4Annual Report
   Introduction
   Future outlook
   School profile
   Curriculum offerings
   School Climate
   Involving parents
   Teacher qualifications
   Other Key Outcomes
   School Opinion Survey
4School Disciplinary
   Absence Report
4Strategic Plan 2009 -
   2011
 

Principal's foreword 2008

Introduction

Key objectives for 2008 included:

• Becoming familiar with the Queensland Curriculum, Assessment Reporting Framework (QCAR) and begin to integrate all components into our School Curriculum Framework

• Continue to improve Literacy and Numeracy outcomes for all students through providing staff with appropriate and supported professional development and opportunity for moderation and professional dialogue

• Increase teacher skills with the integration of Information Communication Technology (ICTs) in the curriculum

• Continue to build effective partnerships within the school and wider community to ensure all students are provided with explicit and scaffolded learning opportunities necessary for success in school and beyond

• Provide a safe, healthy and supportive environment for all school community members

• 2008 has been another memorable year in the history of Springwood Road State School. This year saw our first full cohort of Prep students move through our school. Our three classes of students soon became very comfortable in our school setting, joining in all school activities including junior parade, physical education lessons, music lessons, library borrowing and swimming lessons.

• Our School Values Program became an integral part of classroom curriculum with focus on our seven values of:

> Honesty
> Co-operation
> Tolerance
> Respect
> Perseverance
> Responsibility and
> Kindness

• These values were displayed, discussed, acted out and rewarded over the last twelve months and we hope to see further emphasis and growth on these values as we rewrite our Curriculum Framework in the coming months.

• A Fun Friends Program, Healthy Relationship Program, Conflict Resolution and Peer Mediation Programs were once again offered to further enhance our Supportive School Environment. 

• This year we were successful in earning a $5,000 state grant to develop and enhance our Early Years Anti-Drug Policy, a policy that will be supported by our school programs in healthy lifestyles and the building of resilience in children.

A wide range of extra-curricula activities were on offer in 2008 which included the following:

• Active After School Program where we were able to provide two free afternoons a week of activities for different aged students.

• This year we were able to offer Kids Quest, Dance, Tae Kwon Do, Soccer and Multi-Sports.

• Michelle Hood continued to offer a dance program afterschool.

• Our Year 7 Girls’ Aerobic Team competed in the State competition and made it through to the finals.

• Our Year 5 Aerobic Team performed on parade and Variety Night.

• Wakakirri was once again a huge success with 50 children participating in the music and dance production with students contributing to music and choreography selection.

• A lunch time Knitting Club was established with the help of volunteers from the Tall Trees Retirement Village.

The talent of our students continues to impress all.

• Springwood Road State School once again held a very successful Variety Night with items from all sections of the school including year level items, Senior and Junior Bands, Senior and Junior Strings, Choir, Aerobics, Wakakirri and Recorder Band.

• Our Instrumental Music students had a busy year performing and they attended the Beenleigh Eisteddfod, performed at Centro Shopping Centre, Variety Night, Tall Trees Retirement Village, Carols Night and school assemblies.

• Our String Ensemble now plays the National Anthem at all senior parades. A successful Music Night was held in November, and as always our end of the year Talent Quest provided some fierce competition.

• This year was our first year participating in the National Testing Program for Years 3, 5 and 7 and Queensland Assessment Task in Science for Year 4. Our results in the literacy, numeracy and science tests although within state means indicate a need for an extra focus on numeracy in the coming years.

Other extension programs offered:

• A group of Year 4, 5, 6 and 7 students an extension program in English and Mathematics.

• Our Year 4 and 5 students worked here at school while our Year 6 and 7 students travelled to Springwood High for 8 weeks to work with ACE students from Year 10.

• Year 7 students and some Year 6 students a taste of high school with an Options Program that were heldn on a Tuesday afternoon. Each student had a choice of different units of work to cover in LOTE, Physical Education, Technology and Music.

• 2008 saw the introduction of a Special Education Class in our school and we welcomed Ms Susan Ware who coordinated and initiated programs with our special education students. All teachers in Prep to Year 7 attended five days of literacy training.

Camps students attended:

• Year 4 to 7 students had the opportunity to attend school camps.

• Year 4 students had an overnight camp at Alexandra Headlands

• Year 5 spent three days at Mapleton

• Year 6 spent three days at Curamundi Beach

• Year 7 students had their road trip to Canberra.

All camps were well attended and all reports about venues, activities and food were good.

2008 was another memorable year for improvement in school facilities.

• After eight years of fundraising our P&C association was proud to construct our Multi- Purpose Area at a cost of around $100,000. Our official opening on August 12 was well attended by parents and thanked all those involved in the project.

• A shade structure over the Year 2 - 3 playground and Other Hours School Care eating area as well as extra seating was provided through the Queensland Government Benefit Fund.

• G block and E block were re-roofed.

• Our school intranet system was upgraded to the new Managed Operating Environment.

As always the school held many special events through the year including:

Many of these events strengthened our links with the local community including Springwood High, cluster primary schools and local childcare centres.

Future outlook

In 2009 Springwood Road State School will focus on:

• Maximising achievement for all students in literacy and numeracy
   

• Developing a school Curriculum Framework that encompasses the following:
  > P-10 Framework
  > Queensland Curriculum
  > Assessment Reporting Framework (QCAR)
  > Maximising Achievement Agenda
  > Integration of Information Communication Technology (ICTs)
  > Literacy and Numeracy across the Key Learning Areas (KLAs) and Inclusive Practices.
   

• Improving the first three areas of the school ICT index:
  > Enabling Teacher Learning
  > Developing Professionals and
  > Supporting Learners
   

• Continue to build a safe, supportive school environment.

• Effectively manage facilities and projects including Building the Education Revolution (BER) and State Schools of Tomorrow.

 School Profile

Springwood Road State School is a co-educational school in the South East Brisbane District. In 2008 the school had 567 children in Prep to Year 7.

• Surrounding suburbs of the school include Rochedale, Rochedale South, Springwood and Daisy Hill.

• Our school Motto is ‘Sharing and Working Together’. Our school values program is embedded into our daily school life.

• Our student population consists of students from a variety of ethnic backgrounds including non-English speaking backgrounds.

• Students come from a range of family situations including two parent working families, single parent income families, middle income families and low socio-economic background families. Our school includes a small number of students with intellectual impairment, learning difficulties, physical impairments and asperger syndrome. All children are catered for in our socially aware and caring environment. In 2008 our school introduced a Special Education Class with a full time teacher to assist children with disabilities.

• The school offers outside school hours care and vacation care for families with working parents.

• The school is set in beautiful landscaped grounds with a large bird population and other native animals including koalas. The school holds regular working bees to help maintain these. Our grounds offer four separate play/oval areas, each consisting of at least one covered play area. Grade levels are allocated to specific areas for play. Areas available to all children during play include: Quiet Room, Library, Computer Club and Top Undercover Area.

• Springwood Road has strong support from our community and our P&C is active in planning community events, fundraising activities and providing opportunities to discuss school programs and policies.

Curriculum Offerings

Our distinctive curriculum offerings

• Year 7 experienced ‘High School life’ by participating in the Options Program at our campus. Four units were offered within each subject of Technology, Japanese, Physical Education and Music. Students selected one unit from each subject they were interested in and participated in these throughout the year, one afternoon per week.

• English and Mathematics extension programs were offered to students in Year 4-7.

• Students in Year 4-5 were nominated to participate in a gifted and talented program at our campus.

• Students in Year 6-7 were nominated to participate in the Adult Community Education (ACE) program with Year 10 students at Springwood High.

• This year was our first year participating in the National Testing Program for Years 3, 5 and 7 and Queensland Assessment Task in Science for Year 4.

• Students in Year 5 -7 helped publish the school magazine, articles were written, photos taken and pages formatted.

• Intervention programs were streamlined and support was offered to students in all year levels through modified classroom programs, Support Teacher Learning Difficulties, teacher aides and extra teacher support.

• Sport and physical activity remained a focus of our school curriculum with students participating in an inter school and intra school sport program.

• The ‘All in Together Program’ was strengthened with students in Years 3 and 4 participating in skill programs and then carnival days with cluster schools.

• An extensive after school activity program was introduced with the help of the Active After School Program.

• Our school cultural program provided opportunities for students to participate in choir, bands, small ensembles, dance, keyboard lessons, instrumental lessons, Japanese, Japanese choir, hosting a Japanese student, music night, variety night, talent quest and art classes.

Extra Curricula activities

Springwood Road State School offered an extensive range of extra curricula activities in 2008:

Camping Extra curricula activities Choir Recorder Band Dance Wakakirri Talent Quest Student Council Aerobics

Walk-a-thon Chess Club Peer Mediators Art Club Camping program from Year 4-7 with Year 7 students travelling to Canberra Knitting Club Gardening Club

How computers are used to assist learning

In 2008 significant management of infrastructure took place.

• The Managed Operating Environment was established including the purchase and installation of a new server to support this system.

• Two Smart Classroom Mentors, one in the lower grades and one in the upper grades, were appointed.

• One School Training was undertaken and reporting via this platform occurred.

• The Computers for Teachers program was rolled out enabling teachers to complete report cards on their own personal lap top.

• Teachers were provided opportunities to commence working towards their ICT certificate.

Social Climate

In 2008 we continued to embed our Value’s Program into everyday school life.

• These values are: Responsibility, Respect, Kindness, Cooperation, Honesty, Perseverance and Tolerance. We extended our social skills programs within the classrooms of most year levels.

• A number of extra curricular activities were also offered in 2008 including Reading Club, Chess Club, Gardening Club, Knitting Club and The Quiet Room.

• Results from the School Opinion Survey indicate that Springwood Road State School parents are equal to the state and like schools in their satisfaction with our school climate.

Involving parents in their child's education

A successful parent forum was held to help develop a set of school values, discuss student learning and work out ways of greater involvement of parents in our school.

• We have a small but active group of volunteers that support the school through fund raising activities, classroom helpers, library helpers and gardening

• In 2008 we changed our school reporting schedule to offer parents improved opportunities to be informed.

• We offered Face to Face interviews in Terms 1 & 3.

• A Parent Forum was conducted to ascertain areas of strength, concern and opportunities in our school.

• Our school community decided that we would hold a Fete as our major fundraiser in 2009.

• We held social events outside school hours including a Fancy Dress Ball and a Sunday Family Fun Day.

Qualifications of all teachers
 

Highest Level of attainment	Number of classroom teachers and school leaders at the school
Doctorate	0
Masters	3
Bachelor Degree	25
Diploma	11
Certificate	0

Expenditure on and teacher participation in professional development
The total funds expended on teacher professional development in 2008 was $12 190.75

The major professional development initiatives are as follows:

• The major professional development initiatives are as follows:

• First aid and CPR

• Epi Pen Training

• One School Training

• Literacy Strategy

The involvement of the teaching staff in professional development activities during 2008 was 92%.

Average staff attendance
For permanent and temporary staff and school leaders the staff attendance rate was 95% in 2008.  

Proportion of staff retained from the previous school year
From the end of the 2007 school year, 97% of staff was retained by the school for the entire 2008 school year.

Student attendance
The average attendance rate as a percentage in 2008 was 93%. 

Key Outcomes

National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) results - our reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation, and numeracy results for the Years 3, 5, 7 and 9.
 

			Results for 2007
Strands	Measures		Year 3	Year 5	Year 7
Reading	Average score for the school		396	457	521
	Average score for Queensland		371.1	466.1	528.1
	For the school the percentage of students at or above the national minimum standard.	2008	93 %	91%	93%
Writing	Average score for the school		432	474	527
	Average score for Queensland		391.8	468.9	522.7
	For the school the percentage of students at or above the national minimum standard.	2008	94 %	89 %	94 %
Spelling	Average score for the school		400	462	531
	Average score for Queensland		366.7	462.0	528.0
	For the school the percentage of students at or above the national minimum standard.	2008	96 %	94%	94 %
Grammar and Punctuation	Average score for the school		405	471	518
	Average score for Queensland		370.4	476.6	518.0
	For the school the percentage of students at or above the national minimum standard.	2008	96 %	95 %	89 %
Numeracy	Average score for the school		379	443	524
	Average score for Queensland		367.9	458.2	539.0
	For the school the percentage of students at or above the national minimum standard.	2008	94 %	89 %	97 %

Year 2 Diagnostic Net

 

Performance measures: percentage of students not requiring additional support
Reading	69%
Writing	86%
Number	88%

Other Key Outcomes

Value Added

We value added to our school community in the following areas:

• Facilities: Constructed a large Multi purpose Shed - Installed Concertina doors between double teaching areas.
• ICTs: Computers for teachers were distributed - One School Training and implementation - Managed Operating Environment
• Curriculum: QCAR Framework and re-writing units of work - District moderation in year 4 - School Literacy and Numeracy Plans were developed and Literacy Training occurred for teachers in P – 3
• Extra Curricula: Active After School Program was introduced two afternoons per week.

School Opinion Survey 2007

Parent, student and teacher satisfaction with the school. School Opinion Surveys indicates:
 

Survey Response Item	Category	Satisfied / Very Satisfied	Very Dissatisfied	Neutral
S100 That this is a good school	Parent	82.7%	0%	17.2%
S100 That this is a good school	Student	80.3%	10.7%	9.0%
S150 That your child is happy to come to this school	Parent	89.3%	7.1%	3.6%
S151 That you are happy to come to this school	Student	80.2%	10.7%	9.1%
S146 That your child is treated fairly at this school	Parent	72.4%	10.3%	17.2%
S147 That you are treated fairly at this school	Student	63.1%	19.7%	17.2%
S144 That your child is safe at this school	Parent	82.8%	3.4%	13.8%
S145 That you are safe at this school	Student	74.6%	10.7%	14.8%
Staff Satisfaction Levels
Survey Response Item	Category	Satisfied / Very Satisfied	Very Dissatisfied	Neutral
SM SO16 Good Team Spirit	Staff	60.0%	15.0%	25.0%
SM SO17 Enthusiastic about work	Staff	74.3%	5.1%	20.5%
SM SO18 Good place to work	Staff	87.5%	5.0%	7.5%
SM SO19 Happy to come to school	Staff	90.0%	7.5%	2.5%