Turuturu School

Turuturu School (5462)

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 14 months of the Education Review Office and Turuturu 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 

Turuturu School, located in Hawera, caters for students in years 1 to 6.

Turuturu School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

  •  all students will make progress in reading, writing and mathematics as described in the New Zealand Curriculum

  • to continue to develop our relationships and systems to better understand, reflect and improve children’s wellbeing and the wellbeing of all

  • ensure success for all students through high quality teaching and building positive relationships

  • by providing a learning environment in which all students develop an understanding and respect of Māori culture and language.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how effectively delivery of the literacy and mathematics curriculum achieves equity and excellence for all learners.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

  • In 2021 school leaders and ERO worked together to design an evaluation focused on understanding the impact of teaching, learning and curriculum delivery in literacy on achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners. At the end of 2022 analysed information shows a postive trajectory in literacy achievement. Leaders have identified a continued focus on evaluating new approaches to the delivery of literacy and extending their evaluation focus to include the impact of professional learning and development (PLD) for teachers in mathematics, to further know the impact on achieving equity and excellence for all learners.

The school expects to see:

  • equity and excellence for students and accelerated progress for learners working toward curriculum expectations in literacy and mathematics

  • effective teaching and relationship-based learning, reflecting the school’s shared expectations for curriculum delivery

  • the schools localised curriculum is revised overtime to reflect new learning approaches and shared expectations for teaching, learning and culturally responsive practice.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support it in its goal to achieve equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners in literacy and mathematics:

  • the school has robust systems and processes in place to inform assessment practice, track, monitor and report progress and achievement outcomes in literacy and mathematics

  • leaders demonstrate a clear understanding and facilitation of their roles and responsibilities. They use analysed information to understand the impact of teaching, learning and learner engagement on progress and achievement

  • collaborative learning environments promote shared values, build on learners’ strengths, and encourages the positive engagement of students in learning.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • continued opportunities for teachers to share practice and participate in literacy and mathematics PLD to build their collective understanding and implementation of effective practice 

  • ongoing documenting of changes to the Turuturu School curriculum as new approaches are embedded into practice

  • gathering information, at points in time, using progress data, observation of practice and stakeholder voice to inform evaluation insights into the impact of literacy and mathematics curriculum delivery on learner outcomes.

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

16 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

Turuturu School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2022 to 2025

As of December 2022, the Turuturu School, 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 Turuturu 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.

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

16 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

Turuturu School - 10/02/2017

1 Context

Turuturu School is a semi-rural contributing primary, on the outskirts of Hawera, catering for students in Years 1-6. At the time of this ERO review, 210 students were enrolled and 30% identify as Māori.

The staff are led by an experienced leadership team. Most trustees are newly elected to the Board.

Teachers are regularly involved in professional development. This has included mathematics, behaviour management, building cultural understanding and competency, and the early years of schooling.

The school is part of the recently formed Hawera-South Taranaki Kāhui Ako Community of Learning (CoL).

2 Equity and excellence

The school's vision for learners is 'Believe, Achieve, Succeed'. The valued outcomes, defined by the school for all children, are that students will experience a broad and full curriculum that develops their talents and motivates them to achieve. There is a focus on science, environmental sustainability, physical activity, the arts and oral language. Students will be supported to become confident and articulate learners.

A recent review of the school's values resulted in the development of the 'ROAR' acronym: Respect; RespOnsibility; ReAdiness; and Resiliance. This provides a framework for the school's behaviour management processes. Developed in consultation with the community, 'ROAR' expectations are that learning will take place in settled, purposeful, engaging classrooms with increased learning opportunities.

The school’s 2015-2016 achievement information shows that most students achieve in relation to the National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. The 2015 data showed significant disparity between Māori and their non-Māori classmates. By the end of 2016, information shows a significant increase in the achievement of Māori students.

Teachers use a range of assessment tools to make judgements about students' achievement in relation to the National Standards. They continue to refine their use of these tools to ensure the accuracy of their decisions. External moderation, undertaken with other schools, should provide a wider perspective on the quality, reliability and consistency of judgements.

Since the March 2011 ERO evaluation, the school has reviewed its values, vision and charter goals in consultation with the community. Work has been done to increase the consistency of teaching practices and learning conditions, and for the curriculum emphases on oral language, science and learning contexts that are related to the school's semi-rural nature. 

In order to improve student achievement, teachers have focused on accelerating learning in mathematics, by using achievement data to target their teaching to students' needs and measure the impact of their approach. These actions have contributed to improved teacher practices.

In 2016, there has been a schoolwide focus on developing classroom conditions for learning. Improved learning behaviours are the result. Teachers' professional development in the teaching of mathematics appears to have had a positive impact on student achievement.

3 Accelerating achievement

How effectively does this school respond to Māori children whose learning and achievement need acceleration?

Turuturu School is increasingly effective in responding to Māori students whose learning and achievement require acceleration.

In order to raise Māori students' achievement the school has:

  • identified all under achieving students and implemented specific programmes to meet their needs
  • introduced 'learning talks' for all targeted students and their whānau
  • increased teachers' collective responsibility for the learning of these students
  • implemented termly data gathering and reporting of their progress
  • increased teachers' understanding of te ao Māori through a schoolwide focus.

How effectively does this school respond to other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration?

Leaders and teachers acknowledge the need to continue to focus on accelerating the achievement of those learners at risk of not achieving. There is an increased focus on meeting the identified needs of all students whose learning requires acceleration. Trustees have resourced additional teacher aides who are used wisely to support learning in classrooms.

Teachers identify students in their classes who need additional support with their learning. They implement specific programmes to meet their needs and monitor and report on progress. There is a collective commitment to ensuring these students are supported to make progress. Teachers share successful teaching strategies and challenges.

4 School conditions

How effectively do the school’s curriculum and other organisational processes and practices develop and enact the school’s vision, values, goals and targets for equity and excellence?

The school's curriculum and other organisational processes and practices are effective in promoting student engagement and achievement, as well as supporting development of its vision, values, goals and priorities for equity and excellence.

The curriculum provides students with opportunities to work collaboratively and solve problems in a range of real world contexts. Students' learning is enabling and future focused. They are challenged to achieve their best. Māori culture and language are fostered and valued. Oral language, the arts and science are an integral and planned part of the curriculum at all levels.

A positive and supportive culture is evident. Students are friendly, confident and proud of their school. They are supportive of their classmates and engage in a variety of learning. Positive relationships exist between students and staff. Senior students are provided with leadership opportunities.

Classrooms have a positive tone. A sense of achievement and interest in learning is evident. Teachers use a range of teaching strategies. Tasks are relevant and structured to support learning. Teachers regularly discuss and reflect on their practice. They engage in professional learning and regularly evaluate the impact of their practice on student outcomes.

Parents and families are kept well informed about their children’s progress and achievement in relation to the National Standards and other areas of the curriculum. There is increased collaboration with the whānau of targeted students, through termly 'learning talks', and sharing of activities designed to enable whānau to support their children's learning at home.

Leaders are improvement focused, have a clear vision for the school and are strategic in their decision making. They are collaborative and actively seek new learning.

A useful appraisal process is in place. This is based on teachers' performance in relation to the Practising Teacher Criteria. Leaders actively support teachers with constructive feedback and carefully considered professional development opportunities.

The school has identified, and ERO's evaluation affirms, that there is a need to further strengthen its response to Māori culture. Leaders have begun to focus on strengthening culturally responsive practices. Weekly kapa haka has increased understanding of te ao Māori schoolwide. Continuing to integrate cultural contexts into the local curriculum, developing the capacity of teachers, and strengthening relationships with local iwi have been identified as key steps towards meeting this goal.

A culture of reflection, review and inquiry is apparent. A useful policy framework and review cycle is in place. The development of indicators for gauging the effectiveness of operation should help to strengthen decision making about improvement. It is timely to review the setting of school goals, annual targets and annual plan to ensure these are appropriately aligned to school priorities.

Newly elected trustees are developing their understanding of, and approach to, stewardship. There is a planned approach to induction of new board members. Improving student achievement, especially for those whose progress needs acceleration, is a priority. Regular and useful student achievement information is received and used well as a basis for decision making and setting of school priorities. 

5 Going forward

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

Leaders and teachers:

  • know the children whose learning and achievement need to be accelerated
  • respond effectively to the strengths, needs and interests of each child
  • regularly evaluate how well teaching is working for these children
  • act on what they know works well for each child
  • build teacher capability effectively to achieve equitable outcomes for all children
  • are well placed to achieve and sustain equitable and excellent outcomes for all children.

Continuing to strengthen and embed recently developed practices such as 'learning talks' with whānau, should support the continuing improvement of outcomes for students at risk of not achieving.

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

6 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 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

  • processes for appointing staff

  • stand down, suspensions, expulsions and exclusions

  • attendance

  • compliance with the provisions of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014. 

7 Recommendations

The school should continue to implement the actions for schoolwide growth begun in 2016, and identified in this report. These actions should include:

  • review and further development of school goals, annual target setting and annual planning processes to ensure these appropriately align to priorities
  • further development and review of assessment processes to improve the reliability and usefulness of achievement information, including the moderation process with other schools
  • strengthening the response to Māori culture.

Joyce Gebbie

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central

10 February 2017

About the school

Location

Hawera

Ministry of Education profile number

2255

School type

Contributing (Year 1 to 6)

School roll

210

Gender composition

Boys 50%, Girls 50%

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Other ethnic groups

30%

67%

3%

Review team on site

November 2016

Date of this report

10 February 2017

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

March 2011

May 2007

April 2003