Randwick School

Education institution number:
2969
School type:
Full Primary
School gender:
Co-Educational
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
125
Telephone:
Address:

59 Randwick Road, Moera, Lower Hutt

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Randwick School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 18 months of the Education Review Office and Randwick School working in Te Ara Huarau, an improvement evaluation approach used in most English Medium State and State Integrated Schools. For more information about Te Ara Huarau see ERO’s website www.ero.govt.nz

Context 

Randwick School is situated in Moera, Lower Hutt and provides educational opportunities to students in Years 0 to 8.

Randwick School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are for all students:

  • to progress and achieve in relation to their expected levels within the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC)

  • who require additional support in their learning to experience success, to participate and contribute to their school and community.

You can find a copy of the school’s charter, strategic and annual plans on Randwick School’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the impact of the of the integration of the Te Ara Whakamana programme into the Randwick School’s local curriculum.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is a desire to:

  • raise the achievement and mana of Māori students (50% of students identify as Māori)

     

  • increase communication with, and involvement of, Māori whānau in the learning of their tamariki

  • implement a local curriculum that places and values Te Ao Māori at its heart.

The school expects to see Māori students who are actively engaged in their learning and achieving educational success. Students who demonstrate pride in their unique identity, language and culture as Māori. It also expects to see whānau showing an increased understanding of, and involvement in, their child’s learning.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to effectively evaluate the integration of Te Ara Whakamana practices into the delivery of its local curriculum.

  • Provision of a culturally appropriate environment where the culture of all students is valued and celebrated, especially that of Māori, to grow the mana of each child.

  • A local curriculum that is strongly aligned to te ao Māori that supports student engagement in learning.

  • Strong relationships that are well established, bring out the strengths and builds on the potential of all.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • provision of support to staff to develop their pronunciation and understanding of te reo Māori me ona tikanga and tikanga Māori to enhance delivery of the local curriculum

  • development of a shared understanding of Te Ara Whakamana principles and practices among staff and whānau to support student learning

  • the implementation of key strategies into teaching and learning programmes throughout Randwick School to further support student learning and wellbeing.

ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. ERO will support the school in reporting their progress to the community. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report and is due within three years.

Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini

14 December 2022 

About the School

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement.  educationcounts.govt.nz/home

Randwick School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2021 to 2024

As of December 2021, the Randwick School Board of Trustees has attested to meeting the following regulatory and legislative requirements. The Board of Trustees’ response is:

Board Administration

Yes

Curriculum

Yes

Management of Health, Safety and Welfare

Yes

Personnel Management

Yes

Finance

Yes

Assets

Yes

Further Information

For further information please contact Randwick School Board of Trustees.

The next Board of Trustees assurance that it is meeting regulatory and legislative requirements is due in November 2024.

Information on ERO’s role and process in this review can be found on the Education Review Office website.

Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini

14 December 2022 

About the School

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home

Randwick School

Provision for International Students Report

Background

The Education Review Office reviews schools that are signatories to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020.

Findings

The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code and has completed an annual self review of its implementation of the Code.

At the time of this review there was one international student attending the school, and no exchange students.

Randwick school complies with all requirements of the Code for hosting International students. It regularly reviews its practices and regularly reports on wellbeing and achievement to those connected to this student.

Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini

14 December 2022 

About the School

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home

Randwick School - 19/01/2018

School Context

Randwick School, in Moera, Lower Hutt, caters for students in Years 1 to 8. The roll has increased since 2014 to 176 students. Māori make up 53% and Pacific 15% of the roll. The school experiences significant roll turnover during the year.

The school’s vision is “to empower great students who love learning”. The valued outcomes are for students to interact and learn through the dispositions and values of confidence, relationships, love of learning, can do attitude, identity, communication and responsibility.

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

  • achievement in reading, writing and mathematics

  • progress and achievement in relation to the school annual plan goals and targets

  • progress and wellbeing of students who are supported through targeted programmes

  • attendance, engagement and wellbeing of all students.

Since the 2014 ERO review, teachers have been involved in professional learning and development in school priority areas of writing, growing student agency and teaching as inquiry. Leaders have attended an ERO internal evaluation workshop.

The school is part of a long standing cluster with other local schools.

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 has established appropriate processes and strategies to more effectively improve student achievement and promote equitable and excellent outcomes. Overall however, higher levels of achievement are needed.

Reported achievement shows that from 2014 to 2016 a small majority of students achieved well in expected levels of reading, writing and mathematics. There was an overall improvement in reading in 2016.

Disparity of achievement is evident. Data shows that boys achieve significantly lower results. Māori students do less well than their peers in writing and mathematics. Pacific students achieve at similar levels to other students overall.

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

Achievement information from 2017 indicates the school is increasing the effectiveness of its response to those Māori and other students whose learning needs acceleration.

End of year achievement data shows that the majority of those Māori and other students identified as priority learners at the start of the year have made accelerated progress. Many of these students are on track to achieve their goals by the end of Year 8.

2 School conditions for equity and excellence

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

The breadth and depth of the curriculum supports students to have opportunities that promote their learning and to experience success. The school has made significant progress in developing and articulating the Randwick curriculum to be inclusive and increasingly responsive to their diverse groups of learners. This is evident through an increased focus on mātauranga Māori, bicultural and multicultural perspectives, digital technologies and the use of local contexts and resources. Student voice is valued.

Enhanced teaching and learning approaches better meet the needs of those students whose progress and achievement need acceleration, including:

  • a sound process that suitably tracks, monitors and reports on the progress of these students at regular team meetings
  • collaborative approaches to inquiring into practice and planning and assessment to respond to the needs of individuals and groups of students
  • gathering, analysing and using a range of assessment information to inform decision making
  • moderation practices that support dependable judgements in relation to student achievement information.

The purposeful environment promotes students’ wellbeing, sense of identity, belonging and engagement in their learning. Relationships among students and teachers are positive and respectful.

Leaders have high expectations for teaching and learning. The trustees, principal and leaders have a clear vision and strategies to promote the achievement of equity and excellence across the school. There is an increasing coherence of systems and processes at board, leadership and teacher levels that focus on improving student outcomes.

There are a significant number of students with additional learning needs including approximately a fifth of the roll who are learning English as second language learners. They are well supported with appropriate programmes and interventions.

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

School charter targets and reporting to the board is about overall student achievement. Refining targets and reporting that is focussed on acceleration of progress for priority and target students, should enable trustees to better evaluate what works and what needs to change.

School leaders have introduced a number of new approaches and strategies to more effectively accelerate the progress of priority students, reduce disparity and increase overall levels of achievement. It is important to continue evaluating the effectiveness of these initiatives to identify key practices and then embed these in the Randwick curriculum.

Processes to support the transition of students who enrol during the year are being reviewed. This should support teachers and leaders to better respond to the needs of these learners and to know what is making the most difference for their progress and achievement.

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.

Provision for international students

The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of International Students) Code of Practice 2016 (the Code) established under section 238F of the Education Act 1989. There was one international student enrolled at the time of the ERO review.

The school attests that it has complied with all aspects of the Code.

4 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

  • the strong culture of collaboration that promotes high expectations for teaching and learning
  • the curriculum that guides teaching and learning and responds to the local context
  • the purposeful learning environment that promotes students’ wellbeing, sense of identity, belonging and engagement in their learning.

Next steps

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

  • evaluating the effectiveness of new strategies and initiatives to identify key practices and embed these in the Randwick curriculum

  • strengthening teachers, leaders and trustees understanding and use of internal evaluation, and refining targets setting, to know what is making the most difference for learners’ progress and achievement, especially for priority students and those who enrol during the year.

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

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

Alan Wynyard 

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)

Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region

19 January 2018

About the school

Location

Lower Hutt

Ministry of Education profile number

2969

School type

Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)

School roll

176

Gender composition

Male 52%, Female 48%

Ethnic composition

Māori 53%
Pacific 15%
Asian 13%
Pākehā 13%
Other ethnic groups 6%

Provision of Māori medium education

No

Review team on site

October 2017

Date of this report

19 January 2018

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review September 2014
Education Review March 2013
Education Review October 2009

Randwick School - 03/09/2014

Findings

The areas identified for review and improvement in the 2013 ERO report have been successfully and sustainably addressed. Students experience an authentic, purposeful curriculum that supports learning. There is a strong commitment to maintaining and embedding the focus on improving student achievement.

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?

Randwick School provides education for students in Years 1 to 8 in Moera, Lower Hutt. Of the 158 students enrolled at the time of this ERO review, 51% identify as Māori, 15% Pacific and 17% Asian.

The March 2013 ERO report identified priority areas for review and development. Since ERO was on site in November 2012, a new principal has started at the school. Together with the senior leadership team she has been instrumental in addressing ERO’s key recommendations. A new board chair was elected at the beginning of 2013.

The school has participated in an ongoing ERO evaluation process. The Ministry of Education has supported improvement. Trustees, senior leaders and teachers have been involved in extensive professional development. Non-compliance issues identified in the 2013 ERO report have been addressed.

2 Review and Development

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

Priorities identified for review and development

The previous ERO review identified the following areas as requiring improvement and development:

  • assessment practice
  • teaching as inquiry
  • a curriculum responsive to the school’s context.
Progress

Assessment practice

Clear and useful guidelines for assessment promote consistency of practice across the school. These include support for teachers forming judgements in relation to National Standards.

Formative assessment has a greater focus. Students are effectively supported to understand the purpose of their learning and what they need to do to be successful.

Teachers have identified target students whose achievement requires accelerating. Team meetings focus on student achievement. Teachers discuss strategies to support success.

Teaching as inquiry

An effective process to support teachers’ inquiry into the effectiveness of their practice has been developed and is well implemented. This well understood process is instrumental in driving improvement. Inquiries link to the school’s expectations for effective practice.

Curriculum

Comprehensive review and development of the Randwick School Curriculum has been effectively and conscientiously undertaken. This has included community consultation, the identification of principles and shared vision and values. Learning area statements have been developed. Student inquiry learning is underpinned by six core concepts. Separate consultation has appropriately occurred about the health curriculum.

The curriculum suitably reflects the school context. Extensive supporting documents have been developed in reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers are continuing to review and refine implementation plans and progressions that support teaching and learning. Documents are effectively designed to foster consistency of teacher practice and a common language that promotes continuity for students as they move through the school.

The strengthened curriculum includes and responds to the culture and aspirations of Māori learners and their whānau. It has parent and student perspectives embedded in the documentation. Teachers have considered and are using Ka Hikitia Accelerating Success 2013 - 2017 to support their responsiveness to Māori.

Teachers are focused on improvement. There is clear alignment of curriculum and school expectations.

3 Sustainable performance and self review

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

Priorities identified for review and development

The previous ERO review identified the following areas as requiring improvement and development:

  • self review to inform future improvement
  • staff appraisal.
Progress

Self review

Self review now guides improvement. A framework has been established that supports shared understandings by both staff and trustees. The self review process includes high quality indicators that reflect best practice. Meaningful self review at board level is evident.

Staff appraisal

The new appraisal process is thorough. It strongly links to the Registered Teacher Criteria, teaching as inquiry and the school’s expectations for effective practice. Teachers are regularly observed and receive feedback that supports their professional growth and development.

The leadership team has identified the need to continue review and refinement of the curriculum and school systems to raise student achievement. ERO’s external evaluation affirms that the school is well placed to sustain and continue to review its performance.

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

The areas identified for review and improvement in the 2013 ERO report have been successfully and sustainably addressed. Students experience an authentic, purposeful curriculum that supports learning. There is a strong commitment to maintaining and embedding the focus on improving student achievement.

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

Joyce Gebbie

National Manager Review Services Central Region

3 September 2014

About the School

Location

Moera, Lower Hutt

Ministry of Education profile number

2969

School type

Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)

School roll

158

Gender composition

Female 51% Male 49%

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pacific

NZ European/Pākehā

Other ethnic groups

51%

15%

13%

21%

Review team on site

July 2014

Date of this report

3 September 2014

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

March 2013

October 2009

October 2006