Windaroo Valley State High School

Location: Logan City, Queensland

How has Windaroo Valley State High School has used Gonski funding

Windaroo Valley State High School used the Gonski funding to enhance student learning outcomes in a number of ways. First, to extend students with the additional provision of extension classes. Extra resources have been purchased to challenge our very best students to continue to achieve at the highest levels. Second, we’ve implemented a world class reading intervention program, for approximately 50 students, who have difficulties with reading. This program utilises Direct Instruction to ensure that students learn essential reading skills in a very systematic manner. This program achieves two months increase in reading age for every month in the program. Australian and international educational research confirms the success of this program. Finally, we’ve utilised the funding to develop expertise in teachers to better teach students how to comprehend texts. Reading comprehension is critical for success all the way through high school in every subject. This is above and beyond what the school could have provided prior to the Gonski funding.

How Gonski funding has made a difference for students

The additional funding has made a significant difference allowing better catering for the wide range of students we work with. Being able to develop new programs, provide additional resources and extend the expertise of teachers has made a significant improvement to school results. Students are more engaged, attendance is higher and results are steadily improving. The community’s confidence in our school has also increased.

What Windaroo Valley State High School could do with Gonski funding in the future

Windaroo Valley State High School aims to continue to grow and support these programs started under Gonski to achieve great outcomes for our students. To maintain these programs over a period of time will produce even better and importantly, sustained results, especially in literacy and numeracy skills. The school is on a positive trajectory thanks to the Gonski funding.

<<< BACK


More Gonski Success Stories

Rooty Hill High School
Rooty Hill High School, a large comprehensive co-educational school in western Sydney, had an enrolment in 2016 of 1,125 students.
Penshurst Public School
Penshurst Public School, in the Georges River area of southern Sydney, has an enrolment of about 440 students from a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds.
Eagleby South State School
Eagleby South State School, located halfway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, has an enrolment of approximately 410 students from a range of socio-economic and culturally diverse backgrounds, including Pacifica, European, African and Asian.
Kedron State High School
It has a diverse student population of around 1,100, with a third of the school’s students in the two lowest SES quartiles.
Canley Vale High School
Canley Vale High School, located in Sydney’s south-west, has an enrolment of 1,455 students, drawn from the local community, international students, and new arrivals to Australia.
Colac Primary School
Colac Primary School, located in rural Victoria, has an enrolment of 236 students, most of whom are from low-income backgrounds. Indigenous students comprise 4% of the students, with another 4% comprising students from non-English-speaking backgrounds.
The Rivers Secondary College – Lismore High Campus
Lismore High Campus has an enrolment of 365, of whom 80% are from low-income backgrounds, 20% are Aboriginal, and 7% come from non-English-speaking backgrounds
Mansfield State School
Mansfield SS has a stable enrolment pattern of over 900 students. 20 per cent of its students were born overseas in 44 different countries, many of them coming to Australia from India, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand and the Philippines.
Sarah Redfern High School
Originally built for students from the Minto public housing estate, but since 2005 a Housing NSW Community Renewal Project has brought about significant changes in Minto.
Wadalba Community School
Wadalba Community School, located on the NSW Central Coast, is a comprehensive P-12 school with an enrolment of 1,400 students. 75% of students are from low-income backgrounds, 8% of students are Indigenous, and 7% of students are from non-English-speaking backgrounds.
Emerald State School
Emerald State School has a socially and economically diverse enrolment of around 340 primary students.
Harristown State High School
Harristown State High School, located in Toowoomba Qld, has an enrolment of about 1600 students.