Annual Report 2022 Seek Wisdom
McMillan Crescent, Griffith 2603
Phone: 02 6260 9400
Email: the.principal@stcc.act.edu.au
Website: www.stcc.act.edu.au
Principal Dr Ann Cleary
StClare'sCollege Griffith
Principal'sMessage
St Clare’s has delivered excellence in girls’ educa on since 1965. I am privileged to have begun my principalship at St Clare’s this year in an inclusive and caring community where learning is valued and each student is given every opportunity to grow in all dimensions of their life. Our charity days allow us to provide tangible support to our community. We are a very privileged community and it is our responsibility to provide an educa on to our students that sets them in good stead to pursue their brightest futures and guide them as people of hope who support those in need.
We pride ourselves on developing and delivering an excellent curriculum catering for the diverse learning needs of our students. Students are encouraged to become ac ve learners and take increased responsibility for their own learning. The wide range of courses provide students with a sound basis for making future academic decisions. COVID-19 restric ons eased over the course of the year. In moving toward to ‘normality’ we focussed on increasing partnerships within and between year levels. Highlights of this year were our Legally Blonde Jnr produc on and the opening of the San Damiano Learning Commons.
ParentBodyMessage
The Board welcomed Stephanie Males and Samantha Losanno. Samantha also took on the role of Board representa ve on the College Concession Commi ee. Our new members have brought fresh perspec ves and diverse experience to the Board. We farewelled our former Board Chair, Stephen Kelly, and thank him for his guidance, wisdom and substan al commitment to the Board over a number of years.
2022 has seen the comple on of the beau ful San Damiano Learning Commons. The Board would like to thank the Project Team and the College Leadership Team for their vision with this marvellous new learning space for our girls.
The funding of Catholic schools has begun to change in 2022; the Board has worked with the Leadership Team to address this new challenge. We con nue to work on the College Strategic Plan and examine ways to increase and improve family and community engagement at St Clare’s.
Our teachers con nue to deal with short no ce changes and always put the learning needs and well-being of our girls first. We thank our families, teachers and staff for their posi ve approach and support for each other in dealing with the con nued impact of COVID-19 on our College community.
SectionOne:MessagefromKeyGroupsinourCommunity
StudentBodyMessage
The Student Leadership Team for 2022 included Sarah Mooney, Neeta Antony, Mollie Hill, Kalu Horlock, Jessica Charles, Ka e Goodwin and Callie Robertson. Their commitment encouraged every student to discover new passions and engage in the community
Despite 2022 presen ng the College with many unforeseen challenges, the resilience of students, staff and the extended St Clare’s Community enabled us to find new ways to con nue our tradi ons. We were lucky enough to hold our Swimming Carnival in Term 1 and St Clare’s Day in Term 3. All other major events went ahead in an abridged format. The support for those in need through our Charity fundraisers was s ll a high priority for the year and our great community spirit meant that everyone got involved and much needed funds were distributed to our House chari es.
The inspiring SRC team worked endlessly to produce numerous ini a ves for students, strengthening individual year groups' comradery. Stress Less Week and the St Clare’s Day variety show were other great memorable highlights.
St Clare's College is a Catholic systemic Girls College located in Griffith.
St Clare’s College is a ‘Spirited Learning Community’ that provides excellent educa on for girls. The College creates many opportuni es for students to grow in their knowledge, skills, confidence and faith and develop into confident, courageous, and capable young women equipped with the skills and knowledge to shape their futures. Students experience an exci ng learning environment that caters for a diverse range of abili es and interests. St Clare’s College offers a full and rewarding academic program. Complementary to our focus on students' academic pursuits, Voca onal training programs and a wide range of performing arts and spor ng opportuni es are all part of the suppor ve and challenging learning environment.
There are many opportuni es for students at St Clare’s to par cipate in extra-curricular ac vi es that complement the academic program including deba ng, drama, dance, music, a wide range of sports and leadership development programs. Student leadership has a high profile in the College through the Student Representa ve Council and the strong House system. The Pastoral Care program promotes the spiritual and social / emo onal development of students, as well as suppor ng their learning needs. Our students are well known in the ACT for their efforts in volunteering, suppor ng chari es and social jus ce ini a ves.
The College is fortunate to have excellent staff and modern resources to support the learning and co-curricular programs that are on offer at St Clare’s. Staff members have the opportunity to a end professional development courses to maintain currency with best prac ce in teaching and learning. We are con nuing our learning journey with the Catholic Educa on Catalyst program focussing on explicit teaching and ac ve learning in every classroom.
Our physical resources are in excep onally good order, with an annual maintenance program that ensures the facili es are clean, invi ng, and conducive to learning. Integral to the College is the importance placed on learning, and a focus on each and every student working to achieve to the very best of their ability. Our faculty staff are experienced and wellqualified to offer best prac ce in contemporary teaching and learning. The San Damiano Learning Commons is our newest build, with excep onal spaces for senior study, independent and class learning. The inclusion of a Makerspace and unique niches provide alterna ve spaces for students to explore their crea vity and social connec ons.
SectionTwo:SchoolFeatures
ReligiousLife&ReligiousEducation
St Clare's College is an inclusive, caring Catholic community open to all who wish to share in its mission. The College is commi ed to providing a safe and empowering environment for students. We strive to work closely with parents to enable students to reach their full poten al. The College mo o is Seek Wisdom and our vision is to be in all things a Spirited Learning Community
We seek to integrate a love of learning with personal and spiritual development and have a focus on our Head, Heart and Hands approach to planning in Religious Educa on. There exists a strong focus on social jus ce and developing an acute awareness of the needs of others.
A commitment to social outreach forms a basis of College ac vi es throughout the year. Fundraising for charity is a major undertaking for our eight House groups. In 2022, the House groups have supported Caritas through Project Compassion, St Vincent de Paul, Donate Life, Marymead, Catholic Missions and Karinya House. The College Liturgical theme for 2021, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart" from Col 3:23, has been an empowering theme for our community and has served to enliven our spiritual and liturgical celebra ons throughout the course of the year, as well as providing a focal point for our daily shared Pastoral Care and prayer me.
The College's formal Religious Educa on program is well-supported through an ac ve Youth Ministry Team and through student leadership opportuni es. The College has a Faith and Community Captain and a Social Jus ce Captain, which are both posi ons of responsibility integral in growing our students' faith through modelling of Gospel values and personal witness. St Clare's College has adopted the Brisbane Religious Educa on Curriculum for Years 7 – 10, including the op onal study of elec ve units of Youth Ministry in Year 9. Our senior students complete a minimum of a minor study in the BSSS World Religions or Religious Studies courses in Year 11, with a significant number of students op ng to carry this study into Year 12 as a major in Studies of Religion.
SectionThree:CatholicIdentityandFaithFormation
StudentEnrolment
The School caters for students in Year 7 to Year 12. Students a ending this School come from a variety of backgrounds and na onali es. The following informa on describes the student profile for 2022:
Of the students who completed Year 10 in 2020, 61% completed Year 12 in 2022.
The reten on rate is an area of ac ve a en on. Students do take opportuni es for appren ceships or a end CIT/TAFE. The unique system in the ACT means we are in ac ve compe on with government colleges, which may offer subjects not available at St Clare's.
EnrolmentPolicy
The Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn has established an Enrolment Policy for Catholic Schools. The Catholic Educa on Office monitors the implementa on of this policy. The policy has been developed in the context of government and system requirements.
Informa on about enrolling in a Catholic school in the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn may be accessed at the Catholic Educa on Office website.
StudentAttendanceRates
The average student a endance rate for 2022 was 85%. A endance rates disaggregated by Year group are shown in the following table.
SectionFour:StudentProfile
Girls Boys LBOTE* Total Students 1075 0 66 1075 * Language Background Other than English StudentRetention
A endance rates by Year group Year 7 86% Year 8 84% Year 9 84% Year 10 84% Year 11 86% Year 12 84%
ManagingStudentNon-attendance
Regular a endance at school is essen al if students are to maximise their poten al. The School, in partnership with parents, is responsible for promo ng the regular a endance of students. While parents are legally responsible for the regular a endance of their children, School staff, as part of their duty of care, monitor part or whole day absences. School staff, under the Principal’s leadership, support the regular a endance of students by: providing a caring teaching and learning environment which fosters students’ sense of wellbeing and belonging to the School community; maintaining accurate records of student a endance; recognising and rewarding excellent and improved student a endance; implemen ng programs and prac ces to address a endance issues when they arise.
The Principal is responsible for suppor ng the regular a endance of students by ensuring that:
parents and students are regularly informed of a endance requirements and the consequences of unsa sfactory a endance; all cases of unsa sfactory a endance and part or full day absences from school are inves gated promptly and that appropriate interven on strategies are implemented; documented plans are developed to address the needs of students whose a endance is iden fied as being of concern;
the Catholic Educa on Office designated School Services Officer is provided with regular informa on about students for whom chronic non-a endance is an issue and for whom School strategies have failed to restore regular a endance.
StudentPostSchoolDestinations
Each year the College collects des na on data rela ng to the Year 12 student cohort. The table below sets out the percentages of students for the various categories.
Des na on Data Year 12, 2022 Gradua ng Class University TAFE / Other ins tu ons Workforce entry Des na on not reported 29% 1% 7% 63%
SectionFive:StaffingProfile
The following informa on describes the staffing profile for 2022:
* This number includes 75 full- me teachers and 13 part- me teachers.
Percentage of staff who are Indigenous 0%
ProfessionalLearning
All staff par cipated in the Catholic Educa on program: Catalyst, comple ng online modules 2, 4, 5 and 6, to support the ongoing engagement with this system priority. In addi on, Leaders of Learning par cipated in the Teach Well High Impact Prac ces in Ac on program, ensuring that each Faculty group had exper se in leadership of this program to support the 2023 teaching cohort. In our third year of the Corwin Visible Learning program, our Staff Professional Learning Days focussed on on How Students Learn and Feedback that makes Learning Visible
TeacherQualifications
All teachers are qualified as required by the relevant authori es.
TeacherAccreditation
Levels of Teacher Accredita on are as stated below:
Total Teaching Staff* Total Non-Teaching Staff Combined Total
25
88
113
Graduate Level Proficient Level Lead/Highly Accomplished 5 83 0
The Na onal Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual assessment for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. NAPLAN assessment results provide valuable informa on about student achievements in literacy and numeracy. An analysis of these results assists School planning and is used to support teaching and learning programs.
The tables below show the average scores in numeracy and the aspects of literacy. The School results shown are compared to students na onally. Literacy is reported in four Domains: Reading, Wri ng, Spelling, Grammar and Punctua on. Numeracy is reported as a single Domain.
SectionSix:AcademicProfile
NAPLAN RESULTS 2022 Average Scores School Australia Year 7 Reading 555 543 Wri ng 549 530 Spelling 554 547 Grammar and Punctua on 549 533 Numeracy 540 546 NAPLAN RESULTS 2022 Average Scores School Australia Year 9 Reading 606 578 Wri ng 590 560 Spelling 587 577 Grammar and Punctua on 599 573 Numeracy 596 584
StudentCredentialing
ACT Year 10 Cer ficate
All 202 students in Year 10 successfully achieved the Year 10 Cer ficate.
ACT Year 12 Cer ficate
The Year 12 cohort consisted of 94 students. 99% of these students qualified for an ACT Senior Secondary Cer ficate. A Ter ary Entrance Statement (repor ng ATAR) was achieved by 73 students. Of this Ter ary cohort,12 students achieved an ATAR above 90 and 32 students achieved an ATAR greater than 80. The highest ATAR awarded to a student at St Clare's College in 2022 was 99.05. Twenty one students were awarded their Cer ficate II in the Tourism and Hospitality Voca onal Educa on and Training Course. Seven students completed H-Courses at either ANU or University of Canberra.
SectionSeven:SchoolReviewandImprovement
Each year, the School develops an Annual Improvement Plan indica ng the intended key improvements for student learning outcomes. The plan is drawn from the School’s Strategic Plan and informed by the Internal School Review process. The School engages in an annual evidence-based evalua on of its effec veness against these external standards in collabora on with the Regional Consultant.
KeyImprovementsAchievedin2022
Goal 1- Seek Christ: Key staff undertook training with Franciscan Schools Australia to up-skill and then incorporate Franciscan Spirituality in the life of the College. A highly successful Franciscan Spirituality day was held at the end of the year. This learning also informed a refocus of the College annual themes.
Goal 2- Seek Wisdom: Con nuing to develop a School Wide Pedagogy using Visible Learning High Impact Teaching Prac ces. The College community has focused on developing and implemen ng a shared understanding of an effec ve learner "How Students Learn" and of effec ve feedback "Feedback that makes learning visible".
Goal 3- Seek Community: Advisory groups and surveys to involve teachers and the broader community for the fi ng out, planning use of and formal opening of the new San Damiano Learning Commons.
Goal 4- Seek Wellbeing: Renewed focus on Personal Best policy and processes to adequately address the post-covid needs of students and rebuilding a sense of belonging.
PriorityKeyImprovementsfor2023
Goal 1- Seek Christ: Develop targeted opportuni es for student spiritual and faith forma on evidenced in documented and sequenced programmes. An increased awareness of the works of our school’s Catholic chari es through House foci with a renewed understanding of Charity and increased contribu ons.
Goal 2- Seek Wisdom: Con nue to develop a School Wide Pedagogy using High Impact Teaching Prac ces. Documented widespread use of Full Engagement Strategies and Wave 3 teachers supported to complete HITP in Ac on training. Data informed decisions on whole school and targeted group interven ons.
Goal 3- Seek Wellbeing: Review of Pastoral Care prac ces, policies and processes to achieve a sustainable workload for Pastoral Leaders, posi ve student outcomes and increased focus on preventa ve prac ces and underlying and under reported concerns.
Goal 4- Seek Community: Increase in ac ve engagement of the College Board in school projects. IT transforma on, with increased cybersecurity and staff / student access to industry standard so ware.
SectionEight:SchoolPolicies
StudentWelfare,Anti-BullyingandBehaviourManagement
St Clare’s College Student Welfare and Behaviour Management procedures are enacted through the Posi ve Behaviour (Personal Best) Policy, which reflects our College Vision Statement. As a 'Spirited Learning Community', St Clare's College strives to: provide an environment where staff and students work co-opera vely and respect the rights of each other; manage posi ve rela onships; and empower young women to reach their poten al. This policy is supported by the Safe and Suppor ve Schools policy reflec ng that St Clare’s provides an environment that helps students feel safe, respected, supported and able to engage in their learning. It gives priority to effec ve rela onships that are fundamental to learning and fostering wellbeing.
St Clare’s acknowledges the inter-connectedness of wellbeing and learning. As ac ve par cipants in the Church's mission, St Clare's College promotes the making of responsible choices; nurtures an environment in which a person's dignity and integrity are valued and protected; and is commi ed to jus ce through the recogni on of responsibili es, reconcilia on, healing and respec ul rela onships.
Corporal punishment is expressly prohibited in this school. In addi on, we do not sanc on the administering of corporal punishment by non-school persons to enforce discipline at our school. Student Welfare and Behaviour Management.
Student Welfare, An -Bullying and Behaviour Management Policies were reviewed in September 2022.
The full text of the School's Student Welfare and Behaviour Management Policies may be accessed at h ps://stcc.act.edu.au/our-college/our-policies/.
ComplaintsandGrievancesResolutionPolicy
Catholic Educa on Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn (CECG) has a Complaints Policy which is implemented by all systemic schools in the Archdiocese of Canberra Goulburn. The ra onale for the policy is that within the reality of school life it is recognised that from me to me misunderstandings and differences of opinion will occur, and that these need to be resolved sa sfactorily. Addressing such ma ers within a framework of dignity, respect and truth can provide powerful opportuni es to model the love of Christ in the reality of our contemporary world. CECG monitors the implementa on of this policy.
The full text of the Complaints Policy may be accessed on the Catholic Educa on website at h ps://cg.catholic.edu.au.
The opinions and ideas of parents, students and teachers are valued and sought. Their sugges ons are incorporated into planning for and achieving improved outcomes for students. This year, the School has used a variety of processes to gain informa on about the level of sa sfac on with the School from parents, students and teachers.
ParentSatisfaction
Tell Them From Me ‘Partners in Learning' Parent Survey responses were collected from 253 respondents, demonstra ng growth in engagement in this data collec on ac vity. Parents noted the impact of Covid restric ons on their access to the school and limited interac ons with teachers (no ng the survey was completed as restric ons were beginning to ease). They appreciated the communica ons from the College and the availability of informa on on SEQTA, although would have appreciated addi onal informa on regarding follow up on behavioural concerns. Parents expressed a desire to have greater interac on and input at the College. They affirmed the authen city of St Clare’s as a Catholic school, expressed through Catholic values and culture, and would recommend the school to others.
StudentSatisfaction
The Annual Tell Them From Me ‘Student Engagement – Secondary Survey’ was conducted in Term 2, 2022. 554 students across Years 7-12 completed the annual survey, demonstra ng significant growth in engaging in this data collec on ac vity.
The students' main areas of sa sfac on included the physical school environment, academic support, the provision of varied elec ves and co-curricular learning experiences, and the community within the school. This was noted as par cularly evident in the charity days and the swimming carnival. 84% of students reported having posi ve rela onships and overall high levels of engagement.
TeacherSatisfaction
The staff at St Clare's College par cipated in the Tell Them From Me ‘Focus on Learning’ Teacher Survey in June, 2022. 61 teachers completed the survey, demonstra ng growth in engagement in this data collec on ac vity. Many teachers noted the post-COVID difficul es maintaining staff con nuity (illness; turnover) and the impact this had on them through increased expecta ons to provide relief in class or in support of others. Teachers iden fied that more planning me and removal of administra ve tasks would increase their overall wellbeing and improve the quality of their teaching. They valued the professional learning, par cularly on Learning Inten ons, Daily Review and Full Par cipa on tac cs. Teachers rated the school highly for Catholic iden ty, inclusiveness and learning culture.
SectionNine:CommunitySatisfaction
SectionTen:FinancialStatement Income Expenditure Commonwealth Recurrent Grants (49.8%) Government Capital Grants (0%) State Recurrent Grants (10.7%) Fees and Private Income (37.3%) Other Capital Income (2.2%) Capital Expenditure (19.6%) Salaries and Related Expenses (57.1%) Non-Salary Expenses (23.3%) RECURRENT and CAPITAL INCOME Commonwealth Recurrent Grants 1 $10,730,527 Government Capital Grants 2 $0 State Recurrent Grants 3 $2,305,592 Fees and Private Income 4 $8,043,039 Other Capital Income 5 $466,707 Total Income $21,545,865 RECURRENT and CAPITAL EXPENDITURE Capital Expenditure 6 $5,315,753 Salaries and Related Expenses 7 $15,450,630 Non-Salary Expenses 8 $6,309,309 Total Expenditure $27,075,693 49.8% 37.3% 10.7% ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ 19.6% 23.3% 57.1% ■ ■ ■
Notes
1. Commonwealth Recurrent Grants includes recurrent per capita grants and special purpose grants.
2. Government Capital Grants includes all capital grants received from the Commonwealth and State Governments.
3. State Recurrent Grants includes recurrent grants per capita, special purpose grants and interest subsidy grants.
4. Fees and Private Income include Archdiocesan and school based fees, excursions and other private income.
5. Other Capital Income includes building levy fees and capital dona ons used to fund Capital Expenditure.
6. Capital Expenditure includes expenditure on School Buildings, and Furniture and Equipment.
7. Salaries and Related Expenditure includes all salaries, allowances and related expenses such as superannua on and workers compensa on insurance.
8. Non-Salary Expenses include all other Non-Salary Recurrent Expenditure covering resources, administra on, opera onal expenses, u li es, repairs and maintenance.