Kereru School

School Context

Kereru School is located in rural Hawkes Bay and caters for 25 students in Years 1 to 8. Strong community engagement in the school continues to be a strength.

The valued outcomes for students are clearly identified through the ‘Kereru Kid’, which is aligned to the key competencies of The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC), and is well understood by staff and students.

The school is part of the Napier City Community of Learning|Kāhui Ako, (CoL).

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

• achievement in reading, writing and mathematics

• engagement in initiatives and co-curricular activities.

Evaluation Findings

1 Equity and excellence – valued outcomes for students

1.1 How well is the school achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all its students?

The school’s achievement data from 2014 to 2016 has remained static, with most students, including Māori, achieving well in reading and mathematics. The majority of students achieve well in writing. There is no gender disparity.

The school reports that end-of-year 2017 data is showing a similar achievement pattern.

1.2 How effectively does this school respond to those Māori and other students whose learning and achievement need acceleration?

The school is working towards achieving equity and excellence.

Accelerated progress is evident for some individual students whose learning and achievement need acceleration.

Raising achievement in writing remains a priority and this has been a focus in 2017.Teachers have identified a number of factors that may be contributing to the lower levels of achievement and are implementing initiatives to address this. The impact of these initiatives is not yet clear.

Students requiring additional support learn alongside their peers. Individual planning, including specific goal setting, and collaboration with external agencies, parents and whānau supports their engagement in learning.

2 School conditions for equity and excellence

2.1 What school processes and practices are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence?

Students learn in a positive environment where their relationships with adults and peers are warm and respectful. There is a collective responsibility for all students in the school. Pastoral care and the wellbeing of children are closely monitored priorities.

Parents, whānau and the community are welcomed and involved in school activities as respected and valued partners in learning. They are well informed about their children’s progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics and their engagement in other valued school activities.

The voice of the community is sought and valued. Consultation occurred at the end of 2016 to inform decisions about curriculum and co-curricular activities.

Students experience a broad curriculum that uses the rural context and wider community to enhance learning opportunities. Teaching literacy, mathematics, and physical education and health is prioritised. Considerable progress has been made since the previous report on integrating and embedding te ao Māori into children’s learning.

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

To enable sustainable practices, the school’s documented curriculum requires further development to:

• make explicit how the principles of the NZC are reflected in the Kereru School curriculum

• acknowledge the value placed on the integration of te ao Māori.

Reviewing the range and purpose of assessment tools is important. Deeper analysis of student achievement data should better inform decisions about programme planning and teacher responses to the needs of individual students.

A framework has been developed to enable teachers to inquire into the effectiveness of their practice. Teachers should use this process to inquire more deeply into the impact of their teaching strategies and programmes to support decisions that will effectively accelerate the learning of target students.

Trustees are committed to improving outcomes for all students. They have accessed training to understand their stewardship role and are well informed about school operation. Trustees and teachers should develop specific charter targets that relate to the acceleration of students that are at risk of under achievement. Receiving more regular reports on the progress and achievement of these students in relation to the targets, should further support trustees’ decision-making.

Trustees, leaders and teachers are beginning to inquire into the effectiveness of programmes and initiatives. Further development of their knowledge and understanding of evidence-based internal evaluation is needed to identify what works and what needs to change to improve student outcomes.

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.

4 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

• strong partnerships between staff, parents and the community that support learning and positive student outcomes

• delivery of a broad curriculum that strongly promotes the school’s valued outcomes.

Next steps

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

• sharpening the focus on students whose learning needs acceleration including more targeted planning to accelerate learning [ERO will monitor and discuss progress with the school]

• ensuring the school’s documented curriculum reflects current practice and the principles of the NZC

• using internal evaluation to determine the impact of strategies and inform ongoing improvement

[ERO will provide an internal evaluation workshop for trustees and senior leaders.]

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

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

Alan Wynyard

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)

Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region

31 January 2018

About the school

1 Context

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

Kereru is a small rural, full primary school located in Hawkes Bay. A well-maintained outdoor environment allows students to engage in a range of physical activities. Students are encouraged to extend themselves both physically and academically.

A strong sense of pride in the history of the school is promoted. It is the hub of the community. The school experiences high levels of support and engagement from parents and wider community.

The school values are well understood by staff and students and represent what it means to be a ‘Kereru Kid’.

The school has a positive ERO reporting history.

2 Learning

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

Students are highly engaged as active, self-directed learners. They achieve well. The school reports that most students, including those who are Māori, achieve at or above National Standards expectations in reading, writing and mathematics.

Observations and a suitable range of assessment tools are used to continually monitor student progress and identify patterns of achievement. Data is analysed in depth and used by teachers to plan and implement strategies that promote learning.

Reports to parents are clear and detailed. There are many opportunities for parents to share and celebrate their children's learning and progress. An effective partnership between school and home supports students' successes.

Students with special learning needs learn alongside their peers. They receive appropriate support to accelerate their progress.

Transition to school is well managed and supported by strong links between the school and local early childhood centre.

3 Curriculum

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

Students experience a broad curriculum with a rich variety of learning opportunities. It was reviewed in consultation with parents. Literacy, mathematics and physical education are promoted. The key competencies are well understood and integrated. The curriculum is a useful and responsive framework to set direction for students' learning. Curriculum guidelines would be strengthened by documenting explicit statements about how the principles of The New Zealand Curriculum are enacted.

Teachers have high expectations for students. They use a range of effective strategies to engage students and promote learning. Teachers are highly reflective about their practice and inquire into the effectiveness of strategies they use. Learning is relevant, purposeful and fun. Interactions are friendly and respectful. Information and communication technologies are successfully integrated into teaching and learning.

Students demonstrate independence as learners. They show responsibility for their progress by setting goals, identifying success criteria, assessing their own achievement, and giving feedback to others.

There are many opportunities for students to experience authentic leadership roles and responsibilities. Their voice is sought, valued and acted on. The school’s inclusive culture fosters strong supportive relationships among students. Senior students are role models for younger students.

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

Māori students experience a learning environment in which their language, culture and identity are recognised and valued.

Key factors that demonstrate this include:

• the inclusive tone and culture of the school, which is like an extended whānau
• integration of local Māori history and tikanga in the curriculum
• the Ka Hikitia focus group, comprising the principal and Māori parents, who meet to explore ways to raise the profile of te ao Māori
• early steps towards learning te reo Māori
• Māori representation on the board for several terms
• a substantial focus on the Māori history of the area in the 2012 school centenary publication.

Staff and trustees recognise that professional development is needed to further strengthen and support teachers’ knowledge of and confidence in te reo me ngā tikanga Māori.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

Trustees bring a range of knowledge, skills and experience to the governance role. They are well informed and committed to all students having positive outcomes from their schooling experience. Developing a governance manual is likely to support succession planning for future boards.

Staff and trustees are highly reflective at all levels and clearly improvement focused. Self review is well established and embedded. Further work on the evaluative aspect (how well) of self review and knowing the impact or effectiveness of initiatives and programmes are next steps.

Staff are highly collegial and work well as a team. The principal manages systems well and has a strong focus on building and maintaining collaborative relationships. The appraisal process effectively supports professional development and teachers' growth.

Strong community involvement is a feature of the school. Well-established home and school partnerships are evident.

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.

When is ERO likely to review the school again?

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

Joyce Gebbie

National Manager Review Services

Central Region (Acting)

27 January 2014

About the School