Mount Hutt College

Mount Hutt College

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 29 months of the Education Review Office and Mount Hutt 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 

Mount Hutt College is a co-educational school, located in Methven, which provides education for students in years 7 to 13. The school prioritises “growing our people and connecting to our place” through its PRIDE values of passion | kōhara, respect | whakaute, integrity | tinihanga kore, diversity | rerekētanga, and excellence | opuketanga. School programmes and systems address, and are underpinned by, the three dimensions of hinengaro | mind, tinana | body, and wairua | spirit.

Mount Hutt College’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

  • developing a growth profile for learners, connected to the key baskets of knowledge and tools for learning and growth required at each transition point into and throughout the college

  • reviewing the curriculum to ensure it is focused on localised learning and local pathways.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the impact of its reviewed curriculum and learning programmes on improving year 10 and 11 students’ agency and achievement.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is that the school:

  • wants to develop an explicit student growth profile which connects with, and is supported by, its curriculum and learning programmes

  • gathered student voice to inform wider review of the year 10 and 11 curriculum to increase student agency and choice

  • is evaluating and refining pilot programmes at year 10 and 11 to inform reviews at other year levels.

The school expects to see:

  • revised curriculum and learning programmes in year 10 and 11 which improve student agency, progress, and achievement

  • students assessing and articulating their own progress towards the growth profile and identifying their next steps for learning.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to evaluate the impact of its reviewed curriculum and learning programmes on improving year 10 and 11 students’ agency and achievement.

  • The three dimensions of hinengaro | mind, tinana | body, and wairua | spirit are integral to review and decision making, developing the growth profile, and revising the curriculum.

  • A collaborative culture, including gathering of student voice, and an established strategic framework for evaluation, are leveraged to inform sustainable change.

  • Established links with the local community extend opportunities for students, their learning and potential future pathways.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • collaboration and consultation with students, whānau, and community to evaluate pilot programmes and inform next steps

  • preparing and implementing revised curriculum and learning programmes for years 10 and 11 in alignment with national curriculum and assessment changes

  • building evaluation capability to identify impacts and areas for further improvement schoolwide.

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.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

22 September 2023

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

Mount Hutt College

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2023 to 2026

As of March 2023, the Mount Hutt College 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 has identified the following area of non-compliance during the board assurance process:

  • The Board needs to have regularly obtained and considered information from New Zealand Police vets for all persons employed or engaged as paid children’s workers [Section 27, Children’s Act 2014, Section 597, Education and Training Act 2020].

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

Further Information

For further information please contact Mount Hutt College 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.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

22 September 2023

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

Mount Hutt College

Provision for International Students Report

Background

The school is a signatory 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

The school is a signatory 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. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code and has completed an annual self-review of its implementation of the Code.

At the time of this report there were fifteen international students attending the school, and no exchange students.   

Students are mentored effectively to make the appropriate choices for their pathways and supported academically. Achievement tracking and monitoring systems are developing. The International Director liaises regularly with the principal. As a result, school governance and leadership has informed oversight of international students’ wellbeing, learning, and engagement.

Thoughtful processes and practices support students to settle into the school and community, develop a sense of belonging, and be active participants in school life. The five international students interviewed at the time of the review described feeling welcome at the school and developing positive relationships with the staff and other students. They expressed appreciation for the opportunities available to them and for the support they had received.

The school restarted its programme for international students in 2023. This is supported by formalised Board strategy. The school has established clear processes for reviewing its provision for international students and compliance with the Code in conjunction with an external network. The department and leadership team use self-review processes and networks effectively to identify actions needed and to sustain positive outcomes for students. The school is well-placed to re-establish its international programme.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

22 September 2023

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

Mount Hutt College - 27/01/2017

Findings

Mount Hutt College makes very good use of its rural environment to extend learning opportunities and enjoyment for students. Staff, trustees and students have a shared understanding of the school's vision and values. The school's curriculum effectively promotes and supports students' learning. This report identifies the range of progress the school has made since the 2012 ERO review. It also signals that further progress is needed in some areas to ensure positive outcomes for all students.

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

1 Context

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

Mount Hutt College is a rural coeducational Year 7 to 13 secondary school in Methven, Mid Canterbury. The college is adjacent to the local primary school and uses the nearby Mount Hutt Skifield as part of its curriculum programmes.

The school's roll is becoming increasingly diverse due to changes in farming and associated community businesses.

Since the 2012 ERO review, there have been a number of changes in staff. This includes department leaders and deans. The board also has responsibility for nearby Lauriston School and has had relatively stable trustee participation. The school's Outdoors Pursuits Centre closed in December 2012.

The school has made good progress in a number of areas since the last review. This includes:

  • further developing the charter to ensure a clear vision and specific improvement goals
  • developing a strategically-planned approach for the wider review of school operations
  • an increasing visibility of Māori culture in the life of the school.

The school has yet to meet the recommendation in the 2012 ERO review to develop a vision and planning for Māori success in consultation with the school’s parents and community.

Mount Hutt College is in the early stages of working with other schools in Mid Canterbury to develop the Opuke Community of Learning.

2 Learning

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

School leaders and teachers are improving the use of achievement information to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement. Senior leaders are aware that this remains a focus for ongoing development.

National Standards achievement information provided by the school for Years 7 and 8 students in 2015 shows that:

  • achievement is highest in mathematics and lowest in writing
  • girls achieve very well in reading, writing and mathematics
  • boys' achievement in writing is considerably lower than girls, and their achievement in reading is also lower
  • the achievement of Māori students needs to be accelerated in writing and mathematics.

The leaders and teachers of Years 7 and 8 have been strengthening assessment practices and the processes used for moderating the National Standards.

Achievement information provided by the school for Years 9 and 10 students does not provide a coherent profile or analysis of achievement in and across these year levels. From the information received, boys' achievement, overall, is lower than that of girls, especially in writing.

The school’s National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) annual targets for 2015 were all met. Reports to the board show:

  • very good literacy and numeracy achievement has been sustained over recent years
  • improved overall achievement results at NCEA Levels 1 and 3
  • lower achievement by boys in Levels 1 and 2.

Individual programmes and initiatives are in place to support Māori student achievement at Level 1.

Students with additional learning needs are well identified, supported and closely monitored across the school. These students benefit from a good range of programmes delivered by the learning support teachers. The school makes good use of external support for students who need additional help.

The next steps for leaders and teachers are to:

  • develop, evaluate and report against more specific targets to accelerate the achievement of identified groups such as boys and Māori students in Years 7 to 10
  • regularly report the analysed progress and achievement of Years 9 and 10 students to the board, and the rates of progress these students are making at and across these two year levels
  • continue to improve the NCEA achievement of any students who are not achieving to expected levels, and regularly report progress to the board.

ERO also recommends that leaders and teachers develop clear guidelines and expectations that promote high quality assessment and moderation practices in Years 7 to 10.

3 Curriculum

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

The school’s curriculum effectively promotes and supports students' learning. Clear guidelines and well-established systems guide teaching and learning.

Students, staff and trustees have a shared understanding of the school’s vision and values. This shared understanding and a range of specific programmes have strengthened positive relationships between students and teachers and among students. The school’s values are well embedded into the curriculum.

Leaders and teachers have high expectations for student engagement. They have developed evaluative processes to reflect and make appropriate changes to practices and programmes to meet identified learning needs. They work collaboratively to plan and share practices, including the use of digital technologies that help to engage students in their learning in interesting ways.

Students have opportunities to engage in well-planned class and school-wide programmes. This is helping them to extend their thinking, and to support the development of their social skills and relationships with others. Student learning is further enhanced through a wide range of sporting, cultural and outdoor education programmes.

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

Positive relationships and a caring, inclusive culture help to promote educational success for Māori, as Māori. There is some integration of tikanga and te reo Māori in the curriculum and in the environment.

The next steps to better support Māori students to achieve educational success as Māori include:

  • consulting with, and responding to, Māori students and their whānau about their priorities and goals for improvement
  • using this information to develop school goals and planning that includes strengthening the use of te reo and tikanga Māori in learning and teaching
  • regularly evaluating and reporting progress against the priorities and goals to the board and Māori community.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

While the school has a range of strengths to help sustain and improve its performance, some key areas must be addressed. These include developing a more strategic approach to promoting educational success for Māori, and addressing disparities in achievement as identified in this report.

The board has a strong focus on fulfilling its governance role. The links between the school’s strategic direction and annual plans are focused on raising student achievement and supporting professional practice.

Trustees have developed a clear framework for reporting and evaluation. This framework has strengthened expectations for reporting and increased evidence-based decision making.

Teachers are provided with significant resources and support. They have a range of opportunities to involve students in the development of an environment that supports their learning, leadership skills and wellbeing.

The school’s leaders are developing processes for teachers to critically reflect and evaluate teaching and learning practices. An improving appraisal process has linked teachers' professional development and evaluation of teaching practices to the school-wide goals.

Parents and the community are provided with regular and useful information about their children’s progress and achievement. Leaders and teachers involve parents and the community in school decision making in a variety of ways.

To further improve the school’s ability to sustain and improve its performance, the board and leaders should ensure that there is:

  • a robust process for consulting and communicating with staff, and responding to any concerns in a timely and effective manner
  • continued strengthening of internal evaluation capability for sustained and ongoing improvement, including the regular review of governance and school leadership effectiveness
  • a regular opportunity for staff and the community to provide feedback to the board about school strengths and priorities for improvement.

Provision for international students

The Education (Pastoral Care of International Students) Code of Practice 2016 (the Code) was introduced on 1 July 2016. The school is aware of the need to update its policies and procedures to meet the new Code requirements, and has begun to align its policies and procedures in this regard.

At the time of this review, there were 18 international students attending the school.

Staff responsible for international students use suitable processes to ensure that students are well supported in their learning, including English language support when necessary, and make good progress towards their learning goals. Students have many opportunities to experience a broad range of curriculum activities within the school and in the local environment and community.

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.
Action

In consultation with the school’s Māori community, develop and make known policies, procedures, plans and targets for improving achievement of Māori. [National Administration Guidelines 1]

Recommendation

To ensure good practice, the principal and school leaders should follow the school’s complaints policy for responding to complaints clearly and in a well-documented manner.

As an outcome of ERO's evaluation, ERO requires the board and senior leaders to provide an action plan that addresses the following recommendations:

  • develop strategic planning for supporting educational success for Māori, as Māori
  • develop planning and approaches to accelerate the achievement of underachieving groups of students, as identified in this report
  • in consultation with staff, evaluate current processes for consulting and communicating with them, and provide regular opportunities to review and report progress in this area to the board.

Conclusion

Mount Hutt College makes very good use of its rural environment to extend learning opportunities and enjoyment for students. Staff, trustees and students have a shared understanding of the school's vision and values. The school's curriculum effectively promotes and supports students' learning. This report identifies the range of progress the school has made since the 2012 ERO review. It also signals that further progress is needed in some areas to ensure positive outcomes for all students.

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

Dr Lesley Patterson

Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern/Te Waipounamu

27 January 2017

About the School 

Location

Methven, Mid Canterbury

Ministry of Education profile number

348

School type

Secondary (Years 7 to 13)

School roll

473

Number of international students

18

Gender composition

Boys 54%; Girls 46%

Ethnic composition

Pākehā

Māori

Asian

Other ethnicities

79%

11%

9%

1%

Review team on site

September 2016

Date of this report

27 January 2017

Most recent ERO reports

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

August 2012

November 2007

June 2004