Ngahinapouri School

Summary

Ngahinapouri School is a rural full primary school catering for children in Years 1 to 8. The current roll of 185 includes 24 Māori children.

Since the previous ERO review in 2012 the principal and membership of the senior leadership team have remained the same. Leaders continue to prioritise professional development for teachers. The chairperson continues in the role and provides stable leadership for the board. Most trustees are new to their roles and have undertaken training in governance practices.

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

The school is responding well to Māori and other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration.

Many processes are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence.

There are some school processes that require further development to ensure effective internal evaluation systems to sustain equity and excellence.

At the time of this review, most children were achieving the National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. There is a small disparity for Māori children compared to other children in reading only.

Children 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 review and strengthen:

performance management systems

• the school’s curriculum

• management and use of school-wide achievement information.

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 responding well to Māori and other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration is effective.

The school’s National Standards achievement information (2014 to 2016) shows that an increasing number of children, including Māori, achieve the expected standard each year. The school has identified and is targeting the 39 children, including a small number of Māori children, who are working below expectations in writing. Leaders have also recognised and are making provision for an increasing number of children entering the school at five years of age needing additional support with their learning.

The school closely monitors the individual achievement and progress of Māori children in the school. There is a small disparity between Māori and other groups of children in reading. While a small number of Maori children are working below expectations, overall the achievement of this group is comparable with others in writing and mathematics.

The school has effective systems for the prompt identification of individual children requiring additional learning support. Individual education plans document specific learning needs, goals, interventions and programmes. Teachers are able to track and report expected and accelerated rates of progress for these children.

The school has well-developed processes for moderation in relation to National Standards and overall teacher judgements are dependable.

School conditions supporting equity and excellence

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

Many processes are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence.

The board is committed to the provision of resources to provide equitable outcomes for all children. Achievement data reported to the board at regular intervals throughout the year assists trustees to monitor the individual progress of at risk children. The board plans strategically to make provision for additional support staff, programmes and initiatives in response to the identified learning needs of these children. Children are well supported to access the curriculum at the appropriate level.

Leaders actively promote the school’s vision for equity and excellence. They work collaboratively with teachers to provide holistic support for children and their families. Senior leaders readily engage specialist support from outside agencies to identify behaviour, social, and learning needs of children who are not achieving at the expected level for their age. These at risk learners are making positive gains with their all-round social development and learning.

In keeping with the school’s vision for learning, a strong and unrelenting focus on individual achievement is evident. Teachers gather information through observations and standardised testing. This information is used effectively to monitor progress and achievement at key points in time. Targeted interventions and differentiated class teaching is enabling most to children achieve their potential.

Professional learning and development for teachers is relevant and ongoing. A recent school-wide focus on differentiated teaching and learning is influencing teaching practice. Grouping is flexible and there is cross grouping between classes for literacy and mathematics, to enable children to learn alongside peers who are achieving at similar levels. Leaders have identified the need for focused development in the teaching of writing, in response to the school’s achievement information. This development is successfully influencing teaching practice, evidenced by a significant shift of the proportion of children achieving the National Standard in writing in 2016.

Children experience a wide range of rich and varied learning opportunities in a family orientated environment. The agreed values, respect, responsibility, resilience, and resourcefulness underpin relationships amongst children and with their teachers, and contribute to a positive and supportive school culture.

The school and its community continue to work in partnership to provide a very well-resourced and up-to date educational environment for children and their families. A digital class at the senior level is highly engaging for learners. The school’s infrastructure and resourcing for digital technologies is well integrated into the curriculum. The modernisation and refurbishment of the junior classes has resulted in a shared and collaborative approach to teaching and learning.

Sustainable development for equity and excellence

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

Further development is needed in internal evaluation practices to achieve equity and excellence.

Performance management and curriculum review systems are not being fully implemented.

Teachers’ appraisal goals need to be more specific. Leaders recognise the need to ensure that timetabled and formal observations of teaching practice are undertaken consistently. Currently, teachers are not receiving relevant, written feedback, necessary to enable them to build their capability and better meet the needs of all children who are at risk of not achieving equitable outcomes.

The school’s curriculum document is in need of a full and collaborative review. This is necessary to ensure that the school’s documented curriculum reflects current and emerging practice in relation to:

• pedagogy in a collaborative learning space (junior classes)
• e-learning in the classroom
• the expectations of Ka Hikitia and Tātaiako.

Not all achievement targets have the specific aim of accelerating the progress of identified at risk groups of learners. Some improvement plans lack specificity and alignment to other operations such as appraisal, teaching as inquiry and professional learning to build capability.

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?

Children 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 review and strengthen:

• performance management systems

• the school’s curriculum

• management and use of school-wide achievement information.

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

Lynda Pura-Watson

Deputy Chief Review Officer Waikato / Bay of Plenty

12 June 2017

About the school 

Location	Waikato
Ministry of Education profile number	1844
School type	Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)
School roll	185
Gender composition	Girls 50% Boys 50%
Ethnic composition	Pākehā 80% Māori 13% Asian 4% Pacific 2% Other 1%
Provision of Māori medium education	No
Review team on site	February 2017
Date of this report	12 June 2017
Most recent ERO report(s)	Education Review August 2012 Education Review September 2009 Education Review August 2006

 

1 Context

What are the important features of this school that have an impact on student learning?

Ngahinapouri School is situated south-west of Hamilton. It is a rural full primary school catering for students in Years 1 to 8 from local and surrounding communities. Of the 147 students on the roll, eleven identify as Māori. An enrolment zone is in place to ensure that students living close to the school are able to attend. The school has intergenerational links with families in the district. It makes good use of the adjacent hall, courts and grounds that are owned and managed by the community. School buildings are attractively presented and very well maintained.

A settled, inclusive, family-like environment effectively supports learning. Teachers demonstrate caring and affirming relationships with students and have a strong focus on their well-being, progress and achievement. Values set in consultation with the community are explicitly displayed and well understood by students. A house system promotes the school’s values along with high expectations for behaviour and learning. Leadership opportunities for senior students encourage support for younger peers. Students benefit from many opportunities to participate in sports and cultural activities, including a performing arts group. There is an established culture of pride in the school and student success is regularly celebrated.

Since the 2009 ERO review, a new deputy principal and assistant principal have been appointed. Teachers have participated in professional learning and development in response to identified needs. The experienced principal and staff are well supported by the board and community in their commitment to providing the best possible outcomes for students. An active Parent Teacher Association raises funds to support teaching and learning.

2 Learning

How well are students learning – engaging, progressing and achieving?

Students are very well engaged in learning. At the end of 2011 most students were achieving at or above National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Achievement information is well used by trustees, senior leaders and teachers to identify students who are at risk of underachieving and to provide focused, regularly monitored programmes to accelerate their progress. Target groups include students needing both support and extension. There are clear expectations for teachers about instructional grouping, and differentiated teaching to raise achievement. Extension programmes cater for students’ individual needs and interests. Senior leaders have identified that they should now develop expectations to further promote students’ use of assessment to guide their learning and individual progress.

There is a flexible and responsive approach to providing targeted learning support. Trustees receive specific, well-analysed information throughout the year about the progress of students at each year level. They provide funding to employ an experienced part-time teacher and teacher aides to support the progress of students causing concern.

Senior leaders and teachers have made very good progress in implementing National Standards. Overall teacher judgements are moderated across classes and compared to nationally referenced assessments. In particular, teachers have found that anniversary assessment and reporting in junior classes benefits students, teachers and parents by enabling the immediate development and monitoring of next steps for learning. Teachers are continuing to develop indicators to support school-wide assessment consistency. Parents receive useful information about student achievement, next learning steps and suggestions for home learning.

3 Curriculum

How effectively does this school’s curriculum promote and support student learning?

Ngahinapouri School’s curriculum very effectively promotes and supports student learning. A recent collaborative focus on curriculum design has resulted in very well considered expectations for teaching, learning, assessment and self review. Class programmes include an appropriate emphasis on literacy, numeracy and learning experiences that reflect students’ interests and include the use of information and communication technologies as tools for learning. Senior leaders and teachers are continuing to develop guidelines for curriculum coverage and review.

Very effective teaching practices include questioning that promotes challenge and thinking, maintaining attractive learning-focused class displays, integrating literacy learning with current inquiry topics, and providing students with meaningful feedback about their progress and next steps for learning.

How effectively does the school promote educational success for Māori, as Māori?

Trustees, senior leaders and teachers effectively promote educational success for Māori as Māori. Nearly all of the eleven Māori students are achieving within or above National Standards in literacy and mathematics. There is a strong emphasis on monitoring and accelerating the progress of targeted Māori students. The school maintains close communication with Māori parents through face-to-face conversations, email access to principal and teachers, formal interviews and curriculum evenings. Senior leaders, teachers and parents have high expectations for the achievement and behaviour of Māori students. Māori are well represented in leadership roles such as the student council.

In response to community consultation, the board and senior leaders aim to increase awareness of te ao Māori throughout the school. Accordingly, the board funds a kapa haka tutor and a te reo Māori teacher. Students express strong appreciation for these opportunities. Senior leaders agree that these programmes could also be used to deliberately build teacher confidence and capability in te reo Māori and waiata teaching. Many high-quality teaching practices support Māori learners in a culturally competent way. Teachers would benefit from affirming these practices in the light of Tātaiako Cultural Competencies for Teachers of Māori Learners.

4 Sustainable Performance

How well placed is the school to sustain and improve its performance?

Ngahinapouri School is very well placed to sustain and improve its performance because:

• self review within a reflective school culture is well established
• governance is very effective. Dedicated trustees have relevant and complementary skills and experience
• the principal’s professional leadership empowers deputy and assistant principals and teachers to develop and use personal expertise to enhance outcomes for students
• senior leaders and teachers regularly engage in relevant professional learning
• quality assurance and appraisal processes are strongly linked to improving student achievement
• collaborative staff relationships are underpinned by caring and respectful interactions with parents, students and one another
• a multi-faceted approach to communication with the community suits a range of styles and preferences. These processes are constantly reviewed.

ERO and the board agree that the school’s self review framework should be further developed and streamlined to more explicitly identify areas, timeframes and processes for review at each level of school operation.

Provision for international students

The school is a signatory to the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students (the Code) established under section 238F of the Education Act 1989. At the time of this review there was one international student attending the school.

The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code.

ERO’s investigations confirmed that the school’s self-review process for international students is thorough.

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
• stand-downs, suspensions, expulsions and exclusions
• attendance.

When is ERO likely to review the school again?

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

Makere Smith

National Manager Review Services Northern Region (Acting)

15 August 2012

About the School

Location	Ngahinapouri
Ministry of Education profile number	1844
School type	Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)
Decile	10
School roll	147
Number of international students	1
Gender composition	Boys 50% Girls 50%
Ethnic composition	NZ European/Pākehā Māori Other	90% 7% 3%
Review team on site	June 2012
Date of this report	15 August 2012
Most recent ERO report(s)	Education Review Education Review Education Review	September 2009 August 2006 August 2003