Paparore School

Paparore School - 25/10/2017

Summary

Paparore School, just north of Awanui in the Far North, is located within the tribal boundaries of Ngai Takoto and Te Aupouri. The school provides for children in Years 1 to 6. Most are Māori and affiliate to local iwi. Many travel from the township of Kaitaia and local rural communities to attend the school.

The school has a positive profile in the community and the roll continues to grow. A new large classroom has been built to provide an innovative learning environment for two senior classes.

The school has made very good progress in responding to the next key next steps outlined in its 2014 ERO report. It is continuing to develop internal evaluation. New trustees have joined the board, bringing a combination of experienced and newer trustees.

The senior leadership team comprises the principal and two deputy principals. All have a long term commitment to the school community and take responsibility for enhancing the curriculum and raising student achievement. In 2016 more than 90 percent of children achieved the National Standards in reading and 80 percent in maths and writing.

Papaore School is a member of the Far North Community of Learning | Kāhui Ako (CoL).

How well is the school achieving equitable outcomes for all children?

The school is achieving equitable outcomes for Māori and other children. The board of trustees, principal and staff prioritise and resource programmes for individual learners who may be at risk of not achieving to their potential.

Teachers know learners and their whānau well. They value the strong, responsive and positive learning relationships they have established to support children’s learning.

Staff are becoming increasingly skilful in developing and refining strategies for accelerating children’s learning, particularly in writing. Teachers share these strategies with other teachers and teams in order to develop school-wide teaching practice.

At the time of this review collaborative approaches to teaching and learning were being embedded through professional learning and inquiry that focused on effective teaching practices in writing. Teachers apply new approaches learned in the writing context to other learning areas.

Children are achieving well. School performance has been sustained over recent years through well focused, embedded processes and practices.

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

Equity and excellence

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

Paparore School is very effective in responding to children whose learning progress needs acceleration. The board of trustees, leadership team and staff prioritise equity and excellence for all children. They have a commitment to supporting Māori children to achieve success as Māori.

The school has a strong learning emphasis on social skills, the school’s bicultural vision, and its values. These underpin the attributes and achievements sought for children in the school’s graduate profile. Children have a strong sense of ownership of the school’s vision and values. They show pride and are confident in their own cultural heritage and the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa, New Zealand. Children’s achievement is recognised and celebrated.

Senior leaders and teachers know the priority learners and their learning strengths and needs. Targeted support is provided for these children. Teachers use a variety of assessment information to plan programmes that meet the needs of children, and to identify those who would benefit from additional support. Teachers, the special education needs coordinator (SENCO), external experts and parents are all involved in developing and evaluating the effectiveness of strategies to accelerate priority learners’ progress.

School information shows high levels of achievement for all children, including Māori, in relation to the National Standards in reading and mathematics. Teachers and leaders are addressing a disparity for boys and Māori in writing achievement, through a targeted acceleration focus. Achievement levels for both these groups has trended up since 2012. School data shows that Year 6 children leave Paparore School with high achievement levels.

Children’s progress and achievement are analysed, monitored, and regularly reported to the board. Effective school-wide moderation helps teachers to make dependable judgements about children’s achievement in relation to the National Standards.

Leaders and teachers have been working together to build expertise in the teaching of writing through the Accelerated Literacy Learning (ALL) programme. They set timeframes with key benchmarks to closely monitor children’s progress. Responsive planning and targeted teaching are resulting in the accelerated progress of some children.

School conditions supporting equity and excellence

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

The school’s processes are effective in supporting equity and excellence, particularly those to do with strategic decisions about professional learning.

Students and staff demonstrate pride in, and recognise the symbolic importance of, the school and local environment. The school’s culturally responsive curriculum is evident in the school environment. It is inclusive of its local marae, iwi, hapū, kaumātua, kuia, hāpori, and tikanga. These features are included in the school’s waiata, which is understood by staff and children.

The school’s values of hiranga, ngākau/tapatahi, rerekētanga, porihanga, and kaitiakitanga result in the positive school culture. These values reflect the school’s motto ‘Paparore SchoolKia Ngāwari - Proud & Passionate Leaders of Learning in the Heart of the Community’. Aspects of kaitiakitanga are evident in the way students and staff care for the school and local environment.

Children proudly speak and understand the school’s whakataukī, “He Iti Marangai, Tū ana te pāhukahuka, He iti pioke, nō Rangaunu, He au tōna’ -Small although the dogfish shark may be, great is its wake, as it traverses the might of the Rangaunu harbour”.

Whānau and parents strongly support and trust the school. Close connections with whānau through hui, events and home partnerships enable families to participate in the learning processes that lead to Māori achieving success as Māori. Teachers discuss acceleration plans for priority learners with whānau, to include them in the learning process. Their culturally responsive practices encourage children as learners.

The board is well led by an experienced chairperson. Trustees sustain high quality environments for staff, whānau and children. They bring professional expertise to their governance roles and make strategic decisions that support equitable outcomes for children. The board is well informed to be able to review its school performance against charter goals, targets and governance legislative responsibilities.

The board and school leaders work collaboratively to develop the school’s vision, values and strategic goals, charter and staff development processes. This leads to a focus on best outcomes for students. It creates an inclusive school that has motivating classroom environments for learning. High levels of relational trust build partnerships throughout all levels of the school community. Collective commitment to building capacity provides a curriculum that increases children’s achievement and equity of outcomes.

Sustainable development for equity and excellence

What further developments are needed in school processes to achieve equity and excellence?

Collaborative governance and leadership have resulted in continuous improvement over time. The school has appropriate and relevant strategic goals for ongoing school development, including further developing:

  • the curriculum to include a sequential te reo Māori programme

  • strategies to increase student agency and ownership of learning

  • the evaluation of, and reporting about, outcomes for target children

  • internal evaluation processes.

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

  • 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.

Going forward

How well placed is the school to accelerate the achievement of all children who need it?

Learners are achieving well. The school demonstrates strong progress toward achieving equity in educational outcomes, supported by effective, sustainable processes and practices.

Agreed next steps are to:

  • further develop the curriculum and the depth and rigour of internal evaluation.

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

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

25 October 2017

About the school

Location

Awanui, Far North

Ministry of Education profile number

1078

School type

Contributing

School roll

169

Gender composition

Boys 53% Girls 47%

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
other

82%
17%
1%

Provision of Māori medium education

No

Review team on site

September 2017

Date of this report

25 October 2017

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review Education Review Education Review Education Review

December 2014
December 2012
November 2009
May 2006

Paparore School - 03/12/2014

Findings

Paparore School is experiencing significant roll growth. Students learn in settled, attractive and well organised learning environments. They know about their progress and achievement, and reflect on their efforts. Teachers’ understanding of effective teaching practice has been enhanced and greater consistency of practice is evident across the school.

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

1 Background and Context

What is the background and context for this school’s review?

Paparore School, just north of Awanui in Northland, provides education for students from Years 1 to 6. The school lies within the tribal boundaries of Ngai Takoto and Te Aupouri. Most students are Māori and affiliate to various iwi. Many of the students travel from Kaitaia to the school.

Since the 2012 ERO report, the school roll has grown significantly. This roll growth has resulted in two additional classes. The principal has re-structured the leadership of the school and established two deputy principal positions. These leaders have responsibilities linked to improving student achievement and curriculum design.

Students benefit from a positive and settled school tone. The school values are well known to them. Parents and students are proud of the school and. Respectful relationships between students and staff are evident. They are also evident amongst the principal, teachers, students, whānau and the community. These good relationships continue to provide a strong foundation for the operation of the school.

As noted in the last ERO report, students continue to benefit from spacious, well maintained and attractive learning environments. The board continues to manage school finances well and provides a wide range of learning experiences for students at no financial cost to parents.

The 2012 ERO report identified areas for review and development from earlier ERO reports that had not been sufficiently well addressed. Due to the number and range of issues that needed addressing, ERO decided to undertake a 1-2 year review and maintain contact with the school over this time. This report summarises almost two years of school development related to the areas requiring improvement.

2 Review and Development

How effectively is the school addressing its priorities for review and development?

Priorities identified for review and development

Priorities identified for review and development as part of ERO’s 2012 longitudinal process include:

  • improving leadership of learning
  • developing consistent and effective teaching practices
  • strengthening assessment processes to support student achievement
  • providing opportunities for students to succeed as Māori
  • strengthening self review
  • undertaking required community consultation.

Progress

The board developed a useful action plan to guide improvement. With additional support provided by the Ministry of Education, good progress has been made in addressing the priorities for review and development.

Improving leadership of learning

The principal and teachers are participating in professional learning and development (PLD) linked to improving curriculum leadership and using effective teaching strategies. The principal, alongside the facilitator observes programmes, evaluates teaching practice with teachers and sets new goals. This high quality principal mentoring process is promoting greater consistency of teaching practice. It has a clear focus on those students whose achievement needs accelerating. The principal agrees that maintaining and extending these effective practices is an important next step.

The principal participates in a local network of schools that focuses on promoting positive outcomes for students. Key goals for this network include increasing students’ role in making decisions about their learning and engaging with parents and whānau. These local goals align well with the school’s strategic goals.

Developing consistent effective teaching practices

Teachers provide sound foundations for students’ learning and social development. Students engage well in their learning. There is an increasing focus on greater consistency of teaching practices across the school. Teachers work well together and the current PLD builds on collaboration and developing shared understandings.

Teachers are inquiring more into the effectiveness of their own teaching practice. They do this by setting and enacting personal goals, regularly revisiting them, and participating in discussions that allow them to critique their practice. A school-wide culture of professional learning conversations is continuing to develop. These conversations focus teachers’ practice on raising student achievement and support consistency of effective teaching practices.

Strengthening assessment processes that support student achievement

School achievement data shows that achievement of students in relation to the national standards is very high. ERO and school leaders acknowledge that continuing to critique the robustness of this information through moderation processes will help ensure that achievement data is as reliable as possible.

Students can talk about their achievement, where they are achieving, and what they need to learn next. Very good exemplars of attractively presented student work help them to discuss their learning journeys. This work is ongoing.

The deputy principal with an overview of school-wide achievement has developed carefully documented processes for monitoring and tracking student achievement. These processes will support the school to critically examine student achievement data. Teachers are continuing to refine processes for reporting to parents about how well their children meet the National Standards in the first three years of their schooling.

School leaders and teachers now have a stronger focus on supporting individual students who need more targeted teaching to improve their progress. They are increasing their understanding of how better to meet the learning needs of these students. Teachers regularly discuss these target students and identify specific strategies that can help improve their achievement.

Curriculum including Māori students, succeeding as Māori

The curriculum offers students a range of choices, including education outside the classroom learning experiences. It has a strong focus on literacy and mathematics and is aligned to The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC).

The new school vision of ‘proud and passionate leaders of learning in the heart of the community’ provides an opportunity for the board to discuss with students, parents and teachers how this vision can be enacted. A revisiting of the school’s current curriculum design is a possible outcome of work to help ensure the new vision is realised. The principal has identified the need to review the curriculum from the perspective of developing a stronger focus on student-centred learning and integrating a wider range of learning areas.

Staff are providing more learning opportunities that promote educational success for Māori, as Māori. All students, including Māori students, actively engage in practices related to pōwhiri, karakia and mihimihi. School waiata are well known to children. A recent noho marae provided a good opportunity to consult with Māori parents about their wishes and aspirations for their children. Continuing to provide consultation processes such as whānau hui should allow the board to better respond to the aspirations of whānau Māori.

Key next steps

ERO, the principal and trustees agree that areas for further review and development are:

  • continuing to improve the collation and critical analysis of student achievement information so that it more reliably informs programme planning
  • refining processes for the implementation and reporting of National Standards
  • adapting the school curriculum to better support enactment of the new school vision and to give students more ownership of their learning
  • embedding the professional learning cycle that is helping teachers critically inquire into their own teaching practice.

3 Sustainable performance and self review

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

Paparore School is now better placed to sustain and continue to improve and review its performance.

The experienced board chair is reflective about governance processes and focused on improving outcomes for students. Most trustees are new and demonstrate a willingness to undertake training to support their governance roles and responsibilities.

Self review processes continue to develop. The board, with the support of external advice and guidance, has recently reviewed the school’s vision, meeting processes and ways in which it can maintain a clear focus on legislative requirements. Trustees agree that improving documented self review will help the board, teachers and students to more clearly identify areas for development.

The board has formally consulted with the community on a wide range of topics. Although, the board did not formally consult with the Māori community, aspects of consultation that are specific to Māori were included in general consultation processes. Very good information has been collected from parents and whānau and will be used to improve strategic planning. Responding appropriately to parents’ wishes and aspirations will help the board strengthen the effectiveness of its self review processes.

Key next steps

ERO and the board agree that a key next step is to develop robust self-review processes that evaluate the effectiveness of school initiatives and further support ongoing improvement.

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.

Good progress has been made in addressing legislative requirements noted in the ERO 2012 report related to:

  • ensuring police vetting procedures are clear
  • ensuring board minutes are properly kept
  • improving performance management systems, and ensuring the principal has a signed performance agreement
  • consultation regarding the delivery of the health curriculum.

Conclusion

Paparore School is experiencing significant roll growth. Students learn in settled, attractive and well organised learning environments. They know about their progress and achievement, and reflect on their efforts. Teachers’ understanding of effective teaching practice has been enhanced and greater consistency of practice is evident across the school.

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

Dale Bailey,

National Manager Review Services Northern Region,

3 December 2014

About the School

Location

Awanui, Far North

Ministry of Education profile number

1078

School type

Contributing (Years 1 to 6)

School roll

160

Gender composition

Boys 54%

Girls 46%

Ethnic composition

Māori

NZ European/Pākehā

other

70%

29%

1%

Review team on site

October 2014

Date of this report

3 December 2014

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

December 2012

May 2006

November 2002