THANKS to a state wide initiative by the government, Westport Public hopes to reap the academic rewards in the coming years.
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An early intervention program, called the Early Action for Success program, has allowed the school to take on a non-teaching deputy principal.
Experienced teacher Pip Riordan has stepped into the role, and principal Tony Johnston is thrilled.
“Pip works with the kindergarten to year two area of the school to improve literacy and numeracy outcomes for the school,” he said.
“That is strengthening the foundation of our school, which we hope will flow right through.
Although classed as a non-teaching position, Pip spends a lot of time in the classroom.
“She gets in there and works with the teacher, and identifies students who need a little extra help and lifting those students quickly,” Mr Johnston said.
“That is where her experience shines through. She’s an instructional leader as well as a deputy principal.
Mr Johnston was happy to fill the position from within the school, pointing out the advantages.
“Pip has all the skills, is highly respected by all of the staff and already has all of the relationships built,” he said.
Mrs Riordan said the school was fortunate to get the deputy principal position, and that she was happy to step into the role after 30 years in the education system.
“Knowing the staff makes it easier for me to go into a classroom, because I’ve already got those relationships with the teachers and students,” she said.
“To me, it’s all about building teacher capacity and building structures within the school so that this can all continue happening in three years when I’m not here.
“It’s only a three year position, to build those structures, and then hopefully it can keep going.”
She wants to see improved student achievements in the National Assessment Program Literacy and numeracy (NAPLAN), and in teacher practices.
They will be able to see what is working and what is not by submitting and comparing data every five weeks by way of teacher observation and assessment tasks.
“They are already doing great stuff, so for us it’s about tweaking the interventions we put in place,” she said.
“The results will speak for themselves, and I’m hoping that the results will be positive.
“I have seen that it’s working already, and the teachers are all enthusiastic about it.”
The teachers also get other training, a half day every fortnight, specifically on literacy strategies on the classroom.
“Hopefully it cuts out some of the time that might get wasted with lengthy processes,” she said.
“It’s about noticing someone is behind and helping to boost them up immediately.”