2018 Bates Drive School Annual Report · Introduction The Annual Report for 2018 is provided to the community of Bates Drive School as an account of the school's operations and achievements

Bates Drive SchoolAnnual Report

2018

5647

Printed on: 2 May, 2019Page 1 of 14 Bates Drive School 5647 (2018)

Introduction

The Annual Report for 2018 is provided to the community of Bates Drive School as an account of the school'soperations and 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. The Annual School Report is constructed to allow for the school as a community to reflect on programs andprocesses of 2018 and utilise these reflections to guide the planning for the following year, 2019.

David Toogood,

Principal

School contact details

Bates Drive SchoolBates DriveKareela, 2232www.batesdrive-s.schools.nsw.edu.aubatesdrive-s.school@det.nsw.edu.au9521 6049

Message from the Principal

The Bates Drive Public School Annual School Report outlines the strategic directions that have been collaborativelydeveloped to assist all of us to deliver target programs to the students. The report also outlines the specific programs andinitiatives that have been successfully implemented by a genuine whole team approach by highly skilled staff and awonderful supportive parent and carers community. It has been another outstanding year of unlimited learningopportunities and achievement at Bates Drive Public School. Bates Drive Public School is a thriving and innovativeschool where the individual needs of students are catered for in an approachable, safe and exciting learningenvironment. I couldn't be more proud of the students and staff, it has been a pleasure to be supported by them in myfirst year as the Principal of Bates Drive Public School. We as a school look forward to the highlights and achievementsto be made in 2019.


School background

School vision statement

To provide exceptional learning opportunities for all. Bates Drive School has established a school brand of providingexceptional learning opportunities for students with special needs.

To ensure we capture these qualities we provide a safe and caring learning environment, fostering mutual respect andprepare our students to achieve personal success in all areas. We support students in their development and families intheir endeavours to gain the highest quality of educational experiences for their child/children.

To achieve this we will

• Promote a commitment to life–long learning through professional learning opportunities for all staff.

• Provide a quality education for all students through a relevant, challenging curriculum which developsknowledge, values, skills and attitudes.

• Cater for the diverse personal learning needs of all students through differentiated programs.

• Demonstrates genuine and caring concern for children and their welfare in supporting their development.

• Promote a respect for the rights of others and themselves through values education.

• Provide quality resources and programs consistent with the changing dynamics of the world especially in thistechnological age.

School context

Bates Drive School is a dynamic special school that clearly exemplifies a quality learning environment where studentsare respected and given every opportunity to achieve their personal best. Bates Drive School is located in Kareela, asuburb of the Sutherland Shire and services the learning and welfare needs of up to 70 students between the ages of 5to 18 years.The school provides an inclusive learning and teaching environment for students who have complexdisabilities and function in the moderate to severe range of intellectual development, often coupled with autism, aphysical disability or challenging behaviours.

SCHOOL PURPOSE.

The school currently enrols students from the Sutherland Shire and St George region. The dedicated and experiencedstaff are committed to providing a safe and caring learning environment that:

• Builds foundations for lifelong learning.

• Recognises, values and celebrates differences.

• Promotes a school that is free from racism, bullying and discrimination.

SCHOOL STAFF:

The school staff consists of 30 personnel comprising principal, school executive, classroom teachers, and schoollearning support officers, casual teachers, administrative staff and a general assistant. The staff are a very dynamic teamwho work collaboratively to ensure that all students receive quality education in a quality environment. The schoolstrongly supports the values of public education.

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. The framework supportspublic schools throughout NSW in the pursuit of excellence by providing a clear description of high quality practice


across the three domains of Learning, Teaching and Leading.

Our staff and community of parents/carers have been integral in reviewing and evaluating the success of our school andthe changes that have become improvements, that enhance students' opportunities to participate in learning and achievepersonalised learning goals. One method of self–assessing and utilising the School Excellence Framework has beenthrough the continual evaluation of milestones, setting goals for staff to remain on track with processes where possibleand through completion of the annual milestones to review processes that have been successful and to review these for2019 and as the school plan progresses.

Our self–assessment process will assist the school to refine our school plan, leading to further improvements in thedelivery of education to our students.

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

Quality Learners

Purpose

Building Student Capacity

To support student learning experiences which result in increased engagement and participation that leads to theachievement of personalised outcomes.

High quality learning environments are dynamic and differentiated, student centred and foster a sense of belongingwhere all students are valued and catered for.

Overall summary of progress

The 2018 milestones from the Bates Drive 2018–2020 School Plan show a significant progress of staff towardsdeveloping and implementing programs to achieve quality learning. As an integral part of the Schools Plus program, theZones of Regulation became a focus with staff attending professional development and sharing ideas and resources tosupport each student's ability to recognise how they felt throughout the day, then to select an appropriate tool (activity) toself–regulate their behaviour. Each student has a toolbox that has been created through the completion of a sensoryprofile and in collaboration with the Parent/Carer and the Schools Plus Occupational Therapist (OT), Susan.

Progress towards achieving improvement measures

Improvement measures(to be achieved over 3 years)

Funds Expended(Resources)

Progress achieved this year

Students baseline data from TheSENSORY Matters projectindicates more time engaged inlearning activities.

OT – Susan Targeted classes from Sensory Matters projecthave tracked 'on task' behaviour and data showsimprovement due to sensory strategies and zonesof regulation. This data tracking will be expanded toinclude more classes in 2019.

Decrease in the number ofnegative classroom andplayground incidents.

Staff have utilised ebs ONTRACK to document andrecord negative classroom and playgroundincidents. As this tool is quite new still, staff willcontinue to record incidences to observe patterns.

Occupational Therapy practisesand zones of regulation areembedded in PersonalisedLearning Plans.

OT – Susan

Picture ExchangeCommunication System(PECS) release time

Simplified PECS data form

PECS staff and parentsurvey

PBL team revised scope and sequence based onfeedback from teachers. 85% classes utilizingZones of Regulation within their classroom on adaily basis. OT compiling sensory profileinformation for each student to be provided to staffas part of handover for 2019. Procedures forincorporating zones of regulation into individualstudent Positive Behaviour Support Plans (PBSPs)to be discussed at staff development day at thebeginning of Term 1, 2019.

Brief survey conducted and distributed to teachingstaff to determine whether PECS data is beingtaken and used using the new simplified data form.There has been an increase in the taking of datawith more classes submitting evidence to the PECScoordinator. All student PECS data is currentlybeing collated by class teachers in preparation forstudent hand over for 2019.

Susan – OT is currently in the process of analysingthe data collected during the year, collating thisdata into appropriate graphs to inform her planningfor 2019. Susan has also been in regular contactwith the OTs involved in this project at Minerva and






Occupational Therapy practisesand zones of regulation areembedded in PersonalisedLearning Plans.

Cook Schools to collaborate in discussions andevaluate the plan moving forward for each school.

Students will demonstrate growthin SWANS (Students WithAdditional Needs) assessmentfrom a current band or movementwithin the band in generalcapabilities of literacy, language,and personal and socialcapability.

SWANs online SWANs assessment data shows students makinggains in at least one area. SWANs data for allclasses will be completed by the end of Term 4.

SWANs assessments for the domains of literacy,communication, social processes, and eithermovement skills or emotional understanding to becompleted for all students by the end of Term 4.Assessment team to collate and analyse the resultsto show areas of growth and need.

Assessment project conducted by the executive hasstalled due to other priorities within the school. TheSensory Matters project required additional focus tomaintain its momentum so the project will have agreater focus in 2019. The SWANs expandedlearning pathway for literacy will be used to informliteracy outcomes and content within student PLPsin 2019. The assessment guide will be developedfor semester 2 assessment round.

Next Steps

* Students and staff will continue to be supported in the implementation and management of the Zones of Regulationprogram by Susan (OT).

* An increased focus will be placed on stage collaboration with aspiring leaders to evaluate the effectiveness of classprograms and conduct a curriculum review.

* Data will remain a key area for improvement.

* The school will seek increased communication from the University of Technology, Sydney in relation to gathering andutilising Schools Plus data and in planning directions for individualised student planning.

* SWANS assessments will remain as a whole school literacy assessment tool to be completed twice per year for everystudent.

* Some staff to be re–trained in the implementation of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) programand conduct professional learning to upskill new and existing staff. This will ensure that PECS continues to be usedappropriately and effectively across the school.



Dynamic Leaders

Purpose

Building Staff Capacity

To provide a high standard of education through the combination of curriculum resources, ICT and assistive technologies, teaching and learning programs that inspires every student and teacher to excel and reach their full potential.

Teachers will demonstrate curriculum innovation, quality teaching and leadership capabilities that inspire learning.


To develop and build the capacity of staff to become and continue as dynamic leaders, it was identified that staff wouldbe provided with leadership opportunities and encouraged to participate in and evaluate professional learning conductedon site by the leadership team. In addition to this process, staff utilised results from the External Validation process(conducted in term 3, 2017) to inform directions and areas for improvement in 2018. Assessment processes and datacollection and utilisation were identified as areas for improvement and a selection of leaders from Bates Drive Schoolparticipated in professional development that guided and informed the 'Assessment Project'. The Assessment Projectaimed to improve on the collection of qualitative data by teachers, collaborate with staff to improve assessmentprocesses and upskill staff in data collection, assessment processes and utilising new data forms during completion ofthe Picture Exchange Communication System.





An increase in the number ofteachers participating inleadership opportunities.

Surveys in Term 4 have been postponed as thespecific focus area has stalled – other whole schoolprograms have taken priority for remainder of theyear and the leadership team has had staff absent.The project and professional learning will continuein 2019.

100% of staff involved in on goingprofessional learning andreflection, using the AustralianProfessional Standards forTeachers as reference.

By the end of the term, all staff will have completedend of year PDP evaluations with their supervisorand will engage in discussions about futuredirections for their self–learning in 2019.

Teaching Staff PDP'S developgoals that incorporate leadershipobjectives.

The annual PDP review process allowed aspiringleaders to discuss their leadership developmentand goals with their supervisor. Supervisors tooknote of the areas of strength and areas of need ofeach aspiring leader as well as any particular areasof interest. These will not only be incorporated intoPDPs for 2019 but also during the planning of themilestones for 2019.

Next Steps

* Continue to review whole school assessment processes and the collection of data to improve whole school practices.

* Allocation and distribution of leadership roles to include more staff and build the leadership capacity among classroomteachers.

* All staff including teaching and non–teaching staff will complete, self–evaluate and review Professional DevelopmentPlans (PDPs) for 2019.

* Aspiring leaders will participate in appropriate professional learning courses to build their capacity to lead within the


school.

* Leadership and supervision responsibilities will be delegated to all leadership team members to collaboratively improvewhole school practices.



Tranformational Links

Purpose

Building Community Capacity

To build stronger relationships as an educational community with purposeful and engaging projects and programs whichcater for the complex learning needs of students in partnership with community members.


This strategic direction focuses on open communication between all members of the school community including staff,parents/carers, external service providers, doctors and other professionals. Clear communication is an integralcomponent in being able to support all students and their individual needs whilst they are at Bates Drive School. Thisprocess has involved audits of school resources and the environment by the Schools Plus Occupational Therapist,Susan, and her delegated University students, documentation of the use of sensory programs and collaborativeprofessional learning opportunities with local and similar schools including Minerva School. An integration program thathas run for several years in conjunction with Kirrawee High School has been acknowledged and staff received an ACENSW Annual Award for the success of the program – Community Service and Social Justice Award 2018.





Professional learning sessionsare shared and made accessibleto an increased number ofschools of students withmultifarious needs.

Schools Plus funding

Classroom Teacher releasetime

SAP funding

Community of professional learning formed withother SSPs, particularly with Minerva as we havecompleted three twilight sessions with them atBates Drive School and Minerva school duringTerm 4.

Integration programs successfully implemented with3 local schools – Oyster Bay Public School,Kirrawee High School and Jannali East PublicSchool.

OccupationalTherapists/Staff/Parents areskilled in assessing individualstudents sensory needs in theBates Drive School environment..

Schools Plus funding

Classroom Teacher releasetime

SAP funding

Environmental inventories completed. OT iscollating data and completing ongoing research intoequipment and product purchase.

Implementation of developing a framework forprogramming delayed as other areas of the projecthave taken priority. The COLA is currently beingcleaned and converted as a result of theenvironmental audit to reduce echo and make thespace more functional.

Implementation to be a focus for Term 1, 2019.

Next Steps

* Susan from Schools Plus will continue to evaluate how the school environment is being utilised effectively and willparticipate in the meetings to potentially have the K–6 bathroom renovated in 2019.

* Personalised Learning Plans of students and teacher programming may be revised to include areas relating toOccupational Therapy.

* Integration programs will be organised to maintain contact with local mainstream schools including Oyster Bay PublicSchool, Kirrawee High School and Jannali East Public School.


Student information

Student enrolment profile

Enrolments

Students 2015 2016 2017 2018

Boys 49 52 53 56

Girls 15 15 15 14

Enrolments at Bates Drive School remain steady innumbers and the school is close to its capacity.Students are referred to Bates Drive School through aregional placement panel.

Workforce information

Workforce composition

Position FTE*

Principal(s) 1

Assistant Principal(s) 3

Classroom Teacher(s) 9.2

Teacher Librarian 0.4

School Counsellor 1

School Administration and SupportStaff

13.82

Other Positions 1.08

*Full Time Equivalent

2018 was David Toogood's first year as the Principal ofBates Drive School.

One Assistant Principal became unwell and utilisedextended sick leave from the beginning of term 2 untilthe end of term 4. An aspiring leader was selected torelieve in this role. A casual teacher was placed on atemporary contract to temporarily fill this position for theremainder of the year.

One permanent Teacher was successful in obtaining aposition in another SSP. A casual teacher was placedon a temporary contract to temporarily fill this positionfor the remainder of the year. This position will beadvertised in term 1 of 2019.

Bates Drive School does not currently have anidentified Aboriginal staff member.

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 15

Professional learning and teacher accreditation

In 2018 all staff participated in mandatory trainingincluding Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation,Anaphylaxis, Child Protection Awareness and the Codeof Conduct Update. Staff also participated in a varietyof other professional learning opportunities includingattending the Special Education Principals' andLeaders' Association (SEPLA) conference, attendingleadership development courses, sharing in learningabout behaviours with Minerva School, continuedparticipation in Schools Plus learning and other coursesin line with Teacher Performance Development Plans.This year we had two teachers successful in obtainingtheir accreditation at proficient, with two staff workingtowards accreditation at proficient for 2019 and severalstaff that will be beginning their accreditation atmaintenance level process during 2019. Allprofessional learning is assisted to support teachingand non–teaching staff at Bates Drive School toimplement personalised goals, quality learningprograms and enhance student wellbeing.


Financial information

Financial summary

The information provided in the financial summaryincludes reporting from 1 January 2018 to 31December 2018.

2018 Actual ($)

Opening Balance 230,516

Revenue 3,379,872

Appropriation 3,228,238

Sale of Goods and Services 5,121

Grants and Contributions 144,047

Gain and Loss 0

Other Revenue 0

Investment Income 2,466

Expenses -3,052,006

Recurrent Expenses -3,052,006

Employee Related -2,926,016

Operating Expenses -125,991

Capital Expenses 0

Employee Related 0

Operating Expenses 0

SURPLUS / DEFICIT FOR THEYEAR

327,865

Balance Carried Forward 558,382

The information provided aligns with the school's officialrecords. The school has not made any gains or lossduring the year of 2018. The balance carried forward isgreater than the opening balance at thecommencement of the 2018 year. The school did notrecord any Capital expenses. The expenses paid arereasonable and in line with the school's expectation.

Financial summary equity funding

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

2018 Actual ($)

Base Total 613,346

Base Per Capita 28,460

Base Location 0

Other Base 584,886

Equity Total 17,467

Equity Aboriginal 0

Equity Socio economic 9,362

Equity Language 8,105

Equity Disability 0

Targeted Total 2,172,489

Other Total 133,480

Grand Total 2,936,781

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.

Parent/caregiver, student, teachersatisfaction

During 2018, parents and caregivers were participantsin open and clear communication with the schoolthrough the use of communication books that were sentbetween home and school daily, emails and phonecalls through the school office, trials and surveys insetting up the Skoolbag App for all parents andcaregivers and also in attending professional learning inrelation to the Schools Plus program and PositiveBehaviour for Learning. These learning sessions weredesigned to inform parents and caregivers about howthese programs are utilised at Bates Drive School,however they were also created to provide parents andcaregivers with strong starting point and resources sothat they could access these programs with their childat home. A survey was also sent home to parents inSemester One to discover what parents and caregiversknow about the Picture Exchange CommunicationSystem (PECS) and to inform future planning toconduct professional learning that will assist in theconsistent implementation of PECS across bothenvironments. PECS is a whole school communicationprogram and the majority of parents and caregiverswere interested in learning more about the system andhow they can use it. From the results, most people alsodid not know that PECS could be utilised and beneficialfor a student, whether they are verbal or non–verbal.


Policy requirements

Aboriginal education

Bates Drive School is dedicated to fostering anddeveloping our students' understanding and knowledgeof Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as theIndigenous people of this land. Our staff demonstratethis at each formal and informal assembly event held atschool and is a time for staff, students and visitorsshow respect by listening to a 'Welcome to Country',provided as a video by Melanie King and with DeannaSchreiber, a local Aboriginal Elder. The school has theAboriginal flag raised proudly at the front of the school.

Aboriginal Education perspectives are addressed in theteaching and learning programs throughout the schooland stage groups, with specific outcomes being metfrom the K–6 History Syllabus, Year 7–10 History LifeSkills Syllabus and the Year 11–12 Society and CultureLife Skills Curriculum. This is in line with theDepartment of Education's Aboriginal Education Policy,which states that students in NSW should develop adeep understanding of Aboriginal culture and peoples,past and present.

NAIDOC week is celebrated with specific events andactivities. During this week, we organise an annualperformance by Walangari Karntawarra, during whichstudents participate in Aboriginal art activities, storytelling and a performance. This is inclusive andaccessible to all students at Bates Drive School.

Multicultural and anti-racism education

Bates Drive School encourages an awareness of andrespect for all cultures and communities. Schoolprograms are designed to promote the knowledge andunderstanding of the different cultures that live withinour local community. Approximately one third ofstudents have a language and cultural backgroundother than English and as consistent with the previousyear, 2017.

Educational and social programs reflect diversity andcelebrate multiculturalism through art, music and food.This year, staff coordinated a whole school MulticulturalWeek during term 4, during which all activities werelinked to students' backgrounds, special family cuisinesand a variety of music from around the world thatstudents listened to.

Harmony Day is an integral part of the Bates DriveSchool calendar which is celebrated each year. Staffand students all wear orange to acknowledge this dayand themed activities are created and set up for allstudents to access throughout the day.

A member of staff was trained as an Anti–RacismContact Officer. This staff member is now at anotherschool and we will allocate this role to another staffmember for 2019.

The teaching and learning programs, practises andpolicies at Bates Drive School reflect the Department of

Education's values of fairness, respect andresponsibility.

Other school programs

Schools Plus

The Schools Plus project has been involved in thereconceptualisation of Occupational Therapy serviceswithin special schools. The occupational therapist hasbeen working in collaboration with staff, parents andcaregivers. The University of Technology, Sydney isevaluating how this process is unfolding in the schoolby data collection and data analysis over the four yearperiod.

Over the past year the focus of the project has been theintroduction of the concept of Zones of Regulationwithin every classroom. This has involved professionaldevelopment for teachers, sessions for carers andindividual sessions for teachers.

Teachers, parents and casual staff have increased intheir knowledge of sensory processing and theinterventions strategies that can be used to assist inemotional regulation. This has been demonstratedthrough completion of a survey conducted inSeptember, 2018.

OT students have been involved in the development ofa website which teachers can access to obtaininformation on Sensory Processing and how it impactsthe student performance within the school setting. Eachstudent at the school has now had a sensory profilecompleted. These results have been compiled and areavailable for teachers to access. As part of thisteachers now have access to time with the OT duringRFF. These session will be documented so that there isa record of discussions and outcomes.

The environment within Bates Drive has changed bothwithin the classroom and the playground . Staff nowhave access to a therapeutic swing area that is usedwith all children to assist with self–regulation. It ishoped that further changes will occur as the projectcontinues.

Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL)

The implementation of Positive Behaviour for Learningprogram (PBL) has continued this year at Bates DriveSchool.

The Bates Drive PBL team surveyed the staff toanalyse how much PBL is integrated into the schoolcurriculum and used this feedback to inform furtherplanning.

PBL consultant Grace Maslen came to our school tointerview staff and students on their knowledge of thePBL values. Grace also provided further directions andinstruction with the schools PBL program. TeachersMolly Wolfel, Ciara Brown and Lee Carey attended thePBL meeting at Cronulla Public School. Molly and Leepresented on how PBL is relevant to our students andhow it is taught in our school environment.


Zones of Regulation was integrated into Schools Plusand PBL. Teachers also implemented individually intheir classrooms to decrease challenging behaviours.

Resources were created for each area of the school, inparticular the playground, Liberty swing, pool, bus linesand COLA. These resources included visuals forstudents of appropriate behaviours and how to staysafe in each area.

The PBL team developed a Behaviour Managementflow chart that is specific to Bates Drive School andexplicitly details procedures to manage challengingbehaviour, particularly to assist in the playground andwith casual staff.

A new PBL video was created that gives a visualdemonstration of expected behaviour across schoolenvironments. A school song containing the schoolvalues was written, recorded and mixed by the PBLteam and music teachers on staff. A video was createdto go with the song to show visual instruction andrepetitive auditory learning.

Lesson activities, visuals, Notebook and Powerpointprograms were also created to explicitly teach eachelement of the Bates Drive School PBL values, namely'We Care', 'We are Safe' and 'We are Learners'.

Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)

The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)has been a whole school program with continuousexpansion and diverse use across the school over thelast two years. All permanent staff were trained in theuse of PECS in 2017 with the aim for it to beimplemented school wide during 2018. With thediscovery that the data forms were quite timeconsuming and complex to complete on a daily basis, anew and simplified data collection form was created inmid–2018. Since the creation of the simplified dataform, the evidence that PECS is being implementedsuccessfully within classes is growing, with staffincluding PECS in mid–year and end of year reports.Reports demonstrate some students making progresswith their communication and this is a valued schoolprogram.

Sports Ready Program

Students at Bates Drive School continued to participatein the Sports Ready Program. It is a school sports andfitness program offered to all students from K–12, thatis run once a week by instructors from The DisabilityTrust. The program is linked to the K–6 PDHPESyllabus and the 7–12 PDHPE Life Skills Syllabus.Each week two classes are paired together and theinstructors lead and assist the students to participate ina range of both indoor and outdoor sports activities.The program and activities offered have been adaptedto ensure participation by all students and allows for awide and diverse range of abilities. The Sports Readyprogram enables the students to access adaptedsporting equipment and participate in a range of sportssuch as basketball, obstacle courses, Oz tag football,soccer, t–ball, athletics and general fitness

opportunities. Students can then generalise andtransfer a range of skills learnt in the classroom, acrossa range of environments, and with other staff.

Rhythm Village

Students participated in the Rhythm Village musicprogram in Terms 1 – 3. The program is linked to theK–6 and Year 11 and 12 Creative Arts Syllabus and the7–10 Music Syllabus. Each week two classes shared asession with an experienced teacher musician.Students experienced music from a wide range ofmusical genres and practised playing a variety ofmusical instruments. The students had access to adiverse collection of adapted instruments, to enable allto engage appropriately and express their individualcreativity. Instruments included keyboards, drums,bells, maracas, guitars, didgeridoos, gongs and singingbowls. The program had a positive responsethroughout the school and students demonstrated akeen interest and willingness to try new instrumentseach week.

Integration

Students from Bates Drive School continued toparticipate in integration programs throughout theSutherland Shire. These programs are planned andimplemented with the aim to focus on inclusion anddeveloping positive community attitudes towards ourstudents through knowledge, acceptance, friendshipand understanding. During team meetings a variety ofstudents are selected, with regular reviews eachsemester. Another important goal is to help ourstudents feel included and valued amongst their peersand develop positive relationships in a safe andsupportive program that they can take into the widercommunity. Each week engaging lessons are plannedand resources are prepared by Bates Drive staff formaximum participation for students, from both schools.Mainstream staff are educated through our mentoringto better develop inclusive programs for students withspecial needs. Our students are able to practicecommunication and life skills in a setting that many ofthem may not have the opportunity to access. Throughthese programs they are explicitly taught appropriatebehaviours, expectations and social skills and, whensuitable, readying students to transition into supportunits and post–school programs. Staff and studentsfrom participating schools were asked what kind ofimpact they have observed from having the integrationprograms at their schools, and the responses havebeen overwhelming. Teachers noted that students whoparticipate in integration often have an increased levelof interest in their school programs and are also moretolerant, inclusive and respectful.

Science

The Science program across the school is planned andimplemented by the two release from face to face(RFF) teachers. The K–10 students work towardscontent from the Science K–10 Syllabus and Year 11and 12 students work towards content from the ScienceLife Skills Stage 6 Syllabus. During 2018 all studentsparticipated in four units of work.


K–6 students participated in the following units:

– Light and Shadow/Sound and Hearing

– Living Things

– Australian Animals

– Materials

High school students participated in the following units:

– Earth and Beyond

– Life Cycles

– Australian Animals

– Energy

The units of work were developed by the RFF teachersto cater for the individual learning needs of all students.Practical sensory experiences were a major focus ofeach unit, with communication opportunities embeddedin each lesson. Adjustments were made wherenecessary to ensure all students were able tosuccessfully access the curriculum content andparticipate fully in all learning experiences.

Swim Scheme

During Term 1, K–6 students were given theopportunity to participate in a two week swim schoolprogram. The students swam every day for half anhour, working with qualified instructors. The studentsbenefit greatly from this program as it allows them todevelop confidence in the water, improve theirswimming skills and increase their knowledge of watersafety. this learning is then continued throughout theyear within class and sport swimming programs. A newpool cover was purchased and installed to give allstudents the opportunity to swim all year round, in allclimates.

Technology

Technology continues to be embraced and embeddedinto the Bates Drive curriculum. This is demonstrated inindividual programs utilising the Interactive Whiteboard(IWB), Notebook programs, Talking Photo Books, iPadsand augmentative communication devices such asBigMack switches. Class and personal iPads areutilised for leisure and academic purposes withapplications which focus on communication, forexample Clicker 6, Story Creator, Sounding Board andProloquo2Go. Smart Notebook programs, school Wi–Fiand the compatibility of iPads to the Air Server continueto be effective teaching resources and are used in allcurriculum areas to ensure students have access to thehighest levels of educational opportunity. Staff continueto access the Animoto website to demonstrate creativelearning and teaching by visually documenting activitiesstudents engage in at school. Staff use technology intheir ongoing professional learning programs as theycomplete e–learning courses which focus on student'sspecial needs, complex health care issues anddepartment policies and procedures. In 2018, Bates

Drive employed an IT consultant, Paul Hammond, tomanage the ongoing maintenance and updating ofprograms whilst supporting technologicaladvancements on school computers and devices. TheBates Drive School P&C Association provided thefinancial support to engage the IT consultant. In Term 4a new LobbyTrac system was implemented to assistwith more automated signing in and out of all visitors,therapists and students. All visitors wear photoidentification while on school grounds, so all staff areaware that they are permitted to be on site.

Community Learning

Community learning programs are carefully selected bystaff to compliment and support the curriculumoutcomes and enhance student learning. Throughoutthe school year, classes may participate in weeklycommunity facilitated learning programs to supportlearning across a range of curriculum areas. Theseincluded syllabus areas of Literacy, Numeracy, PDHPE,History and Geography. Students focus on safety,communication and social interaction while out in thecommunity. These programs provided students with theopportunity to further develop these skills in a variety ofsettings. Participation in community learning programsallows students to engage in new environments.Students are also able to gain valuable life skills andhands–on experience within the wider community.Examples of community learning programs include tripsto the library, shopping centre to buy cookingingredients and an overnight ZooSnooz experience atthe end of the year.

Community Partnerships

The school is very fortunate and proud to havelongstanding relationships with Kareela Golf Club,Como–Jannali Rotary, Sylvania Bowling Club andmany local businesses and organisations. We wouldlike to thank the Feros Group for their ongoing support,especially in catering for our annual school Christmasevent, Carols in the Park. Theses partnerships providemuch needed funding to enable us to purchaseessential resources for our students. In 2018 BatesDrive School was successful in receiving grants andfunding from local businesses.

Parents and Carers (P&C)

Bates Drive School is fortunate to have a small, veryproactive P&C team. In 2018 their main fundraiser was'Comedy for A Cause'. The P&C organised a number offundraising activities throughout the year, whichincluded an Easter Raffle, Mother's and Father's Daystalls, a Chocolate Drive, Christmas Raffle anddistributing money boxes to be filled for the school.


Documents

2018 Bates Drive School Annual Report · Introduction The Annual Report for 2018 is provided to the community of Bates Drive School as an account of the school's operations and achievements