Molong Central School
Location: Molong, Central West of NSW
Molong Central School is a K-12 School located in the Central West of NSW. 500 students from varying socioeconomic backgrounds attend Molong Central School. Approximately 7% of the students identify as Aboriginal and there are students in both the Primary and Secondary who receive Integration Funding. Recent upgrades to the National Broadband Network have enabled faster access to the internet and more possibilities for our students to engage with digital media.
How has your school used its Gonski funding?
A large proportion of Gonski funding has been used to support Technology in 2017. A Primary Technology room has been upgraded and rewired to allow for safe and fast access to the internet. Additional desktop computers have been purchased for both the Primary and Secondary Departments and 60 laptops are due for delivery this term. Although the Secondary Department supports a BYOD policy Gonski will ensue that all students have access to technology.
A new STEM program which is allowing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics to be taught in an integrated format is allowing students to develop collaborative solutions to problem solve challenges put before them. Gonski funding has allowed the purchase of new furniture and equipment to enable this program to take place. Professional Learning for teachers will continue in 2017 and Gonski funding will ensure our staff are equipped with the skills to produce lifelong learners with the capacity to work together to solve complex problems.
Gonski funding is also allowing our executive staff to mentor and coach other staff within the school. This has allowed more thorough lesson observations and feedback to improve teachers’ skills.
How has Gonski made a positive difference for students?
Gonski has made a difference for the students of Molong Central as all students have access to efficient technology and this allow us to present a variety of learning activities to the students for example the WordFlyers program. WordFlyers is an online literacy program that is dedicated to bringing our students literacy skills up to standard. Programs such as Wordflyers and Maths Online have been purchased through Gonski funding.
What could your school do with Gonski funding in the future?
In the future we would like to utilise Gonski funding to assist Primary teachers to develop Project Based Learning opportunities and continue to develop STEM in the Secondary Department. Ensuring that teachers in all Key Learning Areas know how to explicitly teach comprehension will enhance our student’s ability in both numeracy and literacy.
