NSW Education Standards Authority
Annual Report
2023
Reporting on the 2022 Calendar Year
Owned and Operated by
Seventh-day Adventist Schools
(NNSW) Ltd
ANNUAL REPORT 2023 Toronto Adventist School
Reporting on the 2022 Calendar Year Seventh-day Adventist Schools (NNSW) Ltd
Page 2 of 31
1 A message from key school bodies – (School Advisory/Management Council and
Student representative Council)
School Advisory Council
Toronto Adventist School is part of the Seventh-day Adventist Schools (North New South
Wales) Limited (hereafter Company). The Company is governed by the Board of Directors,
the overarching administrative body that administrates nine schools from Gosford to the
Queensland border. Toronto Adventist School and NNSW Schools is part of a world-wide
education system run by the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Toronto Adventist School has its own representative School Advisory Council. The Council
is established by the Board of Directors and is comprised of members from local Seventh-
day Adventist Churches and the School Executive including the Principal. The School, with
the support of its School Advisory Council, establishes and pursues its own local goals
(School Improvement Plan) inside the broader context of the Company’s own strategic
plans.
While the COVID-19 pandemic continued to have a significant impact in 2022, Toronto
Adventist School actively pursued school improvement. Positive gains were made with
further embedding explicit Literacy practices into the school’s teaching culture through the
introduction of the InitiaLit Literacy program in K/1. Further steps were also taken to
continue embedding PBL as foundational to delivering the curriculum in a number of key
areas.
Significant steps were taken towards reviewing the school’s student management plan and
further time will be dedicated to this goal. Student management is being considered within
the over-arching theme of student well-being and the school is seeking a high level of
engagement from the school community as part of the review process.
The school’s new identity in line with its vision of seeking God first in all that we do and
specialising in a nature-based approach to learning has become more visible with the roll
out of a new uniform in 2022. We have received positive feedback about our new uniform
and it is aiding with marketing our school and what we represent.
Toronto Adventist School continues to be fully committed to providing quality Christian
education to our community and we are very proud of our pleasing NAPLAN results. We
count it a high honour to cultivate an environment for students to flourish and we pray that
this will be a place where students are able to build a lifelong relationship with Jesus Christ.
School Captains
Each year, Toronto Adventist School democratically elects two School Captains from Years
5 and 6. During 2022 our School Captains fulfilled various leadership responsibilities in our
Chapel and Assembly programs as well as at other school programs such as our special
year-end event. Other leadership responsibilities included promoting school values, peer
mediation and assisting younger students.
ANNUAL REPORT 2023 Toronto Adventist School
Reporting on the 2022 Calendar Year Seventh-day Adventist Schools (NNSW) Ltd
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2 Contextual information about the school (including information about National
Partnerships and /or Improving Teacher Quality if applicable)
Toronto Adventist School is located in a beautiful bushland setting on the outskirts of
Toronto in the Lake Macquarie region. The School commenced operation in a church hall in
1982 and its current site in 1983 as a ministry of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and
offers enrolment to pre-kindy and primary students from a wide range of cultural, faith and
non-faith backgrounds.
We seek God first in all that we do as we work in partnership with families for the
education of their children. ‘Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all
these things will be added to you,’ Matthew 6:33. Our deep desire is for students to have a
personal relationship with God and to respond to His invitation to live out of the overflow
of this relationship — to understand the truths of the Bible, respond to Christ’s invitation to
live in a lifelong vibrant relationship with Him, and be passionate about sharing His love
with others.
Toronto Adventist School is a specialised nature-based school. The school is committed to
delivering quality Christian education in an organic and flexible framework, acknowledging
that spiritual, academic, physical and emotional growth is non-linear and multi-
dimensional. The school is not only re-shaping how education is experienced, but also how
achievement, success and excellence is quantified. Project Based Learning (PBL) is
foundational at Toronto Adventist School, empowering students to engage with and
respond to the world around them. We believe that our students are most engaged when
they connect their hands, heads and hearts, and that they can make a difference in this
world.
ANNUAL REPORT 2023 Toronto Adventist School
Reporting on the 2022 Calendar Year Seventh-day Adventist Schools (NNSW) Ltd
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3 Student performance in National and State-wide tests and examinations
3.1 Student outcomes in standardised national literacy and numeracy testing
Literacy
Language Conventions includes Reading, Writing, Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation.
Reading
Year
% below national
minimum standard
% at national
minimum standard
% above national
minimum standard
Year 3
Year 5
0%
0%
100%
Year 7
Year 9
Writing
Year
% below national
minimum standard
% at national
minimum standard
% above national
minimum standard
Year 3
Year 5
0%
0%
100%
Year 7
Year 9
Spelling
Year
% below national
minimum standard
% at national
minimum standard
% above national
minimum standard
Year 3
Year 5
0%
0%
100%
Year 7
Year 9
ANNUAL REPORT 2023 Toronto Adventist School
Reporting on the 2022 Calendar Year Seventh-day Adventist Schools (NNSW) Ltd
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Grammar and Punctuation
Year
% below national
minimum standard
% at national
minimum standard
% above national
minimum standard
Year 3
Year 5
0%
0%
100%
Year 7
Year 9
Interpretative Comments
NAPLAN is a measure of student performance mapped against national standards. It provides
data to trace students’ progress through schooling. It is used even with a small cohort to track
the knowledge and skills of student’s performance in the components of Literacy.
As all of our students performed above the national minimum standard, this confirms that
Toronto Adventist School’s focus on delivering a strong Literacy program with an emphasis on
explicit instruction has impacted positively on the students’ results. Further development of the
School’s Literacy initiatives is planned with the aim of further strengthening results.
Numeracy
Numeracy incorporates Number and Data, Patterns and Algebra, Measurement Space and
Geometry.
Year
% below national
minimum standard
% at national
minimum standard
% above national
minimum standard
Year 3
Year 5
0%
0%
100%
Year 7
Year 9
Interpretative Comments
NAPLAN is also used to track the knowledge and skills of students’ performance in Numeracy.
As our students have performed above national minimum standard, this confirms that the
consistent approach to teaching Numeracy across the year levels and our nature-based
initiatives are having a positive impact on student outcomes. The development of the School’s
Numeracy initiatives is to continue with the aim of further strengthening results in this learning
area.
ANNUAL REPORT 2023 Toronto Adventist School
Reporting on the 2022 Calendar Year Seventh-day Adventist Schools (NNSW) Ltd
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3.2 Record of School Achievement
This section does not apply to TAS.
Item
Students
Number of Students studying in Year 10
Number of ROSAs issued by NESA in 2022
ANNUAL REPORT 2023 Toronto Adventist School
Reporting on the 2022 Calendar Year Seventh-day Adventist Schools (NNSW) Ltd
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3.3 Results of the Higher School Certificate Examination 2022
This section does not apply to TAS.
Comparison of 2021 results compared to the state
Subject
No of
students
Performance band achievement by number
and/or %
Band
6
Band
5
Band
4
Band
3
Band
2
Band
1
School
State
School
State
School
State
School
State
School
State
School
State
School
State
School
State
School
State
School
ANNUAL REPORT 2023 Toronto Adventist School
Reporting on the 2022 Calendar Year Seventh-day Adventist Schools (NNSW) Ltd
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Subject
No of
students
Performance band achievement by number
and/or %
Band
6
Band
5
Band
4
Band
3
Band
2
Band
1
State
Interpretative comments for Higher School Certificate results
-
ANNUAL REPORT 2023 Toronto Adventist School
Reporting on the 2022 Calendar Year Seventh-day Adventist Schools (NNSW) Ltd
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Comparison of 2022 HSC results as a trend over time
This section does not apply to TAS.
Subject
No of
students
Performance band achievement by number
and/or %
Band
6
Band
5
Band
4
Band
3
Band
2
Band
1
2022
2021
2020
2022
2021
2020
2022
2021
2020
2022
2021
2020
2022
2021
2020
2022
2021
2020
2022
2021
2020
ANNUAL REPORT 2023 Toronto Adventist School
Reporting on the 2022 Calendar Year Seventh-day Adventist Schools (NNSW) Ltd
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Interpretative comments for Higher School Certificate result trends over time
-
ANNUAL REPORT 2023 Toronto Adventist School
Reporting on the 2022 Calendar Year Seventh-day Adventist Schools (NNSW) Ltd
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4 Senior secondary outcomes
Percentage of students in Year 12 undertaking vocational or trade training:
This section does not apply to TAS.
Percentage of students in Year 12 attaining a Year 12 certificate or equivalent
VET qualification:
This section does not apply to TAS.
ANNUAL REPORT 2023 Toronto Adventist School
Reporting on the 2022 Calendar Year Seventh-day Adventist Schools (NNSW) Ltd
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5 Professional learning and teacher standards
5.1 Professional Learning
Areas of professional learning
Teachers
(number or group)
Velpic Training – Bullying in the Workplace
6
Velpic Training – Ladder Safety: Prevention of Falls
6
Velpic Training – If you Get Injured at Work
6
Velpic Training – WHS Training Course
1
Velpic Training – Slips, Trips and Falls
5
Velpic Training – Work Related Stress
4
InitiaLit Training
2
Online Fire Warden Training
5
Refresher Course 2022 for Seesaw Ambassadors & Seesaw Certified
Educators
1
Supporting Students with Challenging Behaviour
1
First Aid (including CPR Refresher training)
7
School Governance Module 5: Executive Supervision- The Board/Principal
Relations
1
School Governance Module 10: Child Safe Schools – Values, Behaviours
and Culture
1
Support students with Challenging Behaviour Module 1
1
School Governance Module 3: An Introduction to Legal Compliance
1
Total Staff PD experiences:
Average cost per teacher for professional
learning:
ANNUAL REPORT 2023 Toronto Adventist School
Reporting on the 2022 Calendar Year Seventh-day Adventist Schools (NNSW) Ltd
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5.2 Teacher Accreditation Status
Accreditation Level of Teachers
Numbers of
teachers
(i) Conditional
0
(ii) Provisional
0
(iii) Proficient or higher
4
4
6 Workforce composition
The teaching workforce at Toronto Adventist School in 2022 collectively represented many
years of experience and all teachers and the Principal have a masters degree. All of the
teaching staff have Australian citizenship, although staff represented a diverse range of
cultural backgrounds. There were no staff with an indigenous background.
Teachers – 4
Female teachers – 4
Male teachers – 0
(The teaching workforce in 2022 was comprised of one full-time teacher, two part-time,
and one teacher/administrator.)
The teachers were supported by the following ancillary staff in 2022.
Ancillary Staff - 5
Ancillary female staff – 4
Ancillary male staff - 1
ANNUAL REPORT 2023 Toronto Adventist School
Reporting on the 2022 Calendar Year Seventh-day Adventist Schools (NNSW) Ltd
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7 Student attendance rate and non-attendance
7.1 Average Year Level Attendance
Year Level
Average Attendance
(%)
Kindergarten
89.74%
Year 1
89.99%
Year 2
89.1%
Year 3
90.35%
Year 4
91.11%
Year 5
91.57%
Year 6
N/A
Year 7
N/A
Year 8
N/A
Year 9
N/A
Year 10
N/A
Year 11
N/A
Year 12
N/A
Total school attendance average
90.31%
7.2 Management of non-attendance
Class teachers are instructed to inform the Principal once a student’s attendance falls
below 85%.
A parent interview is arranged between the Principal and the parent/carer, and a plan is
formulated to ensure the student attends school regularly.
The follow up process for unexplained absences falls on the Principal. A letter is to be sent
to parents/carers to inform them of the concern.
Copies of the unsatisfactory attendance letters sent to parents/carers are filed in the
students’ files.
In the case that the plan is not adhered to, the Principal will follow the mandatory
requirements for non-attendance.
ANNUAL REPORT 2023 Toronto Adventist School
Reporting on the 2022 Calendar Year Seventh-day Adventist Schools (NNSW) Ltd
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7.3 Retention from Year 10 to Year 12 (where relevant)
Percentage retention rate:
This section does not apply to TAS.
8 Post School Destinations (secondary schools only)
This section does not apply to TAS.
ANNUAL REPORT 2023 Toronto Adventist School
Reporting on the 2022 Calendar Year Seventh-day Adventist Schools (NNSW) Ltd
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9 Enrolment Policies and characteristics of the student body
Applications
Applications for enrolment may be made at any time by the parent/carer(s) of students to
commence at a nominated SDA school.
Students enrolling in K-12 at the school for the first time will be at least 5 years of age on or
before 31 July of the enrolling year. Students enrolling in Pre-Kindergarten classes will be
at least 4 years of age on or before 31 July of the enrolling year.
Please Note: Individual SDA schools may vary in the starting age of students. At Toronto
Adventist School, students enrolling in Kindergarten for the first time will be at least 5
years of age on or before 30 April of the enrolling year. Students enrolling in Pre-
Kindergarten classes will be at least 4 years of age on or before 30 April of the enrolling
year.
Immunisation Requirements
All schools are required to request an immunisation certificate at enrolment.
The school will then:
• record each child’s immunisation status in a register and retain copies of approved
immunisation certificates for a period of three years after the child has ceased to
attend the school;
• provide a copy of a child’s immunisation certificate to a school that the child has
transferred to (on request);
• notify the public health unit if an enrolled child has a vaccine preventable disease, or
if they reasonably believe that an unimmunised enrolled child has come into contact
with someone who has a vaccine preventable disease;
• exclude unimmunised children at risk of contracting a disease from attending school
on the direction of a public health officer.
Processing Applications
1. The school will base any decision about offering a place to a student on:
• Family Relationship with the school:
o the applicant coming from a Seventh-day Adventist family;
o sibling of a current or ex-student;
o whether they hold attitudes, values and priorities that are compatible with
the school ethos.
• The Student:
o the contribution that the student may make to the school, including the co-
curricular activities;
o any special needs or abilities of the student;
o the student's reports from previous schools.
• Other Considerations:
ANNUAL REPORT 2023 Toronto Adventist School
Reporting on the 2022 Calendar Year Seventh-day Adventist Schools (NNSW) Ltd
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o order of receipt - when the application to enrol is received by the school.
2. The school will meet with parent/caregiver(s) of the students before offering a place.
3. The school has an absolute discretion in determining the weight of each of the factors it
takes into account in determining whether to offer a place for the student.
4. Continued enrolment at the school is dependent upon the student making satisfactory
academic progress, attending consistently, and the student and the parent/carer(s)
observing all behavioural codes of conduct, payment of fees and other requirements of
the school which are applicable from time to time.
Composition/characteristics of the student population
Toronto Adventist School is a co-educational Pre-Kindergarten through to Year 6 school
and open in its enrolment policy. The School is situated on a semi-rural settling and attracts
students from the local community as well as from other locations around the Lake
Macquarie area given its specialist focus on nature-based learning. The student population
varies and represents a wide range of backgrounds. Most students came from Seventh-day
Adventist homes in 2022.
10 School Policies
Student Welfare Policy
Summary of policies for Student Welfare
1. Rationale
All children have a right to feel safe and supported in their school environment. As school
staff, we have a legal and moral responsibility to ensure programs and procedures are in
place to provide support and pastoral care for students as well as providing for their
physical safety at school.
2. Aim
To ensure that every child's need for support and safety is maintained.
3. Implementation
This school will abide by the legislation pertinent to the provision of a safe and supportive
environment. This includes:
• making sure buildings and facilities are secure and evacuation procedures are in
place;
• having in place a rigorous supervision protocol including a risk management
process for onsite and off-site activities;
• having in place codes of conduct that will ensure the rights and responsibilities of
students and staff, the application of a behaviour management system (including
anti-bullying), a student leadership system, and the management and reporting of
serious incidents;
ANNUAL REPORT 2023 Toronto Adventist School
Reporting on the 2022 Calendar Year Seventh-day Adventist Schools (NNSW) Ltd
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• a process for receiving complaints/grievances from students, and/or
parents/guardians;
• a pastoral care plan which gives students access to counselling, provision of support
for special needs students, a scheme for the distribution of medication, and a serious
incident response mechanism; and
• guidelines for formal and informal communication with all stakeholders.
Location of the Student Welfare policy (Safe and Supportive Environment Policy) is found on
the school’s intranet. To obtain a copy please ask at the front office.
There have been no changes made to this policy during 2022.
ANNUAL REPORT 2023 Toronto Adventist School
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Discipline Policy
1. Rationale
All students have a right to a discipline system (including but not limited to the suspension,
expulsion and exclusion of students) that is based on procedural fairness and expressly
prohibits the use or corporal punishment or the implicit sanctioning of such. As school
staff, we have a legal and moral responsibility to ensure that a fair and redemptive
discipline system is in place and well understood by students and staff.
2. Aim
To ensure that a procedurally fair discipline system is in place.
3. Implementation
This school will abide by the legislation pertinent to the provision of a discipline system
(including but not limited to the suspension, expulsion and exclusion of students) that is
based on the principles of procedural fairness. This includes the right of the student to:
• know the allegation and any other information related to it;
• know the process by which the matter will be considered;
• make a response to the allegation;
• know how to have any process or decision reconsidered;
• expect impartiality in the investigation and the decision making; and
• an unbiased decision-maker.
This school expressly prohibits corporal punishment in any form or the implicit
sanctioning of such.
Location of the Discipline policy (Student Management Policy) is found on the school’s
intranet. To obtain a copy please ask at the front office.
There have been no changes made to this policy during 2022.
Anti-Bullying Policy
Toronto Adventist School is a Christian school serving its community and is firmly based on
Christian principles. Biblical values such as those found in Matthew 7:12, ‘What you want
to be done to you, do to others’ (Golden Rule), and ‘Be good friends who love deeply ... get
along with each other ... don’t let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good’
(Romans 12:19-21, The Message) form the foundation for our behavioural model.
Toronto Adventist School seeks to build a safe and positive school community that
acknowledges each person as a unique, immensely valued child of God. Every person at
Toronto Adventist School has the right to experience positive and respectful relationships
between all members of the school community. They also have the right to learn and teach
in a happy and safe environment and, as such, bullying behaviour is not acceptable.
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Reporting on the 2022 Calendar Year Seventh-day Adventist Schools (NNSW) Ltd
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Location of the full text of the Anti-Bullying Policy is found on the school’s intranet. To obtain
a copy please ask at the front office.
There have been no changes made to this policy during 2022.
Complaints and Grievances Policy
1. Purpose
This Guideline is intended to ensure that complaints are handled fairly, efficiently and
effectively. The complaints management system is intended to:
• enable schools and the Company to respond to issues raised by people making
complaints in a timely way; and
• provide information that can be used to deliver quality improvements in schools,
systems, practices, procedures and complaint handling.
This document provides the key principles and concepts of the complaints management
system for both staff and parents and others who wish to make a complaint.
2. Company Commitment
The company expects staff at all levels to be committed to fair, effective and efficient
complaint handling.
a. Director
The Director is committed to promoting a culture that values complaints and their effective
resolution by:
• providing adequate support and direction to key staff responsible for handling
complaints;
• regularly reviewing reports about complaint trends and issues arising from
complaints;
• encouraging staff to make recommendations for system improvements;
• supporting recommendations for system improvements arising from analysis of
complaint data.
b. Principal
The Principal is responsible for complaint handling in each school and is committed to
establishing and managing the complaints management system by:
• providing regular reports to the Director on issues arising from complaint handling
work;
• ensuring recommendations arising out of complaint data analysis are canvassed
with the Director and implemented where appropriate;
• training and empowering staff to resolve complaints promptly and in accordance
with company policies and guidelines.
• encouraging staff to provide suggestions on ways to improve the company's
complaints management system.
c. Staff
ANNUAL REPORT 2023 Toronto Adventist School
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Staff whose duties include complaint handling are expected to be committed to
demonstrating exemplary complaint handling practices by:
• treating all people with respect, including people who make complaints;
• complying with the Company Complaints Handling Guideline;
• keeping informed about best practice in complaint handling;
• assisting people who wish to make complaints to access the complaints handling
guideline;
• assisting those handling complaints to resolve matters promptly;
• providing feedback to their principal/director on issues arising from complaints;
and
• implementing changes arising from individual complaints and from the analysis and
evaluation of complaint data.
3. Guiding Principles
Facilitating Complaints
People focus
The company is committed to seeking and receiving feedback and complaints about
practices,
procedures and complaint handling at schools and/or the company level.
Any concerns raised in feedback or complaints will be dealt with within a reasonable
timeframe.
People making complaints will be:
• provided with information about the complaints handling process;
• listened to, treated with respect by staff and actively involved in the complaint
process where practicable and appropriate; and
• provided with reasons for decision/s and any options for redress or review.
No detriment to people making complaints
All reasonable steps will be taken to ensure that people making complaints are not
adversely affected because a complaint has been made by them or on their behalf.
Anonymous complaints
Anonymous complaints will be accepted and there will be an investigation of the issues
raised where there is enough relevant information provided, including the identity of the
school or office to which the complaint relates.
Visibility and transparency
Information about how and where complaints may be made will be readily available and
publicised on school websites.
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Accessibility
The company is committed to ensuring that its complaints management process is easily
understood and accessible to everyone, particularly people who may require assistance, for
example, people for whom English is not their first language.
If a person prefers or needs another person to assist them in the making and/or resolution
of their complaint, the school or company will communicate with them through their
representative if this is their wish. Anyone may represent a person wishing to make a
complaint, with their consent.
Respond to Complaints
Early resolution
Where possible, complaints will be resolved at first contact with the particular school or, in
the case of complaints about the company, first contact with the director.
Responsiveness
Complaints will be assessed and prioritised in accordance with the urgency and/or
seriousness of the issues raised. If a matter concerns an immediate risk to safety or security
the response will be immediate and will be escalated appropriately.
The company is committed to managing people's expectations and will inform them as
soon as possible, of the following:
• the complaints process;
• the expected timeframes for actions;
• the progress of the complaint and reasons for any delay; and
• their likely involvement in the process.
The school or company will advise people as soon as practicable when it is unable to deal
with any part of their complaint.
Objectivity and fairness
Each complaint will be addressed with integrity and in an equitable, objective and unbiased
manner. Each complaint will be assessed on its merits.
Conflicts of interests, whether actual or perceived, will be managed responsibly. In
particular, internal reviews of how a complaint was managed will be conducted by a person
other than the original decision maker.
Confidentiality
The identity of people making complaints will be protected where this is practical and
appropriate.
Personal information that identifies individuals will only be disclosed or used by the
company as permitted under privacy legislation.
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Manage the Parties to a Complaint
Empowerment of staff
All staff managing complaints are empowered to implement the complaints guideline as
relevant to their role and responsibilities. Staff are empowered to resolve complaints
promptly and with as little formality as possible. Staff are encouraged to provide feedback
on the effectiveness of this complaints management process.
Managing unreasonable conduct by people making complaints
Schools and the company are committed to being accessible and responsive to all people
who approach them with feedback or complaints.
When people behave unreasonably in their dealings with either a school or the company,
conduct can significantly affect the progress and efficiency of the school or company's
work. As a result, any conduct that negatively and unreasonably affects a school or the
company will be proactively and decisively managed by staff.
4. Complaint Management System
Stages of Managing a Complaint
When responding to complaints, staff should act in accordance with this guideline. There
are five key stages in the complaint management system:
• Receipt of complaints;
• Acknowledgement of complaints;
• Initial assessment and addressing of complaints;
• Providing reasons for decisions; and
• Closing the complaint, records keeping, redress and review.
Receipt of Complaints
Unless the complaint has been resolved at first point of contact, it will be recorded as a
complaint together with its supporting information. Initially verbal complaints will be
accepted but with serious complaints the person making the complaint may subsequently
be asked to set out their complaint in writing.
The record of the complaint will identify:
• the contact information of the person making the complaint;
• issues raised by the person making the complaint;
• the school or company to which the complaint relates;
• the outcome/s sought;
• any other information required to properly respond to the matter; and
• any additional support the person making the complaint requires.
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Acknowledgement of Complaints
The receipt of each complaint will be acknowledged promptly and usually within 10
working days.
Consideration will be given to the most appropriate medium for communicating with the
person making a complaint, taking into account the needs of the school or the company and
the expressed views of the person making the complaint.
Initial Assessment and Addressing of Complaints
After acknowledging receipt of the complaint, the staff member handling the complaint will
confirm whether the issue/s raised in the complaint is/are within the school’s or
company's control. The outcome/s sought by the person making a complaint will be
considered and, where there is more than one issue raised, there will be a determination
whether each issue needs to be separately addressed.
When determining how a complaint will be managed, the issues raised will be assessed
against the following criteria:
• severity;
• complexity;
• health and safety implications;
• impact on the individual or wider school community; and
• potential to escalate.
Addressing complaints
The methodology for addressing the complaint may include:
• working with the person making the complaint to see how the issues can be
appropriately addressed;
• making inquiries with the person or area that is the subject of the complaint; and/or
• conducting an investigation into the issues raised in the complaint.
The nature and scope of any action taken will depend on a number of factors including:
• the circumstances of each case;
• any statutory requirements;
• the issue/s complained about;
• the parties involved; and
• the likely outcome.
5. Providing Reasons for Decisions
Following consideration of the complaint and any investigation into the issues raised, the
person making the complaint will be contacted in a timely manner and advised of:
• the outcome of the complaint and any action that was taken arising out of the
complaint so far as permitted under privacy legislation;
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• the reasons for any decisions that have been made; and
• any remedy or resolution that has been offered.
6. Closing the Complaint, Record Keeping, Redress and Review
At the time of closing the complaint a record will be made of the following:
• steps taken to address the complaint;
• the outcome of the complaint; and
• any undertakings or follow up action required.
7. Three Levels of Complaint Handling
Where possible, complaints will be resolved by staff at the appropriate school level. Staff
will be adequately equipped to respond to complaints, including being given appropriate
authority, training and supervision.
Where early resolution of a complaint is not possible, however, due to the complexity of the
issues raised, dissatisfaction with the complaint outcome or how the complaint was dealt
with, the complaint may be escalated to the director level. This second level of complaint
handling will provide for the following internal mechanisms:
• assessment and possible investigation of the complaint and decision/s already
made, and/or
• facilitated resolution (where a person not connected with the complaint reviews the
matter and attempts to find an outcome acceptable to the relevant parties).
Where a person making a complaint is dissatisfied with the outcome of the director's
review of their complaint they may seek a further review from the Chair of the Board of
Directors. In some instances the Chair of the Board of Directors may engage a third party to
review a matter and provide a report.
8. Accountability and Learning
Analysis and Evaluation of Complaints
Complaints are recorded in a systematic way so that information can be easily retrieved for
reporting and analysis.
Regular reports will be run on:
• the number of complaints received;
• the outcome of complaints;
• issues arising from complaints;
• systemic issues identified; and
• the number of requests received for internal and/or external review of complaint
handling.
Regular analysis of these reports will be undertaken to monitor trends, measure the quality
of service and make improvements.
Both reports and their analysis will be provided to the Director of Education for review.
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Reporting on the 2022 Calendar Year Seventh-day Adventist Schools (NNSW) Ltd
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Monitoring of the Complaint Management System
The complaints management system will be monitored to:
• ensure its suitability for responding to and resolving complaints; and
• identify and correct deficiencies in the operation of the system.
Continuous Improvement
The Company is committed to improving the effectiveness and efficiency of its complaints
management system. To this end, the company will:
• support the making and appropriate resolution of complaints;
• implement best practices in complaint handling;
• regularly review the complaints management system and complaint data; and
• implement appropriate system changes arising out of analysis of complaints data
and
• continual monitoring of the system.
This is the full text of the Complaints and Grievances policy (Complaints Handling Guideline)
and is found on the school’s intranet. To obtain a copy please ask at the front office.
There have been no changes made to this policy during 2022.
11 School determined improvement targets
Priority Areas for Improvement for 2023 (Schools in National Partnerships should
include items from their school plan and come from the QAS Rolling School Improvement
Plan)
• Implement the InitiaLit Literacy program in Year 2.
• Further embed nature-based approach to learning.
• Continue to review student management system as part of a well-being review.
Achievement of Priority Areas listed for improvement in the 2022 report (Schools in
National Partnerships should include achievements of items from their school plan and
come from the improvements listed in your last Annual Report)
The school’s goal to address staff well-being was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Further work in this area is planned during 2023.
The school’s goal to implement the InitiaLit Literacy program in K/1 can be evidenced by:
• Teaching and learning programs, and
• Student work samples.
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Reporting on the 2022 Calendar Year Seventh-day Adventist Schools (NNSW) Ltd
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The school’s goal to review the student management system can be evidenced by:
• Notes kept in staff meeting minutes.
The school’s goal to roll out a new uniform has been achieved and the new uniform is now
being made available to the school community.
12 Initiatives promoting respect and responsibility
The Toronto Adventist School mission and vision drives the School’s approach to fostering
a culture of respect and responsibility among students and throughout the whole teaching
and learning process. Some specific program initiatives include:
Worship and Chapel Programs
Worship at Toronto Adventist School takes place at the beginning of each day. This may
involve individual class worships or classes coming together for combined worship.
The School’s Chapel program takes place each Wednesday and the school Chaplain
organises and coordinates this special time of worship. The students are involved in
running Chapel programs and there are times when they even take Chapel. The school sees
student involvement in Chapel programs as important opportunities for spiritual growth
and leadership development.
Biblical Studies
There is a strong commitment to teaching Bible at Toronto Adventist School and the
teachers actively find ways to expand Bible into other learning areas, for instance, in
Science and Technology, English and other learning areas. These programs all promote
respect and responsibility.
Values Program
Toronto Adventist School places emphasis on a particular value each week, for instance,
respect and responsibility. The value becomes the theme in Chapel programs and some
worships. Values are displayed on a board near the entrance of the School and students
who demonstrate the value in their behaviour may receive a merit certificate in recognition
of their efforts.
Community and Service Programs
Students take part in community outreach programs such as fundraising for charities, for
instance, Asian Aid. The Years 3-6 students write letters to elderly folk from a retirement
village. These programs help to build respect for the community in which we live.
School Uniform
Toronto Adventist School expects and positively enforces responsibility in wearing school
uniform and in students conducting themselves with pride and respect.
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Reporting on the 2022 Calendar Year Seventh-day Adventist Schools (NNSW) Ltd
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Behaviour Management Plan
The School’s behaviour management plan is built on staff modelling respect and
responsible behaviour to the students, and students modelling respect and responsible
behaviour to teachers and students.
Student Leaders
School Captains are tasked with the responsibility of serving their school community
leading out at school gatherings, supporting their peers, and assisting younger students.
Awards
Awards are given each week to students in Assembly acknowledging academic
Environmental Responsibility
At Toronto Adventist School we model and expect students to have respect for the
environment. We keep the school grounds tidy and clean. Students are taught that it is their
responsibility to continue to encourage sustainability as part of our nature-based program.
13 Parent, student and teacher satisfaction
Parent Satisfaction
Parents/carers were given the opportunity to participate in a satisfaction survey, however
the overall response rate was limited and this has made it difficult to draw conclusions
from the exercise.
The Principal has regular conversations with parents/carers, including at P&F meetings,
and feedback is received about satisfaction levels. Parents/carers appreciate that their
children can be in a Christian school where faith is nurtured. The School’s efforts to
develop the spiritual growth of students is rated highly by parents/carers as is the School’s
emphasis on nature-based learning. The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on
community engagement with parents expressing a real desire to be more fully involved in
school life, particularly with on-site activities.
Student Satisfaction
In 2022 students surveyed indicated a positive perception of their ability to learn and that
they were motivated to achieve despite the ongoing challenges of COVID-19. They
indicated that they felt supported by their teachers and that they looked forward to coming
to school.
Students were also asked to respond to questions relating to the COVID-19 pandemic and
the impact this was having on their well-being. Students indicated a high level of support
from teachers during this challenging time.
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Reporting on the 2022 Calendar Year Seventh-day Adventist Schools (NNSW) Ltd
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Teacher Satisfaction
Once again, staff indicated high levels of satisfaction with the extent to which Seventh-day
Adventist Christian values and beliefs are permeated by the school’s Christ-centred
learning community, regarding curriculum and pedagogy. Staff also rated highly the degree
to which students are empowered to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in today’s world and
the level of student engagement in the mission programs offered.
The extent to which parents are recognised and welcomed as co-responsible partners in all
facets of Seventh-day Adventist school life rated highly for staff. The COVID-19 pandemic
presented opportunities to strengthen the home-school partnership and it also presented
challenges as our usual levels of onsite-engagement were not possible.
14 Summary financial information
The schools company will complete this section for all SDA schools.
Income
Income Sources
Percentage of Total Income
Fees and private income
25.71%
State recurrent grants
15.30%
Commonwealth recurrent grants
56.72%
Other Government grants
2.27%
Government capital grants
0.00%
Other capital income
0.00%
Expenditure
Expenditure Costs
Percentage of Total Expenditure
Salaries, allowance and related expenses
59.24%
Non-salary expenses
37.14%
Classroom expenditure
1.95%
Capital expenditure
1.67%
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Reporting on the 2022 Calendar Year Seventh-day Adventist Schools (NNSW) Ltd
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15 Public disclosure of educational and financial performance
The 2022 Annual report will be published on the College’s website and available on request from
the College office.
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Reporting on the 2022 Calendar Year Seventh-day Adventist Schools (NNSW) Ltd
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SECTION 2
CHECKLIST
Commonwealth legislation (Schools Assistance Act 2008) includes the following requirements not
listed as part of NESA requirements for registration and accreditation.
Please tick that your school complies with the following. (please delete the least applicable
box)
Provides national reports on the outcomes of schooling
Provides individual school information on performance
Annually reports on school performance information and makes the report publicly
available
Implements the National Curriculum as it becomes available
Has an annual certificate of financial accountability from a qualified accountant
Annually reports on each program of financial assistance provided under this Act
Participates in program evaluations
