Vanguard Military School

Education institution number:
854
School type:
Secondary (Year 9-15)
School gender:
Co-Educational
Definition:
Designated Character School
Total roll:
170
Telephone:
Address:

8 Rothwell Avenue, Rosedale, Auckland

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Vanguard Military School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 6 months of the Education Review Office and Vanguard Military 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 

Vanguard Military School is a special character, senior high school in Albany, Auckland. The school caters for students from Years 11 to 13. The school uses the ethos and training methodology of the military to develop young men and women from all over Auckland to become productive and responsible citizens. The school strives for excellence both academically and attitudinally and works to unlock the potential of each individual, creating a positive pathway for their future.

Vanguard Military School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

  • recruit learning: maintain the high NCEA outcomes for all recruits at all levels 

  • recruit engagement: maintain the ability to enrol any recruit from all over Auckland 

  • school finance and property: establish a permanent site for the school that facilitates the integration of a junior school

  • health and safety: regularly review and minimise risks to recruits and staff

  • personnel: continued professional development for all staff to maintain the special character of the school and unique educational model.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how well the school sustains and improves programmes of learning that will promote equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to:

  • provide high-quality special character education for all learners

  • offer equitable opportunities and achieve excellent outcomes for all learners.

The school expects to see sustained and improved academic, social and attitudinal outcomes for all learners.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to evaluate how well it sustains and improves programmes of learning that promote equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners:

  • a special character that sets expected standards and promotes confidence through accomplishment and challenge to motivate, engage and improve

  • a culture that promotes self-belief, a sense of belonging and overall pride

  • effective pastoral care and strong family/whānau involvement and support

  • strong leadership and an educational model supported by established processes, procedures and protocols

  • quality staff to facilitate sustained and improved learner outcomes.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • leadership to support progress in academic, attendance and behavioural outcomes for all learners to succeed

  • professional development that aligns with the special character and learner outcomes to improve teacher capability

  • effective use of school data to improve learner outcomes and promote greater equity especially for students at risk of not achieving.

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

8 November 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

Vanguard Military School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2023 to 2026

As of June 2023, the Vanguard Military 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 Vanguard Military 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.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

8 November 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

Vanguard Military School 1/06/2021

1 Introduction

A New School Assurance Review is a review of particular areas of school performance and is undertaken to specific terms of reference.

Terms of Reference

This review is based on an evaluation of the performance of Vanguard Military School. The terms of reference for the review are to provide assurance to the community:

  • that the school is well placed to provide for students
  • that the school is operating in accordance with the vision articulated by the board of trustees.

2 Context

Vanguard Military School opened in Term 1, 2019 as a designated character school (DCS). Prior to this, since February 2014, the school had operated as a Partnership School | Kura Hourua.

3 Background

Vanguard Military School’s mission statement focuses on using the military ethos and training to develop young men and women to become productive, responsible citizens. It is also aimed at striving for excellence both academically and attitudinally to unlock the potential of each individual and creating a positive pathway for their future.

Currently the school provides education for students in Years 11 to 13. Plans are on hold for enrolling Years 9 and 10 students (recruits), while the Ministry of Education (MoE) procures an appropriate site for the expected larger roll. Recruits come from across Auckland.

The establishment board (EBOT) continues to provide governance to the school. It plans to adopt an alternative constitution when the school becomes a Years 9 to 13 school.

4 Findings

Preparatory work by the EBOT, the principal, senior leaders and staff, guided by the governance facilitator, ensured the timely and efficient transition to a DCS. This good management continues, and the school is well placed to support recruits’ learning and wellbeing. The school’s charter vision and values are evident in governance, leadership and teaching practice, and its inclusive and supportive environment.

The school was established primarily for students who require a second chance at education. It has a proven history in supporting many of these students to attain life skills and qualifications that offer them opportunities in their future careers and/or education.

Data from National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) show that the school continues to support most students to gain NCEA qualifications. Generally, Vanguard Military School’s achievement is higher than national achievement, in particular in comparison for Māori, Pacific and NZ European recruits.

Leaders and staff have high, yet realistic expectations for student success at and beyond the school. Their belief in recruits’ potential, both academically and physically, is helping recruits to gain self-esteem, belief in themselves, and motivation to strive for their goals. The school’s curriculum and organisational processes support recruits to develop self-management skills and accountability for themselves, alongside respect and empathy for others.

All staff use deliberate, instructional teaching practice to support accelerated progress, particularly in literacy and numeracy, so recruits can achieve at NCEA levels. This consistent approach enables recruits to be familiar with expectations and procedures across the curriculum. Core to the school’s designated character is the training of recruits by staff who have a military background.

Recruits benefit from the school’s concerted efforts to enable their success. They appreciate the strong sense of whānau/family among their peers and staff, as they support each other to succeed. The EBOT, leaders and staff successfully minimise barriers to recruits enrolling and engaging in the school. Staff regularly communicate with parents about ways to support their child’s progress and engagement. Annual surveys continue to indicate that recruits feel their wellbeing is supported at the school.

In 2018, the EBOT developed initial planning and timeframes in readiness for opening the school to Years 9 and 10 students. However, the MoE has found it difficult to establish a suitable location or timeframe for the school’s move to a new site. The EBOT will continue to work with the MoE towards this goal.

When a more certain timeframe is established, senior leaders and heads of subject areas plan to develop a curriculum and assessment framework for Years 9 and 10 linked to NCEA Level 1.

The current site requires the school’s roll to be capped, which constrains growth. The MoE is considering the EBOT’s application for continuation of the minimum guaranteed roll while the school uses the current property.

5 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:

  • school management and reporting
  • 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 students' 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.

6 Conclusion

Preparatory work by the EBOT, the principal, senior leaders and staff, guided by the governance facilitator, ensured the timely and efficient transition to a DCS. This good management continues, and the school is well placed to support recruits’ learning and wellbeing. The school’s charter vision and values are evident in governance, leadership and teaching practice, and the inclusive, supportive environment that recognises each recruit’s potential.

The school will transition into ERO’s School Evaluation for Improvement process in due course.

Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region - Te Tai Raki

1 June 2021

About the School                                                

Location

Rosedale, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

854

School type

Secondary (Years 11 to 13)

School roll

165

Ethnic composition

Māori

NZ European/Pākehā

Tongan

Asian

other Pacific

other European

other ethnic groups

26%

41%

  6%

  5%

  9%

  5%

  8%

Review team on site

March 2021

Date of this report

1 June 2021