Motto	To seek, to strive, to find, for love of God.
Address	3 Hyde Street, DIMBULAH QLD 4872
Postal Address	PO Box 128, DIMBULAH QLD 4872
Phone Number	07 4093 5319
Fax Number	07 4093 5413
Email Address	principal.dimbulah@cns.catholic.edu.au
Web Site	http://www.sta.qld.edu.au
Total Enrolments	43
Year Levels Offered	P-6
Student Population	Co-Educational
Principal	Ms Kath Porter
Parish Priest	Fr John Sullivan
Parish Number	(07) 4092 1077

About our School

St Anthony's Primary School is an integral part of the Catholic Education Diocese of Cairns and the Parish of St Anthony's located in Dimbulah. Our school is situated about 1.5 hours west of Cairns on the Atherton Tablelands.

The school was originally built in 1965 by Parishioners but had the dual purpose as a school during the week and a church on Sunday. In 1966 the school was staffed by the Sisters of St Joseph until the mid 80's when lay teachers were introduced. The school is situated on traditional land of the Barbarum people.

Our school has a welcoming feel with a group of dedicated and motivated parents who assist with the provision of the best educational environment possible for their children to ensure maximum outcomes for student learning.  Close relationships exists between the school and the wider community offering outreach opportunities for our students to be active participants in the mission of the Church.

St Anthony's currently offers an educational range from Prep to Year 6 (as at 2018). By putting the wellbeing and learning of all students at the centre of our teaching, we focus on individualised learning for all students.   The school is committed to the goals of inclusion and diversity within a supportive school environment.

St Anthony's School class structures are multi-age in nature with grouping of students dependent on the curriculum needs of the learner. We provide an Innovative Learning Environment catering for individuals based on each students own progress and goals. P12, 3/4, 5/6 or P-6 configurations are common and groupings vary according to student progress. The school provides a wide variety of learning experiences for students through following the Australian Curriculum in all Learning Areas and encouraging students to take ownership of their learning by tracking and engaging with their own data.

The school is considered a small rural school with 37 students currently enrolled (as at 2018).  Neighbouring schools include Dimbulah State School (Prep-Year 10) and Mutchilba State School (Prep - 6). The closest Catholic School is St Thomas of Villanova (P-6) in Mareeba.

Families are mostly from farming or cattle station backgrounds and some students travel to school from further outlying areas such as Mutchilba and Almaden, utilising the available bus services.

Characteristics of Student Body

St Anthony's is a Catholic Primary school offering a co-educational experience from Prep to Year 6.

With a total enrolment of 37 students, 13 girls and 24 boys. There are currently 2 Verified students, 3 students identifying as Indigenous and 3 students with a language other than English.

Enrolment is declining with a Demographic study conducted in the area in 2018 indicating a decline in families with young children living in the area. Student numbers at Dimbulah State School, Mutchilba State School, Kindergarten and Day Care facility have also dropped which suggests this will filter through to St Anthony's in the coming years.

The area has become attractive for families from South African to settle on farms. Students from these families speak Afrikaans as their main language.

With many businesses closed in Dimbulah, opportunities for employment are limited. Many families are moving to Mareeba for work and moving their children for convenience to schools in Mareeba.

School Annual Improvement

Priorities for 2018:

St Anthony's School through consultation developed the following goals for their School Annual Improvement Plan. The complete document can be found on the CES website.

—     For students to experience growth in writing.  Collecting, analysing and monitoring data to inform best practice in the classroom by using the rubrics created by CES to develop consistency. Develop a Sequence and Scope to reflect current changes in integrated unit plans and to upskill teachers in their pedagogy through working individually with the CES Literacy Coach throughout the year. In 2019 Writing will continue to be a focus to ensure students are experiencing measured gains in their writing across the school.

—     To embed the Catholic Ethos and Charism in the school by identifying 'what', 'how' and 'who' in the Religious Life of the School document. Staff engagement and embedding in our planning the charisms of the school with St Anthony and St Mary of the Cross MacKillop.

—     A focus on the improvement of student achievement in Writing was evident in 2018 at St Anthony's and tracking of student data showed individual gains in writing.  Our Literacy coach facilitated reflective practices in order to improve the quality of instruction and therefore student learning outcomes.

—     In 2018, St Anthony's also placed a large emphasis on whole school planning.  The school invested considerable time and money to develop a basic level of planning for the whole school with the aim to improve consistency and increase the standard of planning and delivery of the curriculum across the school in a multi-age setting.

Future direction in curriculum planning will be to cater for the increase in EAL/D students and differentiating for all our learners in a small school setting.

Distinctive Curriculum Offerings

St Anthony's offers curriculum flexibility in its multi-age setting. Students are not bound by a year level but data is collected, individual students are tracked and teaching is differentiated for each student or small group. Class structures are typically P12, 3/4 and 5/6 with very small classes, typically less than 14 students. Class structure flexibility allows students to move within the school and grouped in Literacy and Numeracy according to their needs.

Considerable time was spent in 2017 and 2018 writing multi-age units to accommodate the changing demographics of the school. Curriculum areas are addressed through 'conceptual threads' linking content descriptors. Students are reported against the Achievement standards of their year level.

Extra Curricular Activities

Students are encouraged to participate in extra curricular activities when they are available. A specialist music teacher provided instrumental lessons in 2018 and many students were selected for District and Peninsular sports. Availability of staff and declining numbers continues to restrict availability of activities. Many students travel to nearby Mareeba or Atherton each afternoon to access available facilities.

Social Climate

St Anthony's School is committed to ensuring that links are maintained with various agencies, organisations and groups within the wider community.  Integral to the mission of St Anthony's School is our commitment to supporting parents as the first and primary educators of their children.  We assume the belief that schooling is a partnership operation. Being a small school creates a family atmosphere at St Anthony's. The other benefit of a small school is the capacity for everyone to become involved in the social and family orientated events held each year.

Pastorally our families are close and support each other in times of need. The school has a positive behaviour management system in place in each classroom and any bullying incidents are reported through the staff and then followed up by the Principal with individual meetings with students and parents should the need arise. A school counsellor is available to students and will contact parents regularly to monitor student progress.

Parent Engagement

St Anthony's School is fortunate to have a significant level of parent involvement within the school community.  Parents contribute to and support the school in various ways:-

• School Reading - parent volunteers in the classroom
• Participation in school celebrations including Whole School liturgies & assemblies
• Sporting Events and Carnivals
• Regular Parents and Friends Meetings
• Parent Information Evenings
• Working Bees and social events
• International Food Day
• Under 8's Day
• Leadership Camp
• Catholic Education Week Mass
• Sacramental Programs
• Fundraising events such as Wheelbarrow Race, Lions Festival and the Mutchilba Dinner

Parent Satisfaction

Satisfaction Survey Data indicates:

—     95% of parents agree that St Anthony's is a welcoming caring community where everyone is treated with respect and have confidence in the teaching staff

—     90% of parents respect the school leadership team and agree that the policies and procedures are clearly documented and easily accessible and the school provides a high quality of service

—     95% of parents agreed that relevant information is conveyed clearly and in a timely manner

—     100% of parents agreed St Anthony's has a good reputation in the local community would recommend it to others and that the school treats students from all backgrounds with respect

—     90% of parents agreed that each child is encouraged to achieve to the best of their ability, are provided with clear information on how to support their child's development and are prepared for the technological demands of our world

—     80% of parents agreed the school helps students to be involved in a range of co-curricular school based clubs, sports and activities

—     95% of parents agreed if they need more information about the school's student protection processes they know where to go

—     95% of parents agreed the school clearly communicates expectations and rules for student behaviour

—     100% of parents agreed the grounds and facilities are well-maintained and classrooms are well presented, stimulating places for learning

Data Last Updated Wed 19 Jun 2019