Student numbers There are 207 students with 102 girls and 105 boys. Indigenous students make up 50 percent and 2 percent are from a non English speaking background. According to the My School website, the attendance rate of students is 72%. Academically 97% of the students are in the bottom quarter compared to the Australian average. When looking at the statistics in relation to the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA), the socio-economic status is indexed at 777, well below the national average which is indexed at 1000. Therefore there are many challenges teaching in Red Town, including the gap in academic levels between high and low achieving students. Poverty is also an issue that impacts on teaching and learning. Other factors related to poverty that place children at-risk for academic failure are: very young, single or low educational level parents; unemployment; abuse and neglect; substance abuse; homelessness; mobility; and lack of exposure to western ‘cultural capital’ educational experiences. All of these factors are present in Red Town. Though despite the at-risk nature of a number of the students, there are numerous advantages to working in Red Town including the fact that the school is relatively well financed and class sizes are small, especially in the senior years.
My School Website Data
Finances Red Town receives upwards of $22,000 per student (My School, 2011). In addition, the school has received supplementary financial support from the Federal Government due to the attendance of the asylum seeker students. As a result the school facilities are of a high standard.
There are 207 students with 102 girls and 105 boys. Indigenous students make up 50 percent and 2 percent are from a non English speaking background. According to the My School website, the attendance rate of students is 72%. Academically 97% of the students are in the bottom quarter compared to the Australian average. When looking at the statistics in relation to the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA), the socio-economic status is indexed at 777, well below the national average which is indexed at 1000. Therefore there are many challenges teaching in Red Town, including the gap in academic levels between high and low achieving students. Poverty is also an issue that impacts on teaching and learning. Other factors related to poverty that place children at-risk for academic failure are: very young, single or low educational level parents; unemployment; abuse and neglect; substance abuse; homelessness; mobility; and lack of exposure to western ‘cultural capital’ educational experiences. All of these factors are present in Red Town.
Though despite the at-risk nature of a number of the students, there are numerous advantages to working in Red Town including the fact that the school is relatively well financed and class sizes are small, especially in the senior years.
Finances
Red Town receives upwards of $22,000 per student (My School, 2011). In addition, the school has received supplementary financial support from the Federal Government due to the attendance of the asylum seeker students. As a result the school facilities are of a high standard.