Aranui School (Wanganui)

Education institution number:
2336
School type:
Contributing
School gender:
Co-Educational
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
80
Telephone:
Address:

Aranui Avenue, Whanganui

View on map

Aranui School (Wanganui)

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 18 months of the Education Review Office and Aranui School Wanganui working in Te Ara Huarau, an improvement evaluation approach used in most English Medium State and State Integrated Schools. For more information about Te Ara Huarau see ERO’s website. www.ero.govt.nz

Context 

Aranui School is a coeducational primary school that provides education for children from year 1 to year 6. It is located in Castlecliff, Whanganui.

Aranui School Wanganui’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

  • Responsive Curriculum: children will experience and learn with a student-centred, future focussed, culturally responsive curriculum.

  • Connection: the whole school community will be actively engaged in all that happens at Aranui School.

  • Culture: everyone involved with Aranui School will feel welcome and safe.

  • Environment: staff will work in, and our children will learn in, a modern, attractive school environment.

A copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan can be requested from Aranui School.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how effectively the school’s learning approach supports improvement in writing for learners in years 3 to 6.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is because the school wants to know how the school’s learning approach:

  • supports learners in years 3 to 6 to improve their writing

  • builds on from the structured literacy approach used in the junior years.

The school expects to see:

  • improved rates of achievement and progress in writing from all learners in years 3 to 6

  • learner feedback that shows improved engagement, enjoyment and confidence in writing

  • schoolwide documentation of the learning progressions for writing used to identify and share each learner’s next steps in writing

  • continued use of te reo Māori that enriches the teaching and learning of writing.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to evaluate how effectively the school’s learning approach supports improvement in writing for learners in years 3 to 6:

  • school wide involvement in appropriate professional learning with external and internal experts

  • a learning environment that encourages the holistic development of each child

  • a schoolwide commitment to use te reo Māori me ona tikanga in the learning environment.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • strengthening the use of schoolwide processes to use achievement, progress and dispositional evidence to guide decision making for learning

  • continuing to use internal and external expertise to further develop teacher knowledge and shared expectations that improve the teaching of writing

  • encouraging learners with their whānau, to recognise and engage with their next steps toward quality writing

  • finding and using ways to confidently incorporate the use of te reo Māori in the teaching and learning of writing.

ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. ERO will support the school in reporting their progress to the community. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report and is due within three years.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

15 September 2023 

About the School

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement.  educationcounts.govt.nz/home

Aranui School (Wanganui)

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2023 to 2026

As of August 2023, the Aranui School Wanganui, Board has attested to the following regulatory and legislative requirements:

Board Administration

Yes

Curriculum

Yes

Management of Health, Safety and Welfare

Yes

Personnel Management

Yes

Finance

Yes

Assets

Yes

Actions for Compliance

ERO has identified the following areas of non-compliance during the board assurance process: 

  • ensure all staff employed have a current police vet. 
    [s 104 Education and Training Act 2020]

The board has since taken steps to address the areas of non-compliance identified.

Further Information

For further information please contact Aranui School Wanganui, School Board.

The next School Board assurance that it is meeting regulatory and legislative requirements will be reported, along with the Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report, within three years.

Information on ERO’s role and process in this review can be found on the Education Review Office website.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

15 September 2023 

About the School

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home

Aranui School (Wanganui) March 2021

Findings

On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO ‘s overall evaluation judgement of Aranui School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Developing.

1 Background and Context

What is the background and context for this school’s review?

Aranui School, in the Whanganui suburb of Castlecliff, caters for 67 students in Years 1 to 6 of whom 38 identify as Māori.

The valued outcome as defined by the school is for all students to ‘journey towards knowledge –
E rere te waka ki te mautauranga’. The CARE values of Cooperation, Attitude, Respect and Effort are interwoven into everything that the school does.

The August 2017 ERO report identified significant areas for improvement. Over the past two and half years the school has participated in an ERO evaluation process to support improvement. During this time trustees and staff accessed appropriate external professional learning and development to support them in their roles and practice. They have worked positively and demonstrated a determined focus on improvement.

This ERO report evaluates the progress made and how well placed the school now is to sustain continuous improvement.

2 Review and Development

How effectively is the school addressing its priorities for review and development?

Priorities identified for review and development

The key priorities for review and development related to governance, school practices and

operation to promote positive learning outcomes and accelerate the progress of all students. Areas of focus to support this have included:

  • revision and development of curriculum
  • better use of student progress data by teachers and strengthening the targeting of, and response to, students below expectation
  • better implementation of processes supporting building of teacher capability
  • reporting student achievement and progress to trustees to further assist their decision-making
  • improving collective capacity to understand and use evaluation and inquiry.
Progress

Systems and processes have been developed and implemented to support leaders and teachers to track, monitor, record and report student learning and wellbeing. Teachers use a wide range of assessment tools to support their overall judgements for student achievement and progress.

End of 2019 school reported data indicates that the majority of students, including Māori, achieved at or above expectation. 2019 mathematics data indicates that just over half of the students identified in the annual targets made accelerated progress. Disparity for boys was evident in writing. Writing data was used to inform the professional learning focus for teachers in 2020.

Staff know students well and are collectively responsible for all learners. They use a range of effective strategies to support students to be engaged in their learning. Respectful, reciprocal relationships across the school support a sense of belonging and wellbeing for students.

Leadership has effectively led staff in developing and documenting the school’s curriculum. This includes expectations to guide teaching and learning. It is aligned to The New Zealand Curriculum and reflects the school’s priorities and learning approaches. The principal, in collaboration with teachers, has identified their cultural responsiveness. From this the school has identified actions and strategies needed to build leader and teacher capability to promote Māori to achieve educational success as Māori.

Building capability of leaders and teachers has been deliberate. Teachers have participated in professional learning to support their practice in mathematics. Teachers use achievement information well to identify the needs of individual, and groups of students, and plan and teach accordingly.

Useful systems and processes are in place to support building teacher capability, including teacher inquiry, and are aligned to the school wide achievement goals. These systems are evidenced based, focused on student outcomes and identify changes needed in teacher practice. The process also includes observation of teaching and learning and practice analysis conversations.

Trustees are well informed about a range of school operations and practices. They continue to access training through New Zealand Schools Trustee Association. This supports them to have a clearer understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Trustees are developing greater confidence to ask relevant questions when presented with achievement and wellbeing reports.

Key next steps

ERO and the board agree that key next steps for the school are to:

  • continue to support students to have more understanding and ownership of their learning
  • embed the localised curriculum
  • use internal evaluation processes to determine the impact and effectiveness of innovations, initiatives and teaching approaches on improved learning and wellbeing outcomes for all students.

3 Sustainable performance and self review

How well placed is the school to sustain and continue to improve and review its performance?

The school has improved its capacity to sustain, improve and review its performance. The principal and staff have worked in a focused way to address areas identified in the previous ERO report and are working collaboratively to lead the school forward. They are focused on continuing to improve student achievement.

The school’s continuing involvement in professional learning effectively supports leaders and teachers to promote positive learning outcomes for students.

Board assurance on legal requirements

Before the review, the board of trustees and principal of the school completed the ERO Board Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklists. In these documents they attested that they had taken all reasonable steps to meet their legislative obligations related to:

  • board administration
  • curriculum
  • management of health, safety and welfare
  • personnel management
  • financial management
  • asset management.

During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student achievement:

  • emotional safety of students (including prevention of bullying and sexual harassment)
  • physical safety of students
  • teacher registration
  • processes for appointing staff
  • stand-downs, suspensions, expulsions and exclusions
  • attendance
  • school policies in relation to meeting the requirements of the Children’s Act 2014.

Conclusion

The school has improved its capacity to sustain, improve and review its performance. The principal and staff have worked in a focused way to address areas identified in the previous ERO report and are working well together to lead the school forward. They are focused on continuing to improve student achievement.

On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO ‘s overall evaluation judgement of Aranui School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Developing.

ERO’s Framework: Overall Findings and Judgement Tool derived from School Evaluation Indicators: Effective Practice for Improvement and Learner Success is available on ERO’s website.

Phil Cowie

Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)

Central Region - Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

15 March 2021

About the school

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement.