Pinehill School (Browns Bay)

1 Context

The school has a positive ERO reporting history. The board comprises a mix of new and experienced trustees. Teachers have participated in professional learning and development to support their use of achievement information and to improve teaching and raise achievement levels for all children. Since the 2013 ERO review a new principal has been appointed and a new school leadership team formed.

2 Equity and excellence

The vision and valued outcomes defined by the school for all children are to provide them with a sense of worth, achievement and belonging through their learning journey. Importance is placed on children from all cultures being treated with respect and dignity. They are supported to actively work towards high standards of achievement.

The school’s achievement information shows that for 2014 there was a significant increase in numbers of children achieving at or above National Standards for reading and writing. Senior leaders report that assessment and moderation processes used by teachers have improved since the 2013 ERO review. Overall teacher judgements are now informed by children's ongoing learning and nationally referenced assessment tools.

As a result of this development, the school more accurately identifies groups of learners who are at risk of not achieving. Achievement information for 2014 and 2015 shows that approximately three quarters of all children achieve at above the National Standards for reading and mathematics, and two thirds of children are at or above the standard for writing.

The school has identified that there is a very small group of Māori students below the standards for reading, writing and mathematics. The overall achievement of boys in writing is below that of girls and girls overall achievement in mathematics is slightly below that of boys.

Since the last ERO evaluation the school has:

• improved assessment processes to more accurately reflect how well children achieve in relation to the National Standards
• realigned the school’s appraisal system to focus more on improved outcomes for children
• restructured roles and responsibilities to provide more coherence to the school’s focus on what is best for learning.

3 Accelerating achievement

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

The school is responding to Māori children whose learning and achievement needs acceleration.

Raising Māori children's achievement is a priority for the school. A small number of Māori children achieved below National Standards for reading, mathematics and writing. The school has successfully accelerated the progress of some Māori children. School leaders recognise the importance of continuing to advocate and embed accelerated teaching and learning practices.

The board, school leaders and teachers have responded to the disparity between Māori and all children by implementing a variety of measures to raise achievement, particularly in writing and reading. Progress information for 2016 shows improved achievement with most Māori children tracking to be at or above National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of the year.

Senior leaders and teachers have also identified that while more boys than girls are currently achieving at or above National Standards in mathematics, more girls than boys are achieving at or above the national standard in writing. Senior leaders and teachers are monitoring these disparities and have planned appropriate review and development.

As part of initiatives to address any disparities, the senior leadership team has increased the frequency with which it provides the board with information about how well groups of learners are progressing. Trustees are committed to a responsive approach to accelerating the progress of children who are at risk of not achieving. They receive useful information that is assuring them that the board's investment in professional development and teaching resourcing is having a positive impact for all learners, particularly for Māori children and boys.

Professional development during 2016 has supported teachers to reflect on and discuss ways they can modify their teaching to cater for children’s individual learning requirements.

Because of small numbers of Samoan, Niue, Tongan and Fijian children, comparisons with other, larger groups of children proves difficult statistically. Each Pacific child's progress is monitored. As with Māori children, they have opportunities to use their prior experiences and knowledge as part of their learning.

Responsive in-class and specialist teaching approaches support children with additional learning requirements to progress towards, and in some cases achieve at, National Standards.

4 School conditions

How effectively do the school’s curriculum and other organisational processes and practices develop and enact the school’s vision, values, goals and targets for equity and excellence?

The school’s curriculum and other organisational processes and practices are partly effective in developing and enacting the school’s vision, values, goals and priorities for equity and excellence.

The senior leadership team have appropriately identified that further development of some learning areas and student and teacher inquiry processes is likely to enhance enactment of the school's vision.

Broad curriculum themes allow children to build on their prior understandings and experiences outside school. Children, including those who have not easily engaged in learning, have good opportunities to pursue their various interests. Increasingly, teachers are using innovative collaborative learning strategies to complement small group teaching.

Māori children value their school as a place to learn and connect with their culture. Kapa haka is very popular in the life of the school and provides a means for all children to develop their understandings about aspects of tikanga Māori. By further strengthening the school's bicultural practice, Māori children will be better supported to be proud of who they are and confident in their learning.

Parents and whānau of Māori children appreciate the work the school does in supporting children who are at risk of not achieving. The school has begun to develop more meaningful hui with parents of Māori children to gauge their aspirations and ideas.

The new principal models high quality and collaborative leadership. She has worked well, together with the leadership team and the board to lift expectations for teaching and learning and focus on ongoing school development and improvement.

ERO affirms the board’s commitment to revising the school’s strategic plan to incorporate and act on the aspirations, ideas and contributions of parents and whānau. Having clearer school goals that reflect parent/whānau views will further inform and therefore strengthen teacher appraisal, annual planning and school operations.

The complementary nature of external and internal evaluation is valued by the board and school leaders as part of sustaining positive school developments and identifying next steps for continuous improvement.

School leaders have identified that active participation in professional networks such as communities of learning will contribute to accelerating the progress of children who are risk of underachieving. The achievement challenges identified by the Mid-Bays Community of Learning that the school joined in 2014 are consistent with the areas for development identified in this report.

5 Going forward

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

Leaders and teachers:

• know the children whose learning and achievement need to be accelerated
• respond effectively to the strengths, needs and interests of each child
• regularly evaluate how well teaching is working for these children
• act on what they know works well for each child
• build teacher capability effectively to achieve equitable outcomes for all children
• are well placed to achieve and sustain equitable and excellent outcomes for all children.

Areas discussed with the board for future development and evaluation include:

• developing culturally responsive practices school-wide as part of enhancing learning outcomes for Māori and Pacific children, and supporting Pinehill School’s ongoing bicultural development
• evaluating and revising the school’s shared expectations for teaching to drive the school’s focus on increasing children’s contribution to their learning
• exploring ways the school can further develop meaningful partnerships with parents/whānau that are focused on learning, particularly with those parents whose children are at risk of not achieving.

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

6 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 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

• processes for appointing staff

• stand down, suspensions, expulsions and exclusions

• attendance

• compliance with the provisions of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014

• provision for international students.

7 Recommendation

Pinehill School is embedding improved systems and processes to support teachers to accelerate the progress of learners at risk of underachieving. Strengthening partnerships with parents/whānau that are focused on improving learning will contribute positively to this development. In addition, further developing culturally responsive practices is likely to benefit all children.

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

30 September 2016

About the school