KaleenHighSchool

The Kaleen High school plan 2009-2013 articulates the major priorities for improvement across the four domains of school improvement (teaching and learning, leading and managing, student environment and community involvement) as articulated within the ACT's School Improvement Framework.

The priorities within the school plan have been identified through self-assessment and also incorporate recommendations from the external validation panel report.

They will be the major focus for improvement for the school across its next four year cycle of review. The plan was developed in 2009, with a number of initiatives being implemented in that year.

Annual operating plans will be developed ensuring the school provides the necessary support and educational programs to meet the needs of our students whilst addressing the priorities.

School purpose and vision

Kaleen High School's purpose is to provide a flexible and caring environment for its students, recognising and promoting partnership between home and school. The school actively promotes the importance of the core learning areas of Literacy and Numeracy.

The schools vision is articulated through its motto  "Respect - Diligence - Commitment "

School profile

Kaleen High School was founded in 1978. Kaleen High School is for children aged between 11 and 16 years providing an educational program for students from year 7 to year 10 in mainstream classes and two Learning Support Units (LSU) for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

In 2009, Kaleen High School had 211 students with approximately one percent of the student population being recognised as having Indigenous heritage. Class sizes were kept small to assist teachers in presenting the most appropriate program and in meeting individual student needs.

In 2009, Kaleen High School had approximately 20 percent of the student population identified as having special needs. Kaleen High School provides inclusive programs and many of our special needs students are integrated into the mainstream classrooms to further develop their social and academic skills.

UC High School Kaleen is a fully accessible and inclusive school that caters for a diverse group of students. The Disability Discrimination Act (1991) and the Disability Standards for Education (2005) inform and guide our practices.

Students of all abilities are welcome and we are committed to the ongoing development and maintenance of a curriculum and a community that is accessible and reflects the curriculum renewal process.

We actively promote and deliver evidence based Professional Learning opportunities for all staff members and we strive to achieve good practice in this area. Inclusive Technology is used increasingly to ensure that students have access to the curriculum.

The Individual learning Plan (ILP) process is embedded in our practice and we highly value a student and family centered approach. ILP teams work collaboratively to establish goals, plan interventions and achieve identified learning outcomes. Regular reviews are an important part of this process. All students with disabilities are actively encouraged to be involved in this process and are encouraged to access selected mainstream classes according to ILP goals.

At UC High School Kaleen we have a dedicated teacher who coordinates a range of enrichment programs to offer a unique approach which is both rigorous and relevant for students who identify as academically gifted and talented. Some general characteristics of gifted and talented children are listed below.

excellent memory

creative or imaginative, e.g. produces many ideas or is highly original

independent - may prefer to work alone

keen sense of humour

highly motivated, particularly in self-selected tasks

unusual or advanced interests

exceptional critical thinking skills or problem-solving ability

superior leadership and interpersonal skills

frequently asks in-depth, probing questions

high degree of social responsibility or moral reasoning

large, advanced vocabulary

superior insight and the ability to draw inferences or is intuitive

advanced reader either in English or in the home language.

learns rapidly and quickly grasps new concepts

Without adequate provision such students can readily become disenchanted with the education system, under-perform or even switch off completely. Stretching and challenging the most able students is a priority for us. We recognise that it is vital that students are stretched intellectually and also that the extension activity contributes to their own personal development. We aim to help them become empowered to think clearly, creatively and independently to think systematically and rigorously about relevant modern day issues and to identify assumptions and distinguish between good and poor arguments. We have an Executive Teacher and the School Librarian who specifically support these students.

Activities include:

Tournament of the Minds

Small ongoing Individual Enrichment groups and specific programs

University of Canberra Accelerated Learning Program

Challenging work experience options

Development of ILP’s (Individual Learning Plan)

Flexibility in program delivery to the meet the individual needs of students

Leadership opportunities

Negotiated extension work in classes