Lake Brunner School

Lake Brunner School - 12/06/2019

School Context

Lake Brunner School is a rural school in the small settlement of Moana, overlooking Lake Brunner. The school has a roll of 52 children in Years 1 to 8, 11% of whom identify as Māori.

The school’s vision is to develop successful learners who are confident and connected to the curriculum, themselves and others. There are seven values which include integrity, respect and kindness. To support these valued outcomes, the school’s recently-updated strategic aims cover the areas of curriculum, wellbeing and the provision of a positive learning environment.

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

  • achievement in reading, writing and mathematics
  • wellbeing and behaviour.

Since the 2015 ERO review, there has been significant change in personnel, including a new first‑time principal, teaching team of three staff, board chair and board members. There continue to be a number of students who move into and out of the school community each year.

The school is a member of the Māwhera 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?

The school is working towards achieving equity and excellence for all its students. Most children achieve at or above expected curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics. The proportion of children achieving at expected curriculum levels has improved over time. A smaller proportion of Māori children achieve at expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics. Children report positive wellbeing outcomes.

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

It is unclear how effective the school is in accelerating learning for Māori and other students who need this.

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?

An improvement-focused board, leadership and staff work together to foster a culture of care which supports positive outcomes for children. The leadership team is building relational trust and collaborative practice. The board, principal and staff are working collaboratively to strengthen community partnerships. This includes actively seeking ways to engage and communicate with parents and whānau about the school curriculum and student achievement.

Leaders and teachers demonstrate a strong commitment to the shared vision and values of the school, which creates a positive learning culture. Children are engaged and enthusiastic about their learning. The flexible and adaptive curriculum promotes student agency, independence and leadership opportunities. Curriculum design and enactment is responsive to the aspirations of students, parents and whānau, and keeps children at the centre of decision making and learning. There is intentional alignment of key school documentation to the culture, vision and values of the school.

The principal is establishing effective ways of building professional capability and capacity in the teaching team. Recently-introduced processes are supporting teachers to inquire systematically into their practice and consider how they can improve outcomes for students. Examples include profession development in digital fluency and the teaching of mathematics. A commitment to internal and external professional development is aligned to the strategic priorities of the school and is improving learning and wellbeing outcomes.

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

Use of school-wide achievement information to inform assessment judgements has been inconsistent. As a result, the new principal has developed improved systems to accurately track the progress of all learners, with key aims, goals and targets in place for 2019. At the onsite stage of the review, it was too early for ERO to evaluate the quality and impact of these improvements.

The school is in the process of developing systems for better identifying, monitoring and evaluating the rates of progress for individual and groups of children targeted for acceleration.

The principal has identified, and ERO agrees, that the key next steps for further development are to:

  • plan, monitor and evaluate the sufficiency of progress and achievement, particularly for priority learners and those students whose learning is targeted for acceleration

  • develop and implement strategies for learning-focused partnerships with Māori learners and their whānau

  • give prominence to tikanga and te reo Māori in all key documentation and whole-school practices

  • consolidate curriculum design to ensure consistency of teacher expectations and the incorporation of rigorous moderation processes

  • build on student agency by providing explicit instruction and learning strategies that include goal setting and self-monitoring to enable children to take meaningful control of their learning

  • strengthen internal evaluation so that it is more strategic, and ensure that the findings from internal evaluations inform decision making.

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.

4 ERO’s Overall Judgement

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

ERO’s Framework: Overall School Performance 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:

  • an improvement-focused team who promote the culture of care for students’ learning and wellbeing reflected in the school’s vision and values
  • a flexible and adaptive curriculum, which keeps children at the centre of decision making
  • systematic processes for teachers which promote their professional development and growth.

Next steps

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

  • assessment processes and practices to understand the sufficiency of progress of all children, particularly those priority learners and those targeted for acceleration
  • strengthening student achievement targets and their evaluation, particularly those for achieving equitable outcomes for Māori children
  • development of a culturally responsive curriculum, practices and key documents that reflect te ao Māori, and strengthening learning partnerships with Māori learners and their whānau
  • curriculum development and review for consistency of practice, student goal setting, and improved assessment and moderation processes
  • knowledge and capability building to improve internal evaluation practices that are more strategic and informed by analysed data.

Actions for compliance

During the onsite stage of the review, ERO identified areas of non-compliance regarding procedures to guide physical safety practices such as tree climbing, and processes regarding delegation of authority. Since that time the school has taken satisfactory steps to address these matters.

ERO identified non-compliance in relation to:

  • Māori whānau consultation

  • Teaching Council appraisal requirements.

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

  • provide further opportunities for consultation with a specific focus on Māori whānau
    [National Administration Guidelines 1(e)]

  • ensure that processes for appraisal meet Teaching Council requirements
    [Part 31 Education Act 1989].

Alan Wynyard

Director Review and Improvement Services Southern

Southern Region

12 June 2019

About the school

Location

Moana

Ministry of Education profile number

2123

School type

Full Primary

School roll

52

Gender composition

Boys 27; Girls 25

Ethnic composition

Māori 6

NZ European/Pākehā 42

Other ethnicities 4

Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS)

No

Provision of Māori medium education

No

Review team on site

April 2019

Date of this report

12 June 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review August 2015
Education Review May 2012

Lake Brunner School - 27/08/2015

Findings

The board, principal and teachers work well together to promote positive learning outcomes for students. The school vision and values are well embedded in classroom programmes. Students benefit from a broad and relevant school curriculum that promotes and supports their learning.

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

1 Context

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

Lake Brunner School is in Moana. It caters for a diverse community and draws students from several isolated rural areas. There are a number of students who move in, and out of the school community each year. The school is well supported by parents and the local community.

The board and principal have been very responsive to the recommendations from the 2012 ERO report. This includes making achievement targets for students more specifically focused on their progress towards the National Standards, and regular reporting to the board by the principal about progress towards meeting annual plan goals.

The principal and teachers work collaboratively with other schools in the Lake Brunner, West Coast area to share and develop professional knowledge. This includes being part of the work with the Learning and Change West Coast Network and more recently the Community of Schools.

2 Learning

How well does this school use achievement information to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement?

The principal and teachers make good use of assessment information to identify student learning needs. They have a very good understanding of individual students and their learning levels. Most students are achieving and progressing well against the National Standards, particularly in mathematics. Students with low achievement levels are well supported to make progress towards meeting the National Standards.

Teachers foster respectful relationships with students and provide them with useful feedback that helps to support their learning. Teachers make good use of a range of assessment tools to identify and target students' learning needs. Appropriate programmes of work are prepared for individuals and small group of students.

Students set useful goals for their learning. This is helping some students to better engage and succeed in their learning.

The principal is monitoring student achievement of literacy overtime well. Tracking in mathematics is now being improved. She regularly reports to the board on progress towards achieving the school's annual goals.

3 Curriculum

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

Students benefit from a broad and relevant school curriculum that promotes and supports their learning.

The school vision and values are well embedded into classroom programmes. They are a strong driver for the curriculum and support students to engage better in their learning.

Teachers make good use of professional development to help them to implement current good teaching practices in literacy and mathematics. The extended curriculum provides very good opportunities for students in art, music, sport and Education Outside the Classroom. Expertise from the community contributes to enriching classroom programmes and the curriculum. Student work is highly valued and celebrated in attractive classroom displays and at school-wide assemblies.

Teachers encourage students to engage in their learning by helping them to think more deeply, research ideas, and better manage their own learning. The next step is to formalise a school-wide approach to teaching that helps students extend the ways they inquire into their learning.

The principal and ERO agree that teachers should continue to review and document curriculum areas to better reflect the good current practise that is happening in the classrooms.

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

The principal and teachers are developing a school-wide approach for the delivery of te reo Māori as a language and curriculum subject. Teachers currently implement some aspects of te reo and tikanga Māori in classroom programmes.

The board should give priority to developing a strategic direction that supports Māori success as Māori, including a formalised focus on bicultural practices and perspective across the curriculum with appropriate professional development for staff.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

The school is well placed to sustain and improve its performance. The board, principal and teachers have developed a reflective culture that supports review and ongoing improvement. They work well together to provide positive learning outcomes for students.

The board, principal and teachers use a range of good systems to support management processess and teaching and learning practices. These are well aligned to the school's vision, values and curriculum. Parent and student views are highly valued and used to inform the future direction of the school priorities and programmes.

Experienced board members provide good support to new members to enhance their understanding of their roles and responsibilities. This includes an induction programme and external professional development.

The principal provides effective leadership for teachers including many opportunities to grow practices and their leadership skills.

The key next steps for the board are to:

  • prioritise the goals they want to develop each year and reflect this in the annual plan
  • extend teacher appraisal to include a formal process that helps them to reflect and review teaching approaches, especially those that aim to accelerate targeted students
  • strengthen the self-review process to better monitor the impact of change.

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.

Conclusion

The board, principal and teachers work well together to promote positive learning outcomes for students. The school vision and values are well embedded in classroom programmes. Students benefit from a broad and relevant school curriculum that promotes and supports their learning.

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

Chris Rowe

Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern (Acting)

27 August 2015

About the School

Location

Moana, West Coast

Ministry of Education profile number

2123

School type

Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)

School roll

45

Gender composition

Boys 24;

Girls 21

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pakeha

Other Ethnicities

7

33

5

Review team on site

June 2015

Date of this report

27 August 2015

Most recent ERO reports

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

May 2012

June 2009

May 2006