Kaikōura Suburban School

School Context

Kaikōura Suburban School is located in semi-rural Kaikōura. It provides education for students from Years one to six. The school roll is 78 students.

The school’s vision is that learners will commit to climbing the mountain of learning for life. The ‘Fyffe FORCE’ values are fun, organised, respect, communication and excellence. The Māori values of kaitiakitanga, rangatiratanga, manaakitanga, kotahitanga and whanaungatanga sit alongside the FORCE values.

The school states that its current goals are:

• the board having a focus on student learning, wellbeing, achievement and progress, shared understandings of their roles and responsibilities and effectively meeting statutory requirements
• the leadership team working with students, teachers and parents to actively seek all perspectives in embedding a ‘very close home/school educational partnership’ to promote and support student wellbeing outcomes and engagement in learning
• staff engaging with the wider school community using community resources to enrich teaching and learning experiences
• teachers ensuring that all students participate and learn in a caring, collaborative, inclusive learning environment, exploring innovative practices using the NZ Curriculum
• teachers working together to develop high and clear standards across all areas to improve teaching and learning practices
• continuing to build relational trust with all schools within the Kaikōura Kāhui Ako to support collaboration, risk taking and openness to change and improvement in building innovation at Kaikōura Suburban School.

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

• achievement in reading, writing and mathematics
• progress and achievement in relation to school targets.

Since the last ERO review, a new principal and deputy principal have been appointed.

The school is a part of the Kaikōura Kāhui Ako | Community of Learning. The principal of Kaikōura Suburban School is the lead principal in the Kāhui Ako.

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?

The school is making very good progress towards achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all its students. Most students are achieving at or above expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics. Many students achieve above expectations. In 2017, almost a third of the girls were achieving above curriculum expectations. Māori students achieve at similar levels to that of other students in the school.

While the achievement of boys overall is not as high as that of girls, there has been a noticeable improvement over the past three years. The achievement of boys continues to be a target of the school and the Kāhui Ako.

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

The school is effectively accelerating the progress of students for those who need this. There are useful systems in place for identifying and monitoring students who need extra support.

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?

Parents and whānau are warmly welcomed and involved in school life as respected and valued partners in learning. School leaders regularly seek and use the views of whānau to help determine school priorities. A wide range of useful communication strategies are in place. Teachers work with parents to develop individualised learning strategies that can be used at home. These reciprocal learner-centred relationships effectively support children’s learning.

Students participate and learn in a caring, inclusive environment. Students lead their learning. They have many opportunities for choice and to develop their leadership skills. Teachers make use of the community to provide rich authentic learning experiences where children are ‘learning for life’. Transitions into and out of the school are well planned and based on the needs of individual students. Teachers develop and use specific strategies for individual students. They use action plans for individuals and groups of students to help them to make accelerated progress

The curriculum is highly responsive to the language and culture of students. Māori students are encouraged to succeed as Māori. All children have access to a bicultural curriculum that nurtures their sense of identity and belonging in Aotearoa.

Effective leadership builds relational trust and collaborative practice at every level of the school community. School leaders have established strong professional links with neighbouring schools and early childhood services through the Kāhui Ako. They use external expertise wisely. Teachers have spent time visiting a variety of other schools. They have used these experiences to develop a collaborative approach to learning and teaching. There is strong alignment through all school documentation, from strategic goals to annual actions, professional learning and development, and teachers’ appraisal goals.

Student learning and wellbeing are the core focus of the board. Trustees actively represent and serve the school. They bring a range of skills and experience to the board. Trustees are knowledgeable about all aspects of the school’s activities. They are strategic in their decision making, with the aim of doing the best they can to support the valued outcomes for students.

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

Leaders are building collective capability to use inquiry and reflective practice. The next step is to improve strategic internal evaluation through in-depth, longer term evaluations. These evaluations need to be based on:

• establishing an evaluative question and success criteria
• collecting information over time from a wide range of sources, including key stakeholders
• making sense of the information and planning future action
• monitoring and evaluating the impact on valued outcomes for children.

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:

• strong reciprocal learning-based relationships with parents
• an inclusive, caring culturally responsive student-led curriculum
• effective leadership and stewardship.

Next step

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

• strengthening strategic internal evaluation. 

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

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

Alan Wynyard
Director Review & Improvement Services
Te Waipounamu - Southern Region

12 December 2018

About the school