916 Otewa Road, Otorohanga
View on mapOtewa Primary School, located in a rural setting approximately 10 km from Otorohanga, caters for students in Years 1 to 8. The school's current roll of 68 includes 21 students who identify as Māori. There has been a significant roll increase since the previous ERO review in 2016. The school experiences a high turnover of students each year.
The principal continues in her position and there have been several changes to the teaching team. A new board chairperson and several new trustees were elected in the 2019 elections. The wider school community remain fully involved at the school. Teachers have had professional learning about literacy, mathematics and science.
The school’s mission statement states ‘Otewa School will produce students who are effective communicators, team players, environmentally aware, self-confident and respectful.’ Priority is placed on empowering students to be confident, independent, communicators throughout life. These outcomes are underpinned by the values of contribution, care, communication, creativity and challenge.
The current strategic aims include a focus on:
Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, schoolwide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:
The school is a member of the Nga Awa ki te Moana Kāhui Ako and the principal is the leader.
The school is working towards achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all of its learners. School data for 2018 shows that most students achieved at expected curriculum levels in reading and the majority of students achieved at expected curriculum levels in writing and mathematics.
This data also shows that Māori students achieved at similar levels to their peers at the school in reading and writing but significantly lower in mathematics and girls significantly outperformed boys in reading, writing and mathematics.
Data collected over the previous three years shows consistent patterns of achievement in reading and a slight improvement in writing and mathematics.
The school is accelerating the learning for some Māori and other students who need this.
Writing data for 2019 indicates that approximately half of at-risk students made accelerated progress. School data for 2018 shows that a small number of students whose learning is at risk in reading, writing and mathematics made accelerated progress.
Strong professional leadership guides all aspects of school development. A planned approach to induction, mentoring and coaching is enabling teachers to build their capability in a supportive and collaborative environment. Clear expectations and shared understanding about assessment and teacher planning have been developed. Information about accelerated learning outcomes is systematically gathered, analysed and reported on. Leadership builds relational trust and educationally-focused partnerships with parents and whānau.
Teachers use a range of useful strategies to enhance student learning in multi-level settings. Relationships between teachers and students are respectful, affirming and focused on learning and wellbeing. Classroom culture strongly reflects the school’s core values. Teachers plan learning programmes based on a range of relevant assessment information. A deliberate approach to planning for new students enables smooth transitions and continuity for these learners. Teachers have introduced a framework that enables students to reflect on their learning and the extent to which they have been successful.
Teacher and leadership capability are being systematically enhanced through evidence informed internal evaluation. Teachers have established a process to inquire into their practice which is focused on improving outcomes for at-risk learners. Performance management processes are well aligned with professional learning priorities, cycles of professional inquiry and building teacher capability. Teachers continually reflect on and adapt their practice to improve outcomes of learners.
Teachers should give priority to implementing practices that support students to have a greater understanding of their own learning progress and next steps. This focus should include continuing to build teachers’ knowledge of learning progressions frameworks and establishing more visible reference points for students that enable them to monitor their own progress. This is likely to support student goal setting and self-directed learning.
Leaders and trustees need to set specific targets focusing on acceleration of at-risk learners in reading, writing and mathematics in the annual charter. This should provide a stronger framework for reporting to the board throughout the year about the effectiveness of the initiatives in place to accelerate the learning of at-risk students.
The school has identified the need to:
ERO’s evaluation confirms these priorities.
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:
On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement of Otewa School’sperformance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Well placed.
ERO’s Framework: Overall Findings and Judgement Tool derived from School Evaluation Indicators: Effective Practice for Improvement and Learner Success is available on ERO’s website.
For sustained improvement and future learner success, the school can draw on existing strengths in:
For sustained improvement and future learner success, priorities for further development are in:
To improve current practice, the board of trustees should:
Phillip Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services
Central Region
16 December 2019
|
Location |
Otorohanga |
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
1874 |
|
School type |
Full Primary (Years 1-8) |
|
School roll |
68 |
|
Gender composition |
Male 36 Female 32 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 21 |
|
Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS) |
No |
|
Provision of Māori medium education |
No |
|
Review team on site |
October 2019 |
|
Date of this report |
16 December 2019 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review August 2016 |
Otewa Primary School is located in a rural setting approximately 10 km from Otorohanga. The school's roll of 52 includes 12 Māori children. Over the last two years the school roll has fluctuated. Since the last ERO review in 2013 a new principal has been appointed and some changes made to the teaching team. A new chairperson was also elected to the board of trustees. There have been significant developments to buildings and grounds that enhances facilities for children and teachers. The wider school community remain fully involved at the school.
The vision and valued outcomes defined by the school for all children are to be confident, independent, communicators throughout life. These outcomes are underpinned by the recently reviewed and well known values of contribution, care, communication, creativity and challenge.
Teachers make Overall Teacher Judgements (OTJ) using a range of appropriate assessment information. These judgements are moderated by teachers and the principal to ensure they are reliable and consistent across the school.
The school’s achievement information shows that in 2014 and 2015 half of all Māori children achieved at the National Standard in writing, reading and mathematics. Achievement for other students in the school is slightly higher than that of Māori children. All students achieving below expected levels are either included in a target group in classrooms or are receiving specialist support to accelerate their achievement.
Since the last ERO evaluation the school has established a focus on identifying and addressing the learning needs of Māori and other children achieving below expected levels through:
The school effectively identifies Māori children who are at risk in their learning. The principal and teachers gather reliable information about their learning strengths and needs and use this information to set relevant targets to raise achievement levels. In addition, the school has developed a policy and procedures that outline expectations for identifying the needs of children when they enter and leave the school during the year.
The school responds effectively to children whose learning and achievement needs acceleration particularly for those children who have been at the school for a longer period of time. In 2015, the significant proportion of students in the below National Standards category in mathematics and writing were targeted. The schools end of year data indicates that approximately half of the targeted children were no longer in the school. Of those remaining children most made good progress. Clarification and definition of accelerated progress needs further discussion within the teaching team.
The board receive collated data from the principal. This data shows school-wide achievement and progress for all students including Māori and by gender. The board uses this data to make resourcing decisions to support programmes and interventions for at risk learners. Trustees are yet to scrutinise achievement data to determine how well the school is accelerating the achievement of at risk learners throughout the year.
Teachers are making good use of data to plan targeted programmes. There is a need to continue to build their knowledge of learning progressions. Teachers should also develop strategies that enable children to better understand the own progress and achievement levels and next learning steps.
The professional leaders are working on Otewa School's broad curriculum to improve its effectiveness in promoting excellent and equitable outcomes for Māori and other children. Appropriate priority is placed on literacy and mathematics. Children's enjoyment at school is fostered by a strong family-like atmosphere that includes many opportunities for them to develop their leadership skills and strong tuakana/teina relationships.
The school's curriculum particularly in relation to literacy and mathematics is well documented and clearly reflects the principles of The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC). There is a need to review and define learning expectations in relation to other curriculum areas and establish expected learning progressions for children as they move through the school.
As part of the curriculum review process priority should be given to documenting how the curriculum is adding complexity to student learning as they move through the school in non-core subject areas.
The school is developing processes to build partnerships with parents that support them to assist with their children's learning. Parents are well informed through written reports, individual portfolios and interviews. They contribute and participate in school events and are regularly involved in consultation about school developments and priorities. An open-door policy is well enacted and parents feel welcome to participate.
Teachers work well together and have established close and respectful relationships within the team, with children and parents. They are continuing to build their knowledge and understanding of 'teaching as inquiry'. This is enabling teachers to better focus on accelerating the progress of children who are at risk of not achieving National Standards. ERO observed examples of teachers using effective strategies that support children's engagement in meaningful learning.
Robust systems have been implemented to support teachers to make reliable judgements in relation to the National Standards in Mathematics. These processes need to be further refined and extended to reading and writing.
The school effectively responds to children with high and complex learning and health needs in relation to meeting their social and ongoing learning development. These children are fully included in the life of the school and enjoy positive relationships with their peers, teachers and support staff.
Trustees work well together and value the work of the principal and teachers. It is important that all trustees participate in training to further develop their understanding of governance and effective self-review, including making appropriate decisions for students needing to accelerate their learning.
The principal provides focused professional leadership for learning about accelerating achievement for Māori and other children at risk of not achieving. She effectively guides teachers to specifically target the learning needs of these children and supports them to plan programmes to accelerate achievement. Strengthening the links between teacher appraisal processes and students who are at risk of not achieving should add rigour to performance management processes and help to further build teacher capability.
Leaders and teachers:
The school is working hard to achieve equitable outcomes for all children and is well positioned to address the next steps identified by ERO. The principal has developed a comprehensive plan to accelerate the achievement of Māori and other children at risk of not achieving at expected levels. Full implementation of this plan should support the school's commitment to providing excellence and equitable outcomes for Māori and other children. This plan specifically includes strategies to:
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
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:
board administration
curriculum
management of health, safety and welfare
personnel management
During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student safety and wellbeing:
compliance with the provisions of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014
ERO recommends that the trustees and principal review and strengthen the achievement plan to ensure it includes processes, practices and expectations outlined in the Going Forward section of this report.
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer
15 August 2016
|
Location |
near Otorohanga |
|
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
1874 |
|
|
School type |
Full Primary (Years 1 to 8) |
|
|
School roll |
52 |
|
|
Gender composition |
Girls 33 |
|
|
Ethnic composition |
Pākehā |
32 |
|
Review team on site |
May 2016 |
|
|
Date of this report |
15 August 2016 |
|
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
July 2013 |