Bunnythorpe School - 03 Jul 2023
Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
Background
This Profile Report was written within 12 months of the Education Review Office and Bunnythorpe 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
Context
Bunnythorpe School is a rural school situated between Feilding and Palmerston North and caters for learners in Years 1 to 8. The school seeks to provide quality learning that prepares students for their future. As an EnviroSchool, sustainability and connections to the whenua are promoted. A new principal was appointed in Term 4 of 2022.
Bunnythorpe School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:
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maintain strong community partnerships that reflect the school’s unique and rural setting
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create a safe and sustainable learning environment, where everyone and everything is respected and appreciated, where positive relationships and hauora are promoted
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deliver the national curriculum with a strong emphasis on literacy and numeracy
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recognise and honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and appreciate Aotearoa New Zealand’s diversity in cultural heritage.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Bunnythorpe School’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how effectively school-wide practices and the curriculum are responsive to the needs of each learner.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to:
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provide the conditions for increased levels of learner agency
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strengthen assessment for learning practices so that all staff can effectively address the needs of learners in a multi-level classroom environment
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ensure the development of a local curriculum guided by the aspirations of the wider school community.
Strengths
The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to achieve excellent outcomes for all learners:
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A highly collegial school team that communicates effectively within the team about learner needs and successes.
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Children learn in a caring, collaborative environment and are at the centre of classroom decision making.
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School leadership has created and guides, systems, processes and practices focused on continuous improvement of practice.
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
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embedding consistent school-wide systems, processes and practices of assessment and moderation
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the use of learning progressions to guide teachers, learners and their whānau in next steps for learning
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strengthening partnerships with learners, whānau, hapū and iwi in order to further develop the local curriculum
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the board of trustees undertaking professional learning to fully understand and enact their roles and responsibilities.
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
3 July 2023
About the School
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
Bunnythorpe School - 03 Jul 2023
Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2023 to 2026
As of April 2023, the Bunnythorpe School Board has attested to the following regulatory and legislative requirements:
Board Administration
Yes
Curriculum
Yes
Management of Health, Safety and Welfare
Yes
Personnel Management
Yes
Finance
Yes
Assets
Yes
Actions for Compliance
The board has identified the following area of non-compliance during the board assurance process:
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The Annual Plan was not completed as required for 2022.
[Schedule 1 Clause 7 Saving Provision, Education and Training Act 2020]
The board has since taken steps to address the area of non-compliance identified.
Further Information
For further information please contact Bunnythorpe School, School 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
3 July 2023
About the School
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home