Hoxton+Park+PS

Team Members: Brian van Magill, Jenny Slatter, Josie Ohrynowsky, Kate Harvey, Voulla Marinos
 * __Hoxton Park PS __**
 * Project Coordinator/Facilitator: David Leydon **

Hoxton Park Public School is situated in a developing residential area on the western edge of Liverpool. The school has been at its present site for 8 years and has state of the art facilities. The school was initially established over one hundred and ten years ago and remained very small until the 1990s.
 * __Context statement __**

Hoxton Park Public School has 616 students in 25 classes organised in Stage groups. Apart from Kindergarten, each Stage has been structured so that there is an extension class and a learning difficulties class per stage. This enables all students to work at their level. The majority of support time is targeted towards the learning difficulties classes. A total of 70% of students come from a Non English Speaking Background (NESB). A total of forty different languages are spoken. A total of thirty students have an Aboriginal / Torres Strait Island background. Teaching and learning programs continue to foster a greater awareness and understanding of Aboriginal history among all students and staff.

The school’s mission statement is: //to understand ourselves, others and the world in which we live.// The school motto is //Live to Learn.// The school provides opportunities for all students to develop their full potential through continual and effective evaluation processes. Change is adopted where necessary to ensure intended outcomes are achieved.

**__ Research Question __** How can the explicit teaching of visual and critical literacy utilising authentic texts, improve students’ outcomes in reading comprehension, particularly enhancing engagement by connecting with the text and shifting comprehension levels beyond the literal?

