Hiruharama School

Hiruharama School - 16/06/2020

School Context

'Iti te kopara e kai takirikiri ana i runga i te kahikatea -Striving for personal excellence’.

Hiruharama School is located in a small community on the East Coast south of Ruatoria situated on whenua gifted by the tipuna Matutaera Nihoniho. All students are Māori and most whākapapa to the hapū of Ngāti Porou; Te Aitanga-a-Mate,Te Whānau a Te Aowera and Te Awe Mapara.

The school was established in 1895 and this year celebrates its 125th year. It caters for Years 1 to 8 students in bilingual and since 2018, rumaki reo educational settings. Students in rumaki reo learn through Te Marautanga o Aotearoa (TMoA) and students in bilingual learn through The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC).

The school states its vision ‘Kia Kaha, Kia u’ and its mission ‘Our learners are confident, courageous and resilient.’ The school’s strategic goals are ‘Ako (Achievement), Mana Ake (Identity), Te Ao Hou (Creativity)’. The vision and goals are underpinned by the values of ‘manaakitanga, maiatanga, manawatanga, and manahautanga’.

The first-time principal has led the school for two years. She is supported by an experienced senior leadership team. Plans for property refurbishments are included in the new strategic plan.

The school has responded well to the agreed priorities in the May 2015 ERO report.

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

  • progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics
  • progress and achievement in pānui, tuhituhi, kōrero and mahi whikawhika
  • progress of students with additional learning needs
  • progress and achievement in relation to school targets
  • patterns and trends in achievement. 

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 continues to make very good progress in achieving equitable outcomes for all its students.

The school’s achievement information in the bilingual classes indicates that the majority of students achieve at or above expected levels in literacy and mathematics. This level of achievement has been sustained over the past four years. There was a slight drop in achievement in mathematics in 2018, followed by a significant increase in 2019. The school is now focused on accelerating student achievement in writing.

In 2018 and 2019 the majority of students in the rumaki reo classes achieved at or above expectations in mahi whikawhika. Most students achieved at or above in tuhituhi during this period and almost all students achieved at or above in pānui. Assessment systems and processes aligned to Te Marautanga o Aotearoa continue to develop.

School leaders agree that further refining the reporting of levels of achievement for students in rumaki reo classes would provide a better overall picture of achievement across the school.

By the end of Year 8, most students leave school prepared for secondary education. Leaders are aware of and are addressing the in-school gender disparity for boys in writing.

Students with additional high and complex needs are achieving positive outcomes in relation to their personal developmental and social goals. These students are well catered for through a range of appropriate interventions. They are also effectively supported through positive relationships with whānau, external agencies and providers.

The school is achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for students in regard to their identity, language and culture. Students demonstrate a strong understanding of their iwi, tīpuna, whakapapa, whenua and te reo me ngā tikanga Māori. They have engaged in a range of school and community projects that are aligned to the school values and vision. There is a comprehensive approach to building a sense of identity that strongly reflects Hiruharamatanga and promotes the achievement of the school’s valued outcome for all learners.

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

Hiruharama School is increasingly effective in responding to children whose progress needs acceleration. The board of trustees, leadership team and staff give priority to equity and excellence for all students.

Achievement information for 2019, shows most identified target learners made accelerated progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Children who enter rumaki reo with te reo Māori as a second language are very well supported to accelerate their learning, particularly in mahi whikawhika.

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’s curriculum gives equal status to the English-based New Zealand Curriculum, and the Māori curriculum, Te Matauranga o Aotearoa. The language, culture and identity of Hiruharamatanga is well embedded in the curriculum and recognised as strengths to be nurtured. The responsive curriculum incorporates connections to students’ lives and draws on whānau and community funds of knowledge. Authentic learning opportunities are highly enhanced by capable teachers.

Well-established practices and processes support leaders and teachers to identify students at risk of not achieving. Teachers provide additional assessment information that contributes to accelerating learning and progress, particularly in mahi whikawhika in the rumaki reo classes and literacy in the bilingual classes. Detailed and individualised achievement information is regularly sought, used, reported and monitored by leaders and teachers. Acceleration plans are shared and discussed with whānau.

Students learn in calm, settled and inclusive environments. Students co-construct their learning goals with teachers and regularly monitor progress towards achieving these goals. The promotion of tuakana teina relationships within the school contributes positively to student learning.

The school has established strong relational trust with whānau. Parents, whānau and the community are welcomed and involved in school activities as respected and valued partners in learning. They contribute constructively to decision making in a variety of productive roles.

Leaders promote a highly positive and collaborative approach through the values of Hiruharamatanga. They relentlessly pursue equity and excellence, accessing relevant expertise to build capability for ongoing improvement and innovation. Leaders value the strengths of each other and those of their staff.

Systematic, collaborative internal evaluation aligns with the school’s values, vision and goals. Organisational structures, processes and practices enable and sustain connectedness with learning and decision making.

The board represents the interests of its community well and exercises capable stewardship. Trustees are responsive to the needs of leaders, teachers, students, whānau and the community. They scrutinise data to inform decision making directed at improving student outcomes.

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

Trustees and leaders are committed to realising the school’s vision. School leaders agree that further developments for the achievement of equity, excellence and acceleration in learning, include:

  • strengthening the assessment requirements for Te Marautanga o Aotearoa

  • continuing to refine internal evaluation for further improvement and innovation.

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 Children’s Act 2014.

4 ERO’s Overall Judgement

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

ERO’s Framework: Overall Findings and Judgement Tool derived from School Evaluation Indicators: Effective Practice for Improvement and Learner Success 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:

  • success as Māori living the Hiruharamatanga te reo Māori me onā tikanga
  • partnerships for learning with parents, whānau and the community that are respectful and valued
  • committed leadership that supports and demonstrates high expectations
  • a caring and inclusive learning environment that promotes equity and excellence.

Next steps

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

  • strengthening assessment requirements for Te Marautanga o Aotearoa
  • further refining internal evaluation for ongoing improvement and innovation.

Darcy Te Hau

Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)

Central Region - Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

16 June 2020

About the school

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement.

Hiruharama School - 29/05/2015

Findings

The principal effectively promotes high-quality practices and high expectations about learning. Hiruharama kura and whānau work together to provide learning opportunities that improve student achievement and well being. Language culture and identity are embedded in the curriculum. Whakapapa, whanaungatanga and manaakitanga provide the foundations for effective teaching and learning.

ERO is likely to carry out the next review in four-to-five years

1 Context

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

'Iti te kopara e kai takirikiri ana i runga i te kahikatea'

Hiruharama School is a Years 1 to 8 bilingual school established in 1985. It is located on the East Coast south of Ruatorea. All students are Māori and most whākapapa to Te Aitanga-a-Mate, Te Whānau o Te Aowera and Te Awemapara.

The school values its unique cultural identity. It is a safe and stimulating learning environment, where learners engage with staff and whānau, who are committed to the shared aspirations, captured in the school’s mission, vision and motto. Manaakitanga is evidenced through collegiality, partnerships, and respectful relationships among students, staff and whānau.

The school has a good ERO reporting history and has responded very well to the agreed priorities about the use of assessment data in the June 2010 ERO report.

2 Learning

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

The school uses student achievement information very effectively to inform teaching that promotes positive engagement, progress and achievement.

Students have an increasing understanding of their progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics. Opportunities to facilitate their own learning are provided. They participate in a range of well considered initiatives to improve their engagement in learning, and further raise their levels of achievement, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics. Whānau are well informed about their children’s progress and achievement. They are encouraged to become active participants in their children’s learning.

Teachers use achievement information well. Their knowledge of children and whānau are used to adapt their teaching practices and learning programmes.

The board, senior leaders and teachers have an ongoing strategic focus on those learners at risk of poor educational outcomes. The school’s strategies for identifying, monitoring and meeting the needs of these learners are evidence based and relevant in raising their levels of achievement. Parents have a range of informal and formal opportunities to increase their knowledge and understanding of how they can support their children in the learning process.

Reading achievement data in 2014 showed very good progress compared to 2013. Mathematics was comparable but there was a drop in writing achievement. This information identified the 2015 writing charter target. The school has evidence to show that those students who enter school at Year 1, and who stay at the school, achieve well and make good progress. Most learners achieve at or above National Standards when they transition to college at Year 8.

Girls have achieved consistently above regional and national comparisons in reading, writing and mathematics over the past three years. Boys are comparable to regional results and slightly below nationally, over the same time. An outcome of this has resulted in the school reviewing and identifying a more responsive and strategic approach to boys engagement and achievement.

3 Curriculum

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

Te Marautanga o Hiruharama very effectively promotes and supports student learning. Ako, Mana Ake and Momo Rangatira underpin curriculum delivery.

There are high-quality, collaborative learning focused partnerships between the whānau and the school, inside and outside the classrooms. Hiruharamatanga strongly underpins Te Marautanga o te Kura o Hiruharama and incorporates The New Zealand Curriculum. Reading, writing and mathematics are school priorities.

Students experience a wide range of authentic learning opportunities that reflect local contexts and history and promote language, culture and identity. Students develop a strong sense of turangawaewae, belonging and self worth. They confidently and respectfully engage and interact with peers, teachers, staff and the wider school whānau.

Boys are highly engaged and enjoy the increased focus on science learning in the outdoors and interaction with significant community role models, as part of the kuhukuhu initiative.

Teachers work collaboratively with senior leaders and are committed through appraisal and self-review processes to ongoing improvement in learning and teaching. They participate in professional learning and development to enhance the appropriateness of learning programmes and teaching practice, with a view to raising student achievement. Teachers meet regularly to review the effectiveness and quality of their teaching practice to address students learning needs.

ERO confirms the school’s identified direction of embedding formative assessment practices that allow learners to take more control of the learning process, become facilitators of their own learning, and contributors to the learning journey of others.

There is a positive learning culture school-wide, where children are happy, settled and experiencing success.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

The school is very well placed to sustain and improve its performance because:

  • a strong sense of whakapapa and whanaungatanga supports whānau, hapū and iwi working collectively together to encourage mokopuna to strive for personal excellence in reaching their potential.
  • there is high-quality leadership across the school
  • trustees are well informed and all decisions for resourcing and management of the school are evidenced based
  • teachers use effective strategies in encouraging students to become facilitators of their own learning.

The school is effectively and professionally led by a knowledgeable principal who promotes high-quality practices and high expectations about learning for all. She is well supported by a leadership team who work hard and are focussed on lifting school performance. Leadership is encouraged at all levels of school operations. Students, trustees, staff and whānau willingly accept these opportunities to contribute to and enrich the life of the kura.

High quality self review systems and practices promote ongoing improvement and identify the school’s future vision and direction.

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 principal effectively promotes high-quality practices and high expectations about learning. Hiruharama kura and whānau work together to provide learning opportunities that improve student achievement and well being. Language culture and identity are embedded in the curriculum. Whakapapa, whanaungatanga and manaakitanga provide the foundations for effective teaching and learning.

ERO is likely to carry out the next review in four-to-five years.

Dale Bailey

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

29 May 2015

About the School

Location

Hiruharama

Ministry of Education profile number

2578

School type

Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)

School roll

103

Gender composition

Boys 70%

Girls 30%

Ethnic composition

Māori

100%

Review team on site

March 2015

Date of this report

29 May 2015

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

June 2010

June 2006

April 2003