Falls Creek Public School

Location: Falls Creek, NSW

A small school of under 60 students, tucked away in bushland south of Nowra. This year, we have been able to form three classes: Kindergarten, Stage 1 and Stage2/3. Our school is nestled in beautiful natural surroundings, including a bush track and nearby creek. Native birds and lizards are in abundance.

How has your school used its Gonski funding?

Gonski Funding in 2017 is used to support classroom teaching and learning by employing two school learning support officers. One SLSO is Aboriginal and helps Aboriginal students to identify with culture and supports the knowledge and understanding of our Aboriginal heritage for all students. Gonski funding is used to allow the teaching principal more time off class. This results in more time to effectively address administrative tasks, time to build positive connections with parents and the community, time to foster positive relationships with every student and time for the principal to build capacity through staff mentoring and instructional leadership. This year, Gonski funding is accommodating the training of all staff in the Targeted Early Numeracy (TEN) initiative.

How has Gonski made a positive difference for students?

All students can be supported in their learning in order to achieve their best. Student classes are more settled and have less disruption when the principal is required elsewhere. Each class teacher has the benefit of increased professional learning opportunities by working with the principal to improve literacy and numeracy outcomes in students. The principal is able to directly support the wellbeing of each and every student in partnership with teachers and their parents and carers.

What could your school do with Gonski funding in the future?

Future funding will allow Falls Creek Public School to better cater to the needs of individual students by continuing to lift the cultural identity of the school, improve teaching and learning in both numeracy and literacy, support professional development of staff through mentoring and peer coaching strategies, build leadership capacity and expand the opportunities and experiences on offer to students each year.

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