Wesley College

Education institution number:
104
School type:
Secondary (Year 7-15)
School gender:
Co-Educational
Definition:
School with Boarding Facilities
Total roll:
353
Telephone:
Address:

State Highway 22, Pukekohe

View on map

Wesley College

Special Review Report 

Background

The Chief Review Officer of the Education Review Office, using their function under section 463 the Education and Training Act 2020, initiated a special review of Wesley College (104) in relation to particular matters as set out in the Terms of Reference below.

  • How well the school provides for the emotional and physical safety of its students.

  • How well the systems and practices for behaviour management are implemented.

  • The process, systems, and management of complaints.

  • Any other matters that the team see relevant to the review.

The Education and Training Act, 2020, s127, requires that boards in governing schools provide a physically and emotionally safe place for all its students and takes all reasonable steps to eliminate racism, stigma, bullying and any other forms of discrimination within the school. 

The Code of Professional Responsibility and Standards for the Teaching Profession (Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand) requires all teachers have a commitment to learners that includes promoting the wellbeing of learners and protecting them from harm and promoting inclusive practices.

It is the Education Review Office’s (ERO) expectation, as for all schools, that Wesley College has robust policies, guidelines and systems that support leaders and teachers to provide a safe and inclusive living and learning environment.

Context

Wesley College is an historic state-integrated school established in 1844. The school is located on the outskirts of Pukekohe and caters for around 360 students in Years 9 to 13. The roll is made up of 25% female and 75% male and the majority of students are drawn from areas of South Auckland. The school offers both boarding and day provision.

Wesley College has a special character and Christian ethos, based on a relationship with the Methodist Church of New Zealand – Te Hāhi Weteriana o Aotearoa. It has a traditional commitment to providing for students of Māori and Pacific descent, as reflected in the roll of 22% Māori and 75% Pacific students. Ko te Tamaiti te Pūtake o te Kaupapa The Child – the Heart of the Matter

The Wesley College School Board is responsible for the governance and management of the school and for providing a safe environment for students during school opening hours.

The Wesley College Trust Board (Proprietor/owner) is responsible for ensuring the safety of students who reside in the hostels. There are six hostel buildings on the school grounds, five for boys and one for girls. The hostels are licenced for 305 students, and they currently accommodate around 240 students (approximately two thirds of the school roll). 

Following a range of concerns raised by ERO and the Ministry of Education (the Ministry) about the provision for the safety for all students in Wesley College and its hostel, ERO initiated a special review. This report aligns to the Wesley College Hostel Special Review Report published at the same time.

The school board reports that it has prioritised the resettlement of learners following the significant impact of Covid-19  restrictions. 

The Wesley College School Board should take note of the findings and recommendations of the Wesley College Hostel special review report.

Findings

ERO has a range of concerns about the provision for health and safety of all students at the college. Although on the decline, there is evidence that entrenched practices and harmful traditions continue to persist that place students at risk of violence, bullying and discrimination. 

The presiding member of the school board and school leaders, express a strong commitment to addressing the college’s historical challenges; they are working towards improving learning and providing a safe environment for all students. 

Changes to school conditions have occurred in recent years, resulting in some improvements. Steps have been taken to re-establish connections to the school’s traditional principles, mission, and values from the Methodist tradition, in order to uphold its Wesleyan special character. Frameworks based on the Ministry’s Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) model support the implementation of the reviewed and refreshed Kairangi (school) values. These are visibly promoted across the learning and living environments. An increased awareness of the need to promote student wellbeing is evident amongst the school staff, many of whom are new to the school. 

However, the school is yet to develop effective and cohesive systems and processes to ensure students are entirely safe. The management of risks to student safety is not thoroughly documented or regularly reviewed for the purpose of eliminating, or at the very least, reducing harm.

Recently introduced initiatives and practices to increase students access to pastoral care and support, aimed at promoting improvements in health, safety, and wellbeing, have the potential to promote improvements. As these are in the initial stages, it is too soon for ERO or the school to know if they are having the desired impact. 

Students spoken to by ERO shared that they identify strongly with the Methodist faith and some of the school traditions. They reported that at the beginning of 2023 they felt more positive about the school, its culture, and their safety. 

Some staff who met with ERO were less positive about culture and safety at the school and raised several concerns relating to harassment and discrimination of students. ERO was made aware of a “code of silence” that is prevalent amongst students who are reluctant to disclose information to adults. 

The majority of stand downs, suspensions, and expulsions recorded by the school board in 2022 were related to serious instances of bullying and violence between students. This indicates that the behaviours the school leaders are seeking to eliminate, continue to require action. 

The school’s strategic and annual planning requires strengthening. It does not sufficiently prioritise student safety and wellbeing. Although aspects focus on building a positive school culture, plans need to be more specific about the actions required to address the negative behaviours that the board and leadership acknowledge they need to eliminate. 

The school leadership commissioned two external independent reviews in recent years. These focused on areas of provision for students that leaders identified need significant improvement. These were the Students Wellbeing Review (2020) and the Review of Senior Leadership Team structures (2021). Both reports include valuable findings and suitable recommendations that could inform strategic decision making for change. Leadership has yet to fully respond to all the recommendations and take sufficient action to result in the necessary improvements.

ERO is not satisfied the school is maintaining full and proper records for the investigation and reporting of complaints and potentially, abuse. Policies are in place, but ERO was not able to verify that complaints over recent years have been responded to, managed, and resolved appropriately in line with the school’s own procedures. The recently introduced process for registering complaints needs strengthening to ensure it tracks complaints through to resolution.  

Overall learning outcomes for all students have declined overtime. National Certificate of Education Achievement (NCEA) results in 2022 show that school pass rates are generally lower when compared to 2018, particularly at Level 3 and University Entrance qualification. 

A recently introduced process that supports coaching for teachers has the potential to promote improved practice. Strengthening this process to have a clearer focus on promoting rich, innovative, and culturally responsive teaching, should help increase the levels of achievement across the school. Making learning relevant, responsive, challenging, and meaningful, in addition to a focus on ensuring student health and safety, is a priority.

Internal review is not sufficiently evident, and staff are yet to develop a shared understanding of evaluation for improvement. The new initiatives and programmes to improve outcomes and safety for students need stronger support to effectively implement and embed across the school. Leaders and the school board need to closely monitor and review the impacts and effectiveness in a systematic way.

The school leadership has recognised the need to be more inclusive and respond more deliberately to the culture and identity of diverse groups. Strategies and programmes are now in place to strengthen how the school supports Māori students in their learning. These are yet to be embedded.

Extending this to other groups is an important next step. More emphasis is now needed on better reflecting and integrating the culture of Pacific students into school environments and through curriculum delivery. 

ERO found that a degree of marginalisation of girls as a minority group is having an impact on their feelings of safety, wellbeing and opportunities for equity and excellence. Knowing more about why this is occurring and planning strategies to respond and resolve these concerns is a key area of development. 

Despite being part of policy, staff at the college have not been provided with sufficient professional learning and development that emphasises health and safety. In line with stated intentions all staff should undertake professional development that includes awareness of bullying, abuse recognition and reporting.

School health and safety policies have been reviewed within the last three years, but not all have been updated to reflect current changes to legislation and educational priorities. The rigour of review needs strengthening. Currently the board does not have monitoring mechanisms in place to know whether its policies have been effective or fully implemented.

A thorough overhaul of the policy frameworks and policy and procedure detail needs to be undertaken by the school board to bring policies up to date and to ensure they are relevant in the school context. This requires particular attention to developing child protection policies that align with current legislation. 

ERO is not confident that the range of issues identified in this report are being sufficiently addressed by the leadership of the school and is concerned that the pace of change to date has been too slow.

Next steps

Following the special review of Wesley College, the following next steps have been identified.

  • Strengthen strategic and annual planning to prioritise student health, safety, and wellbeing, along with the elimination of entrenched harmful practices. Establishing success criteria will assist the school board to know how well they are progressing towards achieving their targets and goals.

  • Develop health and safety systems and processes that effectively manage and prevent harmful practices and behaviours. The systems need to be consistent and cohesive between the hostel and the school and have a focus on continuous improvement.

  • The school needs to establish foundations to support learner’s healthy sense of belonging and connection to the school, as well as confidence in their identities, languages, and cultures. 

  • The culture of Māori and Pacific students’ needs to be better reflected and integrated into school environments, curriculum, teaching, and learning.

  • Leaders need to respond fully to findings and recommendations of the two independent reports and reviews commissioned by the school. 
  • Ways to gather a range of voice to inform future decision-making need to be developed by leaders and teachers. Regular surveys of students, families, and staff in culturally appropriate ways, about bullying, violence, wellbeing and inclusion should be initiated. Information gained from these surveys needs to be analysed, communicated to the community, and responded to.
  • A deliberate programme of professional learning for school related to the areas of priority for the health safety and wellbeing of all students (including abuse awareness, behaviour management, anti-bullying, restorative practices) needs to be established and sustained. 
  • Governance practices of the school board require strengthening. The board needs stronger systems to ensure they are meeting their statutory and regulatory responsibilities in terms of providing a safe physical and emotional environment for all students at the school. The board needs to be more proactive in scrutinising its own performance to measure its effectiveness and improve decision making. 
  • The board needs to review and overhaul all policies and procedures, particularly those related to health and safety. These should be strengthened and aligned with current legislation and good practice. The policies should ensure learner safety and child protection are prioritised, fully covered and that safety systems are effectively minimising risk. 
  • Once strengthened the policies and procedures need to be well understood by all the school community and fully implemented. A mechanism to monitor closely and report that the policies, procedures, and guidance are being fully implemented and followed effectively needs to be created. 
  • Establishing a more thorough and regular policy review process that includes consultation with staff, students and the community will support the board to ensure the policies are fit for purpose and meeting the needs of all. 
  • Significantly strengthen the management and resolution of complaints process in the school to include regular oversight by the principal and presiding board member. Reports need to be developed that show the register, progress, and outcome of complaints. This information can then be used to improve the school operation and performance. How complaints are dealt with needs to be consistent and practice aligned across both entities. 
  • Leaders and teachers need to build their capacity and capability in how to use evaluation for ongoing improvement of conditions and outcomes for students. A rigorous approach should provide useful and relevant information to measure the impact, value, and effectiveness of new initiatives.
  • Closer monitoring and reporting of progress towards achieving goals and success criteria is needed. Boards and leaders can then use this information to inform decision making going forward.
  • Leaders need to plan an indepth review of strategies to address major health and safety concerns in the school.

Following the review 

Since the onsite phase of the special review ERO notes the Wesley College School Board have taken steps to strengthen governance practice through:

  • undertaking governance training 

  • increased frequency of board meetings

  • developing an understanding of their roles and responsibilities 

  • stronger processes for management reporting 

  • reviewing and making changes to policy framework, in particular the child protection policy.

School leaders have initiated:

  • a student survey that will inform a review of the provision for student wellbeing

  • plans to regularly survey teachers and staff

  • staff professional development to address areas of improvement outlined in this report. 

A Student Achievement Function (SAF) practitioner has been engaged by the MOE to assist the school to raise achievement and improve their capability.

Recommendations 

ERO recommends that the Ministry of Education continue its intervention under section 180 of the Education and Training Act.

ERO recommends that the Wesley College School Board seek external expertise and support from the New Zealand School Trustees Association to strengthen governance practices and effectiveness. 

Future Action 

ERO’s role will be to work with 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. 

Jane Lee
Deputy Chief Executive – Review and Improvement Services

9 June 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 

Wesley College

Special Review Report Hostel

Background

The Chief Review Officer has the authority to carry out reviews (which may be general or in relation to particular matters) of the provision of a safe physical and emotional environment that supports learning for students accommodated in hostels under section 470 of the Education and Training Act 2020. This function is delegated to review officers who have the powers to enter and carry out review of hostels under section 472 of the Act.

Following a range of concerns raised by the Education Review Office (ERO) and the Ministry of Education (the Ministry) about the provision for the health, safety, and wellbeing for all students in Wesley College hostels, ERO initiated a special review. This report aligns to the Wesley College Special Review Report published at the same time. 

The Wesley College Trust Board should take note of the findings and recommendations of the Wesley College special review report.

Findings 

There are six hostel buildings on the grounds of Wesley College, five for boys and one for girls. The hostels are licenced for 305 students, and at the time of the review, accommodated around 240 students (approximately two thirds of the school roll). 

The Wesley College Trust Board (proprietor/owner) is responsible for ensuring the safety of students who reside in the hostels, all of whom attend Wesley College. 

ERO found that the Wesley College Trust Board has not done enough to ensure it fulfils its duty of care for students in the hostel. Boarders are not yet provided a safe physical and emotional environment that supports their learning. While the hostel meets minimum licensing requirements, ERO found that students do not receive a provision that promotes a high-quality hostel experience.

The Ministry reassessed the hostel licence in November 2022 and found that it did not meet requirements in several areas. It identified recommendations that needed addressing, particularly in relation to student safety and supervision. As a result, the hostel licence was suspended in December 2022 and a report was provided to the Wesley College Trust Board. 

The Trust Board addressed the recommendations in the report and the Ministry agreed to re-open the hostel at the end of January 2023. A condition of the relicensing was that one of the six hostels would remain closed until refurbishments meet requirements. The school plan is for this to occur during 2023.

A Ministry team visited again in March 2023 to assess the hostel provision and found it met minimum standards, for five out of the six hostel buildings.

ERO found that boarders are not yet provided with a safe physical and emotional environment that supports their learning. There have been some recent changes to systems, personnel, and the environment to improve the boarding experience. It is too early to know if these changes are enough to sustain a quality boarding experience. 

Recent updating of facilities include painting in some dormitories and provision of new recreational equipment. The hostel kitchen ensures that all meals are enjoyed by boarders. Sporting and other commitments are supported by hostel staff and help boarders maintain interests outside of school. A medical centre is located at the school and all medical needs are well managed through this facility by trained medical staff. 

The hostel has recently implemented a night school programme at “prep” time one night per week. Embedding this programme, will help to ensure that learning is well supported. Access to study facilities within all dormitories would further benefit learning. 

Lack of night-time supervision of the hostels was identified by the Ministry as an area of concern in December 2022. Actions to improve this were initiated in early 2023 in response to the suspension of the hostel licence. However, the development of new systems and the appointment of key supervising staff had yet to be fully implemented at the time of this review.

Systems and processes around leave, complaints, behaviour management and staff development require attention. There have been some alignments of systems across the hostel and the school. Further alignment is needed to ensure that seamless communication prioritises the support of all boarders. 

ERO is not satisfied the hostel is maintaining full and proper records for the investigation and reporting of complaints and potentially, abuse. Policies are in place, but ERO was not able to verify that complaints over recent years have been responded to, managed, and resolved appropriately in line with the school’s own procedures. The recently introduced process for registering complaints needs strengthening to ensure it tracks complaints through to resolution.  

Despite being part of the Wesley College Trust Board policies, boarding staff at the hostel have not been provided with sufficient professional learning and development that emphasises health and safety. In line with stated intentions, all staff should be provided with professional development that includes awareness of bullying, abuse recognition and reporting.

Health and safety policies for the hostel have been reviewed within the last three years, but not all have been updated to reflect current changes in legislation and educational priorities. The rigour of review needs to be strengthened. Currently, the Wesley College Trust Board does not have monitoring mechanisms in place to know whether its policies have been effectively or fully implemented.  

A formal independent review of the provision for students in the hostel, Review of Wesley College Hostels, was commissioned in 2019. This focused on areas of provision for students that leadership had identified as needing significant improvement. The report included valuable findings and suitable recommendations that could inform strategic decision making for changes. Leadership has yet to fully respond to all the recommendations and take sufficient action to result in the necessary improvements.

ERO is not confident that the range of issues identified in this report are being sufficiently addressed by the leadership of the hostel and is concerned that the pace of change to date has been too slow. 

Next Steps 

  • Develop health and safety systems and processes that effectively manage and prevent harmful practices and behaviours. 
  • Ensure systems are consistent and cohesive between the hostel and the school and have a focus on continuous improvement.  
  • Implement and sustain a deliberate programme of professional learning for school and hostel staff related to the areas of priority for the health, safety and wellbeing of all students (including abuse awareness, behaviour management, anti-bullying, restorative practices).
  • Significantly strengthen the management and resolution of complaints process in the hostel.
  • Establishing a more thorough and regular policy review process, in particular Health and Safety, that includes consultation with staff, students, and the community. This should support the board to know their policies are fit for purpose and are meeting the needs of all. 
  • Develop mechanisms to monitor closely and report that the policies, procedures, and guidance are being fully implemented and followed effectively.
  • Update the hostel provision, in particular furnishings, equipment, and supervision to achieve a higher quality of hostel provision as outlined in the Review of Wesley College Hostels 2019 recommendations.  

ERO recommends that the Wesley College Trust Board seek external expertise to support them to strengthen governance practices and effectiveness.

Jane Lee
Deputy Chief Executive – Review and Improvement Services

9 June 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

Wesley College - 26/11/2015

1. Background and Context

What is the background and context for this school’s review?

Wesley College is an historic state-integrated school on the outskirts of Pukekohe. The school caters for boys in Years 9 to 13 and for girls in Years 11 to 13. It offers both boarding and day school provision.

The school’s special character derives from its Methodist heritage. This includes a traditional commitment to providing for students of Māori and Pacific descent, and for others who would particularly benefit from the school’s strong Christian and pastoral care ethos. Students continue to demonstrate a high level of pride in the school and to affirm the respect they have for school leaders and staff, both past and present.

In 2011 ERO made a decision to work more closely with the school over a one-to-two year period to encourage improved performance in curriculum and teaching, analysis and use of student achievement data, self review and various aspects of school management. The Ministry of Education, through its Student Achievement Function (SAF) initiative, supported the school closely during this time providing guidance on teaching, learning and student achievement. While progress was made between 2011 and 2013 across a range of areas, further work was needed to embed and sustain these improvements. Limitations in the school’s capacity to maintain a rigorous and sustainable programme of self review, remained an ongoing concern for ERO.

Consequently, a further one-to-two year ERO review was initiated in 2013. Since that time a number of improvements have been evident in the areas of teaching and learning, governance, management, and self review. Changes in school personnel have also occurred. A new chairperson took over leadership of the board of trustees at the start of 2014 and considerable work has been undertaken at board level to strengthen governance practices. A new principal was appointed to lead the school from the beginning of 2015, following the retirement of the previous principal. The Ministry of Education has continued its support for the school through the SAF, further assisting the considerable progress made to address review and development areas identified in the 2013 ERO report.

2. Review and Development

How effectively is the school addressing its priorities for review and development?

The agreed review and development priorities for this ERO review focused on:

  • designing and reviewing the curriculum to promote increased student engagement in learning
  • analysing and using student achievement information to enable senior leaders and teachers to promote more responsive teaching and learning
  • self-review processes, and the school’s capacity to report regularly on the effectiveness of teaching and learning, performance appraisal processes and pastoral care provision
  • links between the school and hostel to further support students’ learning, progress and wellbeing
  • the board of trustees’ understanding of its governance role, and its capacity for reviewing school progress over time and for identifying and prioritising key strategic goals
  • ways in which the board meets its obligations to consult and report to its Māori community.

Progress

Wesley College has made considerable progress in addressing its areas for review and development.

Curriculum development

High priority has been placed on curriculum review and development to strengthen and clarify learning pathways for students. An emphasis on providing an extended range of subject options, including increased use of external educational providers, is providing senior students with more diverse opportunities to pursue their academic and/or vocational goals and interests. Improved careers guidance and access to academic mentoring for senior students helps ensure that students are able to make well informed decisions about learning pathways that lead to purposeful qualifications and help them achieve their future career aspirations. Work in this area is ongoing with plans to further broaden curriculum pathways in 2016.

Student progress and achievement

Improvements in curriculum have been accompanied by significant developments in school processes for monitoring and analysing student progress and achievement. Upgraded data management systems are being well used to provide in-depth analysis of a range of student achievement and wellbeing information. As a result, the school now has very good information about senior student progress in the National Certificates of Educational Achievement (NCEA). It also has improved information about pastoral care provision and student engagement in learning. Achievement information is shared widely with teachers and increasingly informs their programme planning and delivery as more responsive teaching continues to develop and strengthen.

While student achievement data in for 2014 showed improved literacy and numeracy performance and a significant lift in NCEA Level 1 achievement, there was an overall decline in pass rates from previous years. A more positive outcome is, however, indicated for 2015. The school’s close tracking of progress and achievement shows that the great majority of students have attained the required literacy and numeracy credits, and that many have achieved well in internal assessments, positioning them well for success in their NCEA studies.

Teaching and learning

Progress in improving teaching practice and the quality of learning experiences for students are also evident. The focus placed on teachers improving their practice and students being ready to learn has clarified and raised expectations for both teaching staff and students. Expectations for effective teaching practice are clearly documented. These expectations are well aligned to teacher professional development and performance appraisal processes. This provides a strategic and coherent approach for building teachers’ capability to implement effective classroom practices.

A strong sense of collective enterprise and shared ownership among teaching staff for developments in curriculum and teaching and learning has become evident, particularly during 2015. Middle managers and teachers express a strong sense of optimism and unity with senior leaders about school directions. Together, they affirm and promote the emphasis placed on identifying and responding to the needs and aspirations of learners.

Students are responding well to the increased clarity about expectations. They note improved communication with teachers about their learning, and increased support for them to become self‑managing, responsible partners in the learning process.

Classrooms observed by ERO were settled and productive learning environments. Interactions between teachers and students were positive and mutually respectful. An increase in students working in collaborative groups was evident together with increased opportunities for student contribution and leadership. Some high quality examples of teachers using open questioning to promote deeper thinking and reflection by students were observed. Senior leaders acknowledge the need for continued work to further consolidate and embed effective teaching practice across the school.

School-hostel links and pastoral care provisions

The restructuring of management provision in the school hostels, including the establishment of a new director of boarding position, is having a positive impact. Arrangements for sharing relevant information about students’ educational and pastoral needs between the school and hostels have been considerably improved. Better management of student study and prep times that includes improved student access to specialist teachers is facilitating more connected and coordinated approaches to supporting the wellbeing and educational achievement of boarders.

These developments between the school and hostels sit within wider work by school leaders and teachers to further enhance the school’s existing very good pastoral care services. Outcomes of this work include better analysis, sharing and reporting of information gathered from within the school’s pastoral and health services network. Benefits identified by the board, principal and pastoral care team include a reduction in the number of students requiring intensive support, increasing effective restorative practices, and increased positive feedback from students about the quality of health care services.

Providing regular opportunities for students to input into wider reviews of pastoral care services should further strengthen the effectiveness of services for promoting student wellbeing and readiness for learning.

Key next steps

School leaders and ERO discussed key next steps for further supporting improved student outcomes. Many of these were identified by the principal and staff. They are well aligned to the school’s future

development priorities, and include further progressing:

  • effective teaching practice, including the use of strategies that challenge and extend students’ higher order thinking skills and knowledge of their progress and next learning steps
  • the school’s focus on culture, language and identity as part of initiatives to promote responsive teaching and learning
  • processes for monitoring the progress and achievement of students in Years 9 and 10
  • student and teacher access to digital technologies to extend and support teaching and learning opportunities.

3. Sustainable performance and self review

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

Wesley College is well placed to sustain and continue to improve its performance.

The board of trustees has been highly proactive in responding to the areas for review and development identified in the school’s 2013 ERO report. Externally facilitated board training, together with very capable board leadership and the strong commitment of trustees to act in the best interests of students, has strengthened the quality of school governance. Improved self-review practices and raised expectations for high quality evaluative reporting from the principal about student achievement and progress against key school goals are promoting well informed decision making. This is reflected in planning and resourcing priorities for improved student outcomes.

The principal demonstrates a sound understanding of self review and encourages strong collaboration across all areas of the school to maximise opportunities for staff to share knowledge and expertise. This is facilitating well-coordinated approaches for supporting student wellbeing, progress and achievement. Staff express confidence in the school’s directions and leadership. They demonstrate a sense of collective responsibility for helping students to achieve their goals and aspirations.

Productive steps have been made to improve consultation and communication with whānau Māori and to affirm the school’s commitment to its Māori traditions. Efforts in these areas have seen increased dialogue between the school and parents and whānau of Māori students. More strategic approaches for supporting Māori students continue to be discussed. These include conversations with representatives of local marae about ways to increase the number of Māori students studying te reo and tikanga Māori and other strategies for increasing opportunities for Māori student success.

Initiatives to improve teaching and learning have been well matched to school review and development priorities. Momentum for change has been particularly evident during 2015. Work commenced by middle managers and teachers in recent years has combined well with key focus areas for improved performance set by the incoming principal.

Over the past two years the board, principal and staff have systematically built on progress made during the 2011 to 2013 ERO review, demonstrating a much increased capacity to review the school's progress and to identify and respond to improvement challenges. Consequently, the school has considerably improved its potential for sustained and ongoing improvement in all areas of governance and management.

Provision for international students

The school is a signatory to the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students (the Code) established under section 238F of the Education Act 1989. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code. ERO’s investigations affirm the school’s compliance with the Code.

At the time of this review there were eight international students attending the school. Students come from the Pacific regions, including the Solomon Islands, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa.

International students are accommodated in the school hostels, while also having homestay care arrangements to provide accommodation during weekends and term break times. Their education and wellbeing are well provided for by the school, and homestay provisions are appropriately monitored. International students report high levels of satisfaction with the school, hostel and homestay arrangements. They participate fully in all aspects of school life.

Provision for students in the school hostel

The school has six hostels operating on school grounds. The hostels accommodate 209 students (71% of the school roll). They are owned by the Wesley College Trust Board. The hostel owner has attested that all the requirements of the Hostel Regulations are met. Te Paea is used to accommodate female boarders, while Te Whare Maia, Te Whare Taina, Te Whare Pakeke, Harding and Denton accommodate male boarders.

ERO’s investigations of school hostel provision indicates that the hostels are well managed, with very good systems for monitoring student welfare. Particularly noteworthy are:

  • the recent strengthening of connections between the school and hostels to increase support for students’ wellbeing and educational success
  • the encouragement given to, and opportunities provided for, student participation in sporting and other co-curricula and leisure activities, both during the school week and for those remaining in the hostels during weekends
  • the opportunities for students to express their views and give feedback about hostel provision, including student membership on the hostel council
  • the very good reporting by the hostel council to the board on a wide range of hostel performance aspects, including pastoral care, health and safety, and support for learning.

The board of trustees and director of boarding continue to discuss the implications of changes in recent years to provide for female boarders and ongoing plans to further encourage girls to enrol as part of the board’s vision for extending the school’s co-educational dimensions.

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

Wesley College is working in effective and well-coordinated ways to promote student progress and achievement. Its focus on strengthening governance, leadership, teaching, learning and self review over the past two years has considerably improved the school’s capacity to identify and respond to the strengths, needs and aspirations of students.

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

Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

About the School

Location

Pukekohe, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

104

School type

Secondary (Years 9 to 15)

School roll

295

Number of international students

8

Gender composition

Boys      90%
Girls       10%

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Tongan
Samoan
Fijian
Niue
other

16%
  2%
53%
21%
  3%
  1%
  4%

Special Features

Hostel boarding facilities

Review team on site

October 2015

Date of this report

26 November 2015

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review
Education Review
Education Review

June 2013
February 2011
July 2009