Koraunui School

School Context

Koraunui School in Stokes Valley, Lower Hutt has a roll of 288 Years 1 to 6 children. Māori students are 46% of the roll.

Learning through te reo Māori takes place in five classes. In 2017, a class with Pacific special character is being trialled. There is provision for students who are English language learners and those with high and very high additional learning needs.

The school’s strategic focus is to: build confidence; create inclusion; foster innovation; and strive for achievement.

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

• reading, writing and mathematics
• attendance.

Since the retirement of the long serving principal at the end of 2016, the deputy principal continues to act in the role. A new principal begins in 2018.

The school is a member of the Taita-Stokes Valley Kāhui Ako.

Evaluation Findings

1 Equity and excellence – valued outcomes for students

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

A small majority of students achieve well in reading and mathematics. Less than half achieve at expectations in writing.

Māori students achieve less well than their peers in the school in reading. Boys’ writing achievement continues to be significantly below that of girls.

Achievement information shows a lack of sustained improvement over time for writing and mathematics. Reading results show an upward trend as children move through the school.

Overall, significant and sustained lifts in achievement are needed for equity and excellence.

1.2 How effectively does this school respond to those Māori and other students whose learning and achievement need acceleration?

Some students, including Māori and Pacific, make accelerated progress.

2 School conditions for equity and excellence

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

Supportive, inclusive approaches foster positive relationships and promote children’s participation in learning. Teachers know their students well and care for their learning and wellbeing. They recognise children’s strengths and respond to their interests. Cultural diversity is valued and celebrated. There is a deliberate focus on helping children to connect meaningfully to their language, culture and identity.

Curriculum initiatives provide valuable opportunities for students to learn. A deliberate, sustained and well-led focus on science effectively promotes children’s interest and engagement. Rich, authentic learning experiences foster high levels of motivation. Children develop curiosity and confidence to explore and understand the world around them. Students are supported to understand and engage with te ao Māori and develop te reo me ngā tikanga Maori through a well‑integrated approach. The local, natural surroundings are well used to help children take on a kaitiaki role to care for their environment.

There is improved individual planning for students at risk in their learning. A range of programmes and interventions to meet specific needs and promote progress are provided. Recent improvements to monitoring and analysis of data should assist teachers and leaders to: more deeply inquire into the progress and acceleration of groups of learners in the school; and identify successful teaching approaches and strategies.

Students with additional learning needs are well supported to participate in school life and work alongside their peers. Specifically designed programmes contribute to their learning and development. Provision is well coordinated by leadership through good communication and professional learning opportunities for staff. External personnel and agencies are accessed for advice and support.

Leaders work collaboratively to clarify processes and systems that promote improvement. They support teachers and value their strengths. A wide range of professional learning and development (PLD) supports teachers to build their capability, based on their interests and areas of schoolwide development. PLD includes a focus on mathematics, literacy, te reo Māori and science. These initiatives are supported through strong community partnerships.

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

To promote improvement and sustainability of practice and operation, further development and alignment of key systems and processes are required. Leaders and trustees should develop a strategic and coherent approach to building their collective capacity, aligned with the school’s strategic goals. This should include the effective schoolwide use of achievement information to promote acceleration and progress. Developing more specific targets for identified groups of learners and regular reporting in relation to these should help promote equitable outcomes.

Systems to plan for and monitor the learning and progress of targeted students continue to be developed. Teachers are developing their understanding of accelerated learning at all levels. Further alignment between processes and practices should enable improved focus on accelerating the achievement of students at risk in their learning.

In 2017, the appraisal process has been clarified and strengthened to promote teachers’ professional accountability and schoolwide practice. To support teachers’ further development, leaders should ensure aspects of goal setting, observations and focused feedback to guide next steps continue to be strengthened.

There has been improved participation of families in curriculum activities. Teachers and trustees seek to further enrich partnerships with families, whānau and aiga to more fully support children’s learning and to inform decision making.

Trustees are improvement-focused and seek relevant support to understand their roles. Appropriate priority has been given to meeting the requirements of the Health and Safety Act and addressing safety issues in the environment. Trustees and leaders recognise that guiding documents to support key aspects of practice and operation, require significant development.

To build knowledge of effectiveness and inform decision making, it is important for trustees, leaders and teachers to develop a clear process and shared understanding of effective internal evaluation and inquiry. 

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 Vulnerable Children Act 2014. 

Appraisal audit

ERO undertook a sample of the endorsement process for renewing and issuing practising certificates on behalf of the Education Council and found processes were not sufficiently robust.

Actions for compliance

ERO identified non-compliance in relation to: management of hazards; consultation with the Māori community; and guidelines for surrender and retention of property.

In order to address this, the board of trustees must:

1. in consultation with the school's Māori community, develop and make known to the school's community policies, plans and targets for improving the achievement of Māori students and report to students and their parents against the plans and targets
   [NAG 1e; NAG 2c]
2. continue to ensure hazards are managed effectively
   [Health & Safety at Work Act, 2015]
3. develop appropriate policies for surrender and retention of property.
   [Education Act S139AAH]

Areas for improved compliance practice

To improve current practice, the board of trustees should develop clear policies and procedures for antibullying, alcohol abuse and managing behaviour.

4 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

• teachers’ knowledge and care for children’s learning and their wellbeing, that supports them to be responsive to their needs
• positive relationships amongst staff and children that provide a good foundation for learning
• a rich, localised curriculum that promotes children’s engagement in meaningful learning.

Next steps

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

• enriching partnerships with families, whānau and aiga to support children’s learning and inform decision making
• targeted planning to accelerate learning that includes developing and aligning systems and processes to support overall lifts in student progress and achievement
  [ERO will monitor and discuss progress with the school]
• internal evaluation processes and practices.

[ERO will provide an internal evaluation workshop for trustees and senior leaders]

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

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

Alan Wynyard
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)

Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region

12 February 2018

About the school