St Anthony's School (Seatoun)

Summary

St Anthony’s School caters for students in Years 1 to 8. At the time of the review there were 120 children on the roll with nine children identifying as Māori and three children as Pacific.

Since the April 2014 ERO report, a new board chair and some new trustees have been elected. There have also been some staff changes. Extensive professional learning and development for teachers from an external adviser in reading in 2016 and writing in 2017, supported by the use of PaCT (Progress and Consistency Tool), reflects the school’s focus on continuous improvement. In 2014 and 2015, the school participated in Accelerating Learning in Mathematics (ALiM). The school is in its fifth year of PB4L (Positive Behaviour for Learning).

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

Children achieve well at St Anthony’s School. At the time of this evaluation, National Standards data indicates that most are achieving at or above in relation to National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. This has been a consistent pattern over time, with no disparity evident between any groups of learners.

Trustees and senior leaders are focused on achieving positive outcomes for all learners. Children identified as not succeeding are known and strongly supported to achieve, with evidence of accelerated progress for those at risk of underachievement.

The school demonstrates strong progress towards achieving equity in educational outcomes supported by effective, sustainable 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?

The school effectively responds to all children, including Māori, whose learning and achievement needs acceleration.

Since the previous ERO review, school wide achievement information has shown that most learners achieve at or above in relation to National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Māori and Pacific student achievement is tracked and shows no significant disparity over the past three years.

There is evidence to show that all children make progress and many make accelerated progress.

Learners at risk of not achieving against the National Standards are clearly identified. Their strengths, interests and needs are well known by classroom teachers. Programmes to support these students are regularly reviewed by teachers and senior leaders to ensure their effectiveness and value.

Assessment and moderation practices are well considered and provide the board, school leadership and teachers with a dependable picture of achievement across the school. Children are regularly assessed using appropriate informal and standardised tools. Data from assessments is used to track achievement, rates of acceleration and inform teaching. Achievement information is reported to families and to the board.

The school’s valued outcomes reflect the special character of the school and the expectation that students will be REAL: Respectful; Excelling; Aware; and Learners.

School conditions supporting equity and excellence

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

The school has developed sound and effective processes and systems to provide teachers and leaders with reliable information for planning, teaching and growing evaluation. In regular meetings the teaching team, leaders and the assessment teacher, track and monitor individual student progress to build: a useful school wide achievement picture; identify learning needs; and explore teaching practices that will promote improvement.

Leaders and teachers are collaborative and reflectiveand use the PaCT Tool and strong moderation practices to make more consistent and dependable judgements and to clearly identify next learning steps for learners.

There is a clear focus on student wellbeing. Children are beginning to make decisions about and take more responsibility for their learning. Digital tools are employed where appropriate. Te reo me ngā tikanga Māori are enacted through school learning programmes, children’s liturgies and celebrations. Classrooms are welcoming, settled environments and interactions are respectful.

Strong relationships are evident between the school and parent community. Online student portfolios enable children to share progress towards their learning goals, teachers to give feedback and parents to access and comment on their child’s learning. These positive, often immediate, responses are developing strong three-way partnerships between the child, the teacher, family and whānau.

Parent and student opinion and comments are regularly sought and acted on by the board and leadership. Māori and Pacific whānau are consulted and their feedback and expertise is valued.

Appropriate systems and processes promote the professional growth of teachers and improve student outcomes. Strong leadership from the principal and deputy principal, well supported by trustees, encourages good practice through positive role modelling and mentoring. The school’s appraisal process supports teachers’ professional growth. 

The board regularly receives and discusses school wide achievement information with the principal and leadership.Trustees make resourcing decisions to support and target student learning and achievement.

Sustainable development for equity and excellence

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

The curriculum is under review. The school has a focus on developing a useful, working document that weaves together key expectations and guidance for teaching and learning and prioritises the school’s faith, culture and identity.

School leaders and ERO agree on the following key areas for ongoing development to achieve equity and excellence. These include continuing to:

• strengthen and embed the way teachers use student information, to more specifically target learners’ needs through formal inquiry and evaluation of the impact of learning programmes
• develop an overarching curriculum document that draws together key drivers for teaching, learning and student achievement including expressing the school’s shared expectations and understandings of good practice and how culture and identity will be recognised
• further refine systems of reporting to the board on the rate of progress of priority and target learners.

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?

Children 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:

• strengthen and embed the use of student information to evaluate and target learners’ needs and report to the board on the progress of these children

• develop an overarching curriculum document.

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

Patricia Davey

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)

2 June 2017

About the school