1 Context
The school has a positive ERO reporting history. A newly elected board began its term from June 2016. Teachers have participated in professional learning and development covering a variety of learning areas to support their use of achievement information, improve teaching and raise achievement levels for all children. Since the 2012 ERO external evaluation a new school leadership team structure has been implemented to support collaborative decision-making and the school's continuous improvement.
2 Equity and excellence
The vision and valued outcomes defined by the school for all children are to create a positive, safe, and inspiring learning environment that promotes a sense of community and ensures child-focused decision making to develop confident, motivated students who love to learn and contribute.
The school’s achievement information shows that approximately 80 percent of children achieve National Standards for reading and mathematics. Achievement levels for writing are at 70 percent.
The school has identified two groups of children who are at risk of not achieving. School data in 2015 show that a quarter of the school's Māori children were not reaching the National Standard in reading and mathematics and a third were achieving below the standard in writing. The disparity between Māori and other children's achievement was less apparent in 2013 and 2014 data.
Māori children's learning and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics, and boys' learning and achievement in reading and writing are the areas identified for school-wide development and review.
Children with special needs progress well towards National Standards. Individual Education Plans (IEPs) reflect shared goals formed by parents, teachers and children that are measurable. The support provided for these children is personalised.
Teachers make good use of moderation processes to determine how well children are achieving in relation to the National Standards. Overall teacher judgements reflect the breadth of the National Standards and are informed by children's ongoing learning and nationally referenced assessment tools.
Since the last ERO evaluation the school has:
- improved systems and processes to support teachers to accelerate the progress of learners at risk of underachieving
- further strengthened partnerships with parents/whānau that are focused on improving learning
- supported staff to reflect on ways they can build learning partnerships with children and parents/whānau.
3 Accelerating achievement
How effectively does this school respond to Māori children whose learning and achievement need acceleration?
The school responds well to the needs of Māori children whose learning and achievement needs acceleration. Teachers use considered strategies to address the learning needs of individuals and groups of Māori children. Māori children who are at risk of not achieving are well identified through the use of a thorough, school-wide tracking and monitoring process.
The learning needs of these Māori children are catered for through:
- well considered teaching that requires teachers to reflect on ways they can modify their practice to best meet individual children's learning requirements
- high levels of collaboration and trust among staff to successfully support the transition of Māori learners as they progress through the school
- promoting student efficacy which helps accelerate the progress of Māori children who are at risk of not achieving.
Achievement targets that expect accelerated progress are set by the board of trustees for Māori children who are at risk of not achieving. Regular reports to the board about how well Māori children are progressing help trustees to ask questions about achievement trends and patterns in order to target resources.
Senior leaders and teachers have high expectations of all children succeeding in relation to the National Standards. Teachers skilfully support Māori children’s progress by helping them develop their confidence and leadership skills. They provide programmes that allow Māori children to use their cultural identity as a basis for successful learning.
The school has implemented worthwhile strategies to lift children's achievement. However, school data show that Māori children's progress and achievement over the last three years is not yet reflecting the good intentions of these strategies. Addressing the achievement gaps for Māori children whose learning and achievement needs acceleration is an identified challenge for the school.
How effectively does this school respond to other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration?
The school responds effectively to other children whose learning and achievement needs acceleration.
The number of Pacific children in the school is small and therefore it is difficult to form generalisations about the overall achievement levels for this group of learners.
Consistent with principles of accelerating all children’s progress, teachers:
- treat relevant learning contexts as a key component to children’s motivation and memory retention
- provide opportunities for children to apply skills immediately to what they are learning
- plan active, fast paced, hands-on experiences
- support children to keep pace with what their peers are learning in order to avoid the sense of needing to catch-up.
Teachers have high expectations for the achievement and learning of children with special needs. Provision for these learners is reviewed in an ongoing manner, and informed by individual learning plans (IEPs). These children's strengths form the basis for deliberate and purposeful teaching and learning programmes.
To improve practice, senior leaders will in future report to the board about numbers of children who have achieved their IEP goals. This practice would be consistent with other very good achievement reporting to the board.
4 School conditions
How effectively do the school’s curriculum and other organisational processes and practices develop and enact the school’s vision, values, goals and targets for equity and excellence?
The school’s curriculum and other organisational processes and practices are effective in developing and enacting the school’s vision, values, goals and priorities for equity and excellence.
Senior leaders, teachers and trustees have a common understanding of, and commitment to accelerating children's progress. Teachers personalise programmes and modify their practice and programmes to accelerate the progress of children at risk of not achieving.
Broad curriculum themes and meaningful learning contexts support children who are at risk of not achieving. They have opportunities to build on their interests and capabilities. These children actively contribute to, and lead their learning.
The board's ongoing commitment to biculturalism is reflected by initiatives to support teachers to promote te Āo Māori in the curriculum and to develop culturally responsive practices across the school.
Positive and caring interactions between children and teachers are enhanced by the knowledge teachers have of children and their parents/whānau. Consultation with whānau helps teachers identify Māori children's capabilities, interests and strengths. Māori children experience success as Māori. They see themselves as successful learners.
Positive relationships with parents are forged at the time their children are enrolled in the school and continue through the time children are at the school. Senior leaders and teachers are receptive to feedback and share with parents and whānau how the school might best cater for their children’s learning and wellbeing. Children who are at risk of not achieving benefit from regular mentoring by key staff members.
The board reviews the impact of programmes and professional learning and development initiatives to gauge their effectiveness in raising children's achievement. Internal evaluation is improvement focused and provides insights about areas that are working well and areas that require further development.
Trustees and senior leaders are keen to enhance and extend professional networking for accelerating the progress of groups of children who are at risk of not achieving. This area for continuing development in the school is also a focus for the Henderson Community of Schools (CoL) that the school joined in 2015.
5 Going forward
How well placed is the school to accelerate the achievement of all children who need it?
Leaders and teachers:
- know the children whose learning and achievement need to be accelerated
- respond effectively to the strengths, needs and interests of each child
- regularly evaluate how well teaching is working for these children
- act on what they know works well for each child
- build teacher capability effectively to achieve equitable outcomes for all children
- are well placed to achieve and sustain equitable and excellent outcomes for all children.
School leaders and trustees support staff to engage all children in a curriculum that builds on their capabilities and accelerates the progress of those who are at risk of not achieving.
Parents and whānau presence and participation in the life of the school is very evident. Trustees and senior leaders have identified that the positive relationship the school has with parents and whānau could be further developed with an emphasis on promoting learning partnerships between home and school. Enhancing partnerships with parents and whānau is seen by the school as an important way of improving children's learning and promoting their wellbeing, especially for children who require accelerated progress in relation to the National Standards.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
6 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 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
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processes for appointing staff
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stand down, suspensions, expulsions and exclusions
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attendance
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compliance with the provisions of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014
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provision for international students.
7 Recommendations
ERO recommends that the board and senior leaders continue to use internal evaluation to inform the development of positive strategies to improve outcomes for Māori children whose learning and achievement needs acceleration. The board of trustees and senior leaders have identified that further strengthening partnerships with families and whānau is also likely play a positive part in helping meet this challenge.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
7 September 2016
About the school
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Location
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Oratia, Auckland
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Ministry of Education profile number
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1404
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School type
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Contributing (Years 1 to 6)
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School roll
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534
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Number of international students
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0
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Gender composition
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Boys 53% Girls 47%
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Ethnic composition
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Māori
Pākehā
British
Indian
Pacific
Chinese
other
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9%
79%
2%
2%
2%
1%
5%
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Special Features
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Offsite Lone Kauri class at Karekare
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Review team on site
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June 2016
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Date of this report
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7 September 2016
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Most recent ERO report(s)
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Education Review
Education Review
Education Review
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March 2012
November 2008
September 2005
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