Findings
On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement is that the school has made very good progress in relation to the priorities identified in this report and will now transition into ERO’s Evaluation for Improvement approach.
1 Background and Context
What is the background and context for this school’s review?
Waiau Area School is located in Tuatapere, Southland. The school caters for 134 students in Years 1 to 15, approximately 35 percent of whom identify as Māori.
The 2020 ERO report acknowledged the progress the school had made in addressing many areas identified in the 2016 ERO external evaluation. In 2016, the concerns were significant and related to assessment, curriculum design, teaching and learning, school governance and leadership. In addition, the school’s property and environment also required significant remediation.
Between 2016 and 2021, the roll has continued to steadily increase. Stronger links with the community are in place, and the board has several long-term, experienced trustees. The tumuaki, recruited using the Principal Recruitment Allowance (PRA), and a number of new and existing staff have continued to make key strategic improvements.
The Ministry of Education (MoE) has provided ongoing support to the school including a regional School Improvement Team (SIT). The MoE has also provided targeted professional learning and development opportunities in mathematics, literacy and curriculum design. Key property improvements have been completed to enhance school learning facilities and environments.
Since 2017, ERO has worked closely with Waiau Area School, providing ongoing monitoring of school progress and evaluations for school improvement. Regular visits, classroom observations, and meetings with the board, leaders, teachers, students, parents and external support agencies have occurred as part of a working partnership between the school and agencies.
2 Review and Development
How effectively is the school addressing its priorities for review and development?
Priorities identified for review and development
The school is effectively addressing its areas for review and development. ERO had identified ongoing long-term priorities for improving student outcomes including:
- student achievement and other valued learner outcomes
- responsive curriculum and teaching effectiveness
- leadership and governance effectiveness.
Student achievement and other valued student outcomes
Attendance has improved over time. The school has improved its tracking and monitoring systems. Attendance data is analysed, and staff work positively with students and their whānau to facilitate more regular attendance and engagement.
Leaders and teachers have developed better systems and processes to assess, record, track and use student learning information across the school. There is a commitment to further strengthen the collective capacity of leaders and teachers to use in-depth analysis of outcomes information for programme planning.
In the senior school improved tracking, assessment practices and external moderation ensure students are monitored and supported. The school meets the requirements of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) and has strengthened its processes.
Over time, student achievement has steadily improved in several areas. School information shows that Māori students, across all years, achieve at similar, or better levels than other students. This is a key area of school success.
An increasing number of senior students are achieving their literacy and numeracy requirements to attain National Certificates of Educational Achievement (NCEA) at Levels 1 and 2. More students are progressing to success in Level 3, and some students have achieved subject endorsements. This is an area for ongoing development to meet individual learning pathways.
The school has clearly identified those students whose learning requires extra support. School data shows that an increasing number of these students are accelerating their learning progress. Teachers use suitable assessment tools and are making better use of achievement information to inform planning that meets students’ individual learning requirements.
Students in Years 1 to 10 are achieving well in reading, with over 80 percent reading at or above their expected curriculum level. Specific mathematics intervention programmes have led to improved engagement and learning outcomes in mathematics. As a result, 73 percent of the students are working at or above their expected level in this subject. Writing is an area where fewer students are at the expected level, and the school has interventions in place to address this.
The school actively encourages and supports a wide range of valued student outcomes. Teachers work with students to develop meaningful and successful pathways towards industry and tertiary studies. Students increasingly display an understanding of their own learning, a sense of purpose and confidence to achieve goals. They are supported to pursue and succeed in their areas of interest.
Responsive curriculum and teaching effectiveness
Since 2016, leaders and teachers have worked systematically to provide opportunities for students to experience rich and more relevant learning contexts. These contexts reflect their individual needs, interests and reflect the local curriculum. The increased roll has enabled the school to provide more specialist teachers in the senior school.
Leaders and teachers work closely with students and their families to provide programmes that cater for students’ individual aspirations and pathways. Students are increasingly well supported to access a broad range of meaningful opportunities outside of the school, including tertiary courses, work experience and education outside the classroom.
The school has accessed useful targeted external expertise to support teachers. Combined with school-led strategies to grow teaching capability, this is resulting in:
- a more student-centred approach to classroom teaching practice and curriculum development
- significant progress in meeting the needs of learners requiring extra support
- the establishment of a foundation for greater understanding and development of culturally responsive practices within and beyond the classroom
- staff working more collaboratively and engaging in professional activities and reflective conversations about their teaching practice to ensure continuous improvement.
Leadership and governance effectiveness
Leaders, teachers, staff and trustees are strongly committed to the ongoing improvement to the conditions, environment and school capacity to improve student outcomes. Leaders have benefited from external support and continue to show a well-considered, student-centred approach to change for improvement. The growth of leadership capacity and capability is a key success in this school.
Leaders model inclusivity and respect. They intentionally build the capacity of teachers to meet the needs of students. A deliberate policy of distributed leadership has supported and encouraged teachers to engage in professional learning and to develop their own leadership skills. Leaders have shown strategic approaches, care and commitment to form stronger links with the community.
Students and their families are made to feel welcome and valued. Importance is given to students being known and understood by the staff. Student success is celebrated, and surveys show that they feel positive about their school and appreciate that they have a voice in decision making. Students benefit from the school’s supportive reciprocal relationships with the community.
Trustees scrutinise school data and work with the leaders to ensure ongoing improvement. The board receives detailed information and evidence about student progress, achievement and other outcomes, through mid and end-of-year reporting. This is now used purposefully to inform strategic decision-making for resourcing and targeted planning. With MoE support, the board and school leaders, have overseen substantial improvements to the school’s physical environment to support student learning and wellbeing.
3 Sustainable performance and self review
How well placed is the school to sustain and continue to improve and review its performance?
Waiau Area School is well placed to sustain and continue to improve and review its performance. The school has made significant progress in improving the conditions for student learning and wellbeing. Through the 2020 and 2021 pandemic, the school demonstrated a strong response and commitment to meeting the needs of students and whānau and contributing to support the wider Tuatapere community.
By establishing an inclusive and welcoming environment, leaders and staff have considerably broadened and improved conditions for student success, learning and wellbeing. The school has a very settled learning climate. ‘The Waiau Way’ is a well understood set of expectations and values that underpin positive, respectful relationships across the school. The school strongly reflects and embodies its values of ‘Respect Ourselves, Respect Others and Respect the Environment’.
Committed leadership has ensured a consistent focus on effective teaching and learning for equity and excellence. There is a planned approach to building internal capacity and capability to ensure continuous improvement. The support provided by the MoE has enabled leaders to improve the school’s performance. School leaders worked collaboratively with ERO to build their evaluation capacity over time.
School leaders and trustees are developing a greater shared understanding of the importance of internal evaluation to inform decision making. Ongoing development of a range of tools to support the evaluation of programmes, initiatives and systems will enable leaders and teachers to understand better what is working and what is not, and why, and this will facilitate further improvement.
Key priorities for future development
The key areas for ongoing improvement are to:
- continue to build a coherent school curriculum that includes culturally responsive, bicultural approaches, contexts and practices that promote further success for Māori, and as Māori
- create and implement a long-term plan to build the school’s capacity to enact bicultural practices to meet Te Tiriti o Waitangi requirements, as outlined in the Education and Training Act 2020
- continue to develop collaborative, needs-based, student-centred teaching and learning approaches, and extend teacher capability to use appropriate data and other evidence to consistently inform decision-making and programme planning
- continue to build a schoolwide understanding of, and effective use of, internal evaluation to increase shared sense-making and internal monitoring practice
- continue work on building future board sustainability and trustee leadership, including current diverse community representation, and planning for induction and board training.
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
- school policies in relation to meeting the requirements of the Children’s Act 2014.
Conclusion
Waiau Area School has made significant improvement in its overall performance.
On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement is that the school has made very good progress in relation to the priorities identified in this report and will now transition into ERO’s Evaluation for Improvement approach.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region - Te Tai Tini
9 December 2021
About the school
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement.