Wangaratta High School Strategic Plan 2023 to 2027

School Strategic Plan 2023-2027 Wangaratta High School (8425)

Submitted for review by Dave Armstrong (School Principal) on 07 December, 2023 at 01:32 PM Endorsed by Karl Russell (Senior Education Improvement Leader) on 08 December, 2023 at 03:27 PM Endorsed by Deborah Fisher (School Council President) on 11 December, 2023 at 09:03 AM

School Strategic Plan - 2023-2027 Wangaratta High School (8425) School vision

Our vision is to empower all students to grow academically, socially, and emotionally through an outstanding learning environment built on high expectations for success. Our goal is to develop independent, lifelong learners who make a positive impact on the world around them. To achieve this, we provide access to high-quality education and resources that meet the unique needs of our regional community. Our programs and facilities are tailored to prepare students for success in a rapidly changing world.

In the early stages of this strategic plan, the school's vision statement will be reviewed and redeveloped as determined.

School values

Wangaratta High School’s values are Respect, Ready to Learn, Safe and Personal Best. We respect ourselves, our school and each other, and understand that our attitudes and behaviours have an impact on the people around us. We model and demonstrate being ready to learn by ensuring we regularly attend, arrive on time and come prepared with all the necessary materials to make the most of the learning opportunities available. We strive for excellence, which means trying our hardest and doing our personal best.

In the early stages of this strategic plan, these values will be reviewed and redeveloped as determined.

Context challenges

As the only government secondary school in the area, Wangaratta High School takes pride in being more than just an educational institution; we consider ourselves an integral part of the regional community. As the only government secondary provider in the Wangaratta area, we understand our responsibility to serve the community and provide opportunities for our students to excel. The school has a Student Family Occupation and Education (SFOE) measure of 0.4738, with 42% of families in the "low" socio-economic band. Our area generally has a lower percentage of families from multicultural backgrounds, which is reflected in only 0.47% of our students being non-English speakers and 2% holding permanent residency visas. 8.53% of our students have an indigenous background, and we have a range of programs and supports for these students. The school is working on a new campus master plan ahead of the promised $11.7 million capital works funding to upgrade and modernise its large campus. The School has a reputation for high-quality teaching and a strong breadth and depth of learning programs, catering to our students’ varied needs and providing multiple pathway options. The High School is known for the range of extracurricular activities that it students can access, including sports, music (the largest and best regarded program in the region), outdoor and adventure education, its semester-long Year 9 Community Leadership Challenge (CLC) program and a long-standing implementation of the Select Entry Accelerated Learning (SEAL) program and SEAL Academy membership.

Serving at-risk cohorts, remains a priority, as does addressing systemic attendance issues. Further improvements to our high-ability programs. A key priority is to further improve and nurture an orderly learning culture and ensure consistency across classroom practice. We need to continue to provide ongoing career and pathway counselling to all students and to offer a range of pathway options for senior students by leveraging all opportunities within and beyond the school. The next progression of the school’s wellbeing focus is to further develop students’ engagement in learning through establishing and sustaining partnerships within the school community where belonging and engagement are enabled through developmentally differentiated supports to enhance social-

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emotional skills and mental health.

Intent, rationale and focus

Wangaratta High School will continue to strive to ensure that learning growth for every individual student is maximised. Building teachers’ instructional practice and effectiveness and facilitating their learning to support a rich, relevant, challenging learning program to meet the needs of all students will remain a priority in this Strategic Plan period. Some particular areas of intentional focus include: - The vision and values of the school will be reviewed, redeveloped and then embedded across the whole school during the period of the new strategic plan.

- Development of a safe and orderly learning culture across the whole school will ensure that learning and wellbeing opportunities and outcomes are maximised; • Consistency of practice in the classrooms will be improved by intentional interventions, particularly in the areas of curriculum development, assessment, differentiation and the use of the instructional model; • Student voice and agency, especially learner agency, will be a focus for improvement over the next four years, in order to build student capacity to exercise ownership over their own learning journey • Transition process improvements and additional and more visible pathways will enhance student engagement and aspirations for their future; • Provision of programs for all cohorts of students, particularly those at risk of disengaging and those with special needs; • Improve student's resilience, connectedness, positive behaviour and wellbeing through a range of programs, approaches and initiatives; • Providing opportunities for students, staff, parents and carers, and the community to have input into the school’s practices, processes and culture will strengthen students' connectedness with school and with their community.

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School Strategic Plan - 2023-2027 Wangaratta High School (8425) Goal 1

To improve student learning.

Target 1.1

NAPLAN target to be determined.

Target 1.2

By 2027, increase the percentage of students whose teacher judgement outcomes are at or above the expected level in:  Reading and Viewing from 61% (2022) to 68%  Writing from 59% (2022) to 65%  Number and Algebra from 72% (2022) to 78%

Target 1.3

By 2027, increase the median VCE All Studies score from 25 (2022) to 27.

Target 1.4

By 2027, increase the percentage of students who complete VCE, or continue to a positive destination (university, TAFE, apprenticeship, traineeship or full–time work) from 71% (2022) to 80%.

Target 1.5

By 2027, increase the percentage positive response on the AtoSS for:  Differentiated learning challenge from 50% (2023) to 58%

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 Motivation and interest from 44% (2023) to 52%

Target 1.6

By 2027, increase the percentage positive response on the SSS for:  Guaranteed and viable curriculum from 38% (2023) to 50%  Collective efficacy from 19% (2023) to 40%

Key Improvement Strategy 1.a The strategic direction and deployment of resources to create and reflect shared goals and values; high expectations; and a positive, safe and orderly learning environment

Redevelop and embed a contemporary school vision, values and objectives, and embed a school culture that reflects the needs of the school, emphasising the holistic development of all students.

Key Improvement Strategy 1.b The strategic direction and deployment of resources to create and reflect shared goals and values; high expectations; and a positive, safe and orderly learning environment

Further develop, document and embed whole school collaborative approaches, inclusive of curriculum planning, assessment, differentiation and the use of the instructional model.

Key Improvement Strategy 1.b Documented teaching and learning program based on the Victorian Curriculum and senior secondary pathways, incorporating extra-curricula programs Key Improvement Strategy 1.b Systematic use of assessment strategies and measurement practices to obtain and

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provide feedback on student learning growth, attainment and wellbeing capabilities Key Improvement Strategy 1.c Activation of student voice and agency, including in leadership and learning, to strengthen students’ participation and engagement in school

Activate student voice and agency, and leadership to strengthen student participation and engagement in learning.

Key Improvement Strategy 1.d Documented teaching and learning program based on the Victorian Curriculum and senior secondary pathways, incorporating extra-curricula programs

Refine transitions and pathways programs and procedures to enhance each student’s sense of engagement with their learning and destinations.

Key Improvement Strategy 1.d Activation of student voice and agency, including in leadership and learning, to strengthen students’ participation and engagement in school Key Improvement Strategy 1.e Documented teaching and learning program based on the Victorian Curriculum and senior secondary pathways, incorporating extra-curricula programs Key Improvement Strategy 1.e Responsive, tiered and contextualised approaches and strong relationships to support student learning, wellbeing and inclusion

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Build staff capability to respond to the learning needs of individual groups, especially those at risk of disengaging, and those with additional learning needs.

Goal 2

To improve student wellbeing.

Target 2.1

By 2027, decrease the average number of days absent, per student per year, from 40 (2022) to 28.

Target 2.2

By 2027, increase the percentage positive response on the AtoSS for:  Sense of connectedness from 33% (2023) to 40%  Student voice and agency from 28% (2023) to 36%  Effective classroom behaviour from 43% (2023) to 51%

Target 2.3

By 2027, increase the percentage positive response on the SSS for:  Parent and community involvement from 39% (2023) to 47%  School staff safety and wellbeing module from 31% (2023) to 47% By 2027, increase the percentage completion rate for the SSS from 28% (2023) to 80%.

Target 2.4

By 2027, increase the percentage positive response on the POS for Student motivation and support from 50% (2022) to 60%.

Key Improvement Strategy 2.a The strategic direction and deployment of resources to create and reflect shared goals and values; high expectations; and a positive, safe and orderly learning

Embed a safe and orderly school culture.

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environment Key Improvement Strategy 2.a Responsive, tiered and contextualised approaches and strong relationships to support student learning, wellbeing and inclusion Key Improvement Strategy 2.b Responsive, tiered and contextualised approaches and strong relationships to support student learning, wellbeing and inclusion

Further develop and implement whole school strategies to foster resilience, connectedness, positive behaviour and wellbeing.

Key Improvement Strategy 2.c Activation of student voice and agency, including in leadership and learning, to strengthen students’ participation and engagement in school

Enhance formal and informal structures to engage with, listen to and respond to the full range of student perspectives and feedback, to enable positive impacts on the school culture.

Key Improvement Strategy 2.c Responsive, tiered and contextualised approaches and strong relationships to support student learning, wellbeing and inclusion

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