3
Introduction
4
Chairman’s Report
6
Principal/CEO’s Report
10
Compliance Data
17
Finance Report
Our Vision
Every learner reaching their God-given potential
Our Purpose To provide each student Christian education that gives opportunities to develop gifts and talents to fulfil the will of God in his or her life
Introduction Schools which receive ongoing recurrent funding from the Australian and Victorian Governments are required to publish annual data, in a number of areas, to comply with relevant legislation. We have presented this data in a form which we trust will be easily read and understood by the College community, and which will provide the information required under law.
Ballarat Christian College is a non-denominational, co-educational College catering for approximately 300 students in 2020 in Years Prep to 12. The College is registered as an education provider by the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA). A broad, inclusive and comprehensive program is offered from Years Prep to 10, with VCE, VET and VCAL offered to (some) Year 10, and to all Year 11 and 12 students. Students are encouraged and guided to reach their God-given potential by striving for excellence in all endeavours. The College seeks to help students grow in the wisdom of God and to walk in His ways after initially having a saving faith in Christ. We foster the development of positive and harmonious relationships with other people, the environment and with God. The College offers programs in many areas including pastoral care, student leadership and co-curricular, as well as a balanced curriculum based on the Australian Curriculum. Additionally, a Christian education program called Christian Living is taught, whereby the knowledge and heart of the Christian faith is transmitted through structured lessons delivered by Christian teachers. The College is also a Registered Training Organisation delivering the Certificate III in Christian Studies course to internal and external students in the senior secondary years.
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BOARD CHAIRMAN’S REPORT The entire 2020 year was a difficult one for all (not just Ballarat Christian College), as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. With it came considerable stress to families, businesses and government, impacting students, parents and College staff.
The staff of Ballarat Christian College were thrust into the development of new teaching resources and technologies at very short notice. The Board would like to thank the staff of the College for the exemplary manner with which they managed the process, and recognise their hard work throughout the entire school year.
2020 was a year of relative stability in terms of staffing for the College after the changes of Heads of School and Principal experienced in 2019. We did however lose several very valuable Board members including Mrs Danna Grills and Mr Benito Custodio who resigned due to work and family commitments, and Miss Dianne Colbert, who did not stand again after serving her three-year term as a director.
The addition of two new Board members, Mrs Jodie Rickard and Mrs Amy Lewis, to the College Board late last year has brought valuable knowledge and experience to the Board. Amy Lewis is the first Alumni to be appointed as a Board member of the college. The Board membership at the end of 2020 consisted of: • Mr Ross Coventry (Board Chair) • Mr Randall Draeger (Deputy Board Chair) • Mrs Lorraine Firth • Mr Russell Barter • Mr Chris Duke • Mrs Jodie Rickard
The College Executive led by Principal Ken Nuridin has continued to direct and develop the College education programs and facilities to an extremely high level. The Board is grateful for the Executive’s dedication in managing the operational requirements of the College.
Although there were no major projects implemented at the College this year, significant changes were made adding new and upgraded facilities. This included a new synthetic surface in the Primary School, new basketball courts, a fitness hub, paving of the main carpark, as well as new garden beds and seating.
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The College finances were once again in surplus in 2020, in spite of the additional expenses required to manage the COVID-19 pandemic. This surplus represents the hard work and consistent management of expenses applied by the Executive and Finance staff. An operating surplus of $218,291 was achieved.
Although volunteer activity was limited last year due to the pandemic, the Board would like to thank the many volunteers that make themselves available and continue to contribute so much to the College programs and activities throughout the year. We acknowledge the contribution that parents, carers and grandparents made last year, especially given that remote learning added additional responsibilities and workload to the parent body.
The Board would like to also commend all our students for the resilience and perseverance they have shown throughout the year in achieving great results in a difficult year.
The Board and College staff are continuing the work outlined in the Strategic Plan which commenced in 2019 and includes: the introduction of composite classes which will ensure more students are given the opportunity to attend the College by removing waiting lists, development of new and upgraded facilities, as well as the introduction this year of the new year 9 program, which saw a considerable amount of time during 2020 put into to develop this exciting program.
2020 has been a year where the College Board and staff have continued to put their trust in the Lord and we thank Him for his provision and guidance throughout the year.
Ross Coventry Board Chairman
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Principal/CEO’s Report It is a good thing that we cannot see what lies ahead of us, for if we could, I am sure that we would have sought any detour possible around the year of 2020. What started off as another new year of promise and potential was soon subsumed by the COVID-19 pandemic and our College was not immune to its impact. From the end of March through the remainder of 2020 the school year was dominated by the current state of the pandemic in Victoria and along with all other schools in Victoria, the College community endured two extended periods of remote learning and many cancelled events. Fortunately, the year ended on a more positive note as restrictions began to ease, permitting some keynote events to go ahead, albeit subject to COVID precautions. Events that were able to proceed in some form included the Years 12 and 6 graduations and our Celebration Evening (held as a day event).
Staffing We farewelled a small number of staff and welcomed several new staff to the College during 2020. Mrs Claire Ekayapan left the administration staff at the end of Term 1 as the family pursued a business opportunity in the Colac area. Mrs Kylie Weightman also intended to resign her teaching role at the end of the first term, but her departure was delayed by the onset of the COVID pandemic. Mrs Weightman was eventually able to depart Ballarat midway through the year during the first and second lockdowns to live in NSW. Later in the year we farewelled another member of the administration staff, Mrs Jessica Carswell, as she moved with her family to Geelong. At the end of the year we farewelled our LEC Coordinator Mrs Charlene Nedinis, as she takes up a teaching position with Heathdale Christian College’s Melton campus in 2021.
Miss Beth Simonis joined the teaching staff at the beginning of the year as our new Year 5 classroom teacher. Also joining the Primary teaching staff was Mrs Cheril Kemp, who taught across several year levels. Mrs Sarah Inglis took on a part-time role teaching English in lower Secondary, whilst Mr Malcolm Solomano was appointed as our new teacher of the Certificate II in Building & Construction course, along with other teaching duties in Secondary. Miss Amy Parry joined the administration team during the year, and we welcomed Mr Tim Weatherstone’s skills in ICT, supporting Mr Clough and also assisting with College publications and our online presentation. In 2020 the College’s Executive Leadership Team (ELT) consisted of: • Mr Ken Nuridin – Principal • Mrs Bianca Francica – Head of Primary • Mr Scott McKenzie – Head of Secondary • Mrs Julie Gall – Director of Teaching and Learning • Mr Simon Edwards – Business Manager
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Infrastructure and Resources During the year several capital improvement projects were undertaken around the College. Some of these projects were brought forward to take advantage of the remote learning periods when the College was largely unoccupied by the usual number of staff and students on-site. Improvements included the installation of two basketball half-courts, one adjacent to the lower Secondary wing with the second installed on the western side of the Multi-Purpose Centre. An outdoor fitness hub was also installed on the northern side of the lower Secondary wing. The front entrance to the College in Yarrowee Street was significantly enhanced with the removal of the old broken asphalt surface and replaced with a new high-quality concrete surface, complete with new line marking and signage. The Yarrowee entrance and exit gates were motorised and, together with the motorised gate at the Trade Training Centre entrance, controlled by a newly instituted phone app. Three new flagpoles were installed in the raised garden bed at the front of the College, enabling the flying of the Australian, Aboriginal and College flags. Floodlighting was installed to light the flags during the hours of darkness, allowing the flags to be flown day and night. General lighting and security lighting around the College was further improved with the installation of more lights around the College buildings and grounds, including several solar-powered lights along the creek and the Yarrowee Street carpark.
Primary students returning to school at the start of Term 3 were greeted with a new synthetic surface across the front of the original Primary block, providing a welcome replacement to the tired old asphalt surface.
The College Board adopted a new 3-year Strategic Plan for 2020-22. Two key initiatives of the new Strategic Plan include the revitalising of a tailored Year 9 program and a restructuring in the Primary to provide increased enrolment capacity.
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College Captains College Dux
Students Our total student enrolment at the August census date was 294, which comprised 154 students in Primary and 140 in Secondary. This was an improvement of 8 students compared to our 2019 census number.
Despite the lack of opportunities to represent the College in the broader community due to the pandemic, the College was ably served by the College Captains, supported by the Student Senate and the Primary Student Representative Council (SRC). I met with the College Captains Jack McGilligan, Esther McKee and Vice-Captains Josiah Tudball and Brianna Bartlett on a weekly basis, including over Zoom during the two lockdown periods. The College Captains also initiated an online quiz for our students to promote student connectedness during the remote learning periods.
Year 12 student Charleigh Hocking was the 2020 College Dux, achieving an ATAR of 92.9, which included the College’s highest individual study score for 2020 with a score of 44 in Sociology. The recipient of the Year 12 Excellence Award, Esther McKee, also achieved a very commendable ATAR of 90.5, whilst our third highest ATAR score was in the mid-80s. The College’s median ATAR was 29, which placed it fourth amongst all Ballarat schools. No NAPLAN assessments were conducted during 2020 due to the pandemic. Unfortunately, many events that normally fill the College calendar were not able to proceed in 2020 due to the extended periods of remote learning, or due to the safety requirements related to the pandemic. Cancelled events included the Athletics and CrossCountry Carnivals, Pink Stumps Day, Sparsh Mini-Fete, Grandparents Day & Garden Show, Art Show and many camps and excursions including CSEN events.
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Conclusion Despite several challenges faced by the College during the year, the Lord’s blessing was upon our school in many ways. We continue to trust in God for His provision as we seek to provide a high-quality educational setting for the children of Christian parents and those in the community seeking a more conservative education setting for their children.
Once again, I acknowledge the support of my Executive Leadership Team (ELT) and all College staff, teaching and non-teaching. The ELT discharged their duties commendably in their respective areas of responsibility, ensuring the smooth running of the College, and the unity of the staff across the College promoted a spirit of fellowship, testifying to God’s Spirit at work amongst us. I particularly thank staff for their cooperative approach to meeting the challenges of the remote learning period – teachers, for their readiness to adapt at short notice, Mrs Gall, Mrs Nedinis and the Education Support Staff who provided supervision of students of essential workers who attended the College during the lockdown periods, our ICT staff who quickly had devices readied to go home and continued to attend the workplace to ensure that the College’s IT systems operated smoothly, our Administration staff for the plethora of tasks that were undertaken as we switched back and forth between on-site to home learning and last, but certainly not least, our maintenance team and contractors who kept the College buildings and surrounds in order and undertook the numerous improvement projects around the College buildings and grounds. I thank the College Chair, Mr Ross Coventry, and the members of the Board for their ongoing support throughout the 2020. Members of the Board carry out their duties without remuneration and we thank each Director for sharing their time and expertise for the benefit of Ballarat Christian College.
In last year’s report I commented briefly on the political scene and in particular the debate surrounding religious freedoms in our country. This became more evident in 2020 as we found ourselves increasingly pressured to defend our biblical stance, particularly regarding changing community values around issues of gender and sexuality. We continue to value the support of Christian Schools Australia and like-minded CSA-member schools, together with Christian schools from sister organisations. We believe that education is never neutral and that Christian parents have the right to send their children to a school that supports what is taught in the home. Ballarat Christian College will continue to strive to offer such an opportunity for parents in our city and region and will continue to honour our God in all our endeavours.
Ken Nuridin Principal/CEO
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Compliance Data Senior Secondary Outcomes Our class of 19 Year 12 students (including 6 VCAL students) finished their studies, with 100% of the VCE students achieving their Victorian Certificate of Education. Our highest ATAR for 2020 was 92.9. The Median Study Score was 29, and 88% of Year 12 students were awarded the school-based Certificate III level qualification in Christian Studies.
Post-School Destinations The following data supplied through the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) indicates Year 12 students’ post-school destinations: Tertiary Applications and Offers: - 9 students University Offers:- 7 students TAFE/VET Offers:- 2 students Any Tertiary Offer:- nil In Education and Training Bachelor degree enrolled:- 7 students Deferred:- 1 students TAFE/VET (Cert IV+):- 5 student TAFE/VET (Cert I-III):- nil Not in Education and Training Employed:- 1 students
Other data from Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) is outlined below: School Programs Number of VCE Units 3 & 4 with enrolments – 11 (with 5 Virtual Schools Victoria) Number of VCE VET Certificates with enrolments – 14, including 2 internal (Certificate III Christian Studies & Certificate II in Building & Construction) and 3 in School Based Apprenticeship. Student Achievement Percentage of satisfactory VCE completions Percentage of satisfactory VET completions Percentage of satisfactory VCAL Unit completions Median Study Score
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100 89 83 29
Teacher Standards and Qualifications All teachers are registered by the Victorian Institute of Teaching as either fully registered; provisionally registered, as in the case of ex-graduates; or as having Permission to Teach (PTT), in the case of teachers in the process of finalising teaching qualifications.
Compliance Data
Certificate II – IV
22
Advanced Certificate
Teachers at the College possess the following qualifications:
2
Diploma
12
Advanced Diploma
1
Graduate Certificate
2
Graduate Diploma
7
Bachelor’s Degree
38
Master’s Degree
The workforce of Ballarat Christian College consists of the following. Teaching 36
Full-Time
21
Male
17
Indigenous
Non-Teaching 22
Part-Time
37
Female
41
Non-Indigenous
TOTAL 58
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Student Attendance The College’s Student Attendance Policy and Procedures are to facilitate follow up of student issues relating to excessive lateness and absenteeism, through close monitoring of attendance data, direct contact with students, follow up letters to parents and interviews with students and parents. This role has been assumed by the Heads of School, along with homeroom teachers.
Administration staff follow up absentees daily where unexplained, and at least twice per week regarding written confirmation or medical certificates.
58
58
0 58 58
Year
Attendance Rate %
P
93.5
1
94.5
2
95.0
3
91.5
4
90.5
5
94.5
6
94.0
7
93.5
8
92.5
9
90
10
95.5
11
90
12
94.5
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Parent, Student & Teacher Satisfaction with the School
The College uses the ACARA School Satisfaction Survey material for ascertaining feedback. This was conducted in the first half of 2020 to accurately reflect student, staff and parent satisfaction with the College during 2019. This survey was widely distributed to College staff and parents, and selectively to a group of students. The results have been analysed and discussed by staff, the Executive Leadership Team, and shared with members of the College Board.
Parent Satisfaction Survey Results The school's Parent Lounge portal is easy to engage with This school works with me to support my child's learning My child's learning needs are being met at this school My child is making good progress at this school Teachers at this school motivate my child to learn This school takes parents' opinions seriously This school looks for ways to improve My child likes being at this school Student behaviour is well managed at this school I can talk to my child's teachers about my concerns If I raised a concern about my child's safety (or the safety of another child)… If I had a concern about child safety, I would feel confident in raising it with… Teachers at this school expect my child to do his or her best Teachers at this school provide my child with useful feedback Teachers at this school treat students fairly This school is well maintained My child feels safe at this school
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
4.0
5.0
Average Rating
Student Satisfaction Survey Results
My school gives me opportunities to do interesting things My teachers motivate me to learn My school takes students' opinions seriously My school looks for ways to improve I like being at my school Student behaviour is well managed at my school If I raise a concern about my own safety (or the safety of another child) at the school, I… If I had a concern about child safety, I would feel confident in raising it with at least one… I can talk to my teachers about my concerns I feel safe at my school My school is well maintained Teachers at this school treat students fairly My teachers provide me with useful feedback about my school My teachers expect me to do my best
0.0
12
1.0
2.0
3.0
Average Rating
Staff Satisfaction Survey Results Student behaviour is well managed at this school If I was to raise a concern about the safety of a child at the school, I know… If I raised a concern about any child’s safety at the school, I am confident … If I had a concern about child safety, I would feel confident raising it with at… Parents at this school can talk to teachers about their concerns Students at this school can talk to their teachers about their concerns Students feel safe at this school This school is well maintained Teachers at this school treat students fairly Teachers at this school provide students with useful feedback Teachers at this school expect students to do their best With the physical changes to the College environment, I feel safe at this… Staff are well supported at this school I receive useful feedback about my work at this school This school works with parents to support student learning Students' learning needs are being met at this school Teachers at this school motivate students to learn This school takes staff opinions seriously The school looks for ways to improve
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
Average Rating
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.”
Philippians4:8
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Finance Report In light of the COVID-interupted year, the financial performance for 2020 was a pleasing result. The key aspects of the year from a financial viewpoint were: (i) a slightly better enrolment than anticipated at the year’s commencement, (ii) continued management of debtors, (iii) ensuring students and staff were appropriately resourced, and (iv) planning for future growth opportunities. The College's operating surplus was $218,291 [2019 - $113,439]. The consolidated surplus for the year ending 31 December 2019, including capital donations, was $223,991 [2019 - $364,039].
The Board maintains its policy of stewarding the resources God provides to the College in order to maximise the benefit to students and to promote His Glory.
Total Income -2020
Other Income 6%
Capital Donations 0%
Tuition Fees (nett) 15%
Victorian Govt Grants 22%
Australian Govt Grants 57%
TOTAL INCOME 2020 Australian Govt Grants
$ 3,683,021
Victorian Govt Grants
$ 1,422,044
Tuition Fees
$ 1,006,485
Other Income Capital Donations TOTAL
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$ 390,211 $ 5,700 $ 6,507,461
Total Expenditure -2020
Administration 8%
Property 7%
Depreciation 9%
Other 1%
Student Related 4% Salaries 71%
TOTAL EXPENDITURE 2020 Salaries
$ 4,465,426
Student Related
$ 250,009
Administration
$ 523,433
Property
$ 414,149
Depreciation
$ 566,450
Other Expenses TOTAL
$ 64,003 $ 6,283,470
Please Note: There is a complete set of audited financial statements available to members on request from the Business Manager.
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Every learner reaching their God-given potential
OUR VALUES RESPECT COMPASSION HONESTY COMMITMENT UNITY EXCELLENCE