Red Beach School

School Context

Red Beach School, on Auckland’s Hibiscus Coast, provides for approximately 580 children in Years 1 to 6. There are small numbers of Māori and Pacific children on the roll. The school’s Motuora unit provides specialist programmes for students with high additional learning needs.

The school’s vision is of “a community empowering lifelong learners to achieve and make a difference” through participation, collaboration and celebration. The school’s recently elected board includes some new members.

Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board schoolwide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:

• achievement in reading, writing and mathematics
• progress in relation to school targets for reading, writing and mathematics
• achievement for children with special/additional learning needs
• engagement and wellbeing for success.

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?

Leaders and teachers are improving equity and excellence in academic outcomes for students.

School data for the last three years indicate positive trends and show that most students are achieving at or above expected curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics. Recent data show that while there is a trend towards greater parity in reading, a small disparity remains for Māori students in writing and mathematics. The school has worked consistently to address, and has significantly reduced, disparity for Māori in writing. In 2018 there was a disparity for girls in reading and mathematics achievement.

A large majority of students achieve well in relation to the school’s valued outcomes. They are confident and actively involved learners who assess their own learning. These students are learning with digital technologies, collaborate successfully and are responsive to their peers.

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

Leaders and teachers have a deliberate focus on accelerating learning for Māori and other students who need this.

Students have access to a wide range of programmes and initiatives to accelerate their progress. They know their individual learning strengths and next steps. Teachers’ partnerships with parents and students’ individual programmes support a personalised learning approach. School information indicates that these programmes have been successful in accelerating learning.

Leaders and teachers make good use of their comprehensive knowledge of students who need to make accelerated progress. They closely monitor the progress of students most at risk of not achieving.

The school is very supportive and inclusive of the Motuora unit staff and students. Leaders and staff work collaboratively to provide ample opportunities for children to be included in school programmes, celebrations and events.

Over the last three years, leaders and teachers have participated in a broad programme of professional learning and development (PLD) to build professional capability and capacity. The impact of this PLD is particularly evident in the school’s focused and positive learning environment and culture.

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?

Leadership is effective and well distributed across the school. Leaders have high expectations of teachers, students and themselves as lifelong learners. This distributive leadership model allows all teachers to collaborate and lead in well-resourced learning environments that support student learning and wellbeing.

Teachers’ professional inquiries are collaborative and centred on learners’ specific needs. These inquiry processes align with the school’s vision, values and student targets. This explicit attention has enabled constructive shifts in teaching practice, and enhanced outcomes for children.

The schoolwide integrated curriculum inquiry model has a focus on the nature of science and technology. It provides many opportunities for learning, including education in the outdoors. Teachers make good use of digital devices to support children in their learning. These approaches are helping children to access an engaging and increasingly responsive curriculum that supports their learning.

Students enact the school’s Rich Heart values of respect, inclusion, caring and honesty. The settled, positive environment supports them to be resilient and to participate in a wide variety of learning opportunities. Students are confident and articulate in describing their learning. They value the relationships they have with their teachers and leaders.

Trustees have experience and expertise and govern the school capably. Trustees and leaders have a future focused approach to developing and planning school direction. They make strategic decisions that are aligned to positive outcomes for their whole school community. They ensure board coherence through succession planning.

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

Teachers’ current effective use of ‘teaching as inquiry’ are useful for strengthening strategies that help students to become more self-directed learners. Current structures encourage co-design of learning activities where students have input and select from options. Continuing to grow the capability of staff in this area will enhance support for students to purposefully plan their learning while building new knowledge and skills.

The board of trustees is engaging with the New Zealand School Trustees Association document, Hautū: Māori Cultural Responsiveness Self Review tool for Board of Trustees. The school is fostering its relationship with Te Herenga o Orewa Marae. The growing number of staff learning te reo Māori supports the school’s goal to strengthen the promotion of te ao Māori in the school. It should also contribute to a greater shared understanding of bicultural responsiveness and school practices.

Trustees hold hui for whānau Māori. They are aware of the need to seek the aspirations of Pacific fono and other ethnic groups. The increased diversity of the new board is likely to strengthen their partnership with the school community.

The school is introducing a new online school management system which will be able to draw on multiple sources of information. School leaders’ evaluation of this comprehensive information would enable the board to prioritise and make strategic decisions that support positive outcomes for all learners.

3 Other Matters

Provision for international students

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

At the time of this review there were 28 international students attending the school. The school mainly hosts short-term visiting students and groups. They are well supported and included in the life of the school.

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 Children’s Act 2014.

The board should seek NZSTA support to ensure that their procedures for meetings when the public should be excluded from board meetings meet the requirements of the Privacy Act.

5 ERO’s Overall Judgement

On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement of Red Beach School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Well placed.

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:

• the distributive leadership model that allows all teachers to collaborate and lead in well-resourced learning environments that support student learning and wellbeing
• teachers’ collaborative inquiries that focus on learners’ continued improvement and have enabled shifts in teaching practice to improve outcomes for learners
• a culture of learning among leaders, teachers, parents/whānau and students that maintains high expectations and promotes student learning in settled, engaging and purposeful environments
• trustees’ future-focused approach to developing and planning for the school’s future direction to ensure positive outcomes for their school community.

Next steps

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

• continuing to grow the capability and capacity of leaders and teachers to deliver a responsive and engaging curriculum that enhances students’ learning opportunities
• the board continuing to engage with Hautū, to strengthen their understanding of bicultural practices across all aspects of school operations
• embedding processes that provide increased opportunities for partnerships with all ethnic groups
• continuing to strengthen the focus of internal evaluation on measuring the impact of school practices on outcomes for learners.

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services Northern

Northern Region

29 October 2019

About the school

1 Context

Red Beach School caters for children in Years 1 to 6. The majority of students are of Pākehā descent. Māori children comprise nine percent of the roll, which represents an increase of seven percent since 2011. Children with Pacific heritage comprise a further two percent of the roll, and children from a range of other ethnicities are also members of the school community. The board comprises a mix of new and experienced trustees. Since the 2011 ERO review a new principal has been appointed and teacher professional learning has focused on improving outcomes for Māori children who are at risk of underachieving. The school has a positive ERO reporting history.

2 Equity and excellence

The vision and valued outcomes defined by the school for all children are that Red Beach School will be a community empowering lifelong learners to achieve and make a difference. School values support each child to be at the centre of their own learning pathway. The school's curriculum "Ara Poutama - Our Pathway to Learning" states that the learning needs of every child are paramount.

The school’s learning framework is understood by children and their families/whānau. School trustees, leaders and teachers consider that children learn best when they feel accepted and enjoy positive relationships with their fellow children and teachers.

The school’s achievement information shows that since 2013 approximately three-quarters of Māori children have achieved at or above the National Standards in reading and mathematics. Their achievement in writing is generally lower, with about two thirds of Māori children achieving the National Standard.

School leaders acknowledge some disparity between achievement levels for Māori children and school-wide achievement levels. The board, school leaders and teachers continue to respond to this disparity by coordinating teaching and learning approaches to raise Māori children's achievement.

Since the last ERO evaluation the school has:

• developed a concerted approach to accelerating learning for underachieving children
• increased opportunities for effective participation and collaboration at every level of the school community
• continued to refine the school curriculum to help ensure that all children benefit from being engaged in the depth and breadth of The New Zealand Curriculum.

3 Accelerating achievement

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

The school continues to focus on Māori children whose learning and achievement needs acceleration. School leaders and teachers track the progress of these children in relation to the National Standards, monitoring their achievement in reading, writing and mathematics in a variety of learning areas.

As the number of Māori children in the school has increased over the past three years, the school has explored ways to adapt programmes and teaching practices to accelerate the learning of Māori children who are new to the school and/or are at risk of underachieving. School leaders and teachers respond to the learning needs of underachieving Māori children in a variety of connected ways. They work in a timely manner, using evidence from a variety of sources to target children's learning requirements. A range of strategies is used to personalise learning for these children.

Longitudinal school achievement information shows the benefit of teachers being more deliberate in their actions to accelerate the progress of these Māori learners. Maori children who are enrolled at the school for six years make good progress, with most achieving National Standards when they transition to Year 7.

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

The school responds well to other children whose learning and achievement needs acceleration, making use of the principles and practice for successfully accelerating the progress of Māori children in its provision for these children.

The school's response to Pacific children whose progress needs acceleration is focused on personalised teaching and learning. Teachers support children to reflect on their own learning and develop insights on how to learn. They provide opportunities for children to apply skills immediately to what they are learning. As for Māori children, their cultural identity and heritage is affirmed and they have opportunities to use their prior experiences and knowledge as part of their learning.

Children with special needs are very well catered for. School leaders coordinate a well considered special educational needs programme that responds well to their individual learning and wellbeing requirements. Responsive in-class and specialist teaching approaches support children to progress towards, and in some cases, achieve National Standards.

Teachers cater for high needs children in the school’s Motuora unit. Children in this unit involve themselves in the life of the school and are supported by their teachers to view themselves as successful learners. They show progress towards their specific goals, some of which are informed by the school’s learning progressions and the National Standards for reading, writing and mathematics.

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 priorities for equity and excellence?

The school’s curriculum and other organisational processes and practices clearly support the enactment of the school’s vision, values, goals and priorities for equity and excellence. School leaders collaborate with teachers and teacher aides to improve the progress of children whose learning and achievement needs acceleration. Staff are open to possibilities for improvement suggested by children, whānau and colleagues in order to make a positive difference to student achievement.

Purposeful leadership and coherent systems enable school leaders and teachers to respond promptly to children’s individual learning and wellbeing requirements. Broad curriculum themes developed by teachers and children allow children to build on their prior understandings and experiences outside school. Children have good opportunities to pursue their various interests through classroom inquiries and enrichment programmes. The school’s review of its values programme has had a positive influence on learning interactions. The Rich Heart Values framework contributes positively to children's learning and wellbeing.

Teachers’ practices reflect their high expectations that all children will succeed in relation to the National Standards. They support children’s accelerated progress, cultural identity, and leadership skills. Children actively contribute to their own learning pathways.

Teachers and support staff are aware of the importance of forming meaningful relationships with Māori children and whānau that are based on the concept of ako. High levels of collaborative practice continue to strengthen communications and connections between home and school. Teachers and parents/whānau work together to help improve outcomes for children.

The school acknowledges Māori as tangata whenua. A review of school direction has been beneficial in helping the board, parents/whānau, and staff to implement the principles of The Ministry of Education’s Māori Education Strategy, Ka Hikitia - Accelerating Success 2013 – 2017.

Significant development in bicultural practices since the 2011 ERO review has enhanced Māori learners’ sense of turangawaewae. Māori children value their school as a place to learn and connect with their culture. Further strengthening te Āo Māori in the school is an area that the board and whānau would like to explore and develop.

The board, school leaders and teachers are future focused and committed to ensuring that the school serves its community well. The complementary nature of external and internal evaluation is valued as a way to sustain positive school developments focused on enhancing life-long learning.

5 Going forward

How well placed is the school to achieve and sustain equitable and excellent outcomes for all children?

Trustees and school leaders plan to continue work on identifying and enhancing successful strategies that promote equitable and excellent outcomes for all children.

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.

As part of the school's three year strategic review cycle, the planned revision of the school's charter should provide valuable opportunities to further refine target setting for children whose learning and achievement needs accelerating.

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 children safety and wellbeing:

• emotional safety of children (including prevention of bullying and sexual harassment)

• physical safety of children

• teacher registration

• processes for appointing staff

• stand down, suspensions, expulsions and exclusions

• attendance

• compliance with the provisions of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014

• provision for international children.

In order to improve practice, the board and school leaders agree to review and improve the school's performance management systems to ensure that the requirements of the Education Council of New Zealand are fully met.

The board should ensure that two hours of secular instruction time is provided each afternoon during the school week.

7 Recommendation

ERO recommends that the school continue to progress planning and school improvement initiatives for promoting equity and excellence in outcomes for all children. 

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

1 June 2016

About the school