Baradene College

Education institution number:
61
School type:
Secondary (Year 7-15)
School gender:
Single Sex (Girls School)
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
1464
Telephone:
Address:

237 Victoria Avenue, Remuera, Auckland

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Baradene College

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within six months of the Education Review Office and Baradene College 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 

Baradene College is in Remuera, Auckland and is a Catholic girls’ school that provides a special character education for students from Years 7 to 13. The school’s mission statement is: To provide a loving community of learning in the ethos and spirit of the Society of the Sacred Heart which empowers the growth of confident young women to be leaders of the future. Baradene College’s aspiration for each student ‘extends far beyond challenging them to reach their academic potential’ with the goal being for every student to leave the school ready to succeed as a global citizen.

Baradene College’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for students are:

  • Special Character

  • Te Tiriti o Waitangi

  • Curriculum and academic accomplishment

  • Empowering lifelong learners

  • Our loving learning community.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Baradene College’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how effectively achievement data informs teaching practice and supports students’ academic progress.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to:

  • ensure student progress and achievement outcomes are consistently equitable and excellent for all

  • further embed the use of robust and accurate achievement data to support student achievement.

The school expects to see:

  • teachers actively engaged in analysing data and using it in their planning and teaching to identify the gaps in learning outcomes for their students

  • students demonstrating increased agency and self-efficacy in their learning to achieve equity and excellence in their achievement outcomes.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to use achievement data more effectively:

  • high engagement of students in their learning which results in strong levels of academic achievement

  • a collaborative professional learning environment ensures excellent teaching so students achieve to their potential

  • a positive, supportive school culture that promotes a sense of belonging.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • continuing professional learning for teachers to embed the use of robust and accurate achievement data in teaching and learning

  • developing the Academic Deans’ role to support students to achieve their academic potential

  • engaging in research-based projects to review and identify practices to further enhance equitable and excellent outcomes for all.

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

24 August 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

Baradene College

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2023 to 2026

As of April 2023, the Baradene College 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

Yet to confirm

Assets

Yes

Further Information

For further information please contact Baradene College, 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

24 August 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

Baradene College

Provision for International Students Report

Background

The Education Review Office reviews schools that are signatories to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020.

Findings

Baradene College is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code and has completed an annual self-review of its implementation of the Code.

At the time of this review there were 39 international students attending the school, and no exchange students.

International students benefit from the school’s inclusive culture and pastoral care. They are well supported to integrate into the school’s community and receive good English language tuition to complement classroom teaching and learning programmes. Students have opportunities to participate in a range of leadership and co-curricular activities at school and in the community. Well-considered processes for monitoring and responding to student wellbeing, academic progress and achievement are in place. Effective internal evaluation in the international department informs ongoing improvement of processes, practices and systems to enhance students’ experiences.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

24 August 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

Baradene College - 08/06/2018

School Context

Baradene College is a Catholic girls’ school that provides a special character education for students from Year 7 to Year 13. There are currently 1274 students enrolled at the school. Eleven percent are Māori and five percent are of Pacific heritages. Baradene College is part of an international network of Sacred Heart schools established by Saint Madeline Sophie Barat in France in 1800.

The school is guided by its motto ‘Cor Unum’ (One Heart, One Mind in the Heart of Jesus Christ). Its mission is to provide the conditions where students are “prepared to make a difference with self knowledge, energy and purpose through an outstanding education in the tradition of the Society of the Sacred Heart”. Baradene College promotes a holistic education that develops students’ spiritual, academic, cultural and sporting dimensions.

Baradene College’s strategic goals aim to provide students with a Religious Education curriculum that is challenging, relevant and engaging. To this end, the goals centre on developing:

  • special character

  • relationships with tangata whenua

  • curriculum and academic accomplishment

  • a loving learning community.

The school sets high global achievement targets in the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) for all students including Maori and Pacific students. Goals are also set for achievement in NCEA merit and excellence endorsements and scholarships. Achievement in literacy and numeracy for Year 7 to 10 students is targeted as well.

Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, schoolwide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:

  • academic progress and achievement for all groups of students

  • student engagement, wellbeing and attendance over time

  • student success and participation in sporting and cultural activities

  • progress against the school’s strategic goals.

The board of trustees has good relationships with Baradene College Limited (BCL), the school’s landlord, responsible for developing the school property for effective learning. It also has close ties with the school’s Parent Teachers’ Association (PTA). Local and international alumnae maintain strong relationships with the school and promote role modelling and mentoring for current students.

Since the 2013 ERO review, two new senior leaders have been appointed. Recent schoolwide professional learning and development has focused on differentiation and the use of digital tools in teaching and learning, and teachers’ reflective teaching practice.

Evaluation Findings

1 Equity and excellence – achievement of valued outcomes for students

1.1 How well is the school achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all its students?

Baradene College is successfully achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for its students.

Achievement information shows very high levels of student success in the NCEA over time for all groups of students, including Māori and Pacific. There are high levels of retention through to the senior school.

The school’s achievement data show that the vast majority of students achieve in NCEA well above national averages and in schools of a similar type. This includes:

  • NCEA Levels 1, 2 and 3

  • merit and excellence endorsements

  • University Entrance (UE)

  • scholarships in a range of learning areas.

Year 7 to 10 students achieve very well in literacy and mathematics.

Other valued outcomes evident in the school include students who:

  • respect and enact the Sacred Heart special character

  • demonstrate confidence and resilience

  • are capable, lifelong learners.

1.2 How well is the school accelerating learning for those Māori and other students who need this?

The school is very effectively accelerating learning for students whose learning needs accelerating.

The school has very good systems to identify students whose learning needs acceleration. Student achievement is carefully tracked and monitored by teachers and leaders. Achievement data show that students make accelerated progress during their time at the school.

The school’s Learning Centre caters very well for students requiring additional support with their learning. Students have a range of opportunities to access personalised and flexible strategies that enhance their learning pathway. Coordination between students, teachers, deans and external agencies ensures that students are able to participate well in appropriate and supportive learning programmes.

Students who are English speakers of other languages (ESOL) achieve successfully. They participate in relevant learning programmes and are fully integrated in the school’s inclusive culture.

2 School conditions for equity and excellence – processes and practices

2.1 What school processes and practices are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence, and acceleration of learning?

High quality school leadership supports equity and excellence through a considered approach and careful alignment with strategic goals.

School leaders build relational trust and collaboration at every level of the school community. This promotes a challenging and supportive professional environment. The school culture focused on growth, wellbeing and a deep respect for intellectual values encourages students to enact the college’s mission and achieve their personal best.

The spirit of leadership is fostered in students. Years 7 to 13 students lead a variety of initiatives that include service to the community, peer tutoring, and sporting and cultural events. This enables students to develop self efficacy and reflects the school’s special character.

Baradene College’s responsive curriculum enables students’ individual strengths and talents to flourish, and students excel in a range of learning areas. Collaborative learning is promoted through problem solving and critical thinking opportunities in real world contexts. Students learn social responsibility and develop a meaningful sense of service to others. Programmes are increasingly responsive to students’ cultural backgrounds, particularly Māori and Pacific cultures.

Teachers ensure that their teaching is relevant and authentic. High quality professional staff share clear expectations for student learning, progress, achievement and wellbeing. They contribute to the wider education community and lead professional networks to promote innovation and expertise across the curriculum.

The school benefits from close engagement with community groups and local and international partnerships. Relationships from these networks promote curriculum innovation and high quality learning opportunities for students. These opportunities help raise students’ global awareness and cultural interaction. Baradene College’s deepening partnership with local iwi, Ngāti Whatua, provides opportunities for a rich localised curriculum.

Positive and affirming relationships underpin learning success. Parents feel valued as active participants in their daughters’ learning and engage in an extensive range of school activities. This all supports the school’s strategic commitment to students’ wellbeing.

Internal evaluation is used very well to support equity and excellence. Cycles of deep evaluation, inquiry and knowledge building are purposeful and an integral part of the school’s culture. These cycles enable the use of information at student, classroom, teacher and school community levels to promote ongoing improvement.

2.2 What further developments are needed in school processes and practices for achievement of equity and excellence, and acceleration of learning?

To sustain and further support equity and excellence, the school leaders will continue:

  • evolving the school’s curriculum to ensure it is authentic and relevant for students and supports their future pathways

  • building on partnerships with local iwi and international networks.

3 Board assurance on legal requirements

Before the review, the board 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 the following:

  • board administration

  • curriculum

  • management of health, safety and welfare

  • personnel management

  • finance

  • asset management.

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

  • emotional safety of students (including prevention of bullying and sexual harassment)

  • physical safety of students

  • teacher registration and certification

  • processes for appointing staff

  • stand down, suspension, expulsion and exclusion of students

  • attendance

  • school policies in relation to meeting the requirements of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014.

Provision for international students

At the time of this review there were 59 international students attending the school. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code.The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of International Students) Code of Practice 2016 (the Code) established under section 238F of the Education Act 1989.

Baradene College has very effective systems and practices to ensure the quality of education and pastoral care for international students. Students’ progress and achievement is well monitored and student course selections are carefully considered and personalised. Students integrate well into the school’s education community.

4 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

For sustained improvement and future learner success, the school can draw on existing strengths in:

  • very effective school leadership that has a strategic focus on equity and excellence

  • a responsive curriculum that engages students in learning

  • high levels of professional capability that promote innovation and expertise across the curriculum

  • robust internal evaluation that supports ongoing development and improvement.

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

ERO is likely to carry out the next external evaluation in four-to-five years.

Julie Foley

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)

Te Tai Raki - Northern Region

8 June 2018

About the school

Location

Remuera, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

61

School type

Secondary (Years 7-13)

School roll

1274

Gender composition

Girls 100%

Ethnic composition

Pākehā 59%
Māori 8%
other 33%

Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS)

Yes

Provision of Māori medium education

No

Review team on site

May 2018

Date of this report

8 June 2018

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review October 2013
Education Review November 2010
Education Review July 2007