Overview

Year levels – Kindergarten to Year 6
Specialist Areas – Physical Education, Visual Art, Technologies, Science, AUSLAN
No. of Students – 356
Percentage of Aboriginal Students – 34%

2024 Highlights

  • 5 Year return for Public School Review Accountability Directorate
  • Achieved at or above like schools in 10/10 testing areas in NAPLAN (Year 3 and 5)
  • Visit by Statewide Service Director Martin Cleary to discuss high performance
  • Visit by Director of Primary David Wanstall to discuss high performance
  • Visit by Director of Education Lisa Criddle to discuss high performance
  • Implementation of 2024 Aboriginal Cultural Standards Framework Action Plan
  • Completion of self funded $380 000 student services wing capital works project
  • Completion of self funded Chaplain office, teacher prep room and Maths storeroom
  • Completion of ECE sensory garden with Northern Agricultural Catchment Council
  • Transition from 3 year to 1 year business plan structure
  • Development of APS Connected Curriculum document
  • Maintained single stream classrooms for third consecutive year
  • Transition from Compass to Project Kaartdijin
  • Completed NQS verification
  • Joined Telethon/Youthcare pastoral care engagement officer program
  • Transition from Core Curriculum Coach to Instructional Coach using StepLab model
  • AUSLAN instated as the Language Other than English taught Year 3 – 6
  • Continued use of Class Solver to effectively develop class lists
  • Continued before school Maths Marvels program for Year 3 – 6 girls
  • Additional 4 classroom teachers completed Teachwell training
  • 98% of students maintaining Good Standing across the year
  • NAIDOC Week celebrations including 8th annual Barndi Mulganhu Birli Banagarri
  • (Good Times Together Cup) and APS ‘roo stew cook-up’
  • Partnered with SHINE, GSAC, Stars Foundation, Deadly Sista Girlz and Midwest
  • Football Academy
  • 100 Days of School celebration
  • 3 Ups Kindergarten transition program for 2025 enrolments and families
  • Year 5 and 6 lightning carnival and Eagles Cup football season
  • Year 6 graduation at new venue, Geraldton Grammar School
  • Year 6 leadership day at Geraldton Camp School
  • Year 6 business challenge raising $500 for local charity
  • Year 6 camp to Perth
  • Champions of Geraldton Year 6 boys basketball, invited to Summer Slam in Perth
  • 2 Numero teams making the final of the state challenge
  • Inaugural APS Open Day Big Breakfast event
  • Whole school PBS, Good Standing and Superdraw rewards
  • Joined Ngaparrti Ngaparrti Two Way Science/Reconnect to Country program

Academic

In 2024 APS curriculum leaders continued to support teachers to refine the delivery of content in all curriculum areas by embracing the annual mantra ‘Think Small and Never Miss Twice’. A collective staff focus on identifying small adjustments to practice that would have ongoing positive impact on student outcomes drove the 2024 improvement agenda. The Teaching for Impact overview document was referenced regularly in collaborative meetings to reinforce the characteristics of an effective teacher.  

Consolidating the implementation of PR1ME, under the guidance of Instructional Coach Martine Thurkle and Deputy Principal Samantha Cousins, was a 2024 priority in Maths. Adjustments were made in class for students who could not access year level content with support staff using the Maths Online and Ochre resources with these students during independent practice. The Maths Marvels before school program continued to support female students to improve recall of mental computation strategies and basic facts automaticity. Three Numero teams qualified for the state final in Perth where they performed well but did not place.

 In English, Knowledge Based Units were introduced in Year 3 – 6. Each unit focused on unpacking a high quality fictional text or an important current or historical event, over a 5 week period. Deputy Samantha Cousins worked with teachers to refine and reorganise the units after they were delivered, acting on feedback to make them more contextually appropriate and accessible for APS students. Tier 2 and 3 UFLI phonics intervention was delivered by support staff each day in the newly built student services hub. Lead EA’s ensured the process was data driven, collating and acting on progress data weekly.

The implementation of the APS Connected Curriculum document in 2024 signaled the near completion of a 5 year journey of pedagogical reform. The document explicitly links content in all subject areas thematically, and details a logical order in which to teach it. This methodology promotes long term information retention in students by creating multiple opportunities to retrieve knowledge across different contexts.

Leadership / Staffing

In 2024 APS maintained a consistent workforce with just 3 teacher transfers occurring. A challenge for the school was retaining high quality support staff, with several education assistants leaving the Department of Education Western Australia for the private sector. This is an issue which Principal Chad Barnes raised with the Director of Education Mrs Lisa Criddle on her visit to APS in Semester 1.

During Term 2 Pre-Primary teacher Mrs Emma Smith accepted a temporary promotional position as Deputy Principal at Beachlands Primary School, an opportunity that became a permanent appointment later in the year. Due to small class sizes, it was decided to merge both Pre-Primary cohorts to cover Emma’s absence. This allowed the school to save significant teacher salary, and redirect these funds for additional support staff to assist the classroom teacher with the larger than normal class size.

Mrs Janica Ringwood transferred from APS to the PEAC co-ordinator role after Term 1. Miss Emily Kraljevich relocated to Perth at the end of the year. In her 4 years at APS, Emily was a diligent and hardworking early childhood teacher who displayed leadership attributes, particularly in the development and implementation of Literature Based Knowledge Units.

Miss Marika Calvin resigned from her Aboriginal Education Islander Officer position at the conclusion of the 2024 school year, accepting a position at another government department.

Support staff member Mrs Kerrie Wann retired after more than 3 decades of service to the Department of Education Western Australia, including the last 21 years at APS. Staff and special guests celebrated her career at an afternoon tea function that included speeches and a special presentation.