Findings
Huntly School (Waikato) has made sufficient progress to transition into ERO’s School Evaluation for Improvement. | Te Ara Huarau approach.
1 Background and Context
What is the background and context for this school’s review?
Huntly School is located on the eastern side of Huntly. It caters for students in Years 1 to 8. Most of the current roll of 236 are Māori who whakapapa to Waikato/Tainui, the local iwi.
Since the 2018 ERO report, the school has appointed a new principal. There have been some changes in teaching staff and trustees. A significant number of staff are long serving. The school values of perseverance, ownership, wairua pai, excellence and respect are well promoted.
2 Review and Development
How effectively is the school addressing its priorities for review and development?
Priorities identified for review and development
The areas for review and development identified in the 2018 ERO report were to:
- develop a productive and professional learning culture amongst teachers and staff
- improve the culture for learning including the development of a schoolwide behaviour management system
- review and strengthen the local curriculum, including clear statements about expectations for teaching staff in regard to the teaching of literacy and mathematics
- use the literacy and mathematics progressions as the basis for collaborative understanding about assessment, progress and achievement
- strengthen systems for internal evaluation.
Progress
Develop a productive and professional learning culture amongst teaching and staff.
Leaders and teachers are developing, through a concerted effort, a productive and professional learning culture. A range of strategies have been used to promote this and include:
- review of job descriptions so that areas of responsibility and lines of reporting are clear
- reduction in student/teacher ratios in classrooms to optimise the amount of learning time students have with the teacher
- change to the school timetable to promote a safe environment
- support for teacher aides to assist teachers with groups of students, using evidence-based interventions
- highly focused teacher meetings that are minimal in number
- establishment of curriculum teams to promote a more collaborative culture and better use the strengths of all teachers.
Professional development focuses on specific programmes to increase teacher capacity. This is improving the quality of classroom programmes in writing, mathematics, local curriculum and digital technology. Classroom programmes are now well aligned with students’ needs identified in schoolwide achievement data. The environment encourages staff individual creativity to benefit children.
Improve the culture for learning including the development of a schoolwide behaviour management system.
Teachers and leaders have developed a positive and supportive culture for learning amongst students. Relationships between teachers and students are warm and supportive. Students who spoke to ERO describe their teachers as kind and caring. Classroom behaviour treaties, co-constructed by teachers and students, form the basis of the classroom culture. Many teachers use flexible routines well to promote a sense of security and belonging.
A well-considered and comprehensive schoolwide behaviour management system, based on the Ministry of Education Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) approach, is now in place. Consistent use of the programme is evident in most classrooms. Features of the system include:
- a focus on rewarding positive behaviour aligned to school values
- comprehensive systems for managing serious behaviour incidents
- a restorative approach
- effective use of data to make evidence-based decisions about trends and patterns for individuals and groups.
This approach has contributed to settled and engaged classrooms and a positive school tone. Students with special needs, including those with high behaviour needs, are well supported through a range of well-considered interventions both within the classroom and through withdrawal programmes run by teacher aides and external experts.
Review and strengthen the local curriculum including clear statements about expectations for teaching staff in regard to the teaching of literacy and mathematics.
Curriculum documents provide clear expectations that reflect current professional development. These expectations allow teachers to align their classroom practice to collaboratively developed understandings of what best practice looks like at Huntly School. Leaders have also developed systems to support teachers and build collective accountability across the school.
There is now a need to strengthen these systems so that teaching practice more consistently reflects the expectations for good practice already in place.
Teachers are increasing the extent to which the local curriculum reflects the culture and aspirations of parents, whānau and the wider community. Many teachers are now using a national resource to better support students and whānau to make connections to their Māori culture. There are opportunities for all students to participate in kapa haka. Haka and waiata are selected so that they also contribute to student understanding of local iwi stories and histories.
Next steps include developing a sequential, schoolwide approach to the teaching of local Waikato/Tainui history and to the teaching of te reo Māori.
Use the literacy and mathematics progressions as the basis for collaborative understanding about assessment, progress and achievement.
A new student management system has recently been introduced. This system uses student mastery of the learning progressions of The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) as the basis for tracking and monitoring the progress and achievement of all students in learning. Leaders and teachers have begun using the system to:
- identify students’ next steps in learning
- identify groups of priority students who are at risk of not achieving
- plan programmes of work that are targeted to individual and group learning needs
- identify and track accelerated progress
- identify and respond to trends and patterns
- report to the board on progress against board targets for accelerated progress.
There is a need to continue to strengthen teacher understanding and use of the learning progressions as a fundamental tool for identifying student learning needs. Trustees should review board targets to focus on accelerating the progress of all students at risk of not achieving.
Strengthen systems of internal evaluation.
A number of effective internal evaluation processes are used by the school to promote ongoing improvement. The board has an ongoing and systematic calendar of policy review. The school charter has a small number of clearly articulated strategic goals. The principal reports regularly to the board on progress against these goals. The Special Needs Coordinator (SENCO) and Learning Support Teacher (LSC) use student assessment data to evaluate the effectiveness of intervention programmes that teacher aides run for students with special needs. The principal writes regular reports on progress in rolling out new initiatives. These report progress so far and clarify next steps.
A more systematic process for internal evaluation is now needed. This should contribute to sustained, evidence-based improvement.
3 Sustainable performance and self review
How well placed is the school to sustain and continue to improve and review its performance?
The school is now in a better position to sustain and continue to improve and review its performance. Leaders and teachers have established a foundation of values, leadership, tone, climate and relationships likely to sustain and improve student learning - engagement, progress and achievement. They have built capability to sustain and continue to improve student achievement.
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
- school policies in relation to meeting the requirements of the Children’s Act 2014.
Conclusion
Huntly School (Waikato) has made sufficient progress to transition into ERO’s School Evaluation for Improvement. | Te Ara Huarau approach.
Shelley Booysen
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region - Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
24 September 2021
About the school
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement.