Annual Performance Report 2022

As part of its funding agreement with the Australian Government, Mercedes College is required to ensure that ‘School Performance Information‘ is made publicly available. Information is provided publicly via the Mercedes College website, as well as within the college community through regular electronic updates and newsletters.

The information within is provided in response to the reporting areas required by the Australian Government in line with Schools Assistance Regulations 2009 responsibilities. The information relates to the 2022 school year. Questions about this information can be directed to Principal’s Executive Assistant, on +61 8 8372 3200.

Mercedes College is a Council of International Schools (CIS) accredited Reception to Year 12 International Baccalaureate (IB) world school with a global mindset.

Renown for educating young people and fostering leadership, Mercedes College has a proud academic record of excellence. Through a progressive, internationally focused curriculum supported by our values, we provide opportunities that enable students to reach their full potential.

The strategic direction of Mercedes College is underpinned by our values, the Mercy Keys, along with a series of guiding principles.

Justice Loyalty Integrity Compassion Responsibility Mutual Respect

Guiding Principles

Mercy Keys

From the Principal

Educators are privileged to guide young people in their learning, personal development, and growth as they develop into creative and critical thinkers who are emotionally and socially aware.

At Mercedes College we are fortunate to attract and retain quality teachers with high expectations, providing high levels of support. This is visible across our campus, from the kind word encouraging a student working their way through their first reader, to guiding our Year 12 students during the school holidays as they prepare for end of year assessments and exams.

Across our Reception to Year 12 campus there is always something interesting going on, a hive of activity in our classrooms, as well as community service, art exhibitions, music recitals, theatrical performances, sporting competitions and carnivals.

Now well into implementing our Strategic Plan 2021–2025, with a common direction, defined ambition and alignment of effort underpinned by our Master Plan and 10-year Financial Plan, we are investing in technology, facilities and future capability, and building on the excellence that is synonymous with Mercedes College.

Andrew Balkwill Principal

Contextual information about Mercedes College

Strategic Goal 2.0

Shape our learning experience to produce confident, ethical and successful global citizens ready to address the challenges of their time.

Mercedes College is South Australia’s only Catholic school offering the IB curriculum from Reception to Year 12, and one of just a handful of schools delivering the programme at all 3 levels. Our students are inspired to become lifelong learners with the skills and confidence to flourish in their academic, extra-curricular and personal pursuits.

For more than 30 years, students at Mercedes College have studied the IB curriculum. From Reception to Year 5, students participate in our IB Primary Years Programme. Then, from Year 6 to Year 10 they study our IB Middle Years Programme.

Students in Years 11 and 12 may choose to complete the IB Diploma Programme or the South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE). Regardless of their choice, having studied the IB programme students are well equipped for success.

*Local

In 2022, 100 per cent of our Year 12 students graduated, and of these 1 in 6 were in the top 5 per cent of their national cohort. More than half of our graduates (59.6 per cent) gained an Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) of 80 or higher with nearly a third (29.8 per cent) achieving 90 or more.

In 2022, our International Student Programme attracted students from 9 countries:

Our strong values-centred Catholic education is based on the Mercy Keys. These values are an integral part of the way of life for all members of our community.

International students generally live in Homestay accommodation, with support from specialist staff ensuring their social welfare and academic needs are met. These specialists help facilitate enrolment at the Adelaide International School to accommodate language needs of newly arrived international students prior to joining the campus.

Each programme enables students to make sense of global complexities and equips them with critical and creative thinking skills. The programmes provide an education that crosses disciplines, cultural, national and geographical boundaries, championing critical engagement, and stimulating ideas and effective relationships.

Staffing Profile

Strategic Goal 3.0

Support our staff to flourish and reach their full potential.

In 2022 Mercedes College dedicated and skilled workforce comprising:

Of the teaching faculty 62 per cent are female and 38 percent male.

To successfully deliver the programmes offered by Mercedes College, key teachers have responsibility for areas including Performing Arts, Languages, Humanities, Science, Visual Arts, Mathematics and Physical Education.

Mercedes College is structured with 3 Heads of School (Junior, Middle and Senior) responsible for all staff and students within each. Other Positions of Responsibility include Learning Area and Year Level Leaders.

With a holistic approach to education and learning, a team including 2 registered, endorsed Educational and Developmental Psychologists and Learning Enrichment staff support the academic and wellbeing outcomes for our students.

All teaching and non-teaching team members participate in relevant and effective professional development activities enabling them to deliver the educational programme to a high standard. Professional development activities comprise a combination of local and international events and meet local, national and IB expectations.

More than half – 54 per cent – of our team have been working at Mercedes College for more than 5 years.

Governance

The membership of the College Council comprises:

• 1 member appointed by the Director of Catholic Education.

• 3 members elected by our parent body.

• 5 members recommended by the Council and appointed by the Director of Catholic Education.

• Mercedes College Principal (ex officio).

Throughout 2022, our governing College Council, together with the Executive and Senior Leadership Teams, focused on ensuring Mercedes College remains a leading IB world school.

Centred on the strategic oversight of Mercedes College, and championing continuous improvement, the Council commissioned an external review to identify opportunities to improve efficiencies.

An outcome of this review will be to halve our standing committees, in turn streamlining operations. The committee structure will shift from 6: Finance, Marketing and Development, Faith and Spirituality, Risk Management, Capital Development, and Education, to 3, namely Culture and Engagement, Faith and Education, plus Finance, Risk and Infrastructure.

College Income

Strategic Goal 5.0

Revitalise our operating model to long term sustainability.

As a Catholic school, the primary source of funding for teaching and learning programmes, and ongoing operational needs, is derived from family tuition fees.

National and State Government grant funding programmes provide some additional resources to assist with the financial viability of the college, as does private donations and fundraising through our community events.

Student Attendance

Strategic Goal 1.0

Nurture our students to flourish and reach their full potential.

Student academic success is directly related to school attendance, and Mercedes College works with families to ensure maximised learning opportunities.

Families contact the college when a student will be absent, and this notification is recorded in the student’s Daily Planner. If the college does not receive notice of an absence, a message is sent to parents.

The overall average attendance rate in 2022 was 89 per cent. This is higher than the 5-year average preceding it (87 per cent), although reflects a resurgence of COVID-19 cases mid-year and adherence to the policy of staying away from school whilst infectious.

Fortunately, remote learning via Managebac, whether while absent or after a student’s return, is actively managed by teaching staff to help our young people remain successful in their studies.

Teaching and Learning

In 2022 our focus in teaching and learning was on updating curriculum, ensuring greater clarity on connections to intercultural awareness, inquiry pedagogies, and approaches to learning.

This complex process was a collaborative exercise encompassing our IB, SACE, and Learning Area Leaders, which has resulted in some redesigned units driving student exploration of global context, and an assessment process that incorporates checkpoints of learning rather than relying on a final summative grade.

Investment in a Director of Learning Enrichment who, together with their team, has successfully refined our inclusive education arrangements, has led to positive outcomes for students with diverse backgrounds and learning profiles, including students with a disability, gifted students, and EALD learners. Intentional, responsive and targeted support, along with collaborative monitoring and review of individual progress, has fostered student success.

The IB Programme

At all 3 levels of the IB programme - Primary, Middle and Diploma - students develop strong academic, social and emotional characteristics as they:

• are encouraged to think independently and drive their learning,

• build a sense of identity and cultural awareness,

• develop their curiosity and spirit of discovery and enjoyment of learning,

• become equipped with the skills to learn, individually or collaboratively, and apply these qualities across a broad range of areas,

• participate in programmes of education that can lead them to some of the highest ranking universities around the world,

• become culturally aware through the development of a second language, and

• engage with people in an increasingly globalised, rapidly changing world.

In addition to our excellent Year 12 results in 2022, students from Year 1 to Year 11 regularly achieved excellent IB scores of 6 or 7 (equivalent to an ‘A’), and 4 or 5 (equivalent to a ‘B’).

This improvement reflects our commitment to intervention and support, providing accessibility while recognising that a positive learning environment leads to enhanced outcomes and growth.

NAPLAN Annual Assessment

Annually students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 are required to participate in Australia-wide reading, writing, spelling and numeracy testing to establish the if national standards are being achieved. In 2022 Mercedes College recorded the following results.

the national minimum standard

These results sit well above the national average across all years in both literacy and numeracy and, along with other assessment data, informs our teaching practices to continually strive for improvement and excellence.

Senior Secondary Outcomes

In 2022, 141 students studied Year 12 at Mercedes College, with 100 per cent achieving an ATAR

• 21 students studied the IB Diploma

• 109 students studied SACE

• 15 students studied SACE with an IB Diploma subject to boost their ATAR

• 17 students studied SACE with a Vocational Education and Training (VET) pathway

The median ATAR for the 2022 cohort was 84.10, with our Duces achieving an ATAR of 99.45, and 44 students (30 per cent) reaching Laureate status for receiving a Merit and/or an ATAR of 90 or above.

Of those students seeking tertiary education after graduating, 96 per cent received an offer of study, with 74 per cent offered their first preference.

Popular tertiary directions

Mercedes College Community Satisfaction

Strategic Goal 4.0

Build partnerships with parents and the community

A focus group with families was brought together in 2022 as part of our preparatory work ahead of our Council of International Schools (CIS) accreditation review in 2023. Through Domain H of this accreditation (home and school), we routinely gather feedback about areas of success and potential for improvements.

The results of the preparatory evaluation by CIS in 2022 established that Mercedes College exceeds the requirements for our accreditation in providing effective communications for a productive home-school partnership and positive learning community.

Families who attended a College Tour prior to starting school strongly rated their experience as satisfying or very satisfying (93.65 per cent), as they did for their child’s experience of Orientation Day (90.38 per cent). Their enrolment experience was also rated highly, with 94 per cent satisfied or very satisfied with the customer service received.

An opportunity for improvement lies in College communication techniques, with 11 per cent of new families expressing a level of apathy or dissatisfaction with their experience to date. Qualitative responses point predominantly to the volume of communications platforms used, and this will be investigated further to improve and streamline the family:school relationship and information sharing process.

In home groups, students regularly provide a ‘pulse check’, with teachers gaining insight into their perceptions of wellbeing and learning progress.

By participating in this quick check, our educators track engagement, ‘the mood’ as well as attitudes and general understanding so that student concerns can be identified and addressed early.

More people engaged with our social media channels in 2022 than ever before.

185,000 – people reached by our Facebook content

CIS Evaluator Response

Families new to the college in 2022 were also invited to participate in a survey, capturing their opinions and satisfaction rates for their enrolment experience, learning outcomes being achieved, and communications received.

Most new families in 2022 enrolled 1 child in Mercedes College, with the highest intake in Year 7 (31.41 per cent) and Reception (17.14 per cent).

28,000 – engagements on Instagram

70,000 – impressions on Linkedin

More than 250 volunteers worked with us to enrich our children’s experience of school, on the sporting sidelines, at an event BBQ, or wrapping prizes for little ones ahead of Christmas.

Our Mercedes Parents and Friends Association (MPFA) supported 5 events, and continued to run the Second Hand Uniform Shop, raising important funds.

In 2022 the MPFA made 3 large donations towards college projects:

• $1,000 for new sports equipment

• $30,000 towards the upgrade of the Senior Study space

• $50,000 towards a new Junior School playground

The Friends of the Arts also enriched college life by supporting our performing and visual arts students and programmes. Members helped with meal preparation at major performances, and organised raffles, finding props or costumes, plus attending art exhibitions and celebrating their achievements.

During 2022 our Mercedes Old Scholars’ Association (MOSA) held 9 reunions and 4 Old Scholars Week activities, and at the AGM committee members were appointed spanning graduates from 1975 to 2018, ensuring broad representation.

“Domain H is a strength of Mercedes College. There is a broad range of both formal and informal means to provide communication with college families and the Communication and Marketing Team continue to monitor these to ensure continued engagement by the whole community in the life of the college.”