Edmonton School

Edmonton School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within six months of the Education Review Office and Edmonton School working in Te Ara Huarau, an improvement evaluation approach 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 

Edmonton School is a Years 1 to 6 school in Te Atatū, Auckland. The school’s vision is Working Together: Achieving Together – Mahi Tahi Tātou and the values of Respect, Responsibility and Resilience are promoted throughout the school.

Edmonton School hosts a satellite class for Arohanui Special School. The school is a member of the Te Atatū Kāhui Ako - Te Hapori o ngā Kura o Te Atatū.

Edmonton School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

  • students learn, achieve, and progress in the breadth and depth of The New Zealand Curriculum, participating in caring, collaborative and inclusive learning communities

  • deliberate acts of teaching within cognitively rich classrooms are targeted to students’ learning needs

  • effective culturally responsive pedagogy supports and promotes student learning

  • the school and the community are engaged in reciprocal learning-centred relationships

  • leadership collaboratively develops and pursues the school’s vision, goals and targets for equity and excellence

  • the board actively represents and serves the school and education community in its governance role.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how well specific initiatives and explicit teaching in mathematics and statistics promote equity and excellence across the school.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

  • achievement data over the past three years has shown a Covid impact in mathematics achievement which the school is addressing through its strategic priorities

  • there are a number of interventions in place to address learning needs in mathematics

  • Te Atatū Kāhui Ako has a specific focus on mathematics and statistics, with a programme of professional learning and development for teachers and leaders.

The school expects to see consistency in mathematical teaching across the school so that learners are engaged, confident, successful and well-supported to take charge of their own learning goals.

Strengths

Edmonton School can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to evaluate how well specific initiatives and explicit teaching in mathematics and statistics promote equity and excellence across the school:

  • a school culture of genuine care and respect for all learners and their whānau

  • teachers and leaders are committed to new learning

  • a collaborative teaching and learning environment within the school and across the Te Atatū Kāhui Ako

  • a strongly supportive school board which promotes a holistic approach to learning.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • reviewing and evaluating practices and achievement information to identify which interventions have been successful in raising achievement

  • improving equity and increasing student achievement overall by developing a local curriculum which reflects and responds to the cultures represented in the school

  • coaching and mentoring strategies for leaders to lead and monitor professional learning for teachers

  • strengthening home school partnerships to engage parents and whānau in reciprocal learning-centred relationships

  • continuing connections with other schools to embed the use of learning progressions and the shared understanding effective practices in mathematics and statistics.

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

17 October 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

Edmonton School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2023 to 2026

As of September 2023, the Edmonton School 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

Further Information

For further information please contact Edmonton 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

17 October 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

Edmonton School - 31/01/2019

School Context

Edmonton School in Te Atatu South caters for children in Years 1 to 6. Many children and families in the multicultural community speak more than one language. An enrolment zone assists the school to manage roll growth. A satellite unit for Arohanui Special School is also located at the school.

The schools’ vision, ‘Mahi Tahi Tātou’ is about an environment where everyone works and achieves together. The ‘Edmonton Way’ supports children to understand and apply the school’s values of respect, resilience and responsibility.

The school’s strategic plan identifies goals to promote children’s learning and the vision for learners. Detailed actions to reach achievement targets in reading, writing and mathematics are also included.

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

  • achievement in reading, writing and mathematics

  • target learners and acceleration programmes

  • programmes for children with additional learning needs

  • children’s wellbeing.

Since ERO’s 2015 evaluation:

  • new leadership positions and structures have been introduced to foster shared responsibility and involvement in school direction

  • leaders and teachers have participated in many relevant professional development programmes to support positive learning outcomes for children.

Edmonton School is a member of the Te Atatu Kāhui Ako | Community of Learning (CoL).

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?

Edmonton School is achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for many children.

The school has a clear focus on preparing children to be the best learners they can be. As a result of this focus, achievement information overtime shows that the large majority of children achieve at expected curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics.

Over the last three years achievement levels in reading, writing and mathematics have been consistent. School data indicate improved achievement for Māori children in literacy and mathematics. Leaders and teachers are aware of the disparity for Pacific children in literacy and mathematics. They continue to investigate strategies to accelerate Pacific children’s progress.

The school’s valued learning outcomes have recently been reviewed and endorsed by the community. Leaders and teachers support children to:

  • collaborate with, learn from and support the learning of others

  • demonstrate the Edmonton values in everyday school life

  • experience relationships founded on care and respect.

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

The school responds well to all children whose learning needs accelerating.

Leaders and teachers identify children who are at risk of not achieving in literacy and mathematics. They place a high priority on responding to the learning needs of children who need to make accelerated progress.

Teachers use achievement information well to inform teaching programmes. Good schoolwide processes are maintained to monitor, analyse and report children’s progress. Numerous in-class and additional learning support programmes are in place to accelerate the progress of children who are not yet at expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics.

The school charter and annual planning have a clear, strategic focus on building teachers’ professional capacity. In 2017 and 2018 writing has been a major curriculum and professional development focus. Analysis of 2018 writing achievement data demonstrates the effectiveness of this initiative, with 75 percent of all target children and 75 percent of Māori and Pacific children making accelerated progress in writing.

Teachers’ ongoing professional learning and a range of support programmes have resulted in an increased number of boys achieving at expectation in writing. As a result the gender disparity in writing has significantly reduced.

Leaders, teachers and teacher aides respond well to children with additional learning needs. Children are supported to experience success. Inclusive in-class programmes and the provision of additional specialist teaching programmes contribute to their wellbeing and opportunities to learn.

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?

School leadership is very effective. Leaders collaboratively promote and model the school’s vision, values and priorities for equity and excellence. They provide a highly supportive learning environment that is conducive to meeting children’s diverse needs. Leaders promote high levels of trust with staff, parents, whānau and the community.

Leaders are outward looking and have a planned approach to building teachers’ capability. They provide opportunities for teacher collaboration and inquiry. Deliberate and well considered professional learning programmes are impacting positively on teachers’ practice and outcomes for students.

Children learn and achieve in the richness, breadth and depth of the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC). A strong emphasis is placed on reading, writing and mathematics. The curriculum is inclusive, authentic and relevant, and continues to evolve to meet the diverse needs of children.

The curriculum emphasises:

  • opportunities for children to learn languages other than English

  • inclusive programmes that cater well for all children’s needs, strengths, and abilities

  • opportunities for children to experience success in co-curricular programmes

  • programmes that support children’s wellbeing.

Students are highly engaged in their learning. They benefit from respectful collaborative learning relationships with teachers and their peers. Their learning needs and strengths are identified and well catered for by classroom teachers and teacher aides.

Thoughtful, caring and inclusive transition practices are a feature of Edmonton School. Transitions from early learning centres, through the school and on to intermediate school are well considered, with the needs of individual children kept to the fore.

The board’s charter and strategic planning documents prioritise parent and whānau engagement and communication. Trustees, leaders and teachers have successfully brokered greater parent, whānau, and community involvement in learning programmes and in the life of the school. Leaders provide very detailed progress and achievement reports to the board. This enables trustees to make resourcing decisions to further support positive learning outcomes for children.

Over time, evaluation, inquiry, and knowledge building have become an integral part of school operations. The school has a planned approach to internal evaluation that includes the perspectives of children, whānau and teachers. Significant links within the local area and with the wider educational community are used well to provide improved outcomes for children.

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

School developments over the past two years have contributed to improved outcomes for children. The school’s planned priorities are appropriate and include continuing:

  • the professional learning focus on bicultural and culturally responsive practices

  • to develop strategies that support children to take ownership of their learning and increasing e-learning opportunities.

The schoolwide development of portfolios that document children’s learning over time is a useful next consideration. This document could also record and track how well the school is achieving its valued outcomes.

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.

4 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

  • leadership that builds relational trust and empowers staff

  • caring and inclusive learning environments that are responsive to children’s diverse learning needs

  • a curriculum that continues to evolve and meet the interests, needs and strengths of all children.

Next steps

For sustained improvement and future learner success, priorities for further development are in:

  • further strengthening the collective capacity of the school community to promote and enhance bicultural awareness and practices

  • continuing to increase students’ ownership of their learning, including through digital proficiency, to build their sense of agency

  • investigating systems to track, monitor and document children’s learning development over time.

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

ERO is likely to carry out the next external evaluation in three years.

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services

Te Tai Raki - Northern Region

31 January 2019

About the school

Location

Te Atatu South, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

1266

School type

Contributing (Year 1-6)

School roll

261

Gender composition

Boys 52% Girls 48%

Ethnic composition

Māori 23%
Pākehā 23%
Asian 29%
Samoan 10%
other Pacific 11%
other ethnic groups 4%

Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS)

Yes

Provision of Māori medium education

No

Review team on site

November 2018

Date of this report

31 January 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review December 2015
Education Review November 2013
Education Review May 2010