Dareton Public School
Annual School Report 2013
1732
The active support from members of the local
AECG is exceptional, as is the involvement of the
school’s P&C and individual members of the
school community. The positive support to our
shared vision to encourage students to be Strong
Smart Proud and Safe is highly valued.
School context
Dareton Public School is a small, rural school on
the Murray River situated near the New South,
Victorian and South Australian borders. Current
enrolment is 63 students, of which almost 90%
are of Aboriginal heritage.
My journey as the educational leader of this
wonderful school has now come to an end, as I
retire from the department. However, Dareton
and the school community will always be very
special to me. At the start of the final term for
the year, we welcomed Lee-Ann Thomson as the
relieving principal and I am confident that she will
enjoy working with you and your children just as
much as I always have.
Working collaboratively with all stakeholders, we
aim to provide a quality education, which will
maximise the learning potential for all students.
We acknowledge the fact that each child is
unique and has individual interests, talents and
learning styles, and we recognise that every child
has the same basic needs for physical, social,
emotional and intellectual satisfaction. We aim to
give all students the opportunity to reach their
potential in a caring, sharing and supportive
learning environment.
There may be changes ahead for Dareton Public
School, but what a wonderful position to be in.
The school has the golden opportunity to build on
these changes in a positive way and to continue
to enjoy an exciting, energised learning
environment, where staff are supported with
appropriate professional development to provide
the quality teaching framework for your children.
Senior students continue to be encouraged to
develop leadership skills and to recognise the
positive advantages of being able to work
together to become an integral part of the
school’s decision‐making process.
We need to continue to work together to ensure
that all students understand the concept of
resilience, perseverance, honesty and integrity.
We also need to continue to encourage them to
strive to do their best.
In 2013, the school employed staff in a
combination of permanent, temporary and casual
capacities. All teaching staff met the professional
requirements for teaching in NSW public schools.
Principal’s message
I certify that the information in this report is the
result of a rigorous school self-evaluation process
and is a balanced and genuine account of the
school’s
achievements
and
areas
for
development.
I am very proud to have been the educational
leader of Dareton Public School for the past five
years. My role as principal for such an extended
period has provided the opportunity to build on a
shared vision for the future. As we continue to
work together with families and the wider
community,
we
can
provide
relevant
opportunities for continuous improvement.
Barbara McDougall (Principal)
The school’s vision is for staff, students and
families to work collaboratively to provide an
education which fosters a love of learning; a
respect for self and others; and an acquisition of
knowledge which will enable each student to take
their rightful place within their own community,
as well as within the wider global community.
The students are beginning to demonstrate a
greater understanding for the necessity to accept
responsibility for their own learning and they are
demonstrating success in a range of endeavours.
1
that we have had and the activities we have been
involved in.
P & C and/or School Council message
2013 has been a very interesting year with the
school community facing many changes. For the
people who have lost family members this year
we offer our sincere sympathies. We are thinking
of you all.
Kindergarten was fun, even though we were a
little bit worried about starting ‘big school’.
Knowing other kids in Kindergarten made it
easier. Now that we are in Year 6 it’s very hard to
remember about Kindergarten. In year 1 and 2
we did really mad art with Mrs Shaddock. We
made some flower pots. We drew them with
pencil first and then went over them with crayon.
As we moved into Primary we had Mrs Gebert.
Mrs Gebert makes art on Friday fun. She also
reads to us and we get to draw. Thank you to all
the teachers and staff for helping us learn.
At the end of Term 3, we farewelled our
Educational Leader Barbara McDougall after 5
years of dedicated service. Thank you Mrs Mac.
All your efforts were appreciated and you will be
greatly missed.
For Term 4 we welcomed Lee-Ann Thomson as
our new Educational Leader or Principal. Ms T (as
known by the students) is settling in nicely and
we look forward to the future for our school with
whoever is chosen as our Principal for 2014.
Throughout our time at Dareton we have been
involved in many activities including; sewing,
Aboriginal girls dance group, we made cat
cushions for the Wentworth show, we have
created a safe Yarning Circle where we sit around
and cook Johnny cakes and had a talk with Ron
Jackson. Driscoll and Brad came into the school
on Wednesdays and we played AFL. At the end of
the program we got free bags with a football,
card, hat, mat and shoelaces.
The P and C have been doing our usual Raffles
and Market Day Stalls to raise money for our
school. This year we had a sausage sizzle on
Election Day as well as a raffle. This was a huge
learning experience for us and we look forward to
doing it again
We yet again hosted the school discos with the
ones at night time at the Coomealla Club and the
ones held during the day in the School Tech
Centre. These were all very successful and we
look forward to doing these again in 2014.
We also had a rugby clinic where we learnt how
to play rugby. Mrs Gebert taught us how to play
baseball this year. Now that is a good game. We
had our swimming carnival, athletics carnival and
also swimming lessons. We had our cross country
running at the Botanical Gardens. We learnt
Circus Arts such as juggling and hoop jumping.
Now time for my Thank You. To the Coomealla
Club thanks for all your support. We greatly
appreciate it. To Angel Tanner. Thanks for
donating the beautiful artworks, painted by your
grandmother. The raffle was a great fundraiser.
To the wonderful Staff of the School, thanks for
being there for our children and helping them to
learn and grow. To my team of fellow parents
Nikki, Lyn, Peta, Damien, Angel and Sasha thanks
for all your efforts and I look forward to working
with you in 2014.
We have had lots of excursions during our time at
Dareton Public School. We have been to Swan Hill
and to the movies in Mildura. At Fletchers Lake
we planted trees with the BMeet men, who also
came to our school to talk about looking after the
land. On NAIDOC day we had visitors from
Arnhem Land and they sang in their language.
This year we also participated in the Go Program
where we are learning to become strong leaders.
To all other Parents I invite you to come along
and join us at our meetings for a cuppa and a
chat and have your say to make our great school
even greater.
Becoming school captain was the best time of my
life and being at Dareton Public School has made
me proud.
Good luck to the new leaders and keep being
Strong, Proud, Smart and Safe!
Fiona Brown (P&C President)
Student representative’s message
Crystal Lawson and Aaron Marshall (School
Captains)
In 2013 we had a lot of fun being school captains
of Dareton Public School. As we look back on our
time at Dareton we think about all the teachers
2
inform students and their families about the
impact poor attendance has on life-long learning
are on-going.
An emphasis in the K-2 area has been identified
as essential to develop positive attendance
patterns in the early years.
Programs to encourage regular attendance
continue to be implemented and monitored.
School
Student information
It is a requirement that the reporting of
information for all students be consistent with
privacy and personal information policies.
Student enrolment profile
Region
Student enrolment continues to be variable, due
to a transient student population. However, it has
been noted that student movement has become
more static.
State DEC
Very few students left to enroll in neighbouring
schools this year as a result of parental concerns
about bullying, which indicates a positive and
consistent change in student relationships.
Families and the wider community have actively
indicated their support to the programs and
procedures that have been implemented to build
on the concept of respect for self and others.
2008
78.2
92.2
94.1
2009
85.8
68.3
72.5
75.5
87.2
73.5
69.7
74.9
92.6
92.1
92.3
92.2
92.4
92.3
92.2
89.9
94.3
93.7
94.0
94.1
94.0
94.0
93.6
92.1
2010
61.1
76.8
85.9
64.6
77.7
87.2
75.0
75.2
92.6
92.3
92.3
92.4
92.4
92.4
92.2
92.4
94.7
94.2
94.4
94.5
94.5
94.4
94.0
94.4
2011
71.8
66.7
67.1
77.7
72.1
80.3
79.0
73.6
92.5
91.9
92.5
92.3
92.3
92.2
92.0
92.2
94.7
94.2
94.2
94.4
94.3
94.2
93.8
94.3
2012
67.4
75.5
82.2
75.1
79.9
77.1
87.2
78.3
92.8
92.2
92.9
93.1
92.8
92.6
92.3
92.7
94.3
93.9
94.2
94.4
94.3
94.2
93.8
94.2
2013
79.2
71.7
65.9
83.8
84.1
80.8
75.1
77.0
93.7
93.2
93.3
93.6
93.5
93.1
93.1
93.4
95.0
94.5
94.7
94.8
94.7
94.5
94.1
94.7
Management of non-attendance
Student attendance is monitored daily by the
principal’s delegate, who meets with the Home
School Liaison Officer (HSLO) and principal every
week. In accordance with departmental policy,
and with support from the HSLO and Aboriginal
Education Officers (AEOs), families are beginning
to embrace the necessity to ensure that their
child must attend school regularly.
The creation of the Outdoor Yarning Circle has
provided the opportunity to encourage a stronger
commitment to cultural awareness and harmony.
Enrolments
150
Students
Year
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
Total
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
Total
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
Total
100
The practice of allocating teaching staff extra
release from teaching duties, continued this year.
The concept was implemented to build positive
relationships with student families, and to
actively promote school as a great place to be.
This strategy is proving successful and more
students are attending more frequently.
50
0
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Year
Male
Female
Student attendance profile
Unfortunately, this year there were a number of
incidents in the wider community that impacted
on individual families, resulting in long periods of
time away from our community. These absences
impacted on attendance data.
Student attendance continues to cause concern,
although there has been an improvement in the
number of students who attend school more
regularly. An attendance audit was conducted
during the year, and appropriate strategies to
3
Four Aboriginal community members are also
employed to support individual student learning
in the classroom. An Aboriginal teacher is also
employed fulltime.
Workforce information
It is a requirement that the reporting of
information for all staff must be consistent with
privacy and personal information policies.
Staff Retention
Workforce composition
Position
Principal ADD AP
Classroom Teachers
Support Teacher Learning Assistance
Teacher Librarian
Primary PT Teacher RFF
Primary PT Teacher
Priority School Funding Scheme
Total Teacher Entitlement
Home School Liaison Officer
Aboriginal Education Officers
General Assistant
School Admin Manager and Officer
Total Non-Teacher Entitlement
The current principal has been the educational
leader for the past five years. However, following
her retirement at the beginning of the new
school year, a new principal will be appointed to
lead the school at the start of 2014. One teacher
and one AEO have each been working at the
school for twenty five years. They are very
experienced educators and provide valuable
knowledge about aspects of past practice, which
enables current staff to provide opportunities for
continuous improvement.
Number
1.0
2.0
0.4
0.168
0.126
0.168
1.0
4.962
1.0
2.0
0.2
1.206
Casual and temporary teachers are often difficult
to retain for long periods, given the complexity of
the school site.
3.406
Using appropriate funding support (NPLowSES
and SIPS) extra staff are employed on a casual
and temporary basis to support identified student
and curriculum needs. An Assistant Principal is
maintained to embed quality teaching practice
and support student learning.
The Australian Education Regulation, 2013
requires schools to report on Aboriginal
composition of their workforce. Two Aboriginal
Education Officers (AEOs) are included in the
staffing requirement. The AEOs work closely with
staff, students and the community to enhance
the learning outcomes for all students. They are
an integral part of the decision making process
and are highly valued and respected by all
stakeholders.
Teacher qualifications
All teaching staff meet the professional
requirements for teaching in NSW public schools.
Qualifications
Degree or Diploma
Postgraduate
NSW Institute of Teachers Accreditation
4
% of staff
67%
33%
75%
replace and upgrade assets such as photocopier,
mower, and technology.
Financial summary
This summary covers funds for operating costs
and does not involve expenditure areas such as
permanent salaries, building and major
maintenance.
Date of financial summary
Income
Balance brought forward
Global funds
Tied funds
School & community sources
Interest
Trust receipts
Canteen
Total income
Expenditure
Teaching & learning
Key learning areas
Excursions
Extracurricular dissections
Library
Training & development
Tied funds
Casual relief teachers
Administration & office
School-operated canteen
Utilities
Maintenance
Trust accounts
Capital programs
Total expenditure
Balance carried forward
In reality, the balance carried forward is
approximately $20,000.
A full copy of the school’s 2013 financial
statement is tabled at the annual general
meetings of the School Council and/or the parent
body. Further details concerning the statement
can be obtained by contacting the school.
30/11/2013
$
290,044.89
102,949.21
231,779.36
1,521.72
7,486.05
496.50
0.00
634277.73
School performance 2013
14,952.78
34.30
12,773.62
2,193.69
0.00
270,595.19
3,704.39
30,390.07
0.00
29,486.69
21,850.76
500.71
0.00
386,482.20
247,795.53
Academic achievements
NAPLAN
In the National Assessment Program, the results
across the Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 literacy and
numeracy assessments are reported on a scale
from Band 1 to Band 10.
The balance of funds carried forward is the
balance at financial rollover in early December,
and includes funds already committed, but have
not yet been debited to the school account at
time of rollover.
The achievement scale represents increasing
levels of skills and understandings demonstrated
in these assessments.
$174,211.83 of the balance carried forward has
been committed. The CEPS account for salaries
had not yet been received prior to financial
rollover. Tied Funds are held in accordance with
SACC program and guidelines, and the
Transitional Funding of $28,825.69 which had
been allocated to support student learning and
embed best practice, will be utilized in 2014 as
per the guidelines. Staff absence and
unavailability of appropriate personnel impacted
on the school’s ability to implement planned
strategy.
Year 3: from Band 1 (lowest) to Band 6 (highest
for Year 3)
Year 5: from Band 3 (lowest) to Band 8 (highest
for Year 5)
The My School website provides detailed
information and data for national literacy and
numeracy testing (NAPLAN).
Click on the link http://www.myschool.edu.au
and enter the school name in the Find a school
and select GO to access the school data.
An amount of almost $30,000 has been saved
over a period of time for Asset Replacement to
5
NAPLAN Year 3 - Literacy (including Reading,
Writing, Spelling and Grammar and
Punctuation)
Students are demonstrating that they are
achieving success in a range of endeavours, such
as sport, music, dance and athletics.
The reporting of information must be consistent
with privacy and personal information policies.
Information cannot be provided in this report if
there is the potential to identify individual
students. Therefore, due to the small number in
the cohort, information cannot be publicly
reported this year. The relevant personnel have
been advised of their child’s achievements.
A group of ladies within the Dareton community
give valuable time every Wednesday afternoon to
mentor our senior students in sewing instruction.
The program has achieved goals to enhance
lifetime skills, communication and respect
amongst all age groups. This year many of the
articles entered in the Wentworth Show were
successful in achieving awards.
NAPLAN Year 3 - Numeracy
The school participated in many National events
to assist with promoting “Healthy Mind, Healthy
Body” such as Ride to school day, Relay for Life
and Walk safely to school day
The reporting of information must be consistent
with privacy and personal information policies.
Information cannot be provided in this report if
there is the potential to identify individual
students. Therefore, due to the small number in
the cohort, information cannot be publicly
reported this year. The relevant personnel have
been advised of their child’s achievements.
Arts
The school continues to recognise the importance
of providing opportunities for students to
experience and develop their skills, creativity and
passion towards music, visual arts, drama and
dance. The following experiences and programs
have been provided throughout the year:
NAPLAN Year 5 - Literacy (including Reading,
Writing, Spelling and Grammar and
Punctuation)

The reporting of information must be consistent
with privacy and personal information policies.
Information cannot be provided in this report if
there is the potential to identify individual
students. Therefore, due to the small number in
the cohort, information cannot be publicly
reported this year. The relevant personnel have
been advised of their child’s achievements.

NAPLAN Year 5 – Numeracy
The reporting of information must be consistent
with privacy and personal information policies.
Information cannot be provided in this report if
there is the potential to identify individual
students. Therefore, due to the small number in
the cohort, information cannot be publicly
reported this year. The relevant personnel have
been advised of their child’s achievements.
Other achievements

Individual students were given the opportunity to
enter the NSW University Mathematics and
English competitions. In Mathematics, two
students achieved Distinctions and in English one
student achieved a Distinction.
6
During 2013 the school utilised specific
funding to employ a specialised music
teacher one day a week to enrich
student’s experiences towards music.
This program proved to be successful for
a high proportion of the school. A band
involving
guitarists
and
singers
performed at the end of year formal
presentation.
Students continued to achieve success
with their individualised art and craft
entries at the Wentworth Show. Works of
art entered in the competitions, along
with the art on our school display proved
to be of high quality. One student was
successful in receiving the major prize in
the show poster competition along with
many others who received awards in
specific craft categories.
The school’s AEOs were successful in
developing a group of girls K-6 to perform
a traditional Aboriginal dance for formal
occasions throughout the year including
our school Healing Ceremony. The girls
demonstrated respect, pride and passion
towards Aboriginal Culture through their
performance.
The Healing Foundation supports the celebration
of the people, programs and activities that, since
the Apology on 13th February 2008, have helped
to bring healing to young people, Stolen
Generations, Elders and families in communities
across Australia. Using a grant from the Healing
Foundation and active support from Mallee
Family Care (in particular Will Johnson) the school
initiated a very successful Healing day Ceremony
which included the wider school community. The
theme was “Healing Our Past; Building Our
Future”. With strong support and effective
communication from our Aboriginal Educators,
the school was able to be an integral part of the
opportunity to stand together with respect and
harmony.
Sport
Dareton Public School continues to embrace
‘Healthy Mind, Healthy Body,’ by providing
students with daily opportunities to participate in
a variety of physical activities and support each
individual to enhance sportsman like behaviour
and effective strategies to function effectively in
team situations.
Skill development, active participation and
enjoyment are key components to all aspects of
the PDHPE curriculum. Throughout the year
students K-6 have participated in the following
activities to further enhance their skills:



Sport Clinics supported by community
members from local clubs and agencies in
cricket, AFL, Rugby League, Soccer and
Traditional Aboriginal Games. Senior boys
were provided with specialised coaching
techniques over a six week period in an
AFL Program.
Participation in Athletics, Cross Country
and Swimming Carnivals at School level.
A high percentage of primary students
represented at district level and some
were successful in selection at Regional
Carnivals.
Year three and four students actively
participated in an interschool sports Gala
Day to enhance skills across many sports
and develop positive peer interactions
with students from other schools.
School Move and Groove dance program
continues to promote a positive attitude
towards structured dances and allows
students to mix more positively amongst
their peers and community members.
Aboriginal education
The school community recognizes and celebrates
cultural events, such as NAIDOC Day, and
receives consistent support and guided learning
activities specific to Aboriginal culture from local
AECG president Ron Jackson, regional AECG
president Amanda Johnson, and our Aboriginal
Education Officers Roslyn Thorpe and Naomi
Carr. Their on-going involvement in all school
matters is highly valued.
Acknowledgement to Country at weekly assembly
is respectfully valued by all. With assistance from
AECG, particularly Ron Jackson, the school had
made links to local community cultural sites
through participation in excursions to local sites
(such as Mungo) and access to local workshops
(such as Connecting To Country).
Significant programs and initiatives
Healing Day Celebrations
7
The development of the Outdoor Yarning Circle
continued to be a major focus this year. Stage
One of the project has been completed and
students, families and staff are actively making
use of such a special area for shared meals, Yarn
Ups, and communication. The wider community
was able to use the facilities for the local
community NAIDOC Day celebrations during the
school vacation, and thoroughly enjoyed the
concept of the venue. The visiting students from
Melbourne demonstrated their respect for the
concept which formed an integral part of their
understanding and participation in cultural
awareness activities.
On-going monitoring processes allow for
continuous improvement. In accordance
with the School Plan, the school is
targeting attendance and engagement to
enable more successful outcomes in
literacy and numeracy for all.
The current educational leader position is
a teaching principal role. National
Partnership funding was utilized to
employ a teacher so that the principal
could co-ordinate the implementation of
programs and strategies to meet the
identified needs of our students and to
encourage positive attendance within our
values system of Strong, Smart, Proud
and Safe.
Multicultural education
Our continued commitment to embed student
understanding of core values and beliefs, along
with improving tolerance and resilience, and to
appreciate individual similarities and differences,
continue to be key components of specific
integrated units of work across all areas of the
curriculum.

Students are achieving more successful outcomes
in literacy as they embrace the concept of regular
attendance and the notion that they can make a
real difference to their own world by engaging in
learning about the wider world about them in
cooperative harmony with others.
The school also benefits from Equity
Funding to support literacy and numeracy
initiatives. This additional funding
provides the flexibility to help improve
the
educational
outcomes
and
opportunities for students who are
educationally disadvantaged because of
such factors as geographic isolation. The
funding is a vital component of the
school’s ability to provide an inclusive
curriculum through opportunities to
participate and share in collaborative
activities with others.
Transitional Equity Funding
School planning and evaluation
2012—2014
Transitional Equity Funding was received by the
school. In accordance with collaborative planning,
the funds were allocated to support student
learning and embed best practice. Staff absence
and unavailability of appropriate personnel
impacted on the school’s ability to implement the
planned strategy. However, the funds will be
utilized in 2014 as per the guidelines.
National partnerships and
Commonwealth initiatives

School evaluation processes
NSW public schools conduct evaluations to
support the effective implementation of the
school plan. Based on relevant data collated
from all stakeholders, the school is able to
provide meaningful, engaging activities to
enhance student learning environment for all
students in a way that acknowledges student
needs and celebrates difference. On-going
monitoring processes allow for continuous
improvement.
significant
The school received funding under the
National Partnerships initiative. This
funding enabled the school to provide
extra staff and resources to target areas
of improvement. Based on relevant data
collated from all stakeholders, the school
is able to provide meaningful engaging
activities to enhance the learning
environment for all students in a way
that acknowledges student needs and
celebrates difference.
The processes used include formal Yarn-Ups
which were conducted with members of the
community, including:-
8

Members of staff

Students from Stage 2 and 3 (Yrs 3-6)

Parents and family members

Community members


Focus groups (eg AECG and P&C)
Each group brainstormed the programs and
strategies that worked well this year, as well as
areas for improvement. All stakeholders had the
opportunity to participate in the decision making
process, which will meet student needs and guide
future direction.
Average progress in Writing between
Year 3 and 5
Progress
200
School planning 2012—2014: progress
in 2013
100
0
2011-
School
2013
School priority 1

All students will experience success by improving
NAPLAN results in Literacy and Numeracy
Outcomes from 2012–2014

NAPLAN results of students who were
able to be tracked from Year 3 to year 5
indicate that improvement is being made
in reading.
Increase % of Year 5 students in top 2
bands in NAPLAN grammar from 8% to
20% by end 2013
All students in Kindergarten will achieve
PM Benchmark level 2 or above by end
2013

Increase % of students in year 5 in top 2
bands (proficient) of numeracy from 25%
to 50% in NAPLAN test 2013
State DEC
NAPLAN results of students who were
able to be tracked from Year 3 to year 5
indicate that improvement is being made
in writing.
Average progress in Numeracy between
Year 3 and 5
200
Progress

SSG
0
2008-20102009-20112010-20122011-2013
School

Evidence of progress towards outcomes in 2013:
Unfortunately the outcomes have not yet been
achieved. There were a number of serious
incidents in the wider community that impacted
on individual families, resulting in long periods of
time away from the community. These absences
impacted on attendance data, which impacted on
student achievement. However, appropriate
programs and effective strategies to support
student learning will be implemented in 2014 to
work towards these targets.
SSG
State DEC
NAPLAN results of students who were
able to be tracked from Year 3 to year 5
indicate that improvement is being made
in numeracy.
Strategies to achieve these outcomes in 2014
Average progress in Reading between
Year 3 and 5

Provide professional development for all
staff in analysis of NAPLAN data and
school assessment

PLPs to be completed for all students in
all class levels based on the data

Build teacher capacity
teacher’s expertise
using
STLA
School priority 2
200
Progress
Students will attend school regularly and
participate in an effective learning environment.
Outcomes from 2012–2014

0
2008-2010 2009-2011 2010-2012 2011-2013
School
SSG
State DEC
9
Student families and the wider school
community will actively participate in all
school matters


Programs which build resilience and
positive self-esteem in all students will be
implemented
Professional learning
All staff participated in a variety of Professional
Learning activities throughout the year. These
have been funded from both departmental
resources and from specified tied funds.
Effective teaching/learning opportunities
will be provided to ensure students are
meeting basic literacy and numeracy
standards, and overall levels in literacy
and numeracy achievements are
improving
Evidence of progress towards outcomes in 2013:



Unfortunately the outcomes have not yet
been achieved. There were a number of
serious incidents in the wider community
that impacted on individual families,
resulting in long periods of time away
from the community. These absences
impacted on attendance data, which
impacted on student achievement.
However, appropriate programs and
effective strategies to support student
learning will be implemented in 2014 to
work towards these targets.
During the time of serious events,
families acknowledged and valued the
role of school personnel. Most students
attended daily while families dealt with
the immediate issue. However the
incidents impacted on attendance during
the grieving processes.
Appropriate programs and effective
strategies to support student learning will
be implemented in 2014 to work towards
these targets.
Strategies to achieve these outcomes in
2014:

Daily contact with families via phone and
home visits.

Implement programs to build resilience
and enhance self confidence and the
sense of self-worth

Beautify school environment to reflect
cultural awareness and respect
100% of school professional learning
funds supported staff professional
learning

One classroom teacher continued contact
training for “reading To Learn”

Two teachers were trained in L3, TEN and
Best Start

All staff completed the mandatory
training for Child Protection and Code of
Conduct workshops

All staff completed the requirements of
Emergency Care and Anaphylaxis training

All New staff completed Nonviolent Crisis
Intervention Training.

Disability Standards for Education.

Two classroom teachers attended a three
day course on ‘Connecting to Country’.

Several staff members attended an
Aboriginal Pedagogy Course-Western
NSW RAET.

One teacher took part in the ‘Primary
LAST Network Day’.

All teaching staff attended a workshop on
the new K-10 English syllabus.
Parent/caregiver, student, and
teacher satisfaction
Designated
teacher
to
monitor
attendance rolls daily and liaises with
HSLO to co-ordinate celebration of
achievement


In 2013, the school sought the opinions of
parents, students and teachers about the school.
Community and school families are continue to
demonstrate a greater respect for the school as
an educational institution. All responses indicated
that the school’s value system of Smart, Strong,
Proud, Safe has been embraced by the wider
school community and is being integrated into
cultural awareness activities.
Staff, students, families and the school
community also agreed that the activities that
worked this year were:

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Differentiated curriculum (concept of the
PILOTs group)

Implementation of PLPs (Personal
Learning Plans) and IEPs (Individual
Education Plans)

Girls’ Sewing Group (co-ordinated and
implemented by senior ladies form the
community)

The music program which has been
initiated this year using a music specialist

The creation of the Outdoor Yarning
Circle

Healing Day and NAIDOC Day activities as
well as other activities that enhanced
culture awareness
The analysis of the data indicates that the
provision of a specific teacher to manage the
Science curriculum across the whole school was
effective because the subject was implemented
as per departmental outcomes. Because the
teacher programmed for one KLA (Key Learning
Area) across all stages, student achievement
could be managed at individual as well as stage
level. By designating a classroom for the teaching
of science, students were able to safely store
creative models until the next lesson.
Future directions
Review of the implementation of a KLA being
taught across the school in such a way, indicated
that students were able to engage in aspects of
the Science curriculum in more depth. Students
indicated that they enjoyed Science more than
they had when the subject was being taught by
the classroom teacher. Unfortunately the success
of such a strategy depends on the availability of
appropriate personnel.
Staff, students, families and the school
community all agreed that planning for future
directions should include the following ideas for
continuous improvement:

Excursions. Students should be provided
with relevant activities off-site

Continue current programs and embed
successful programs such as Move and
Groove; ABC Reading Eggs; and Music
and Dance

Participate in more national and external
events such as NSW Spelling Bee and
Tournament of Minds

Technology

CAPPA ~ dance, music and circus arts

More effective publicity advising the
wider
community
of
student
achievement

About this report
In preparing this report, the self-evaluation
committee has gathered information from
evaluations conducted during the year and
analysed other information about the school's
practices and student learning outcomes. The
self-evaluation committee and school planning
committee have determined targets for the
school's future development.
Barbara McDougall (Principal)
Donna Gold (Assistant Principal)
Jennifer Shaddock (Classroom Teacher)
Gifted education
Roslyn Thorpe (Aboriginal Education Officer)
Program evaluations
Naomi Carr (Aboriginal Education Officer)
Background
Kendall Gee (School Administrative Manager)
The teaching of Science at Dareton Public School
has been individually managed over the past
years by classroom teachers. This year, it was
decided to engage a specific teacher who would
teach the subject across the whole school (K-6)
within individual class cohorts. Science was
taught to each class while the classroom teacher
was completing RFF (relief from face-to-face)
duties.
School contact information
Dareton Public School
Matong Street, Dareton. NSW 2717
Ph: 03 5027 4586
Fax: 03 5027 4680
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.dareton-p.schools.det.nsw.edu.au
Findings and conclusions
School Code: 1732
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Parents can find more information about Annual
School Reports, how to interpret information in
the report and have the opportunity to provide
feedback about the report at:
https://detwww.det.nsw.edu.au/highperformance/annual-school-reports
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