Murrays Bay School

Murrays Bay School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 12 months of the Education Review Office and Murrays Bay School working in Te Ara Huarau, an improvement evaluation approach used in most English Medium State and State Integrated Schools. For more information about Te Ara Huarau see ERO’s website. www.ero.govt.nz

Context 

Murrays Bay School is a state school located in Murrays Bay, Auckland, catering for students from Year 1 to Year 6. The school is committed to growing its four learning priorities to develop confident, curious, connected and creative learners.

Murrays Bay School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:

  • build the capacity of students to own and be responsible for their learning.

  • develop culturally appropriate and responsive contexts for teaching and learning that includes whanau engagement and recognition and celebration of learner’s identity culture and language.

  • promote the wellbeing of all learners and staff.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Murrays Bay School’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how well the school’s localised curriculum provides authentic, culturally responsive learning opportunities and outcomes to grow confident, curious, connected and creative ākonga/learners.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to determine to what extent focusing on a curriculum that develops creativity and identity, as key learning priorities is to:

  • meet the learning strengths and needs of all ākonga

  • be culturally responsive to all groups of students and their whānau

  • enhance the quality of teaching throughout the school

  • support ākonga to experience success in who they are

  • provide further equitable and excellent outcomes for all students.

The school expects to see:

  • all students developing and utilising their creative capabilities to produce creative works

  • a culturally responsive, localised curriculum supported by whanau and community, that supports developing ākonga agency, engagement and success

  • the quality of teaching enhanced through prioritising creativity, ākonga identity and wellbeing

  • effective teaching and leadership practices, supported by quality professional learning opportunities

  • rich, authentic learning programmes, consistently implemented throughout the school focussed on developing students’ creative capabilities.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to provide authentic, culturally responsive learning opportunities and outcomes to grow confident, curious, connected and creative ākonga:

  • a collaborative school community, who together are focused on developing a new vision for the school, based on harnessing ākonga creative capabilities

  • successful ākonga wellbeing

  • family support of ākonga and the school

  • the commitment of the senior leaders to a philosophy of ‘continuous improvement’

  • well-resourced and supported teaching and leading practices and processes.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • modifying professional development from the analysis of mid-point evaluation data

  • continuing to undertake in-depth data analysis of priority and targeted learners to ensure equity in developing creative capacity

  • reshaping the school’s vision to incorporate the four learning priorities that will develop confident, curious, connected and creative learner

  • aligning teacher expectations, relationships, the curriculum, school vision and values to a school where creativity flourishes inside and outside the classroom.

ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. ERO will support the school in reporting their progress to the community. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report and is due within three years.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

17 August 2023 

About the School

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement.  educationcounts.govt.nz/home

Murrays Bay School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2022 to 2025

As of June 2022, the Murray Bay School Board has attested to the following regulatory and legislative requirements:

Board Administration

Yes

Curriculum

Yes

Management of Health, Safety and Welfare

Yes

Personnel Management

Yes

Finance

Yes

Assets

Yes

Further Information

For further information please contact Murray Bay School, School Board.

The next School Board assurance that it is meeting regulatory and legislative requirements will be reported, along with the Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report, within three years.

Information on ERO’s role and process in this review can be found on the Education Review Office website.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

17 August 2023

About the School

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home

Murrays Bay School

Provision for International Students Report

Background

The Education Review Office reviews schools that are signatories to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020.

Findings

Murrays Bay School is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code and has completed an annual self-review of its implementation of the Code.

At the time of this review there were 7 international students attending the school, and 0 exchange students.

The school’s process for annual self–review and its provision of pastoral care well meets requirements. International students’ learning is well supported by the school and students and their family participate inclusively in the school community.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

17 August 2023

About the School

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home

Murrays Bay School - 20/12/2013

1 Context

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

Murrays Bay School is a well established primary school on Auckland’s north shore for students in Years 1 to 6. The school is located next to Murrays Bay Intermediate School and is attractively situated above the eastern bays, looking over the Hauraki Gulf. The majority of students attend local early childhood education centres and arrive at school with a high level of readiness for learning.

Students are kind and courteous to one another. They relate positively to teachers and the support staff. The school’s new curriculum model responds to students’ interests, and provides relevant and meaningful learning opportunities. The school‘s aims for excellence and success are reflected in high levels of participation and engagement.

The school is valued by its community and supported by an involved parent teacher association. Many of the staff, including the principal, have provided long service to the school. The board of trustees (BOT) has made some key new management appointments in the past year. The new leadership team is currently reviewing school management systems and responsibilities.

The school was last reviewed by ERO in 2011. Good practices identified in that review have been sustained and further improvements made. The school liaises usefully, and shares professional learning developments, with other schools in its local cluster. The BOT has overseen extensive rebuilding and property upgrading, and are implementing a long-term plan for strengthening the use of information and communications technology.

2 Learning

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

Overall students make good progress and achieve well. Students’ achievement across academic, sporting and cultural endeavours is celebrated with parents/ whānau in special assemblies and events. The school’s vision of “choosing to excel” is understood by students and parents.

School leaders make very good use of student achievement information to:

  • promptly identify students needing additional learning assistance
  • share progress and achievement information with parents
  • report to the board and the Ministry of Education (MoE) in regard to the National Standards
  • increasing opportunities for students to be successful

Student achievement data is well analysed for the board. Areas of disparity are identified and discussed. Initiatives to lift the achievement of Māori students and boys are being implemented and reported. Appropriate goals are set in the school’s 2013 annual plan to improve students writing skills. The school is well on track to achieve the MoE National Standards targets for 2017.

Achievement levels are displayed on a data wall so that teachers and learning teams can identify and discuss the progress of individual students. This enables teachers to reflect on classroom planning approaches. Teachers personalise learning for individuals and small groups of students. The positive relationships they establish enable students to become successful learners.

Senior leaders agree that better use of achievement information could help students become more independent and self managing learners. Consideration should be given to:

  • sharing learning success criteria very explicitly with students to allow them to set learning goals based on their progress and achievement
  • documenting clear expectations of effective learning so that students can develop greater ownership of their learning
  • making achievement targets more specific and measurable so that initiatives for accelerating the progress of some students can be reviewed and evaluated.

3 Curriculum

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

Students experience a comprehensive curriculum that supports their engagement in learning. The clear emphasis on reading, writing and mathematics is complemented by sport, the arts, technology and learning outside the classroom. Environmental sustainability and enterprise studies also enhance contexts for learning.

The curriculum supports values education and the development of social skills. In some classrooms teachers’ planning reflects bicultural themes that support Māori culture and language. The school kapa haka is well attended and builds on formal lessons in tikanga and te reo Māori. Students have opportunities for leadership as class and school council representatives.

Teachers are developing an integrated model of curriculum planning to implement The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC). Through their ‘real learning’ approach teachers are making the principles and key competencies of the NZC more visible and meaningful. Students contribute to the planning themes and have new digital technology available to support their individual interests.

Parents are enthusiastic about the Foundation Skills transition programme for new entrant children. Senior leaders should ensure that the transition to school programme sufficiently challenges, engages and extends all children, most of whom start school as already capable and confident learners.

Curriculum leadership has been increased. The seven learning leaders provide support and coaching to the teachers in their teams. Regular classroom visits and coaching strategies are helping teachers to evaluate their practice. Coaching is a recognised factor in lifting teacher performance. However, better quality assurance systems are needed to increase the consistency of teaching practice.

The variability within and between the teaching teams could be improved by documenting agreed expectations to guide the work of the learning leaders in appraising teacher performance. The three deputy principals could review their roles in this respect.

To ensure that children are not unfairly excluded from the curriculum, the board should examine the requirement of parents to pay fees for class based mathematics and reading programme resources.

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

The board is resourcing several initiatives to promote success for Māori students as Māori. Additional staffing is used to provide formal te reo and tikanga lessons for staff and students in selected classes. The good support for kapa haka has encouraged up to 100 students to take part. The school welcomes visitors through powhiri and students are proud of their increased involvement and understanding of these protocols.

School managers understand the significance of the Ministry of Education strategy for accelerating Māori student success. They are planning to introduce the Ka Hikitia document to the board and community in 2014. This will enable the board to review its goals and commitment to Māori student success and plan steps that could be useful for evaluating progress.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

The school is well placed to sustain and review its performance.

The board takes an active interest in governing the school and achieving the best outcomes for children. Self review is helping trustees to identify areas for improvement. The board’s comprehensive strategic plan is aligned to school operations, policy review and reporting. Trustees receive good information that helps their discussions and decision making processes. They seek expertise to strengthen their own understanding of governance and support the school by employing external agencies to help school leaders strengthen appraisal and self-review strategies.

The principal encourages leadership within the school. The appointment of two new deputy principals in the past year has provided a good opportunity to review management systems and responsibilities. It would be useful for the senior management team now to review the effectiveness of school-wide leadership roles so that new initiatives are sustained and capability for evaluation and self review is further developed.

The board values the staff and provides good support and professional learning opportunities for teachers. A new appraisal system is being introduced that is designed to encourage teacher reflection and inquiry. Further development of the appraisal indicators using MoE resources such as Tātaiako would support this approach.

Trustees work constructively with the principal. Together they are planning to consult the school community as they undertake a review of the charter in 2014. The principles and goals of the NZC that relate to students becoming confident, connected, actively involved, life-long learners should also inform this review.

Trustees should continue to develop their policy and procedures framework and ensure that legislative requirements are up to date and reported systematically.

Provision for international students

Murrays Bay 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. At the time of this review there were eight international students attending the school and residing with caregivers, usually family members. The international students are well integrated and the school provides teaching programmes to support English language proficiency.

ERO’s investigations identified some anomalies in the timeliness of the school’s self-review and attestation process. Changes in the senior management team delayed the completion of the 2013 self review and attestation. The required annual review has now been completed and received by New Zealand Qualification Authority (NZQA).

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.

In order to meet its legislative obligations the board must:

obtain Ministry of Education approval before additional payments are made to employees.[Ministry Education Bulletin 2013/27, Section 75, State Sector Act 1988]

When is ERO likely to review the school again?

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

Dale Bailey

National Manager Review Services Northern Region

20 December 2013

About the School

Location

Murrays Bay, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

1387

School type

Contributing (Years 1 to 6)

School roll

662

Number of international students

8

Gender composition

Boys 54%

Girls 46%

Ethnic composition

NZ European/Pākehā

Māori

Chinese

Korean

British

Other European

Japanese

Pacific

Other

54%

5%

14%

8%

3%

8%

2%

2%

4%

Review team on site

October 2013

Date of this report

20 December 2013

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

March 2011

October 2007

October 2004

Murrays Bay School - 19/12/2016

1 Context

Murrays Bay School, on Auckland's North Shore, provides education for children from Years 1 to 6. Since the 2013 ERO review, the board has successfully managed significant change. The current principal was appointed in November 2015. The recently elected board is a combination of new and experienced trustees who are increasing their knowledge of their stewardship roles and responsibilities. The school is now in a more stable position with a clearer strategic direction and improved systems to internally evaluate their actions.

2 Equity and excellence

The vision and valued outcomes defined by the school for all children are to unlock the uniqueness and potential in every student through an innovative and engaging curriculum, and to prepare them for their future. The school works with the community using a collaborative and consultative approach to create a vision for learning in which diversity is accepted and valued. The unique position of Māori within New Zealand society is also recognised in the school’s environment and curriculum.

The school’s achievement information shows that there is sustained high achievement of over 88% in National Standards for reading and maths. Leaders and teachers continue to target writing as a charter goal and achievement information shows that 79% of the children achieve at the National Standard. Over the past three years the school's data show a decreasing disparity between Māori and Pacific achievement and other groups in reading and writing but a widening disparity in mathematics.

The school's moderation processes continue to improve and robust systems are followed. These include using a range of assessment tools, and team discussions and school-wide discussions to ensure overall teacher judgements are valid and reliable. Teachers have also moderated assessment samples with local schools.

Murrays Bay School is a member of the Mid-Bays Community of Learning (CoL). This community has developed relevant targets based on the CoL schools' achievement information, and raising achievement in writing is a particular priority.

Since the 2013 ERO evaluation the school has continued to embed its assessment for learning practices. Targeted professional development has supported teachers to reflect on their teaching practice. Key actions that the school has taken to improve outcomes for children include:

  • developing teaching approaches that enable children to have greater ownership of their learning
  • reviewing teacher appraisal processes with a focus on improving teachers' cultural competence to meet the needs of Māori learners and other diverse learners
  • strengthening school processes that enable teachers to critique and adapt their practice to meet the needs of children whose progress needs accelerating
  • targeting and documenting shared understanding of the school's teaching expectations so children have greater independence and ownership and are better able to talk about their learning and what they need to do to be successful.

3 Accelerating achievement

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

The school responds well to children whose learning needs acceleration.

Robust systems are followed to identify, monitor and respond to those children at risk of not achieving. School leaders collate and analyse a wide range of assessment data. They scrutinise these data, actively looking for children who need support or acceleration. These priority learners, including Māori children, are well known to leaders and teachers.

Teachers plan appropriately for priority learners. They use a good range of classroom-based and standardised assessments to identify individual children's learning needs to focus their teaching on. Assessment activities are inclusive and fit for purpose, providing meaningful evidence to assess children's achievement and progress and to develop next steps.

Leaders and teachers critically evaluate the effectiveness of teaching programmes and initiatives implemented to accelerate children's learning progress and their well-being and confidence. Teachers closely monitor the impact of targeted teaching on progress to ensure that priority learners are receiving the appropriate support. This ongoing evaluation of children's progress helps to ensure that teachers provide programmes that deliberately support children in their next steps in learning.

Achievement information is collected, tracked and analysed from the time a child enters the school, with the purpose of making the most of their opportunities to be successful learners. Māori children have longitudinal individual files holding analysed data and other relevant information to show their individual achievement and progress. This same system is in place for Pacific learners and children who are not progressing as expected. Senior leaders have a particular role in monitoring priority learners' progress and wellbeing.

Teachers are well supported to develop teaching practices that accelerate children's learning. They collaboratively engage in professional discussions and share the responsibility for children's progress. Leaders of learning play a key role in supporting teachers to accelerate children's progress. They lead team discussions about the progress of target groups of children. This collaborative practice is building a collective responsibility for each child's progress.

The board is committed to resourcing programmes that promote equity and excellence for learners. Leaders organise school staffing so that children requiring additional support can better access the curriculum. Capable teacher aides work with teachers to provide in-class and appropriate withdrawal support for individuals and small groups. Inclusive and responsive approaches are guiding programmes for children with special educational needs. Children whose first language is not English receive additional English language support in a variety of ways. 

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 targets for equity and excellence?

The school curriculum and other organisational practices are being reviewed and adapted to further promote equity and excellence for all learners. The school culture has significantly improved over the past year under the new principal's strategic leadership. He is responsively managing this year of change, making subtle changes to influence major shifts in practice. His approach is child-focused, and is enabling and growing leadership and innovation in teaching and learning.

Children are enthusiastic about their learning and benefit from school conditions that foster positive attitudes to lifelong learning. They have an increasing understanding of their own achievement and ability to identify their next steps in learning. Children's achievement is recognised broadly in academic, sporting, social, leadership and arts areas.

Children and their families know the school values and respectful and productive relationships are evident in the school. Children's leadership skills are regularly promoted through a range of opportunities in school. Their views are gathered and responded to. Curriculum themes and a broad range of extra-curricular activities build on children's interests and prior knowledge. The school's inquiry learning model provides opportunities for children to have greater ownership of their learning. They have good access to digital technologies to support their learning.

Leadership is distributed across teaching teams to build individual and collective leadership capacity. Leaders have clear expectations that are designed to support teaching and learning. Professional capability is fostered very well through the use of external and internal professional expertise. Senior leaders and teachers deliberately focus on improving teaching and learning for every student.

Evidence-based inquiry and evaluation is encouraging leaders and teachers to think and do things differently to foster equity and to improve outcomes for children. Teachers' inquiry into the effectiveness of their practice has been strengthened, and is more closely aligned with the school's appraisal process. The principal encourages teachers to innovate, and adapt the curriculum and teaching strategies to support children to lead their own learning.

Leaders and teachers have respectful and productive relationships. They recognise and affirm the diverse languages and cultures of parents/whānau and the community. The school identifies and draws on community resources and expertise to increase their capacity to improve student achievement and wellbeing.

Parents who spoke with ERO expressed their appreciation of the school's new direction. They value the support and approachability of staff and now feel welcome at school. Parents now have more opportunities to work together with teachers to support their children's progress. Transition processes continue to be evaluated and adapted with local early childhood services and schools to better support children and their families.

The board is committed to building leaders' and teachers professional capability. Trustees bring a range of expertise to their roles to guide their scrutiny of school data and operations. The principal is strengthening the board's strategic planning processes to focus more particularly on improving equity and excellence for children, and further fostering a culture of evaluation and professional learning.

The school's charter includes goals, targets and specific actions focused on raising Māori and other children's achievement. The charter supports the enactment of equity and excellence through the school's key improvement strategies. School policies, systems and processes align well to achieve the school's vision, values, goals and priorities.

5 Going forward

How well placed is the school to accelerate the achievement of all children who need it?

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.

Leaders are reflective and improvement focused. Through in-class support and focused team meetings, teachers are supported and challenged to evaluate their practice and to use this evidence to improve outcomes for children.

The board is rebuilding relational trust with the wider school community, and improving its consultation processes. Trustees are strengthening their role in scrutinising achievement information and improving the board's internal evaluation processes. There is a strong commitment to support students to have equitable learning experiences and outcomes.

The principal has identified relevant development priorities that include:

  • clarifying senior leaders' roles in leading learning and monitoring children's accelerated progress
  • continuing to grow teacher understanding of best practice to support priority learners
  • further developing trustees', leaders', teachers' and students' use of evaluation and inquiry
  • streamlining systems for tracking and recording the progress of individual children
  • professional learning for staff to guide class programmes that support children whose home language is not English.

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 student safety and wellbeing:

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

  • physical safety of students

  • 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 students.

7 Recommendation

The board, leaders and teachers should continue to work with the school's community to support children to become confident, connected, actively involved, lifelong learners.

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

19 December 2016

About the school 

Location

Murrays Bay, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

1387

School type

Contributing (Years 1 to 6)

School roll

708

Gender composition

Boys 53% Girls 47%

Ethnic composition

Maori

Pākehā

Chinese

Korean

Great Britain

Indian

Pacific

MELA

other European

other Asian

other

5%

49%

24%

6%

3%

2%

2%

1%

5%

2%

1%

Review team on site

November 2016

Date of this report

19 December 2016

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

December 2013

March 2011

October 2007