Warkworth School

Warkworth School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 11 months of the Education Review Office and Warkworth 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 

Warkworth School caters for children from Years 0 to 6. The school is situated across a split site with a junior and senior campus. Both campuses have been recently rebuilt as innovative learning environment with six collaborative learning communities.  

Warkworth School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

  • nurture learning, by providing a relationship centred, culturally- connected authentic curriculum that is engaging, inclusive and future focused

  • nurture relationships, by building educationally powerful connections with the school community, mana whenua and the wider community

  • nurture people, by developing a staff of high calibre with responsive professional learning and development programmes.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate, how well the school is building a localised curriculum that connects and strengthens learning relationships with all ākonga, whānau, kaiako, mana whenua, and the wider community.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

  • to utilise the strength and richness of the diversity of learners’ language, culture, identities, and experiences to further enhance learning outcomes

  • to provide opportunities to participate in reciprocal learning relationships with whānau, mana whenua and the community where ako is a natural part of learning experiences

  • to promote learners who are secure in their identities and actively participate in the community

  • for ākonga to experience success and to lift achievement for all learners.

The school expects to see:

  • all ākonga experiencing success in diverse ways across a range of settings over their time at Warkworth School

  • raised levels of achievement for all ākonga

  • strengthened learning-focussed partnerships where whānau are active partners in their child’s learning

  • empowered ākonga who increasingly make active choices about their own learning reflecting confidence in their language, culture and identity and a connection to their local community.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to build a localised curriculum and strengthen learning partnerships with whānau.

  • leadership that reflects the ongoing commitment to the strategic direction and equitable and excellent outcomes for all ākonga

  • indoor and outdoor learning environments that lend opportunity for collaboration

  • inclusive approaches that cater for diverse ākonga

  • initiatives that strengthen cultural partnerships in the school community and district.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • continuing to build teacher capability to enact the localised curriculum 

  • developing reciprocal relationship where the voices of ākonga and whānau contribute to the development of the curriculum

  • diversifying opportunities for students to take increased ownership of their learning.

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.

Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

21 February 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

Warkworth School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2022 to 2025

As of June 2022, the Warkworth 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 Warkworth 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.

Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

21 February 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

Warkworth School - 27/10/2017

Summary

Warkworth School caters for students from Years 1 to 6. It provides education for 605 children and has a growing roll. Māori children make up 17 percent of the roll and nine percent have Pacific heritage.

The school is separated into two campuses that work collaboratively. The junior campus has been rebuilt with three innovative learning environments (ILEs) and was opened in 2016. Further building redevelopment is planned for the senior campus.

Children learn in six year-group communities. Each community has a team leader and most are working in, or toward an ILE. Children work within each community in mixed-ability groups with a ‘guardian’ teacher.

Children’s achievement levels in relation to the National Standards, particularly in reading and mathematics, have remained consistently high. The school is aware of, and working to reduce disparity for identified groups of children.

An effective succession process has ensured continuity of stewardship by the board of trustees. Strengths identified in the 2014 ERO report, including leadership and collaborative practices have been sustained and further developed.

Warkworth School is a member of the Mahurangi Community of Learning|Kāhui Ako (CoL).

How well is the school achieving equitable outcomes for all children?

The school is increasing its focus on using internal evaluation to promote equitable outcomes for all children. It is becoming increasingly effective in responding to Māori and other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration.

School leaders, staff and trustees work together to create a positive, inclusive environment that promotes children’s wellbeing. School leaders are developing a relevant and bicultural curriculum, and building staff capacity to accelerate children’s learning progress. They are continuing to develop learning-focused partnerships with parents and whānau.

Learners are achieving well. The school demonstrates strong progress toward achieving equity in educational outcomes, supported by effective, sustainable processes and practices.

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

Equity and excellence

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

The school is becoming increasingly effective in responding to Māori and other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration.

The overall percentage of children achieving the National Standards in literacy and mathematics has remained consistent over the past three years. The school’s 2016 data show that children’s progress in reading accelerates as they move through the school. By the end of their time at the school, approximately 90 percent of children achieve the National Standards in reading, 80 percent in mathematics, and 70 percent in writing. Good work has been done to improve moderation processes that increase the reliability of achievement information.

School data show some disparity for Māori and Pacific children, and boys in writing. The school has appropriately identified writing as the priority area for accelerating achievement. Recent professional development for teachers, has resulted in the use of frameworks for improving outcomes for children. The leadership team intends to build on these successful initiatives in other learning areas. Further evaluation of data at all levels would be useful to establish the impact of programmes on groups of priority learners, particularly Māori and Pacific children, and boys.

Leaders and staff carefully consider what is best for children with additional learning needs. Staff are open to new approaches for learners who are at risk of underachieving. They provide good support for children and their families as they transition into the school, within school, and on to their next school.

There are many good examples of children displaying the school’s valued learner attributes. The school is considering ways of evaluating these attributes to ensure equitable outcomes for all children.

School conditions supporting equity and excellence

What school processes are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence?

School leaders, staff and trustees work together to create a positive, inclusive environment that promotes children’s wellbeing. There is a holistic, wrap-around approach to pastoral care. The school's curriculum weaves aspects of The New Zealand Curriculum through integrated termly topic studies.

The school is increasing its focus on internal evaluation to promote more equitable outcomes for all children. Evidence-based inquiry and evaluation are encouraging leaders and teachers to think differently in order to foster equity.

Leaders and teachers share their knowledge about individual children. Teachers take collective responsibility for children as learners in each ‘community’. They reflect on the effectiveness of classroom programmes and discuss the difference that they make to individual children’s achievement.

Children are immersed in a learning environment that supports the school’s vision of being confident, resilient, respectful citizens. The ILE environments encourage children to work collaboratively in differentiated and mixed-ability groups.

Student-led conferences provide an opportunity for children to share information about their learning progress with parents and whānau. The school plans to continue building on strategies that help children to take ownership of their learning, and empower them as active, self-directed learners.

A school focus on the increasing integration of bicultural practices and perspectives in the curriculum, continues to benefit Māori children. It also promotes understanding about bicultural practices for all children. Māori learners who spoke to ERO say these approaches help them feel valued as Māori.

The board’s and principal’s strategic leadership focuses on building collective capability across the school. Senior leaders have introduced new initiatives that, when embedded and sustained, are likely to continue to strengthen teaching practices and management processes.

Sustainable development for equity and excellence

What further developments are needed in school processes to achieve equity and excellence?

The school is improving its capacity to raise achievement and reduce in-school achievement disparities. Good plans and processes to achieve equity and excellence are increasingly evident. The board, leaders and staff show commitment to building on these practices.

Agreed next steps for further development include:

  • continuing to build the capability of staff, leaders and trustees to accelerate children’s progress

  • using effective internal evaluation to ensure more equitable outcomes for all children

  • accelerating the pace of, and priority given to, developments that result in successful outcomes for Māori children

  • strengthening learning partnerships with parents and the community to support children’s learning.

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

  • 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.

Going forward

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

Learners are achieving well. The school demonstrates strong progress toward achieving equity in educational outcomes, supported by effective, sustainable processes and practices.

Agreed next steps are to:

  • make more effective use of internal evaluation to inform school initiatives and developments

  • continue building capability in the school to accelerate learners’ progress

  • accelerating the pace of, and priority given to, developments that result in successful outcomes for Māori children

  • strengthen partnerships with parents and the community.

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

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

Te Tai Raki - Northern Region

27 October 2017

About the school

Location

Warkworth

Ministry of Education profile number

1561

School type

Contributing (Years 1 to 6)

School roll

605

Gender composition

Boys 53%

Girls 47%

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

African

British/Irish

Tongan

Filipino

Indian

other Pacific

other

17%

61%

3%

2%

1%

1%

1%

7%

7%

Provision of Māori medium education

No

Review team on site

August 2017

Date of this report

27 October 2017

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

October 2014

November 2011

December 2008