James Street School

School Context

James Street School caters for Year 1 to 6 students and is located in Whakatāne. The current roll of 219 includes 159 who identify as Māori and 27 students receiving ongoing resourcing funding. Two high learning needs classrooms The school vison is ‘to provide specialist care and teaching for children with complex learning needs.develop in our children a love of learning enabling them to reach their potential as confident, contributing citizens secure in who they are and where they have come from’.

Since the 2015 ERO evaluation a new principal and deputy principal have been appointed and there have been significant staff changes. Trustees bring a wide range of expertise to their roles. The teaching and leadership teams have been involved in professional learning and development in culturally responsive and relational pedagogy, assessment tools and reciprocal teaching. The school is a participant in the Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) initiative.

Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, schoolwide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:

• reading, writing, mathematics
• engagement.

The school belongs to the Whakatane Kāhui Ako|Community of Learning.

Evaluation Findings

1 Equity and excellence – achievement of valued outcomes for students

1.1 How well is the school achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all its students?

Schoolwide achievement data for 2018, excluding those students receiving ongoing resourcing funding, shows that most students achieved at or above expected achievement levels in mathematics, just over half in reading and the majority of students in writing. Overall levels of student achievement increased significantly between 2016 and 2018 in mathematics and writing and decreased in reading for all groups of learners. School data for 2018 shows that a large majority of Māori students are achieving curriculum expectations in mathematics and writing and over half in reading. This data also shows Māori are achieving at similar rates to their peers in reading and writing but at lower levels in mathematics. In addition, girls are achieving at higher levels than boys in reading and at similar levels in writing and mathematics.

1.2 How well is the school accelerating learning for those Māori and other students who need this?

Teachers closely monitor individual data to show progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Strengthening the analysis of trends and patterns of all students who need to make accelerated progress in reading, writing and mathematics and reporting this to the board is a key next step.

2 School conditions for equity and excellence – processes and practices

2.1 What school processes and practices are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence, and acceleration of learning?

Students participate in a broad range of learning experiences within and beyond the school environment. Teaching strategies, interventions and innovations are focused on improvement for learning and wellbeing. A wide range of achievement information is used to plan programmes for learning. High levels of student engagement and willingness to participate in all aspects of school life strengthens students sense of belonging and motivation to learn.

Effective leadership has established a collaborative culture of learning that promotes staff and student wellbeing. The leadership team is building teacher capability through professional learning development and review to support teachers to reflect on and inquire into their practice. Trustees are committed to improving student well-being and achievement and are engaging in training to support their governance role.

A strong emphasis is placed on the importance of a safe and inclusive culture that supports students’ social, academic and wellbeing needs. Core values are embedded throughout the school that promote social competencies for student behaviour and learning. Students experience success within a caring, supportive school environment, underpinned by respectful and nurturing relationships amongst all stakeholders.

Students with high learning needs are well catered for in the two high learning needs classrooms and schoolwide. Leaders and teachers work collaboratively alongside parents and whānau to form productive and responsive partnerships for learners with additional needs. A large number of specialist teachers, teacher aides and volunteers work alongside external agencies to provide personalised programmes that meet the needs of individual students. Well-considered approaches for effectively transitioning learners with additional needs into, through and beyond the school are highly evident.

Staff provide a welcoming, family-like learning environment, where students successes and achievements are well celebrated. Parents ERO spoke to felt well informed. Their ideas are valued, and their expertise used, which enables them to be actively involved in school events and activities. Relational trust underpins interactions within the school and wider community.

2.2 What further developments are needed in school processes and practices for achievement of equity and excellence, and acceleration of learning?

ERO and school management agree there is a need to:

• review the school’s curriculum to enhance culturally responsive delivery, local history and landmarks of significance
• strengthen strategic and annual targets and reporting, to sharpen the focus on accelerating the achievement of all students below curriculum expectations
• identifying intended outcomes to evaluate the impact of strategies, initiatives and interventions
• formalise appraisals teacher aides and ancillary staff appraisals.

The board and leaders need to ensure that the school is are meeting all legislative requirements.

3 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
• finance
• 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 Children’s Act 2014.

4 ERO’s Overall Judgement

On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement of James Street School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Developing.

ERO’s Framework: Overall Findings and Judgement Tool derived from School Evaluation Indicators: Effective Practice for Improvement and Learner Success is available on ERO’s website.

5 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

For sustained improvement and future learner success, the school can draw on existing strengths in:

• a school curriculum that focuses on student improvement for learning and wellbeing
• an inclusive culture that caters for students’ social, academic and wellbeing needs
• responsive partnerships that support personalised programmes for learners with additional needs.

Next steps

For sustained improvement and future learner success, priorities for further development are in:

• planning and reporting to sharpen the focus on accelerating the achievement of all students below curriculum expectations
• internal evaluation to support sustainability and inform direction.

Area for improved compliance practice

To improve current practice, the board of trustees should develop, review and implement school operational policies, procedures and practices including those for health and safety.

Darcy Te Hau

Acting Director Review and Improvement Services

Central Region

21 February 2020

About the school