Principal's Report 

Dear Parents, 

Recently we asked all in our community to complete a survey regarding how we as a school have been travelling and how we can improve over time. We received well over seventy parent replies which is excellent. In addition, we also asked all staff and the students from grades 3-6 to complete the survey.  Using these responses, the staff wrote a report card of our current successes and challenges as a school community. We will now use this report card to plan our next steps as we work with colleagues from the University of Southern Queensland in the coming weeks. Please take some time to read our report card found below. 

MACKELLAR PRIMARY REPORT CARD

Overall, the Diagnostic Inventory for School Alignment (DISA) provided an opportunity for the school to identify several outcomes to be quite proud of. The following report outlines perceived school successes and points to some areas of challenge.

Successes and achievements

Staff, parents and students agree that Mackellar Primary School provides a caring and respectful environment. Parents and students agree teachers value their job, have a sense of professionalism and provide engaging resources. Parents believe their children feel good about themselves at school and show pride, however, staff see this as an area for improvement. Staff, and some parents, believe our students could be better prepared to transition into secondary school. Generally, some staff believe that standards of achievement in all subject areas are less than satisfactory.

School Vision & Structure/Community Cohesiveness

Our school community believes the school’s values are clearly defined and known. Responses indicate students acknowledge that teachers have important roles outside the classroom. Staff believe the principal fosters collaboration, and there are clear processes for ongoing improvement. Some staff also believe there is a need to promote and celebrate our school successes in the local community and see opportunities to improve the school image both aesthetically and as a centre for learning.

School Teaching, Learning and Assessment

Students believe teachers share ideas and work collaboratively. They also believe teachers are able to address their needs, and that their teaching is up to date. Staff see an opportunity to develop a school-wide pedagogy to provide direction for teaching and learning. They also see scope for their individual gifts and talents to be realised. Staff and students agree students could have greater agency in their learning.

School Work Practices & Organisation/Holistic Professional Learning

All stakeholders believe technology is embedded purposefully to support learning through the creative use of engaging and stimulating learning spaces. Students are happy with the way the school meets their needs through curriculum innovation to make learning interesting. By contrast, some staff would welcome opportunities to learn from each other, participate in professional learning networks and draw upon community resources. 

The responses indicate significant successes for our school community to celebrate and build upon. We see the IDEAS process, which we are undertaking through with the University of Southern Queensland, as a starting point to provide the whole school community a chance to work collectively to form a shared vision and pedagogy towards our ideal future.

Regards, 

Simon McGlade

Principal