Summary
Bradford School has 144 children, including 20 Māori children and 15 children from other ethnicities.
The school has continued to sustain the processes and practices that support children’s learning. This has included well targeted learning programmes for literacy and numeracy and ongoing professional learning about teaching writing.
How well is the school achieving equitable outcomes for all children?
The school is responding well to all children whose learning and achievement need acceleration. There are very good systems for identifying areas needing development to improve outcomes for children’s learning and wellbeing.
At the time of this review, children were engaged in learning that is highly responsive to their needs, interests and abilities.
The school demonstrates strong progress toward achieving equity in educational outcomes, supported by effective, sustainable processes and practices.
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 responds wellto Māori and other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration. Children needing learning support are identified quickly and plans and programmes are put in place.
At the end of 2016 school achievement information showed that most children achieved in mathematics and reading against the National Standards. A lower proportion achieved at below National Standards in writing.
Lifting boys’ achievement in writing has been a priority. School information shows these actions have resulted in accelerated progress for a number of these boys.
Targeted teaching in mathematics has resulted in accelerated progress for a number of children.
Targeted teaching for beginning readers has been highly effective in accelerating the progress of children. These gains have been well maintained over time.
There is a strong focus on all children developing the key competencies to support them to actively engage in their learning. Children’s cultures are highly valued and visible in the school environment and in their learning programmes. Māori values and concepts are incorporated meaningfully in many areas of school operation, including in the school’s charter and curriculum.
The school has clear and well developed guidelines and practices to ensure teachers make well informed judgements about children’s achievement in writing and reading. The school needs to review the guidelines for making judgements about mathematics to ensure these take into consideration the full breadth of the mathematics curriculum.
School conditions supporting equity and excellence
School processes are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence.
What school processes are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence? This school’s curriculum effectively enacts the school’s vision for happy, confident, lifelong learners. It is highly responsive to the needs, interests and strengths of children. Children are regularly surveyed about what and how they would like to learn.
The leadership effectively implements the board’s vision and priorities for learning. High expectations for teacher performance and children’s achievement are supported by:
- robust teacher appraisal processes which are focused on student achievement and improved professional practice
- clear and shared expectations for effective teaching
- purposeful school-wide systems for planning for and monitoring the achievement and progress of all children
- robust review and evaluation of the outcomes of school practices and programmes
- the development of innovative approaches to lifting children’s achievement.
The board actively serves the school community. Children’s learning, wellbeing, achievement and progress is the board’s core concern.
The school is purposeful in the way it engages with families and whānau to support positive learning outcomes for children. The school provides parents with learning resources and opportunities to build their knowledge and understanding of children’s learning goals and how they can help.
Children with additional needs participate in learning opportunities that provide relevant support and challenge.
The principal and teachers very effectively support families to connect with community resources to further meet the needs of their children.
Sustainable development for equity and excellence
The school has very good systems for identifying areas for further development.
What further developments are needed in school processes to achieve equity and excellence?
Guidelines for moderation need to clearly identify that all mathematics strands need to be considered when teachers are making overall teacher judgements.
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.
Going forward
How well placed is the school to accelerate the achievement of all children who need it?
The school is well placed to accelerate the achievement of children who need it.
Children are achieving well. The school demonstrates strong progress toward achieving equity in educational outcomes, supported by effective, sustainable processes and practices.
Agreed next step is to:
- extend moderation practices to include all strands of the mathematics curriculum
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern (Te Waipounamu)
25 May 2017
About the school
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Location
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Dunedin
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Ministry of Education profile number
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3716
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School type
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Contributing Primary
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School roll
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144
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Gender composition
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Boys: 57%
Girls: 43%
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Ethnic composition
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Māori 14%
Pākehā 76%
Pacific 3%
Asian 3%
Other ethnicities 4%
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Provision of Māori medium education
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No
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Review team on site
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February 2017
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Date of this report
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25 May 2017
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Most recent ERO reports
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Education review February 2013
Education review November 2009
Education review August 2006
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