Turitea School

Education institution number:
2467
School type:
Contributing
School gender:
Co-Educational
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
149
Telephone:
Address:

208 Old West Road, Tiritea

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Turitea School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

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

Turitea School is located in rural Palmerston North providing education for learners in Years 1 to 6. The school stands by its mission statement of ‘Ko te poipoi, ko te atawhai, ko te manaaki’ or ‘Nurture, embrace and respect all learners’. The school prioritises honouring its heritage and the traditional aspects that a semi-rural school has by looking back to move forward.

Turitea School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:

  • ensure high quality teaching and learning occurs throughout the kura with a strong focus on being culturally competent

  • design and implement effective systems for assessment, evaluation and moderation, and consultation with whānau

  • ensure students receive a broad education that reflects their identity, culture and a commitment to te Tiriti o Waitangi

  • breathe life into the school values (uara) across the kura and embed these into the localised curriculum

  • strengthen all aspects of leadership and governance within the kura.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how effectively the school is implementing culturally responsive practices across the school.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

School leadership identify the uara of whanaungatanga, manaakitanga, kaitiakitanga, and mātauranga as being fundamental to effective teaching and learning. Leaders see these as the pou (pillars) for a rich school culture and provide a framework for teaching and learning practices that will support and sustain successful outcomes for all learners. 

The school expects to see:

  • learners who are able to articulate a deep understanding of the uara

  • a localised curriculum and learning programmes that are designed through the lens of each uara

  • consistent and coherent assessment and moderation practices across the school

  • successful outcomes across the curriculum for all learners.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in achieving its goals:

  • The school community participates in and contributes widely to school activities, events and decision making.

  • Students learn in a caring environment that supports them to engage confidently in their learning.

  • School leaders are highly committed to providing the conditions and opportunities for all staff to grow teaching practice and leadership skills.

  • A principal who is passionate about building cultural competency and capacity across the school with a strong commitment to honouring te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • a deepening understanding of the school uara and how these relate to highly skilled teaching and learning practices

  • further development and implementation of a robust professional growth cycle

  • a shared understanding and implementation of effective assessment and moderation practices

  • the use of progressions for teachers, learners and their whānau ensuring there is clarity for next steps in learning

  • senior leaders deepening knowledge of their roles and responsibilities and effectively leading change across the school.

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.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

15 May 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

Turitea School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2023 to 2026

As of April 2023, the Turitea School Board 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 Turitea School, School Board.

The next School Board 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.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

15 May 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

Turitea School - 24/07/2017

Summary

Tiritea School caters for students in Years 1 to 6. At the time of the review there were 156 children on the roll with 10% identifying as Māori.

Since the May 2014 ERO review, some new trustees have been elected and a whānau Māori representative has been co-opted onto the board. There have been few staff changes. Teachers have undertaken professional learning and development (PLD) in mathematics and inquiry learning. This year their focus on writing and student agency is linked to the school’s annual targets.

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

Most students are achieving at or above in relation to the National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Most Māori children are achieving well. There is some disparity between Māori students’ achievement and that of their peers. Robust moderation practices ensure greater dependability of National Standards information.

Trustees, senior leaders and staff are focused on achieving positive outcomes for all students. Wellconsidered schoolwide processes are in place to help teachers identify and plan for students who are at risk of underachievement. Teachers are collaborative and promote learning through meaningful experiences.

The principal builds positive relationships with students, parents and the community. Families’ input is sought and valued.

Developing a curriculum document to guide teaching and learning, and to build capacity of leadership in evaluation and appraisal, should assist the school to further promote equity and excellence.

Children are achieving well. The school demonstrates strong progress toward 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 continues to develop its effectiveness in responding to all children, including Māori, whose learning and achievement need acceleration.

Since the previous ERO review, schoolwide achievement information has shown that most students achieve at or above in relation to National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. There is some disparity between the achievement of Māori students and their peers. The few Māori students who are at risk of not meeting the National Standards are identified and supported. Their progress is closely monitored. Teachers know their at-risk learners well and have deliberate initiatives in place to accelerate their progress. Evidence shows that the progress of some students was accelerated during 2016.

Assessment and moderation practices are used well and provide the board, school leadership and teachers with a dependable picture of achievement across the school. Students are regularly assessed using appropriate informal and standardised tools. Data from assessments is used to track achievement, inform teaching and report to families and the board. A next step is for leaders to further analyse data to identify trends and patterns that should provide a fuller picture of achievement schoolwide and over time.

The school’s valued outcomes of mātauranga, whanaungatanga, manaakitanga and kaitiakitanga are highly visible throughout the school, underpin teaching and learning and are well known by students, staff and the community.

School conditions supporting equity and excellence

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

The school has developed some effective processes to support the achievement of equity and excellence.

Well-considered programmes and focused feedback enable students to pursue their interests, make decisions about, and take more responsibility for, their learning. The board, staff and school community have diligently worked to support all students to grow their knowledge of te ao Māori. Culturally responsive, meaningful experiences characterise the inquiry learning approach which is implemented across the school. Classrooms are welcoming learning environments. Relationships are warm and respectful.

Teachers identify students’ learning needs from assessment information and deliberately plan interventions to accelerate the progress of those at risk of underachievement. They regularly reflect on their practice, are collaborative and support each other to moderate assessment. Their expertise is built through targeted PLD informed by student data and linked to the school’s annual goals. Teachers know their students well and develop learning centred partnerships with parents.

School leaders promote good practice, actively support teachers and have high expectations for success. The principal builds positive relationships with students, parents and the community. Families’ input is sought and valued. 

School trustees are achievement focused, collaborative and diligently undertake their stewardship role. They recently used the School Trustees Association’s Hautū – Maori Cultural Responsiveness Self Review Tool for Boards of Trustees to review, evaluate and provide guidance for the future direction of the school. Trustees regularly discuss schoolwide achievement information with the principal and leadership team. The board makes informed 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 board, school leaders and ERO agree on the following key areas to work on to achieve equity and excellence. These include:

  • developing an overarching curriculum document that draws together key drivers for teaching, learning and student achievement. This will include expressing the school’s shared expectations and understandings of good practice and how te ao Māori will be recognised and acknowledged
  • building the collective capacity of leadership to evaluate the effectiveness of programmes, initiatives, data trends and patterns, and school operations
  • developing clear, comprehensive procedures to guide appraisal practice that are consistent with the New Zealand Education Council expectations
  • continuing a relentless drive to progress the achievement of priority learners.

Provision for international students

The school is signatory to the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students (the Code) established under section 238F of the Education Act 1989. No international students were enrolled at the time of the ERO review.

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. 

To improve current practice the board of trustees should:

  • survey parents/ caregivers and students in relation to wellbeing, inclusion and emotional safety.

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:

  • develop an overarching curriculum document

  • build leadership’s collective capacity in evaluation and inquiry

  • develop appraisal practices that align with New Zealand Education Council expectations

  • continue the unrelenting focus on improving outcomes for priority learners.

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

Alan Wynyard

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)

24 July 2017 

About the school 

Location

Palmerston North

Ministry of Education profile number

2467

School type

Contributing (Years 1 to 6)

School roll

156

Gender composition

Girls 51%, Boys 49%

Ethnic composition

Māori 10%
Pākehā 81%
Other ethnic groups 9%

Review team on site

June 2017

Date of this report

24 July 2017

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review May 2014
Education Review March 2011
Education Review May 2008

 

Turitea School - 18/06/2014

Findings

A positive school tone supports student learning. The curriculum is well implemented. High quality teaching strategies are evident. A next step is for leaders to develop a process for planned in-depth self review and document its outcomes.

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

1 Context

What are the important features of this school that have an impact on student learning?

Tiritea School is located in a semi-rural setting, close to Massey University and Linton Army Camp. Students and staff show a strong sense of belonging and appreciate being part of a small school community. Twenty two of the 143 students are Māori.

Since ERO's 2011 review two additional classes have been added due to roll growth. A new multipurpose space, known as Tane Mahuta, and a library have been built. Staffing has been stable since 2013.

Teachers' professional development has been focused on written language and student inquiry learning. Information technology provisions have been reviewed and updated to support this.

Teaching as inquiry, where teachers research and reflect on their personal teaching practice, has also been introduced.

2 Learning

How well does this school use achievement information to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement?

The school uses achievement information well. Suitable assessment tools are used to gather data at classroom level. An assessment implementation plan provides a useful framework for subsequent analysis and use.

Teachers use achievement information to:

  • identify students at risk of not achieving and those who require additional support
  • analyse gaps in student learning to identify specific teaching actions for groups and individuals
  • develop individual learning plans for those requiring support and extension
  • make moderated teacher judgements about achievement and report progress to parents
  • monitor students' progress and achievement.

Trustees receive reports based on high quality analysis of school-wide achievement data. This is used to inform self review, identify and monitor individuals and groups of identified priority learners, and track student progress over time by gender and ethnicity.

In literacy and numeracy almost all students achieve at or above the National Standards. Māori students achieve at higher levels than their peers in reading and at similar levels in writing and mathematics. The number of Māori students achieving above National Standards expectations increased substantially from 2012 to 2013.

Teachers know their students well. A positive school tone supports student learning.

3 Curriculum

How effectively does this school’s curriculum promote and support student learning?

The Tiritea School curriculum is well implemented in classrooms. A range of high quality teaching strategies are evident. Teachers establish and articulate high expectations for learning, sharing learning intentions and success criteria with students. There are many opportunities for cooperative learning. Constructive teacher feedback contributes to the next stage of students' learning. Learning programmes are relevant, authentic and interesting.

Elements of The New Zealand Curriculum are being adapted to meet the needs and interests of Tiritea students. ERO’s evaluation supports this direction to strengthen guidance to teachers and gain consistency of practice across the school. Student inquiry is already well developed.

Students participate enthusiastically in their learning and actively engage during independent work. High levels of interest and motivation are apparent. Students talk about their learning and their next steps. They support each other well in class. Positive, respectful, cooperative relationships are evident. Success is celebrated in class displays, assemblies and newsletters.

How effectively does the school promote educational success for Māori, as Māori?

Māori students are highly engaged in learning. The school effectively promotes educational success for Māori as Māori.

Teachers have worked hard to raise the mana and profile of te ao Māori at this school. This has been achieved through:

  • staff and board professional development around Ka Hikitia Accelerating Success andTataiako: Cultural Competencies for Teachers of Māori Learners
  • the introduction of kapa haka
  • pōwhiri to welcome new students and their families at assemblies
  • student mihi presented in assemblies
  • staff engaging in regular face-to-face conversations with whānau
  • use of te reo Māori by teachers and students during lessons.

The board regularly engages formally with the school's Māori community. Whānau are highly involved in school programmes and activities such as camp, sports coaching and fund raising. A marae visit for students is planned for term 3 this year.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

The school is well placed to sustain and improve its performance.

The strategic plan is strongly based on student achievement and other information arising from community consultation. The annual plan and related action statements provide a useful framework for self review. School practices are closely aligned with board policies and procedures.

Wide-ranging self review informs decision making and helps focus ongoing school improvement. Currently self review is carried out using a variety of approaches. A next step is for leaders to develop a process for carrying out planned in-depth self review. ERO considers it timely to evaluate the impact of these reviews on student achievement and formally document the outcomes.

The principal has a collaborative, collegial approach to leadership. She is active in leading professional learning and development and working alongside staff.

The principal and deputy principal work well together. All staff contribute to school leadership and decision-making. It would be useful to collate a staff handbook describing operational practice as a way to clarify expectations.

Trustees value and respond to the views of their community through surveys and newsletters. Good partnerships have been developed with teaching staff.

The principal is aware of the need to add rigour to the staff appraisal process. ERO agrees, in particular, providing feedback to teachers as an outcome of classroom observations.

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

A positive school tone supports student learning. The curriculum is well implemented. High quality teaching strategies are evident. A next step is for leaders to develop a process for planned in-depth self review and document its outcomes.

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

Joyce Gebbie

National Manager Review Services Central Region

18 June 2014

About the School

Location

Palmerston North

Ministry of Education profile number

2467

School type

Contributing (Years 1 to 6)

School roll

143

Gender composition

Male 56%, Female 44%

Ethnic composition

NZ European/Pākehā

Māori

British

Other ethnic groups

76%

15%

3%

6%

Review team on site

May 2014

Date of this report

18 June 2014

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

March 2011

May 2008

March 2005