1 Context
What are the important features of this school that have an impact on student learning?
Appleby School is located in a semi-rural setting. It celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2009 and has an ongoing history of having strong links with its community. These links, and the use teachers make of the immediate and wider community, enrich students' learning and promote their sense of belonging.
The school has a range of facilities including a swimming pool, library, adventure playgrounds and a hall. Students enjoy these facilities to support and extend their learning and development.
Since the school’s February 2011 ERO review, there have been several changes in staff. These include a change in deputy principal in 2014. The board and principal successfully recruit staff who enhance teaching and learning and add to the school’s positive culture.
Curriculum and professional development have helped to support the effective use of information technologies to support teaching and learning, extend the practices teachers use to improve students’ written language skills and promote the school’s values.
The active "Friends Of Appleby School” (FOAS) group holds events that promote and build positive relationships. These events include a very successful annual fair. The board and principal make good use of the significant funds raised by this group to support students such as funding additional staff and extending resources.
Many of the positive features noted in the school’s last ERO report have been sustained and in many instances enhanced. Areas for development and review have been addressed well.
2 Learning
How well does this school use achievement information to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement?
The school makes very good use of achievement information to make positive changes to learners' engagement, progress and achievement.
School leaders and teachers systematically gather and use a wide range of reliable student achievement information, particularly in literacy and mathematics. Consistency in assessment practices and well-developed student records enable school-wide achievement information to be accurately reported.
The principal and teachers make effective use of this information to make well-informed judgements about individual students' achievement, progress, strengths and needs.
Effective use of achievement information is also clearly evident in the way leaders and teachers use it to:
- accurately identify common and individual student learning needs and strengths
- give useful feedback to students that helps them to identify their strengths and next learning steps
- provide informative reports to parents in ways that help to build a sense of partnership.
Teachers are very responsive to the identified learning needs of students. They clearly include students’ strengths and needs when planning classroom programmes, considering teaching practices and grouping students.
A well-managed, and implemented, range of additional support helps students with the most significant learning needs to make progress. Close monitoring of the impact of this support for students helps teachers to evaluate its effectiveness, target their teaching and improve provisions.
Areas for Review and Development
To help build on current practices school leaders should now:
- explore ways of further reporting on student achievement and progress beyond literacy and mathematics
- extend the analysis of student progress by further tracking the progress that specific groups of students make over their time at the school.
3 Curriculum
How effectively does this school’s curriculum promote and support student learning?
The school’s curriculum effectively promotes and supports student learning.
Students achieve highly in literacy and mathematics. For example, the majority of students are achieving above the National Standards in reading, mathematics and written language. Comparisons with previous years, indicate a general lift in achievement levels since the school’s last ERO review.
Students also achieve significant success in a variety of other areas including both sporting and cultural activities.
The board, school leaders and staff have developed an effective learning environment for students. Factors contributing to this environment include the:
- very positive and supportive relationships that exist across the school and the way students help one another
- high priority placed on fostering values, promoting students’ wellbeing and celebrating their successes
- established school and class routines and practices that ensure a strong focus is maintained on learning
- interactions that encourage students to take appropriate risks and respond to challenges in ways that extend their learning.
A strong sense of whānau helps to promote a safe learning-focused environment, where students’ wellbeing and sense of belonging are actively fostered.
The learning opportunities students experience, are consistent with the school’s goal to provide a rich, balanced and relevant curriculum. The school’s collaboratively designed curriculum is supported by the wide range and varied nature of experiences students have both within, and beyond the school.
School programmes are balanced and engaging and result in students having opportunities to achieve success across the curriculum. Teachers consistently take into account students' strengths, interests and everyday experiences in their planning and this makes their learning meaningful.
A sample of students talked to by reviewers confirmed that they enjoy coming to school and appreciate the range of learning experiences they take part in.
Teachers make consistent use of a wide variety of effective practices known to foster student progress and achievement. For example teachers:
- have high and clear expectations and actively support students to reach these
- make sure their teaching is purposeful and well paced
- use practices and provide feedback to students that give focus to their learning, extend their thinking and increase their independence
- make effective use of a variety of resources to support learning and teaching.
The quality of teaching programmes and practices successfully motivates and engages students in their learning.
How effectively does the school promote educational success for Māori, as Māori?
The school’s positive learning environment, rich and varied curriculum and its recognition of students’ cultural background provides Māori students with a good platform for achieving success as Māori. Students are strongly encouraged to use their abilities in ways that lead to success and achievement.
The community, board and staff are fully committed to ensuring all students develop a strong awareness of Aotearoa/New Zealand’s bicultural heritage. For instance the board and school leaders are successfully establishing stronger links with local iwi and a trustee is actively exploring additional ways of extending opportunities for bicultural learning.
All students have good opportunities to further their awareness and knowledge of te reo and tikanga Māori. They take part in a pōwhiri when visiting their local marae. The school is supported by a Māori advisor with cultural expertise. Such activities, along with others noted above, help Māori students to enjoy success as Māori.
Māori students are achieving very well academically in this school. Their achievement is similar to their peers, and in some instances, a little higher.
4 Sustainable Performance
How well placed is the school to sustain and improve its performance?
This school is very well placed to sustain and improve its performance.
The principal, with the support of other leaders and staff, effectively leads the school and sets the direction for learning and teaching. He makes well-informed decisions and has a strong commitment to continually improve teaching and learning.
The principal, along with others, has successfully created a school culture that promotes high expectations, welcomes new ideas and promotes critical thinking. Good use is made of staff strengths. Teachers are encouraged to be innovative and reflective about their teaching and students’ learning. Collaboration and collegiality are strongly evident. As a result leaders and teachers work together in ways that clearly benefit students.
The board governs the school effectively. Trustees have the range of skills and experiences necessary to perform their roles. The board shows the same strong commitment to ongoing school improvement and continuing to raise student achievement as the principal.
A strong sense of partnership exists between the board, principal, other leaders, staff and the community. This sense of partnership and effective governance is promoted by clear direction setting, good communication and the regular monitoring of planned developments along with how well the board is meeting its obligations.
The board’s ongoing programme of self review provides regular opportunities for staff, parents, and students to provide it with useful feedback. Trustees' effective use of this feedback, along with information provided by the principal and teachers, to inform their decisions.
The board actively supports teaching and learning through their practical assistance, provision of resources and significant additional staffing.
Areas for Review and Development
Some refinements to curriculum self-review practices would increase their usefulness. For example, greater focus on evaluating the factors that are contributing to student achievement would help to clarify what is working well and where improvements could occur.
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.
When is ERO likely to review the school again?
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in four-to-five years.
Graham Randell
National Manager Review Services
Southern Region
11 April 2014
About the School
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Location
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Richmond, Nelson
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Ministry of Education profile number
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3180
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School type
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Contributing (Years 1 to 6)
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School roll
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102
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Gender composition
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Boys 54% Girls 46%
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Ethnic composition
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NZ European/Pākehā
Māori
Pacific
Other Ethnicities
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87%
10%
1%
2%
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Review team on site
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February 2014
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Date of this report
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11 April 2014
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Most recent ERO reports
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Education Review
Education Review
Education Review
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February 2011
April 2008
May 2005
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