Summary
Lyttelton Primary School has a roll of 207 children. This includes 29 Māori children.
The school has experienced significant changes in the learning environment and staffing since its establishment from two merged schools in 2014. The school had initially operated over two sites. In May 2016 it moved into new buildings on one site. A new principal began in January 2017.
This is the school’s first full ERO review.
How well is the school achieving equitable outcomes for all children?
The school is achieving equitable outcomes for most children. The learning and wellbeing of children is a priority. Most children achieve at or above the National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Māori and Pacific children achieve very well. Boys’ achievement in writing is the only identified area of disparity.
At the time of this review, children are achieving well. A focus on improving engagement in learning through a positive school culture is supporting children whose learning needs acceleration. Focused school leadership and an increasing emphasis on positive parent, whānau and school relationships is supporting equity and excellence. An increasing capacity in effective internal evaluation is evident.
As a new school that has undergone significant environment and staffing changes, ERO identifies, and school leaders acknowledge, that some initiatives and systems are still in the early stages of implementation and need to be fully embedded.
Agreed next steps are to:
- address achievement disparity for boys in writing
- update the school curriculum, including development of practices and guidelines for assessment and culturally responsive learning and teaching
- implement procedures and develop shared understandings to ensure a school-wide evaluative culture.
Children are achieving well. The school demonstrates strong progress toward achieving equity in educational outcomes.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
Equity and excellence
How effectively does this school respond to Māori and other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration?
The school is effectively responding to Māori and other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration.
Most children, including Māori and Pacific children, achieve very well in relation to National Standards (NS). School achievement data for 2016 shows that over 93% of children are achieving at or above NS in reading and 87% at and above NS in mathematics. While children also achieve well in writing, the school has identified there is some disparity in achievement for boys, particularly in writing in Years 7 and 8. Targeted initiatives to lift the achievement of boys in writing in years 7 and 8 have been implemented.
Well-focused school wide achievement targets clearly identify and plan for children whose learning and achievement need acceleration. A selected range of school-wide assessment helps teachers focus their teaching practice on children whose learning most needs support. In 2017, school leaders have intentionally strengthened systems for tracking strategies and interventions to ensure the best outcomes for learners.
School leaders have identified the need to strengthen assessment processes and the clarity of reporting to parents about children’s progress. There are limited school-wide expectations in place to support teachers’ overall judgements about children’s achievement or the consistency of assessment between teachers. School leaders and teachers do not have a shared understanding of the concepts of progress and how they will report these.
School conditions supporting equity and excellence
What school processes are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence?
The recent strengthening of some school processes and the introduction of new initiatives are making a significant contribution to enabling the achievement of equity and excellence.
School leadership is promoting an environment conducive to student learning and wellbeing that supports equity and excellence. The principal has a clear vision that is centred on positive outcomes for children. A well-considered and evidenced-based change process focuses on community and student engagement, teaching and learning improvements and curriculum development.
The school leaders, board and teachers have successfully implemented specific strategies to promote a positive school culture and learning environment and reduce barriers to learning. These include:
- a more explicit, school-wide positive behaviour programme
- an increased emphasis on the school values
- a holistic approach to celebrating achievement on a regular basis
- empowering all children through leadership and increased involvement in decision making
- ongoing board funding to provide support for staff who assist learner engagement in the classrooms.
The curriculum promotes opportunities for children to actively engage, experience success and achieve excellence in a diverse range of learning contexts.
Children benefit from:
- teachers working collaboratively to plan a wide range of curriculum experiences built around children’s interests, abilities and needs
- learning opportunities that are extended through close links with the local community
- being encouraged to talk about their learning and future steps
- many opportunities to actively contribute to decisions about the curriculum and school culture
- a school-wide focus on developing differentiated teaching strategies that include and improve outcomes for all learners.
To better support children’s learning, the school is actively building links with parents and the wider community through regular communication and opportunities for interaction.
The board trustees and school leaders are well focused on the strategic directions for school development. Trustees are beginning to use more effective internal evaluation as a basis for decision making.
Sustainable development for equity and excellence
The school has sound processes to achieve equity and excellence. As a new school that has undergone significant environment and staffing changes, ERO identifies, and school leaders acknowledge that some initiatives and systems are still in the early stages of implementation and need to be fully embedded.
What further developments are needed in school processes to achieve equity and excellence?
The school does not have an up-to-date curriculum document that captures some of the shared understandings that have been, and are being, developed. This includes learning area guidelines, assessment guidelines and expectations for a culturally responsive curriculum.
While the school has used some useful internal evaluation practices in 2017, it does not have established procedures to guide effective internal evaluation across the school. Teachers and the board are in the early stages of using internal evaluation practices to focus on equity and excellence.
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:
During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student safety and wellbeing:
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emotional safety of students (including prevention of bullying and sexual harassment)
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physical safety of students
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teacher registration and certification
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processes for appointing staff
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stand down, suspension, expulsion and exclusion of students
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attendance
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school policies in relation to meeting the requirements of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014.
Actions required
ERO identified non-compliance in relation to consulting with the school community on the delivery of the health curriculum.
In order to address this the board must:
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comply with the requirement to adopt a statement on the delivery of the health curriculum, at least once in every two years, after consultation with the school community [Section 60B Education Act 1989]
To improve current practice, the board of trustees should also:
Going forward
How well placed is the school to accelerate the achievement of all children who need it?
Children are achieving well. The school demonstrates strong progress toward achieving equity in educational outcomes.
Agreed next steps are to:
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address achievement disparity for boys in writing achievement
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update the school curriculum, including the development of culturally responsive practices
-
develop practices and guidelines for consistent assessment and moderation
-
implement procedures and develop shared understandings to ensure a school-wide evaluative culture.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern (Te Waipounamu)
26 September 2017
About the school
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Location
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Lyttelton
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Ministry of Education profile number
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686
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School type
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Full Primary
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School roll
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207
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Gender composition
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Boys 47% Girls 53%
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Ethnic composition
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NZ Māori 14%
Pākehā 71%
Pacific 1%
British 4%
Japanese 3%
Other European 3%
Other 4%
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Provision of Māori medium education
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No
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Review team on site
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July 2017
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Date of this report
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26 September 2017
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Most recent ERO report(s)
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Assurance Audit September 2015
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