Patea Area School

School Context

Patea Area School is located in South Taranaki and caters for students in Years 1 to 13. Of the 165 children enrolled, approximately 69% are Māori. A small number of other ethnic groups are enrolled. The school has experienced significant roll growth since the September 2015 ERO report.

The school’s vision is ‘Growing good people for a changing world’. The values of participation, respect, integrity, diversity and excellence underpin school operation and practices.

The school’s strategic aim is that all students will achieve personal excellence and academic success as measured by the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) and National Certificates of Educational Achievement (NCEA). This supports a focus on Māori students’ engagement in their learning and achieving educational success as Māori.

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

• progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics in Years 1 to 8

• progress and achievement in literacy and mathematics in Years 9 and 10

• NCEA results

• whole school improvement, and other trends and patterns in achievement, attendance and retention over time.

A new principal and a number of new teachers have been appointed over the past three years. Longstanding and newly elected members make up the board of trustees.

The school is a member of the South Taranaki – Patea/Waverly Kāhui Ako.

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?

In 2017, most students achieved NCEA Levels 1 and 3, with all students achieving Level 2.

Achievement data from the end of 2017 indicated that the majority of students are achieving at and above NZC expectations in reading, writing and mathematics. Achievement in reading and mathematics improved from 2016 to 2017.

Disparity for boys in writing in Years 1 to 8 is well known by trustees, leaders and teachers. Strategies are in place to address this.

Learners with additional needs are well identified, their needs recognised and individualised programmes of support are put in place. External resourcing and expertise appropriately supports provision.

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

Student achievement data shows that most students successfully accelerate through class programmes and individualised pathways for learning.

Strategic practices and processes are effectively supporting acceleration in learning for those students not yet achieving at expected levels.

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?

Trustees have a strong focus on raising student achievement and promoting equitable outcomes for learners. They receive useful information from leaders to set priorities and resource appropriately. A clear strategic vision guides trustees’ focus on improving outcomes for students. An appropriate range of cohesive and well considered systems, processes and strategies are used to track, monitor and address individual needs of students to support their successful learning and wellbeing outcomes.

Leaders have established a range of effective organisational structures, processes and practices to promote the provision of an orderly and supportive environment for student learning and wellbeing. These are well aligned to school priorities to build teachers’ capability and the school’s capacity to sustain and improve outcomes. Well considered distributed leadership promotes coherence across learning programmes, enhances teachers’ capability and positions the school well for continued improvement-focused practice.

Meaningful partnerships with local iwi, the community, whānau and students enrich and extend the learning experiences provided for learners. Whanaungatanga, manaakitanga, ako and mahi tahi are highly evident across all levels of the school. The school is an inclusive environment, open to the community. A range of useful communication strategies engage whānau and share information about achievement and school developments.

Significant progress in developing and articulating the Patea Area School Curriculum to meet the needs of diverse learners has occurred since the previous ERO review. High expectations for student success through a strong focus on promoting wellbeing, valuing culture, language and identity and accelerating learning, is highly evident. Responsive, flexible timetabling and the effective use of digital technologies supports the provision of meaningful individualised learner pathways, both academic and vocational.

A strong sense of collective responsibility for students to achieve success is evident across the school. Schoolwide collaborative opportunities for robust professional conversations and sharing of effective classroom practices supports learner success. This significantly contributes to curriculum coherence, shared pedagogical understandings and consistency of practice.

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

Continuing to further strengthen knowledge and use of evaluation should support the school to more fully understand the impact of the curriculum on student outcomes. Developing a shared understanding of evaluation across all levels of the school to better determine the effectiveness of actions and strategies should contribute to ongoing strategic direction and decision making.

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 flexible curriculum that responds to students’ needs, promotes their wellbeing and supports their learning and progress

• the culture of collaboration among trustees, leaders and teachers that effectively promotes high quality teaching and consistent expectations for learning

• coherent schoolwide systems and processes that focus on improving student outcomes.

Next steps

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

• building schoolwide inquiry and internal evaluation to better determine the effectiveness of the curriculum and actions on student outcomes.

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

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

Alan Wynyard

Director Review & Improvement Services Central

Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region

30 August 2018

About the school