Whakamaru School

School Context

Whakamaru School is located in a small rural community, south of Tokoroa. It is a full primary school, catering for students from Years 1 to 8. The current roll of 84, includes 59 Māori students about half of whom whakapapa to the three local iwi – Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Ngāti Kahungunu.

School documents state that teachers seek to develop children’s attitudes and skills for life-long learning. Values include manaakitanga, aroha, ako, whanaungatanga, open-mindedness, empathy, persistence and curiosity of learning.

Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, school-wide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:

• reading, writing, mathematics

A new principal, appointed to the school shortly after the last ERO report in 2015, continues to lead the school. She is supported by an experienced, long-serving deputy principal and board chair.

The school is part of the Kāhui Ako o Taupō Community of Learning | Kāhui Ako.

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 achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for many of its students. School personnel recognise that there is a need to continue to improve the achievement of boys.

At the end of 2017 the majority of students were performing at or above national expectations in reading and writing. In mathematics most students were performing at or above national expectations. Over the last three years there has been some improvement in achievement in writing, and significant improvement in mathematics. Achievement in reading has remained consistent. Māori and Pākehā student achievement is comparable. Boys’ achievement is significantly below that of girls.

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

The school is effectively accelerating learning for many at-risk learners.

The school achievement information shows that many of the Māori and other students who were identified as being at risk of under-achievement at the beginning of 2017 made accelerated progress in reading and mathematics and about half made accelerated progress in writing. The proportion of Māori students making accelerated progress was comparable to that of non-Māori.

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?

Many school processes and practices are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence, and acceleration of learning.

A strong policy framework guides school practice. Trustees have used the New Zealand School Trustees Association (NZSTA) self-review tool, Hautū to support their understanding of culturally responsive practice. This is strengthening equity for Māori students.

The principal provides strong leadership of learning and teaching. She has identified appropriate goals to improve outcomes for all students. These are:

• strengthening systems for managing student behaviour

• improving teaching practice

• focusing teacher and trustee attention on improving the rates of student progress rather than on their levels of achievement.

She has encouraged a collaborative and reflective staff culture and developed effective working relationships with parents and whānau.

Students benefit from warm, positive and respectful relationships with teachers. There has been an improvement in student motivation and engagement and in student readiness for learning. Māori tikanga and knowledge is visible throughout the school and in classroom programmes. Teachers use a number of effective teaching strategies including:

• cooperative learning

• giving students choices

• inquiry learning

• making learning visible.

Strong systems and processes mean that students with special needs are well supported.

Internal evaluation is leading to improvement in school processes and systems, particularly in areas such as student health and safety. The principal and board have developed a system for identifying strategic areas for ongoing improvement. Policy and procedure review and update is comprehensive.

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

Further developments needed in school processes and practices to achieve equity and excellence include:

• strengthening assessment practices with a focus on the way students use assessment information to take responsibility for their own learning. This should involve the use of learning progressions by teachers, students, parents and whānau

• continuing to strengthen culturally responsive practice with a focus on teaching strategies, local iwi history and more consistent teaching of te reo Māori

• reviewing areas of the curriculum to ensure it includes local content priorities and agreed expectations for best teaching practice

• evaluating innovations and interventions and the extent to which they improve student progress and achievement.

3 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.

4 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

• the strong policy framework that guides school practice

• leadership that provides strong guidance for teaching and learning

• warm, positive and respectful relationships amongst teachers and students that promotes motivation and engagement.

Next steps

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

• strengthening assessment practices to enable students to take more responsibility for their own learning

• strengthening culturally responsive practice to promote the engagement, motivation and achievement of Māori students

• reviewing areas of the curriculum to prioritise and document local content and reflect current agreed expectations for best practice

• evaluating innovations and interventions to ensure they are leading to improved progress and achievement for students

• implement targeted planning to accelerate learning. [ERO will monitor and discuss progress with the school.]

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

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

Lynda Pura-Watson

Deputy Chief Review Officer Waikato

Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region

18 April 2018

About the school