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Mansfield Steiner School 2024 Annual Report

Our School P 3

President’s Report P 5

Treasurer’s Report P 7

Principal’s Report P 8

Financials P 9

Attendance P 10

Naplan P 10

Parent Survey P 11

Our School

OUR FOUNDATION

Mansfield Rudolf Steiner School had its beginnings when, in 1985, a small group of children began their education in a parent-built mud-brick room at Maindample. In the early days the parents carried the enormous task of building, developing, maintaining and running the school without government support or funding. In 1986 the school received formal registration and a certain amount of government funding followed.

Years of hard work, determination, passion and faith saw the school overcome many setbacks and challenges. It grew into a vibrant community offering a creative and innovative educational option in the Mansfield district.

By 1996 the school had outgrown the Maindample site and with a successful application for Capital Funding the decision was made to move into Mansfield. Subsequent years have seen a series of building programs develop the beautiful and well-resourced school which exists today.

SCHOOL STRATEGIC VISION

The newly developed Strategic Plan runs to 2028 and is available on our website. The Plan focuses on three strategic areas: People, Place and Pathways.

SUPPORTING THE CURRICULUM

Mansfield Steiner School follows the Australian Steiner Curriculum framework. The school fosters an evolving awareness with this specific curriculum. Unique to Steiner schools is the role of the class teachers who guide classes through many years as guardians and mentors. The primary years of Mansfield Steiner School are rooted in the ideal that the needs of childhood must be honoured and progressive and traditional values hereby find their balance. Students gain confidence and can be inspired to a high level when the same teacher is with them year after year.

Teachers use a multi-sensory approach to learning and work rhythmically and imaginatively with students. Music plays a key role in the curriculum and all students play recorder together each day and a stringed instrument from Year 3. Respect for the natural environment and seasonal cycles is encouraged through the celebration of a range of festivals (seasonal, cultural and faith) during the year.

RESPONDING TO STUDENT ENROLMENT TRENDS - SCHOOL GROWTH

The school has experienced steady growth since it was established in 1985 in the small hamlet of Maindample. The capital investment in the school is expected to support greater demand and enrolment growth. Enrolments continue to grow as parents seek continuity and certainty that children can complete their education at the school. The school has a solid reputation locally and further abroad. The school attracts local families and families from outside the local area who move to Mansfield to attend the school

SUPPORTING QUALITY EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES

The school’s reputation has been further enhanced over recent years, as our graduates have excelled in other educational settings. For a very small school in a rural setting, we are unique, and our reputation is slowly but steadily growing.

OUR VISION

Our Vision is a School Community of free, responsible, and ethical contributors to our contemporary world.

OUR MISSION

Mansfield Steiner School aims to awaken and inspire students’ critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and artistic expression on a global scale, supporting their development to become open-minded and ethical individuals who can design their own lives with initiative and purpose.

OUR VALUES

Rudolf Steiner contended that the fundamental purpose of education lies in the cultivation of students’ capacities for thinking, feeling, and willing. These essential human qualities find expression in society through the enduring principles of goodness, beauty and truth. Furthermore, they manifest in the various forms of science, art, ethics (or belief systems) and the search for meaning.

Goodness is the inherent moral quality that arises from understanding, empathy, and the pursuit of actions that contribute positively to the wellbeing of oneself, others, and the world.

Beauty is the reflection of harmony and balance in the natural world, nurturing our senses and inspiring our creative spirits.

Truth is a living, evolving concept that unfolds through direct experiences, personal development, and a deep connection to the natural world.

Presidents Report

Itable

the President of the Governance Committee’s Annual Report for 2024.

The Report comments on activities and achievements of the Governance Committee for 2024 and outlines key goals and activities for 2025.

What is the Governance Committee?

The Governance Committee is the elected/ selected representative of the Association. The Association is called the Mansfield Rudolf Steiner School and Kindergarten Incorporated. The purpose of the Association is to conduct and maintain the School and Kindergarten and offer education under Steiner philosophy. This Association owns and runs, through the Governance Committee, the School. It is a nonprofit entity. Membership of the Association is open to all staff, parents and caregivers and to others accepted by the Governance Committee.

The Governance Committee, elected by the Association, is responsible for strategy, policy and planning. It approves the budget and larger items of expenditure. It monitors and reviews all aspects of the school’s operations. It employs the Principal and, via the Principal, the teaching staff to set and administer the curriculum. It employs an administration team led by an Operations Manager, which also includes the Principal. The Principal is a nonvoting member of the Committee.

Looking back - 2024

All issues raised by the educational licensing authority (VRQA) were satisfied and the School’s status as an educational facility was approved by the State Government. The next audit by the VRQA will be in 2028.

The budget was mostly adhered to – please see the Treasurer’s report and financial statements for more details. The Budget set for 2025 was approximately $5.8 million up from $5.2 million for 2024.

Enrolments were reasonably healthy although

the numbers were smaller in upper Secondary.

Mansfield Shire Council required the School to agree to an easement over the drain or creek that runs from Highett Street to the west. Under the easement Council is permitted to clean out and shape the area, which it has recently done. A concrete culvert has been constructed across the easement to allow the School to have vehicle access across the easement.

Planning was to the fore. The strategic plan was updated and planning work initiated for our next building project. The Hall’s stage has been improved. Expenditure on resurfacing of the basketball court was approved.

The Year 12 IB candidates all achieved IB status. Congratulations on a fine achievement and thank you for representing and contributing to the School. I wish you well for the future and recognise that you are now part of the growing Alumni, and always part of our story.

The IB offerings at the School have been expanded to include IB Music.

The School achieved the rare event of having all positions filled despite a serious shortage of teachers in Victoria. This achievement speaks to the School’s ability to offer rewarding and diverse employment in a pleasant environment. It speaks well of our leadership group.

We farewelled several longtime staff – Jacinta, who spent 9 years teaching in Primary; Sue Plumb, who spent about 7 years teaching in secondary and IB; and Ariel, who was a long time Early Childhood educator and more recently a Primary School teacher. I very much appreciate Jacinta’s, Sue’s and Ariel’s contributions to the School. Their influence on students is still very present.

On the Governance Committee: Scott Ersvaer, Nicole Nye and Jan White completed their roles. I thank them for their service. Scott was on the Committee for many years. The

Governance Committee is a volunteer body whose Members give their time and energy to act in the School’s best interests. It has considerable responsibility.

The Committee welcomed new members Polly Ritchie, Fran Cummins and Ben Nally in 2024.

Looking ahead – 2025

It’s 40 years since the School was founded. We started with 7 students in Maindample. Today we have well over 200 students from Prep to Year 12 as well as Early Childhood.

The major commemoration of our 40 years will be on and around Open Day in Spring.

The Committee is creating structures and procedures to reach out to our Alumni and seeking to involve them in the School. The 40year anniversary celebrations are a catalyst for this enterprise.

A new Music Centre is our next project under our planning. Funding applications are underway. To build, we need to be successful in our application to the Government funding body (known as the BGA). A site has been chosen. Plans for the Music Centre have been drawn up and submitted. A meeting with BGA’s representatives on-site has been scheduled. If we are successful in our funding, building will commence as soon as possible.

The basketball resurfacing should be completed this year. There have been hold ups in securing suitable trades.

The Committee will continue with its usual work of budgeting, reviewing performance, risk assessment and planning. The Committee has Sub-Committees that oversee and report on finances, policy, marketing and current building projects. Reports from these committees as well as from the Principal and Operations Manager are considered at Committee meetings. The Committee meets about 8 to 10 times a year.

Sara Watts completes her term on the

Committee in 2025. I thank Sara for her contributions.

There are many people working to maintain and grow the School. Thanks must go to all. The Committee’s two main contacts for information are our Principal Glenn Hood and our Operations Manager Marvin Cramer, who attend all our meetings, and I give special thanks to Glenn and Marvin while acknowledging the contributions of many others.

Why are we here?

Our School’s fundamental purpose is to nurture and educate children and young adults in the philosophies of Rudolf Steiner.

Our highest endeavour must be to develop free human beings who are able of themselves to impart purpose and direction to their lives.

The need for imagination, a sense of truth, and a feeling of responsibility—these three forces are the very nerve of education.

R. STEINER

John Bowen PRESIDENT, Governance Committee

Treasurer Report

After my first year of being Treasurer I am pleased to present the Treasurer’s Report for the 2024 financial year.

I would firstly like to acknowledge the work of Tim Ross as the outgoing treasurer, a position he filled for 6 years. His knowledge of both accounting and the school has been of huge benefit.

2024 was a financially sound year for MRSSK. Some key numbers to note are:

Recurrent income for 2024 was $5.5m which was up on the previous year of just over $5m.

There was an operating surplus of $159k which was slightly above the 2023 figure of $132k.

The operating cash flow for 2024 was $551k. This surplus cash has been allocated to pay down debt and fund capital expenditure. $143k was spent in 2024 on capital expenditure. Capital works in 2024 included the hall stage construction, the gas workstations for the secondary science building and multiple smaller projects around the school.

There were no major changes to the balance sheet. A small increase in net assets was due to the surplus earned during the year.

2024 was the first time for 7 years that the school increased student fees. Overall, the increase was 4%. This was well received by families, who understand that the costs of providing all aspects of the school program have increased. This will likely continue, which

is why there was again a modest increase in 2025. Each year the school needs to assess whether the same program can be run on the same amount of money, and therefore whether changes need to be made to the fees or the program.

The school’s income is dependent on student numbers. Commonwealth funding is our major source of income and is determined by the number of students present in the week of census in August. In 2024 the school started with 222 students, but this number dropped to 209 by census in August. Being 13 students down meant that our income was reduced below the budgeted figure. Prudently, the school had budgeted for a reasonable surplus which could accommodate a drop in income. It remains an aim of the school to increase the number of students continuing their secondary education at the school.

I would finally like to acknowledge the dedication and commitment of Marvin Cramer, Operations & Business Manager, and Kelly Lawrence in looking after the school finances.

Anna Speirs TREASURER, Governance Committee

Principal’s Report

2024 is our second year of a complete school with all year levels, and we saw student numbers increase to over 240 students from Kinder to Year 12. This modest growth continues the trend of enrolment growth, which augurs well for the future.

It is a pleasure to report on the successful completion of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program by our 2024 Year 12 cohort. We are proud of the efforts of students and staff alike and excited about the prospects of these students, all of whom received tertiary offers. We are confident that the capacity to appreciate and understand complexity they have developed over the 2-year program will serve them well in the years ahead.

Thankfully, 2024 was a quieter year in terms of construction, and our focus shifted to smaller capital and maintenance projects, such as the installation of gas for workstations in Mungga, our middle school maths and science room, air conditioning in Early childhood and Prep rooms, and planning for hall and basketball court projects in 2025.

We were thrilled with the continued development of Parents and Friends, who, led by Amber Wright, hosted a Welcome Morning Tea, Trivia Night, Strings on the Green, Spring Fair, and Christmas Raffle. These activities raised over 20K for future projects, which is a remarkable achievement.

This year was the first of our 2024 -28 Strategic Plan, and we have made inroads into many of the goals we articulated. In addition to growth in enrolment, planning

for the commencement of IB Music in 2025, increases to Learning Support and Wellbeing positions, continued professional development opportunities in Steiner and IB education, recruitment of quality staff, and continued growth of P&F are some of the ways we have forwarded our strategic vision.

The briefest of glances at the school’s calendar of events points to an extraordinary amount of work by our staff in providing such a diverse range of opportunities for our students. We have a wonderful array of skills, experiences, and personalities in the staff group that guides the students, maintains our facilities, and administers the school. I am grateful for the dedication and hard work of everyone involved in making this possible. Likewise, I am grateful to our families for their support of the school and for helping to create a positive community.

We were pleased to welcome Fran Cummins, Ben Nally, and Polly Ritchie to the Governance Committee this year, and we thank Scott Ersvaer and Sara Watts, who retired this year, for their service. I also thank Sally Batten, Tim Ross, John Bowen, and Anna Speirs for their work and continued support.

Glenn Hood PRINCIPAL

School Financials

RECURRNET EXPENSES 2024

69% Employee Expenses

RECURRENT INCOME 2024

Attendance Report

Prep 90%

Class 1 92%

Class 2 91%

Class 3 90%

Class 4 94%

Class 5 85%

Class 6 89%

Year 7 92%

Year 8 86%

Year 9 87%

Year 10 91%

Year 11 97%

Year 12 99%

ATTENDANCE MANAGEMENT

Average attendance for students in 2024 was 89% and the following table shows details for each class

Attendance rolls are marked each morning and afternoon, any unexplained absences are reported to the office for follow-up. Any prolonged absences are required to be supported by satisfactory evidence and/or require a further discussion with the school Principal. Students with ongoing low attendance are also monitored and if required appropriate authorities are notified.

Please note in 2023 NAPLAN testing moved from May to March and the NAPLAN scale was reset. This means you can’t compare NAPLAN achievement prior to 2023 to that from 2023 onwards.

Parent Satisfaction Survey results

The parent survey attracted 48 responses 29 ‘myself’ and 19 on behalf of myself and my spouse or signifigant other.

1 SATISFACTION

Which option best describes your overall satisfaction with our school? True of False? My Children have a positive relationship with their teacher.

2 MY CHILD 1 SATISFACTION

2 MY CHILD