Appendices - Department of Education and Communities - NSW ...

APPendixand central offices to plan the most effective ways toaddress a shared set of priority areas:■■■■■■■■■■■■literacynumeracystudent engagement and retentionAboriginal Education and Trainingquality teachingconnected learning.The Office of Schools’ response to the announcement ofthe Smarter Schools National Partnerships agreements in2009 was a testimony to the strength of the plan’s design.As an ongoing reflection of Mr Fletcher’s commitment toa cohesive, tri-level approach, schools and regions receivedtargeted support to develop local strategies to address thepriority areas most important to their school communities.The 2009 NAPLAN results are a testament to the Office ofSchools’ relentless focus on literacy and numeracy throughthe development and provision of best quality resourcesand professional learning support.Bridging the gap for Aboriginal students remained a keydriver in 2009. The value placed on the development andstrengthening of relationships with Aboriginal students,families and communities was exemplified with therenewed partnership agreement between the Departmentand the NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group Inc.Some of the other notable achievements of the Office ofSchools in 2009 include:■■■■■■supporting schools and regions during theimplementation of the Digital Education Revolution andBuilding the Education Revolutionimplementation of the Keep them Saferecommendations in response to the report on theSpecial Commission of Inquiry into Child ProtectionServices in NSW, including the establishment of the ChildWellbeing Unitdevelopment of support and resources for schools toaddress the Raised School Leaving Age legislation, tobe enforced from 1 January 2010. This strengthens thecommitment that the Office of Schools already has toincreasing student retention levels and engagementthrough provision of diverse student learning pathwaysand new courses of study, such as a new Stage 6English course.Mr Fletcher is committed to the ongoing support,recognition and professional development of teachersin NSW government schools. The release of a range ofhighest quality multimedia resources throughout 2009have ensured that teachers and schools continue to leadthe way in meeting requirements of the NSW Instituteof Teachers and ultimately, improving the educationaloutcomes for students.A key project for the Office of Schools in 2009 has beenthe 47 Schools pilot. This project is exploring an innovativeapproach to school leadership and accountability, andfurthers Mr Fletcher’s commitment to shared leadership.Mr Fletcher takes great pride in his role as DeputyDirector-General, Schools and in 2009 has representedthe Department nationally and internationally. Thisincludes ongoing relationships being forged between theDepartment and a number of Chinese education bureaus,with Mr Fletcher invited to address the World ConfuciusInstitute Conference, Beijing in November 2009.Through his 2009 themes of reflect, refine and refocus,Mr Fletcher continued to promote the values of highexpectations, shared responsibility, capacity building,delegated leadership and cohesion within and across theOffice of Schools portfolio.Alastair HunterSES Level 7, $356,070Deputy Director-General, Finance and InfrastructureIn 2009, Mr Hunter implemented a range of measures toimprove service delivery in the Finance and Infrastructureportfolio and improve outcomes for schools with regardsto finance, administration and asset management.Mr Hunter oversaw the Department’s 2008/09 $11.8billion budget, implementing strategies and providingAPPENDICES 93