Waikirikiri School

1 Context

Waikirikiri School in Gisborne, on the East Coast, provides education for children in Years 1 to 8. The school continues to provide education through the medium of te reo Māori in three te reo rumaki modalities (shared learning spaces), and four reo-rua modalities that provide a te reo Maori enrichment programme within an English medium context. All children attending the school whakapapa to Ngāti Porou. The school's vision, values and curriculum are strongly underpinned by te reo me nga tikanga o Ngāti Porou.

Since the 2013 ERO review, an operations manual for the board has been developed to provide clear expectations for trustee roles and responsibilities. Teachers have participated in ongoing professional learning and development related to leadership, innovative learning environments and assessment of children's learning. While the school is waiting for new buildings, there are challenges for teachers and students as current learning spaces are not designed for the purpose of teaching in an innovative learning environment. The new leadership team has been participating in ongoing coaching and mentoring to build leadership capacity across the school.

The passing away of three valued, senior school leaders in 2016 was a sad loss for the school's community. Haere e te aumangea ki te iti kahurangi.

2 Equity and excellence

The vision and valued outcomes defined by the school for all children are expressed in a vision statement from Sir Apirana Ngata:

E tipu e rea mō ngā rā o tō ao

Ko tō ringa ki ngā rākau a te Pākehā

Hei ara mō te tinana

Ko tō ngākau ki ngā tāonga a ō tīpuna Māori Hei tikitiki mō tō māhuna,

Ko tō wairua ki tō atua, Nānā nei ngā mea katoa.

The vision is underpinned by the values Mana Ahua Ake, Whatumanawa, Mauri, Hinengaro, Ngā Taonga Tuku Iho, Te Taha Tinana, Whanaungatanga.

The school’s achievement information shows that over the last three years the vast majority of children achieved at or above National Standards in reading and mathematics. In writing, results show almost all children achieved at or above the National Standard.

In relation to Ngā Whanaketanga the school's achievement information shows that the vast majority of children achieve at or above expected standards in pānui pukapuka. The numbers of children achieving continue to increase over time. In tuhituhi, the number of children achieving at or above expected standards has increased to include the vast majority. In kōrero and pāngarau a significant number of children achieve at or above expected standards.

Teachers gather a range of useful assessment data to make overall teacher judgements (OTJs) about children's progress and achievement. These OTJs are currently moderated internally by teachers and senior leaders.

Since the last ERO evaluation the school has embedded teaching as inquiry to promote teacher reflections on innovative learning practices.

The school has also:

continued to implement and refine marau-ā-kura, a place-based curriculum, Te Papatipu o Horouta, which affirms that being Māori is an asset, includes Ngāti Poroutanga language, culture and identity and these initiatives are leading to Māori achieving success

• reorganised learning spaces in preparation for an expected school upgrade to innovative learning environments
• implemented teaching practices appropriate for innovative learning environments
• implemented a range of initiatives that strengthen whānau engagement as informed partners in children's learning
• continued to provide effective interventions that respond to children with special learning needs.

3 Accelerating achievement

How effectively does this school respond to children whose learning and achievement need acceleration?

The school responds effectively to children whose learning and achievement needs accelerating with comprehensive support systems. All children at Waikirikiri School identify as Maori.

Trustees receive regular reports about student achievement and use this information to support decision-making and strategic planning. Leaders analyse data to track and monitor groups and individual children's progress. This data is used well to inform decision making about next steps for professional learning and development. Teachers use achievement information well to identify the names, numbers and learning needs of all children. Many teachers use achievement data and learning progressions well to inform planning that responds to individual student learning needs.

Important next steps are to:

• develop a consistent approach to implementing daily and weekly collaborative planning. This is likely to promote further clarity for teachers as they reflect on how effectively they respond to the learning needs of children whose achievement needs accelerating
• strengthen the processes for making OTJs. Leaders and teachers should review assessment tools and processes to include appropriate norm-referenced tools. In addition, teachers should consider moderating assessment with other schools. This is likely to improve the dependability of the school's achievement information.

A particular feature of the school is the comprehensive range of initiatives to promote success for children and whānau. This holistic approach is promoting equitable conditions for learning and participation and a strong sense of belonging and wellbeing for children and whānau. Strengths that contribute to accelerated learning for students requiring support are:

• the integration of meaningful, authentic local contexts for learning
• planned interventions with specialist teachers and teacher aides, and individual in-class learning opportunities with teachers
• strong and informed partnerships with whānau that support children's learning at home
• effective use of digital technology to motivate children and consolidate their learning
• individual education plans for targeted children and effective strategies that increasingly promote children's ability to manage their own learning.

Culturally responsive practices are strongly evident at all levels of the life of the school.

4 School conditions

How effectively do the school’s curriculum and other organisational processes and practices develop and enact the school’s vision, values, goals and targets for equity and excellence?

The school's curriculum, including the vision and values, are effectively promoting equity and excellence for children. Teachers work as one whānau across both the Whānau Reo-Rua and Whānau Rumaki. This collaborative approach to reciprocal learning is benefitting children. Particular features of the school's curriculum are:

• a place-based curriculum, Te Papatipu o Horouta, that affirms children's language, culture and identity
• well known school kawa (values) that promote a positive and responsive culture where children are ready for learning
• the collective participation of students, teachers and whanau in the development of the curriculum that includes an appropriate focus on literacy, mathematics, pāngarau and te reo matatini
• rich oral language learning opportunities
• the integration of learning dispositions that support children as powerful learners.

Transitions into the school are well planned and include familiar learning environments for new entrant children and their whānau. Children who transition to intermediate and high school return to Waikirikiri School as inspirational role models. Priority learners have many opportunities to be leaders through tuakana-teina relationships. Children and whānau benefit from a wide range of opportunities to experience success in sporting, artistic, cultural and environmental activities.

Teachers are developing their skills as reflective practitioners. They have identified a shared philosophy of teaching linked to innovative learning practice. Student achievement information and strategies that promote success for individuals and groups of children are shared at regular meetings. There are examples of well-planned, individualised programmes for children whose learning needs acceleration. They promote caring and positive relationships amongst children. A settled and positive tone in well-presented and well-resourced classrooms is promoting high levels of engagement and enthusiasm for learning.

The priority placed on increasing student agency has resulted in the introduction of:

• a graduate profile with clearly identified outcomes
• increased opportunities for children to follow their own interests for learning within inquiry topics
• accessing learning anywhere, anytime
• use of strategies that support students to take more responsibility for their own learning.

School leaders should ensure that these good practices are implemented consistently across all modalities. Teachers should continue to extend on and explore strategies such as the use of individualised learning progressions that enable students to identify their own learning needs and next steps.

The principal and senior leaders continue to provide strong, culturally responsive leadership. They promote the school's vision for equity and excellence through clear, high expectations and reflective practice. Leaders place high value on consultation, and actively seek and respond to whānau perspectives and aspirations. New initiatives are carefully researched, and aligned to Waikirikiri values and beliefs. The principal makes a positive contribution to the wider educational and social community. She holds high expectations for the ongoing professional development of all staff, has implemented an appropriate appraisal system, and fosters emergent leadership amongst the teaching team. Māori children experience meaningful opportunities to build their understanding of the advantages and significance of their cultural heritage.

Trustees work in a positive partnership with school leaders to provide effective governance. They are strongly representative of the school's community and bring a range of useful skills and expertise to benefit the school. New trustees are well supported by experienced trustees and attend trustee training for aspects of their roles and responsibilities. They receive regular reports about progress towards meeting the strategic aims. Good use is made of internal evaluation processes to review strategic plans, policies, and aspects of health and safety. Trustees seek external support for the annual appraisal of the principal, as well as advice and guidance for aspects of governance. There are action plans with clearly documented outcomes aligned to strategic aims. Good stewardship places the school in a strong position to sustain positive outcomes for children and promote their success.

It is important to set clear and specific targets in the school's charter related to the children whose learning requires acceleration. Principal's reports to the board should directly and overtly report on progress in relation to these targets. In addition, teacher inquiries should be clearly aligned to charter targets with a focus on the children whose learning requires acceleration. This alignment is likely to support the school to respond with greater clarity to the specific strengths and learning needs

5 Going forward

How well placed is the school to accelerate the achievement of all children who need it?

Leaders and teachers:

• know the children whose learning and achievement need to be accelerated
• respond to the strengths, needs and interests of each child
• regularly evaluate how teaching is working for these children
• need to systematically act on what they know works for each child
• need to have a plan in place to build teacher capability to accelerate the achievement of all children who need it.

Factors contributing to acceleration and achievement are:

• effective governance
• collaborative professional leadership
• comprehensive frameworks and documentation for tracking and monitoring the aims and goals of the Charter to promote equitable outcomes for all children
• a collaboratively developed local curriculum that maintains and enhances children's identity as Māori and Ngāti Porou
• an holistic approach to empowering whānau and enhancing children's readiness for learning
• a strategic and proactive approach to researching and implementing innovative learning practices that enhance learning.

Leaders should give further consideration to:

• building consistency for planning and teaching practices, including daily and weekly planning
• exploring strategies that enable students to identify their own learning needs and next steps
• strengthening the dependability of overall teacher judgements
• more explicitly focusing achievement targets on children whose learning needs accelerating and aligning these to internal evaluation and teacher inquiries
• a strategic and ongoing approach to training for trustees.

Action: The board, principal and teachers should use the findings of this evaluation, the Effective School Evaluation resource, the Internal Evaluation: Good Practice exemplars and the School Evaluation Indicators to develop more targeted planning to accelerate student achievement. Planning should show how processes and practices will respond effectively to the strengths and needs of children whose learning and achievement need to be accelerated.

As part of this review ERO will continue to monitor the school’s planning and the progress the school makes. ERO is likely to carry out the next full review in three years.

6 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 the following:

• board administration

• curriculum

• management of health, safety and welfare

• personnel management

• 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

• processes for appointing staff

• stand down, suspensions, expulsions and exclusions

• attendance

• compliance with the provisions of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014 

7 Recommendations

Trustees and leaders should make more effective use of achievement information, school wide:

• to further inform and enable deliberate teaching
• to set specific annual targets related to students whose progress needs accelerating.

These actions should support a targeted approach to meeting children's learning needs and ensure teachers regularly reflect on the effectiveness of their teaching. 

Lynda Pura-Watson Deputy Chief Review Officer

23 February 2017

About the school