Otahuhu College

School Context

Otahuhu College is a well-established school with strong links to its community. The school roll of approximately 900 students reflects the cultural diversity of the community, with about 12 percent Māori students and approximately two-thirds of the students of Pacific heritage.

The school aims to provide excellent classroom teaching, personalised learning and high expectations for children to have the best possible future. This is underpinned by the school’s mission to lead educational excellence and endeavour in their community.

Since the 2013 ERO review several new members have joined the board of trustees including the chairperson. The board and the principal have overseen extensive property development, including a Science block opened in 2016, and the refurbishment of the library and Music department. The library has been recognised as a learning hub of the school.

The school is part of the Otahuhu Kāhui Ako | Community of Learning (CoL). Otahuhu College is committed to working with the CoL to meet collaboratively developed achievement challenges.

Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, schoolwide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:

• achievement information for students in Years 9 and 10
• senior student achievement information within the New Zealand Qualification Framework
• participation, contribution and engagement information across sporting, arts and cultural areas
• trends and patterns in retention and attendance
• school leaver qualifications and destinations
• progress and achievement in relation to school targets.

The 2016 ERO review found that there were significant areas to address to improve opportunities for students to experience accelerated learning across the school. Very good progress has been made in these areas. The school is now much better placed to promote positive outcomes and achieve equitable and excellent outcomes for all its students.

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?

Otahuhu College is becoming increasingly effective in achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all students. School leaders use a range of evidence to identify disparity in student outcomes. Strategies to increase parity are promoted to support the acceleration of learning and achievement of equitable outcomes for all students.

National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) data show that over the past three years the majority of students are achieving well in Levels 2 and 3. Achievement levels at University Entrance (UE) has continued to rise. Overall, the 2018 Level 3 achievement data for all students in the school are above schools with a similar profile. The number of NCEA endorsements continue to rise at all levels. In 2018 there was a significant rise in the number of students achieving NCEA Level 3 with excellence endorsement. Māori and Pacific students regularly achieve well above national levels and comparable to similar schools.

NCEA data over the last three years show high levels of achievement in numeracy and literacy for all groups of students. Girls achieve at higher levels than boys at all levels of NCEA and University Entrance (UE), however, boys’ achievement at NCEA Level 3 is above the national average.

Achievement information indicates that a substantial group of students enter the school below expected curriculum levels in literacy and mathematics. Systems and processes track and monitor progress and achievement of Years 9 and 10 students. Achievement information indicates that most of these students are making expected and/or accelerated progress.

Students achieve very well in relation to other school valued outcomes. Most students:

• are confident in their language, culture and identity
• have respectful and positive relationships with staff and each other
• enjoy a sense of belonging and connection to their school
• engage in the wider educational, cultural and sporting opportunities
• leave school with a meaningful pathway that connects to further education or employment.

1.2 How well is the school accelerating learning for those Māori and other students who need this?

The school is working towards achieving parity of outcomes for those Māori and other students whose learning needs accelerating.

While there is some disparity in achievement outcomes for Māori students in Years 9 and 10, NCEA Level 1 and University Entrance NCEA achievement information shows that outcomes are equitable in Years 12 and 13. Over the past three years, high academic achievement for Māori students is evident at NCEA Level 2 and Level 3 compared to Māori students nationally and in similar schools.

The school is implementing programmes that support increased opportunities for Māori students to learn successfully and achieve equitable and excellent outcomes as Māori. Examples are the introduction of Whakairo, the carving programme, offered at Years 11, 12 and 13 and the celebration of significant Māori events.

The school is successfully identifying students who need special assessment conditions. Students are well catered for and experience a responsive and individualised approach to their learning needs.

Senior leaders and teachers are strengthening their tracking and monitoring of student achievement and progress.

English language learners are well supported. Effective systems and processes help identify these learners and establish their learning needs.

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?

School leadership is effective. Leaders ensure an orderly and supportive environment that promotes high expectations for learning. Leaders across all levels of the school are working to strengthen conditions for equity and excellence. They reflect on and respond well to achievement information, adapting and evolving programmes to meet student needs.

Students learn in a positive and inclusive environment. They are supported in their learning by teachers who know them well. Respectful and affirming relationships between teachers and students are evident. Extensive pastoral care systems provide students with high levels of support to reduce barriers and support engagement in learning. The vertical whānau class structure allows students to build and maintain positive relationship across all year levels.

Staff are engaged in appropriate professional learning. They access professional expertise from the wider education community to support ongoing improvement. Senior leaders identify and promote opportunities for emerging leaders to build their leadership capability. These opportunities are increasing teachers’ knowledge and skills, and improving the quality of teaching and learning.

The school is designing and delivering an increasingly responsive and broad curriculum. Teachers in most curriculum areas are developing relevant and contextualised curriculum programmes. There are growing opportunities in the curriculum for students to engage positively in authentic and contextual learning. Students benefit from a range of sporting, cultural and co-curricular outdoor educational learning experiences.

The board, school leaders and staff are building strong relationships and connections with the school’s community, parents and whānau. Parents feel welcomed and valued as partners in their children’s learning.

Leaders are continuing to consider ways to support Māori learner success through the development of tikanga and school kawa. This includes growing connections and partnerships with whānau Māori. School leaders recognise the potential in developing a Māori Education plan to support Māori student success and achievement.

The board of trustees actively supports the school. Trustees and school leaders work collaboratively and share a strong commitment to their governance responsibilities. Trustees are well informed and have a good understanding of student achievement information. They carefully scrutinise the school’s work regarding student wellbeing and achievement. The board supports school leaders’ strategic direction and future focus.

2.2 What further developments are needed in school processes and practices for achievement of equity and excellence, and acceleration of learning?

The school has the capacity and capability to accelerate learning and to further develop school conditions for achieving equity and excellence for all students.

Areas for continued development include:

• developing and implementing agreed expectations around effective pedagogy for the Otahuhu learner
• increasing opportunities for students to lead their own learning
• continuing to build learning relationships with parents, whānau and the wider community
• strengthening internal evaluation to build on the culture of professional inquiry, foster innovation and sustain ongoing improvement.

3 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:

• board administration
• curriculum
• management of health, safety and welfare
• personnel management
• finance
• asset management.

During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student safety and wellbeing:

• emotional safety of students (including prevention of bullying and sexual harassment)
• physical safety of students
• teacher registration and certification
• processes for appointing staff
• stand down, suspension, expulsion and exclusion of students
• attendance
• school policies in relation to meeting the requirements of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014.

4 ERO’s Overall Judgement

On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement of Otahuhu College’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Well placed.

ERO’s Framework: Overall School Performance is available on ERO’s website.

5 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

For sustained improvement and future learner success, the school can draw on existing strengths in:

• a culture of high expectations, that promotes student achievement and supports their learning success
• staff engagement in professional learning and development, that increases teachers’ knowledge and skills and improves curriculum delivery
• an increasingly broad and responsive curriculum, that provides opportunity for students to engage positively in learning.

Next steps

For sustained improvement and future learner success, priorities for further development are in:

• the continued implementation and embedding of effective pedagogy to accelerate learning and achieve equitable outcomes for all students
• building strong community, parent and whānau connections and partnerships to enhance student engagement and achievement
• strengthening internal evaluation, to support ongoing innovation and improvement.

Areas for improved compliance practice

To improve current practice, the board of trustees should:

• document progress made in consulting with the school’s Māori community about the school’s policies, plans and targets for improving Māori achievement.

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services Northern

Northern Region

15 May 2019

About the school