Plan in place for a better future for Katanning Senior High School

A town’s determination to get its high school back on track is reaping rewards in the classroom and in the community.

Katanning Senior High School was the subject of a tough Department of Education review in 2015, when the Department’s Expert Review Group was brought in to look at falling student performance and low staff morale.

The review said parts of the community had lost confidence in the school.

“The perceived decline in student performance, an exodus of teachers and a lack of authentic engagement have resulted in the deterioration in the relationship between the school and the wider community,” the report said.

At the time, parent Ian Hanna was quoted in a story in The West Australian, voicing his concerns about the long-term impacts on Katanning of families sending their children elsewhere for their education.

Four years later, Mr Hanna is the chairman of the school board and has been instrumental in the development of the board’s new strategic plan. The board’s plan, a partnership between the school, parents, the Shire of Katanning and local businesses, was launched in August.

The launch was attended by more than 50 people and catered for by students from the high school’s new hospitality course.

The plan identifies four focus areas: positive promotion, investigating future opportunities, building strong partnerships and communicating effectively.

One idea is to develop an “entrepreneurial approach” to partnership with local businesses and organisations to sustain the school and help the students.

Mr Hanna said the board wanted to create a positive vision for the future of education in Katanning which the community could then work towards.

“We are wanting out of this process to build strong working relationships with local government, local business groups, primary schools, TAFE, and parents,” Mr Hanna said.

“All these relationships will be about creating young adults that are well educated, job ready and well equipped to be active valuable members of our communities.”

After the school went through its review, it operated under several acting principals.

Carolyn Cook came out of retirement to take the full-time position as principal last year.

Ms Cook, who was named WA principal of the year at Hedland Senior High School in 2009, has a reputation for turning schools around.

This year’s results at Katanning SHS are expected to be the best in about five years.

Ms Cook said there had been “significant inroads” on students outcomes, including fewer School of Isolated and Distance Education courses. She said the board had put a lot of work into formulating the strategic plan and getting the community involved.

“We are working very hard to move the school in a positive direction in every way can,” she said.