Te Waotu School

Te Waotu School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 12 months of the Education Review Office and Te Waotu 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 

Te Waotu School is rurally located in the South Waikato and provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. There have been some recent changes to the teaching staff.

Te Waotu School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

  • to refine teaching and learning practices to improve outcomes for all learners

  • to grow language, culture and identity to support equitable outcomes for all

  • strengthening meaningful educational connections with Māori and the wider community for equitable and excellent outcomes.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Te Waotu School’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the effectiveness of assessment and reporting practices to raise achievement for all learners.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

  • to more fully understand the impact of teaching and learning practices in order to respond more effectively to learner needs

  • to strengthen meaningful educational connections between school, learners and whānau

  • to ensure best practice assessment is being enacted school-wide.

The school expects to see:

  • improvements in outcomes for all learners including Māori and those with additional needs

  • that the purpose of assessment is understood by all stakeholders as a tool for further learning

  • students have agency in their learning

  • responsive programmes are developed to meet identified learner needs.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to strengthen assessment and reporting processes:

  • a positive and inclusive learning environment

  • effective and collaborative leadership focused on raising learner achievement

  • an established commitment to student agency through the development of assessment for learning practices that enables students to be active in the learning process.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • teacher capacity building informative assessment practices to raise learner achievement

  • ensuring Māori learners are well-supported to achieve success with a strong, secure sense of cultural identity through responsive assessment practices.

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.

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

15 August 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

Te Waotu School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2021 to 2024

As of October 2021, the Te Waotu School 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 Te Waotu School 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.

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

15 August 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

Te Waotu School - 12/10/2017

Summary

Te Waotu School is located approximately 18km south west of Putaruru, and caters for children in Years 1 to 8. The current roll of 121 includes 12 Māori students. The school prides itself on its long history and recognises Rongowhitiao Arekatera Te Wera a Te Puni, a Waotu Māori chief who played an important part in establishing the first place of learning at Te Waotu.

At the end of 2015 a new principal was appointed. The deputy principal and junior school leader were new to their roles in 2017. Internal evaluation information has shown a need to update the school’s local curriculum and this is underway in consultation with the community. The board of trustees understand their governance roles and are committed to improving learner outcomes for all children.

School-wide data shows most children are achieving National Standards in reading and mathematics. Children do not achieve as well in writing with girls achieving at higher rates than boys. School leadership have recognised this trend and have taken a well-managed approach to professional growth for teachers, particularly in writing, to address children’s achievement levels.

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

The school is responding effectively to children whose learning and achievement need acceleration.

Processes related to governance, leadership, teaching capability and partnerships with parents, are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence.

Learners are achieving well. The school demonstrates strong progress toward achieving equity in educational outcomes, supported by effective, sustainable processes and practices. Further development is needed in aspects of school operations and teaching and learning practices.

Agreed next steps are to:

  • complete the review of the school’s local curriculum to reflect agreed expectations for teaching and learning and community aspirations

  • strengthen the bicultural dimension across the school

  • develop school-wide achievement targets that include all children at risk and report to trustees about how effectively progress is being accelerated throughout the year

  • ensure performance management systems meet the Education Council NZ guidelines.

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 is responding effectively to children whose learning and achievement need acceleration.

Data gathered and reported by the school, in relation to National Standards shows that a significant number of children, including Maori are achieving at or above National Standards in reading and mathematics. In writing children’s achievement is well below that of reading and mathematics with girls out performing boys. Leaders are making a positive response to this through targeted professional development about effective teaching practice in writing, and extra group teaching initiatives. The school accesses specialist services for children that have particular high learning or behaviour needs. Their progress is closely monitored and reported to parents.

The school gathers achievement information using a range of appropriate tests and strategies. They use this data, along with information gathered during teaching, to make judgements about each child’s achievement in relation to National Standards. The recent school-wide focus on moderation processes is contributing to dependable teacher judgements.

Since the last review the school has joined a Community of Learning | Kāhui Ako (CoL) to work collaboratively with other education providers in the area. The CoL is currently developing an achievement challenge to improve outcomes for children whose learning needs acceleration.

School conditions supporting equity and excellence

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

Processes related to governance, leadership, teaching capability and parent partnerships are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence.

Trustees are governing the school effectively and work closely with the principal. They have accessed appropriate training and clearly understand their roles and responsibilities. Trustees closely scrutinise achievement information to track children’s learning and progress. There is a strong focus on improving learning outcomes for children whose progress requires acceleration.

The principal is providing clear direction about teaching and learning. He is focused on building teacher capability through improving school processes and providing professional learning opportunities for teachers that target at risk students. Leaders understand the importance of internal evaluation and are strategically prioritising next steps. Teachers are well supported by leaders to improve their practice and strong collaborative relationships are evident amongst staff. Good-quality leadership is contributing to positive learning outcomes for children.

Teachers work collaboratively in the best interests of children. They plan effectively and respond to children’s needs in positive learning environments. Children whose learning is at risk are clearly identified, well monitored and deliberate teaching strategies are implemented to accelerate their learning. The special education needs coordinator accesses specialist services for children with additional learning or behaviour needs. Progress for these children is closely monitored and reported to parents. Teaching practices effectively promote children’s knowledge and understanding of their learning and children can speak with confidence about their learning and progress.

Strong learning partnerships between the school, parents and families have been established. Parents are well informed about the achievement and progress of their children. They are actively involved in their children’s learning through a range of school initiatives. Children benefit from close learning focused partnerships between the school and families.

Sustainable development for equity and excellence

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

Further development is needed in aspects of school operations and teaching and learning practices.

Performance management systems do not meet the Education Council guidelines. The school needs to develop and consistently implement agreed processes for teacher inquiry, evidence gathering and goal-setting in relation to the practicing teacher criteria.

The school’s approach to targeting and monitoring the achievement and progress of at risk learners is an area for development. There is a need to develop school-wide achievement targets that include all children identified at risk, and report to trustees how effectively their progress is being accelerated throughout the year.

The school has begun to review the local curriculum. This needs to be completed so the curriculum reflects community aspirations and agreed expectations for teaching and learning.

Leaders and teachers need to ensure consistency of practice that reflects New Zealand’s bicultural heritage. The school charter clearly outlines ways to value culture, language and identity and this needs to be fully implemented. This was signalled in the previous ERO report in 2014 and now needs to become a priority.

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.

ERO identified non-compliance in relation to the implementation of performance management systems. In order to address this the board must:

  1. Develop and implement policies and procedures for appraisal of staff.
    [s 77(c) State Sector Act 1988]

To improve current practice, the board of trustees should:

  • Ensure that processes relating to the endorsement of teachers’ practicing certificates meet the requirements of the Education Council NZ.

Going forward

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

Learners 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:

  • review and define the school’s local curriculum to reflect agreed expectations for teaching and learning and community aspirations

  • strengthen the bicultural dimension across the school

School leaders recognise the need to

  • develop school-wide achievement targets that include all identified children at risk and report to trustees how effectively progress is being accelerated throughout the year for individuals and groups of children.

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

Lynda Pura-Watson

Deputy Chief Review Officer Waikato / Bay of Plenty

12 October 2017

About the school

Location

South West of Putaruru

Ministry of Education profile number

2025

School type

Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)

School roll

121

Gender composition

Girls 44% Boys 56%

Ethnic composition

Pākehā 79%
Māori 10%
South East Asian 4%
Other 7%

Provision of Māori medium education

No

Review team on site

August 2017

Date of this report

12 October 2017

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review March 2014
Education Review November 2009
Education Review August 2006