Greenhithe School

School Context

Greenhithe School caters for students in Years 1 to 6. Of the school’s 535 students seven percent are Māori, 73 percent are Pākehā and 12 percent are of Asian descent.

The school’s vision states that the school will provide an environment where children can develop a love of learning and the needs of all learners are met. The school supports the personal development, learning and welfare of each child. The school’s values are Perseverance, Respect, Initiative, Diligence, Excellence, (PRIDE).

Since ERO’s 2015 evaluation, a new deputy principal has been appointed. The school has focused on developing tikanga Māori in the school, and a kapahaka group has been formed. Staff have participated in Ministry of Education (MoE) contracts in mathematics and literacy to increase teacher capability and to make positive changes for learners. Staff have begun a programme of ‘Growth Coaching’ to increase teachers’ expertise, and build the school’s learning community.

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

• achievement in reading, writing and mathematics

• achievement in relation to school targets in writing and mathematics

Greenhithe school is part of the Whānau Ki te Ako Community of Learning|Kāhui Ako (CoL), with schools from the surrounding areas. The CoL is focussed on promoting student achievement across the community.

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 very effective in achieving excellence and equity for its learners.

The school’s data show high levels of achievement have been maintained in reading, writing and mathematics. Māori children achieve very well. The cohort is small and the school closely monitors their individual progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics.

School writing data show there is persistent disparity between the achievement of boys and girls in writing. Boys are achieving less well than girls over time. In the last two years boys’ writing has improved, and the gap between boys and girls is now closing.

By the time children leave the school in Year 6 they are achieving very well against curriculum expectations.

Students achieve very well in relation to other school valued outcomes. Children demonstrate that they:

• clearly understand and model the PRIDE school values

• display skills of self-management

• know what a good learner looks like

• collaborate with, learn from and support the learning of others

• use digital technologies purposefully.

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

The school responds well to those Māori and other students whose learning and achievement need acceleration.

Māori children are achieving good outcomes in reading, writing and very well in mathematics. The school monitors this cohort to ensure their progress continues. The next step for the school is to lift achievement for Māori children from ‘at to above,’ in line with their peers.

There is good provision for children whose learning needs support and acceleration. Teachers and leaders promote a team approach involving early identification, timely intervention and ongoing responsiveness to children’s needs.

An effective intervention to accelerate writing, Accelerated Literacy Learning (ALL), is positively impacting on learners, particularly boys in Year 2 and Year 4. A sustained maths intervention, ‘Accelerated Learning in Mathematics’ (ALiM), is very effective in accelerating the progress of those students needing support. The board provides active support for initiatives to accelerate children’s progress and raise achievement. The school has a fully released lead teacher and a number of well resourced, well qualified teacher aides who are responsive in the way they meet children’s specific learning and behaviour needs. Very good home school partnerships promote team work with parents, and support children’s learning and progress.

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?

Children participate and learn in inclusive collaborative learning environments. Classroom environments are managed in ways that support children to engage and participate well in purposeful learning. Student inquiry can be seen in classrooms, and leaders and teachers continue to develop this approach.

School leaders have implemented a programme of te reo Māori across the school. An outside provider is leading children and teachers on their journey of te reo acquisition. A teacher with leadership is leading te ao Māori in the school, and a teacher with responsibility leads the kapa haka group. Māori children and their whānau feel affirmed by the school’s positive initiatives in this area.

Strong transition processes into, through and leaving school set children up well for learning success. The school has good relationships with parents and the community that increase learning opportunities and support student achievement and wellbeing. The school liaises closely with families to ensure clear communication is maintained, and children’s needs are forefront.

Teachers implement good quality teaching programmes. They use assessment for learning strategies and scaffold learning tasks well to support children’s learning. These approaches support children to access the curriculum and achieve well.

A new robust, teacher appraisal system is in place. This new process, and the Teacher ‘Growth Coaching’ initiative are strengthening inquiry across the school and building teacher capacity and capability.

The school environment, processes and practices ensure supportive, accessible and orderly learning environments. High levels of relational trust exist between school leaders, and staff. They engage in daily interactions that focus on and promote the wellbeing of children, and provide good learning opportunities.

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

Strengthening children’s learner agency will further support their capability as learners, by building the skills of independent learning, critical thinking and problem solving.

Increasing evaluation and reporting capacity across the school should help to guide school improvement. Leaders and teachers could further strengthen internal evaluation through critical conversation, evidenced informed decisions and clarity of decisions.

It is now timely to further grow te ao Māori, to build the knowledge and understanding of all children in the school. Extending bicultural practices will support the development of te reo and tikanga Māori. The development of a scaffolded teaching and learning programme could support this initiative, and promote equity and excellence within the school community.

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 Education (Pastoral Care of International Students) Code of Practice 2016. At the time of this review there were 4 long stay, and 62 short stay international students attending the school.

The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code.

ERO’s evaluation process confirms that the school’s internal evaluation processes are of good quality.

Greenhithe School provides international students with pastoral care processes of a high standard. The school provides good quality English language support for students. They integrate well into the school’s educational programmes and are immersed in all aspects of school and community life.

4 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

• a curriculum and learning environment that promote students learning and success

• leadership that promotes high relational trust within a supportive learning environment

• educationally powerfully relationships with parents and community.

Next steps

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

• continuing to develop learner agency to enable children to lead their own learning

• strengthening internal evaluation practices to improve the effectiveness of school systems, programmes and student outcomes

• developing bi-culturally responsive schooling through the board’s review of the school charter to better reflect The Treaty of Waitangi.

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

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

Julie Foley

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)

Te Tai Raki - Northern Region

29 May 2018

About the school