Green Bay Primary School

1 Context

The board comprises a mix of new and experienced trustees. The school has a positive ERO reporting history. Since the 2013 ERO review a new principal has been appointed and a new school leadership team formed.

2 Equity and excellence

The vision and valued outcomes defined by the school for all children are to grow the heart, the mind and the spirit. Respect, excellence, aroha and integrity form the set of school values. These values are seen as important in nurturing children’s learning.

The school’s achievement information shows that since 2013 approximately three-quarters of Māori children achieved at or above the National Standards in reading. This level of achievement is comparable to other children in the school over the past three years.

Over a third of Māori children since 2013 achieved below National Standards for writing and mathematics. In these learning areas, a quarter of other children achieved below National Standards.

The board, school leaders and teachers have responded to this disparity by exploring ways to raise achievement, particularly in writing and mathematics. Action plans for 2016 indicate that school leaders and teachers have prioritised accelerating the progress of Māori children who are at risk of underachieving in these two learning areas.

While numbers of Māori children at each Year level are small, school data indicates the benefit of children remaining at the same school for a period of time. For 2015, all Māori children in
Year 6 achieved at and above National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics.

School leaders are aware of the need for a concerted drive to accelerate the progress of children who are newly enrolled at Year 7 and 8 and are at risk of underachieving.

Since the last ERO evaluation the school has:

• further strengthened  te reo and tikanga Māori to support Māori children as confident, successful learners
• increased opportunities for parents to participate and contribute to their children's learning
• enhanced the school curriculum to ensure that all children benefit from being engaged in the depth and breadth of The New Zealand Curriculum.

3 Accelerating achievement

How effectively does this school respond to Māori children whose learning and achievement need acceleration?

The school is developing a plan to respond consistently well to Māori children whose learning and achievement needs acceleration. School data show that achievement outcomes for Māori students and for boys, are consistently lower than that for females and non-Māori in the school. Teachers identify Māori children at risk of not achieving equitable outcomes and track their progress and achievement in relation to the National Standards.

To address the disparity in 2015 achievement data, the board has requested more frequent and accessible information from school leaders about how well groups of learners are progressing. Trustees are committed to a more responsive approach to accelerating the progress of children who are at risk of not achieving. They also want assurance that the investment in new teaching approaches is having a positive impact for learners.

School leaders have plans to address the variable success of approaches being used across the school to accelerate Māori children’s achievement. Some worthwhile initiatives such as professional learning and development groups have been established to support teachers to reflect on and discuss ways they can best cater for children’s individual learning requirements.

The school successfully accelerates the progress of Māori children involved in interventions that have the express purpose of achieving this goal. School leaders recognise the importance of continuing to advocate and embed school-wide, the principles and practices promoted by these targeted interventions.

How effectively does this school respond to other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration?

The variable success in accelerating the progress of Māori children is apparent in the school’s provision for all children. School leaders are developing a more coordinated plan to recognise and promote the very good work being done in some areas of school operations such as those identified in the previous section of this report.

A quarter of Pacific children achieve below National Standards, comparable to most children in the school. As with Māori children, they have opportunities to use their prior experiences and knowledge as part of their learning. The cultural identities of children from different Pacific Island nations are respected by teachers.

Children with special needs are well catered for. School leaders coordinate a well-considered special education needs programme that responds to these children’s individual learning and wellbeing requirements. Responsive in-class and specialist teaching approaches support children to progress towards, and in some cases achieve at National Standards.

4 School conditions

How effectively do the school’s curriculum and other organisational processes and practices develop and enact the school’s vision, values, goals and targets for equity and excellence?

The school’s curriculum and other organisational processes and practices are mostly effective in developing and enacting the school’s vision, values, goals and priorities for equity and excellence. School leaders work with teachers and teacher aides to find ways to accelerate the progress of children who are at risk of underachieving. The school reports that teachers support these children to set achievable goals and provide them with regular feedback and feed forward about their progress. The school celebrates their learning successes in a variety of ways.

Broad curriculum themes allow children to build on their prior understandings and experiences outside school. Children, including those who have not easily engaged in learning, have good opportunities to pursue their various interests. Increasingly, teachers are using innovative collaborative learning strategies to complement small group teaching. The school has promoted children’s use of digital devices with a focus on accelerating their achievement in writing.

An update of the curriculum since the last ERO review has provided opportunities for Māori and all children to understand the bicultural nature of Aotearoa/New Zealand society. They have opportunities to understand the history of Māori and Pākehā relationship and the significance of the Treaty of Waitangi.

Māori children value their school as a place to learn and connect with their culture. The board, school leaders and staff are keen to normalise the use of te reo and tikanga Māori. Kapa haka is very popular in the life of the school and provides a means for all children to develop their understandings about aspects of tikanga Māori. Strengthened bicultural practice contributes to Māori children being proud of who they are and confident in their learning.

Teachers and support staff place importance on forming meaningful relationships with Māori children and whānau that are based on the concept of ako. Teachers and parents/whānau work together to support children who are at risk of not achieving. The school reports that there are increased numbers of Māori and Pacific parents involved in the life of the school as a result of leaders and teachers having more meaningful and constructive interactions with different families.

Parent/whānau curriculum meetings outlining the purpose of mathematics and literacy programmes have proved popular. As a result of the positive feedback received from parents, more meetings are planned for 2016. To improve practice, trustees and school leaders are keen to explore ways to involve parents/whānau who are less likely to attend such home/school events.

Connections between the school and community are well established and provide a sense of continuity and belonging for children and adults. The board, school leaders and teachers are future focused and want to strengthen trusting partnerships in the school community.

The complementary nature of external and internal evaluation is valued by the board and school leaders as part of sustaining positive school developments and identifying next steps for continuous improvement. School leaders have identified, and ERO agrees, that there is a need to strengthen teachers and decision maker's evaluative thinking school-wide. A more evaluative approach to considering achievement information and outcomes should contribute to accelerating the progress of children who are risk of underachieving. This area for development is a focus for the Kotuitui Community of Schools that the school joined in 2015.

5 Going forward

How well placed is the school to accelerate the achievement of all children who need it?

Leaders and teachers:

• know the children whose learning and achievement need to be accelerated
• respond to the strengths, needs and interests of each child
• regularly evaluate how teaching is working for these children
• do not always or systematically act on what they know works for each child
• have a plan in place but have not yet built teacher capability effectively to achieve equitable outcomes for all children.

Action: The board, principal and teachers should use the findings of this evaluation, the Effective School Evaluation resource, the Internal Evaluation: Good Practice exemplars and the School Evaluation Indicators to develop a Raising Achievement Plan to further develop processes and practices that respond effectively to the strengths and needs of children whose learning and achievement need to be accelerated.

As part of this review ERO will continue to monitor the school’s Raising Achievement plan and the progress the school makes. ERO is likely to carry out the next full review in three years.

6  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 the following:

• board administration
• curriculum
• management of health, safety and welfare
• personnel management
• 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
• processes for appointing staff
• stand down, suspensions, expulsions and exclusions
• attendance
• compliance with the provisions of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014
• provision for international students.

7 Recommendation

School leaders and teachers should continue to act on what they know works for each child in order to achieve and sustain equitable outcomes for all children. The board should support this important development by building relational trust to ensure the active participation of everyone in the school community to achieve school goals. 

Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

8 August 2016 

About the school 

1 Context

What are the important features of this school that have an impact on student learning?

Students at Green Bay Primary School in west Auckland benefit from a clearly understood and shared vision and value system that supports their sense of belonging and promotes their learning. The school’s vision, based around the concepts of ‘grow, respect and achieve’, reflects the high expectations that leaders and teachers have for themselves and students. Leaders and teachers promote an inclusive school environment where diversity is embraced and celebrated. Relationships between staff, parents and students are mutually respectful.

Students are organised into teams of junior, middle, senior and intermediate year levels. Students at all levels have access to a wide range of learning opportunities. The school structure also enables students of different age groups to interact and learn together in some programmes, including a variety of lunch-time activities. These programmes promote positive relationships throughout the school and provide leadership opportunities for older children.

The principal and senior leaders form a stable and experienced leadership team. Many teachers and support staff have also been at the school for a number of years. This stable staffing supports the school to continually improve teaching and learning programmes. It also promotes the strong connections between staff, students and their families.

2 Learning

How well does this school use achievement information to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement?

Senior leaders use the school’s achievement information very well to identify and monitor the progress and achievement of priority groups of learners. Teachers use student achievement data to plan classroom programmes and identify clear next learning steps for all students. Students are being increasingly supported to understand their own learning goals and achievement levels.

School leaders also make good use of achievement information to make strategic decisions, including setting targets for students' achievement for the school charter, and for making decisions about where professional learning and development for teachers is needed.

The school’s achievement information shows that students make good progress during their time at the school. School leaders have used the data to identify the disparity between Māori and non-Māori student achievement in reading, writing and mathematics, and the need to strengthen the teaching of writing across the school. School targets are set to address these gap and increasingly effective interventions are in place to raise the achievement of these priority learners.

Students who require additional learning support have access to a variety of programmes designed to accelerate their progress and achievement. The school is inclusive of students with special learning needs and these students are very well supported in classroom programmes.

Parents receive good information about their child’s progress and achievement in relation to the National Standards. Senior leaders are continuing to review and improve the usefulness of written reports to parents.

Senior leaders, teachers and ERO agree that appropriate next steps include:

• strengthening how well teachers analyse and use data, including their moderation of student assessment throughout the school
• finding ways to further accelerate the progress and achievement of priority students.

3 Curriculum

How effectively does this school’s curriculum promote and support student learning?

The school’s curriculum promotes and supports student learning effectively. The principal and senior leaders work collaboratively to lead a curriculum that is underpinned by positive relationships and informed by current educational theories and approaches. The curriculum is designed to recognise students as capable, competent learners. It includes a strong, school-wide focus on learning behaviours. Teaching programmes are increasingly planned around students’ interests, strengths and cultural backgrounds, and include Māori and Pacific perspectives and themes.

Students have access to a broad curriculum that includes a strong emphasis on literacy and numeracy. All students have opportunities for te reo Māori learning that is appropriate to their ability and interest levels. They have very good learning opportunities in specialist subjects such as science and design technology. Throughout the school students have good opportunities for creative and critical thinking. Students also enjoy the learning experiences provided through sport, performance and environmental programmes.

Teachers are enthusiastic and committed to improving teaching and learning. They are supported by well-considered and planned professional learning and development. Teachers promote positive relationships for learning with each other and with their students.

Senior leaders are planning further development of their curriculum so that it provides increasingly relevant and student-led learning opportunities. They also recognise the need to provide teachers with ongoing content knowledge and understanding in some identified learning areas.

How effectively does the school promote educational success for Māori, as Māori?

Māori students are very well supported to engage and to make progress. They are provided with good opportunities to be proud of their language, culture and identity.

Senior managers and teachers value relationships with parents and whānau of Māori students. The board’s Māori representation provides a Māori perspective to governance. Trustees have set a strategic goal to lift the profile and achievement of Māori students. Senior leaders are committed to promoting biculturalism across the school and are building the capability of all teachers in te reo mē ōna tikanga Māori.

Senior leaders agree that an important next step is to work in partnership with Māori parents, whānau and students to more clearly define what Māori success as Māori means for Māori learners at Green Bay Primary School.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

Green Bay Primary School is very well placed to sustain and improve its performance. The principal provides strategic and highly effective professional leadership. She works collaboratively alongside capable senior leaders. Together they are building leadership capacity throughout the school, underpinned by a robust appraisal system. This leadership approach ensures that the school’s vision and values are shared and enables trustees, teachers and students to operate as a learning community.

Trustees bring a variety of expertise to their governance roles. They are well connected to their local community and focus on promoting meaningful partnerships with different groups within its community. The board has a good understanding of governance and has robust processes to manage its responsibilities as a good employer. There is a good induction process for new trustees and well considered succession strategies.

Self review is very well understood by trustees and school leaders, and is the mechanism for ensuring continual improvement at all levels of the school. Senior leaders and trustees value and are responsive to external review. The board uses the school’s good self review information to make careful operational and resourcing decisions.

The board’s strategic plan includes a specific goal to further promote Māori success. The board and ERO agree that trustees should continue to develop further opportunities for parents and whānau to have input into this strategic intention. Staff have made good use of Ka Hikitia: Managing for Success and Tātaiako: Cultural Competencies for Teachers of Māori Learners, to enhance teaching and learning practices. It could also be useful for trustees to further strengthen their cultural understanding through the use of these documents at board level.

This approach could be a useful model for further promoting Pacific student success as the board and staff develop their understanding and use of the Ministry of Education’s Pacific Education Plan.

Provision for international students

The school is a signatory to the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students (the Code) established under section 238F of the Education Act 1989. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code. Systems are in place to monitor compliance with the Code, provide an appropriate education programme, and integrate international students into the life of the school. No international students were enrolled at the time of the ERO review.

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.Click here to enter text.

When is ERO likely to review the school again?

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

Dale Bailey
National Manager Review Services
Northern Region

31 May 2013

About the School