Te Kāpehu Riccarton School

Te Kāpehu Riccarton School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within six months of the Education Review Office and Te Kāpehu Riccarton 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

Te Kāpehu Riccarton School is a Year 1 to 8 school situated in Christchurch. Te Kāpehu Riccarton School learners follow pathways of knowledge and discovery that lead to bright futures. The values of Mana, Manaaki, Manawaroa and Manawa Ora shape learners to be proud, caring and confident life-long learners, who make the most of every day. Te Kāpehu “All Stars” engage, connect, share ideas and seek, learn and flourish together.

Te Kāpehu Riccarton School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

  • a localised coherent curriculum pathway for learners, effective teacher professional development and insightful evaluation supports the progress and achievement of all ākonga.

  • learning and working environments support positive emotional wellbeing, ensuring teachers are able to teach, and learners are able to learn.

  • the function and design of the rebuild showcases the cultural narrative of Ngāi Tahu and enhances 21st century teaching and learning pedagogies.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Te Kāpehu Riccarton’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how effectively the localised curriculum supports increased equity and excellence for all students.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

  • the school has identified a need to further strengthen consistency of pedagogical practices.

  • current strategic priorities include a focus on the implementation of the localised curriculum.

The school expects to see improved equity and excellence outcomes for all students through further strengthening of consistent learning and teaching practices.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to evaluate how effectively the localised curriculum supports increased equity and excellence for all students.

  • Strong collective capacity to do and use internal evaluation and knowledge building for improvement and innovation with a clear focus on improving outcomes for learners.

  • The school board has a focused approach to improvement which supports shared understandings, while seeking continuous improvement.

  • Leaders and teachers are committed to ongoing professional learning that supports shared understandings of explicit and systematic teaching practices across the school.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • improving equitable and excellent outcomes in mathematics and literacy for all students through the strengthening of consistent pedagogical practices.

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.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

27 October 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

Te Kāpehu Riccarton School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2023 to 2026

As of June 2023, the Te Kāpehu Riccarton 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 Te Kāpehu Riccarton 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.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

27 October 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

Te Kāpehu Riccarton School

Provision for International Students Report

Background

The Education Review Office reviews schools that are signatories to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020.

Findings

The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code and has completed an annual self-review of its implementation of the Code.

At the time of this review there were three international students attending the school, and no exchange students.

The school has effective processes in place to ensure the provision of care for international students is reviewed thoroughly each year. Strong pastoral care systems within the school provide wellbeing support as families integrate into the community and throughout their time at the school.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

27 October 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

Riccarton School - 19/12/2018

School Context

Riccarton School is a full primary with a roll of 314 students, 57% of whom are English Language Learners. The school community is ethnically diverse, and there has been significant roll growth since 2017. A third of the students qualify for ESOL (English for Speakers of other Languages) funding.

The mission of the school is ‘encouraging lifelong learners – expanding horizons’. The school’s vision is to support learners to be respectful, responsible, real learners - kia haepapa, kia whakakoha ā tātau ākonga. In partnership with the learners and their whānau, the school aims to support learners to become:

  • strong in themselves and proud of their language(s), identity and culture
  • lifelong, self-regulating, high-achieving learners
  • confident, resilient, fit and healthy
  • respectful and responsible citizens
  • strong in their knowledge of the bicultural nature of New Zealand, including a knowledge and understanding of tikanga, taha and te reo Māori.

The school’s vision is supported by the values of integrity, respectfulness, perseverance, community, self discipline, excellence and lots of fun. The school values, the New Zealand Curriculum and the key competencies underpin the vision of the school.

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

  • student achievement in reading, writing and mathematics

  • accelerated progress in relation to school targets

  • achievement in relation to school targets

  • wellbeing, engagement, attendance and behaviour

  • programmes and interventions.

The school is an active member of the Pūtaringamotu Kāhui Ako | Community of Learning. The principal of Riccarton School is the lead principal for this Kāhui Ako.

The school has fully addressed the areas identified for improvement in the 2015 ERO report.

Evaluation Findings

1 Equity and excellence – achievement of valued outcomes for students

1.1 How well is the school achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all its students?

Over the past three years, the school has maintained high expectations for every child to achieve success. Leaders and teachers continue to make very good progress towards meeting the complex and wide-ranging learning needs of children to promote and achieve equity and excellence for all students.

School-wide achievement information provided by the school for 2015 to 2017 indicates that reading shows a positive improvement trend for most groups. Overall achievement in mathematics during this time remains at a similar level, with some groups showing improvement. While achievement in writing for some groups had not met the school’s expectations, improved outcomes were evident for many students.

The school provided end of year data for 2018 to ERO that had become available after the onsite stage of the review. It shows an increasingly positive improvement in school-wide reading, writing and mathematics achievement outcomes.

1.2 How well is the school accelerating learning for those Māori and other students who need this?

Mid and end of year achievement data for 2018 shows a consistently positive trend in accelerating the learning of students who are not performing at the school’s expectations in reading, writing and mathematics.

Leaders and teachers have sound practices and systems in place for identifying and supporting the large number of students with additional learning and English language needs. In particular, leaders demonstrate a very good level of data capability and use to monitor, evaluate and report the progress of individual learners. Together with teachers, they have a strong understanding of acceleration, and ensure that teaching strategies are targeted to meet identified learning needs.

2 School conditions for equity and excellence – processes and practices

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

Students participate and learn in a caring, collaborative and inclusive learning community. There is a considered approach to meeting the needs of individual learners. Leaders, teachers and other staff have a holistic focus on students’ learning and wellbeing. Positive relationships are fostered. As a result, children feel valued and are increasingly engaged, confident and motivated.

Leaders and teachers have a strong focus on bicultural understandings, including te ao Māori and te reo Māori. An equally strong focus on the school’s diverse and multicultural student population is reflected in highly responsive pedagogy and practices in classrooms, and is valued by the community, staff and children.

The knowledge and enactment of the local curriculum has been strengthened. Curriculum decisions are based on collaboration, consultation and research, and are responsive to children’s feedback, needs and interests. Learning pathways across the school are future focused, strengthened by inquiry and culminate in a Year 8 Riccarton School graduate student profile.

Leaders and teachers work with parents, children and staff to achieve meaningful learning connections. Students are supported to make effective transitions into the school, across year levels and on to high school. The school is well connected and active within the local education community.

The school has a strong, professional and stable leadership team that is relentlessly student and improvement focused. Teaching practice, professional learning development and pedagogy are aligned with the school’s strategic aims, current educational research, and teaching as inquiry. The school’s appraisal system is robust. Leaders value teachers, children and whānau and actively involve them in decision making.

Coherent evaluative practices are embedded at board, leadership and teaching levels. This is contributing to a strong alignment between the strategic plan, values and curriculum. School data is used effectively to inform decisions. Leaders recognise the importance of multiple voices as key resources in evaluating and planning.

A stable, skilled and experienced board actively represents the school community. Trustees keep student engagement, progress and achievement at the centre of their decisions and actions.

Positive, respectful relationships between trustees and schools leaders are based on open and regular communication.

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

The school has identified that leaders and teachers need to continue to embed the student-led inquiry learning curriculum pathway.

ERO supports the school’s identified next step of continuing the focus on raising achievement, especially for those students who are yet to meet the school’s expected levels of performance.

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.

Provision for international students

The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of International Students) Code of Practice 2016(the Code) established under section 238F of the Education Act 1989. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code.

At the time of this review there were four international students attending the school, and no exchange students.

International students’ learning and wellbeing are closely monitored and supported. They achieve well and make good progress. International students benefit from the inclusive culture and are very well integrated into the school.

4 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

  • a strongly supportive environment that remains focused on equity for all students, and is inclusive and responsive to students’ wellbeing, ethnicities, strengths, interests and needs

  • a holistic approach to supporting children whose learning needs accelerating

  • highly valued school and community relationships

  • clear direction setting by trustees and leaders, that effectively aligns the school’s vision, values, goals and targets to improve outcomes for all students.

Next steps

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

  • continuing to raise achievement across the school, especially for those students who have yet to meet school expectations.

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

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

Alan Wynyard

Director Review & Improvement Services

Southern Region

19 December 2018

About the school

Location

Christchurch

Ministry of Education profile number

3485

School type

Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)

School roll

314

Gender composition

Boys 48% : Girls: 52%

Ethnic composition

Māori 24%

Pākehā 13%

Pacific 19%

Filipino 18%

Other Ethnicities 26%

Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS)

No

Provision of Māori medium education

No

Review team on site

October 2018

Date of this report

19 December 2018

Most recent ERO reports

Education Review January 2015

Education Review January 2010

Riccarton School - 22/01/2015

1 Context

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

The board, school leaders and staff recognise, value and celebrate the extensive multicultural diversity of students.

The school’s focus on developing ‘responsible, respectful, real learners’, combined with an emphasis on positive behaviour, helps to create a school climate that strongly supports student learning and wellbeing.

The roll changes significantly throughout each year as families move into and out of the community, partly as a result of the ongoing impact of the Canterbury earthquakes. Many students enter the school at five years of age with limited experiences beyond their homes and families and understandings of early literacy and numeracy.

Students with additional learning and wellbeing needs are well supported by a wide range of programmes and initiatives.

The board and principal have responded positively to the recommendations in the 2010 ERO report.

2 Learning

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

The school uses achievement information well to promote student engagement, progress and achievement.

While student achievement related to the National Standards was lower than for similar schools at the end of 2013, mid-year information in 2014 shows good progress for many targeted students, particularly in reading and writing. However, school leaders and teachers are still not satisfied with the rates of progress of students who are underachieving (priority learners), including Māori and Pacific students. They are taking deliberate actions to improve students' performance and help them make faster progress.

This is most evident in the way achievement information is used to:

  • set school and class targets for priority learners and plan the actions needed to improve their learning
  • inquire thoroughly into the effectiveness of teaching practices and change these as necessary
  • discuss the progress of individual students regularly and share ways of improving their learning with the principal and other staff
  • provide extra learning support from teachers with assistance from teacher aides.

Older students with higher ability have their learning extended in several ways including through a mentor programme with the University of Canterbury.

Areas for review and development

The board, leaders and teachers should now build on the many good practices identified above by:

  • making achievement targets more specific and measurable and include all priority learners
  • fine tuning the way teachers make their decisions about student achievement and progress in relation to the National Standards to increase the accuracy of their judgements
  • reviewing the way achievement and progress are reported to students and parents to ensure that the information is easily understood and shows progress
  • extending the scope of reports to the board about the impact of additional learning support.

3 Curriculum

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

The school’s curriculum takes appropriate account of students’ diverse interests and needs. Teaching programmes are broadening students’ experiences and engaging them well by making learning meaningful, relevant and enjoyable.

Strengths of the curriculum include:

  • an inquiry approach that integrates different curriculum areas and provides students with good opportunities to make choices about what and how they learn
  • suitable emphasis given to literacy and mathematics
  • well-defined guidelines and beliefs about effective teaching and a strong focus on cultural responsiveness
  • increasing use of technologies to support teaching and learning.

Student wellbeing is given priority. Affirming and positive relationships exist between teachers and students. Feedback in a school survey showed high levels of satisfaction with the way teachers encouraged and helped students to learn.

A measured approach is being taken to introducing new practices, for example, learning about the best ways to teach in modern learning environments.

Areas for review and development

Reporting to the board, students and parents about the wider curriculum, beyond literacy and mathematics, should be more specific.

Opportunities could be extended for students to understand and lead their own learning.

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

The school has made good progress in promoting further success for Māori learners as Māori.

Positive steps have been taken to extend the use of te reo and tikanga Māori in programmes and practices and upskill staff. Detailed action plans support these developments.

Consultation with Māori whānau has increased. A Māori whānau group now meets each term to share information and contribute to school decision making.

Areas for review and development

The school could consider making the learning of te reo Māori progressive across the school. This should also assist parents to learn alongside their children, as requested by some parents.

Reflecting the school’s commitment to Māori learners could be more evident by making the bicultural content of the curriculum more explicit, such as in the values and vision.

How effectively does the school promote educational success for Pacific students?

Positive actions have been taken to foster success for Pacific students. These include:

  • the Pacific Education Plan being used to guide new initiatives
  • the school working with other schools as part of a learning cluster focused on improving outcomes for Pacific students
  • a Pacific trustee providing a valuable connection with Pacific parents and community
  • the principal’s research into Pacific education leading to further developments in this area.

Consultation with parents shows that they appreciate what the school does to support their children. They have high expectations for their children to succeed.

Area for review and development

The board and staff recognise the need to continue to work actively, and with urgency, to lift the achievement of Pacific students. Increasing the partnership with parents in this process is likely to help accelerate students’ learning.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

The school is well placed to sustain and improve its performance.

The principal and other leaders are strongly focused on making continuous improvements to teaching and learning. Expectations are high and are closely monitored and supported. An external literacy expert has provided specific feedback to teachers on their practice. Teachers work as one team to build the consistent use of effective practice.

Professional development for staff is well planned to meet the emerging needs of students.

Good-quality principal and teacher appraisals affirm effective leadership and teaching practice and identify any areas for development.

Suitable steps have been taken by the principal to share and grow staff leadership.

The board has appropriate guidelines to support its governance role. A well-considered charter identifies a range of goals for improvement. Comprehensive action plans are developed to guide progress towards these goals.

Trustees are supportive of the principal and staff and make decisions that are in the best interests of students. Regular visits to classrooms by the board show trustees’ commitment to supporting teaching and learning.

Parent involvement in students’ learning is promoted in a range of interesting and innovative ways. The board seeks the views of its community and acts on suggestions for improvement. Feedback from parents about the school is extremely positive.

Areas for review and development

Aspects of board and curriculum self review could be developed further to increase their effectiveness and ensure that findings lead to ongoing school improvement.

Some achievement reports to the board need extending to include more information for trustees to use in their decision making.

Provision for international students

The school is a signatory to the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students (the Code) established under section 238F of the Education Act 1989. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code.

At the time of this review, there was one international student attending the school.

Information provided by the school shows that very good provision is made for:

  • supporting international students
  • promoting their learning and involvement in the life of the school
  • ensuring that their wellbeing remains a priority.

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

The school provides an education for students that recognises and values their distinct cultural identities and broadens their learning experiences. This ‘culture of care’ approach is contributing positively to student engagement and leading to more involvement of parents and whānau in students’ learning. The board, school leaders and staff are working together to raise the achievement of all students.

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

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern

Southern Region

22 January 2015

About the School

Location

Christchurch

Ministry of Education profile number

3485

School type

Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)

School roll

224

Number of international students

1

Gender composition

Girls 52%;

Boys 48%

Ethnic composition

Pākehā 27%

Māori 23%

Pacific 25%

Asian 14%

Other ethnicities 11%

Review team on site

November 2014

Date of this report

22 January 2015

Most recent ERO reports

Education Review January 2010

Education Review October 2006

Education Review November 2003