Arahoe School

School Context

Arahoe School in West Auckland, caters for children in Years 1 to 6. There are currently 781 children enrolled at the school. The roll includes 10 percent Māori, 24 percent Indian, 13 percent of Pacific heritage and 9 percent Chinese. Since the 2014 ERO report the school roll has grown significantly. The school’s enrolment zone was introduced in 2015 to manage the roll growth.

Students in Years 5 and 6 learn in innovative learning environments. Students in other years are increasingly learning in refurbished classrooms where teachers are able to work more collaboratively.

The school aims to ‘empower our ākonga to access their future’. Leaders identify personal success and excellence as valued outcomes for all students. They want students to be confident and articulate communicators who think clearly and manage themselves well.

The school has high expectations that students achieve well. Current school targets focus on reducing the number of students achieving below or well below curriculum expectations within the core learning areas of reading, writing and mathematics.

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

• achievement patterns and trends in reading, writing and mathematics
• students with additional learning needs
• student wellbeing for success including Te Ara Whakamana programme
• international students
• learners of English as an additional language.

The school is part of the Kōtuitui Kāhui Ako | Community of Learning (CoL).

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 well towards achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all students. Over recent years the school’s data report consistently high achievement for most students in reading, writing and mathematics.

High levels of achievement for Māori and Pacific students have been maintained over time for those students who remain at the school. Māori students achieve better in reading and mathematics than they do in writing. Pacific students’ achievement is higher in reading and writing than in mathematics. There has been a small increase in disparity between the achievement of boys and girls in reading and writing.

Leaders and teachers gather considerable student voice during the course of their internal evaluations. This information tells them that most children:

• have a sense of belonging
• are proud of their school
• are well engaged in their learning
• value the opportunities the school offers.

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

The school is effective in responding to those students whose learning progress needs acceleration. Leaders have introduced a deliberate strategy to enhance the school’s effectiveness in accelerating learning. This approach guides teachers in how they respond to students and builds a strong foundation for engaging whānau in their children’s learning.

Leaders set high and aspirational achievement targets. They identify priority groups of students who need to make better progress so that the school can achieve these targets. The school has evidence that some students who are achieving below expectation make accelerated progress.

The teacher responsible for students with additional learning needs oversees the school’s tiered support system for these students. Experienced teachers and teacher aides provide further support for students through established programmes that are designed to build their skills in literacy and mathematics.

Teachers know students well and increasingly take collective responsibility for their achievement. While there is a focus on supporting students to make better progress, teachers have programmes and practices in place to extend students who are already achieving at expectation.

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?

The school tone and culture are positive and inclusive. Students report a sense of belonging and pride in their school. They are confident and articulate in describing their learning. Students value the supportive relationships they have with their teachers and leaders. As a result students learn in settled, purposeful environments that are conducive to learning.

Bicultural responsiveness has been prioritised. The school’s Treaty of Waitangi policy provides the basis for this focus. Key leaders within the school guide teachers and leaders in developing and embedding tikanga Māori. Teachers and whānau work together to promote collaborative partnerships in students’ learning. They are further strengthening this work by learning or extending their use of te reo Māori together.

The school offers a rich variety of learning opportunities for students. Teachers facilitate activities to support students’ achievement in the core learning areas. They also design group learning opportunities to extend students or to engage and develop their strengths and interests.

A professional learning culture for teachers and leaders is evident. Leadership is effective and well distributed across all levels of the school. Leaders have high expectations of teachers, students and of themselves as lifelong learners. They are committed to the professional learning and development of teachers who are new to teaching.

The school values its partnership with parents in their children’s education. Teachers, parents and students have many planned opportunities to meet together to celebrate progress and identify next learning steps. An online forum is used well to collate examples of student work. Through this opportunity, whānau make real time connections with their children’s learning.

The school is capably governed. Trustees and leaders have a future focused approach to developing and planning for the school direction. They make strategic decisions that are aligned to global trends and Ministry of Education priorities. Trustees bring experience and expertise to their stewardship roles. They ensure sustainable governance practices 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?

School processes and practices could be more robustly reviewed and strengthened around programmes and interventions in place to support students in their learning. This review and development could include consideration of the effectiveness of programmes and how to further accelerate rates of progress for those students who need to achieve better.

Students who need additional learning support are generally catered for through withdrawal programmes. Classroom teachers should be the first tier of influence for these students. To do so, they should implement effective classroom-based strategies to accelerate students’ progress. This would help teachers to increase their responsiveness to the learning needs of all students.

Students are increasingly engaged in innovative learning practices. To build on and extend this work, teachers could promote student agency by developing students’ understanding and ownership of their own learning so they can work with teachers to make decisions and plan for their next learning steps.

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.

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.

At the time of this review there were three international students attending the school. The school also hosts short-term visiting students and groups. Most international students are from either Korea or China. International students are well supported and included in school life. They have many opportunities to develop their use of English in meaningful ways.

4 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

• a positive school culture that supports whānau to actively participate in their children’s learning

• an environment that is conducive to learning

• the rich variety of learning opportunities that engage students and develop their strengths and interests

• tikanga Māori practices that value the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand

• effective governance and leadership that is future focused and promotes ongoing improvement.

Next steps

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

• reviewing practices and processes to determine their effectiveness in increasing rates of progress for those students whose progress needs accelerating

• extending teaching strategies to accelerate students’ progress within classroom programmes

• further developing students’ understanding and ownership of their own learning so they can make decisions and plan for their next learning steps.

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

ERO is likely to carry out the next external evaluation in four-to-five years.

Violet Tu’uga Stevenson

Director Review and Improvement Services

Te Tai Raki - Northern Region

8 November 2018

About the school