Newbury School

Education institution number:

2406

School type:

Full Primary

School gender:

Co-Educational

Definition:

Not Applicable

Total roll:

167

Website:

http://www.newbury.school.nz

Telephone:

06 354 9359

Address:

Rangitikei Line, Palmerston North

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Newbury School - 27/02/2019

27 Feb 2019

School Context

Newbury School, located near Palmerston North, caters for Year 1 to 8 students from the surrounding rural district and nearby urban area. At the time of this review the roll was 170 students, including 18% who identify as Māori.

The school acknowledges Ngāti Kauwhata as mana whenua.

The recently developed values expressed through the school’s charter are for learners to be ‘determined and confident, respectful, inspired leaders, visionary – innovative and creative, empowered and agentic (DRIVE)’.

Desired outcomes for the school are to develop learners with DRIVE (values) who are prepared for life and to provide a vibrant, caring learning community that captures and values the potential of every child.

The school’s strategic priorities are to: embed the vision and values; build productive partnerships between learners, school, whānau, iwi and community; improve outcomes for all learners; set the direction for student learning.

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

achievement in reading, writing and mathematics against curriculum expectations
wellbeing and attendance
progress for target learners.

Since The February 2016 ERO evaluation, changes to the leadership team have occurred. The principal joined the school at the end of 2017 and the assistant principal at the start of 2018.

In 2018, the school transitioned to a collaborative approach to classroom teaching and learning in shared spaces across the school.

The school is an Enviro School and a member of the Feilding Kāhui Ako.

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?

Outcomes for students are generally good. The school’s overall achievement information shows that most students achieve at or above the school’s expected curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics.

Māori student achievement overall is slightly below that of their peers at the school in literacy, and in 2018 the disparity in mathematics has increased. Boys achieve at similar levels to girls.

Leaders have identified that reducing the disparity for Māori and improving achievement outcomes for all students in mathematics are priorities for 2019.

Student with additional needs are identified and well catered for through individual support and specific resourcing. Responsive guidance and planning in collaboration with parents, whānau and agencies promotes students’ engagement and progress.

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

The school responds deliberately to address the disparity in achievement for those Māori and other learners whose achievement and learning need acceleration.

Students who are identified as not meeting curriculum expectations are targeted for improvement, and additional support provided to improve their rate of progress.

School end of year 2018 achievement information shows that some of these students have made accelerated progress to meet curriculum expectations.

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?

The school has strengthened processes to promote the achievement of equity and excellence and accelerate learning. A range of well-considered and coherent systems and conditions to improve student outcomes have been developed. These closely align to the vision, values and strategic priorities. Leaders continue to successfully manage change through a collaborative approach and establishing a supportive environment that promotes shared aspirations for teaching and learning.

Teachers use a suitable range of assessment tools to support them to make overall teacher judgments in relation to the school’s expected curriculum levels. Recently introduced systems have improved the tracking and monitoring of student achievement and progress over time. Better use of assessment tools and more accurate decisions about levels of achievement are providing a clearer picture of where students are at in their learning and their rates of progress, particularly for students who are part of the school targets.

The school community has collectively reviewed and developed its vision and values. These provide a framework for the aspirations for students’ success, and articulate the desired skills and attributes that are promoted through the curriculum. The DRIVE values are being integrated into many school systems and are a deliberate focus for the development of teaching and learning.

Students learn in purposeful, settled and learning focused environments. Their wellbeing and belonging is effectively supported. Respectful, cooperative and considerate relationships are evident. In classrooms visited by ERO, students were meaningfully engaged in their learning and collaborated effectively with each other. Students are building self-management strategies as they move through the school and are increasingly empowered, by responsive teaching, to make decisions about their learning. They enjoy a range of authentic opportunities to show leadership that build on their interests and strengths.

The school employs a range of strategies to successfully increase the engagement of parents and whānau in the life of the school. Good communication supports and strengthens learning-focused relationships. A strengthened partnership with local iwi is assisting the school to develop its shared understanding of te ao Māori and further support Māori learners to experience successful outcomes.

Good practices and processes are in place to build teachers’ and leaders’ capability. A recently strengthened appraisal framework has the potential to build practice and improve effectiveness. Leaders and teachers are increasingly reflective and collaborative. A thorough process for teachers to inquire into how well their practice improves outcomes for students is in place. Focused professional development is responsive to school needs, aligned to school goals and supported by appropriate external expertise and knowledge building.

Strategic planning provides a clear direction for school improvement. Annual targets appropriately focus on improving overall levels of achievement in relation to the curriculum levels and promoting the valued outcomes.

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

Leaders and teachers have established shared expectations for effective teaching and learning linked to the DRIVE values. Leaders plan to use these to form the foundation for further review and development of the curriculum. This review should include how well the curriculum:

reflects the context of Newbury School
responds to the individual needs of all students
reflects bicultural and culturally responsive practices
accelerates the learning of students who need this.

An internal evaluation framework has been recently developed and a range of more accurate data and information about student learning, achievement and progress is now available. Strengthening the shared understanding and use of evidence-based evaluation and inquiry should enable leaders and teachers to more effectively:

determine the impact of actions on improving equity and excellence, particularly for priority learners
refine and embed changes in processes and practices to further improve outcomes for all learners.

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.

Areas for improved compliance practice

To improve current practice, the board of trustees should:

develop a formal complaints policy that is then shared and made available to parents
strengthen the procedure for appointments to include appropriate aspects of safety checking that reflects the requirements of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014.

Since the onsite stage of the review the board has provided ERO with additional evidence which shows steps taken to address the identified areas of improvement for compliance practice.

4 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

achieving outcomes for students that show good levels of achievement
a range of well-considered and coherent systems and conditions to improve student outcomes that reflect the values and aspirations of the community
leadership and stewardship that successfully manages improvement to school performance.

Next steps

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

further reviewing and developing the localised curriculum to improve outcomes for all learners
strengthening the shared understanding and use of evidence-based evaluation and inquiry to determine the value and effectiveness of planned actions on learner outcomes.

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

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

Phil Cowie

Director Review and Improvement Services Central

Central Region

27 February 2019

About the school

Location	Palmerston North.
Ministry of Education profile number	2406
School type	Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)
School roll	170
Gender composition	Male 56%, Female 44%
Ethnic composition	Māori 18% Pākehā 80% Pacific 1% Other ethnic groups 1%
Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS)	Yes
Provision of Māori medium education	No
Review team on site	December 2018
Date of this report	27 February 2019
Most recent ERO report(s)	Education Review, February 2016 Education Review, September 2011 Education Review, August 2008

Newbury School - 23/02/2016

23 Feb 2016

Findings

Most students achieve at or above National Standards expectation in literacy and mathematics. Involvement and relationships with the wider community give students a range of academic, sporting and service activities. School leaders and trustees provide highly effective leadership and governance. Appropriate resourcing supports teachers to promote students’ learning in a positive school environment.

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?

Newbury School, near Palmerston North, caters for Years 1 to 8 students from the surrounding rural district and nearby urban area. The roll of 172 at the time of this review includes 15% who identify as Māori. The school acknowledges Ngāti Kauwhata as mana whenua.

Involvement and relationships with the wider community provide students with an extensive range of academic, sporting and service activities that cater for individual interests and abilities. Expansive, well-maintained grounds promote physical wellbeing and encourage exploration and challenge for all students. There is an emphasis on environmental and sustainable practices in the curriculum. Students are actively engaged in the Enviro School programme.

The school is going through a time of significant change. Since the September 2011 ERO report, there have been several key changes to staff. A new deputy principal was appointed at the beginning of 2015 and a new principal in Term 3, 2015.

This report evaluates the effectiveness of stewardship and leadership in managing change, to impact positively on student learning and wellbeing.

2 Learning

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

The school reports that the majority of students achieve at and above National Standards expectations in reading, writing and mathematics. Māori students achieve at comparable levels to their peers.

In August the newly-appointed principal identified priority cohorts of students who were achieving below expectation. He has monitored and tracked learning of these students and many have made faster progress over the past four months. End-of-year data is being used to inform more specific achievement targets for identified groups of students in 2016.

School leaders and teachers have collaboratively developed the Newbury School Progressions for reading, writing and mathematics. These are closely aligned to The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) levels and National Standards. School progressions along with moderation support teachers’ judgements about student learning. Teachers are reflective practitioners who share and discuss their practice in relation to student progress.

School leaders have identified the need to extend and strengthen the use of standardised assessment tools to provide more valid, reliable data about student progress and achievement. This should support teachers to better:

identify specific learning needs
monitor and track progress and achievement for individual and groups of students
use evidence-based approaches to inquire into their practice and evaluate the impact of their teaching on student outcomes.

Parents receive useful information from their children and teachers about progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics and across the broader curriculum. Teachers, students and parents use digital technologies to share, give and receive feedback about learning.

3 Curriculum

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

The curriculum outlines clear expectations for teachers and students. The key elements and priorities of NZC are effectively integrated. The school curriculum enables students to participate, learn and achieve in the breadth and depth of the NZC.

Teachers effectively use a wide range of strategies to engage students in their learning. They model, give instructions, plan learning tasks and organise groupings to support active learning. Teachers provide opportunities for students to revisit and build on learning through a variety of purposeful activities.

Respectful relationships and positive interactions are evident amongst teachers and students. Students know what and why they are learning and their next steps. They talk about their progress in relation to the Newbury Learning Progressions.

Teachers and students use digital devices and information technology resources effectively to access the wider world. They find, use, share and present learning.

A deliberate approach informs curriculum, teaching and learning focuses for Year 7 and 8 students. Students take on a wide range of leadership activities across the school.

Staff demonstrate a collective responsibility for the wellbeing and learning of all students. A flexible and responsive process supports successful transition of children and their families to the school. The newly implemented ‘Newbies to Newbury’ programme helps children and parents to know about the school and related routines. A range of strategies are in place to assist students’ transition to further education.

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

The school has consulted with parents of Māori students and recognise the value of responses to inform the development of a more culturally responsive curriculum. The board has identified a need to update and implement the Māori Achievement Plan.

Māori learners who are identified as underachieving receive appropriate support to accelerate their learning. Students are supported in their learning through respectful, caring relationships. Teachers acknowledge and understand te ao Māori. They are committed to continuing to build their knowledge and capability in te reo me ngā tikanga Māori.

Leaders and teachers have identified a priority is to continue to strengthen relationships with local iwi, Ngāti Kauwhata. This is likely to support teachers in their provision of te reo me ngā tikanga Māori across the school and enhance their practice to promote learning and success for Māori students.

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’s governance is strategic and improvement focused. Trustees have a good knowledge of school policies and procedures and an increased understanding of priorities and targets. They are well informed through sound reporting processes that support and guide their decision making. The board achieves a clear alignment of school values and vision in its strategic and annual plans.

Trustees and school leaders have identified that it is timely to review the school’s vision and values to guide and inform decisions related to the curriculum and future direction for teaching and learning.

The school and the community have a positive relationship. Parents are kept well informed about what is happening at school and are regularly consulted to ensure they have a voice in the direction of the school.

The appraisal process includes useful self-reflection and feedback that supports teacher improvement. School leaders and trustees have recognised that the process should be documented and further developed.

Well-planned, considered internal evaluation informs future direction. Decision-making and planned implementation of improvement strategies uses evidence about what will make the most positive difference for all learners.

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

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

Joyce Gebbie

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central

23 February 2016

School Statistics

Location	Palmerston North
Ministry of Education profile number	2406
School type	Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)
School roll	172
Gender composition	Male 58%, Female 42%
Ethnic composition	Māori Pākehā Other ethnic groups	15% 80% 5%
Review team on site	December 2015
Date of this report	23 February 2016
Most recent ERO report(s)	Education Review Education Review Education Review	September 2011 August 2008 June 2005