6 School Road, Tokomaru Bay
View on mapOn the basis of the findings of this review, ERO ‘s overall evaluation judgement of Hatea-a-Rangi’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Developing.
Hatea-a-Rangi is a small rural school located in the township of Tokomaru Bay. It provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. There are 28 students on the roll almost all are Māori and whakapapa to Ngati Porou as do the majority of the staff that work at the school. The board has previously funded an extra teacher so the school could operate two age-based rooms. The school roll has now grown so that a Ministry of Education funded second teacher can be appointed.
The school’s mission is to provide ‘quality learning opportunities where expectations are high, learning is personalised and cultural identity is valued’. The principal, through consultation with the whānau and hapu, has developed a localised contextual curriculum. This is underpinned by the concepts of Mana Whenua, Mana Moana, Mana Tangata and Mana Atua and links to the traditions and values of the Tokomaru Bay hapu. The newly developed graduate profile encourages students to aim high – Kia Marotiri ai te wawata! The school provides a level three reo Māori immersion programme to develop competency in both English and Māori language.
The school has been involved in ERO’s one to two year review process following concerns identified in the ERO report of 2017. The principal resigned while ERO was onsite and the acting principal that was appointed quickly addressed several of the issues identified and the published 2018 ERO report. This included improvements to professional leadership, ongoing staffing issues, reliability of achievement information, school culture and behaviour. A new principal was appointed in April 2018 and has continued to build on the positive progress made. The ongoing review process has included several meetings with school personnel and representatives from the Ministry of Education (MoE) to refine and monitor the redefined agreed priorities and to support the ongoing progress and development of the school.
This ERO report evaluates the progress made in relation to identified priorities for ongoing development over the last two years.
building governance capability
continuing to review and evaluate the localised curriculum
raising levels of achievement and progress particularly for at-risk learners
consistent implementation of a robust appraisal process for the principal and staff.
Building governance capability. Current trustees have significantly strengthened their capacity to effectively govern the school. This is the result of a more strategic approach and robust governance practices that are strongly improvement focused. Ongoing support and advice from the New Zealand School Trustees Association (NZSTA) and MoE, has helped improve whānau and community consultation and engagement and to develop sustainable planning and reporting processes. Trustees are effectively governing the school in the best interests of students and their whānau.
Continuing to review and evaluate the localised Curriculum. A contextualised and relevant curriculum strongly reflects the interests of students and the aims and aspirations of whānau. Students benefit from meaningful and authentic opportunities that make active use of the rich natural resources and environment, as well as local marae and kaumātua. Underpinning these opportunities is the growing focus and commitment to te reo and tikanga Māori that promotes and reinforces students’ sense of belonging and connection with nga hapū Te Whānau a Ruataupare and Te Whānau a Te Aotawarirangi and local iwi, Ngāti Porou, Te Aitanga a Hauiti and Ngāti Ira. The school has engaged with the MoE initiative positive behaviour for learning (PB4L) and has adapted this programme to reflect the school values and whānau aspirations.
Student Achievement. Student achievement is significantly improving and moving towards equity and excellence for all. In reading and mathematics the majority of students are achieving at or above expected curriculum levels. There is a need to improve student achievement in writing, particularly for boys. The principal is regularly tracking and monitoring the progress of all students and reporting this to the board.
Consistent implementation of a robust appraisal process for the principal and staff. An appraisal process that meets all aspects of the Teaching Council requirements has been implemented. It is focused on building teacher and leader capability.
The principal and teachers need to:
set specific acceleration targets for all students who require it and regularly report on their progress to the board
continue to develop ‘teaching as inquiry’ to support teacher capability to meet the needs of students whose learning needs acceleration
continue to implement effective strategies to strengthen students’ understanding of the learning progressions, particularly for boys in writing.
Hatea-A-Rangi School is working well to sustain and continue its performance. Factors contributing to sustainability are:
the school has a capable board who is working well with the new principal
the new principal is providing strong leadership across the school
effective systems are in place to monitor student progress, acceleration and achievement
there is now greater collegiality and cooperation amongst staff
students benefit from a rich cultural and contextually authentic curriculum that promotes te reo and tikanga Māori
students are settled and have access to good quality educational opportunities
parents and whānau are supportive of the school and actively engage in learning partnerships.
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:
During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student achievement:
On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO ‘s overall evaluation judgement of Hatea-a-Rangi’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Developing.
ERO’s Framework: Overall School Performance is available on ERO’s website.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services Central
Central Region
18 June 2019
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Location |
Tokomaru Bay, East Coast |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
2706 |
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School type |
Full Primary (Years 1 to 8) |
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School roll |
28 |
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Gender composition |
Male 15 Female 13 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
24 |
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Review team on site |
April 2019 |
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Date of this report |
18 June 2019 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2018 |
Hatea-a-Rangi has gone through an extensive time of change and disruption. Subsequent changes of personnel at all levels of the school: board of trustees, senior leaders, and teaching staff are providing a more clear direction for the school. There is a need for comprehensive professional support to help the school provide better educational outcomes for students.
ERO intends to carry out another review over the course of one-to-two years.
Hatea-a-Rangi is a small rural school located in the township of Tokomaru Bay. It provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. There are 26 students on the roll and most identify as Māori. The 2016 ERO report identified significant areas of concern in relation to curriculum and levels of student achievement. The school was subsequently placed on a process of ongoing ERO monitoring. This ERO review evaluates the progress made in relation to these areas for ongoing development over the last two years.
During the course of the ERO visit in November 2017, significant concerns about school governance, professional leadership and continued low levels of student achievement were identified.
At the start of 2018 two new classroom teachers were appointed to fixed term positions, and the board appointed a new principal effective from the beginning of term two. There have also been new members co-opted to the board of trustees.
Recent improvement has been made in developing a localised school curriculum. Authentic contexts for learning that use features of the local environment are contributing to student engagement in learning. Under the current leadership, this curriculum development has continued. Learning and teaching practices across the two classrooms are becoming increasingly reflective of parent aspirations and local context.
ERO is not confident of the dependability of the student achievement information shared in November 2017.
The school is not well placed to sustain, improve and review its performance.
At the time of the 2017 visit, school leadership and governance practices required urgent improvement. The following conditions were prevalent in the school:
During the 2017 visit, ERO found that there was:
Significant improvements were noted in the March 2018 ERO visit in relation to professional leadership of the school. The current leadership has worked with newly appointed staff to develop clear expectations and systems for teaching and learning, health and safety, and curriculum implementation.
Significant and ongoing changes in the teaching team including professional leadership in recent years, have inhibited progress in school development. Professional learning and development has not had a positive impact on teacher practice.
In 2018, the Ministry of Education (MoE) has worked with the school to develop a plan to improve teaching and learning and raise student achievement. In addition, the board is making better informed resourcing decisions to respond to the needs of the students at risk of not achieving expected levels. Leaders and teachers are now using more reliable achievement data to inform their teaching programmes.
During the 2017 visit, ERO found that there was break down in relationships between the leader, staff and whānau. Poor supervision of children, inconsistent reporting of issues, and staff taking inappropriate actions to manage children’s behaviour were of concern. Negative behaviour patterns were affecting the emotional wellbeing of some children.
In March 2018 ERO found a significant shift in the school culture. The behaviour of students and staff was more respectful contributing to improved levels of engagement in learning.
In November 2017 the board was not governing the school effectively. At that time policy and procedural guidelines were not consistently implemented or known by staff. Trustees lacked understanding of their governance roles and responsibilities.
Since then the board has sought training and support from New Zealand School Trustees Association (NZSTA). With this support the board has:
Ongoing advice and guidance is needed to assist new trustees and whānau to better understand governance roles and responsibilities.
Continue to review and evaluate the impact of the localised curriculum to reflect the strategic vision and aspirations of whānau, hapū and iwi and its impact on improving student outcomes.
Raising levels of achievement and progress particularly for at-risk learners is an urgent priority for teaching staff and the board.
The school’s performance management systems and practices need to be reviewed and consistently implemented. The appraisal process for the principal and teaching staff needs to be more robust. This is to ensure high levels of accountability and support more effective teaching and leadership.
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:
During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student achievement:
During the course of the November 2017 review, ERO identified several areas of non-compliance regarding health and safety and by March 2018 these had been addressed.
The board of trustees must ensure the policy and procedure for the appraisal of staff is fully implemented.
[s77C State Sector Act 1998; NZ Gazette and relevant Collective Employment Agreement]
ERO recommends that the MoE and NZSTA provide ongoing support for the principal and trustees in addressing areas for development identified in this report:
The areas for further progress identified in this ERO review should be incorporated into the 2018 strategic and annual plans and staff appraisal goals. These plans should be sent to ERO when completed for ongoing monitoring, review and support.
Hatea-a-Rangi has gone through an extensive time of change and disruption. Subsequent changes of personnel at all levels of the school: board of trustees, senior leaders, and teaching staff are providing a more clear direction for the school. There is a need for comprehensive professional support to help the school provide better educational outcomes for students.
ERO intends to carry out another review over the course of one-to-two years.
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer
Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region
11 June 2018
|
Location |
Tokomaru Bay |
|
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
2706 |
|
|
School type |
Full Primary (Years 1 to 8) |
|
|
School roll |
26 |
|
|
Gender composition |
Boys 15 |
|
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
26 |
|
Review team on site |
March 2018 |
|
|
Date of this report |
11 June 2018 |
|
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
September 2016 |