Tararua College

Tararua College

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within six months of the Education Review Office and Tararua College 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 

Tararua College is a small rural secondary school with a current roll of 395 students from Year 9 – 13.

Tararua College’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

  • developing strong literacy and numeracy outcomes for junior students through new updated programmes

  • Building the consistent use of New Zealand Curriculum levels and a shared language across the school for describing progress and achievement

  • continuing to build on mātauranga Māori cultural capabilities of staff and students through focused professional learning and development (PLD).

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Tararua College’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how partnerships with parents and whanau and a deeper understanding of successful teaching strategies can lead to an improvement in attainment levels in Year 9 and 10 literacy & numeracy.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

  • a need to identify which literacy & numeracy teaching and learning strategies have had most impact on those students currently experiencing low levels of achievement in Junior classes

  • a shared community goal to involve parents and whanau in learning so that students are supported by a partnership between home and school

  • to ensure that teachers have sufficient student progress and achievement information to adapt planning and delivery to meet the needs of students.

The school expects to see students benefitting from a curriculum where teaching strategies are effectively addressing numeracy and literacy learning needs across the junior school.   

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to evaluate how partnerships with parents and whanau and an/a deeper understanding of successful teaching strategies can lead to an improvement in attainment levels in Year 9 and 10 literacy & numeracy.

  • a recently developed model of flexibility and responsiveness within the Junior curriculum designed to meet the needs of learners through student centred planning

  • a shared understanding of the literacy and numeracy skills students need for success obtained by involvement in the 2022 Literacy and Numeracy pilots

  • established partnerships with learning providers, contributing schools, parents, whanau and the local community.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • PLD within the school supporting teachers to continue to evaluate responsive teaching practices that lead to improved literacy outcomes

  • evaluation of progress and achievement tools and systems within the school to provide teachers, learners and parents with the information they need to identify steps to success

  • finding ways to involve parents and whanau in curriculum development and learning so that they feel better informed and able to contribute to the success of their tamariki.

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.

Kathy Lye
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini

15 February 2023 

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

This school has Alternative Education provision on site.

Tararua College

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2022 to 2025

As of August 2022, the Tararua College Board of Trustees has attested to the following regulatory and legislative requirements:

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 Tararua College Board of Trustees.

The next Board of Trustees assurance that it is meeting regulatory and legislative requirements will be reported, along with the Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report, within three years.

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

Kathy Lye
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini

15 February 2023 

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

Tararua College - 25/05/2018

Findings

Leaders and trustees have a well-planned approach to guiding improvements aligned to the areas for development identified in the previous ERO report. Strengthened assessment processes and pastoral systems ensure a more comprehensive response to meeting the needs of learners. Student achievement increased significantly in 2017. The school is well placed to build on changes made and make further improvements towards their identified priorities.

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?

Tararua College caters for 308 students of whom 40% are Māori and a small number are Pacific learners. Students are drawn from the township of Pahiatua and the surrounding rural area.

The school vision is to maintain and develop a college that is at the heart of the community, supporting the students and their whānau to be the best that they can be. Promoting respect, involvement and excellence reflect the shared values of the school and community.

Recent appointments include a deputy principal in 2016 and principal at the beginning of 2017. A number of new trustees were elected in 2016.

The December 2015 ERO report identified that the school was required to prioritise raising student achievement and strengthen school governance. The overall focus was to improve processes and practices that would enable the school to address disparity, particularly for Māori students and males. ERO has undertaken an ongoing evaluation process with the school over the past two years.

The school has accessed a range of professional learning and development (PLD) to assist staff and trustees address the areas for review and development identified in the previous ERO report. The school is currently working with the Ministry of Education to implement Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L).

The school is a member of the Tararua Kāhui Ako.

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 Report recommended that trustees, leaders and teachers:

  • strengthen the use of assessment information to raise achievement and address disparities for Māori students and males
  • review and further develop the school curriculum and pastoral systems
  • build the quality and consistency of teacher practice, including further development of appraisal and inquiry processes
  • strengthen governance capability, updating the school charter and ensuring policies and procedures match legislative changes.
Progress

Leaders and trustees have taken a well-planned approach to address the areas for review and development identified in the previous ERO report.

The number of students achieving National Certificates in Educational Achievement (NCEAs) has increased at Levels 1, 2 and 3. In 2017, there was a significant increase in the number of Māori students and males achieving qualifications, particularly at Levels 1 and 3.

Assessment processes are used more effectively to identify students who require their achievement accelerated, or respond to learners with additional needs. Improved tracking, monitoring and reporting systems are increasingly used more effectively and collaboratively by leaders, trustees and teachers to respond to the needs of students.

Assessment tools in reading, writing and mathematics have been introduced to better identify, monitor and inform teaching and learning in Years 9 and 10. Reported achievement in 2017 showed many Year 9 students accelerated their achievement in writing.

Purposeful changes to the design and delivery of the school curriculum have led to improved student outcomes. Teaching in Years 9 and 10 is increasingly more responsive to student interests by collaborative planning through a similar context.

The senior curriculum offers a wide range of suitable options for students. Courses provide academic, practical and relevant work-based opportunities to meet the aspirational needs of individuals. Involvement of students, parents and whānau in learning focused discussions supports collective decisions in relation to options for individuals.

Leaders and teachers have suitably strengthened their response to meet the pastoral needs of learners. There is a strong focus on developing positive relationships and supportive partnerships between students, staff and the wider school community. PB4L increasingly fosters shared expectations and practices aligned to the school values. Through guidance and mentoring teachers work purposefully to support the academic, social and emotional needs of learners. Mentoring is beginning to foster purposeful connections between learners and teachers to facilitate improved outcomes.

Leaders and trustees acknowledge that raising levels of student attendance remains a priority. Appropriate processes are used to track, record and regularly report student attendance to trustees. A range of well-considered initiatives suitably supports and follows up students with low attendance patterns.

Teacher participation in well-planned professional learning and development has impacted positively on their practice, leading to better outcomes for students. Expectations for teaching and learning identify agreed strategies to be used in promoting successful classroom practice. Professional learning groups foster the collective development of teacher capability aligned to shared expectations. Appraisal and teaching inquiry processes are being strengthened to fully monitor and build the professional capability of teachers.

Improved reporting and planning practices have strengthened school governance. The revised school charter reflects well-considered annual and strategic priorities. Senior leaders and departments regularly report progress and achievement to inform resourcing decisions. Trustees access relevant training to build their understanding of roles and responsibilities.

Key next steps

The school and ERO agree that, to further strengthen achievement outcomes and promote equity and excellence for students, leaders, trustees and teachers should:

  • continue to target achievement, including increasing certificate endorsements, in the NCEAs especially for males in Levels 2 and 3, and Māori learners
  • revise and set achievement targets that clearly identify those students requiring accelerated achievement in Year 9 and 10
  • make further improvements in the use of assessments in the junior school and moderation of practice at NCEA Levels 1 to 3
  • continue to strengthen teaching and learning aligned to the school's effective teacher profile
  • review and further promote planned curriculum changes, including revision and development of the junior curriculum.

3 Sustainable performance and self review

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

Leaders, trustees and teachers have developed and implemented responsive systems and processes to sustain and continue to promote ongoing improvement.

Changes to assessment processes, pastoral systems and the curriculum have impacted positively on raising student achievement and fostering a more effective response in meeting the learning needs and aspirations of individual learners. The school is well placed to further develop evidence based evaluation and inquiry.

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

Leaders and trustees have a well-planned approach to guiding improvements aligned to the areas for development identified in the previous ERO report. Strengthened assessment processes and pastoral systems ensure a more comprehensive response to meeting the needs of learners. Student achievement increased significantly in 2017. The school is well placed to build on changes made and make further improvements towards their identified priorities.

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

Patricia Davey

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)

Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region

25 May 2018

About the School

Location

Pahiatua

Ministry of Education profile number

235

School type

Secondary (Years 9 to 15)

School roll

308

Gender composition

Male 50%, Female 50%

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Pacific
Other ethnic groups

40%
56%
1%
3%

Review team on site

April 2018

Date of this report

25 May 2018

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review
Education Review
Supplementary Review

December 2015
October 2012
July 2009