Bundaberg State High School

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Contents

1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 3

1.1 Review team ................................................................................................................ 3

1.2 School context ............................................................................................................. 4

1.3 Contributing stakeholders ............................................................................................ 5

1.4 Supporting documentary evidence............................................................................... 5

2. Executive summary ........................................................................................................... 6

2.1 Key findings ................................................................................................................. 6

2.2 Key improvement strategies ........................................................................................ 8

3. Findings and improvement strategies against the domains ............................................... 9

3.1 An explicit improvement agenda .................................................................................. 9

3.2 Analysis and discussion of data ................................................................................. 11

3.3 A culture that promotes learning ................................................................................ 13

3.4 Targeted use of school resources .............................................................................. 15

3.5 An expert teaching team ............................................................................................ 17

3.6 Systematic curriculum delivery .................................................................................. 19

3.7 Differentiated teaching and learning .......................................................................... 22

3.8 Effective pedagogical practices ................................................................................. 24

3.9 School-community partnerships ................................................................................. 26

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1. Introduction

This report is a product of a review carried out by a review team from the School

Improvement Unit (SIU) at Bundaberg State High School from 12 to 15 February 2018.

The report presents an evaluation of the school’s performance against the nine domains of

the National School Improvement Tool. It also recommends improvement strategies for the

school to consider in consultation with its regional office and school community.

The report’s executive summary outlines key findings from the review and key improvement

strategies that prioritise future directions for improvement.

Schools will publish the executive summary on the school website within two weeks of

receiving the report.

The principal will meet with their Assistant Regional Director (ARD), to discuss the review

findings and improvement strategies.

For more information regarding the SIU and reviews for Queensland state schools please

visit the SIU website.

1.1 Review team

Wayne Troyahn Internal reviewer, SIU (review chair)

Alan Sampson Internal reviewer

Terry Heath Peer Reviewer

Jenny Nayler External reviewer

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1.2 School context

Location: Maryborough Street, Bundaberg

Education region: North Coast Region

Year opened: 1912

Year levels: Year 7 to Year 12

Enrolment: 1 452

Indigenous enrolment percentage:

11.1 per cent

Students with disability enrolment percentage:

9.7 per cent

Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA) value:

940

Year principal appointed: 2014

Full-time equivalent staff: 105

Significant partner schools: Bundaberg North State High School, Kepnock State High School, Isis District State High School, Rosedale State School, Gin Gin State High School, Feeder primary school cluster – Bundaberg Central State School, Norville State School, Branyan Road State School, Walkervale State School, Bundaberg South State School, Thabeban State School, Bundaberg West State School

Significant community partnerships:

Bundaberg Regional Youth Hub including all six high schools plus community - 54 partners, Bundaberg Industry Reference Group including 10 main employers and six state school principals, Educating Youth Excellence (EYE) alternate program youth justice/families/Headspace, Read to Grow event – approximately1000 primary students - Bundaberg Regional Council, Semi School Bundaberg Human Powered Vehicle (HPV) Super Sprint - business sponsors and local government support

Significant school programs: Whole School Reading, including Rapid Reading, International

Student Program, Instrumental Music, Sports Extension,

Dance Excellence , Drama Excellence, Maths success school -

North Coast Region initiative, learning support, Special

Education Program (SEP), EXCEL (Enhancing eXcellence in

Curriculum, Extra-curricular & Leadership) program, Café –

Vocational Education and Training (VET) students

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1.3 Contributing stakeholders

The following stakeholders contributed to the review:

School community:

Principal, four deputy principals, 84 teachers including Heads of Department

(HOD), two Business Managers (BM), 26 non-teaching staff members, 45

students, member of Parents and Citizens’ Association (P&C), two Indigenous

leaders and 15 parents.

Community and business groups:

Representative of Bundaberg Regional Council and representative of the Friendly

Society Private Hospital.

Partner schools and other educational providers:

Principal Bundaberg West State School, principal Branyan Road State School,

deputy principal Kepnock State High School, representatives from Technical and

Further Education (TAFE) and Central Queensland University (CQU).

Government and departmental representatives:

ARD.

1.4 Supporting documentary evidence

Annual Implementation Plan 2018 Strategic Plan 2018-2021

Faculty Annual Implementation Plans School Data Profile (Semester 2, 2017)

Headline Indicators (Semester 2, 2017) School budget overview

OneSchool Data Curriculum planning documents

Professional learning plan 2018 Reading framework

School improvement targets 2018 School newsletters and website

School Unit Planning Processes School Facebook Page

School Opinion Survey – 2017 School Data Plan

Responsible Behaviour Plan School Pedagogical Framework

Student Free Day Professional Development Program

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2. Executive summary

2.1 Key findings

The parent community strongly commends the school’s inclusive culture and values.

Parents articulate that the school has positioned itself as a school of choice in the

Bundaberg district through its provision of a diverse set of pathways and programs

resourced from a wide range of sustainable and valued community partnerships.

High levels of trust are apparent across the student and parent community.

A wide range of extracurricular programs has been developed by highly committed teachers

to extend wellbeing, learning and vocational opportunities for students. Student leaders

commend the critical role most teachers have played in their development as confident and

capable young citizens by investing time to understand and respond to individual needs.

Students express their gratitude for the ongoing constructive feedback and tutoring provided

by many of their teachers. Parents and students commend the allocation of coaches to all

students in the senior school.

The literacy team has been acknowledged for their successful whole-school reading

approach, intervention programs and expert team model as a finalist in the 2017

University of Queensland (UQ) Showcase Award for Excellence in the Junior

Secondary Years.

The school’s reading framework provides for the scheduled introduction of evidence-based

and locally-developed reading practices to build reading comprehension strategies across all

year levels. Teachers report satisfaction with literacy coach support. The Rapid Reading

program is utilised to build reading capacity across Year 7 classes. This intensive

intervention program, providing individual instruction, builds fluency, promotes reading habits

and comprehension strategies.

The school executive team, comprised of the principal and deputy principals, is

united in driving an Explicit Improvement Agenda (EIA) focused on improving the

quality of teaching and learning throughout the school.

This agenda focuses on the three key areas of the Art and Science of Teaching (ASoT),

attendance and reading. The priorities detailed in the 2018 Annual Implementation Plan (AIP)

are Successful Learners, Teaching Quality, and Collaborative Empowerment. Staff members

are not yet able to clearly articulate the priorities of the EIA or identify the staff members

responsible for driving these priorities.

The leadership team, consisting of the executive team and Heads of Department

(HOD), is committed to improving communication.

Some staff members advocate for increased involvement of executive leaders in the staff

wellbeing initiatives. To improve the wellbeing of staff members, a range of initiatives is

planned to enhance communication, transparency and collaboration in decision making.

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Teachers and leaders have identified what teachers should teach and what students

should learn.

Curriculum planning for Years 7 to 10 draws on the Australian Curriculum (AC). Faculties

utilise a range of formats and approaches to clarify the year level curriculum in learning

areas from Years 7 to 10. Faculties responsible for learning areas, including the Arts,

technologies and languages, are creating year level plans to clarify the curriculum scope and

sequence using the AC. School leaders are undertaking work in preparation for changes to

senior schooling curriculum and assessment. The school is yet to develop a whole-school

curriculum plan and share this with parents.

Leaders and teachers identify Marzano’s1 The Art and Science of Teaching: A

comprehensive framework for effective instruction as informing the school’s

pedagogical framework.

Some members of the teaching staff have undertaken professional learning related to the

ASoT framework. Leaders and teachers identify the need for staff professional learning in

relation to the ASoT framework.

The principal and some leaders model professional learning in different areas of the

improvement agenda.

The reading agenda is well supported and modelled by literacy coaches and most HODs.

Numeracy and behaviour coaches provide support to teachers. The depth and regularity of

modelling, monitoring and feedback provided by instructional leaders regarding priorities

vary across the school.

Teachers and faculties utilise learning experiences that are accessible, engaging and

challenging for the full range of learners.

Projects including the NASA Space Design Competition, the Re-Engineering Australia (REA)

Foundation F1 in Schools, and the Maryborough Technology Challenge have resulted in

local, national and international recognition for student achievement in Science, Technology,

Engineering, Mathematics (STEM).

Teaching staff members commend the quality of support provided by teacher aides.

Teacher aides are responsive and committed to supporting teachers to meet student needs.

They are included in Professional Development (PD) opportunities provided within and

outside the school.

1 Marzano, R. J. (2007). The art and science of teaching: A comprehensive framework for effective

instruction. Ascd.

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2.2 Key improvement strategies

Review the school’s EIA to ensure there is a narrow and sharp focus that aligns key priorities

with those documented in the school’s AIP and clarify the roles, responsibilities and

accountabilities of all staff members in driving the EIA.

Clarify and communicate the roles of the executive leadership team and HODs in driving the

improvement priorities and the staff wellbeing portfolio.

Collaboratively develop and implement a whole-school curriculum plan.

Develop and implement a whole-school approach to building staff capability in relation to the

school’s pedagogical framework.

Revisit the roles and responsibilities of leaders to clarify expectations for modelling,

monitoring, support and feedback to teachers regarding progress related to the school

priorities.

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3. Findings and improvement strategies against the domains

3.1 An explicit improvement agenda

Findings

The school motto ‘Through hard work, the stars’ supports all school progress and appears

on school publications and signs around the school. It provides direction for assisting the

learning and welfare of all students.

Staff members are committed to providing a caring and nurturing educational environment.

There is strong collegiality and support amongst staff members who describe a desire to

achieve the best learning outcomes for all students. Staff members articulate examples of

significant improvement in learning for a number of students through personalised

approaches.

The school executive team is united in driving an EIA focused on improving the quality of

teaching and learning throughout the school. This agenda focuses on the three key areas of

ASoT, attendance, and reading. The EIA is yet to be fully communicated and enacted

throughout the school.

Collaborative planning involving the school community has resulted in the articulation of the

three components of the EIA - Successful Learners, Teaching Quality, and Collaborative

Empowerment. These components are documented in the 2018 AIP. Key improvement

strategies are developed in areas including implementing the reading framework, reflecting

and enacting data cycles, Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) monitoring and literacy

tracking, and a National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN)

development program. The school has set measures of success indicators including Level of

Achievement (LOA) pass rates of 90 per cent across the school, 92 per cent attendance

rates, and 100 per cent QCE/Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement (QCIA)

attainment. Understanding and enactment of the AIP across the school community are not

yet apparent.

A statement detailing the roles, responsibilities and accountabilities of staff members aligned

to the key priorities of the EIA exists. The level of clarity regarding these roles amongst staff

members is variable.

The leadership team identifies monitoring of the progress toward targets to determine the

effectiveness of programs in producing desired outcomes as essential. This is yet to be fully

enacted throughout the whole school.

The leadership team analyses performance data for the full range of students and is aware

of trends in student academic outcomes and attendance. The leadership team is committed

to developing additional approaches to improve student outcomes including new directions

to support reading. The newly introduced Girls Academy, supporting Indigenous girls, is one

example of the new directions.

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The school communicates the expectation that every student will learn successfully via

emails, newsletters, Facebook, and assemblies. There are high expectations for

engagement and learning outcomes. The school has clearly articulated strategies to

improving student wellbeing. The community identifies the principal as setting this direction

and providing school impetus for this to continue to progress in the future.

Improvement strategies

Review the school’s EIA to ensure there is a narrow and sharp focus that aligns key priorities

with those documented in the school’s AIP and clarify the roles, responsibilities and

accountabilities of all staff members in driving the EIA.

Communicate the EIA to all stakeholders and enact across the school.

Develop processes to monitor targets and the effectiveness of programs in advancing the

EIA.

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3.2 Analysis and discussion of data

Findings

A systematic process exists to analyse data to support the school’s direction. Student

reading data, based on PROBE reading assessment, is utilised to support reading programs.

The school analyses a range of data including PROBE, PAT-M and PAT-R in the creation of

streamed classes in the junior school including the learning support program and EXCEL

(Enhancing eXcellence in Curriculum, Extra-curricular & Leadership) program. Progress in

these classes is monitored systematically through the use of standardised tests and subject

results to support student progress. Data-based decisions result in changes to class

composition as required.

A data plan schedules the collection of data to support the planning of programs and

monitoring of student outcomes. It is yet to be fully communicated or implemented across

the school. Teachers articulate that they would benefit from further data literacy development.

There is an expectation by the leadership team that teachers will access the OneSchool

dashboard and placemats to determine the needs of students in their classes.

Some teachers monitor student achievement in their classes and modify programs to

address needs. A consistent school-wide approach to monitoring student achievement and

modification to programs is not yet apparent.

The school monitors data relating to the School Opinion Survey (SOS), student attendance,

School Disciplinary Absences (SDAs), school completion, student destinations and

stakeholder perceptions and engagement. The data is shared with staff members.

2017 NAPLAN data identifies the Mean Scale Score (MSS) achievement for Year 7 and

Year 9 as similar to Similar Queensland State Schools (SQSS) across all strands.

2017 Upper Two Bands (U2B) achievement for Years 7 and 9 is similar to SQSS in all

strands except Year 7 spelling which is below SQSS.

Year 7 achievement at or above the National Minimum Standard (NMS) is below

Queensland State Schools (QSS) across all strands. Year 9 NMS achievement is above

QSS in numeracy, below in writing, spelling and grammar and punctuation, and similar to

QSS in reading with a variance of 0.3 per cent.

Relative gain 2015-2017 Year 5 to Year 7 in NAPLAN is similar to SQSS in all areas. Year 7

to Year 9 relative gain for this period is similar to SQSS across all strands except numeracy

which is above SQSS.

Year 9 participation rates in 2008 NAPLAN ranged from 89.7 per cent to 91.1 per cent. This

compares to a range of 74.2 per cent to 80.3 per cent in 2017. Year 7 participation rates in

2017 range from 85.2 per cent to 87.4 per cent.

The school systematically monitors Year 12 achievement. The percentage of students

achieving a QCE or QCIA has increased from 88.6 per cent in 2014 to 98.0 per cent in 2017.

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The school has a focus on supporting students to complete a QCE. In 2017, 2 per cent of

students achieved a QCIA and 73.5 per cent of students achieved Overall Position (OP) 1-

15 results.

The deputy principal-special education is responsible for the tracking of students with

disability completing the QCE/QCIA. Six Year 12 students and 17 Year 11 students are

completing a QCIA this year. There are five students with disability in Year 12 working

towards a QCE.

A school procedure to compare the achievement of students with disability to their year level

cohort is yet to be established.

Improvement strategies

Develop and implement a school-wide process to consistently monitor student progress and

the modification of programs.

Communicate and implement the data plan to all staff members and further build the data

literacy capability of staff.

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3.3 A culture that promotes learning

Findings

High levels of trust are apparent across the student and parent community. The broader

community holds the school in high regard and commends the visibility and commitment to

student welfare from the principal, school leaders and teachers.

A wide range of extracurricular programs has been developed by highly committed teachers

to extend wellbeing, learning and vocational opportunities for students. Student leaders

commend the critical role most teachers have played in their development as confident and

capable young citizens by investing time to understand and respond to individual needs.

Students express their gratitude for the ongoing constructive feedback and tutoring provided

by many of their teachers. Parents and students commend the allocation of coaches to all

students in the senior school.

The school has a well-documented Responsible Behaviour Plan for Students (RBPS). Some

teachers and leaders identify inconsistencies involving follow up with students regarding

uniform, attendance and behaviour.

Classroom posters supporting students to ‘Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Safe and Be

Committed’ are displayed in most classrooms and are published in the school diary. There

is an expectation that teachers develop classroom rules based around these values. The

enactment of these classroom rules varies across the school.

Some teachers advocate for a stronger link between classroom management challenges

and pedagogical coaching.

Short-term School Disciplinary Absences (SDAs) have risen from 51.4 per term per 1000

students in 2012 to over 100 per term in 2017.

Student welfare hubs consisting of teachers with specific skill sets and welfare HODs

operate in the junior and senior schools to lead student welfare and behaviour management

initiatives and respond to teacher referrals. Hub personnel develop daily improvement plans

in the junior school and senior performance monitoring sheets for students requiring

additional support.

An explicit pastoral care program has been re-introduced in Years 7 to 9 based on the

Access Learning Curve resource and is linked to activities in the student diary. Some

teachers are engaging in the delivery of key values activities within Access time. Teachers

and students applaud the improvements in the program this year, together with the updated

student diary.

Some teachers have begun to demonstrate an openness to informal critique of practice by

colleagues through a peer coaching model. A review of the effectiveness of the model in

terms of impact on teaching practice is yet to be completed.

The 2017 Semester 2 School Data Profile indicates an attendance rate of 87.6 per cent.

This compares to a 2016 rate of 87.9 per cent. In 2017 29.4 per cent of students attended

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for less than 85 per cent of the school year which compares to 27.9 per cent in 2016. In

2017, the data profile indicates 46.7 per cent of Indigenous students attended less than 85

per cent of the school year. The 2018 year-to-date rate of attendance is 91.6 per cent with

19.7 per cent of students attending less than 85 per cent of the school year. Some teachers

indicate a need to revisit the accountabilities and roles of classroom teachers and specialist

staff members in monitoring and following up absences.

The 2017 SOS indicates that 80.2 per cent of staff, 90.3 per cent of parents and 73.4 per

cent of students agree that ‘This is a good school’. The agreement rate for parents is similar

to the Like Schools Group (LSG) rate of 90.2 per cent, with the rate for staff and students

below that of the LSG rates of 89.3 per cent and 81.4 per cent respectively.

In response to the statement ‘I feel that staff morale is positive at my school’, 45.8 per cent

of staff members agree. This compares to a State Secondary Schools rate of 73.5 per cent.

Teachers and leaders attribute the low result to the need to improve communication

vertically across the school. The leadership team is committed to improving communication

and has instigated a move for more regular briefings of staff members, early input and

awareness of timetabling changes, clear recording of case management decisions, and

open invitations for stakeholders to be involved in case management referrals and decisions.

Some teachers, support staff and ancillary staff members indicate there is not yet

consistency in all of the messages from leaders to staff members.

Some staff members advocate for increased involvement of executive leaders in the staff

wellbeing initiatives.

All students with disability have individual plans with adjustments made for assessment and

participation in mainstream classes. SDAs and related programs of support for students with

disability are coordinated by the deputy principal-special education, with minimal referrals to

the mainstream Hub. Special Education Program (SEP) student attendance is 15 per cent

above mainstream attendance. Part-time programs to support students with disability include

Excess, Life Skills and Fine Motor.

Improvement strategies

Clarify and communicate the roles of the executive leadership team and HODs in driving the

improvement priorities and the staff wellbeing portfolio.

Develop systems to expand the peer coaching initiative and openness to critique by

colleagues with associated monitoring and review of the impact on teaching practices.

Collaboratively develop and enact a school plan to respond to attendance challenges, with

clear lines of responsibility and monitoring articulated.

Establish a school-wide expectation of what constitutes classroom rules and ensure

consistency in monitoring and feedback by instructional leaders.

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3.4 Targeted use of school resources

Findings

The leadership team places a high priority on understanding and addressing the learning

and welfare needs of the diverse student population to enhance student engagement and

outcomes.

School staff recruitment processes are strategic with a focus on meeting the needs for

subject area specialist staff members and staff members for other signature programs

aligned with the EIA.

A range of school-wide programs operates to meet the interests and needs of the student

population to improve attendance and engagement. These include the Girls Academy,

Regional Youth Hub, Ignite at Technical and Further Education (TAFE) and the Educating

Youth Excellence (EYE) program.

The Investing for Success (I4S) allocation for 2018 is $771 772. These funds are primarily

utilised to employ staff members to support teacher coaches for literacy and numeracy, and

learning support programs aligned to the school’s key focus directions as outlined in the

school AIP. Some staff members articulate uncertainty regarding the use of I4S funds.

The school was established in 1912 and is one of the oldest schools in Queensland.

Facilities maintenance is challenging with buildings of considerable age. An additional school

0.6 Full-time equivalent (FTE) Business Manager (BM) is appointed to lead this area. Funds

are allocated in the annual school budget for facilities maintenance. Some members of the

leadership team suggest that these funds are not always sufficient to meet emergent needs.

They indicate that other sources of funding, including that from regional office, are utilised.

School building programs are implemented to meet current and future needs. A new

performing arts block is being constructed following the refurbishment of the art block in

2017. Plans exist for the refurbishment of the student services centre to meet the needs of

staff members and students. Some members of the leadership team and staff advocate for

additional human resources and infrastructure to better meet the needs of the expanding

SEP.

School grounds are attractive and maintenance is a high priority.

Dedicated spaces are allocated for the Junior Hub and Senior Hub to address the welfare

and curriculum needs of students in Years 7 to 9 and Years 10 to 12 respectively. Non-

teaching staff members are allocated to manage these office areas. The student services

block accommodates the key personnel to support the welfare needs of students.

The school maintains support for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to aid all

learning with the allocation of rooms, computers and support staff. The Bring Your Own

Device (BYOD) program presents some difficulties in implementation. Most staff members

express concerns regarding their access to ICTs and support materials including printers.

Students advocate a need to improve the access to and maintenance of ICTs.

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The current school bank balance is $1 633 330.

Improvement strategies

Collaboratively develop and implement an ICT infrastructure plan to meet student learning

needs and staff members’ pedagogical requirements now and into the future.

Review the provision of resourcing to the SEP to respond to the growth and complexity of

student needs in this area.

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3.5 An expert teaching team

Findings

A PD plan and associated budget for 2018 is published. Professional learning occurs in

scheduled whole-staff meetings, whole-staff extended PD meetings, and in team meetings.

Learning indirectly aligns to developing staff capability in the identified school priority areas.

The school has utilised external consultants and employed specialist coaches to support

targeted staff learning.

Most teachers have high levels of confidence in teaching in specialist fields and are keen to

expand their knowledge to learn how to improve their teaching practice. Some teachers are

experts in their fields and are highly regarded by leaders and colleagues. Most of these

teachers informally share practice within faculties.

HODs are recognised by most staff members as the school's curriculum leaders responsible

for facilitating the translation of the AC into school-based curriculum and unit plans. There is

an expectation that HODs play a lead role in facilitating the PD plan process. The level to

which this occurs varies across faculties.

The principal and some leaders model professional learning in different areas of the

improvement agenda. The reading agenda is well supported and modelled by literacy

coaches and most HODs. Numeracy and behaviour coaches provide support to teachers.

School leaders have begun to provide opportunities for some staff members to be involved

in peer coaching to learn from each other’s practices.

Some faculties demonstrate exemplary practices of sharing teaching strategies and

providing constructive feedback to colleagues.

The literacy team has been acknowledged for their successful whole-school reading

approach, intervention programs and expert team model through being a finalist in the 2017

University of Queensland Showcase Award for Excellence in the Junior Secondary Years.

The depth and regularity of modelling, monitoring and feedback provided by instructional

leaders regarding priorities vary across the school.

The school is to be commended on the number of key staff promoted to external positions.

Some teachers articulate a difficulty in responding to the rate of change in leadership

positions, and express the need for an updated leadership overview to clarify roles and

responsibilities.

Two student welfare hubs operate to respond to student wellbeing, behaviour and

attendance. Indicators of success for these hubs are yet to be clarified and communicated to

all staff members. Expert teachers within the hub, together with specialist support personnel,

assist mainstream teachers with student engagement.

Teacher aides are responsive and committed to supporting teachers to meet student needs.

Teacher aides are included in PD opportunities provided within and outside the school where

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appropriate. Teaching staff members commend the quality of support provided by teacher

aides.

Improvement strategies

Revisit the roles and responsibilities of leaders to clarify expectations for modelling,

monitoring, support and feedback to teachers regarding progress related to the school

priorities.

Develop a process to identify best practice in teaching across the school, with alignment to a

process of supporting and coaching colleagues.

Review the literacy expert teaching team model to consider its application to the

implementation of other school priorities.

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3.6 Systematic curriculum delivery

Findings

Teachers and leaders have identified what teachers should teach and what students should

learn. The school is yet to develop a whole-school curriculum plan and share this with

parents.

Curriculum planning for Years 7 to 10 draws on the AC. Faculties utilise a range of formats

and approaches to clarify the year level curriculum in learning areas from Years 7 to 10.

Faculties responsible for learning areas, including the Arts, technologies and languages, are

creating year level plans to clarify the curriculum scope and sequence using the AC.

A common ASoT unit planning template, developed several years ago, is utilised to varying

extent across the junior school. In addition to the ASoT unit planning template, faculties

utilise the Curriculum into the Classroom (C2C) format or a modified version of the C2C

template.

Senior schooling work programs are based on Queensland Curriculum and Assessment

Authority (QCAA) authority subjects, authority registered subjects and Vocational Education

and Training (VET) programs. The school offers Certificate I to IV VET programs with some

available to Year 10 students. VET programs are responsive to local industry opportunities

and needs. Senior schooling offerings allow students to achieve the QCE or QCIA.

Students and parents express satisfaction with the range of subject offerings.

School leaders are undertaking work in preparation for changes to senior schooling

curriculum and assessment. This work includes identification of understandings and skills

students will require in junior secondary. One faculty has incorporated the explicit use of

‘cognitive verbs’ utilised in the new QCAA senior syllabus documents, into Year 10

curriculum and assessment.

Some faculties have processes established for ongoing professional conversations

regarding how best to maximise student achievement and wellbeing. Some faculties make

data-driven decisions in relation to devising curriculum for their students. Teachers and

leaders report their use of OneSchool dashboard summary profiles as useful in gathering

information regarding student achievement and needs. There is a formal whole-faculty

meeting held each month. Other faculty meetings occur on a fortnightly basis. Some

teachers express a desire for more regular and formal opportunities for collaborative

planning and review.

Students access key curriculum materials, including term overviews, via eLearn. Some

students access materials via the Brisbane School of Distance Education (BSDE).

The school curriculum prioritises literacy and numeracy through a range of programs. Year 7

to Year 9 students undertake two Literacy and Numeracy (LAN) lessons each week. A

testing regime to inform LAN lessons incorporates NAPLAN data, and other test instruments

including PROBE for reading and a locally-developed numeracy test. Years 7 and 9 students

undertake practice NAPLAN tests from January and retake the year’s NAPLAN test at the

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end of Term 4. Year 8 students undertake practice NAPLAN tests in the middle of the school

year. Formative and summative NAPLAN results, along with PROBE and further numeracy

test results provide data for LAN teachers in relation to specific skills that need to be

targeted for cohorts and individual students.

The school’s reading framework provides for the scheduled introduction of evidence-based

and locally developed reading practices to build reading comprehension strategies across all

year levels. Teachers report satisfaction with literacy coach support including the provision of

hard copy posters, introductory PowerPoints and collaborative planning to adopt strategies

for use in specialised learning areas.

The Rapid Reading program is utilised to build reading capacity across Year 7 classes. This

intensive intervention program, providing individual instruction, builds fluency, promotes

reading habits and comprehension strategies.

The whole-school reading program consists of one lesson per fortnight in Term 2 to Term 4

for students in Years 7 to 9. Each lesson is organised and delivered by the teacher librarian

in conjunction with a classroom teacher who is, in most circumstances, from the English or

social sciences faculty. The lesson comprises an activity related to the current reading

framework strategy and a literature-based activity. Staff members involved with this program

express a need for greater human resourcing of the program to adequately differentiate

support to learners.

Teachers report their use of a range of strategies that build critical and creative thinking. The

use of the three-level guide as a whole-school reading comprehension strategy, for example,

promotes higher order thinking.

Leaders and teachers express a commitment to building the ICT general capability. Staff

members acknowledge that low student participation in the school’s BYOD program

presents difficulties in terms of embedding this general capability.

Teachers and faculties utilise learning experiences that are accessible, engaging and

challenging for the range of learners to varying degrees. Projects including the NASA Space

Design Competition, the REA Foundation F1 in Schools, and the Maryborough Technology

Challenge have resulted in local, national and international recognition for student

achievement in STEM.

Intercultural understanding is built in a range of ways. This includes the work of the

Indigenous support team, in conjunction with the Community Education Counsellor (CEC)

and the Girls Academy. The Girls Academy is designed to support school and post-school

success for Indigenous girls. The international students’ program and short-term study tours

build intercultural understanding.

Examples of locally relevant curriculum include geography field trips to examine local

landforms, pre-vocational mathematics focus on real world problems and contexts, and

engineering and construction students working alongside local tradespeople to complete

onsite projects. Junior science students access the local rocky foreshore to study marine

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organisms and senior school biology students access the Eurimbula National Park for real

world scientific investigations.

Assessment aligns with the curriculum. A common assessment task sheet is used across

faculties. Some teachers and faculty leaders utilise assessment as learning to support

students to monitor their own progress and to understand what they need to do to be

successful. Some students indicate satisfaction with the formative assessment opportunities

provided by teachers. They indicate that this support varies and that written feedback is most

useful. A whole-school approach to the provision of purposeful and timely feedback is yet to

be developed.

Some faculties have processes established to moderate all summative assessments.

Templates exist for the recording of these processes. A whole-school moderation of

summative assessment is yet to be developed.

Twice-yearly written reports aligned to the curriculum provide students and parents with

information on A-E LOA.

PD opportunities in relation to literacy are provided routinely via online materials.

Improvement strategies

Collaboratively develop and implement a whole-school curriculum plan.

Collaboratively develop and implement a whole-school approach to formative assessment

and the provision of feedback.

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3.7 Differentiated teaching and learning

Findings

The school has developed a broad range of structurally differentiated programs designed to

cater for students’ interests and ability levels especially in junior secondary. The Junior and

Senior Hubs offer structural support and specific programs.

Students are assessed in reading and numeracy at regular intervals throughout the junior

years and classes formed around differing LOAs. These include the advanced EXCEL

classes, core classes and specialised smaller foundation learning support classes. As part of

the whole-school reading strategy, a Rapid Reading program has been introduced to cater

for students requiring further support.

This structural approach is regarded as a very positive drawcard in the community.

The school has a number of signature programs including EXCEL, junior sports excellence

programs, Human Powered Vehicle, NASA Space Design Competition, Ignite, Awards

Scheme Development Accreditation Network (ASDAN) and Girls Academy. These programs

provide differentiated opportunities and support for students.

Students and parents commend and appreciate the extra work invested by teachers in

providing extension opportunities, designated programs and extracurricular activities.

The school places a high priority on catering for the diverse needs of learners.

There are 135 students with verified disability. All of these students in Years 7 to 9 have

Individual Curriculum Plans (ICP) and have specialised case managers/special needs

teachers who regularly review student progress. Students with disability in Years 10 to12

have detailed Senior Education and Training (SET) plans incorporating their learning

difficulties, required adjustments and support. There are 23 students in Years 11 and 12

working towards a QCIA.

A specialised teacher and teacher aide are allocated to each junior core class that has

students with disability.

Comprehensive wellbeing support is provided for Indigenous students through the

Indigenous support team.

A psychology elective operates in Year 10, and opportunities for senior students to attend

TAFE or study a subject at Central Queensland University (CQU) are provided. An

increasing number of STEM extension programs are offered in the junior school including

Makerspace.

Evidence of the formalised display of data and the involvement of all staff in the identification

and tracking of identified students is not yet apparent. Data is managed in the hubs and

teachers are encouraged to utilise NAPLAN data tools. The articulation and application of

differentiation strategies to respond to data are not yet consistent across the school.

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Teachers demonstrate a commitment to success for all students. A whole-school approach

to the differentiation of teaching according to student needs is not yet apparent.

Improvement strategies

Develop and implement a whole-school approach to differentiation that prioritises teachers’

identification of student learning needs and the application of differentiation strategies.

Build and share a range of data-driven classroom differentiation strategies to maximise

engagement and achievement for the range of learners.

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3.8 Effective pedagogical practices

Findings

Leaders and teachers identify Marzano’s The art and science of teaching: A comprehensive

framework for effective instruction as informing the school’s pedagogical framework.

The leadership team communicates an expectation that learning goals are used in every

lesson. Teachers’ use of learning goals is apparent in some classrooms. Some teachers

utilise learning goals to identify deep understandings and skills targeted in lessons. There is

an expectation that teachers will develop classroom rules in collaboration with students.

ASoT design elements are apparent in some classrooms. Posters promoting the ASoT focus

on engagement, relationships, foundations and high standards are displayed in classrooms.

ASoT pedagogical practice is yet to be embedded across the school.

Some members of the teaching staff have undertaken professional learning related to the

ASoT framework. Leaders and teachers identify the need for staff professional learning in

relation to the ASoT framework.

The school leadership team communicates expectations in relation to pedagogical strategies

to improve student reading. The school’s reading framework includes a set of evidence-

based and locally-developed reading strategies. A specific reading strategy is the classroom

focus during a fortnightly period.

A literacy coach is responsible for producing and distributing relevant reading strategy

posters, an explanatory PowerPoint and other planning resources. Teachers articulate their

satisfaction with literacy coach support, particularly regarding enacting the strategies into

their specific learning areas and the usefulness of the strategies in building student reading

capacity.

The routine evaluation of the shared reading strategies to determine their effectiveness in

relation to the specific needs of individuals and groups is yet to be developed. Leaders and

teachers recognise the need to evaluate the reading strategies in order to make adjustments

to practice.

A further key pedagogical approach is apparent through the Rapid Reading program.

A female Indigenous student expressed appreciation that a teacher became aware of her

inability to read and subsequently arranged for the student’s participation in the Rapid

Reading program. The program resulted in the student becoming a successful reader.

Teachers new to the school report satisfaction with the induction program and its focus on

pedagogical practice.

Several teachers are engaged in trialling a regional pedagogical initiative that utilises Fullan,

Quinn & McEachen2 New Pedagogies for Deep Learning (NPDL). The program, referred to

2 Fullan, M., Quinn, J., & McEachen, J. (2017). Deep Learning: Engage the World Change the World.

Corwin Press.

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at the school as 21st Century Skills, is an approach that emphasises deep conceptual

thinking and problem solving in relation to real world issues. Teachers have a range of

student artefacts including PowerPoint presentations that demonstrate student achievement

as a result of the pedagogical approach. Teachers reflect positively on the impact of the

program on student engagement and learning.

Teacher commitment to building students’ belief in their own capacity to learn successfully

varies across faculties.

Teachers provide feedback to students utilising a range of methods. Some students report

satisfaction with the provision of timely and purposeful feedback that makes clear the next

steps in learning.

Processes for school leaders to provide ongoing and detailed feedback to teachers

regarding their classroom practice are yet to be developed. Collaboration is underway for

peer-to-peer observation and feedback to be undertaken. Minimum expectations regarding

the scope and nature of feedback to teachers are yet to be established. Some teachers

identify the need to receive quality feedback regarding their teaching.

Improvement strategies

Develop and implement a whole-school approach to building staff capability in relation to the

school’s pedagogical framework.

Develop and implement a whole-school approach to teacher observations and feedback in

relation to teacher use of ASoT.

Implement a process to collect data to monitor the effectiveness of reading strategies to

meet the needs of individuals and groups.

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3.9 School-community partnerships

Findings

The parent community strongly commends the school’s inclusive culture and values. They

articulate that the school has positioned itself as a school of choice in the Bundaberg district

through its provision of a diverse set of pathways and programs that are resourced from a

wide range of sustainable and valued community partnerships.

Partnerships are numerous and have been developed in response to identified student

needs. An expanded specialised curriculum provides significant opportunities for the full

range of students. Community members observe that these partnerships have continued to

expand over time, with sustainability a challenge.

The school has developed a wide range of pathways, particularly in the senior secondary

school, that are well supported by numerous formal and informal partnerships including

TAFE Queensland, Youth Justice, Queensland Police Service, Chamber of Commerce,

Busy at Work, Skills Compliance Pty Ltd, Education Queensland International (EQI), and

numerous other broader community partnerships. Representatives speak highly of the

school and members of the leadership team in driving these partnerships.

The school has strategically leveraged its close proximity to TAFE to enable students to

engage in a number of TAFE courses and operates as the external hub for students

requiring additional support.

The school has won system-wide acknowledgement as the state winner for Excellence in

Community Engagement. The school’s Regional Youth Hub pathways program includes a

strategic partnership with five other schools including Kepnock State High School,

Bundaberg North State High School, Gin Gin State High School, Rosedale State School:

P-12 Campus, and Isis District State High School, and 52 government and non-government

support agencies and community providers, and business/industry leaders.

Parents and families are recognised as integral members of the school community and are

encouraged to participate in community forums. Parents speak highly of the communication

between school and home and appreciate the follow up they receive. The school has a

developing Facebook presence with 940 followers. School documents, publications and

newsletters are of a high standard.

The international student program has 12 students currently enrolled and is a valued

program in the school. The school hosts a number of study tours each year and

opportunities exist for students to travel internationally.

A formal program operates to promote the smooth transition of students from affiliate primary

schools to the high school. Activities include organised transition days, staff member and

student visits to primary schools, sporting and music support programs, and orientation days

for incoming students. Students in out-of-home care, students with disability and students

with learning difficulties are provided with extensive support and familiarisation programs

prior to transitioning into high school.

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Improvement strategies

Develop and implement a process of monitoring the effectiveness of partnerships in

maximising student outcomes and evaluate the sustainability of these partnerships.