FROM THE PRINCIPAL

The year began on an optimistic note with COVID appearing to be behind us and a resumption of normal approaches to school. But the legacy of COVID appears to have been tiredness amongst students and staff, a rise in anxiety and school avoidance amongst students and a sense in which we were not sure what the new normal should look like. We celebrated our 40th anniversary with student, staff and community events and gave thanks to God for His goodness to us over four decades.

Nevertheless, the school moved ahead with enrolments increasing, staff numbers increasing and students rising to the challenge. Our HSC results were the best we have had for some years and were a credit to the resilience of our Year 12 cohort and the progress staff continued to make in teaching. We made it into the top 300 schools in the state (202 up from 317 in 2021) with 37 distinguished achievers (up from 18 in 2021) and again saw many students gaining early entry to university. NAPLAN results were again very good with most students at or above the state averages.

The appointment of a Director of Teaching and Learning saw us develop an Active Professional Development Framework K- 12. This focused on teachers setting annual goals for self-improvement and the whole staff working towards a better understanding of unit planning, differentiation, NCCD collection strategies and a collective review of school culture. Primary staff focused on mathematics approaches with the help of the AIS.

Our long term Head of Secondary resigned at the end of Term 2 with the Deputy Principal stepping into the acting role for the remainder of the year. As year-end approached, we were aware that we had a number of staff moving on and student enrolment growth meant we needed to increase staffing levels in both teaching and non-teaching areas. The growing teacher shortage and post-COVID exit from teaching created some pressure, but all positions were filled in time for the start of 2023. We increased Year 7 classes from four to five and saw growth in Primary numbers as well. The drift north from Sydney by families escaping COVID lockdowns did not reduce but we saw increasing applications from local families as well.

We appointed an Academic in Residence who works two days a week helping us think through our approaches from a philosophical and theological perspective. We began work on a wellbeing framework and established the position for 2023 of Director of Wellbeing to trial the framework. Our Academic in Residence also helped put together an education and philosophy paper grounded in a Biblical understanding of wisdom.

This will be launched in 2023 and will provide foundational thinking for our teaching and learning framework and give direction for our motto ‘Equipped for Life’.

We completed the purchase of a 1200-acre property in the Brewarrina Shire with a view to develop outdoor education and curriculum activities out there, as well as leasing part of the site for a new school. Planning proceeded for the opening of Brewarrina Christian School, and we were able to resume sending small groups of students to the Shire for an outback experience focused on meeting with and understanding more of the life of indigenous people.

Green Point Christian College Ltd launched a Special School for children on the autism spectrum and Yattalunga Valley Christian School commenced with 12 students from K – 2. A classroom and facilities were leased from GPCC, and the school has done very well in its first year with all students making excellent progress.

Our School Improvement Plan continued with little change as many activities had been slowed down or unable to happen due to the pandemic. Sports activities with other schools also resumed as did the usual community activities including the hosting of the regional chess tournament that saw 250 students competing over a day on the school site. We reviewed the implementation of our new purpose statement and graduate profile with the assistance of an outside consultancy group who conducted surveys amongst staff, parents and students. The results are now helping us review aspects of our statements and the way we utilise them as we seek to embed them better into school life.

Phillip Nash PRINCIPAL