Hinuera School

1 Context

Hinuera School is located in a rural setting, south of Matamata in the Waikato region. The school caters for children in Years 1 to 6. There are 162 children on the roll, of whom 11 identify as Māori.

Since the 2011 ERO review there have been significant changes to the leadership team, board of trustees and teaching staff.

2 Equity and excellence

The vision and valued outcomes defined by the school for all children and in particular, Māori children is that they become lifelong learners. The schools charter is based on equity and excellence and school values of respect, resilience and responsibility.

The school's public achievement information for 2015 shows that all Māori children in the school are achieving at and above National Standards in writing and mathematics. Nearly all Māori children are achieving at and above the standard in reading.

For other students, the schools public achievement information for 2015 shows that there were 20 children in reading, 18 in writing and 16 in mathematics who are at risk of not achieving positive educational outcomes. These children who need to make accelerated progress towards the expected standard for their age are provided with targeted interventions that cater for them as individuals and in small groups. School achievement data 2014 to 2015 shows that all children made accelerated progress, and most were at and above in relation to National Standards from 2014 to 2015.

Since the previous ERO review the following initiatives have been started:

• focused training for school leaders and trustees to improve their understanding about how children's learning, progress and achievement is developed, monitored, moderated and scrutinised
• educationally powerful connections are developed through meaningful partnerships with parents and whānau, and they contribute to their child’s learning journey and future pathways
• professional learning and development for teachers about positive learning behaviours is growing a shared understanding of the importance of relationships, learner participation and engagement
• building teacher capability in understanding Te Ao Māori and culturally responsive practices has been extensive. Māori students, parents and whānau respond positively to the developing focus on te reo and tikanga Māori within the learning environment
• developing the use of information technologies in teaching and learning programmes and in writing.

3 Accelerating achievement

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

The school has effective systems and practices for responding to children whose learning and achievement needs acceleration. Trustees, leaders, teachers, children, parents and whānau work together to accelerate the learner's progress. They are well informed and effectively use previous achievement information and progress statements on individual and groups of children to inform their planning and learning programmes.

Each class has an intervention register. Programmes are planned and evaluated. Specific learning assistance from teacher aides and teachers is consistently monitored. Children's progress and acceleration is then meaningfully reported.

Parents are well informed and actively participate in setting goals, working alongside their child and teacher, and contribute to being a partner in their child's learning. They receive reports in reading, writing and mathematics and are able to see when their child has made progress and acceleration over time.

The use of individual education plans promote collaborative relationships focused on the child's learning, which are designed to accelerate progress and achievement in aspects of literacy and mathematics. The Special Education Needs Coordinator (SENCO) monitors all identified children and provides a detailed report to the board of trustees. The report shows that most children who participate in the programmes make accelerated progress.

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 priorities for equity and excellence?

The Hinuera School learning community has a comprehensive and collaborative approach to accelerating the learning progress and achievement of children. Effective internal evaluation processes are focused on improving positive educational outcomes for all children.

Trustees have a relentless focus on promoting and supporting learning success for all children. They are well informed about children's achievement and progress. The school's strategic goals guide school direction, and evaluate children's success. Progress is monitored and reported. The board responds to children's changing circumstances and needs.

The principal's professional leadership is collaborative and effectively builds teacher professional capability. He promotes and models the school values of respect, responsibility and resilience. These values lie at the heart of the strong relational trust highly evident among the school's learning community.

Children have many opportunities to engage in meaningful learning through a well-balanced curriculum that responds to parent, whānau and community aspirations. Teachers have high expectations and set clear directions for children's learning pathways as expressed in the 'Hinni Highway' curriculum. They have established a positive culture for learning in classrooms that is underpinned by the school values. Highly effective teaching strategies contribute to children's engagement, confidence and ability to share their learning.

5 Going forward

How well placed is the school to achieve and sustain equitable and excellent outcomes for all children?

Leaders and teachers:

• know the children whose learning and achievement needs 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.

Areas for further growth and development include the integration of a Māori dimension across the curriculum and the embedding of learner agency alongside the use of formative practices in classroom programmes. The well-established culture of high expectations for learning and teaching achieves and sustains positive outcomes for all children.

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

Lynda Pura-Watson

Deputy Chief Review Officer

24 May 2016

About the school