Chatswood Public School External Validation 2017

1. Differentiated Learning

Artefacts

Overall Annotation

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IMPACT OF ALL THIS ON SCHOOL: Chatswood Public School has a rich history of differentiating learning content to maximise the potential of all its students.  This commitment is evident through the differentiation used throughout teaching and learning practices and processes.  This evidence set demonstrates our school’s strong commitment to our student’s understanding of  real life connections, developing problem solving skills and catering for individual student learning needs, and creating lifelong learners.

What: Chatswood Public School has a rich history of differentiating learning content to maximise the potential of all its students.  This commitment is evident through the differentiation used in our effective programs such as Project Based Learning, L3 (Learning, Language and Literacy), TEN (Targeting Early Numeracy), STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), Bilingual Programs, Gifted and Talented Programs, Transition Programs, MultiLit/MiniLit and Peer Evaluation.  These programs assist students to reach their full learning potential.  They support and create lifelong learners through quality differentiated teaching in a caring and enriching environment.

When: Increasing numbers of students participate in the activities of this evidence set.  The differentiated approaches to teaching and learning to cater for individual needs is evident throughout every program within the school.  Peer assessment enables students to reflect on their individual learning through feedback from peers.  When a goal set is achieved teachers review the task and set new tasks and goals for their level of learning.  This process encourages students to move themselves forward to reach their potential.  

How: We are using a large array of strategies throughout the school to differentiate learning for all our students.  Identified gifted and talented students participate in gifted and talented programs such as The ‘Maths Olympiad’.

Why: Chatswood Public School has a rich history of differentiating learning content to maximise the potential of all its students.  This evidence set demonstrates our school’s commitment to cater for students’ learning styles and needs within our school. The STEM classes exemplify this as they encourage the use of skills such as coding, scientific inquiry and engineering.  They provide open-ended challenges that offer students the freedom to learn in a style that they feel is appropriate.  The  Students with additional learning needs are catered for through the MultiLit/MiniLit program.

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The Significant Impact

This evidence set demonstrates the pedagogical approach used at Chatswood Public School to support the cognitive development and wellbeing of students.  There is a school-wide, collective responsibility for student learning and success, with high levels of student, staff and community engagement.  As evidenced by the artefacts Chatswood Public School has high success in meeting the diverse needs of its students through differentiated learning.

Analysis

In our self-assessment process the leadership team analysed a range of evidence to support our judgement.  The evidence set shows the school’s ongoing commitment in planning and reviewing resources, programs and facilities within the school to ensure student learning is maximised.

SEF Connections

In regards to Learning Culture Chatswood Public School is Excelling as there is a school-wide, collective responsibility for student learning and success, with high levels of student, staff and community engagement.

In regards to Wellbeing Chatswood Public School is Sustaining and Growing. Change and periods of transition are difficult for many people for various reasons. By better managing transitions we develop a student’s coping strategies and  support their wellbeing to in turn enable greater student learning. Peer buddies contribute to the wellbeing of others. The MiniLit and MultiLit programs are evidence based programs that drive quality teaching practice to allow students to thrive and succeed at their stage of learning and development. This is evidence of ways the school consistently implements a whole-school approach to wellbeing that has clearly defined behavioural expectations and creates a positive teaching and learning environment.

In regards to Curriculum and Learning Chatswood Public School is Sustaining and Growing as the school actively collects and uses information, such as data collected from L3 and TEN to support students’ successful transitions from year to year. In STEM, by allowing students to select one of a range of activities, or come up with an activity of their own, it develops skills and demonstrates their understanding of a particular subject area, allowing students to participate in the planning of their own learning.

In regards to Student Performance Measures Chatswood Public School is Sustaining and Growing as our School Plan 2015-2017 identified that on average, 60% of our Year 6 student cohort performed at the highest level of NAPLAN and go on to access Selective High Schools. These results are well above the stated 20% identified with the School Excellence Framework.

In regards to Effective Classroom Practice Chatswood Public School is Sustaining and Growing as teachers regularly use student performance data, which is collected every 5 weeks for L3, and 10 weeks for TEN, to evaluate the effectiveness of their own teaching practices. In STEM, when students are completing tasks that they have selected, the teacher is presented with many opportunities to provide formative and summative feedback that is specific to the learning goals of individual students.

In regards to Data Skills and Use Chatswood Public School is Sustaining and Growing  as assessment instruments, which are specified in the training teachers receive for L3 and TEN are used regularly to help monitor student learning progress and to identify skill gaps for improvement.

In regards to Collaborative Practice Chatswood Public School is Sustaining and Growing as the bilingual teachers work together to share ideas and resources to help differentiate lessons, activities and homework for our students. The 2 kindergarten classes have team teaching lessons at least once a week and activities are differentiated for the different abilities in 2 classes. We are also in the process of developing a scope and sequence for the K-6 bilingual program as a team.  We are constantly giving and receiving feedback from each other to cater for the different needs of our students. Maths Olympiad sessions are team-taught, where in classroom teachers partner with an outsourced mathematical consultant to enhance the direction and delivery of prescribed content. 

In regards to Learning and Development Chatswood Public School is Sustaining and Growing as there is a particular focus on improved teaching methods in literacy and numeracy, with professional learning activities focused on building teachers’ understandings of effective teaching strategies in these areas. New teachers to K-2 are regularly trained in L3 and TEN. In the STEM evidence, the Think-Tac- Toe strategy was introduced after attendance at a professional development symposium on STEM education. It demonstrates our commitment to improve our teaching through professional learning. The Bilingual teachers have networked with Murray Farm Public School and Campsie Public school to learn and share ideas about the bilingual program. All bilingual teachers at Chatswood Public School have been trained and are implementing evidence-based teaching strategies when delivering bilingual lessons. Bilingual teachers have attended CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning), which combines teaching content from a curriculum area with the explicit teaching of the target language.

In regards to Leadership Chatswood Public School is Sustaining and Growing as the school has addressed feedback, both internal and external to provide support for students to increase their learning outcomes in the area of literacy.