Charter and Annual Plan 2015

Arahunga Special School and Outreach Service 2015 - 17

Introductory Section - Strategic Intentions

Mission Statement	Tell me, show me, allow me
Vision	Empowering students through education to become active, confident members of society.
Values	Integrity – honest and trustworthy interactions with others Independence and Autonomy - making choices and having an expectation that those choices will be respected Personalised Learning – individual people’s abilities and needs are recognised Manaakitanga and Whanaungatanga - (Safety, Striving, Sharing)
Principles	High Expectations	Every person can learn
	Coherence	Pathways to successful life beyond school
	Inclusion	Actively contributing and being accepted in society
	Personal worth	Each individual is unique and invaluable
Māori Dimensions and Cultural Diversity	We value the cultural diversity that all of our students bring to our school. Their unique backgrounds and interests enable the learning to be adapted to foster creativity and awe in learners. The Maori culture in particular provides a focus for understanding our wider New Zealand society, both historically and in the present. It creates an opportunity for our classrooms to draw upon rich traditions and knowledge which can help students to gain empathy and contribute to our multicultural society. If a parent wishes their child to receive instruction in Maori the school will do their best to accommodate this.
Special status	We are a special school, educating students from Year 0 to 15 who are ORS verified or enrolled under a Section 9 agreement for a limited period of time.

Baseline Data or School Context
Students’ Learning	Students at our school have special learning needs and Year 1 to 8 students generally work within the first level of the New Zealand Curriculum, from Year 9 onwards we are striving for level 2 because that is the level required to pass the New Zealand Certificate in Skills for Living for Supported Learners. We are a special school that increasingly offers a mainstream education experience to all our students. Our learning centres are located at host schools with whom we have a close working relationship allowing for student interaction and co-learning with the students of these schools.
Student Engagement	All our students have Individual Education Plans and these are jointly created with students and whanau to specifically tailor the education received to the individual’s needs. This year we are moving to Individual Career Plans from Year 9 onwards in order to emphasise our students and their whanau/caregivers future focus, to be able to plot a course with the teacher to a successful occupation beyond our school.
School Organisation and Structures	Students can attend our school from New Entrants level till the end of the year in which they turn 21 provided they are eligible for Ongoing Resource Scheme funding or are the subject of a Section 9 agreement for a limited time. Our school is structured towards preparing students for life after school and so our curriculum while based in the New Zealand Curriculum has a focus on functional skills and specific knowledge which will allow our students to participate more fully in the workplace and social settings after they leave our school. Satellite learning centres at primary, intermediate and secondary schools provide a mainstream setting for our students to be educated in while providing the specialist teaching and resourcing our service provides. For students 18 years and older we offer a transition to work centre where students experience work, gaining the skills and experience needed to participate in employment.
Review of Charter and Consultation	We are doing considerable work to create pathways to careers for our students through the structure of the school. This is increasingly being reflected in our discussions as a staff, board and caregiver community. This charter describes a period of transition where we are focusing on developing tangible learning outcomes for our students, which are relevant to National Standards, build on the New Zealand Curriculum and take into account the NZ Disabilities Strategy in order to lead towards career options for our students. We are constantly working towards our vision of, ‘Empowering students through education to become active, confident members of society’. Our interpretation of this is that our students will become more independent and more autonomous in their decision making, they will be people who make their own choices and have an expectation that those choices will be respected.

Strategic Section

Strategic Goals

Core Strategies for Achieving Goals

2015 – 2017

Students’ Learning

1. To continue to raise student achievement through the development of career focused learning pathways across the school.

1) Use of National Standards data and the following documents to inform further learning and teaching:

· New Zealand Curriculum

· NCEA Unit Standards

· Industry Training Organisation standards

· The NZ Disabilities Strategy

· National Transition Guidelines

· Enabling Good Lives documentation

2) Creation of linked pathways connecting Primary, Secondary and Transition classes. Including:

· Continued development of thematic planning and functional learning across primary and intermediate classes.

· Creation of a flexible 4 year plan for secondary education classes.

· Employment focused education plans for transition to work classes.

3) Consultation with both current and past parents, whanau and caregivers as to what is relevant to include in the education pathways of our students.

Student Engagement and Transition

1. To develop students into active confident members of our society

2. Integration of appropriate Information Computer Technology to satellite learning centres.

· Integration of Te Reo and Kaupapa Maori across the school.

· Involvement of local Whanganui iwi.

· Actively participate in school life and events at host schools.

· Recognise our satellite classes as having ‘home room’ status at host schools.

· Actively market our school as a provider of specialist supported mainstream education for students with special learning needs.

· Purchasing digital devices and participating in professional development related to teaching with those devices. These need to be appropriate devices for our individual student’s needs and abilities.

School Finance & Property

1. Operate within annual grants

2. Upgrade Transition Learning Centre

3. Create satellite learning centre at Whanganui City College

· Complete the year’s budget with a focus to achieving our stated goals for the next 3 years.

· Renovating Transition Centre to become a Modern Learning Environment.

· Continue to catalogue and audit whole school resources.

· Create a Modern Learning Environment tailored to hospitality training as a satellite learning centre at Whanganui City College.

Health and Safety

1. Review & minimize risks to students and staff

2. Install hygienic cooking facilities

· Install hygienic cooking facilities in the Transition Learning Centre

· Review NAG 5 policy and procedures

· Continue to foster student independence, student voice and individual choice

· Continue to be involved in school life and events at host schools

Personnel

1. Review and redesign people management procedures.

2. Staff collaboration regarding facilitating student’s achievement of their individual career paths.

· Implement teacher appraisal cycle for all teachers.

· Allow student needs to determine staff placements and Professional Learning and Development.

· Upscale the use of MUSAC across the school.

· Staff meetings and planning sessions to specifically focus on building individual learning pathways through the school focused on career attainment beyond school.

Community Engagement

1. Promoting employment of students in the workforce as an end result of our learning pathways.

· Active communication and liaison with potential employers.

· Active learning pathway building across school with career attainment as an end goal for individual students based on their interests and own choices.

Annual School Improvement Plan – SUMMARY

Domain	Strategic Goal	Target	Short Report
Students’ Learning	To continue to raise student achievement through the development of career focused learning pathways across the school.	Establish learning pathways for students as they progress through the senior school. The end goal of these learning pathways is for students to attain a sustainable career.
Student Engagement and Transition	To develop students into active confident members of our society.	To develop thematic planning across the junior school, with a focus on both the New Zealand Curriculum and the functional literacy and numeracy our students will need in life.
		Year 1 to 8 students will make progress against the aspects of Reading and Writing as laid out in our modified version of the Progress and Consistency Tool (PaCT).
		Year 1 to 8 students will make progress against the aspects of Mathematics as laid out in our modified version of the Progress and Consistency Tool (PaCT).
Personnel	Staff collaboration regarding facilitating student’s achievement of their individual career paths.	N/A (Although is a critical factor in achieving the above targets.)
Outreach Service	Promote the inclusive teaching of ORS verified students in our service area.	To clarify the role of the specialist teacher and communicate that role clearly to schools in order to aid effective intervention.
Outreach Service		Actively promote the outreach service and network with schools, principals and teachers in our service area.

Improvement Plan - Domain: Learning Reading and Writing
Strategic Goals: To develop students into active confident members of our society
Annual Goal To use the modified Progress and Consistency Tool (PaCT) as a measureable and consistent framework to ensure student progress is being made in the aspects of Reading and Writing from Years 1 to 8.		Annual TargetWhere do we want to be at the end of 2015? The focus is on student outcomes. Year 1 to 8 students will make progress against the aspects of Reading and Writing as laid out in our modified version of the Progress and Consistency Tool (PaCT).
Baseline dataWhere are we now? Summarise data – using a grid with key data can be powerful in that the reader is then in the position to judge the value of the target. This provides justification for what you are targeting. All (100%) of Year 4 to 8 students are working Well Below the National Standards of Reading and Writing and have been doing so for more than 12 months.
Key Improvement Strategies What do we have to learn? What will we do? When? Who is responsible for ensuring this is done?
When	What (examples) Consider goal clarity and communication; strategic resourcing; PLD; routines that need changing; assessment practices	Who	Indicators of Progress What will we see?
Term 1, 2015	Assess students’ current placement on the modified PaCT.	Classroom Teachers	A completed assessment sheet with Overall Teacher Judgments (OTJs) for each student.
Term 1 – 4, 2015	Differentiated planning and teaching, catering for the needs of individual students, based on the PaCT assessment mentioned above.	Junior School Teaching Team	The completed end of year PaCT and OTJs will show individual student progress in the aspects of Reading and Writing.
Term 4, 2015	Assess students’ placement on the modified PaCT.	Classroom Teachers
Monitoring How are we going – check student outcomes every term? Where are the gaps? What needs to change if this is not working?
Resourcing How much money and time is needed? Who will help us? The Junior School Team will work together in staff meetings to moderate assessments and OTJs in order to gain consistency and reliability in results. The school’s modified version of the PaCT will be used to record assessments and OTJs.

Improvement Plan - Domain: Learning Mathematics
Strategic Goals: To develop students into active confident members of our society
Annual Goal To use the modified Progress and Consistency Tool (PaCT) as a measureable and consistent framework to ensure student progress is being made in the Mathematics sets from Years 1 to 8.		Annual TargetWhere do we want to be at the end of 2015? The focus is on student outcomes. Year 1 to 8 students will make progress against the aspects of Mathematics as laid out in our modified version of the Progress and Consistency Tool (PaCT).
Baseline dataWhere are we now? Summarise data – using a grid with key data can be powerful in that the reader is then in the position to judge the value of the target. This provides justification for what you are targeting. All (100%) of Year 4 to 8 students are working Well Below the National Standards of Mathematics and have been doing so for more than 12 months.
Key Improvement Strategies What do we have to learn? What will we do? When? Who is responsible for ensuring this is done?
When	What (examples) Consider goal clarity and communication; strategic resourcing; PLD; routines that need changing; assessment practices	Who	Indicators of Progress What will we see?
Term 1, 2015	Assess students’ current placement on the modified PaCT.	Classroom Teachers	A completed assessment sheet with Overall Teacher Judgments (OTJs) for each student.
Term 1 – 4, 2015	Differentiated planning and teaching, catering for the needs of individual students, based on the PaCT assessment mentioned above.	Junior School Teaching Team	The completed end of year PaCT and OTJs will show individual student progress againist the aspects of Mathematics.
Term 4, 2015	Assess students’ placement on the modified PaCT.	Classroom Teachers
Monitoring How are we going – check student outcomes every term? Where are the gaps? What needs to change if this is not working?
Resourcing How much money and time is needed? Who will help us? The Junior School Team will work together in staff meetings to moderate assessments and OTJs in order to gain consistency and reliability in results. The school’s modified version of the PaCT will be used to record assessments and OTJs.

Other 2015 Key Improvement Strategies to Achieve Strategic Vision
Property and Resources (Examples)	Short Report	Finance	Short Report
· Renovate Transition Centre. · Catalogue School Resources. · Install an industrial standard kitchen facility in our proposed satellite at Whanganui City College.		· Operate within annual grants. · Budget in accordance to strategic goals.
Personnel	Short Report	Community Engagement	Short Report
· Staff collaboratively facilitating individual student achievement. · Staff placements and PLD determined by student needs. · Review and redesign people management procedures. · Establish ongoing teacher appraisal cycle. · Upscale the use of MUSAC across the school.		· Establish learning pathways across the school with career attainment for students as an end goal. · Active communication with potential employers.

Improvement Plan for Senior School
School Strategic Learning Goal To continue to raise student achievement through the development of career focused learning pathways across the school.		School Annual Learning TargetWhere do we want to be at the end of 2015? Establishing learning pathways for students as they progress through the senior school. The end goal of these learning pathways is for students to attain a sustainable career.
Baseline data (Dept. or Syndicate etc) What data is relevant to our Dept. that will contribute to the school raising achievement? At present we have had no students successfully enter outside post-secondary education providers.		Target (Dept or Syndicate etc) What measureable outcome does this Dept. want to achieve at the end of 2015? A hospitality pathway will be established which allows students to learn industrial standards of food handling and preparation so they are equipped to enter a Level 2 food handling course at a post-secondary institute.
Key Improvement Strategies What do we have to learn? What will we do? When? Who is responsible? Consider goal clarity and communication; strategic resourcing; PLD; routines that need changing
When	What	Who	Indicators of Progress *What will we see? When?*
Term 1 and 2, 2015	Establish course content.	Transition teachers.	Clear planning and success indicators recorded.
Term 2 and 3, 2015	Establish satellite learning centre at Whanganui City College.	Senior Management and Transition teachers.	Learning centre is designed, installed and being used.
Term 3 and 4, 2015	Establish related pathways through secondary to transition.	Senior School Team.	Planning and success indicators show learning path to success from Year 9 to age 21.
Monitoring How are we going? Where are the gaps? What needs to change?
Resourcing How much money and time is needed? Who will help us? · Build knowledge of Industrial Training Organisations (ITO) standards and NCEA Unit Standards across the team, through professional development and research. · Collaborate with Whanganui City College and the Ministry of Education to establish the satellite learning centre at Whanganui City College. · Work together as a team to develop pathways and include appropriate post-secondary provider/s

Improvement Plan for Junior School
School Strategic Learning Goal To develop students into active confident members of our society.		School Annual Learning TargetWhere do we want to be at the end of 2015? To develop thematic planning across the junior school, with a focus on both the New Zealand Curriculum and the functional literacy and numeracy our students will need in life.
Baseline data (Dept. or Syndicate etc) What data is relevant to our Dept. that will contribute to the school raising achievement? Parent feedback suggests that our students are not getting enough functional knowledge e.g. not knowing what an ambulance does and how the ambulance officers help people		Target (Dept or Syndicate etc) What measureable outcome does this Dept. want to achieve at the end of 2015? Establish thematic units across the junior school, based on the New Zealand Curriculum and mindful of functional knowledge and skills for life outside school.
Key Improvement Strategies What do we have to learn? What will we do? When? Who is responsible? Consider goal clarity and communication; strategic resourcing; PLD; routines that need changing
When	What	Who	Indicators of Progress *What will we see? When?*
Term 1 and 2, 2015	Thematic overview developed.	Junior School Team	Thematic overview and junior school wide rotation recorded.
Term 1 through to 4, 2015	Thematic units developed and resourced.	Junior School Team	Thematic units and specific resource kits in place and being utilized.
Monitoring How are we going? Where are the gaps? What needs to change?
Resourcing How much money and time is needed? Who will help us? · Junior School teachers will work collaboratively to create these units and the links between learning levels. · Resource kits will be created to match thematic units, these will be catalogued in the Arahunga Resource Centre for ongoing use.