Hadlow Preparatory School

Hadlow Preparatory School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 6 months of the Education Review Office and Hadlow Preparatory School 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 

Hadlow Preparatory School, located in Masterton, provides education for learners from year 0 to 8.

Hadlow Preparatory School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:

  • enhance our culture through our special character

  • engage our community

  • develop a responsive curriculum.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Hadlow Preparatory School’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how well the localised curriculum responds and reflects Hadlow’s:

  • vision and special character

  • community values and aspirations

  • local stories, history, and context

equipping all tamariki with the skills, knowledge and strategies to ‘make a positive difference in the world through personal excellence, service and hauora’.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to:

  • further develop and extend the school’s work on the localised curriculum, including the ‘New Zealand Curriculum Refresh’ material, so that it effectively equips all tamariki with skills, knowledge and strategies to achieve continuous and sustained improvement

  • develop a strategic, aligned ‘place-based’ framework that enables the school to evaluate and guide the development of a localised curriculum that prioritises continuous and sustained achievement of all learners.

The school expects to see the development of a responsive localised curriculum that reflects its vision, special character, local stories and context, community values and aspirations, enabling all ākonga to ‘make a positive difference in the world through personal excellence, service and hauora’.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to evaluate how effectively the localised curriculum enables all ākonga to make a positive difference in the world through personal excellence, service and hauora:

  • a strong culture of effective collaboration at every level of the school community focused on supporting and equipping all learners with effective skills, knowledge and strategies

  • leadership that builds collective staff capability focused on lifting teacher practice and student achievement by providing high-quality professional development and well-considered support.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • the development of a highly responsive, localised curriculum through a robust range of data and information collection methodologies, the support of experts, and broad community engagement and consultation.

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.

Kathy Lye
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini

15 February 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

Hadlow Pre-school is also located on this site.

Hadlow Preparatory School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2022 to 2025

As of May 2022, the Hadlow Preparatory School, 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 Hadlow Preparatory School, 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.

Kathy Lye
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini

15 February 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

Hadlow Preparatory School - 13/12/2018

School Context

Hadlow Preparatory School is a state integrated primary for Years 1 to 8 students. It is one of three Anglican Trinity Schools in Masterton. The school roll of 198 students includes 9% who identify as Māori.

The school’s stated vision for student success is: ‘A Hadlow learner will be literate, self-managing, self-motivated, confident, respectful, and responsible’. School values, currently under review, include celebrating self-managing learners, innovation and inquiry, respect, friendliness and truthfulness.

Key strategic goals include enhancing school culture, engaging with the community, developing an innovative curriculum and fostering the Christian character.

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

  • literacy and numeracy

  • achievement in the wider curriculum

  • initiatives and interventions.

Since the February 2014 ERO report, there have been significant changes to the teaching and support staff and leadership teams, including the appointment of a new principal from term 3, 2018.

The school is a member of the Masterton (Whakaoriori) Kāhui Ako

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 achieves equitable and excellent results. Most students achieve at or above expectations in reading, writing and mathematics. There is some variation between year groups but overall there has been a consistent pattern over time. With minor variation boys and girls have achieved at similar levels.

The proportion of Māori students has increased over recent years and though numbers are small there is a growing disparity in achievement for Māori students across both literacy and numeracy.

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

School data shows that a number of students, including Māori, identified as priority learners at the start of 2017 made accelerated progress over the year, especially in literacy.

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?

Leaders and teachers use a range of nationally referenced and school developed assessment tools to gather sound baseline data. This data is well used to inform resourcing and strategic decision making. Students at risk of not achieving are effectively identified. Individual student achievement is well monitored. Teachers use the information to recognise and respond to students’ interests and learning needs. The use of shared learning spaces promotes a collegial and collaborative approach to enhancing learning.

Trustees and school leaders work in a cohesive, systematic way to effectively establish a culture of ongoing improvement. They recognise and use the knowledge and skills of teachers to lead aspects of the curriculum. Extensive professional development is focused on introducing new methodologies, culturally responsive practice and growing teachers’ capability. Teachers use current research and evidence of best practice as they inquire into strategies and approaches for effective teaching.

There is a purposeful, schoolwide learning environment. Relationships among students and teachers are positive and respectful. Well-considered processes support students’ transition and are enabling them to more easily integrate into the school community and engage in their learning. There are high expectations for learner’s participation and achievement.

Student engagement is well promoted by the broad curriculum. The school’s vision, history and Christian values are clearly evident in practice. There are many opportunities for students to participate and celebrate success in academic, sporting, artistic, cultural and leadership activities. Digital technology is extensively accessed to support learning. Ongoing review has developed and embedded the school’s Learner Attributes, aligned to the key competencies of The New Zealand Curriculum. Student voice is valued. Increasing their responsibility and choice with learning is evident.

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 many structures and processes in place to raise achievement, and is well placed to continue making improvements that impact positively on learning.

Next steps are to:

  • enhance engagement with the wider school community
  • maintain the focus on identifying and reducing in-school disparity of learning outcomes for Māori and other students
  • refine strategic planning to include clear indicators of expected outcomes for learners that will support and enhance internal evaluation and continuous improvement
  • continue to embed and document the curriculum and schoolwide teaching strategies that promote innovative educational practices to extend student agency.

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.

4 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

  • the positive and respectful learning environment that supports students’ engagement and learning

  • the broad curriculum that provides opportunities for students to engage in a wide range of cultural, sporting, artistic, academic or leadership activities

  • a collaborative approach and high expectations from trustees, leaders and teachers that promotes improved outcomes for students.

Next steps

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

  • enhancing internal evaluation to better measure the impact of programmes and initiatives on improving student outcomes

  • reviewing and documenting expectations of the curriculum, including cultural responsiveness, to better align the document’s intent with current practice

  • maintaining the focus on identifying and reducing in-school disparity of learning outcomes for Māori and other students.

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

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

Alan Wynyard

Director Review and Improvement Services

Te Waipounamu - Southern Region

13 December 2018

About the school

Location

Masterton

Ministry of Education profile number

4104

School type

Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)

School roll

198

Gender composition

Female 53%, Male 47%

Ethnic composition

Māori 9%
Pākehā 78%
Indian 7%
Chinese 3%
Other ethnic groups 3%

Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS)

No

Provision of Māori medium education

No

Review team on site

October 2018

Date of this report

13 December 2018

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review February 2014
Education Review December 2010
Education Review September 2007