Annual

Report

an independent public school

2021
Acknowledgement of Country

We respectfully acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which Goollelal Primary School
is located, the Whadjuk people of the Noongar nation. We pay our respects to all members of
Aboriginal communities and their cultures; and to Elders past, present and emerging.

Principal’s Message

With a completely new leadership team, 2021 provided an opportunity to build on everything that is great
about Goollelal while also bringing some fresh perspectives and approaches.

Despite the challenges worldwide, Goollelal remained open for 39 out of 40 weeks. We saw the return of
assemblies, our students took over the airwaves and we opened our refurbished Assembly Hall. We held a
mini-Olympics, had a blast at the Colour Run and launched a new Dads group. We celebrated 40 years of our
wonderful school.

Perhaps most significantly, we launched a new Strategic Plan that will guide all of our actions for the next three
years. This includes a consistent approach to teaching and learning, so that every child receives the same high-
quality experience regardless of the class they are in. Early results are incredibly positive, with testing of
students in Years 2 - 6 showing that every single class had made greater than expected progress in both reading
and mathematics.

The direction of our school has been validated in an independent review. Perhaps more importantly, Kingsley
families are voting with their feet, with enrolments growing steadily to the point where we are actually turning
kindergarten enrolments away.

I am excited about the future that lies ahead.

Paul Fuller | Principal

From the School Board Chair

The Board plays a key governance role for our school, setting our strategic direction, ensuring that the views
of the community are heard and establishing the conditions for every child to be successful. Our Board
comprises of three parent representatives (Dr Julia Easton, Chris de Beer and Claire Willis), three school
representatives (Paul Fuller, Vanessa Furlong and Kelly Egan) and a community member (Dr Pat Kiddey,
Literacy expert). We represent the school community and act in the best interests of the students and the
school community.

The Board takes part in business and strategic planning, reviewing policy, selection of the Principal, the school
review processes, and code of conduct for students. We promote the school community and determine the
dress code in consultation with the students, parents and staff. We approve the contributions and sponsorship
arrangements. To use a sporting analogy, we are the coaching team on the sidelines supporting the team to
play their best, advising on game strategy but not playing the game.

What a year 2021 was! We welcomed our new Principal, Mr Paul Fuller, into the school who navigated the
communication around COVID lock down on his first day. His leadership through this period provided the
community and staff with clear guidance and up-to-date information. The Board then set to work on finalising
our strategic plan with guidance from Carolyn Press, Collegiate Principal, and in consultation with staff. The
strong alignment between the parent and staff perspective on our vision and our values is testament to the
strength of the Goollelal Community. We all work together to put the children at the centre of a caring and
respectful learning environment. Our community is the foundation of Goollelal’s strategic framework,
targeting growth against three main pillars: Culture, consistency and wellbeing.

The board considered the self-assessment documentation and contributed to interviews as part of the School
Review that was held in November 2021. Goollelal received numerous commendations for our relationships
and partnerships, leadership, the learning environment and use of resources among others.
Recommendations for improvements were also received for action in 2022. Opportunities to continue our
reflection cycle with a School Review of progress on the Teaching Quality and Student Achievement domains
to be held in Term 4, 2022. I would like to commend the staff and the leadership team for preparing this
information alongside strategic planning, operational planning and educational delivery within a pandemic
framework. Your diligence and commitment to continuous improvement and cycles of reflection means the
Goollelal students are in good hands now and in to the future.

At our last meeting for 2021, we said farewell to Mr Chris de Beer who served on the board from May 2018 to
December 2021. Chris’ experience with budgets and planning along with a keen eye on performance against
targets was highly valued by our Board. I would like to thank Chris for his significant contribution and service
to the school through his roles on the Board and the Finance Committee.

I encourage you to speak with any of our Board members to learn more about their role and share your ideas,
concerns and aspirations for Goollelal with them. Our role is to serve the school community and represent
every student, family and teacher, which means you. Unless otherwise advised, all Board meetings are open
to the community and we welcome any interested people to join us. Dates and times are advertised in the
school newsletter and on the term planner.

Dr Julia Easton | School Board Chair

School Vision

To provide all students with a quality education, one that promotes respect for self and others, embraces the
pursuit of excellence and inspires a love of lifelong learning.

School Overview

As an Independent Public School, Goollelal Primary School caters for students from Kindergarten to Year 6.
Our school motto is, “Sharing, Caring and Learning,” and this reinforces our belief in the importance of
nurturing every child to fulfil their potential, socially, emotionally and academically.

Goollelal is situated 20 kilometres north of Perth in the suburb of Kingsley. Our school features a variety of
dynamic play areas, including a 'loose parts' play area and a challenging fitness track. Our students also enjoy
working in the chicken coop, vegetable patch and a variety of clubs during recess and lunchtime breaks. The
school grounds are well maintained and feature established native trees and plants.

Our dedicated teachers and support staff are committed to providing a high quality learning program which
encompasses all aspects of the Western Australian Curriculum. Our staff and children work together to create
a positive school environment in which every child feels safe and is able to learn in a friendly and caring
atmosphere. We offer a number of specialist subjects and have a strong STEM (Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics) program.

The school's strategic focus for 2021 - 2024 is on student academic growth, particularly in the key areas of
literacy and numeracy. This overarching goal is underpinned by three pillars: consistency of practice, a thriving
school culture and staff and student wellbeing. We are fully committed to the implementation of evidence-
based whole-school practices in literacy and numeracy and anticipate that our students will see the benefits
of these in coming years.

Goollelal Primary is at the heart of a vibrant community. We work closely with the school community and
value parents as partners in educating the children in our care. As an Independent Public School, Goollelal
operates under a School Board with parent, staff and community members. We also welcome parent
involvement through our active P&C and through numerous school events throughout the year.

We encourage you to discover more about our school by viewing our website at www.goollelalps.wa.edu.au.
Student Numbers and Characteristics

Goollelal is rapidly becoming the school of choice in Kingsley. We are a small but growing school, with parents
choosing to enrol their children here due to the school’s pastoral care, strong sense of community and
commitment to nurturing the whole child.

In 2021, 252 students were enrolled at Goollelal from Kindergarten to Year 6. Projections indicate that growth
will continue in 2022, with the associated increase in resources leading to greater opportunities for all
students.

Semester 2 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Primary (Excluding Kindergarten) 183 206 209 204 205 223

Kindergarten Pre-Primary Year 1 - 6 Total

Male 19 20 96 135
Female 10 20 87 117
Total 29 40 183 252

Destination of Graduating Students

Destination schools for our Year 6 students entering Year 7 were as follows

Destination Schools Male Female Total

Greenwood College 9 6 15
Ashdale Secondary College 1 1
Duncraig Senior High School 1 1
St Stephen's School 1 1

Goollelal Primary School has a strong and positive relationship with Greenwood College, with Year 6 students
taking part in a comprehensive suite of transition, orientation and enrichment programs.
Workforce Composition

Goollelal has a capable workforce with a mixture of experienced and newer staff. A breakdown of staff
numbers and full-time equivalents (FTE) is as follows:

Staff numbers

No FTE

Principals 1 1.0
Associate / Deputy / Vice Principals 1 1.0

Total Administration Staff 2 2.0

Other Teaching Staff 16 12.4

Total Teaching Staff 16 12.4

Clerical / Administrative 2 2.0

Gardening / Maintenance 1 0.7
Other Non-Teaching Staff 8 6.2

Total School Support Staff 11 8.9

Total 29 23.3

A comprehensive Workplace Plan has been developed and includes a suite of strategies to meet the school’s
current and future staffing needs.

Attendance

School attendance rates worldwide have been affected by the global pandemic that commenced in 2020. It
was pleasing to see a modest increase in our attendance rate from 2020 rates, with an overall attendance rate
of 92.5% in the compulsory years of schooling (Pre-primary to Year 6).

Rates were slightly higher in Semester 2 (93.3%) compared to Semester 1 (91.7%) as public health measures,
including the hard border, temporarily halted the spread of the COVID-19 virus in Western Australia.
Trends in attendance rates

The trend data for Semester 1 shows that the attendance rate has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels. It
is expected that attendance rates will fall again in 2022 as the hard border is removed.

Semester 1 Attendance Rate

98%
96%
94%
92%
90%
88%
86%
84%
82%
80%
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Collection 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Period Sem 1 Sem 1 Sem 1 Sem 1 Sem 1 Sem 1 Sem 1

Attendance 94.9% 95.8% 95.9% 95.4% 93.7% 86.4% 91.7%

Rate

Breakdown of attendance rates

The majority of students at Goollelal attend school regularly. A significant number of students (57) fell into the
80 – 90% attendance range in Semester 1, primarily as a result of approved absences related to illness. A small
number of students fell into the moderate / severe category, with these students and families being supported
on a case-by-case basis.

Regular (90% Indicated Moderate Severe

Category
or greater) (80 - 90%) (60 - 80%) (less than 60%)

Number of students 163 57 5 1

Percentage 72% 25% 2% 1%

Student Achievement and Progress

The school’s new Strategic Plan has an overarching priority of student academic growth, with success being
measured using three standardised tools. These are

 On-Entry assessments for students in Pre-Primary and Year 1; and

 Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT) for Years 2 – 6; and
 NAPLAN (National Achievement Program Literacy and Numeracy) for Years 3 and 5.

On-Entry Achievement

Results for the on-entry assessment indicate that Goollelal Pre-Primary and Year 1 students are
demonstrating similar achievement levels to like schools.

It is important to note, however, that year-on-year progress (i.e. the slope of the lines below) is
slightly lower for Goollelal than for like schools. As part of the school’s 2021 – 2024 Strategic Plan,
the school aims to improve on this result. A target has been set that involves meeting or exceeding
the level of year-on-year progress shown by like schools over the three-year period of the new plan.

On-Entry Assessment for Reading (Median Score)

540

520

500

480

460

440

420
PP 2020 Year 1 2021

Like schools GPS

 On-Entry Assessment for Writing (Median Score)

600

500

400

300

200

100

0
PP 2020 Like schools GPS Year 1 2021

On-Entry Assessment for Numeracy (Median

Score)
540

520

500

480

460

440

420

400
PP 2020 Year 1 2021

Like schools GPS

Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT)

PAT-Reading

The following table provides a comparison of median reading scores at Goollelal Primary School
compared to Australian norms:

GPS Median Australian norm

Year 2 96.9 100.5
Year 3 113.6 110.9
Year 4 121.3 118.7
Year 5 127.8 124.5
Year 6 134.5 128.8

According to the MySchool website, Goollelal has an Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage
(ICSEA) of 1079, placing it in the 79th percentile of schools. While Goollelal students exceeded the
Australian norm in four of the five years tested, this result is at least partially attributable to the school’s
socially advantaged demographic.

Given that the Progressive Achievement Tests do not permit a ‘like school’ comparison, the school’s new
Strategic Plan uses year-on-year progress as its key success measure. According to this measure, students
in every year demonstrated actual progress that exceeded expected progress against the Australian
norms in every Year level tested.

(Please note that the Year 2 results are likely to be somewhat inflated --- PAT scores for Year 1 in 2020 were
artificially low due to the online nature of the testing).
PAT-Maths

The following table provides a comparison of median numeracy scores at Goollelal Primary School
compared to Australian norms:

Achieved Norm
Year 2 104.6 103
Year 3 114.7 110.9
Year 4 118.8 117.4
Year 5 130.7 122.7
Year 6 129.6 127

Again, while Goollelal students exceeded the Australian norm for all year levels, a more important
measure is the amount of year-on-year progress made on average by students. According to this measure,
Goollelal students exceeded the expected level of growth for all five year levels tested.
National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN)

While results for the On-Entry and PAT assessments show promise, results for NAPLAN are a concern.

While good practice exists in many classrooms, and most students are making acceptable progress, the
average level of student performance as measured by NAPLAN has been consistently below that of ‘like
schools’ for several years.

The new school leadership team, with full support from the Board, has implemented a new Strategic Plan
designed to address these results.

The current results are not the result of unskilled teachers or a lack of effort. Rather, the key to improved
literacy and numeracy outcomes is the consistent whole-school use of high-impact evidence-based teaching
strategies. Such strategies are now being put in place.

The school’s current approach is based upon a foundation of high quality instruction in the early years and
consistent evidence-based teaching thereafter. Given that students only undertake NAPLAN testing in Year 3
and Year 5, it may take several years for the impact of these changes to be seen in future NAPLAN results.

Numeracy

Y03 Y05
Year
School Like Schools School Like Schools

2016 434 419 504 510

2017 462 423 500 513
2018 400 426 490 508
2019 432 426 518 512
2021 393 416 501 508
Reading

Y03 Y05
Year
School Like Schools School Like Schools

2016 456 442 503 512

2017 461 439 488 524
2018 412 451 508 526
2019 437 453 540 521
2021 413 451 517 525

Writing

Y03 Y05
Year
School Like Schools School Like Schools

2016 404 432 472 486

2017 414 427 470 493
2018 380 427 445 484
2019 427 436 471 486
2021 418 442 469 504
Spelling

Y03 Y05
Year
School Like Schools School Like Schools

2016 424 439 491 511

2017 438 426 490 524
2018 423 438 474 517
2019 387 433 500 516
2021 400 433 467 528

Grammar and Punctuation

Y03 Y05
Year
School Like Schools School Like Schools

2016 484 453 522 519

2017 457 456 499 525
2018 409 454 494 529
2019 435 466 510 521
2021 422 454 487 523
Opinion Survey Data

Staff Survey

Feedback from staff via a confidential survey was highly positive. The following is a summary of staff feedback
on a five point scale.
Student Survey

Feedback was received from students in Years 5 and 6, with the most positive responses being for “I like
being at my school” and “my school looks for ways to improve”. Student behaviour and greater
opportunities for student voice were identified as potential improvements.

Parent survey

Parent surveys are conducted biennially. No survey was conducted in 2021.

Student Wellbeing

Students from Year 2 – 6 completed a confidential online survey, the Social and Emotional Wellbeing survey,
conducted by the Australian Council for Educational Research.

Overall, student wellbeing was similar to the Australian average. There was a slight drop from previous years,
possibly as a result of the impact of the pandemic.

Interestingly, the profile of Goollelal students indicated fewer students at the very high or very low ends of
the spectrum for overall social and emotional wellbeing.

Category Goollelal All schools

Very Highly Developed 10.1% 16.2%
Highly Developed 26.8% 22.6%
Developed 47.0% 46.3%
Emerging 14.8% 10.3%
Low 1.3% 4.7%
 Overall Social and Emotional Wellbeing
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%

Very Highly Developed

Highly Developed

Developed

Emerging

Low

Goollelal All schools

Financial
Goollelal Primary School
Financial Summary as at
31 December 2021

Revenue - Cash & Salary Allocation Budget Actual

Locally Generated Revenue - Budget vs Actual
1 Voluntary Contributions $ 10,963.00 $ 10,963.00
$000
2 Charges and Fees $ 26,525.00 $ 26,716.96
3 Fees from Facilities Hire $ 31,061.00 $ 32,728.22 Budget Actual
4 Fundraising/Donations/Sponsorships $ 19,215.00 $ 20,249.19 35

5 Commonwealth Govt Revenues $ 1,428.00 $ 1,427.85

6 Other State Govt/Local Govt Revenues $ - $ -
7 Revenue from Co, Regional Office and Other Schools $ 1,573.00 $ 1,572.90
30
8 Other Revenues $ 1,398.00 $ 5,655.98
9 Transfer from Reserve or DGR $ - $ -
10 Residential Accommodation $ - $ -
11 Farm Revenue (Ag and Farm Schools only) $ - $ - 25
12 Camp School Fees (Camp Schools only) $ - $ -
Total Locally Raised Funds $ 92,163.00 $ 99,314.10
Opening Balance $ 72,967.00 $ 72,967.36
Student Centred Funding $ 267,632.67 $ 267,632.28 20
Total Cash Funds Available $ 432,762.67 $ 439,913.74
Total Salary Allocation $ 2,528,314.00 $ 2,528,314.00
Total Funds Available $ 2,961,076.67 $ 2,968,227.74
15

Current Year Actual Cash

Sources 10
Locally Raised
$ Funds
90,657.37
Student Centred
$ 267,632.28
Funding Locally Raised Funds
Other Govt Grants3,000.75
$ Other Transfers from Reserves 25%
Other $ 5,655.98 1% 0%
5
Transfers from
$ Reserves
Other -
Govt Grants
1%
$ 366,946.38

0
Revenue Source

Student Centred Funding

73%

Expenditure - Cash and Salary Budget Actual $000 Goods and Services Expenditure - Budget vs Actual
1 Administration $ 11,311.00 $ 14,050.65 Budget Actual
2 Lease Payments $ 19,879.00 $ 18,221.07 180
3 Utilities, Facilities and Maintenance $ 116,031.00 $ 104,818.15
160
4 Buildings, Property and Equipment $ 79,099.00 $ 61,320.88
5 Curriculum and Student Services $ 163,690.67 $ 103,761.98
140
6 Professional Development $ 14,717.00 $ 15,118.17
7 Transfer to Reserve $ 23,684.00 $ 23,684.00 120
8 Other Expenditure $ 4,351.00 $ 3,927.12
9 Payment to CO, Regional Office and Other Schools $ - $ - 100
10 Residential Operations $ - $ -
11 Residential Boarding Fees to CO (Ag Colleges only) $ - $ - 80
12 Farm Operations (Ag and Farm Schools only) $ - $ -
13 Farm Revenue to CO (Ag and Farm Schools only) $ - $ - 60

14 Camp School Fees to CO (Camp Schools only) $ - $ -

40

Total Goods and Services Expenditure $ 432,762.67 $ 344,902.02 20

Total Forecast Salary Expenditure $ 2,510,359.00 $ 2,510,359.00
Total Expenditure $ 2,943,121.67 $ 2,855,261.02 0
Cash Budget Variance $ -

Cash Position
$000

110
Expenditure Purpose
90

70
Cash Position as at:
50 Bank Balance $ 147,295.70
Made up of:
30
1 General Fund Balance $ 95,011.72
2 Deductible Gift Funds $ -
10
3 Trust Funds $ -
4 Asset Replacement Reserves $ 49,511.76
5 Suspense Accounts $ 3,861.22
6 Cash Advances $ -
7 Tax Position $ (1,089.00)
Total Bank Balance $ 147,295.70
Goollelal Primary School
30 Cadogan Street
Kingsley WA 6026