UPDATE ON OUR INDEPENDENT PUBLIC SCHOOL (IPS) APPLICATION

This year our school has participated in the IPS Development Process with the aim of becoming an Independent Public School in 2017. Over the past few months School Council has put a great deal of work into preparing our case for selection. Karen and I presented to a panel of three IPS Principal Advisors and a moderator on Tuesday 23 August. The Department of Education is aiming to notify schools of the outcome around 9 September.

If you have any questions about IPS or the selection process, please get in touch with me (nppsschoolcouncil@gmail.com / 0409 113 980) or with any School Council member.

Please scroll down for further information on:

IPS: Why do we want it?

IPS timeline and further information

 

Best wishes,

Kati Tonkin

Chair, NPPS School Council

 

 

IPS: Why do we want it?

Autonomy is not an end in itself; it must be used strategically to improve outcomes at the school. If we achieve IPS status, School Council will become a School Board and have a stronger role in governance and strategic planning.

The School Board Chair and the Principal will sign a Delivery and Performance Agreement with the Director General of Education which sets out the performance and accountability expectations of the school, as well as the resources and support provided centrally to the school.

We have applied for IPS status because we strongly believe that greater autonomy will lead to improvements in staffing which will in turn translate into improvements in the classroom.

  • Staffing:
  • IPS will make it possible for the school to offer some of our talented fixed term teachers permanency when a clear vacancy arises: this will provide greater certainty both to these excellent staff and to the school.
  • We will have a greater capacity to choose staff who suit our school and fit the learning needs of our students.
  • We will be able to better invest in good teachers as our staff profile becomes more stable.
  • Stability in staffing is vital as we work to improve learning outcomes for the students.
  • Improving outcomes in the classroom:
  • The school has recently instituted a significant change of structure including the introduction of curriculum teams and professional learning teams, which is aimed at improving teacher practice and student outcomes. This new structure will be more effective if the stability of the staff profile increases.
  • A more stable staff profile will also enable the school to invest more effectively in staff development.

These anticipated changes won’t take place overnight but the school is committed to working hard to make them happen.

 

IPS timeline and further information

  1. Briefing: The Chair, Principal and one Deputy Principal attended a Briefing Day on 29 February.
  2. Development:
  • The Chair and a Deputy Principal attended the first Development Workshop on 27 April.
  • The interviews were part of our task to undertake an audit of governance at the school prior to the second Development Workshop. Effective governance is a strong focus of this IPS round.
  • The second Development Workshop will take place on 7 June.
  1. Selection: 135 schools have applied and up to 50 will be selected.
  • The Chair and Principal presented NPPS’s case for selection to the panel on 23 August.
  • The selection criteria are:
  • Capacity of the school to assume greater responsibility for its own affairs.
  • Level of support in the school community.
  • Potential benefits to students and the broader school community.
  • Schools will be notified around 9 September of the outcome of their applications.
  1. Transition: Successful schools will participate in a Transition Program in Term 4 (11 October – 9 December).
  2. 2017: Successful schools will be Independent Public Schools from Term 1, 2017.

Further information is available at http://www.education.wa.edu.au/home/detcms/navigation/about-us/programs-and-initiatives/independent-public-schools/.