Patutahi School

Education institution number:
2643
School type:
Full Primary
School gender:
Co-Educational
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
60
Telephone:
Address:

29 Atkins Street, Patutahi, Gisborne

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Patutahi School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 8 months of the Education Review Office and Patutahi 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 

Patutahi School is a small rural school located 15 km from Gisborne and provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. A new principal was appointed in Term 3, 2021. The school is proud of its reciprocal relationships with whānau, community and Te Whānau a Kai iwi. The school values of Tuakiritanga, Manaakitanga, Ngākau Titikaha, Kaitiaki and Te Whānau-a-Kiatanga support and guide learning, decision making and actions.

Patutahi School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

  • all learners will experience personalised success in the curriculum

  • to develop, grow and implement a localised curriculum that reflects the values and aspirations of learners, whānau/hāpori and Te Whānau-a-Kai iwi

  • creating a new vision for the kura

  • connecting ā whānau, ā hāpori.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Patutahi School’s Facebook.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how effectively the localised curriculum supports all learners to experience personalised success.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is the focused opportunity it provides to:

  • grow and fulfil the aspirations of learners, whānau and iwi through Te Whānau-a-Kaitanga

  • enhance effective and consistent teaching, learning and assessment practices across the school

  • improve outcomes of equity and excellence for all learners.

The school expects to see responsive and effective teaching and learning programmes that embody Te Whānau-a-Kaitanga, resulting in every learner achieving personalised success.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to ensure that every learner achieves personalised success through the implementation of responsive and effective practices that embody Whānau-a-Kaitanga.

  • Committed and collaborative leaders and staff focused on every learner achieving success.

  • Established, valued and supportive relationships with learners, whānau and iwi.

  • Internal and external expertise to support and enhance teaching and learning practices, and Te Whānau-a-Kaitanga.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise outcomes of equity and excellence for all learners through:

  • staff professional learning to enhance consistency of teaching, learning and assessment practices

  • understanding and empowering the aspirations of learners, whānau/hāpori and Te Whānau-a-Kai iwi

  • prioritising implementation of the localised curriculum

  • continuing to partner with whānau, community and iwi to support valued outcomes for all learners.

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.

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region |
Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

9 February 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

Patutahi School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2022 to 2025

As of December 2022, the Patutahi School, 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

Further Information

For further information please contact Patutahi 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.

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

9 February 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

Patutahi School - 20/12/2019

School Context

Patutahi School is situated on the outskirts of Gisborne, for students in Years 1 to 8. At the time of this review there were 19 children on the roll and all are Māori. There is presently one class with a teaching principal.

The school vision statement ‘Future talent at work’ is underpinned by the school’s values of ‘curiosity, honesty, aroha, respect, manākitanga, mahi-pono-tia’.

The 2018-2020 strategic plan focuses on:

  • implementing a localised curriculum

  • establishing connections and growing relationships within the community

  • growing learner capability in te ao Māori

  • on-going improvement in student achievement across reading, writing and mathematics.

Leaders and teachers have reported to the board, 2018 mid-year and end of year achievement for all students in reading, writing and mathematics in relation to The New Zealand Curriculum.

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 has been building its effectiveness in achieving equity and excellence for all its students. Since the June 2017 ERO report, school reported data at the end of 2018, indicated that student achievement in all areas had increased. A large majority of students achieved at or above The New Zealand Curriculum expectations in reading and writing. Most students achieved at or above in mathematics. Boys made some gains in reading and writing. There was ongoing disparity with girls, but the majority of boys, at the end of 2018, achieved at or above expectation in reading, writing and mathematics.

At the time of this ERO evaluation, the school was unable to provide achievement information for 2019.

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

In 2018, the school identified specific children for acceleration in reading, writing and mathematics. Of these children a few made acceleration in reading.

The school was unable to provide progress and acceleration information for 2019.

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?

Children learn in settled environments. They know the expectations and are encouraged to collaborate which each other across all year levels.

Parents and whānau receive useful information about how they can support their child’s learning. The school has drawn on community resources and expertise to promote and extend student learning opportunities. Students have regular opportunities to engage with te ao and te reo Māori.

The documented curriculum and school charter reflect the local context to support students make connections to their culture, language and identity.

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

In 2017, systems and processes to guide school operation and practices were established. These have not been sustained.

Teaching programmes need to be strengthened to ensure all children have maximum opportunity to learn and achieve at or above the appropriate curriculum level.

Students need to be given explicit teaching and the opportunity to develop learning strategies such as goal setting, self-monitoring and assessing. Developing teacher understanding of student agency, combined with more opportunities for student choice, should allow for children to have more personalised learning programmes and greater engagement in their learning.

Leaders and teachers need to develop current assessment knowledge and practices that are purposeful and timely to inform teaching and learning. This should assist with identifying progress and acceleration to ensure children are supported to reach their potential.

Establishing schoolwide understanding of evaluation, inquiry and knowledge building should support sustainability and inform ongoing improvement and innovation.

The board has not met legislative obligations in relation to the principal’s appraisal. Since 2017, there has been no appraisal process for the principal or teachers. A suitable process should be implemented, linked to the school’s strategic priorities and the principal’s development needs. Leadership should develop guidelines to assist teachers to understand school and legislative requirements for performance management.

When needed, trustees have sought relevant advice and guidance. However, the board has not maintained its policies, procedures and practices in regard to health and safety, curriculum and personnel.

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 Patutahi School performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Needs development.

ERO will maintain an ongoing relationship with the school to build capacity and evaluate progress.

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:

  • relationships with whānau and the community that recognise and enhance children’s equitable access to experiences.

Next steps

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

  • extending leaders’ and teachers’ understanding of the effective use of data to accelerate learners’ progress and achievement
  • strengthening processes to ensure a systematic approach to gathering, and analysing data, and monitoring progress for all children
  • effectively implementing a curriculum that enacts its vision for teaching and learning and promotes student agency
  • promoting quality teaching and learning programmes
  • internal evaluation processes and practices using data from a range of sources to better identify what is working well for students’ learning and where improvements are needed
  • reviewing of policies and procedures to ensure these reflect the current practice of the school and legislative changes.

Actions for compliance

ERO identified significant areas of non-compliance in:

  • emotional safety of students (including prevention of bullying)
  • physical safety of students
  • curriculum
  • teacher registration and certification
  • processes for appointing staff including school policies in relation to meeting the requirements of the Children’s Act 2014.
    [National Administration Guidelines 1,2,3,5]

Since the onsite phase of the review the school has provided policies and procedures to evidence they are meeting legislative requirements in:

  • emotional safety of students (including prevention of bullying)
  • physical safety of students
  • processes for appointing staff including school policies in relation to meeting the requirements of the Children’s Act 2014.
    [National Administration Guidelines 1,2,3,5]

The next phase is to ensure these are implemented, adhered to, and monitored.

Recommendations to other agencies

ERO recommends that the Secretary for Education consider intervention under Part 7A of the Education Act 1989 in order to bring about improvements in:

  • curriculum
  • personnel
  • governance.

Phillip Cowie

Director Review and Improvement Services Central

Central Region

20 December 2019

About the school

Location

Gisborne

Ministry of Education profile number

2643

School type

Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)

School roll

19

Gender composition

Female 12, Male 7

Ethnic composition

Māori 19

Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS)

No

Provision of Māori medium education

No

Review team on site

October 2019

Date of this report

20 December 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review June 2017
Education Review October 2014
Education Review November 2011