The Catlins Area School

School Context

The Catlins Area School is a Years 1 to 13 school in Owaka, South Otago. At the time of this review there were 112 students. Students attend from the surrounding rural area.

The school’s vision is for ‘each student to be the best they can be’ through enacting the school’s TCAS values of Tenacity, Care, Achievement and Service. Altogether, these represent the school’s valued outcomes for its learners.

The 2019 goals are for all senior students to achieve the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) at their respective level as part of a meaningful and personalised pathway, to continue to increase the proportion of students in Years 1 to 10 who are achieving at or above their appropriate curriculum levels, and to further increase student engagement.

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

• senior students’ achievement in NCEA
• reading, writing and mathematics for students in Years 1 to 10
• progress and achievement of students in groups, where their learning has been targeted for acceleration
• progress for Years 7 to 10 students in relation to science capabilities
• aspects of wellbeing
• progress in relation to a mathematics intervention programme
• attendance.

There have been changes in school staffing since the 2016 ERO review. The school had a relieving principal in term one 2016. A new principal and deputy principal have since been appointed. The senior leadership team has been extended and many other staff are new to their roles at the school. Several trustees are new to the board.

Teachers are participating in professional learning and development (PLD) in accelerating students’ achievement in mathematics, managing students’ behaviour positively, and digital technology.

The Catlins Area School is now a member of the Big River Kāhui Ako|Community of Learning.

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?

The school is achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for its students well.

NCEA achievement shows that between 2016 and 2018:

• almost all students achieved Levels 1, 2 and 3 at their year level (all in 2018)
• all students achieved Level 1 literacy and numeracy qualifications by the end of Year 12
• most of school leavers achieved NCEA Level 2 or higher.

In 2018 most Years 1 to 8 students achieved at or above the school’s expectations for reading, with an increase to most students in writing and mathematics.

During the first half of 2019, school reported data indicates that overall Years 1 to 10 boys are not achieving as well as girls in reading, writing and mathematics.

Overall levels of school attendance are high.

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

The school is effective at accelerating learning for any students who need this.

The school can show that in the first half of 2019 it has accelerated the progress of almost half of those students in Years 1 to 10 who needed this in reading and mathematics, and almost a third of those students in writing.

Over a third of Years 7 to 10 students made more than expected progress with respect to capabilities in science between 2017 and 2018.

All Pacific students have made accelerated and significant progress in reading and mathematics.

All Year 5 students who completed a targeted intervention programme in mathematics in 2019 have made accelerated progress.

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 experience a meaningful curriculum that focuses on their needs, abilities and interests. Senior students are benefiting from relevant, directional courses based on their needs and future aspirations. Teachers make good use of the local environment and expertise to provide authentic learning contexts. Students participate in many learning opportunities designed to strengthen their understanding and enacting of the school’s values. Of particular significance is the value of service to their community.

Students are increasingly managing aspects of their own learning. Priority students are provided with extra support from within the school and other agencies for improved wellbeing and greater success in their learning. A key feature of the school’s science curriculum is the high quality leadership, teaching and learning of concepts and thinking across the school.

Leaders and teachers have established reliable baseline data to measure and monitor the progress and achievement for students in Years 1 to 10. Learning information gathered enables students who may need extra help to be identified and provided with relevant learning support. Trustees now receive useful information to inform decision making.

Leaders and teachers are now better placed to use learning information to promote equity and excellence for all students. They gather and analyse useful information about students’ learning from multiple sources such as reading, writing and mathematics, science capabilities, and wellbeing and behaviour.

Strong professional, strategic leadership is enabling a future-focused, collaborative school culture to be built within the school. Trusting relationships amongst staff, and targeted PLD provide a sound platform for positive improvements to be made in teaching and learning. Leaders have established an orderly and supportive environment for the wellbeing of students and staff. Effective lines of communication have been developed to support school improvement.

The principal provides high quality, responsive leadership. The vision and school values have been collaboratively refreshed. These are interwoven throughout the curriculum and teaching and learning expectations. Leadership has developed useful working partnerships with parents and the wider community by seeking their views and aspirations to inform decisions about improving and responding to outcomes for learners.

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

Students could be more consistently informed about the purpose of their learning, how well they are achieving, and what their specific next learning steps are. All students whose progress needs to be accelerated should have a sound understanding of what will help them to be successful learners.

Leaders and teachers now need to extend the use of student achievement and progress information to enable closer monitoring and reporting of the progress priority students are making. It would be timely for leaders and teachers to provide consistent analysis and evaluation of achievement targets and progress of students in reports to the board.

Aspects of leadership should continue to be strengthened in some areas of the school to build capacity and ensure agreed expectations are clear.

Leaders and teachers should continue to raise the profile of te ao Māori within the school, including within teaching and learning programmes.

3 Other Matters

Provision for international students

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

No international students were enrolled at the time of the ERO review.

4 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 Children’s Act 2014.

5 ERO’s Overall Judgement

On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement of The Catlins Area School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Well placed.

ERO’s Framework: Overall School Performance is available on ERO’s website.

6 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

• a responsive, local curriculum that provides meaningful learning for students
• the focus on enabling students to manage aspects of their learning that increases their ownership and self-efficacy
• learning information that enables students’ achievement and progress to be known and used
• effective leadership that is driving improvement and positive outcomes for students.

Next steps

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

• strengthening student agency and knowledge of themselves within the learning process
• extend the use of student achievement and progress information to inform internal evaluation
• continuing to strengthen aspects of leadership and te ao Māori that supports teachers to best meet the needs of students in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Dr Lesley Patterson

Director Review and Improvement Services Southern

Southern Region

11 October 2019

About the school

Findings

The Catlins Area School has a strong emphasis on learning and behaviour. Most students across the school achieve very well. Senior students mentor their younger peers and are themselves well supported by staff to achieve their learning aspirations. The curriculum is underpinned by Māori values and as a result, positive relationships together with the celebration of achievements, build a safe learning environment for students.

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

1 Context

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

The Catlins Area School is situated in the township of Owaka and caters for students from Years 1 to 13 from the local and surrounding areas. The school regularly shares its facilities with community groups.

Teachers and students have developed a school culture built on positive relationships and high expectations for learning and behaviour. Since the previous ERO evaluation in 2013, the school has experienced a decrease in roll numbers.

The school is a member of the Southern Area Schools Community of Learners (CoL) where professional ideas and practices are shared among schools. The Ministry of Education has worked with the board to develop more effective systems to manage and track the use of school funds.

Progress since the 2013 ERO report includes improved reporting about student achievement to the board. The school’s evaluation process still needs to be strengthened so that ongoing improvements continue to benefit students.

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 identify and support the learning needs of students at risk of poor educational outcomes. Leaders and teachers set end-of-year achievement targets and monitor student progress towards these. Where necessary, teachers actively encourage positive changes to learners’ engagement.

Achievement information shows that:

• students in Years 1 to 8 achieve very well in relation to the National Standards, especially in reading
• NCEA achievement is above national averages at all levels
• Māori students achieve as well or better than their non-Māori peers.

The school is currently focused on lifting achievement levels in writing and mathematics.

Some teaching teams regularly collaborate and share effective and innovative teaching practices. Teachers in Years 1 to 8 support students to have a good awareness of their achievement in relation to the National Standards. Teachers in the senior school provide one-on-one time for students in order to support them to achieve their selected pathways to learning, work or future study.

Key Next step

School leaders and teachers of Year 1 to 8 students need to use moderation processes that develop consistency in making judgements about student achievement in writing, across all year levels.

3 Curriculum

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

The curriculum effectively promotes and supports student learning.

Leaders and teachers have developed a curriculum that is underpinned by Māori values. Key practices and planned activities strongly support relationships based on care and respect (manaakitanga) and family-like connections (whanaungatanga) built through shared responsibility. These approaches by senior leaders, teachers and students actively contribute to a safe and supportive environment.

Teachers know students well as individuals and purposefully adapt programmes to better respond to their interests, strengths and needs. Secondary specialists (for example in art and technology) contribute to and greatly enhance learning for students in the junior school.

Senior students act as role models for younger students (tuakana-teina relationships). They are well supported to plan their courses and identify personal learning pathways to work or further study. A growing number of senior students are gaining endorsements on their qualifications that link with their future employment aspirations. The school uses supplementary funding well to enable students to participate in a range of vocational training programmes. Trustees and school leaders need to ensure these are linked to students’ future work and learning pathways.

The newly completed mathematics scheme is a good model of how to successfully integrate the school’s strategic goals, vision and values. The comprehensive guidelines clearly outline expectations for teachers that will build consistency of practice.

The scheme could more clearly reflect the Māori concepts the school is using to promote responsiveness to individual learners. When similar guidelines are completed for other learning areas, leaders and teachers will be better placed to evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum in supporting the seamless progression of learning from years 1 to 13.

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

The school very effectively promotes educational success for Māori students, as Māori.

Students and staff benefit from the cultural expertise and knowledge of a Māori kaumatua. They have many opportunities to hear and use te reo Māori and experience tikanga Māori in meaningful contexts. This includes actively participating in pōwhiri to welcome visitors to the school.

In addition to experiencing their language and culture, Māori students are highly engaged in their learning and are achieving educational success.

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. Some systems are in place but more work is required to ensure these are maintainable and continue to improve performance. A recently-developed strategic plan has a coherent framework and specific goals that provide clear direction for the school. The board and senior leaders are in the early stages of implementing this plan.

Trustees bring a wide range of experience to their roles. They regularly participate in board training, make good use of their governance manual and are responsive to legislative changes. They maintain a strong focus on improving learning outcomes for students and providing opportunities for staff to continue to increase their skills and knowledge.

The staff appraisal process has been reviewed and improved and is well linked to the practicing teachers criteria. Teachers’ strengths are recognised and used well for the benefit of all students. Their appraisal goals are relevant and align well with the school’s strategic goals.

Key Next Steps:

The board, senior leaders and ERO agree that the next steps for the school include:

• extending evaluation practices to board roles and responsibilities, to the effectiveness of the curriculum, and to practices that positively impact achievement outcomes for all students
• the senior leaders working as a cohesive team where responsibilities are shared and strengths recognised and effectively used to improve outcomes for learning and teaching
• embedding the Māori Education Initiative and using professional development to strengthen the ways teachers reflect on the effectiveness of their practice.

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.

The school provides the student with many opportunities to pursue existing interests, and develop new skills and knowledge. Programmes are individualised and enable the student to experience all aspects of school life and events in the wider community. Good systems are in place to monitor the student’s wellbeing and progress at school.

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 Catlins Area School has a strong emphasis on learning and behaviour. Most students across the school achieve very well. Senior students mentor their younger peers and are themselves well supported by staff to achieve their learning aspirations. The curriculum is underpinned by Māori values and as a result, positive relationships together with the celebration of achievements, build a safe learning environment for students.

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

Lesley Patterson

Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern

27 July 2016

About the School