2024 School Council

Dear Parents, 

At the November meeting of council, some data sets were shared regarding the School Staff Survey (SSS) and the Attitudes to School Survey (AtoSS) which is like a Student Opinion Survey. The results from both of these were just fantastic and show our improvement over time continues in these areas also.  

In the SSS there are 61 categories. Of these 61, Mackellar's results were stronger than schools similar to ours, the average of schools in our network and the state average on 58 of these.

In particular the following results scored 100% from our staff:  

•Believe student engagement is key 

•Moderate assessment tasks together 

•Use high impact teaching strategies

•Use data for curriculum planning

•Discuss problems of practice 

•Monitor effectiveness using data 

Of the three categories that did not surpass those  measures mentioned earlier, they are:

-Applicability of Professional Learning which scored the same as the other three measures at 82%;

-Renewal of knowledge and skills which as 82% was 2% lower than the Network result; and

-Understand formative assessment which at 86% was 2% lower than the Network result. 

For our students, there are 33 categories of which our students' results were stronger than similar schools, the average of network schools and the state average on 29 on those. 

Of particular note:

•High expectations for success – 99%

•Differentiated learning challenge – 95%

•Effective Teaching Time – 96%

•Effective classroom behaviour – 94%

•Motivation and Interest – 95%

•Perseverance – 95%

•Advocate at school – 99%

•Managing Bullying – 96%

Interestingly, two categories which scored lower include Physical Activity (72%) regarding how long students are active across their entire day, and Subjective Physical Health (68%) which relates to how healthy students believe they are overall. Whilst the school does a range of things to address these areas, it is certainly something to think about from a home perspective also. 

All in all, these results are quite outstanding, and are an affirmation of the work we are doing at school to make each child and staff members' experience at school as worthwhile and fulfilling as possible. 

Regards, 

Vince Scarfo

School Council President