Manawatū College

Manawatū College

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 12 months of the Education Review Office and Manawatū 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 

Manawatū College is a co-educational year 9 to 13 secondary school located in Foxton. The school appointed a new leadership team in 2020. Recent community consultation has resulted in refreshed vision and values to guide the school into the future.   

Manawatū College’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

  •  all students are engaged and successful with learning 

  •  effective teaching across the school  

  •  an environment where students are engaged, safe and well supported

  •  systems and structures support the school’s effective operation. 

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate to what extent all learners are engaged and achieving equitable outcomes.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

  • improving engagement in learning will result in improved and more equitable outcomes for all learners

  • there is potential to improve achievement outcomes

  • to support the implementation of the school’s strategic goals.

The school expects to see:

  • improved learner outcomes in engagement and achievement

  • improved understanding and commitment to shared expectations to better support successful learner outcomes

  • further development of relationships in the school community to support engagement.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to in its goal to evaluate the extent to which all learners are engaged and achieving equitable outcomes.

  • a comprehensive consultation process that has informed the future direction of the school to support learner success in a range of valued outcomes

  • refreshed school values that underpin expectations for teaching and learning at the school

  • new systems to track and monitor the engagement and achievement of all learners

  • a senior leadership team who are committed to achieving the collective vision for this community.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • inquiring into practices that improve student engagement

  • continuing to develop, communicate and evaluate shared expectations

  • continuing to monitor learner engagement and achievement.

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.

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

29 November 2022 

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

Manawatu College

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2022 to 2025

As of February 2022, the Manawatū College, 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

Actions for Compliance

ERO and the board have identified the following area of non-compliance during the board assurance process: 

  • compliance with the requirement to adopt a statement on the delivery of the health curriculum, at least once in every two years, after consultation with the school community

[Section 91 Education and Training Act 2020]

The board has since addressed the area of non-compliance identified.

Further Information

For further information please contact Manawatū 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.

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

29 November 2022 

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

Manawatū 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

Manawatū College has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code.

No international students were enrolled at the time of the ERO review.

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

29 November 2022  

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

Manawatu College - 26/08/2016

Findings

Since the 2014 ERO report, Manawatu College has improved its systems, processes and curriculum to provide increasingly responsive and relevant programmes for students. Leaders and teachers are making better use of student achievement information to identify needs, set targets, inform plans and monitor progress. Improving the use of internal evaluation should sustain improvements.  

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

1 Background and Context

What is the background and context for this school’s review?

Manawatu College caters for students in Years 9 to 13. At the time of this ERO review there were 280 students on the roll, with 46% identifying as Māori.

At recent board elections four previously co-opted trustees, including the new chair, were elected as parent representatives, and a new trustee joined the board. Plans for training are in place for the board.

The school timetable for teaching and learning programmes has been reviewed to improve student choice and engagement. The school now operates a two semester structure and one of the daily lessons is extended to 100 minutes. 

Since the January 2014 ERO report, teachers have been involved in a range of professional learning and development (PLD) initiatives to increase the school’s capacity to raise levels of student engagement and achievement. These include: learning with digital technology; literacy; teaching as inquiry; and participation in the Kia Eke Panuku: Building on Success (KEP) programme.

The school belief of respect and values of maanakitanga, aspire, ngai tatou and achievement (MANA) guide expectations for learning and relationships.

The school continues to be involved in a learning and change network with local schools and is planning to join a local community of learning (CoL). 

2 Review and Development

How effectively is the school addressing its priorities for review and development?

Priorities identified for review and development

The previous ERO report identified the following priorities for review and development:

  • board systems and processes, including the systematic review of policies and effective guidelines for governance
  • strategic plan goals and reporting processes, to better inform trustees and leaders of the impacts of initiatives and strategies to raise student achievement
  • teaching programmes that accelerate progress of learners in literacy and mathematics, especially in Years 9 to 11
  • the use of assessment information to better inform teaching and more accurately report student progress and achievement
  • the appraisal system, to ensure greater consistency and closer alignment of teaching goals to school priorities and targets for raising student achievement
  • self-review processes, including the annual review of initiatives, to improve success for Māori learners and provision for International Students.
Progress
Governance, management and leadership

Governance capability has grown and practices have improved. A governance manual has been developed to guide trustees in their roles. The new board has begun induction and has plans in place for training of new trustees.

Strategic planning processes and systems for monitoring school initiatives and priorities have improved. Trustees and leaders identify numbers and groups of students that need their achievement accelerated, especially Years 9 and 10. Charter goals have become more closely linked to improving targeted students’ outcomes. Departmental plans and reviews are aligned to school goals and priorities. Trustees receive reports and reviews of school improvement initiatives.   

Leaders use improved processes for tracking, monitoring and reporting students’ progress in junior school assessments and National Certificates of Educational Achievement (NCEA) during the year. Numbers of students at risk of not achieving are reported to the board. End-of-year analysis includes consideration of outcomes for individuals and groups in Years 9 to 13.

Leaders promote and support increased levels of inquiry and evaluation by teachers to improve their practice and outcomes for students. Professional learning groups encourage collaboration and reflection and show an increased awareness of the need to measure the impact of initiatives and programmes. Further development of teachers’ knowledge and use of evaluation should assist them to know more about the effectiveness of strategies and resourcing used to improve outcomes for priority learners. 

The appraisal process is continuing to develop so that it is more robust and consistent and meets expectations for good practice. This process includes annual use of evidence for all Practising Teacher Criteria (PTCs). Teacher inquiries should be linked more explicitly to increasing student achievement outcomes. Continuing to increase the use of written evaluative feedback and feed forward should support improved practices at all levels in the school.

Teaching and Learning

Teachers have made good use of the range of targeted PLD opportunities provided to raise their awareness and make programmes and strategies more responsive to the identified needs and interests of their students.

Since mid-2014, KEP PLD has been used as a framework to develop teachers’ capability to use culturally responsive practice, to improve the engagement and achievement of Māori students.

Teachers are continuing to develop their use of assessment information at Years 9 and 10 to better respond to individual student’s needs, particularly in literacy and numeracy. This has been a focus of recent PLD and inquiry and should continue to inform teaching plans and be used to measure the effectiveness of actions taken.

Improved use of data, monitoring students’ progress and improved teaching have contributed to higher rates of achievement in NCEA at Levels 1 and 2, particularly for boys and Māori and including literacy and numeracy results. The percentage of student leavers with at least Level 2 NCEA is similar to national levels. School leaders identify the need to improve achievement at Level 3 and NCEA certificates endorsements at all levels. ERO's evaluation supports this finding.

Curriculum

Leaders and teachers have increased their focus on providing specific programmes and learning pathways that meet the diverse needs, interests and goals of learners. An inclusive and responsive curriculum provides increased opportunities for all learners to achieve.

Deliberate use of eLearning and individualised programmes, including courses through external providers, promotes engagement and supports students to follow their own learning pathways and interests.

Over the past two years, the school has improved opportunities for Māori students to increase their engagement and levels of success as Māori. Programmes have been specifically developed or extended that build on the strengths, interests and identity of Māori students and their whānau.

Students benefit from increased links with local schools to assist their transitions and access to additional courses and programmes. An example of this is the joint kapa haka groups with nearby schools. A two semester structure is providing greater flexibility and student choice.

3 Sustainable performance and self review

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

As a result of recent development initiatives and programmes the school is better placed to sustain and improve its performance. A more coherent approach to strategic planning, school operation and managing change is evident.

The school has developed its capacity and systems to improve and review its performance. Increased levels of self review and knowledge building are evident in department reports, in classrooms and at senior levels of the school.

The board has addressed all areas of non-compliance identified in the previous ERO report. Policies and procedures have been reviewed, with a policy framework developed to guide trustees in their roles. Self review of provision for International Students has been completed for the 2015 year. The school intends to continue to be a signatory under the Code of Compliance for International students.

Positive interactions and learning behaviours are evident across the school. Students value the learning pathway choices, small classes and use of technology to support independent learning. Students spoken to by ERO appreciate the inclusive culture, family atmosphere and positive relationships in the college.

Key next steps

Trustees, leaders and teachers should:

  • continue to make good use of student data to provide well-informed planning, evaluation and decision making at all levels
  • consolidate governance processes so that trustees are well informed and making sound evidence-based decisions
  • continue developing a robust and consistent appraisal process for all staff
  • support further development of teachers’ knowledge and use of inquiry and evaluation, to better gauge the impact and effectiveness of strategies to improve outcomes for priority learners.

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.

Conclusion

Since the 2014 ERO report, Manawatu College has improved its systems, processes and curriculum to provide increasingly responsive and relevant programmes for students. Leaders and teachers are making better use of student achievement information to identify needs, set targets, inform plans and monitor progress. Improving the use of internal evaluation should sustain improvements.  

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

Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central

26 August 2016

About the School 

Location

Foxton

Ministry of Education profile number

205

School type

Secondary (Years 11 to 15)

School roll

280

Gender composition

Male 52 %, Female 48 %

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Asian
Pacific

46%
52%
  1%
  1%

Review team on site

June 2016

Date of this report

26 August 2016

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review
Education Review
Education Review

January 2014
November 2010
December 2007