Tawhai School

Education institution number:
3036
School type:
Contributing
School gender:
Co-Educational
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
291
Telephone:
Address:

69 Glen Road, Stokes Valley, Lower Hutt

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Tawhai School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within eighteen months of the Education Review Office and Tawhai 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 

Tawhai School is a year 1 to 6 primary school which promotes educational success through holistic learning in Lower Hutt, Wellington. The school is well supported by the Board of Trustees that actively involves and encourages whānau engagement, learner achievement and wellbeing. Tawhai has a culture of innovative and sustainable teaching enabling students to lead their learning. The school has strong relationships with both local marae, which guide and support tikanga and cultural practices.

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

  • to engage and empower teachers to make the Tawhai School curriculum thrive

  • to empower our children to flourish by taking risks and action in their learning

  • to nurture collaboration with whānau to enable active learning partnerships.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate Māori learners’ engagement and achievement, through building positive relationships and cultural awareness.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to raise levels of Māori engagement and achievement, through fostering positive relationships across the school, building cultural capability and deepening learning-based partnerships with whānau.

The school expects to see:

  • multiple opportunities for whānau and student involvement, voice gathering, and participation in goal setting. Māori whānau and the Tawhai roopu whānau consulted to ensure successful outcomes for Māori students

  • teachers strengthening culturally responsive practices in the classroom, such as te reo me tikanga Māori and the nurturing and growth of the school’s cultural narrative.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to raise engagement and achievement through building positive relationships and cultural awareness:

  • a Board of Trustees committed to resourcing the growth of staff cultural competence and pedagogical practice

  • aligned systems and processes that support authentic internal evaluation that enable leaders and teachers to measure the impact of building positive relationships and cultural awareness

  • positive, engaged staff committed to their improvement journey and the raising of engagement and achievement of all Māori learners.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • professional development that challenges and impacts on leaders’ and teachers’ culturally responsive practices and supports equity and excellence for all Māori learners

  • further strengthening partnerships with whānau through learning-based conversations and deliberately planned reciprocal interactions.

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.

Kathy Lye
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini

15 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

Tawhai School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2021 to 2024

As of October 2021, the Tawhai 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 Tawhai 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.

Kathy Lye
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini

15 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

Tawhai School - 03/02/2016

Findings

A responsive and inclusive curriculum promotes engagement, learning and success for diverse groups of learners. Students achieve well in relation to National Standards. Relationships are positive and respectful. Partnerships are formed with whānau and parents. An effective leadership team and ongoing teacher inquiry drive acceleration of student progress and schoolwide improvement.

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

1 Context

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

Tawhai School, in Stokes Valley, caters for students from Years 1 to 6. At the time of this review it had a roll of 365 students with just under a quarter identifying as Māori. The senior leadership team has been in place since the November 2012 ERO report. Several new teachers have been appointed, some due to roll growth.

Significant property developments since the previous ERO report include the creation of a cycle track, classrooms to accommodate additional student numbers and refurbishment of the administration block.

Trustees and school staff demonstrate a commitment to promote educational success for all students. Relationships with whānau are reciprocal and respectful, providing a positive platform for students’ holistic development.

Teachers have been engaged in a professional learning network with a focus on writing, involving parents in their child’s learning and implementing future-focused practices in the classroom, including a considered use of e-learning.

Parents and whānau engage in the life of the school and actively support learning programmes.

2 Learning

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

Leaders, teachers and trustees are highly effective in using achievement information to make positive changes to engagement, progress and achievement for all students. Sound use of data underpins decision-making at all levels of school operation.

The 2015 school achievement data shows that most students achieve well in relation to the National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Significant increases in achievement are evident in 2015. The school is able to show which strategies made a difference to student achievement, especially for junior students.

Leaders and teachers make good use of information to identify individual and groups of students in need of additional support. Syndicates develop achievement targets that link to the schoolwide targets for individual students in classrooms. They put programmes and resources in place to assist and accelerate learning of individual students and regularly track their progress.

More focused teaching and changed classroom practices have accelerated the progress in writing for target student groups. Effective plans and tracking of student progress are established practices.

Teachers collaboratively inquire into the effectiveness of teaching practices used. They share and discuss student data and outcomes of their initiatives to improve learners’ rates of progress. These developments are part of the school’s wider long-term planning that include: further developing students’ independence; changed classroom physical environments; and development of related teacher practices.

Trustees are well informed about student achievement through the principal’s reports. These provide useful information and progress updates in relation to school goals, annual plans, targets and overall student achievement. Trustees use this information to inform their decision-making in regard to resourcing of learning support, budget and staffing decisions.

Parents receive informative reports. Evidential portfolios supplement written reporting.

3 Curriculum

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

The Tawhai School’s curriculum is very effective in promoting and supporting student learning. It provides a wide range of opportunities, strategies and resources for students to be successful learners. A graduate profile of expectations guides the six-year learning pathway.

School values are clearly articulated and evident in practice. Student wellbeing is a priority. Behaviour management practices are clear, affirming and well enacted.

Teachers and leaders have high expectations for curriculum delivery and student achievement. They develop valued and reciprocal relationships with students. This has a positive impact on school climate which is friendly and caring.

Programmes are designed collaboratively to engage students in meaningful learning which enables them to progress and achieve. There is an appropriate focus on literacy and numeracy. Other curriculum areas are delivered using an integrated, inquiry-based approach.

Students learn in caring, collaborative communities with well-established routines and expectations for positive participation in learning. They are engaged and active in their learning within classrooms. Teachers have begun to develop students’ understanding and ownership of their learning. They have identified a need to continue to grow this practice.

Senior students experience a range of useful opportunities to grow their leadership skills.

An inclusive culture is evident. Students with high needs are well integrated into classrooms. Their needs are known and addressed in partnership with parents and agencies.

The school’s recent involvement in a home-school partnership initiative has resulted in increased, meaningful parent involvement in their child’s learning.

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

Te reo me ngā tikanga Māori is highly valued and increasingly promoted to support and enable Māori student success.

Māori students are confident, well engaged, and experience learning in authentic Māori contexts. The 2015 data shows increased success rates for Māori in relation to National Standards. Those requiring additional support are clearly identified in school targets and their progress is regularly monitored.

There is a strong focus on developing meaningful partnerships with whānau, and the community. Leaders should continue to further gather and use whānau aspirations to define elements of success for their tamariki.

A next step is to weave identified cultural practices into appraisal processes in order to grow teachers’ cultural confidence and competence within the curriculum.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

Effective processes and practices enable the school to be very well placed to sustain and improve its performance. Development focus is well considered and implemented to promote students’ holistic development.

A cohesive, responsive and effective senior leadership team is committed to improving student achievement and school improvement. This is highly evident in school operation.

The board is well informed about its role and responsibilities. Leaders and trustees receive regular and useful reports on school performance. These include: progress towards school targets; effectiveness of programmes and interventions for students receiving additional support; and analysis of community consultation findings.

Leaders work with the community to review and develop the school vision, values and strategic direction. Leaders and trustees continue to build positive relationships across the school community. These partnerships are enhanced through regular community consultation, student-led reporting with parents, an online portal and an active parent-teacher organisation.

Teachers’ professional development is well considered and linked to curriculum development, school priorities and students' individual needs.

A strategic and coherent appraisal process is in place to build teachers’ professional capability and collective capacity. This process is effectively implemented by senior leaders and makes use of: evidence of student achievement; teachers inquiring into the effectiveness of practice; professional development; and the Practising Teacher Criteria.

Highly effective internal evaluation and reporting guides responsive decision-making. Leaders set and model clear expectations for reviewing and evaluating the quality and impact of programmes and practices. Schoolwide expectations, strategies and actions to promote improvements are shared and known at all levels of school operation. Expected learners’ outcomes drive school priorities, goals and targets.

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.

Conclusion

A responsive and inclusive curriculum promotes engagement, learning and success for diverse groups of learners. Students achieve well in relation to National Standards. Relationships are positive and respectful. Partnerships are formed with whānau and parents. An effective leadership team and ongoing teacher inquiry drive acceleration of student progress and schoolwide improvement.

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

Joyce Gebbie

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central

3 February 2016

School Statistics

Location

Stokes Valley, Lower Hutt

Ministry of Education profile number

3036

School type

Contributing (Year 1 to 6)

School roll

365

Gender composition

Boys 52%, Girls 48%

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Pacifica

Other ethnic groups

23%

60%

13%

4%

Review team on site

November 2015

Date of this report

3 February 2016

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

November 2012

August 2009

September 2006