Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
Background
This Profile Report was written within eleven months of the Education Review Office and Arohena 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
Arohena School is located in an isolated rural community of Waikato and provides education for students in Years 1-8. A new principal was appointed at the end of 2018 and two new teachers started in 2021.
Arohena School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:
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to rebuild partnerships for learning
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to embed assessment for learning practices and grow teacher practice to improve genuine student agency
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to develop student engagement, resilience, and wellbeing.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Arohena School’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how well the school’s local curriculum is enabling equitable outcomes for all learners, with a specific focus on student achievement, engagement, and wellbeing. Developing students as active participants in their learning through formative assessment practices and strengthening partnerships for learning are ongoing priorities for the school.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is the opportunity it provides to:
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further respond to the learning and wellbeing needs of every student
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continue to grow teacher capability to support student engagement in learning
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strengthen partnerships for learning with parents, families, whānau, hapū, and community.
The school expects to see further actions implemented to enable students to have effective, sufficient, and equitable opportunities to learn and succeed through a responsive school curriculum.
Strengths
The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to enable equitable outcomes for all learners:
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a well-established plan that clarifies actions and initiatives for improvement
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the commitment to meeting the holistic needs of all learners in inclusive and responsive ways
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the provision of ongoing professional learning, coaching, and mentoring that supports effective collaboration and openness to change.
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
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continuing to strengthen teachers’ knowledge and use of learning progressions in literacy and mathematics to inform planning and teaching and develop students’ learning-to-learn capabilities
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gathering the voice of parents, whānau and community to support educationally powerful relationships for learning
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planning for relevant, authentic and purposeful learning to support student wellbeing and resilience.
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.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
16 June 2022
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