Makarewa School

1. Context

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

Makarewa School is located on the outskirts of Invercargill city. It caters for students from Years 1-6. The number of students attending the school has increased and an enrolment scheme is in place.

The school provides a safe, caring, family-oriented environment for students, staff and whānau/families. This is evident in the:

• positive way students relate with each other and their teachers
• sense of pride and appreciation students, staff and parents have for their school
• strong focus placed on what is best for students, their learning and wellbeing.

The school values of 'excellence, integrity and leadership' and vision ‘to hook students into learning’ is highly visible and celebrated. The board and staff have high expectations for students to succeed. This is evident in the:

• high levels of achievement in reading, writing and mathematics
• ongoing focus on engaging students in their learning
• range of support and opportunities for students to achieve.

The school has a strong commitment to ongoing improvement. School leaders are continuing to build on the good practices and developments noted in the last ERO review in 2012.

2. Learning

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

Students across the school achieve highly in reading, writing and mathematics. Students with lower levels of achievement are quickly identified and supported to achieve to the school’s expectations.

Each student’s achievement and progress in relation to the National Standards is well known and very closely monitored. Teachers have an in-depth understanding of each child’s progress in learning.

There are successful initiatives in place to raise the achievement of students at risk in their learning. For example, students identified for support in writing in 2014 made significant accelerated progress in their learning.

Teachers use achievement information well to:

• inform their planning and target their teaching
• ensure their judgements about students’ learning are valid and reliable
• involve students in their learning and inform them about what is needed to progress.

The board uses detailed reports about achievement to closely monitor and evaluate progress towards the school’s goals and targets.

3. Curriculum

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

The school’s curriculum provides a range of well integrated engaging experiences and opportunities in and beyond the school. These effectively build students’ skills, confidence and ability to succeed.

A strong focus is placed on engaging and involving students in their learning, including in sports, arts and cultural activities. As students move through the school they take increasing responsibility for managing their learning. Their learning and their wider experiences and successes are valued and celebrated.

Students in the junior classrooms settle quickly into the ‘village’ learning environment. Their teachers provide approaches to learning that build on their early childhood education experiences and that suit younger children’s preferences for learning. More modern approaches to learning are being developed across other areas in the school.

Teachers provide a range of ways for students to engage with their learning. This includes:

• team-teaching approaches and cross-class groupings
• opportunities for students to learn with, and from, each other
• using information technologies (IT) in ways that interest students and support them in their learning.

Teachers have clear guidelines for planning and assessing all learning areas and for what best teaching should look like. These enable them to:

• clearly show students’ progress and achievement
• identify specific goals and next steps for learning with students
• to work collaboratively to support students’ learning
• provide smooth progressions for students’ learning as they move through the school.

The principal and teachers conduct detailed reviews of teaching and learning. Teachers evaluate their own teaching and the impact it has had on students. The views of students and parents are sought and used to inform improvement.

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

Māori students achieve highly and are confident in who they are. Māori language and culture is valued and visible in and around the school. This is evident in:

• the school’s vision and emblem (matau/hook) for hooking students into learning
• the school’s promotion of te reo Māori in classrooms and through kapahaka
• the use of Māori concepts to guide students in exploring their own identity
• the positive feedback from Māori parents.

In particular, teachers in the junior village have integrated Māori values and concepts into the way they teach and have set up the learning environment in their area.

A next step is the ongoing development of teacher knowledge and competency for providing rich and meaningful integration of Māori language and culture into curriculum planning and delivery.

4. Sustainable Performance

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

The board and principal have a strong focus on what is best for students and what is required for ongoing improvement.

The board is well informed. Trustees receive regular and detailed information that shows how well classroom programmes and practices are helping achieve the school’s goals. The school’s charter and strategic and annual plans are well aligned and linked to the curriculum.

Trustees are very knowledgeable about their role as stewards of the school. They ensure school programmes and developments are sustainable and of benefit to students and their learning. They ensure board capability through effective succession planning and ongoing training. They have a good understanding of effective planning and review. They extensively review their own effectiveness as governors of the school.

The school’s professional leadership uses the shared strengths of staff. This is helping to create a culture of collaboration and willingness to share best practice. The principal leads very robust reviews of all core school operations. These reviews are based on sound evaluation approaches and are widely informed by the views of students and parents.

The principal takes a considered approach to building capacity in teaching and learning. He is supporting teachers’ use of innovative and modern approaches through well-planned professional development and appraisal.

ERO agrees with the school’s intention to continue to develop how the school’s key goals and priorities are linked to teacher appraisal.

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 has a safe, caring, family-oriented school culture. Positive relationships are strongly evident. Students achieve highly. The school’s vision to ‘hook students into learning’ is highly visible. Modern approaches to learning are being developed. School leaders have a strong focus for ongoing improvement to benefit students and their learning.

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

Chris Rowe

Acting Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern

25 August 2015

About the School