Covenant Christian School 2008 Annual Report
Chairman’s Report 2008! That was when? As I type this we are well and truly into 2009 and it has been good in the busyness of life to take time to reflect on last year. In 2007 Mrs Anne Baker finished her second three-year term as a Board Director, but, as you may recall, was co-opted back to the Board as Acting Chairman. At the start of the new school year in 2008 she handed over the position to me. I would like to thank Anne for her help during this transition and for her willingness to serve on the Board again. In this report the Chairman often talks about how exciting the past year was and how much God has blessed us. Whilst during the year there were some events within our school community that made us realise how short our time in this life really is—we were reminded of this with the passing of our first teacher, Mrs Jan Bridges, from this life into eternity with her Lord—we were still truly blessed by God’s grace and mercy.
As a Board, we are encouraged to see many of our students grow in their knowledge of the Lord. It is constantly our prayer that they continue to grow in this and become committed Christians who can affect the communities in which they live with His love. We are also encouraged to see that our results in the School Certificate and Higher School Certificate continue to be of a high standard, as reflected in our Vision and Mission statement.
Towards the end of 2008, Mr Roger Parker and Mr Stuart Johnson both stepped down as Directors. I would like to thank them for the gifts that they brought to the Board. We greatly valued their contribution and have missed their intellect and wit.
Vision: Our desire is to be part of God’s plan to unite all things in heaven and on earth under the lordship of Jesus Christ, by….
During the past year at Board level we have had thorough discussions on important foundational matters for the School. We debated, for example, what are the common points between the Three Forms of Unity (viz. the Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism and the Canons of Dort) and/or the Westminster Confession of Faith and/ or the Baptist Confession of 1689. Along with this we also took on the challenge of reviewing our Constitution. We have worked hard at retaining our Christian distinctiveness in the new constitution, so it will reflect the same values and beliefs as the previous documentation, at the same time tidying up some important matters and complying with the current company laws that govern this document. Needless to say with the above and the normal operations of the Board we did have our work cut out for us. So we are grateful to those people who regularly pray for the school and Board, also those who volunteer for various committees.
Mission: ….assisting parents in the nurture of their children, providing a Christ-centred, biblically grounded, culturally engaging, and academically rigorous education which equips children to live for God’s glory. This year has seen some changes at the former CPCS. In fact, Christian Parent Controlled Schools (CPCS) as a name or branding no longer operates. The national organisation of which we are a part decided on a name change to Christian Education National (CEN). To read more about this you may like to visit the CEN website (www.cen.edu.au). They are also updating their constitution. We can praise our God who is so wonderful and we thank Him for another year in which our school has been able to serve and for the many blessings that we have seen as we have worked together providing Christ-centred education here at Covenant.
… we are encouraged to see many of our students grow in their knowledge of the Lord
I would like to thank the Board for their commitment to their role and their support for my role as Chairman.
Mr Rod Post 1
Principal’s Report The fear of the Lord is the beginning of all knowledge. At Covenant we believe this passionately and try to both unpack this for ourselves and to allow it to shape the teaching and learning that occurs within the context of our school. In 2008 we renewed our school mission statement to better reflect our goals. Our mission is to “(assist) parents in the nurture of their children, providing a Christ-centred, biblically grounded, culturally engaging and academically rigorous education, which equips children to live for God’s glory”. The school is committed to investing energy and financial resources to ensure that this does not simply become a nice ideal with little substance in reality, recognising that this is worth doing because it is what lies at the very heart of the school. Covenant continues to achieve very strong results in external exams, an important aspect of the life of the school. You will find the results in the School Performance section of the Annual Report. As a school that is comprehensive and does not offer academic scholarships, these results are indicative of the excellent work being done by the teachers and students in the school. The new courses in Year 11 and 12 have been a great success, with Exploring Early Childhood and Dance adding to the mix of subjects on offer as the number of students in those years continues to increase. Sport, Recreation and Lifestyle Studies will be offered in 2009. We have continued to renew our physical resources and there have been improvements in both the landscape and with classrooms. This renewal is embedded into the financial planning of the school to ensure that we continue to improve our facilities. We look forward to the building of the new K to 2 block in 2009/2010 and are confident that this building will be of great benefit to the children in that area of the school. The School Board of Directors and Executive Staff will be updating the school’s strategic plan over the next two years and look to ensure that we are able to be wise stewards of the physical assets entrusted to us.
The whole staff studied “According to Plan” by Graeme Goldsworthy in 2008 which was designed to help us read the Bible better. In 2009, staff will be studying “A Biblical Introduction to Worldview” by Rod Thompson. Caring for the needs of staff in the area of Biblical literacy is critical as we seek to be faithful to our vision. 2008 was the first year of implementing a new cycle of appraisals for staff members. These have been designed to help staff do their job better by affirming their strengths and supporting improvement in areas of weakness. We are thankful to the parents who have trusted us to partner with them in the task they have in bringing up their children.
Satisfaction Survey When families leave Covenant they are invited to comment on the way in which the school has served their family in the education of their children. It is a comprehensive survey about their satisfaction with many different areas of the school. They are able to give this information anonymously. In general the feedback is very positive, with most feedback about most areas of school life scoring 1 or 2 in a 5 point Likert scale (1 being very satisfied and 5 being very unhappy). Most discrepancy was in the areas of Homework and Uniform. Whilst these concerns are understood, they are often tied to a wider variety of parental expectations rather than a general unhappiness. Even in these areas, the median score was 2 in the Likert scale. On the whole the school community is very satisfied with what is happening in the school.
Mr Bill Rusin
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Registrar’s Report Covenant Christian School is open to all children whose parents are seeking to give them an education which is consistent with the basis and aims of the school, provided the school has the resources to meet the child’s particular needs, and subject to the availability of places. Enrolments 2006 2007 2008 (August Census) (August Census) (August Census) K-6
338
326
319
7-12
366
380
393
TOTAL
704*
706*
712*
* Excluding 40 Transition students
There were two classes per grade from Kindergarten to Year 6 and three classes per grade in Years 7 to 12. There are no specific pre-requisites for continuing enrolments from one class to the next. The ratio of teachers to students is currently 1:15.5 in the Junior School, 1:10.8 in the Secondary School, and 1:12.5 overall. The ratio of boys to girls is currently 52:48 and the proportion of students from regular church attending families (representing 125 churches) is 88%. The greatest losses of students are normally from Year 6 to 7 and Year 10 to 11. This is not surprising as they are points where parents often choose to make changes to their children’s education. The apparent retention rates at these points are pleasing. Retention Rates
Normally children are accepted into Kindergarten only if they have turned five before 31st May that year. In exceptional circumstances, after careful testing, younger children may be admitted if they are considered to be socially, physically and intellectually mature enough. Children are accepted into the Transition classes only if they have turned 3 years of age and are toilet trained at the time they start.
93% 92%
Actual
10-11 9 – 12
Apparent
129%
Actual
6-7
2008 - 2009
Apparent
Years
2007 - 2008
Actual
Priority of enrolment is on the basis of commitment to the Basis and Aims of the school, existing attendance of siblings, likely benefit from and contribution to the life of the school, and date of application. Application for enrolment must be made on the appropriate form, accompanied by an administration fee.
2006 - 2007 Apparent
90%
112%
85%
160%
91%
76%
91%
80%
100%
90%
72%
90%
59%
85%
61%
The loss of students at the end of Year 6 is mainly to single sex non-government schools and selective schools. However, there is a positive apparent retention rate because of the influx of new students into Year 7. The retention rate from Years 9-12 is mostly affected by the loss of students at the end of Year 10 from students going into the work force or moving to TAFE and other schools. Typically there will be an actual loss of around 15% from Year 10 to 11 and 3-5% (2-3 students) each year from other Years.
Mrs Wendy Boase
There are two Transition classes: a two day class on Monday and Tuesday and a three day class on Wednesday to Friday.
Multicultural Composition by Country of Birth 1% 8% 8%
Australian - 83% 83%
Asian - 8% European - 8% Other - 1%
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Business Manager’s Report Overview I am pleased to present the 2008 financial report on behalf of the school Board. 2008 was a year in which we made significant progress in a number of key areas within the school’s financial management. We achieved a sound operating surplus ahead of budget and a cash flow surplus above expectations. Our financial performance is a direct result of the school achieving student enrolment expectations, of parents paying their fees on time, as well as the school’s ability to manage payments and bank accounts to maximise interest income. The school met their obligations to staff and creditors in 2008. Under the guidance of the Board, the Financial Committee, consisting of Board, Association members and Executive, are involved in the financial management of the school. The Committee is invaluable as a number of financial improvements have come about as a result. The Committee is actively involved in the budget process.
In the IT sector a significant strategic decision was made to install fibre across the school so that we can head towards a wireless IT environment. This will allow us to increase the use of technology in classrooms. During 2008 we reduced our loans by $389k. This is a great achievement which speaks volumes to bankers and others about our solid financial credentials. We also had our building and contents valued to ensure that we are adequately insured.
Income Income from families equates to 47% of total income and government grants equate to approximately 48% of total income. We are thankful for government support. In more simplistic terms, for every $1 a parent paid, grants from the Federal and State Governments contributed $1.02.
Income 2008 1% 2% 2% 1%
42%
15% 32% 3% 2%
Fees & Enrolments The Board’s goal is to provide affordable Christian education to Christian parents, so keeping the fees as low as possible while yet still delivering a high standard of Christian education, and maintaining and improving buildings and grounds to satisfactory levels.
35% Recurrent Expenditure
Last year our student numbers were budgeted at 706 and at census we achieved 712. This year our target is 718.
Expenses 2008
Accounts 2008 The Financial Accounts for 2008 show a net operating surplus of $301k. The cash position at the end of the year increased by $569k to a total of $1.76m. The School Board recognises the need to create an appropriate surplus each year with a view to future building projects. A budgeted net operating surplus of $141k was approved for 2009. A number of facilities were improved with more than $700k invested in 2008. This includes extra seating near the oval, synthetic grass laid near the school hall, terracing the grassy slope area in front of the school, two new classrooms being commissioned, staffroom renovation, a refreshing of the school foyer, refurbishment of one of the Science classrooms, re-carpeting J Block classrooms, replacing verandahs in Junior School and new lockers in Secondary School.
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Resident student fees 42% Full fee paying overseas students 3% Transition student fees 2% Federal Government grants 32% State Government grants 15% Interest subsidy 1% Interest received 2% Special grants 1% Other 2%
Our expenses in 2008 will show that our major recurrent expense is salaries. In 2008 salaries equalled approximately 68% of our total recurrent expenditure. This does not include capital expenditure.
Teacher salaries 59% 3%
2%
Admin & IT salaries 9%
6%
59%
8%
6%
Interest on borrowed funds 2% Educational expenses 2% Sport & excursions 3% Administration expenses 6%
3%
2%
2%
Building/grounds maint 8% Depreciation & LSL provisions 6% Equipment leasing 3% Other 2%
9%
The year ahead
35%
The 2009 budget we believe has been established with achievable net operating and cash flow surplus levels. The key to achieving our budget goals largely falls to meeting our enrolment numbers of 718. In 2009 we continue to position the school with the financial ability to start Building A on the nursery land later this year. We also wish to invest the school funds into existing infrastructure where maintenance is required. This will help the school to do preventive rather reactive maintenance in the future. We ask for your continued financial and prayer partnership over the coming year.
Mr Andrew Lowry
Key Policy Outlines Welfare
Discipline
At Covenant our desire is to relate to each other as Jesus did. Harassment and abuse is directly opposed to the way Jesus wants us to relate to each other. We believe that God values every person equally, thus we should care equally for all parties involved in a situation involving harassment or abuse.
Covenant’s discipline policy is based on the following principles which are drawn from Scripture. It recognises the primacy of restoration of relationship over substantive issues and seeks to address relationship breakdown first if required. Discipline should:
As a Christian school we aim to: • make the school a safe place to work and play; • witness the Christian qualities of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Specifically, Covenant Christian School is committed to: • providing a safe and caring environment for students; • preventing harm to a student in any form within the school; • dealing seriously with any reports that a student is at risk of harm in a prompt and appropriate manner; • educating students concerning their rights and responsibilities and equipping them with appropriate skills for avoiding and reporting uncomfortable or abusive situations; • training staff to recognise and appropriately deal with and report situations where a student may be at risk of harm. Specific requirements are set out in our Child Protection and Antiharassment policies and procedures, among others. These include:
• be founded on love and concern for the child and those around him/her; • contribute towards a student’s growth in Christ. Thus it may involve repentance, reconciliation and restitution; • include positive and negative elements confirming, commending, encouraging, as well as correcting, reproving, punishing; • be clearly defined as to expectations and wherever possible, be exercised promptly; • be consistent and administered fairly; • reflect on the action or attitude not the person so that it is clear we love the child; • take into account the maturity of the child; • seek to develop self-discipline and thus not depend too heavily or exclusively on external motivation, such as structured rewards and punishments.
Grievance
• requiring staff to commit to a Staff Code of Conduct, which is actively monitored;
When dealing with any complaint, grievance or concern in relation to another person it ought to be done with the best intentions for the other person at heart. Whilst this is not necessarily easy to do, those involved in conflict ought to see it as an opportunity for growth. Specifically, all parties ought to:
• training staff in Child Protection and Anti-harassment measures;
• first speak directly about the issue to the person most concerned;
• implementing procedures to identify when a child is at risk of harm and to notify the proper authorities;
• treat the matter seriously;
• implementing procedures to notify and investigate complaints of improper conduct by staff and report to appropriate authorities;
• expect that they will be treated in the same way;
• ensuring that staff appointed are fit and proper people to occupy those positions through interviews and employment screening;
• recognising that dealing with harassment is the shared responsibility of parents, staff and students; • establishing procedures which will ensure an effective response to incidents of harassment; • ensuring that all occurrences of harassment are dealt with fairly and consistently; • encouraging openness among pupils about all forms of harassment; • taking pro-active preventative measures against harassment; • raising awareness about harassment among school staff, pupils and parents. Note that we define harassment as any action that troubles or annoys another person. Bullying is repeated intimidation over time, by negative actions of a physical, verbal or psychological nature by one or more persons, ie repeated harassment.
• act fairly towards each other;
• treat others involved in the situation with respect and graciousness; • act discreetly and maintain confidentiality; • If a person feels they cannot speak to the person concerned directly (eg in a case of bullying or fear) they should speak with another more senior person. In the case of a student this may be the home class teacher or some other person they trust; • If a resolution is not achieved then the matter should be taken to the next most senior person and so on until it reaches the Principal for a decision. Any parent who is unhappy about a decision of the Principal, or who for other reasons would like to take a matter further, may take it in writing to the Board. Full copies of these and other school polices can be obtained from the school office and are on the policy page of the school’s blog site, www.ourcovenant.nsw.edu.au
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2008 Staff The resignation of the Deputy Principal, Mrs Julie Mathews, in 2007 gave rise to some restructuring. Mrs Chris O’Sullivan was the Acting Deputy for 6 months and was confirmed as Deputy mid-year. Miss Sharon Sopher took on the new role of Secondary Administrative Coordinator. Staff numbers have been increasing steadily as the school has grown. In 2008 there were 99 staff, of whom 70 were teaching staff and the remainder administrative or ancillary staff. There was 24 part-time and 46 full-time teaching staff. The retention rate for teaching staff rose to 91%. Of the teaching staff • Ten were provisionally accredited at the start of 2008. Five of these were accredited at the Professional Competence level during the year. • 59 were existing teachers under the Institute of Teachers criteria • 1 had a Diploma of Education/Teaching • 65 had a B. Ed or a Bachelors Degree plus Dip. Ed or equivalent • 11 had additional degrees or Vocational Certificates • 10 had an additional Masters degree • Teaching experience ranged from 0 to 37 years with an average of about 10 years. The following staff joined us in 2008: Mr Chris Cipollone (Primary), Mrs Cathy Faulkner (Primary), Mrs Robyn Newton (Primary), Mrs Ruth-Mary Smith (Primary), Ms G Watkins (Primary), Miss T Nguyen (Primary), Mrs Belinda Clark (Teachers’ Aide), Mrs Kylie Sheehan (Teachers’ Aide),
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Miss Katrina Carter (Dance), Mrs Heather Pitt (Drama), Mrs Gabrielle Smith (English/History), Mrs Katrina Horsley (English/History/Maths), Miss Cassie Hale (PDHPE), Mrs Janine Wright (Science), Mrs Judy Wenden (Visual Arts and German), Mrs Heidi Muddle (After School Care), Mrs Gail Ecob (Canteen Manager). In 2008 the following staff left the school: Mrs L Doyle, Mrs R Collis, Mrs P Noble, Mr A James, Miss F Johnston, Miss H Shea, Mrs A Veltmeyer, Mrs R Jones, Mrs J Wenden. The following staff went on leave during 2008: Mrs G Kalinin and Mrs K Martin. The Professional Development budget of nearly $40,000 was utilised with staff attending over 75 separate courses. Average expenditure per staff member was approximately $390. Teachers and other staff undertook courses including: Teachers New to Christian Schooling, Literacy and Numeracy skills, ESL teaching, ARL coaching, Chemical Safety, Suicide prevention, Healthy kids and school canteen, CRICOS requirements and many specific subject based courses. Several staff were invited to present seminars for Christian Parent Controlled Schools, to be filmed for the Association of Independent Schools or other groups. Our Mathematics Coordinator was invited to be part of the planning team for the National Curriculum and found this to be a most interesting and worthwhile opportunity. In addition several staff were undertaking postgraduate studies and there were in-house sessions for a variety of subjects including Child Protection, First Aid and OH&S. Professional Development is also reported on internally via our Professional Development Newsletter.
Teaching & Learning The Transition class remained steady with many students continuing into Kindergarten, giving a settled start to the year. The emergent curriculum encouraged the individual development of the children, drawing on and developing their interests. Some of the two-day students moved to the three-day group. The preparation for starting school sessions in Term Four should again result in a smoother commencement to Kindergarten for Transition students. The Year 7-10 academic reports were unchanged. The course summary, grades, graph and comments for Years 7-10 are concise and informative. These reports, supplemented by parent teacher interviews, ensure good communication between home and school. Neither the Junior nor Senior academic reports changed. Students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 also receive a report on the inaugural NAPLAN tests in reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation and numeracy. The comparison between Covenant, NSW and national scores showed that Covenant was well above average. These pleasing results are commented on later in this report. The Middle Section, catering for Years 7-9, continued to grow with triple streaming now through to Year 11 and the Year 8 class being particularly full. One Core Class in Years 7 and 8 is sorted for students with higher literacy skills while the other two classes are parallel. ICT skills are integrated
into all subject areas. Students were offered a wide choice of electives in Year 9: • Drama, Music, Visual Arts, • Information and Software Technology, • German, • Timber Technology, Food Technology, Design and Technology, • Commerce, • Physical Activity and Sports Studies. Students could choose between elective Geography and History in Year 9, with the mandatory Australian History, Geography, Civics and Citizenship studied in Year 10. Year 10 students completed the “All My Own Work” program on ethical work practices, plagiarism, copyright and working in groups. The Senior Section offers a broad and interesting curriculum. In Years 11 and 12 students can study: • Mathematics, Mathematics Extension 1 and 2, General Mathematics • English Standard, Advanced, ESL, Extension 1 and 2 • Visual Arts, Drama, Music 1 and 2, Dance • Business Studies, Economics, Legal Studies • Ancient and Modern History • Biology, Physics, Chemistry • PDHPE, Exploring Early Childhood, Sport Life and Recreation Studies • German Beginners and Continuers • Software Design and Development, Information Processes and Technology • Design and Technology, Industrial Technology • Studies of Religion 1 and Biblical Studies. In 2008 one VET subject, Hospitality, was again offered. The VET Hospitality students in Years 11 and 12 all completed their mandatory 70 hours work placement over the two years, with positive comments from employers. The industry level kitchen was a wonderful resource for these students. One student was awarded an excellence award by NBBEN our local community partnership. The school community again benefited from the skills of the Hospitality students at school functions such as the Fusion evening, when Visual Arts and Design students showcase their Major Works.
The arrangement with nearby schools forming the Christian Colleges Northside Cluster is now minimal. No students from Covenant attended Oxford Falls Grammar School but Geography and French were studied online at Northern Beaches Christian School via SCIL (Sydney Centre for Innovation in Learning). Students came to Covenant from Northern Beaches Christian School and Oxford Falls Grammar School for Mathematics Extension 2, English Extension 2 and Hospitality (VET). Covenant students also took advantage of courses offered by Saturday School, Distance Education and the Open High School. The Pastoral Care Program included speakers addressing relevant issues as well as our own school developed programs. In other subject areas excursions, guest speakers and field trips were organised. Students from the elective German classes welcomed students from the Freie Evangelische Bekenntnisschule in Bremen, who attended classes here, visited local places of interest and practised their English. Our students were also able to brush up their German. We received grants for the following specific areas of the school in 2008: $5000 from Warringah Council as an Eco Grant, $5000 for Professional Standards, $2000 for Values and Drug education and other grants for special needs and ESL. We applied for and received a Chaplaincy Grant and a Water Grant. Funding for a shade structure and upgrading one Science laboratory was received and the work completed. Our local Federal Member, Mrs Bronwyn Bishop, attended the opening of these facilities.
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Co-curricular & Extra-curricular Activities
Secondary School Music continues to be an important element in the life of the school. The Worship, Concert and Stage bands, as well as Senior and Junior choirs contributed to the Secondary School assemblies, Easter and Christmas celebrations and other occasions. In addition there were Drama and Music evenings to showcase these specialist subjects. There were great individual performances by students in swimming, athletics and cross-country carnivals to combined independent schools level. In the sporting arena the Secondary School had a busy and successful year in football, rugby, netball and basketball. The Public Speaking Carnival was again held in Middle Section towards the end of Term 3 with all speakers reaching a high standard. The interschool carnival between Covenant, Northern Beaches Christian School and Oxford Falls Grammar School was again successful. Mr John Hill continued to lead the Duke of Edinburgh scheme. Students completed Bronze walks in the Sydney area as well as service activities. The Gold walk for 2008 was to Fraser Island which was successfully completed and enjoyed by staff and students. The Mission Trip again strengthened our links with the Yarrabah Aboriginal Community of Northern Queensland. Staff and students learned much as well as helping with games, activities and prayer. Leadership skills have been developed within the Student Council, which has raised money, run assemblies, assisted at various functions and represented the school at outside events. Bus Supervisors and House Captains also take on roles of responsibility and help in the smooth running of the school. This year Student Council again organised the 40 Hour famine for World Vision and the school received an outstanding achievement award for its effort. In addition, the Student Council supported a number of other charities, represented the students on various issues and purchased additional equipment for the school. Students in Years 7-10 enjoyed camps in Term 1 and Year 11 attended a retreat to develop leadership and study skills in Term 4.
Mrs Chris O’Sullivan Deputy Principal
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Junior School Junior School engaged in a number of activities throughout the year with the Musical and Grandparents Days being notable highlights. The Musical was entitled ‘Meet the King’ and was a pleasing success whilst Grandparents Day was well received and incorporated Book Week activities. Co-curricular and Extra-curricular Activities throughout 2008 included:
Extra-curricular • Gardening Group • Yr 3 / 4 Choir • Training Band • Junior Band • Student Council • Drama Club • Chess Club • Boys Hip Hop • Japanese Lessons • Prayer Group
Co-curricular
Sporting
• Yr 5 / 6 Camps
• Carnivals: Athletics, Swimming, Cross Country
• Yr 3 / 4 Sleepover • Musica Viva • Yr 6 Community Day • Speech Giving Assemblies
• Gala Days: Tennis, Eagle Tag, Soccer, Netball, Gymnastics • Inter School Competition: Netball, Tee-ball, Soccer, League, Cricket
• Billy Cart Race Day • ICAS Competitions • Yr 6 World Environment Day • Excursions for Yr 3-6: Imax, Hyde Park Barracks, Canberra, Bushland, Powerhouse Museum, CARES-Bike Education day • Incursions for K-2: Living Eggs, Snake Tales, Theatre of the Deaf, Mini Beasts
Teachers work very hard to make life in Junior School varied and vibrant. I am very grateful and proud of the extra effort they make. Wayne Morton Head of Junior School
• Toon and Maths Camp • Library: Author visit
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School Performance National Assessment Plan – Literacy and Numeracy The NAPLAN (National Assessment Program- Literacy and Numeracy) tests were introduced in 2008. Our students generally exceed the benchmarks in all areas and progress will be seen over the years. In most cases results are well above the national averages. Should any students fall below the benchmarks they will have been identified by the Education Support staff. Strategies will have been put in place to assist them by a combination of withdrawal groups, working alongside students in their classrooms, individual tutor groups and other individualised programs where necessary. The following table summarises results and compares them to State and Australia wide scores.
Reading
Writing
Spelling
Grammar & Punctuation
Numeracy
Covenant Year 3
480.4
466.8
474.1
476.7
463.9
NSW Year 3
412.3
427.6
419.2
412.2
408.9
Australia Year 3
400.4
414.2
399.3
402.9
396.7
Covenant Year 5
536.0
518.3
513.6
526.4
510.9
NSW Year 5
494.7
495.4
499.4
504.9
487.8
Australia Year 5
484.3
486.4
483.6
496.0
475.7
Covenant Year 7
580.2
548.4
568.1
566.6
609.5
NSW Year 7
542.5
535.3
550.1
536.6
551.3
Australia Year 7
536.6
533.7
538.6
529.0
544.9
Covenant Year 9
624.8
594.7
621.7
634.7
639.9
NSW Year 9
583.1
569.4
586.6
576.1
591.4
Australia Year 9
578.0
569.3
577.0
569.2
582.2
School Certificate Results 2008 Our School Certificate results were again well above average as the table below shows. Covenant Average Score
NSW Average Score
Australian History Civics and Citizenship
75.86
70.58
Australian Geography Civics and Citizenship
79.13
73.52
English-literacy
80.40
76.63
Mathematics
78.00
70.67
Science
78.60
73.61
Computing Skills
86.27
80.71
Subject
10
% of students
100
Band 5 & 6 Covenant Band 5 & 6 State
90
80
70
German B
Visuals Arts
Software
Chemistry
Music
IPT
Drama
Legal Studies
The Higher School Certificate
D&T
Ancient History
60
Comparison of some electives: Covenant vs. State Averages
HSC results were outstanding in 2008. At least six students (12%) received a UAI of 90 or higher. One student came second in the State in General Mathematics and one came third in the State in Software Design and Development. Nineteen students (38%) were listed in the Board of Studies Distinguished Achievers List for gaining a Band 6 (90 or more) in one or more subjects. A total of 29 subjects were presented for the HSC.
100
Band 5 & 6 Covenant Band 5 & 6 State
% of students
80
There were also a number of outstanding individual performances where students gained an HSC mark of over 80 – 89, placing them in Band 5, the second highest performance band for the State. Overall there were 101 marks between 80 and 89.
60 40 20
Mathematics
General Maths
ESL
English Advanced
Over 75% of students accepted University offers in a wide variety of subjects including Software, Science, Business Administration, Nursing, Creative Writing, Chemistry, Teaching, Liberal Studies, Information Technology, Health Science, Human Movement, Global Studies, the Arts and many more.
English Ext 1
0
Covenant students were significantly under-represented in Bands 3, 2 and 1, the lower Performance Bands.
Covenant is a comprehensive co-educational school. We do not give academic scholarships as we believe those in need of financial support are those who struggle to afford a Christian education, not only those with high academic ability. Compared to other schools in the area we ranked 5th, after a selective school, an all - girls independent school, a State school and 1 other independent school. Our excellent results reflect the high standards and hard work of our staff and students and the prayerful support of our community.
Comparison of some electives: Covenant vs. State Averages Band 5 & 6 Covenant Band 5 & 6 State
90
80
70
German B
Visuals Arts
Software
Chemistry
Music
Legal Studies
IPT
Drama
D&T
60 Ancient History
% of students
100
11 100
Attracting new families to Covenant For 30 years Covenant has grown through word of mouth, yet still our school was relatively unknown, even to locals. In February Mr Neil Pierson was contracted to work two days a week to help promote the school and attract new families. A marketing campaign was built around the concept “Covenant Christian School is worth a closer look” to encourage families to consider the school. A former Covenant student, Mr Mark Barrett of Created Image Marketing, designed a new website. As an exstudent and a professional his ideas and understanding resulted in a web and blogsite which was both exciting and economical.
The extensive use of photos and fresh updates has proven popular both with our community and visitors, allowing our community, plus interstate and international families, to be more aware of what is happening in the life of the school. Most importantly, the website is generating new enquiries each week.
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100% Christian staff teaching from a bibl ical view poin t Arts, music, sport and hosp itality After school care
Advice for parents
Previously the school ran annual Open Days, which only presented an artificial image of the school. Now we conduct group tours, while also continuing personal tours. These group tours have enabled prospective parents to see the school in action and meet teachers. A relaxed morning tea after each tour is hosted by some school parents. Mr Rusin talks for ten minutes about the school and his vision for children and assisting parents. In 2008 our Registrar, Mrs Wendy Boase, was kept very busy with 165 families on personal and group tours. Another initiative was creating a School Tour on DVD. This allows parents, in the comfort of their own home, to decide if a physical tour is worthwhile. This 8 minute DVD “Take a Closer Look” has helped our existing parents share their story with other families in the community. Families continue to request additional copies to distribute. Posters, brochures, and DVD stands have also been provided for local churches and businesses. Nearly 2,000 copies of the DVD have been distributed since September 2008 including to local Real Estate agents, Politicians, Hairdressers and Preschools. The DVD is available free upon request from the website www.covenant.nsw.edu.au It has been an exciting year, seeing so many new families “Take a closer look” at Covenant.
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