Cecil Plains State Schl Executive Summary
1. Intrductin 1.1 Backgrund This reprt is a prduct f a review carried ut at Cecil Plains State Schl frm 2 t 4 June 2015. It prvides an evaluatin f the schl s perfrmance against the nine dmains f the Natinal Schl Imprvement Tl. It als recmmends imprvement strategies fr the schl t cnsider in cnsultatin with its reginal ffice and schl cmmunity. The review and reprt were cmpleted by a review team frm the Schl Imprvement Unit (SIU). Fr mre infrmatin abut the SIU and the new reviews fr Queensland state schls please visit the Department f Educatin and Training (DET) website. 1.2 Schl cntext Lcatin: Educatin regin: Taylr Street, Cecil Plains Darling Dwns Suth West The schl pened in: 1898 Year levels: Prep t Year 9 Current schl enrlment: 63 Indigenus enrlments: Students with disability enrlments: Index f Cmmunity Sci- Educatinal Advantage (ICSEA) value: 8 per cent 9 per cent 916 Year principal appinted: 2009 Number f teachers: 15 Nearby schls: Significant cmmunity partnerships: Unique schl prgrams: Dalby State High Schl, Dalby State Schl, Dalby Suth State Schl, Pittswrth State High Schl, Pittswrth State Schl, Brkstead State Schl, Munt Tysn State Schl. PIPPAS Parents Invlved in Pre-Prep At Schl Ag Science, AUSLAN, STARS prgram, The YES message, The Cecil Challenge 2
1.3 Review methdlgy The review was cnducted by a team f three reviewers. The review cnsisted f: a pre-review audit f the schl s perfrmance data and ther schl infrmatin cnsultatin with the schl s Principal Supervisr a schl visit f three days interviews with staff, students, parents and cmmunity representatives, including: Principal, Supprt Teacher Literacy and Numeracy (STLaN), Teaching Practice Supprt Teacher Eight teachers Seven teacher aides Fur parents Lins Club president, Prgress Assciatin president Six students Kindergarten directr 1.4 Review team Phil Savill Tm Beck Internal Reviewer, SIU (review chair) Peer Reviewer 3
2. Executive summary 2.1 Key findings Cecil Plains State Schl has a calm, supprtive learning envirnment. The teaching and supprt staff wrk effectively t prvide a safe and supprtive envirnment. The schl s current wrk arund The Yes Message has had a psitive impact which is recgnised within the schl cmmunity. A schl imprvement agenda has been develped and cmmunicated t the wider cmmunity. The principal articulates a cmmitment t imprvement and recgnises the need fr an explicit imprvement agenda understd by all members f the schl cmmunity. The schl has a stated agenda t imprve the literacy and numeracy f students with a fcus n reading, spelling and number. The pedaggical framewrk which infrms classrm teaching is an emerging practice. The dcumented pedaggical framewrk which is structured arund the Dimensins f Teaching and Learning is evident thrughut the schl. The schl has cmpleted sme initial wrk in regards t the framewrk but there is limited evidence f nging develpment and implementatin t cnslidate the framewrk in the day-t-day wrk f all teachers. Data is cllected t benchmark student prgress but there is an pprtunity t use diagnstic data in a strategic way t infrm teaching and learning. PM Benchmark, PROBE, PAT-M and PAT-R are used t cllect data in regards t student prgress. At this time, this data is nt used in a systematic way t infrm teaching and learning strategies in the classrm. There is an intentin t shrten data cycles in rder t better track student prgress and respnd t their learning needs. Clear, dcumented feedback prtcls are yet t be established fr staff and students. A lng-term prfessinal develpment plan is yet t be put in place that reflects the schl imprvement agenda. Staff have indicated their willingness t be cached, mdelled t and prvided with feedback abut their practice. Staff have als indicated a desire fr prfessinal develpment in prviding feedback t students. The schl enjys a high level f human resurcing. Eight teachers are allcated fr the Prep t Year 9 enrlment f 65 students. A strategic apprach fr the delivery f a cherent teaching prgram that impacts n all students thrughut the schl is yet t be develped. The five teachers currently allcated fr the seven students in Years 7-9 express a desire t be better equipped t meet the learning needs f students thrughut the schl especially in the area f reading. 4
Parents are lking fr strng leadership frm the schl principal t take Cecil Plains State Schl t the next level t ensure its future viability. There is a prud histry surrunding the schl but due t rural demgraphic decline the enrlments are falling. The schl cmmunity is keen t re-establish Cecil Plains State Schl as the schl f chice in the brader lcal area. 5
2.2 Key imprvement strategies Develp and implement a systematic whle schl apprach t building teacher and leadership capacity including high quality prfessinal develpment, caching, mentring, feedback and supervisin alng with recgnitin f teacher expertise. Ensure clear cmmunicatin t teachers, students and parents f high expectatins fr teaching and learning, behaviur and attendance acrss the whle schl. Develp clarity and chesin between the varius schl prgrams thrugh the review and refinement f an explicit pedaggical framewrk and a whle schl curriculum framewrk. Ensure that these dcuments capture the Cecil Plains State Schl s way f teaching and learning in a multi-age, Prep t Year 9 setting. Review the use f teaching staff t ensure that this resurce is used t its ptential t teach all students thrughut the schl. Prvide prfessinal develpment fr staff which aligns with the schl imprvement pririties particularly in the area f reading and numeracy. 6