Excellere College

Excellere College

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 9 months of the Education Review Office and Excellere College 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 

Excellere College is a small state integrated Christian school in Kamo, Whangarei. It caters for ākonga in Years 1 – 13. The school’s vision is “Excellence in learning, Christianity in living”. The vision is underpinned by the school’s special character and the values of integrity, compassion, and honour.

Excellere College’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

  • at Excellere College everything they do reflects their special character

  • Excellere College will work with students and families to maximise learning

  • drawing on dependable assessment evidence, Excellere Collage aims to improve outcomes for students who are not achieving, or have special learning needs

  • all students at Excellere College will be given opportunities to gain the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values identified in the NZ Curriculum, from a Christian perspective

  • Excellere College will work with Māori communities to plan, and set targets to achieve better outcomes for Māori students

  • Excellere College will provide a safe spiritual, physical and emotional environment for all students

  • Excellere College will report to students and their parents/caregivers on the progress and achievement of individual students

  • Excellere College will gather and analyse sufficiently comprehensive evidence to evaluate the progress and achievement of their students.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Excellere College’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how the school can effectively enhance the knowledge and use of te reo Māori me ōna tikanga, te ao Māori, and embed culturally responsive teaching and learning practice within Excellere College.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to:

  • further support the special Christian character of the school by creating more effective cultural connections with whānau

  • further develop teachers’ knowledge and cultural competence of te reo Māori me ōna tikanga, te ao Māori

  • embed culturally responsive teaching practice to benefit all students.

The school expects to see increased teacher confidence and ākonga that have deep connections to their school and undertake meaningful pathways that lead to greater career opportunities.

The school expects to see:

  • ākonga who develop a deepened sense of cultural and spiritual connection to their place

  • increased teacher capability and confidence

  • senior students who engage in extended meaningful pathways that lead to greater career opportunities.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to effectively enhance the knowledge and use of te reo Māori me ōna tikanga, te ao Māori, and embed culturally responsive practice within Excellere College:

  • using the values of the special Christian character to enhance relationships

  • committed and collaborative staff who are open to change

  • supportive Kāhui Ako, whānau and community.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • engaging in appropriate professional learning in te reo Māori me ōna tikanga, te ao Māori

  • assigning resources and funding to support the school's evaluation focus.

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.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

31 July 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

Excellere College

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2022 to 2025

As of September 2022, the Excellere College Board of Trustees 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 Excellere College Board of Trustees.

The next Board of Trustees 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.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

31 July 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

Excellere College

Provision for International Students Report

Background

The Education Review Office reviews schools that are signatories to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020.

Findings

Excellere College has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code and has completed an annual self-review of its implementation. At the time of this review there was one international student attending the school, and no exchange students.  

International students at Excellere College integrate well within the Christian school community. They are supported by their parents or the local Christian school agent and receive quality education. Parents are notified of their child’s wellbeing, progress, and achievement. The international director continually reviews systems for coordinating and reporting on provisions in the Code for International Students.  

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

31 July 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

Excellere College - 14/06/2019

School Context

Excellere College is a small state integrated Christian school in Kamo, Whangarei. It caters for 223 students in Years 1 - 13. Half of the students are of Pākehā descent with smaller numbers of Māori and Pacific students.

The school’s vision is “Excellence in learning, Christianity in living”. The vision is underpinned by the school’s special character and the values of integrity, compassion and honour. Its strategic goals prioritise curriculum development, improving student learning and strengthening partnerships between the school, parents, whanau and the wider community.

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

  • student achievement and progress in National Certificate in Educational Achievement (NCEA)
  • achievement in reading writing and mathematics (Years 1-8)
  • achievement in literacy and numeracy (Years 9 and 10)
  • outcomes related to wellbeing for success.

Since the 2016 ERO review, a new Middle College leader has been appointed. Schoolwide professional learning and development has focused on relationship-based learning and coaching.

The school is part of the Te Tai Raki Whangarei Kāhui Ako | Community of Learning (CoL). It is committed to working with the CoL to raise student achievement through relationship based 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 increasingly effective in achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all its students.

School achievement information for Years 1 – 8 shows consistently high achievement levels for all students in reading, writing and mathematics. The senior leadership team has identified disparity in the Year 9 and 10 cohorts, and has introduced a variety of strategies to reduce this disparity.

NCEA data shows good levels of achievement in literacy and numeracy for all groups of students. Most Year 11, 12 and 13 students are achieving well in their respective NCEA levels. These high levels of achievement have been sustained over time.

There are small numbers of Māori and Pacific students at each level. Their individual achievement is monitored closely.

The school continues to raise achievement levels for students in NCEA. Longitudinal tracking shows that the school is accelerating students’ achievement over their time at school. The school has high retention rates through to Year 13.

Other valued outcomes are highly evident. Students:

  • are inclusive, respectful, supportive and accepting of others

  • are able to build good learning relationships with each other and their teachers

  • actively serve in the community

  • take leadership roles.

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

The school is effective in accelerating learning for those Māori and other students who need this.

Leaders and teachers have taken positive steps to implement a range of strategies designed to accelerate learning for Māori and those who need it. Individualised, responsive programmes are established to meet students’ needs, respond to student pathways, and increase engagement in learning.

Learning support for students with additional learning needs, and for students with English as a second language (ESOL), is very well co-ordinated. There is effective communication between parents, teachers and outside agencies. Students are actively involved in identifying individualised strategies to support their learning. Students with additional learning needs make accelerated progress, achieve well in NCEA, and participate widely across the school.

The school implements programmes that support increased opportunities for Māori and Pacific students to be successful and achieve equitable and excellent outcomes. Staff have a strong focus on developing relationship based learning and culturally responsive practices, to encourage engagement and improve wellbeing.

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?

School practices and processes that are most effective in enabling achievement, excellence and acceleration of students’ progress include strong professional leadership and positive learning relationships between staff, students and whānau.

The leadership team is strategic and improvement focused. Leaders promote and build collaborative and trusting relationships across the school community. They have sound decision making processes. Leaders actively seek community and student input and are responsive to data gathered.

Leaders actively foster leadership development within the school and in the CoL. They encourage continual improvement through collaborative inquiry into teaching practice and regular internal evaluation. Strengthening internal evaluation, including more critical reflection on the outcomes of change strategies, could help the school to further increase student success.

Leaders have a strategic and coherent approach to building teachers’ individual and collective professional capability. They promote shared understandings, high expectations, and a professional learning culture.

Teachers and leaders maintain respectful and affirming relationships with students. They adapt teaching and learning opportunities to suit individual students. As a result, students experience authentic learning linked to their interests and capabilities.

Pastoral care and learning support for students is focused on supporting engagement and reducing barriers to learning. This is promoting an inclusive environment where students have a strong sense of belonging, and experience success.

The board has a strong focus on equitable academic and wellbeing outcomes for all learners. Trustees are well informed about student learning and achievement and support development through targeted resourcing. They work collaboratively and are continuing to build governance capability.

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 the capacity to continue to accelerate learning for learners.

Leaders plan to continue evaluating and adapting the curriculum and building teaching and learning capability. This should include a focus on providing greater opportunities for students to lead their own learning, increase their creativity, and think critically. Current developments focused on integrated learning provide a good opportunity for teachers to make greater use of student voice in curriculum design.

Leaders should continue to strengthen the school’s current internal evaluation processes by measuring the impact and effectiveness of initiatives on outcomes for students. This development should include using student, staff and whānau voice and evaluating teacher practice, to lead greater improvement.

Leaders and teachers can build on strong relationship based learning approaches to further develop te ao and tikanga Māori across the school.

3 Other Matters

Provision for international students

The school is a signatory to theEducation (Pastoral Care of International Students) Code of Practice 2016 (the Code)established undersection 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 were 6 international students attending the school.

Excellere College has good systems to provide education and pastoral care for international students. Course selections, progress and achievement are well monitored. Students have many opportunities to participate in school activities and integrate well into the school community.

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 Vulnerable Children Act 2014.

5 ERO’s Overall Judgement

On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement of Excellere College’sperformance 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:

  • good stewardship that promotes strategic resourcing to support student success
  • a responsive and relevant curriculum that allows for students to access meaningful pathways
  • strong leadership that promotes positive connections and relationships that actively support equity and excellence for all learners
  • strategic goals and professional learning that are aligned to promote relationship based learning
  • comprehensive pastoral care systems that support wellbeing and respond to students’ needs.

Next steps

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

  • continuing to provide greater student ownership of their learning
  • deepening internal evaluation to measure the impact and effectiveness of initiatives on improving student outcomes
  • continuing to strengthen bicultural practices to support greater success for Māori and all students
  • seeking external support to further strengthen governance capability.

Areas for improved compliance practice

To improve current practice, the board of trustees should strengthen health and safety policies and procedures to ensure best practice is maintained at all times. This includes:

  • strengthening hazard identification and mitigation

  • regular practice and recording of safety drills.

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services Northern

Northern Region

14 June 2019

About the school

Location

Kamo, Whangarei

Ministry of Education profile number

429

School type

Composite (Years 1-15)

School roll

209

Gender composition

Girls 56% Boys 44%

Ethnic composition

Māori 27%

NZ European/Pākehā 52%

South African 10%

other ethnic groups 11%

Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS)

Yes

Provision of Māori medium education

No

Review team on site

April 2019

Date of this report

14 June 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review April 2016
Education Review November 2014
Education Review December 2011

Excellere College - 18/04/2016

Findings

Students at Excellere College experience an inclusive, caring school environment. Students achieve well in National Standards and NCEA levels. Teachers know and cater well for students’ wellbeing and learning needs. Continuing to promote useful relationships with parents and whanau has been identified as a priority.

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

1 Background and Context

What is the background and context for this school’s review?

Excellere College in Whangarei is a small, state-integrated Christian school catering for students in Years 1 to 13 and is located on ten hectares of farmland. The college is governed by a board of trustees that includes representatives from the New Zealand Christian Proprietors Trust and the Whangarei Education Christian Trust. Arise Church maintains a connection to the school as the landlord.

The board appointed a new principal early in 2013. During the 2014 ERO review they identified a number of significant concerns, many of which the new principal had also recognised. The governance structure was also changing, and needed to be consolidated.

As a result, school leaders and trustees agreed that students would benefit from ongoing evaluation from ERO and external professional learning and development support to be provided by the Ministry of Education (MoE). Over the past two years useful professional learning opportunities have resulted in staff increasingly focussing on accelerating student achievement and on cultural responsiveness.

During 2015 ERO has worked closely with school leaders and evaluated the school's ongoing progress.

2 Review and Development

How effectively is the school addressing its priorities for review and development?

Priorities identified for review and development

ERO and the board of trustees agreed on the following key priorities:

  • improving curriculum design to further respond to individual student learning requirements
  • developing shared leadership approaches and robust performance management
  • strengthening teaching to accelerate student learning and to promote success for Māori as Māori
  • implementing robust and timely self-review practices.

The school has addressed the key priorities for improvement well. They have made very good progress to improve student achievement and well-being. Over the past two years, careful strategic decision making by the principal and board has begun to result in improved outcomes for students.

Progress

Improve curriculum design to further respond to individual student learning requirements.

The school has completed a well-considered two-year review of the curriculum. The curriculum has a strong and coherent focus incorporating the special character and The New Zealand Curriculum. Planned subject progressions for Years 1 to 10 offer students better preparation for National Certificates of Educational Achievement (NCEA).

Curriculum leadership in Years 1 to 9 is becoming more connected to students' interests and focused on providing continuity and challenge in their learning over time. Curriculum planning is shared effectively between teachers, and the recent introduction of digital planning approaches is further promoting collaboration and cooperation between colleagues.

Senior school curriculum pathways are broader and more individualised to meet students' learning interests and aspirations. Students now have good opportunities to gain entry to tertiary education.

The school has identified that further roll growth could enable them to offer students a wider range of specialist subject learning on site. Currently the school offers students a good range of subjects using distance learning, in partnership with teachers from other schools. Individualised in-school support systems are helping students develop independent learning skills alongside self-management and research strategies.

Developing shared leadership approaches and robust performance management.

The principal has successfully distributed leadership responsibilities and increased leadership accountabilities. Deliberate and strategic leadership decisions, using achievement and well-being information, now inform school improvements.

The senior leadership team is more cohesive and developing shared responsibility to promote and accelerate student achievement. Leadership decisions are shared with staff, resulting in a more settled and collaborative staff culture. High expectations with clear performance expectations are in place to evaluate the quality of leadership.

Performance management has been transformed. The process is robust and now involves the ongoing collection of evidence with increased expectations of teachers to use evidence to inform their decision making. Ongoing appraisal is linked with the school vision, goals and achievement targets to improve learning outcomes for students.

Strengthening teaching to accelerate student learning and promote success for Māori as Māori.

There is a greater focus on promoting student learning and improving the consistency of good quality teaching. This work continues to progress through relevant and well-chosen professional development by external providers. Teachers have widened their participation in educational networks to strengthen teaching practice.

Robust and reliable achievement information is now available. Moderation practices continue to be strengthened school-wide. Very good systems track students’ progress overtime and, while there is a disparity between some groups of students, the school is responding appropriately to set relevant targets for groups of students who are yet to make accelerated progress.

School achievement information in relation to the National Standards shows that teaching in Years 1 to 8 is increasingly effective in accelerating Māori student progress. In Years 9 and 10 further work is required to set more specific targets to accelerate outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics. Improving Māori student achievement is a high priority for the board and the school has evidence to show outcomes are beginning to improve.

Almost all students continue to gain NCEA qualifications at Levels 1, 2 and 3. The school consistently exceeds government targets and has implemented a flexible and personalised approach to help students succeed. The school has appropriately identified that further work is required to accelerate achievement rates in University Entrance, NCEA endorsement and Scholarship results.

Implementing robust and timely self-review practices.

School leaders are developing a strengthened culture of using self-review information, including achievement information. The school has developed appropriate action plans to improve school performance. They are beginning to improve the quality of evaluation of student outcomes in these plans.

The board and principal have developed very clear and well considered strategic and annual plans. They have developed useful systems to include the outcomes of self-review with these plans, goals and targets.

Student and family input now informs self-review through consultation. Consultation with Maōri whānau has resulted in the development of a whānau group to help inform school plans, policies and targets. Through self review school leaders have also identified that further professional learning and development is required to increase the quality of teachers’ te reo Māori as part of their ongoing work to become more culturally responsive.

3 Sustainable performance and self review

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

The school is well placed to sustain and improve performance.

The school has demonstrated:

  • effective leadership in implementing systems to provide the conditions for students to be successful
  • high expectations for accelerated student achievement
  • positive responses to students’ learning strengths and needs
  • more stable governance structures, including plans for succession, to continue to strengthen the stewardship of the school
  • greater student focused decision-making, using student contributions
  • use of effective self-review processes to set future priorities and monitor school performance.

Key next steps

ERO has suggested and the board and school leaders agree that to continue to enhance outcomes for students the school will focus on:

  • accelerating Māori student progress and achievement and refining school targets to focus on specific students who are yet to achieve equitable outcomes
  • enhancing the collaborative culture and extending partnerships with families/whānau
  • further developing culturally responsive teaching and learning approaches with students
  • deepening student understanding and commitment to the vision and values of the school
  • continuing to strengthen performance management and school evaluation practices.

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

Students at Excellere College experience an inclusive, caring school environment. Students achieve well in National Standards and NCEA levels. Teachers know and cater well for students’ wellbeing and learning needs. Continuing to promote useful relationships with parents and whanau has been identified as a priority.

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

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

18 April 2016

About the School

Location

Kamo, Whangarei

Ministry of Education profile number

429

School type

Composite (Years 1 to 15)

School roll

180

Number of international students

2

Gender composition

Boys 52% Girls 48%

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Korean

other

36%

53%

3%

8%

Review team on site

February 2016

Date of this report

18 April 2016

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

November 2014

December 2011

July 2008