Whole Centre explicit teaching and embedding of Zones of Regulation and Positive Behaviour Support Strategies.

Parent Opinion Survey Question

My child’s teachers are good teachers 84%

Teachers at this school treat students fairly 80%

Focus areas for 2019 (based on low percentage response):- Relationships with local community

Staff Opinion Survey Question

Students at this school can talk to their teachers about their concerns

63%

Parents at this school can talk to teachers about their concerns 63%

Focus areas for 2019 (based on low percentage response):- Communication with staff regarding work performance

Relationships with local community

West Coast SESC consistently achieves a higher student attendance rate than the average in WA public schools. Attendance for 2018 was exceptionally high, following the trend of previous years. In 2017, in preparation for the 2018 school year, West Coast SESC introduced supplementary processes in which attendance is recorded to ensure accurate data. Attendance rates for each year group in 2018 were as follows: Year 7 - 94.67% Year 8 - 82.52% Year 9 - 87.54% Year 10 - 82.62% Year 11 - 81.47% Year 12 - 86.97%

Student Attendance

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West Coast SESC held meetings once a term throughout the year and worked on various issues including:

Extension of West Coast SESC uniform range

School Board Constitution

Ongoing relocation matters

We had many great moments these past twelve months, but our relocation to Warwick was the most notable event in the school calendar. The Centre is to be congratulated on the smooth transition of staff and students to the new site and the way in which the students have settled in, is to be commended. The school also enjoyed their first ever Open Day which was held in August. This was a wonderful opportunity for current parents, who were unable to attend the transition visits, to tour the new school and view the facilities. It was also an opportunity for new families joining us in 2019, to meet current families and students. Everyone enjoyed some outdoor games and a delicious BBQ. Thank you to those staff who gave up their weekend time to make this event possible. Another memorable event was our End of Year Assembly. Each year, seeing the achievements of our students, who are now going out to make their mark on the world, fills me with a sense of pride and respect for all their hard work and determination. School Board meetings are open to the public and we encourage input from parents and other members of the school community, although the elected representatives make final decisions.

The responsibilities of the School Board include:

Contributing to the School Delivery and Performance Agreement and the School Business Plan.

Reviewing the performance of the Centre.

Creating interest in the Centre within and across the community.

SCHOOL BOARD REPORT

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Approving fees, charges, contributions and items of personal use (booklists).

Approving extra cost optional components of programs.

Liaising with other committees within the Centre. The 2018 School Board consisted of the following members: Chair: Vanessa Jessett Deputy Chair: Sharyn Snowball Members: Carol Clarke (Principal), Joanne Kriziotis (Deputy Principal) Maxine Casey (Parent Representative) Paisha Cook (Parent Representative) David Corner (Parent Representative) Carmelina la Cava (Parent Representative) Bronte McMahon (Parent Representative) Susan Oliver (Parent Representative) David Wilson (Parent Representative) Nia Connop (Community Representative) Melinda Scott- Nicholls (Staff Representative) Catherine Thorburn (Staff Representative) Lisa Broxton (Staff Representative) Erica Waldock (Staff Representative) Rebecca Wenn (Staff Representative) Deb Pember (Staff Representative) The School Board acknowledges the hard work and dedication of the many individuals who volunteered their time to contribute to the success of the 2018 School Board. In 2018, Eva Griffiths and Catherine Thorburn tendered their resignations from the Board due to personal circumstances. The Board would like to sincerely thank them both for their service and commitment to the school.

Vanessa Jessett

School Board Chair

SCHOOL BOARD REPORT