Avalon School

School Context

Avalon School in Lower Hutt has a roll of 235 Years 1 to 6 students from many ethnic backgrounds, including 41% Māori and 20% Samoan. The roll grown since the November 2014 ERO review. It includes students with highly complex learning needs and those who have English as their second language.

The school’s vision is for all children to ‘dare to dream’ of the possible opportunities for the future. The school emphasises turangawaewae - being a place where students and families feel they belong, can contribute and have their identity and individuality respected.

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

• achievement and progress in reading, writing and mathematics in relation to year level curriculum expectations
• progress and achievement in relation to school targets.

The principal and deputy principal are experienced in their professional leadership roles. There has been significant teacher turnover since the previous ERO review.

Whole school professional learning and development (PLD) is focused on building teacher knowledge and inclusion in the curriculum of te ao Māori that will contribute to greater success for Māori students; and supporting more effective learning links with Māori whānau and other groups in the community.

The school is part of the Naenae Kāhui Ako|Community of Learning. 

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?

Raising achievement across the school remains a priority.

In 2016, the school reported that approximately half of the students achieved at or above the year level curriculum expectation in reading and mathematics. The percentage at this level in writing was lower. The number of students achieving at expectation has decreased since 2014.

Pacific students overall achieve at a higher level than Māori, but the gap between them has reduced in reading and writing. Boys and girls achieve at similar levels overall.

Goals linked to individual circumstances are set for students with additional learning needs. Many achieve the specific aims identified in their learning plans.

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

A range of school practices and processes support many Māori, Pacific and other students to make accelerated progress.

Information collected in 2017 indicates that approximately half of the students in Years 4 to 6, who were below curriculum expectation at the start of the year in reading and mathematics, made accelerated progress by the end of Term 3. One-third were making similar progress in writing. In the junior classes most who were below expectation in literacy made accelerated progress.

For most students the progress they make over a year is not sufficient to reach the expected level for their year group. Analysis completed by school to show progress over an extended period indicates the longer a student attends the school, the more likely they are to be achieving at expected levels.

2 School conditions for equity and excellence

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

A range of school processes and practices contribute to improved outcomes for many students.

Positive, supportive and respectful relationships with students and their families are well established. Parent and whānau feedback identifies areas of strength. They are encouraged to take an active role in their children’s learning and are well informed about their progress. Children’s uniqueness is valued and celebrated. The school has identified the need to build on these relational links, through current PLD, to further develop learning partnerships.

Staff, leaders and trustees respond to the diverse school community by ensuring a culture of inclusion and care to support the wellbeing and learning of all students that is strongly evident throughout the school. 

Teachers are very aware of the needs of students and the next steps to support their progress. They develop action plans for meeting the needs of students in each class. A range of assessment tools are used to identify learning strengths and gaps, inform teaching and consider progress over time. Teachers use a range of strategies and differentiated programmes to respond to the requirements of learners. Teachers ask appropriate questions and provide relevant feedback that extends learning opportunities. In the classes observed by ERO, students were actively engaged in learning tasks for sustained periods.

Comprehensive programmes support students with additional learning needs. Leaders, teachers, education assistants and parents regularly share information about wellbeing and learning needs. Each child’s progress and achievement is tracked. Leaders and teachers have purposeful connections with external agencies to support individuals’ wellbeing and achievement. Students with high and very complex learning needs are well supported. Teachers and assistants demonstrate positive, purposeful relationships with these learners. They know the children well and engage them respectfully. Children regularly interact with other students in classrooms and the playground.

The principal provides to the board a comprehensive range of reports about the achievement of various groups of students. Board annual targets reflect the areas identified as requiring most improvement based on the previous year’s achievement information. The principal informs trustees of the progress of targeted students and factors that may be impacting on the extent of this. Trustees use the information to inform their decision making.

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

Trustees, leaders and teachers are reflective and improvement focused. They should continue to strengthen systematic evaluation of the effectiveness of teaching and initiatives to support acceleration and improve student achievement.

To assist the school’s internal evaluation, reporting to the board should be strengthened by including consideration of the impact of actions and initiatives to support students with additional needs. It should also provide more information about the progress of all students below expectation, not just those who have been specifically targeted.

Teachers are developing shared understanding of classroom practices that will increase consistency of teaching to promote improved student outcomes. Well-considered, whole-school PLD about cultural responsiveness has led to a re-defining of expectations for teacher practice. Building consistent student understanding of the purpose of learning is a next step for teachers.

Teacher action plans that guide classroom learning are re-considered termly. Increasing the extent to which this review includes evaluation of the effectiveness of teacher responses to those learners requiring acceleration, should enable the plans to more successfully support progress.

The teacher appraisal process reflects Education Council expectations. To enable it to more effectively support teacher improvement and student outcomes leaders and teachers should: include individual development goals; continue to develop teaching as inquiry; and increase the extent to which teacher reflections on the Practising Teacher Criteria are linked to how well their practices are impacting on student progress.

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.

Actions for compliance

ERO identified non-compliance in relation to consulting with the community about delivery of the health curriculum.

In order to address this, the board of trustees must adopt a statement on the delivery of the health curriculum, at least once in every two years, after consultation with the school community.
[Section 60B Education Act 1989]

4 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

• the depth of knowledge of individual student’s learning strengths and challenges that enables teachers to focus on specific needs likely to contribute to progress
• establishing belonging through respectful and inclusive relationships for children, their families and whānau that provides a platform for learning
• programmes and initiatives that support a diverse range of learners to experience success. 

Next steps

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

• building a shared understanding of quality teaching practices to support further acceleration in progress for those students who are below expectation
• continuing to build culturally responsive practices to improve valued outcomes for Māori and Pacific learners
• reporting to the board to enable trustees to ensure resourcing for students with complex and additional needs is appropriately targeted
• strengthening internal evaluation processes and practices
  [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

2 March 2018

About the school