Matapu School

Findings

Matapu School is welcoming and inclusive. Good relationships are evident. Teachers are focused on developing their use of data to promote learning and progress. Further developing the curriculum should improve how well it responds to all students' needs. Strengthening evaluation should provide better information about what makes the biggest difference to students' learning.

ERO intends to carry out another review over the course of one-to-two years. 

1 Context

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

Matapu School is a rural primary school situated between Hawera and Eltham and caters for students in Years 1 to 8. There were 120 students on roll at the time of this review and 35% identify as Māori.

A vision of, 'Engage, Explore, Create' has been developed with the community and emphasises a focus on promoting lifelong learning. The school collaborates with three other schools focusing on developing teaching and learning through the use of digital technologies. Increased resourcing from the board of trustees has resulted in more digital devices being available for students.

In 2013, the school identified the need to raise levels of achievement and engaged the support of the Ministry of Education (MoE) Student Achievement Function (SAF) practitioner.

Shortly after the ERO review in 2013, a new principal and deputy principal were appointed. They are both moving on to other schools at the end of 2015. Trustees are in the process of making the two key leadership appointments for 2016.

Progress towards addressing the areas for review and development in the March 2013 ERO report has been limited. These continue to be the areas identified in this report that require improvement.

The school is welcoming and inclusive. There is a settled tone characterised by positive interactions and good relationships throughout.

Students with high needs receive specialist support from the Arahunga School, Whanganui.

2 Learning

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

The school needs to improve how effectively it analyses and evaluates student achievement information in order to make positive changes to learners’ progress and achievement. The school has not succeeded in improving levels of achievement over time. Significant differences in the performances of some groups of students have not yet been addressed.

The end of 2014 National Standards information indicates that many students achieve at or above in relation to National Standards in literacy and mathematics. Around three quarters of students achieve at or above expectations in mathematics, fewer in reading and about two thirds in writing.

Assessment data over time shows that boys achieve less well than girls an all three core learning areas. Māori students generally achieve levels similar to their peers at the school. Current overall achievement in relation to National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics is lower than at the time of the 2013 ERO review.

Teachers regularly assess students’ level of achievement using a range of appropriate assessment tools. Students who are at risk of underachievement are identified and additional support is provided. Teachers target groups of students with deliberate actions intended to improve their achievement and progress.

Teachers report that assessment practices have improved within the school, and feel their overall teacher judgements about students' achievement in relation to the National Standards are now more robust and consistent. Extending moderation to include working with an external provider or other schools is a next step that should further strengthen assessment practices and the consistency of judgements.

Teachers are seeking to develop their analysis of information to identify students' learning needs and plan more effective responses. Teachers are using data to reflect on their practice and think about how well they promote student learning, engagement and progress.

Leaders set broad strategic goals and annual targets that focus on students who are identified as at risk of not achieving in relation to National Standards. Trustees receive regular reports about achievement in reading, writing and mathematics for different groups. However, these reports do not include information about how well the groups of students identified in the annual plan are progressing towards meeting their targets.

Actions taken to raise student achievement have not been sufficiently successful. In order to improve how student achievement and progress is raised through targeted action, leaders and trustees need to:

• set targets that quantify and focus on accelerating progress for targeted students
• report progress over time, particularly for targeted students
• interpret and explain what has contributed to the results.

This will enable leaders and the board to see patterns and trends and determine what makes the biggest difference to student learning and progress. Future decisions about how to improve teaching and learning will be based on evidence of what is effective practice to accelerate progress.

Parents receive reports about academic achievement twice a year. Improving the clarity of how well students are achieving and progressing in relation to National Standards would better inform parents about their child’s performance.

3 Curriculum

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

The Matapu School curriculum is broad and balanced and promotes engagement and achievement for many students.

In classes observed by ERO, students were well engaged in the activities, attentive and eager to participate in learning. Good relationships and well-established routines supported a calm and positive tone. Students understood the purpose of their learning. Classrooms were suitably organised and well resourced. Students used digital technologies confidently and independently.

A range of programmes and support respond appropriately to students with more complex needs. A flexible approach promotes inclusion and achievement of high needs students. Teachers are well supported to work effectively with the Arahunga School.

The present curriculum needs improving so that it to responds more effectively to all students' academic and cultural needs. Guidance and support for how teachers accelerate the progress of students at risk of underachievement needs further development.

Leaders and trustees agree that it is timely to review and strengthen the curriculum and the guidance it provides. The review should consider how well the curriculum:

• reflects The New Zealand Curriculum principles of high expectations, learning to learn, community engagement, Treaty of Waitangi, inclusion, coherence, cultural diversity and future focus.
• promotes student learning and progress in literacy and mathematics, particularly for boys
• responds to all students’ culture language and identity
• promotes success for Māori students as Māori.

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

Matapu School is developing how well it promotes success for Māori students as Māori.

An action plan for promoting success for Māori as Māori was developed with SAF support in 2013. Fully implementing this plan and meeting the board’s expectations for a systematic and ongoing review of outcomes would assist the school to establish programmes and practices that promote Māori student success.

Teachers have begun to consider Tātaiako: Cultural Competencies for Teachers of Māori Learners. They could use this document as a self-review tool when considering how effective their teaching practices are when responding to Māori students. Incorporating the Tātaiako competencies in the appraisal process would be a next step.

The board and school leaders are seeking to develop stronger relationships with local marae and iwi. This would provide a platform from which leaders can explore with the community and whānau what is success for Māori as Māori at Matapu School. Establishing what this looks like would inform future reviews and support improved outcomes for Māori learners.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

With both the principal and deputy principal leaving the school at the end of 2015, the capacity and capability of the school to sustain its current performance and address areas for improvement identified in this report is not known at this point.

Since the previous ERO review the school has further developed its processes for appraisal. Teachers are well supported to improve their practice. Teachers have regular opportunities for whole staff and individual professional learning. Stronger alignment between the appraisal process and the school targets for raising achievement should better should improve outcomes for students.

Previously teachers' Practising Certificates have been endorsed without the provision of sufficient evidence. Appraisal development should promote a clear understanding of what constitutes evidence and how this can collated and presented to satisfy requirements of the Education Council of Aotearoa New Zealand (EDUCANZ).

Teachers work collegially to support each other’s development. They benefit from participation in the local cluster of schools that provides opportunities to collaboratively develop good practice and learning programmes. A robust support process and mentoring programme has been provided to support the induction of new teachers.

A range of strategies support good communication with parents. Many parents engage with the school through a variety of school events, community activities and sports. Senior leaders and teachers should explore ways in which partnerships with parents and whānau that support student learning can be developed, particularly for target students.

Self review has resulted in changes to the school’s curriculum, vison and the introduction of new technologies intended to enhance learning. Teachers and leaders generate good quality evidence of student achievement to provide a basis for evaluation. However, the evaluative component of the process is not sufficiently strong to measure the effectiveness of curriculum, strategies, programmes and practices aimed at raising student achievement.

Leaders and teachers need to build a shared understanding of evaluation practices and how to use these. This should promote inquiry into practice, evaluate its impact on making a difference to children’s learning and build organisational and system knowledge about what works well. This would better inform decisions about how to further accelerate students' progress and raise their achievement.

Strengthening internal evaluation will place Matapu School in a better position to sustain and improve its performance. 

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.

Support staff at the school have not been police vetted within the last 3 years.

• The school must implement its personnel policy that any person who is not a registered teacher and has unsupervised access to children at the school should be police vetted and the police vet renewed every three years.[Section 77A State Sector Act]

Conclusion

Matapu School is welcoming and inclusive. Good relationships are evident. Teachers are focused on developing their use of data to promote learning and progress. Further developing the curriculum should improve how well it responds to all students' needs. Strengthening evaluation should provide better information about what makes the biggest difference to students' learning.

ERO intends to carry out another review over the course of one-to-two years. 

Joyce Gebbie

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central

10 March 2016

School Statistics