Putāruru College

Putaruru College

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within six months of the Education Review Office and Putaruru 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

Putaruru College is a co-educational school catering for ākonga in Years 7 to 13. The school is located in the South Waikato town of Putāruru. A new principal was appointed in 2021 and new senior leaders were appointed in 2022.

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

  • the provision of a safe, positive, and inclusive learning environment that promotes hauora

  • the use of innovative teaching and leadership practices

  • to design and deliver learning so that all ākonga can succeed in their purposeful pathway with a focus on literacy and numeracy.

  • to learn through whānau and community partnerships.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how effectively literacy and numeracy teaching strategies, across the curriculum in Years 7 to 10, are raising achievement and fully preparing ākonga for future pathways.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

  • to further strengthen literacy and numeracy teaching strategies and practices

  • to ensure there is consistency in the delivery of literacy and numeracy teaching and learning from Years 7 to 10 to support positive learner outcomes

  • to ensure all ākonga can access future pathways

  • to ensure there are equitable and excellent outcomes for all ākonga, and in particular those at risk of not achieving.

The school expects to see:

  • increased capacity of kaiako to plan and deliver high quality programmes of learning with a literacy and numeracy focus

  • cohesive programmes of learning to support positive transitions through the junior years

  • enhanced literacy and numeracy teaching and learning strategies transferred to other learning areas

  • improved achievement outcomes particularly for those ākonga who are at risk of not achieving

  • improved achievement outcomes in the senior school.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths in its goal to evaluate how effectively literacy and numeracy teaching strategies, across the curriculum in Years 7 to 10, are raising achievement and fully preparing ākonga for future pathways:

  • a collaboratively developed strategic plan that guides the school improvement journey, with a focus on building teaching and learning capacity

  • a leadership team with a strong commitment to professional learning to build school-wide capacity to raise achievement

  • a whānau approach to tracking and monitoring ākonga goals, successes, and pathways in all curriculum areas

  • a wide range of connections and networks to support the school’s improvement journey, including Kāhui Ako.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • gathering a range of baseline information about the literacy and numeracy teaching and learning from ākonga, kaiako, whānau and iwi

  • investigate best practice in teaching literacy and numeracy strategies

  • maximising professional learning opportunities with focus on literacy and numeracy to build capacity in the school.

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.

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

4 August 2022 

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

Putaruru College

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2022 to 2025

As of May 2022, the Putaruru 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

Actions for Compliance

ERO has identified the following areas of non-compliance during the board assurance process: 

  • renewal of police vets for non-teaching staff every three years [s 104, Education and Training Act 2020] 2020).

The board has since addressed the area of non-compliance identified.

Further Information

For further information please contact Putaruru 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.

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

4 August 2022 

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