Hauraki School

Education institution number:
1304
School type:
Contributing
School gender:
Co-Educational
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
446
Telephone:
Address:

82 Jutland Road, Takapuna, Auckland

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Hauraki School - 04/03/2020

School Context

Hauraki School in Takapuna caters for students in Years 1 to 6. The school’s roll has grown over time and now stands at approximatively 520. It includes small numbers of Māori and Pacific learners. The school also regularly hosts a small number of international students.

The school’s vision is that in a culture of excellence, students learn to know, to do, to be, and to live together. School values include hauora, kindness, respect and integrity.

The board’s strategic priorities include curriculum development, using progress and achievement information effectively and sustaining a positive school culture for all. In 2019 professional learning and development for teachers has focused on mathematics, assessment for learning, student inquiry learning and Reggio Emilia teaching approaches.

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

  • progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics

  • accelerated progress of individuals and groups of students, including learners with additional learning needs

  • aspects of curriculum review and student wellbeing.

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 maintains a deliberate focus on achieving equity and excellence for all its students.

Schoolwide achievement information shows that most students, including Māori, achieve at or above curriculum expectations in literacy and mathematics. This level of achievement has been consistent since 2017.

Well analysed longitudinal information is used to closely monitor the progress and achievement of groups of students, including the small number of Pacific students.

Students with additional needs are very well supported to achieve their learning goals. English language learners receive targeted support. Information about these programmes is shared with the board.

Other valued student outcomes relate directly to the school values, which are well understood by the school community.

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

The school is highly effective in accelerating the learning of Māori and those students who need it. There are many examples of accelerated learning progress as a result of targeted teaching and effective use of internal and external support.

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?

School leaders foster a highly collaborative team approach to successfully build relational trust with students, staff and the community. They have high expectations of themselves, the staff and students.

Leaders ensure a strategic, coherent approach to building professional capability and collective capacity. Organisational systems and structures enable sustained collaborative learning and support decision making. Ongoing internal expertise and external professional development support staff to be fully engaged in an open-to-learning culture that improves outcomes for students.

Students learn in caring, collaborative learning environments where provocations and students’ questions help to scaffold learning. Student inquiries promote their choice in and ownership of learning. Students’ thinking is highly valued and visible, and this contributes to them developing further agency in their learning.

School achievement data are closely scrutinised at all levels. Teachers use high quality teaching strategies effectively. They are intentional about how they plan for, reflect on and teach students whose learning needs accelerating. A deliberate focus on using a range of teaching approaches fosters a consistent language of learning for students.

A well-coordinated approach ensures the diverse educational needs of students are met well. Students experience success through a variety of in-class and withdrawal learning experiences. Additional learning support programmes are implemented thoughtfully to improve student outcomes.

The board provides significant funding for personnel and programmes that support teaching and learning. For example, a performing arts programme enables all students to develop new skills and gain confidence through a range of musical and creative experiences.

Trustees have close inter-generational links with the school. The school promotes learning-centred partnerships with parents/whānau and provides many opportunities for them to contribute to the curriculum. Parents and the community are highly supportive of the school.

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

Leaders and teachers continue to review and consider ways to enhance aspects of the school’s curriculum. Further developments include continuing to strengthen how the curriculum reflects the local context through bicultural and environmental perspectives. Leaders have identified the benefits of exploring ways to collect and report information about valued student outcomes.

Leaders and the board agree it is timely to consider how they might evaluate progress in achieving school priorities and the impact this has on valued student outcomes. Evaluation of progress and effectiveness in relation to school goals and plans, particularly for those learners at risk of not achieving, will provide further information to support board decision making.

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 15 international students attending the school.

Hauraki School has very good processes in place to monitor practices and outcomes, and ensure the school is meeting the requirements of the Code.

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.

5 ERO’s Overall Judgement

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

ERO’s Framework: Overall Findings and Judgement Tool derived from School Evaluation Indicators: Effective Practice for Improvement and Learner Success 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:

  • a positive school culture that fosters a collaborative team approach and relational trust at all levels of the school community
  • highly effective leadership that provides strong professional guidance to improve professional practice
  • a well-coordinated approach to ensuring diverse educational and behavioural needs are met effectively
  • teachers who are intentional about how they meet the learning needs of students at risk of not achieving.

Next steps

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

  • continuing to strengthen the curriculum, and how leaders and staff collect and report information about the school’s valued student outcomes
  • evaluating the effectiveness of the board’s identified goals and priorities in achieving positive outcomes for learners, particularly for those students most in need of additional support.

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services

Northern Region

4 March 2020

About the school

Location

Takapuna, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

1304

School type

Contributing

School roll

524

Gender composition

Boys 51%

Girls 49%

Ethnic composition

Māori 7%

NZ European/Pākehā 50%

Chinese 21%

other ethnic groups 22%

Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS)

Yes

Provision of Māori medium education

No

Review team on site

November 2019

Date of this report

4 March 2020

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review June 2015

Education Review June 2011

Education Review January 2008

Hauraki School - 05/06/2015

Findings

Students at Hauraki School experience high quality education. They engage purposefully in learning and benefit from a broad curriculum. High expectations support students to experience success as learners. School governance and leadership is effective and parent partnerships in learning are valued. These features contribute positively to students’ wellbeing and learning.

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

1 Context

What are the important features of this school that have an impact on student learning?

Hauraki School, on Auckland’s North Shore, caters for students in Years 1 to 6. Positive and supportive relationships contribute to the school’s settled tone that is focused on learning.

Students, staff and the wider school community share a sense of pride in their school. Families and staff have longstanding relationships with the school. Parents and whānau are welcomed into the school and their contributions are valued. Their participation in activities such as coaching sports, cultural and outdoor events helps the school fulfil its goal of providing a broad curriculum. The board reflects the community well with a balance of experienced and newly appointed trustees.

Hauraki School’s ERO reporting history has been very positive. The 2011 ERO report noted the school’s high quality learning culture, strong governance and leadership, and staff collaboration. These very good features continue to be evident.

The school has made good progress with areas of development noted in ERO’s 2011 report. Good progress has been made in embedding student and teacher inquiry, promoting student ownership of learning, and increasing the school’s engagement with its Māori community and other cultural groups. Systematic self review and an ongoing focus on student learning have contributed to school improvement. Well-considered professional learning for teachers has had a positive impact on outcomes for students.

2 Learning

How well does this school use achievement information to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement?

The school uses achievement information very effectively to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement.

Students engage well in their learning. They have opportunities to reflect on their learning and how they have achieved their personal goals. Students confidently discuss their progress and achievement with their parents and whānau.

The board of trustees, senior leaders and teachers have strategic and planned approaches to raising student achievement. Specific, relevant targets are set by the board for groups of learners who are underachieving. Well-analysed assessment information helps the board fund additional staffing and resources to support the progress of these students. Senior leaders and teachers develop programmes to extend students who are achieving the National Standards but have not fully reached their potential.

Teachers and senior leaders modify teaching and learning programmes to suit the requirements of individual students. This good practice supports underachieving students to make accelerated progress. School reporting to parents about their children’s learning, progress and achievement helps them to understand and contribute to their child’s learning.

Nine percent of the school population identifies as Māori. Most Māori students achieve at or above the National Standards and at similar levels to other students in the school. Achievement data are used to establish targets for Māori students who are not achieving to expected levels.

While the current number of Pacific students is small and therefore patterns and trends are hard to determine, the board, senior leaders and teachers are committed to review the provision for Pacific learners. The culturally responsive teaching practices used with Māori students and whānau could also benefit Pacific students and their families.

Students with special learning needs benefit from the school’s inclusive culture. Appropriate support programmes are implemented with parent/whānau involvement. These students are involved in the everyday life of the school.

The school’s very good foundations for promoting successful student learning could be further strengthened by teachers providing more opportunities for students to lead their learning. Students would benefit from using achievement information to plan their next learning steps. Models of very good student-led learning practices in the school provide a framework for future self review and development.

3 Curriculum

How effectively does this school’s curriculum promote and support student learning?

The school provides students with a relevant, responsive curriculum that is highly effective in promoting and supporting student engagement in learning. The school curriculum aligns withThe New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) and demonstrates a commitment to celebrating students’ experiences, cultures and identities. Teaching and learning programmes feature the school’s core values and NZC’s key competencies.

Students experience a curriculum that builds on their success as capable learners. Teaching practices affirm students’ wellbeing and promote their empathy for others. Teachers support children to transition successfully to their next year level, and to their next school.

Teaching and learning supports students to be independent, self-managing learners. Senior leaders and teachers have developed an inquiry learning model to help students ask questions and make discoveries in search of new understandings. This approach supports students well to become self-regulated learners.

Trustees, senior leaders and staff prioritise opportunities for students to be capable in literacy and mathematics across the NZC learning areas. This focus is grounded in the strong belief of encouraging students to achieve their best across a broad range of learning contexts.

School leaders support teachers to reflect on and improve their practice. Teachers use several sources of information, including achievement data, to respond to students’ diverse learning requirements. Parents, families and whānau are well informed and involved in conversations about their children’s learning. Parents’ aspirations for their children’s education are taken into consideration in curriculum reviews.

How effectively does the school promote educational success for Māori, as Māori?

The school’s promotion of bicultural approaches is increasingly evident in the curriculum with Māori being acknowledged and respected as tangata whenua. Classroom environments reflect aspects of Māori language and culture. Classroom programmes for Year 5 and 6 students build their confidence and competence in te reo me ōna tikanga Māori.

The board’s commitment to the funding of Te Reo Tuatahi and kapa haka tutors sustains and builds on an area of good practice recognised by ERO in 2011. Students and teachers have become more aware of the importance of Māori links to culture. The kapa haka group remains strong and provides a means for Māori students to see their culture and hear their language in their school. These initiatives are indicative of ways the school continues to enhance its bicultural development. Senior leaders plan to explore with teachers and whānau ways to thread a Māori dimension through the curriculum to complement the special events in the year that have an emphasis on Māori culture.

The board’s drive for the school to communicate with parents/whānau has positively influenced home/school partnerships that are focused on improving students’ learning. Recent hui have been well attended and parents of Māori students interviewed by ERO expressed that the principal and teachers are receptive to suggestions that they make.

4 Sustainable Performance

How well placed is the school to sustain and improve its performance?

The school is very well placed to sustain and improve its performance. High quality self review is a feature of school operations and is used well to improve outcomes for students.

The principal’s capable and skilled leadership guides the school’s direction. Teachers and students have varied leadership roles and opportunities throughout the school. Staff members are valued as professionals and they appreciate the school’s supportive culture.

Trustees are effective in their governance role. They are very supportive of the principal and staff. There is clear alignment between the strategic plan, annual plan and programme implementation. Board decision-making is data based and is aimed at sustaining improvement and promoting innovative practices.

Curriculum areas are evaluated and appropriate recommendations made to guide future practice. There is a focus on what is best for students. The board and senior leaders are considering further ways to include student opinions and aspirations in the school review processes.

The school’s strong partnerships with parents, whānau and community benefit students’ wellbeing and learning. Students are secure in the knowledge that their interests and welfare, now and in the future, are upmost in adults’ hearts and minds. Trustees and school leaders explore ways that these partnerships can be further enhanced, including with parents of Māori and Pacific students.

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 four international students attending the school. They are well cared for and experience high quality programmes that are suited to their learning and wellbeing. International students are well integrated into the school community. They participate and feature in school cultural and sporting activities.

The school’s monitoring system for international students is well administered. To refine the school’s good quality processes, reports to the board could include the quality of education provided for international students and how well they are progressing and achieving.

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:

  • board administration
  • curriculum
  • management of health, safety and welfare
  • personnel management
  • financial management
  • asset management.

During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student achievement:

  • emotional safety of students (including prevention of bullying and sexual harassment)
  • physical safety of students
  • teacher registration
  • processes for appointing staff
  • stand-downs, suspensions, expulsions and exclusions
  • attendance.

Conclusion

Students at Hauraki School experience high quality education. They engage purposefully in learning and benefit from a broad curriculum. High expectations support students to experience success as learners. School governance and leadership is effective and parent partnerships in learning are valued. These features contribute positively to students’ wellbeing and learning.

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

Dale Bailey

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

5 June 2015

About the School

Location

Takapuna, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

1304

School type

Contributing (Years 1 to 6)

School roll

420

Number of international students

4

Gender composition

Girls 54%

Boys 46%

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Chinese

South East Asian

African

British

European

Indian

other ethnicities

Pacific (Fijian, Samoan, Tongan)

9%

62%

12%

3%

2%

2%

2%

2%

5%

1%

Review team on site

May 2015

Date of this report

5 June 2015

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

June 2011

January 2008

February 2005