School Context
Mangere Bridge School, located at the base of the Mangere Mountain, Te Pāne o Mataoho, and bordering the Manukau Harbour, serves an ethnically diverse community. The school provides for children in Years 1 to 6 and includes approximately 33 percent who identify as Māori and 38 percent with Pacific heritage. The school’s roll is growing.
At the time of ERO’s 2016 review, school leaders, together with the board, and in consultation with the community, were undertaking a review of the school’s strategic direction and priorities. The new vision statement of Together we care, we learn, we succeed, Arohā, Ako, Angitū, now permeates initiatives in teaching and learning, and underpins decision making and resourcing.
A significant initiative has been the establishment of Te Hiaroa. This three teacher Māori bilingual and bi-literate teaching unit is now in its second year. The unit serves more than 50 children and their whānau. Adult qualifications, provided through Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, enable whānau to learn together with their tamariki.
Professional learning and development in literacy and numeracy strategies has supported consistent teaching approaches across the school. The school has incorporated its values, Ngā Uara, into the Mangere Bridge School (MBS) Way to enhance children’s wellbeing and learning success.
The board responded positively to the recommendations of the school’s 2016 ERO review. It has continued to make ongoing improvements. Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, schoolwide information about outcomes for children in the following areas:
The principal provides leadership to Te Iti Kahurangi Community of Learning | Kāhui Ako, in addition to supporting cross-school expertise in coaching and mentoring and leading culturally responsive practice.
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 in achieving equitable outcomes for all children. Most children, across all cultural cohorts, are achieving at expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics.
Schoolwide student achievement has lifted since 2016. There has been sustained improvement in the percentage of children, including Māori and Pacific children, who are achieving at or above their expected curriculum levels.
There has been a significant movement towards parity in achievement for Māori and Pacific children. Children with additional learning needs make very good progress in relation to their individual learning goals.
School leaders identify areas of achievement disparity for specific groups of children, including for Pacific boys in writing. They have introduced a variety of effective initiatives to target cohort and individual learning needs.
1.2 How well is the school accelerating learning for those students who need this?
School achievement data demonstrate that individuals and groups of children have made accelerated progress.
2018 achievement information shows effective learning and acceleration for Māori and Pacific children in literacy and mathematics, and for targeted children in classroom programmes.
The school has robust systems for identifying children who need targeted support, particularly those with additional learning needs. A three tier model of learning support provides clear guidelines about how children’s learning needs will be addressed. Teachers work closely with the learning support teacher network. This has been purposefully restructured to complement classroom practice.
Teachers are well supported to deliver consistent schoolwide literacy and numeracy programmes. These include regular reviews of all children’s individual progress and next learning steps. Programmes are appropriately informed by current theory and best practice in assessment and moderation approaches.
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?
The board and school leaders have a strong focus on equity and excellence. Their vision for enabling all children to experience success is central to the school’s inclusive learning culture. The particular emphasis placed on valuing each child’s culture, language, and identity is helping parents and the wider community to engage in partnerships that support children’s learning.
Children’s enjoyment of learning is enhanced through the school’s integrated inquiry model. Children, teachers and whānau collaborate to design an inquiry context for each term. This enables them all to contribute meaningfully. The use of local history, sense of place, and prior experience increases authenticity to children’s learning.
A key feature of the school’s development has been the growth of professional expertise. The school’s capable principal effectively leads curriculum developments that are improving children’s learning success. Whānau and the local community have made a valued contribution to the school’s strategic priorities and direction through their involvement in well attended hui and fono.
Teachers’ classroom practice is supported by clear expectations, professional learning and development, and a distributed leadership model. Teachers new to the school are well supported through systematic in-class coaching and mentoring. As a result, children are highly engaged in a broad and relevant curriculum that enhances their sense of belonging and wellbeing.
Trustees’ and school leaders’ commitment to establishing a schoolwide bicultural focus is clearly evident. Children and staff are benefiting from these coherent expectations. Extensive consultation with whānau Māori has supported the community’s long-held aspiration for a bi-literate and bilingual teaching unit. The establishment and growth of Te Hiaroa is being carefully managed.
Internal evaluation is embedded in all aspects of school operations and accountability processes, including the work of the board. Well analysed data is used to review new initiatives and resource decision making. Teachers’ inquiry is evidence based, and their reflections and purposeful appraisal are resulting in responsive teaching practices.
Trustees and school leaders have strengthened sustainability. Charter expectations are well documented and shared with staff and whānau. Long-term planning goals and reporting schedules are aligned and regularly updated. Transparent decision making assists team leaders to implement shared and consistent expectations for responding to children’s learning needs.
2.2 What further developments are needed in school processes and practices for achievement of equity and excellence, and acceleration of learning?
Trustees and school leaders agree that a period of consolidation over the next twelve months would be useful. It would support the ongoing induction of teachers new to the school, ensure good management of the election of a new board, and provide a sound basis for continuing to evaluate the progress of new initiatives in teaching and learning.
3 Other Matters
Provision for international students
The school remains a signatory to the Code for international students. At the time of the review there were no international students attending the school.
The school completes the annual self-review and reports appropriately to the NZ Qualifications Authority, as is required, to remain a signatory to the Code.
4 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:
During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student safety and wellbeing:
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emotional safety of students (including prevention of bullying and sexual harassment)
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physical safety of students
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teacher registration and certification
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processes for appointing staff
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stand down, suspension, expulsion and exclusion of students
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attendance
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school policies in relation to meeting the requirements of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014.
5 ERO’s Overall Judgement
On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO‘s overall evaluation judgement of Mangere Bridge School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Strong.
6 Going forward
Key strengths of the school
For sustained improvement and future learner success, the school can draw on existing strengths in:
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the leadership and expertise of the principal and distributed leadership team
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initiatives to support successful outcomes for Māori and Pacific learners
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consultation and collaboration with the school’s community and whānau
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the meaningfully integrated inquiry approach to teaching and learning
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transparent expectations and reporting processes that support sustainability
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high quality internal evaluation and ongoing improvement.
Next steps
For sustained improvement and future learner success, priorities for further development are in:
- managing a planned period of consolidation and internal evaluation in order to sustain and embed ongoing school improvement and continued learner success.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region
24 May 2019
About the school
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Location
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Mangere Bridge, Auckland
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Ministry of Education profile number
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1346
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School type
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Contributing Years 1 – 6
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School roll
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381
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Gender composition
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Boys 54% Girls 46%
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Ethnic composition
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Māori 33%
NZ European/Pākehā 19%
Samoan 16%
Tongan 12%
Cook Island Māori 6%
other Pacific 4%
other ethnic groups 10%
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Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS)
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Yes
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Provision of Māori medium education
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Yes
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Number of Māori medium classes
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3
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Total number of students in Māori medium (MME)
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58
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Total number of students in Māori language in English medium (MLE)
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0
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Number of students in Level 1 MME
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40
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Number of students in Level 2 MME
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18
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Review team on site
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March 2019
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Date of this report
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24 May 2019
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Most recent ERO report(s)
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Education Review August 2016
Education Review February 2013
Education Review September 2011
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