Firstly, open SPaRO and choose the self-assessment section to view the situational analysis headings and fields.

Secondly, open Scout at the School dashboard to view the 5 focus areas for your review and analysis.

Note: there is no set length for a situational analysis, as it is a school-based decision and should include as much information as needed to inform future strategic directions.

Focus area and analysis - Enrolment

• 85 students and steady since 2016
• 6% Aboriginal students
• 75% born in Australia
• 58% EAL/D - Arabic and Punjabi two most common backgrounds
• Attendance 92% - steady
• FOEI 132 - steady
• ICSEA 981 - steady
• Parents/carers – 65% not in paid work for last 12 months. Approximately 60% have a tertiary qualification.

Focus area and analysis - Student performance

Best described in other sources not included in Scout.

Focus area and analysis - Wellbeing

Best described in other Sources not Included in Scout. Wellbeing indicators can be deducted from TEACCH data once established.

Focus area and analysis - Human resources

• Staff FTE 42.4 – head count 68
• Teaching staff 25.2
• SLSO 17.2

Focus area and analysis - Finance

6100 – flexible funds available for 2021

• Total unspent unassigned funds to be carried over to 2021 opening balance - $137,593.
• Socio-economic background - $228,000 + predicted unspent funds $10,000
• Aboriginal background - $7,358 + predicted unspent funds $3,156
• Professional learning - $8,475
• Beginning teacher - $35,500 + predicted unspent funds $2,000
• QTSS - $32,159 (0.294 FTE)
• School support allocation - $22,360
• SSP Quality teaching support - $27,320

6300 funds available for 2021

• Anticipated 2021 opening balance of $594,008 (planned underspend to sustain an instructional leader position over the next 3 years).

Note - in SPaRO, the 'Focus themes' column will already be prepopulated with the data schools added to their SEF S-aS. Also, for this school sample, the external validation (EV) column is empty, as EV occurred before 2018 or will occur in coming months.

Legend:

• WTD = working towards delivering
• D = delivering
• S&G = sustaining and growing
• E = excelling
• NA = not applicable.

Reflections on SEF S-aS and EV

Information sessions for parents around understanding assessment approaches (SWANs, GAS & ASDAN).

Lack of a centralised system for analysing and reporting student performance data.

Teachers require additional support in identifying growth targets using internal progress and achievement data.

Additional PL required in data concepts and analysis. Data is not being used effectively to lead learning. Student progress in literacy and numeracy resulting in improvement by all students – at present all students are not improving. Issues with measurement.

Another broad area to consider for improving teacher effectiveness is the area of collaborative practices. The following themes relate to this:

• All programs are not yet collaboratively designed
• Professional discussion and collaboration to improve teaching and learning can be observed however these are not embedded and explicit systems to facilitate that dialogue.
• A high performance culture with a clear focus on student progress and achievement is not observed. The school needs further support to promote collaborative performance development.

A third area of improvement is that of parent involvement and understanding of student attainment and growth. This has been drawn from the following themes:

• Additional PL required in data concepts and analysis. Data is not being used effectively to lead learning. Parents as partners need to be developed.
• Need to strengthen parent understanding of data.
• Need to strengthen parents supporting learning.

The final consideration relates to:

• Technology is effectively used to enhance learning and service delivery however technology learning is not expertly integrated into lessons by teachers.

TTFM:

• Staff survey 2020 indicated in area of communication – collaborative decision making had decreased significantly.
• Parent survey – very small uptake.

Student performance:

• Best start sata – at enrolment very low levels of both literacy and numeracy development. For many students global development delay and learning difficulties have impacted on the attainment of skills.

SWANS – communication:

• 14% moved upwards by 3 levels
• 13% moved upwards by 2 levels
• 29% moved upwards by 1 level
• 5% stayed on the one level

SWANS – literacy

• 12% moved upwards by 3 levels
• 14% moved upwards by 2 levels
• 29% moved upwards by 1 level
• 5% stayed on the same level

SWANS – numeracy

• 8% moved upwards by 3 levels
• 6% moved upwards by 2 levels
• 17% moved upwards by 1 level
• 33% did not complete

Summary

• Significant number of students either not progressing or progressing by one level only.

Goal Attainment Summary (GAS)

• 100% of students stayed on the same level across Early / Middle / Senior focus area goals.

Implications

• SWANs data is currently being under-utilised as a teaching and learning tool. Staff are not consistently tracking student achievement through SWANs and therefore not using the tool effectively to track and plan learnings.
• ASDAN Data.

Research

• SWANS, GAS
• Quality Teaching Round – University of Newcastle
• Striving for Excellence reports
• What works best
• Excellence for all Aboriginal students
• Excellence for students with additional learning needs
• High Impact professional learning
• Effective use of funding and resources (using equity funds)

Currently underutilised within the school, SWANs has been used to develop Skill Banks for Communication, Literacy and Numeracy. Seven modules have been delivered and have resulted in improvement in student independence, self-direction and self-regulation supporting future transitions towards post-school options. This need to be further utilised.

In considering the evidence the following broad areas for consideration have emerged:

Data led teaching and learning

Teachers need support in responding to trends in student achievement at an individual level. Need further information sessions for parents around understanding assessment approaches (SWANs, GAS and ASDAN). No centralised system for analysing and reporting student performance data. Additional PL required in data concepts and analysis. Teachers require additional support in identifying growth targets using internal progress and achievement data. Data is not being used effectively to lead learning. Issues with measurement of student improvement in literacy and numeracy. 44% of students did not progress on SWANs scale for communication. 45% did not improve in SWANs Literacy and 69% did not progress in SWANs Numeracy. GAS reported that 100% of students stayed on same level. Use of relevant data to inform learning and prepare students for later life is required. Require PL for staff and parents around the useful internal data sources and using it. A centralised system for analysing and effectivelyu reporting student performance data needs to be developed.

Teaching through collaborative practices

Develop professional learning for staff involving collaborative practices in improving effective classroom practices. Professional discussion and collaboration to improve teaching and learning should be facilitated which allows the school and its teachers to design, implement and embed explicit systems facilitating this dialogue. Explicit PL required around staff collaboratively designing teaching programs. A complete school wide approach needs to be researched, developed and implemented.

Engaging the community

Need to enhance the ILP process, transition planning, alternate programs and foster collaborative practice involving teaching staff, parents and students. Need further information sessions planned for parents around understanding assessment approaches (SWANs, GAS and ASDAN) and the use of this data in determining improvement goals and ILPs for students. Determine the use of other para professionals in the education of our students, for example, speech therapist, behaviour therapist, etc. Improve parental understanding of such interventions.

Draft strategic directions for community consultation