Brandon Intermediate

Brandon Intermediate

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 18 months of the Education Review Office and Brandon Intermediate 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 

Brandon Intermediate School is located in Porirua East and provides education for Years 7 and 8 learners.

Brandon Intermediate School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

  • accelerating success across all learning areas

  • a focus on the learning needs of each and every student.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Brandon Intermediate School’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how effectively collective leadership capacity is being strengthened to promote continuous improvement of students’ achievement outcomes.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

  • that leaders have identified the need to collectively review current practices, and put in place improvement strategies to raise student achievement and outcomes

  • to strengthen the evaluative capability of all leaders in using data evidence from evaluation to inquire and build knowledge, so that the progress of learners at risk of underachievement will be accelerated.

The school expects to see the evaluative capability of all leaders strengthened through using data evidence from evaluation to inquire and build knowledge. The progress of learners at risk of underachievement will be accelerated.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to evaluate how effectively collective leadership capacity is being strengthened to promote continuous improvement of students’ achievement outcomes:

  • the development of a structured, consistent schoolwide system of inquiry, focused on accelerating outcomes for all learners in 2021-22

  • learning programmes that are inclusive and provide appropriate support and challenge

  • the growing of leaders’ and teachers’ pedagogical understanding, and culturally responsive practices

  • the building of respectful and supportive relationships with whānau, and the wider community.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will continue to prioritise:

  • growing a shared understanding of the effective use of assessment to guide and shape learning programmes and improve student outcomes

  • reviewing, aligning, and evaluating schoolwide systems and processes that support and promote student learning and achievement

  • building learning-centred partnerships between students, staff and whānau.

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.

Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini

12 September 2022 

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

Brandon Intermediate

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2021 to 2024

As of September 2021, the Brandon Intermediate Board of Trustees 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 Brandon Intermediate Board of Trustees.

The next Board of Trustees assurance that it is meeting regulatory and legislative requirements is due in December 2024.

Information on ERO’s role and process in this review can be found on the Education Review Office website.

Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini

14 December 2021 

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

Brandon Intermediate - 15/08/2017

Summary

Brandon Intermediate is situated in Cannon’s Creek, Porirua. The roll of 142 students in Years 7 and 8, comprises of 20% Māori and 73% Pacific learners.

The acting principal and deputy principal at the time of the 2014 review were appointed fulltime. There have been significant staff changes over the last three years. The school acts as a technology hub for a number of local primary schools.

Leaders and trustees have responded positively to areas identified in the June 2014 ERO report and have made considerable progress in addressing key issues.

How well is the school achieving equitable outcomes for all children?

School leaders, teachers and trustees are taking appropriate steps to reduce disparity and achieve equitable outcomes for all students.

Achievement levels for all groups of learners are very low on entry at Year 7 and overall remain below the National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics through Year 8. Although a number of students have their progress accelerated, it is not yet consistent for all.

The school has a positive learning environment. There are respectful, supportive relationships between teachers and students. Classes are settled with students engaged in their work. Children show confidence in their identity, language and culture. This strong cultural identity provides support for many students in their learning. Children learn and achieve through culturally responsive teaching practices.

The school has capacity and capability to accelerate learning for all children. However, disparity in achievement for Māori and other children remains.

Leaders and teachers:

  • know the children whose learning and achievement need to be accelerated

  • need to develop and implement approaches that effectively meet the needs of each child.

The school agrees to:

  • develop more targeted planning to accelerate learning for children
  • strengthen monitoring of targeted planning, improved teaching, and children’s progress
  • discuss the school’s progress with ERO.

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

Equity and excellence

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

The school is improving its response to Māori, Pacific and other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration. Plans have been developed to accelerate the progress of those identified at risk of not achieving. School wide initiatives and professional development are supporting teachers to implement these plans. Increasingly, children have a clear idea about the purpose of their learning and levels of achievement.

School data show that outcomes for children between 2014 and 2016 have been variable. Data from 2016 shows an improvement over previous years. School leaders report that as a result of improvements in the collection and analysis of data, trustees and staff now have more reliable achievement and wellbeing information to work from. This information enables them to respond more effectively to children whose learning and achievement need acceleration.

Many children arrive at the school with low levels of achievement in literacy and numeracy. The school’s data shows progress accelerates for a number of these learners in reading, writing and mathematics over their two years in the school.

School conditions supporting equity and excellence

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

School processes and actions are beginning to help to achieve equity and excellence for all children.

Positive progress has been made in helping staff to focus on learners who require different and varied teaching and learning approaches to accelerate their progress. Teachers share goals with children and are more explicit in their teaching.

Processes for ensuring that teacher judgements in relation to the National Standards are increasingly more effective. Teachers are supported to link curriculum expectations to assessments and provide opportunities for children to use reading, writing and mathematics in different learning areas.

Trustees and school leaders have identified key areas for development and are making changes to support the school’s ongoing improvement. The board’s commitment to culturally responsive practice is designed to enhance partnerships with families and whānau focus on their children’s learning progress.

School leaders, trustees and teachers are supporting children’s achievement of valued outcomes by:

  • more coherent school wide planning

  • promoting digital technology as a tool to support learning. 

Sustainable development for equity and excellence

What further developments are needed in school processes to achieve equity and excellence?

School leaders have identified and ERO’s evaluation affirms, that key areas for review and development to promote equitable outcomes for all students, are to:

  • refine target setting to include a common definition of acceleration and more clearly identify and focus on individuals and groups at risk of not achieving
  • more effectively track, monitor and report on the progress of target learners
  • review and strengthen teacher inquiry to link with appraisal and school wide targets
  • enhance children’s capability to have greater responsibility for their learning
  • thoroughly review the school’s curriculum to ensure coverage of all key aspects
  • continue strengthening relationships with families and whānau.

The school is a member of the local Community of Learning| Kāhui Ako. They support the ongoing focus on raising levels of achievement by working more closely with contributing primary schools to set agreed achievement ‘signposts’ and moderate teacher assessment judgements.

An established self-review process is in place that is reflective, informs decision making and leads to ongoing improvement. Strengthening the evaluative aspects of review should support trustees and teachers to more effectively measure the impact of systems and processes on student outcomes and identify next steps.

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

  • 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.

Appraisal audit

There is an appropriate appraisal process that affirms teacher practices and should contribute to ongoing teacher improvement. 

Going forward

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

The school has capacity and capability to accelerate learning for all children. However, disparity in achievement for Māori and other children remains.

Leaders and teachers:

  • know the children whose learning and achievement need to be accelerated

  • need to develop and implement approaches that effectively meet the needs of each child.

The school agrees to:

  • develop more targeted planning to accelerate learning for children

  • strengthen monitoring of targeted planning, improved teaching, and children’s progress

  • discuss the school’s progress with ERO.

ERO will provide an internal evaluation workshop to support the school to develop effective planning and monitoring processes to support equity and excellence for all children. 

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

Alan Wynyard

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)

15 August 2017

About the school 

Location

Porirua

Ministry of Education profile number

2814

School type

Intermediate

School roll

142

Gender composition

Male 56%, Female 44%

Ethnic composition

Māori 20%
Samoan 34%
Tokelauan 18%
Cook Island Māori 18%
Other ethnic groups 10%

Provision of Māori medium education

No

Review team on site

June 2017

Date of this report

15 August 2017

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review June 2014
Education Review June 2012
Education Review April 2010