Verran Primary School

School Context

Verran Primary School in Birkenhead, Auckland, caters for students in Years 1 to 6. The roll includes 14 percent who identify as Māori, nine percent with Pacific heritage, and smaller groups from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds.

The school’s stated vision is ‘Education to ready children to thrive in life’. The school values have been reviewed and renamed as ‘Manaakitanga, Hiranga, Āuahatanga, Kaitiakitanga and Te Ngākau’.

Recent leadership changes include the appointment of a deputy principal and the introduction of team leaders. A new board chairperson has been recently appointed. The school has a new four classroom innovative learning space and a new hall, both finished in 2017.

The school’s 2019 achievement targets focus on accelerating students’ progress in writing and mathematics. Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, schoolwide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:

• achievement in reading, writing, mathematics
• specific learning programmes such as Reading Recovery and assessments for students at age six
• English Language Learners’ progress.

School priorities are to raise student outcomes in literacy and mathematics through professional learning and development (PLD) for teachers. This PLD is focused on improving learner agency and digital fluency through the use of digital technologies.

ERO’s 2015 review identified areas for improvement. These related to improving the curriculum, teaching and learning, promoting Māori student success, strengthening internal evaluation, and school leadership and governance. Some progress has been made towards meeting these, but most remain areas for further improvement.

Evaluation Findings

1 Equity and excellence – achievement of valued outcomes for students

1.1 How well is the school achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all its students?

The school is working towards equitable and excellent outcomes for all students. The school’s information indicates that most students achieve at expected levels in writing and mathematics. Students achieve at higher levels of achievement in reading. There is evidence of some disparity in the achievement of Pacific and Māori students in reading, writing and mathematics.

School leaders and teachers support learners to participate actively in their learning, and celebrate their success with the school.

Many students achieve well in relation to school-valued outcomes, including:

• enjoying a sense of belonging and connection to the school and community
• feeling included, cared for, and secure
• developing self-management skills
• using digital technologies purposefully.

1.2 How well is the school accelerating learning for those Māori and other students who need this?

The school implements some useful strategies to support the acceleration of learning for Māori and other students who need this.

Leaders and teachers use good assessment approaches to track, monitor and analyse student data. This has helped them to identify target groups of children who require accelerated learning to achieve at their expected level. Results show that this approach has been effective in lifting the achievement of many students in targeted groups, in reading, writing and mathematics.

A range of learning support, interventions and programmes support students with additional learning needs. Leaders and teachers are responsive and collaborative in providing individualised support for these students. Leaders and teachers also identify, support and monitor focus groups of learners who are near to achieving at their expected levels.

Assessment of student achievement is moderated within the school. School leaders and trustees have a focus on raising achievement levels overall. They have yet to address disparities for Pacific students and Maori students in some areas.

2 School conditions for equity and excellence – processes and practices

2.1 What school processes and practices are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence, and acceleration of learning?

Some areas of board stewardship and parent partnership, support the school’s progress towards achieving excellence and equity.

The board represents and serves the school’s community well. Over time trustees have been active in establishing good community engagement and positive parent/whānau relationships. Trustees bring a variety of strengths to their role, and contribute to school decision making. They have developed more robust questioning and inquiry in regard to student achievement information.

Leaders and teachers have developed strong relationships with parents/whānau. Parents receive information about their children’s learning in a variety of ways. They are invited into the school to participate in activities and events, and to support their children’s learning.

Leaders and teachers work together to plan teaching programmes. They use inquiry approaches to evaluate their teaching and build their knowledge.

2.2 What further developments are needed in school processes and practices for achievement of equity and excellence, and acceleration of learning?

Leadership is not yet supporting school operations effectively. Clarity around leadership roles and expectations is yet to be established. School leaders recognise the need to accelerate the momentum of some change initiatives and ongoing improvements. It would now be timely to access external professional development and support for leaders at all levels in the school, to:

• build individual and collective leadership capability

• ensure a coherent approach to achieving and sustaining improvement goals.

Trustees should continue to build their knowledge about their stewardship role. They need to develop appropriate systems, policies and procedures to guide governance practices, and to ensure that all legal requirements and obligations are met. This should include a focus on strategic goals, monitoring and internal evaluation.

Leaders acknowledge the need to continue to build teachers’ professional capability. This should include further development for teachers in accelerating the learning progress of target students.

Other priorities for school development include:

• implementing effective professional development and appraisal processes for all staff, that promote clear expectations, ongoing improvement, and leadership opportunities

• continuing to review and implement a local curriculum that is more responsive to the aspirations of students and their parents, and better promotes students’ self-efficacy, cognitive challenge, and opportunities for deeper learning.

3 Other Matters

Provision for international students

The school is a signatory to theEducation (Pastoral Care of International Students) Code of Practice 2016established undersection 238F of the Education Act 1989. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code.

No international students were enrolled at the time of the ERO review.

4 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
• finance
• 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.

5 ERO’s Overall Judgement

On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement of Verran Primary School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Needs development.

ERO will maintain an ongoing relationship with the school to build capacity and evaluate progress.

ERO’s Framework: Overall School Performance is available on ERO’s website.

6 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

For sustained improvement and future learner success, the school can draw on existing strengths in:

• a supportive board that works collaboratively with school leaders to realise the school’s vision and values
• developing partnerships with parents and the school community
• leaders and teachers working in groups to inform and implement teaching programmes.

Next steps

For sustained improvement and future learner success, priorities for further development are in:

• re-establishing the leadership team and a collaborative schoolwide culture

• building professional capability and collective capacity across the school

• developing the school’s local curriculum and teaching practices, so that students benefit from consistently relevant and challenging learning experiences

• continuing to build trustees’ capability to support school effectiveness and sustainability.

Action for compliance

ERO identified non-compliance in relation to performance management procedures.

In order to address this, the board of trustees must:

• ensure the principal has a current performance agreement and is appraised annually.
  [77C, the State Sector Act,1997]

In order to improve current practice, the board of trustees must ensure all aspects of performance management procedures are kept up to date and implemented consistently in line with Teaching Council requirements.

ERO recommends that the Ministry of Education and the New Zealand School Trustees Association consider providing support for the school in order to bring about the improvement in school leadership and governance.

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services Northern

Northern Region

14 June 2019

About the school

Location	Birkenhead, Auckland
Ministry of Education profile number	1543
School type	Contributing Primary (Years 1 – 6)
School roll	256
Gender composition	Boys 54% Girls 46%
Ethnic composition	Māori 14% NZ European/Pākehā 77% Samoan 4% other ethnic groups 5%
Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS)	No
Provision of Māori medium education	No
Review team on site	March 2019
Date of this report	14 June 2019
Most recent ERO report(s)	Education Review September 2015 Education Review July 2012 Education Review January 2009

Findings

Students at Verran Primary School experience an inclusive, caring school environment. Most students achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics. Senior leaders are focused on broadening children’s learning experiences. The board of trustees continues to strengthen governance practices. Continued work on strengthening leadership capability would further support ongoing school improvement.

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?

Verran Primary School is a small urban school situated in Birkenhead on the North Shore in Auckland. The school provides education for students from Years 1 to 6. The roll has increased since the 2012 ERO review and the board has established an enrolment zone. Students come from diverse cultural backgrounds, and a number are new speakers of English. Of the 300 students, 10 percent identify as Māori.

The school benefits from a committed principal and board of trustees. The board is currently managing property developments, including plans for a new school hall and a new block of classrooms.

The school has a positive and inclusive atmosphere. It benefits from strong support from the local community. Relationships between the school, families and children are valued as an important part of students’ learning.

The school’s 2012 ERO report noted that teachers developed positive, caring relationships that supported children’s learning. These positive aspects are still evident. The report also identified some next steps, including the need to review assessment practices in order to increase the use of data to inform teaching programmes. The need to accelerate the pace and momentum of some improvement initiatives was a further next step. Findings from this report indicate that these next steps continue as areas for development.

2 Learning

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

Verran Primary School uses achievement information to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement. Children are enthusiastic about their school and the environment. Most children are engaged and focused on learning tasks and activities. Some classroom environments effectively support children to have a deeper understanding of their own learning.

The school’s achievement information shows that the majority of students are achieving at or above the National Standard in reading, writing and mathematics. This information also shows improvements in National Standards results from 2012 to 2014, particularly in mathematics and writing. Māori student achievement overall is comparable to non-Māori students in writing and mathematics, and just slightly below other students in reading.

Teachers use standardised tests, exemplars and progressions to assess students’ learning and progress. Assessment processes could now be strengthened by drawing on a wider range of information to assess and monitor student progress. The approach should include formative assessment information and the use of teacher observations to inform overall teacher judgements about student progress against the National Standards. This broadened approach to assessment would enable teachers to respond more specifically for children’s learning needs.

Achievement information is used to group children according to their levels of ability, especially in reading and mathematics, and to identify learners who need additional support in reading, writing and mathematics.

Some teachers track student progress well. Senior leaders and teachers set useful targets for children who are underachieving in reading, writing and mathematics. Strategies for improving the achievement of these students include those relating to teacher professional learning and development, building learning centred partnerships with parents, and the use of different resources for Māori and Pacific children and for boys. Data in 2014 shows improved achievement for target students. Continued work in this area is advised, giving particular attention to further strengthening assessment systems and processes by:

using external professional learning opportunities to increase the consistency of teacher capability in the use of formative assessment practices and in making learning more explicit for students

reviewing the effectiveness of learning support and ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) programmes, including the use of the English Language Progressions, to inform curriculum planning and delivery.

3 Curriculum

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

The principal and teachers are beginning to redesign the Verran Primary School curriculum, which is currently only partially aligned to The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC).

The school has prioritised environmental education for a number of years. A recent review of the curriculum has meant that environmental education, information literacy and music are now integrated into learning programmes. Other notable features of the curriculum include:

• a focus on engaging and developing the whole child
• some good examples of literacy in the environment to promote children’s reading and writing skills
• culturally inclusive practices such as sharing days and celebrations.

Some teachers use effective teaching strategies in their classrooms. Inquiry learning approaches are developing, but the focus is still largely on the teaching of topics.

It would now be useful to focus schoolwide teacher professional learning on building more consistent, high quality teaching practices through:

• integrating opportunities for students to engage in critical thinking and problem solving more prominently into curriculum planning
• progressing from the notion of teaching topics to promoting opportunities for children to inquire into their own learning.

Continuing work to document shared understanding of The New Zealand Curriculum will benefit all staff.

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

Good initiatives and developments to promote educational success for Māori are in place at the school and include:

• integrating Te Ao Māori into the curriculum, particularly in the environmental education programme
• the provision of an inclusive and supportive learning environment
• providing opportunities for kapa haka
• establishing positive relationships with Māori parents and whānau.

In order to strengthen current practices, the school should consider:

• developing effective consultation processes with Māori parents and whānau to ascertain the aspirations they have for their children’s education
• using Tātaiako - Cultural Competencies for Teachers of Māori Learners and Ka Hikitia-Accelerating Success 2013 – 2017, to promote Māori student learning and achievement with staff and Māori parents and whānau for consultation purposes.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

ERO has confidence in the capability of the board of trustees. Trustees bring a range of skills and capabilities to their roles. They have had some governance training and are particularly committed to promoting partnerships with parents. With the leadership of the board chair, trustees have accessed external advice and guidance and have started streamlining governance and operational policies.

The board has good systems and processes in place to ensure continuity of school governance and the sustainability of school developments. The board, principal and senior leaders recognise that charter development is a key priority for the school.

In order to further strengthen governance practices, ERO and the board agree that the board should continue to:

• use external expertise to review the board’s performance and lift capability
• deepen trustees’ understanding about their roles in critiquing the school’s performance.

Senior leaders are focused on promoting student wellbeing and learning. The principal communicates openly and has strong relationships with the board, staff, students and the community. It would now be useful for senior leaders to work in collaboration with external advisors to further strengthen leadership capability within the school and to establish effective leadership as inquiry practices.

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

Students at Verran Primary School experience an inclusive, caring school environment. Most students achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics. Senior leaders are focused on broadening children’s learning experiences. The board of trustees continues to strengthen governance practices. Continued work on strengthening leadership capability would further support ongoing school improvement.

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

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)

2 September 2015

About the School

Location	Birkenhead, Auckland
Ministry of Education profile number	1543
School type	Contributing (Years 1 to 6)
School roll	304
Gender composition	Boys 52% Girls 48%
Ethnic composition	Māori Pākehā British/Irish Indian African Fijian Japanese Tongan other European other	10% 63% 4% 3% 2% 2% 2% 2% 3% 9%
Review team on site	June 2015
Date of this report	2 September 2015
Most recent ERO report(s)	Education Review Education Review Education Review	July 2012 January 2009 February 2006