Hunua School

School Context

Hunua School is a rural primary school based in the Hunua Ranges. It caters for students in Years 1 to 8. The current roll of 147 students includes 37 Māori. There has been an increase in the school roll since the previous ERO review in August 2014. The school is led by an experienced principal.

The school is guided by its RiCH values of Respect, Caring and Honesty. The school’s current aims, goals and targets have a broad focus on targeting and accelerating the outcomes for all students, particularly Māori, Pasifika and students with additional needs.

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

• achievement in reading, writing and mathematics.

Evaluation Findings

1 Equity and excellence – valued outcomes for students

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

The school’s data from 2014 – 2016 shows that approximately 80 percent of students achieved at or above the National Standards in reading and mathematics and slightly lower results were achieved in writing. There has been improvement in Māori student achievement in reading. Achievement levels for Māori in writing have declined over time. Overall, Māori students achieved at lower levels than their non-Māori peers at the school in writing and mathematics and at similar levels in reading. Girls are achieving at higher levels than boys in all National Standards. 

1.2 How effectively does this school respond to those Māori and other students whose learning and achievement need acceleration?

School-wide achievement information has not yet been aggregated to show the extent and pace of acceleration for identified groups of students. Individual achievement information shows accelerated progress for some learners, including Māori, in reading, writing and mathematics. The school’s achievement data for 2014 to 2016 indicates that nearly all Year 7 and 8 students achieved at or above the National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. 

2 School conditions for equity and excellence

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

Leadership is collaborative and inclusive. Leaders work hard to provide a supportive environment for student learning and wellbeing. They have developed a range of communication strategies to strengthen partnerships with parents, whānau and the local community. Leaders have ensured teachers access professional learning and development to build their capability.

The school’s curriculum is relevant and authentic. School-wide inquiry learning provides rich and meaningful contexts for learning, especially for those students at risk of not achieving. Students are actively engaged and participate in leadership and decision making. The school’s values are strongly evident in teacher planning and practice. There are positive and respectful relationships between teachers and students. 

The board of trustees is well informed. Trustees have undertaken training to support charter development, policy review and governance operations. Trustees have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. They are committed to the school values and a balanced approach to learning. The board provides resources that support teacher professional learning and initiatives to support those students whose learning is in need of acceleration.

There are positive relationships between the school, parents and the local community. Parents feel welcome in the school and teachers are open and approachable. There are strong links to the wider community in the life of the school. The school has strengthened communication strategies and increased the engagement of families and whānau. This supports parents to be more involved in their children’s learning.

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

Aspects of internal evaluation need strengthening. Leaders and teachers need to develop achievement targets that are more specific and focused on the number of students whose learning and progress requires acceleration. Attention to this is needed to address continuing disparity, particularly for Māori and boys.

Priority should also be given to:

• more effective management and use of student achievement information by leaders and teachers  to show rates of progress for identified groups of at risk learners
• developing agreed expectations for effective teaching and learning as identified in the previous ERO report
• teachers inquiring into the effectiveness of their teaching practice, particularly for at-risk learners
• developing effective formative assessment practices
• strengthening moderation processes for greater consistency across the school.     

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:

• an authentic, rich curriculum that engages students in independent and collaborative learning
• a positive culture through the school values that enhance student wellbeing and engagement
• a proactive board of trustees that focuses on continual school improvement.

Next steps

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

• effective teaching practice, to address variability across the school and improve the use of data by leaders and teachers to make decisions about students’ learning
• targeted planning to accelerate learning
• internal evaluation processes and practices.

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

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

Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer

Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region

5 March 2018

About the school