Pahiatua School

School Context

Pahiatua School, in the Tararua district, caters for 392 students in Year 1 to 8, and 22% are Māori with a small number of Pacific heritage. The school has experienced considerable roll growth since 2014. Annually, there is a high turnover in the roll.

As part of the school’s vision for student success, it seeks to provide children with a foundation for lifelong learning, and the opportunity to experience success and strive towards personal excellence. School goals for 2017 are for 80% of students in all groups to be achieving well in mathematics and reading, with accelerated progress for those students not currently achieving well.

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

• achievement in reading, writing and mathematics, and in relation to the school goals
• valued outcomes in relation to health and physical education in TheNew Zealand Curriculum.

The school is part of, and the principal is leading, the Tararua Community of Learning|Kāhui Ako (CoL).

Evaluation Findings

1 Equity and excellence – valued outcomes for students

1.1 How well is the school achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all its students?

The school is continuing to improve student achievement, and has an ongoing priority of addressing in-school disparity in the achievement of boys, when compared to girls, especially in reading and writing.

Reported achievement at the end of 2016 showed that overall between approximately two thirds and three quarters of students achieved well in reading, writing and mathematics. Overall, higher levels of achievement are still needed. For Māori students, the school achieves outcomes that are equitable with those of their non-Māori peers within the school, and their achievement shows improvement over time.

Achievement in writing has shown improvement since 2014. Reported midyear 2017 data indicates achievement is likely to improve slightly for Māori students and boys in mathematics and reading by the end of the year.

For the small number of Pacific students, their achievement is appropriately tracked, monitored and reported to the board.

1.2 How effectively does this school respond to those Māori and other students whose learning and achievement need acceleration?

The school response to Māori and other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration includes appropriate processes.

Available information indicates that some students make accelerated progress, including as part of a group supported in their mathematics learning. Otherwise, the extent to which students’ progress is being accelerated is not clearly identified schoolwide.

2 School conditions for equity and excellence

2.1 What school processes and practices are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence?

Conditions for learning promote the positive engagement of students. The curriculum supports foundational learning and fosters skills and attributes to promote self-directed learning. Students are encouraged to monitor and contribute to their own progress and achievement.Digital learning options promote engagement and extend the scope of learning. Student interactions are positive. Shared values are encouraged to promote highly inclusive relationships.

Leaders focus clearly on guiding practice that places children at the centre of decision making. They have developed a cohesive and collaborative approach to meeting the needs of learners. This includes fostering a shared understanding of expectations for classroom practice, and processes for leaders to know about the quality of teaching. Involvement of staff in professional learning and development (PLD) has impacted positively. For assessment of students’ achievement, guidelines and moderation practice ensure that teachers make dependable assessment judgements.

Teachers are highly collaborative. They regularly discuss student achievement, progress and share teaching and learning strategies to support their response to those Māori and other learners whose learning and achievement need acceleration. These students set learning goals closely matched to their next learning steps. Parents and whānau receive regular information and in some instances they are provided with resources to contribute to their child’s learning at home.

Appropriate processes support prompt identification of individual children requiring additional learning support. Individual education plans, developed for students with high needs, document specific learning needs, goals, interventions and programmes.

Well-considered educational partnerships, including in the Tararua CoL, provide opportunities to share practice to support students’ success and transition, in the school and across the district. A CoL decision to use the Progress and Consistency Tool (PaCT) should further enhance moderation practice. The board is committed to providing positive outcomes for students and plans strategically to meet the needs of students and the community.

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

Strengthening internal evaluation and inquiry processes, culturally responsive practice and teacher appraisal should further promote equity and higher overall levels of achievement for students.

The teaching as inquiry process encourages consideration of strategies to address the needs of students. Strengthening teacher’s evaluative capability, individually and as syndicates, should help them to:

• consistently identify the impact of practice on accelerating students’ achievement, so that the extent to which progress is accelerated within and across learning areas is well known

• establish clear understandings of how well strategies for students requiring acceleration support or limit their learning success

• produce additional evaluation information of value to future decision making for improvement.

The school continues to develop a comprehensive response to Māori learners’ culture, language and identity. Students have some opportunities to learn though culturally appropriate experiences. Further development of actions, and inclusion of outcome indicators, in the Māori achievement plan should extend opportunity to identify successes and enhance culturally responsive practice.

The school’s appraisal process meets the requirements for issuing and renewing teacher practicing certificates. Effective models of practice should be used to develop consistency between teachers.

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 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

• a collaborative school culture that includes teachers, parents and whānau supporting positive student engagement, learning, participation and inclusiveness

• professional leadership of teaching practice that focuses on meeting the needs of learners, aligned to governance that promotes achievement of equity and excellence.

Next steps

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

• continuing to address existing disparities to ensure further improvement in boys achievement, especially in reading and writing

• strengthening learner focused inquiry and evaluation, and culturally responsive practice to consolidate movement towards higher overall levels of achievement.

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

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

Patricia Davey

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)

Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region

13 December 2017

About the school

Findings

Many students achieve at or above the reading and mathematics National Standards. The school is seeking to improve achievement in writing. Teaching is designed to increase student engagement, promote self-management skills and support students to know about their own learning and next steps. Teachers value students' language, culture and identity.

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?

Pahiatua School is located in the Tararua district. It provides education for students from new entrants to Year 8.

The school has experienced roll growth since the October 2010 ERO report. Currently the roll is 287 students, with 29% identifying as Māori.

The shared core beliefs of ‘responsibility for self, rights of others, respect for all’ are recognised and understood throughout the school as the guiding framework for learning and behaviour. There is a strong focus on providing an inclusive environment for students.

2 Learning

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

Teachers use student assessment information well to make decisions about the support and extension that students may require.

Teaching approaches are designed to increase student engagement, promote self-management skills and support students’ knowing about their learning and their next steps. School leaders now need to review how successful these approaches are in making a difference to student learning and increasing rates of progress for individuals.

Students with special education needs are well catered for. Strong partnerships are formed between students and their families, external specialists and the school. Programmes and teacher aide support is very well planned and implemented. The special education needs coordinator continues to support parents to access external services that will help their children to fully participate in school.

Trustees receive good information about student progress and achievement and use this to make resourcing decisions. Data reported to the board at the end of 2013 shows that many students were achieving at or above in relation to the National Standards in reading and mathematics.

Underachievement in writing, across the school, especially for boys and Māori students is a recognised concern. Some specific targets have been set to address this and teachers are tracking and monitoring progress and achievement of these learners. Teachers are continuing to strengthen inquiring into the effectiveness of their own practice.

Teachers report to families and whānau using learning logs and written reports about student progress and achievement in relation to the National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. The board of trustees should ensure that the correct terminology is used when reporting to parents.

3 Curriculum

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

The Pahiatua School curriculum effectively promotes and supports student learning. It provides students with a wide range of opportunities to engage and participate in. Clear expectations and guidelines support teachers.

Teaching and learning programmes are aligned with The New Zealand Curriculum, with an appropriate focus on literacy and numeracy. Useful teaching strategies and digital technology support students' learning.

Teachers bring Pacific students’ language, culture and identity into classroom learning. Parents have shared their skills and knowledge to support this.

There is a strong focus on building students’ social skills through the school values and key competencies. Affirming behaviour management focuses on clear routines that contribute to good collaboration amongst students and teachers.

Teachers set high expectations and are trusting of students. They work as a team and take responsibility for all students at school. Teachers regularly share ideas and reflect on their practice to provide the best outcomes for students.

Students are supported to make a good start at Pahiatua School. Positive relationships have been built with teachers and parents. This enhances students' confidence and sense of security. Secondary school visits are arranged for students as they move on.

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

Teachers value who students are: their language; culture; and identity. The school has developed a strategic plan with appropriate priorities focused on raising Māori student achievement, developing partnerships with whānau and integrating te reo me ngā tikanga Māori across the school. The school acknowledges that many of the actions within the strategic plan are still developing. It is timely for staff to:

• review the effectiveness of the Māori strategic plan
• build a shared understanding about what success for Māori as Māori is. Aspirations of whānau for their children could underpin this direction
• continue to build staff knowledge and understanding of te reo me ngā tikanga Māori
• strengthen the te reo Māori programme across the school.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

The school is well placed to sustain and improve its performance.

Trustees are developing their understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Further training is likely to improve their knowledge and capability in governance and self-review processes. Trustees make decisions about resources based on students' needs and support teacher professional learning and development (PLD).

The principal supports staff to take leadership initiatives within the school. Participation in professional learning groups with other schools, PLD and the appraisal process affirm and support teacher development.

Senior leaders, trustees and teachers demonstrate a clear understanding of the importance of forming partnerships with parents, whānau and the wider community. A variety of opportunities are provided for parents to engage with the school. There is high parent participation in education outside the classroom. Staff continue to strengthen this partnership building.

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.

Conclusion

Many students achieve at or above the reading and mathematics National Standards. The school is seeking to improve achievement in writing. Teaching is designed to increase student engagement, promote self-management skills and support students to know about their own learning and next steps. Teachers value students' language, culture and identity.

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

Joyce Gebbie

National Manager Review Services Central Region

4 July 2014

About the School