Annual Report to the School Community

There are a number of updates to the structure and measures used in the performance summary this year – refer to the School performance summary for the 2023 Annual Report chapter in the Guidance tab for further information.

Policy

This policy sets out the requirement for schools to develop an Annual Report to the School Community (Annual Report).

Summary

• It is a legislative requirement that all Victorian government schools prepare an Annual Report by 30 April each year, and that this includes specific information on student outcomes, attendance and financial activities.
• The Annual Report must be endorsed at a meeting of school council and attested to by the principal and school council president in the Strategic Planning Online Tool (SPOT) (staff login required).
• Annual Reports are provided by the department to the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority for publication on the State Register.

Details

The Annual Report provides an opportunity to share the school’s achievements and progress with the school community.

The preparation and publication of an Annual Report is a legislative and regulatory requirement for all schools under the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic), the Education and Training Reform Regulations (2017) and Ministerial Order 1280 (Constitution of Government School Councils) (DOCX).

The Annual Report is prepared in 2 parts:

• the performance summary, which details the school’s performance from the past year and trends over time. This is compiled by the department and is downloadable via the performance summary tab of the Annual Report in SPOT
• the ‘About our school’ commentary, which is prepared by the principal and outlines the achievements of the school in the previous year.

The Annual Report must be endorsed at a meeting of school council and attested to by the principal and school council president in SPOT.

The Annual Report must be presented to the school community via a public meeting of the school council, and is published on the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) State Register.

The Guidance tab includes advice for completing the Annual Report.

Exemptions from completing an Annual Report

All schools are required to complete an Annual Report for the school year, except for:

• new schools that were not in operation for the full school year, including those formed through a merger or de-merger
• schools that closed during the school year, including schools that formed part of merged or de-merged schools.

Note: If the school has been de-staffed, the Senior Education Improvement Leader should contact improvement.support@education.vic.gov.au

Guidance for non-compliant schools

Principals of schools that are not compliant with the Minimum Standards for school registration or Child Safe Standards cannot attest to the Annual Report. Schools that have received advice they are not compliant, or are concerned that this may be the case, must contact the department’s School Compliance Unit for support to become compliant, by phone: 03 9084 8788 or email: school.compliance@education.vic.gov.au

Guidance for hub and annexe schools

Schools in hub and annexe arrangements must each have a stand-alone Annual Report, with endorsement by the respective school council and attestation by the school council president. Principals of annexe schools can contact spot.support@education.vic.gov.au for technical assistance.

Related policies

• Annual Implementation Plan (AIP)
• Framework for Improving Student Outcomes (FISO)
• Minimum Standards and School Registration
• School Strategic Plan

Relevant legislation

• Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic)
• Education and Training Reform Regulations 2017 (Vic)
• Ministerial Order 1280