Summary
Huiakama School is a rural, full primary school situated near Stratford, Taranaki. The current roll is 17 students in Years 1 to 8.
Since the April 2014 ERO report the classrooms have been refurbished and the original school building sold. The school adopted a sustainability focus in 2015. Since then gardens and a poultry area have been established and the school has been recognised for its environmental commitment.
Most trustees are long serving.
The principal completed the First-time Principals’ Programme in 2015 and Year 1 of the advanced literacy programme training in 2016. The school is a member of the recently formed Central Taranaki Community of Learning.
How well is the school achieving equitable outcomes for all children?
At the time of this review, Huiakama School was not well placed to provide conditions for children to achieve educational excellence, or to address in-school disparities. The main areas of concern are the achievement of students in the areas of writing and mathematics.
The school is developing its approach to supporting students whose achievement requires acceleration. It has systems in place to monitor the achievement of individual students. However, it has yet to effectively develop programmes to target all their needs and ensure equitable learning outcomes.
While the school National Standards reporting shows that most students achieve well in reading, results in writing and mathematics require significant improvement, especially for boys.
The curriculum prioritises the Huiakama values and reading, writing and mathematics. However it requires further development to ensure it is sufficiently responsive to the needs of students most at risk of underachievement.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in one-to-two years.
Equity and excellence
How effectively does this school respond to Māori and other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration?
In 2016 the school reported that most students, including Māori, achieve at or above in relation to the National Standards in reading.
There is a need for substantial improvement in the areas of mathematics and writing. Boys in particular are achieving lower than is desirable in these areas as shown by the 2016 National Standards results. Further work is required to achieve equitable learning opportunities across the school.
The school is developing its approach to supporting students whose achievement needs acceleration. These students are identified and receive additional instruction.
The school has appropriately identified the areas of writing and mathematics and set targets to accelerate achievement in these areas in 2017. Leaders should broaden annual achievement targets to ensure all students who need acceleration are identified and have their achievement supported and monitored in ongoing and defined ways.
In 2016, professional learning and development (PLD) supported teachers to work with students in mathematics and writing. This resulted in accelerated achievement for half of the target group in writing. Teachers should continue to provide additional focus to this and other learning areas.
Trustees have made provision for additional teacher aide staffing to support learning in the classroom. This resource is supporting student learning effectively. Additional release time for the principal has also been made available.
Teachers have strengthened the reliability of overall teacher judgements as a result of the writing PLD and discussing judgements with teachers in several local schools. The use of additional assessment tools is currently being considered to more accurately inform identification of individual learning needs.
School conditions supporting equity and excellence
What school processes are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence?
The curriculum prioritises an ‘inquiry approach’ to learning, environmental education and the national priorities of reading, writing and mathematics. The ‘HUIAKAMA way’ provides a set of principles that are seen as key to learning, teaching and school operations. Their impact is seen in the way students respect and support each other. Students work collaboratively, participate in groups and draw on individual strengths in caring and considerate ways.
There are well documented school expectations, and conditions for the delivery of the curriculum. An inquiry approach and a local perspective are used to deliver the curriculum in an integrated manner. There is a need to make further progress in supporting all students to take ownership and control of their learning.
Students have opportunities for leadership. Their input into decisions affecting them and their learning environment is valued and considered. Good use is made of technologies to support learning.
The principal collaborates with other small schools locally to provide enriched learning opportunities for students and broader learning opportunities for herself and her release teacher.
Families are supportive. They are actively engaged in the learning of their children and regularly engage in the wider life of the school.
Sustainable development for equity and excellence
What further developments are needed in school processes to achieve equity and excellence?
Trustees, school leaders and teachers have substantial further work to do to in order to achieve and sustain equity and excellence schoolwide. This includes continuing to:
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develop ways for students to take increased ownership and control of their learning programmes within class
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integrate a bicultural perspective across the curriculum as outlined in the charter
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strengthen appraisal through the inclusion of feedback, feed forward, focused observations of teaching and updating of job descriptions.
Teachers are at an early stage of inquiring into their own practice, using student achievement data as evidence of the effectiveness of their teaching strategies. This should be strengthened to better identify and implement strategies and teacher practices that support the growth of student achievement. Developing an understanding of internal evaluation across the school is a key next step.
Trustees and leaders should strengthen key operational practices including:
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improved, regular tracking of the progress of students whose achievement requires acceleration and the reporting of this to trustees
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processes to evaluate the impact of developments on student achievement.
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:
During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student safety and wellbeing:
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emotional safety of students (including prevention of bullying and sexual harassment)
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physical safety of students
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teacher registration and certification
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processes for appointing staff
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stand down, suspension, expulsion and exclusion of students
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attendance
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school policies in relation to meeting the requirements of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014.
Appraisal audit
The appraisal process should be strengthened to include gathering sufficient evidence to show how teachers and the principal are meeting the Education Council’s requirements for the issue and renewal of their practising certificates.
Actions required
To improve current practice, the board of trustees should:
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improve the recording of actions and decisions including recording the results of tests of water quality in the school pool
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review and approve provision make for students to participate in the school camp prior to the camp being undertaken.
Going forward
How well placed is the school to accelerate the achievement of all children who need it?
At the time of this review, this school was not well placed to provide conditions for children to achieve educational excellence, or to address in-school disparities. The main areas of concern are:
Trustees and teachers:
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have not yet adequately established necessary conditions to effectively accelerate learning and achievement in writing and mathematics
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are not well placed to achieve and sustain accelerated achievement for all children who need it.
ERO intends to carry out a process of ongoing evaluation to support development over the course of one-to-two years.
Recommendations
ERO recommends that the Ministry of Education consider providing support for the school in order to bring about the following improvements:
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achieve equitable learning opportunities across the school, especially in writing and mathematics
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improve teacher inquiry and appraisal practices.
ERO recommends that the School Trustees Association consider providing support for the trustees to improve stewardship practices.
Alan Wynyard
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)
17 July 2017
About the school
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Location
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Stratford
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Ministry of Education profile number
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2173
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School type
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Full Primary, (Years 1-8)
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School roll
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17
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Gender composition
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Female 9, Male 8
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Ethnic composition
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Māori 3
Pākehā 14
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Provision of Māori medium education
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No
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Review team on site
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May 2017
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Date of this report
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17 July 2017
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Most recent ERO report(s)
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Education Review April 2014
Supplementary Review February 2011
Supplementary Review November 2009
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