Ongarue Village Road, Ongarue
View on mapThis Profile Report was written within three months of the Education Review Office and Ongarue School working in Te Ara Huarau, an improvement evaluation approach used in most English Medium State and State Integrated Schools. For more information about Te Ara Huarau see ERO’s website. www.ero.govt.nz
Ongarue is a sole charge school located in the rural village of Ongarue, near Taumarunui. The school provides education for students in Years 1 to 8 and has strong links with the local community.
Ongarue School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are through building:
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on its website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how effectively student outcomes continue to improve through strengthening school practices and processes, that meet the individual needs of all students. Further building student agency and monitoring rates of attendance are ongoing priorities for the school.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:
The school expects to see targeted actions implemented, that enable improved progress and equitable outcomes for all learners, across the local curriculum.
The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to improve equitable outcomes for all:
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. ERO will support the school in reporting their progress to the community. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report and is due within three years.
Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools
5 December 2023
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
As of July 2023, the Ongarue School Board has attested to the following regulatory and legislative requirements:
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For further information please contact Ongarue School’s Board.
The next School Board assurance that it is meeting regulatory and legislative requirements will be reported, along with the Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report, within three years.
Information on ERO’s role and process in this review can be found on the Education Review Office website.
Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools
5 December 2023
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement of Ongarue School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is that the school has made sufficient progress to transition into ERO’s Evaluation for Improvement process.
Ongarue School, located near Taumarunui, has 28 students in Years 1 to 8. Two classrooms operate. Most of students attending are Māori. The school’s vision statement is, We learn, We work, We do, Ka akona e matou, Ka mahia e matou. The school values are ‘honesty, independence, integrity, creativity, respect, attitude and empathy’.
The 2019 ERO report identified improvements were required in aspects of operation that contribute to excellent and equitable outcomes for all learners. Some areas where compliance with regulatory requirements needed improvement were identified.
ERO also recommended that the school seek support from New Zealand School Trustees Association (NZSTA) to bring about improvements to governance practices.
Since the 2019 ERO report, good progress has been made in addressing most of the aspects of operation needed to promote excellence and equity, and compliance with statutory requirements. NZSTA has supported the board with relevant training and plans are in place to continue this programme. The Ministry of Education (MoE) has supported the principal and teachers to further develop an approach to assessment and planning for learning, based on improved management, use and reporting of student achievement information.
Students whose learning is at risk in reading, writing and mathematics are identified using a range of useful assessment tools and strategies. Progress for these students is monitored and reported to trustees regularly. The board now receives information in relation to trends and patterns in achievement and progress. Annual achievement targets are focused on accelerating progress for those students not achieving at expected levels. These improvements have contributed to a more coherent approach to accelerating progress for all students with a focus on those who are not yet achieving at expected levels.
The school continues to work on developing and documenting a local curriculum that shows how effect is being given to all areas of learning in local contexts. A useful beginning has been made, working alongside other local schools in the Kāhui Ako.
To continue the good progress that has been made working with the MoE, the principal and teachers should focus on developing and embedding:
Attention to these aspects is likely to contribute to consistency of practice across the school and more equitable outcomes for all learners.
The school is now better positioned to sustain and continue to improve its performance.
Key next steps needed to continue improvement include:
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:
During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student achievement:
On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement of Ongarue School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is that the school has made sufficient progress to transition into ERO’s Evaluation for Improvement process.
Shelley Booysen
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region - Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
19 November 2021