Akaroa Area School

Summary

Akaroa Area School has a roll of 127, catering for learners from Years 1 to 13. 31 children identify as Māori.

Since the last ERO (2013) review the school has experienced a number of staff changes. The board have been strategic in addressing these changes.

The school is part of Tipu Maia Kāhui Ako|Community of Learning (CoL) and is also working collaboratively with local schools and some other area schools.

Good progress has been made on identified areas for development in the school’s last ERO report.

How well is the school achieving equitable outcomes for all children?

The school has some effective practices to enable the achievement of equitable outcomes for learners.

The school has the capacity and capability to accelerate learning for children and older students who need it.

School leaders have identified that disparity in achievement for some Māori and other learner’s remains. They have implemented systems and programmes to monitor and improve the achievement and progress of these children.

At the time of this review, the board and school leaders acknowledged concerns from some staff and some members of the community about aspects of the school. The board and senior leaders are proactively taking measures to address these concerns.

Overall learners are achieving well. The school demonstrates progress toward achieving equity in educational outcomes, supported by mostly effective, sustainable processes and practices.

Agreed next steps are for the board and senior leaders to:

• build internal evaluation capacity across the school

• further analyse achievement information in Years 9 and 10

• continue to address disparity

• continue working with external experts to further analyse and continue building a positive culture and climate.

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 responding to Māori and other children whose learning and achievement needs acceleration. Senior leaders and teachers have good systems in place to identify Māori and other children whose learning needs acceleration. They have implemented a range of targeted programmes to support these children and older students.

Recently-improved tracking and monitoring systems, including reporting to the board on learner achievement and progress, gives leaders, teachers and the board improved information about the effectiveness of programmes and interventions.

Most children in Years 1 to 8 achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics. However for some children, achievement is low. Teachers have identified that in-school disparity in achievement is evident for boys in reading, writing and mathematics.

The progress and achievement of learners in Years 9 and 10 is closely monitored at an individual level. This achievement information is used to predict achievement at NCEA level and develop authentic pathways for future learning. Their next step is to further analyse this information to formally evaluate the effectiveness of teaching and learning in this area.

Learners achieve very well at Levels 1-3 of the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA). Trends over time for NCEA Levels 1 - 3 and University Entrance show sustained levels of good achievement.

Leaders and teachers have recently begun work with a Ministry of Education Student Achievement Function practitioner (SAF) to continue to improve learners’ achievement through in depth internal evaluation.

Learners who require additional learning support are planned for well and are appropriately challenged. It is now timely for teachers to develop a process to show how each of these learners is progressing against their personal learning goals.

School leaders have improved assessment practices. Teachers have made some good improvements in the ways they make judgements about achievement.

School conditions supporting equity and excellence

What school processes are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence?

The school has some effective school practices to enable equity and excellence for all children.

The recently reviewed curriculum is broad and future focused. It enables learners to develop the skills and competencies to succeed at and beyond the school. There are improved opportunities for learners to develop ownership of their own learning. This is giving opportunities for all children and older learners to achieve equitable outcomes.

There has been a school-wide focus on building collaborative practice. Teachers are working collaboratively and are implementing teaching practices that enable greater personalisation of learning for children and older students.

Trustees are regularly reviewing polices to ensure transparency and confidentiality. Trustees are aware of some concerns in the community and are working towards resolving these through improved processes and practices. They have recently commissioned an external evaluation of their complaints policy and practices to ensure that school procedures are fair and robust for everyone.

Sustainable development for equity and excellence

The school has recently introduced a range of initiatives based on current best practice aimed at achieving equity and excellence. The school needs to continue to implement, embed, monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of these initiatives.

What further developments are needed in school processes to achieve equity and excellence?

Trustees and leaders continue to make ongoing use of internal evaluation to be assured that polices and processes are implemented in an open and transparent way.

The school needs to continue developing internal evaluation to enable the board and school leaders to measure how well the school is achieving its valued outcomes for learners, staff and the community. This includes meeting good employer requirements around ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of all students and staff.

While teachers’ performance goals and inquiries are aligned to the school’s strategic goals and targets, school leaders have identified the need to develop appraisal processes further so that there is a shared understanding of accelerating progress and raising achievement.

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

• 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.

To improve current practice, the board of trustees should:

• continue to develop and implement an ongoing programme of internal evaluation

• meet good employer requirements around ensuring the health and safety of all students and staff

• continue to review and develop policies and procedures.

Provision for international students

The school is a signatory of the Education (Pastoral Care of International Students) Code of Practice 2016 established under section 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 was one international student attending the school.

The school provides good quality education and pastoral care for international students. An inclusive environment ensures that students have opportunities to be fully involved in all aspects of the school and local community.

Going forward

How well placed is the school to accelerate the achievement of all children who need it?

The school has capacity and capability to accelerate learning for all learners. However, disparity in achievement for some learners remains. Leaders and teachers are actively addressing this.

Leaders and teachers:

• know the learners whose progress and achievement need to be accelerated

• need to further build leader and teacher capability to accelerate learners’ progress and achievement.

The school agrees to:

• have an evaluation workshop

• discuss the school’s progress with ERO.

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

Recommendations

ERO recommends that the board and senior leaders:

• build internal evaluation capacity across the school

• further analyse achievement information in Years 9 and 10

• continue to address disparity

• continue working with external experts to further analyse and continue building a positive culture and climate.

Jane Lee

Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern (Acting)

Te Waipounamu - Southern Region

1 December 2017

About the school

Location	Canterbury
Ministry of Education profile number	350
School type	Composite School (Year 1-15)
School roll	127
Gender composition	Boys 52% Girls 48%
Ethnic composition	Māori Pākehā Other ethnicities
Provision of Māori medium education	0
Review team on site	September 2017
Date of this report	1 December 2017
Most recent ERO report(s)	Education Review 21 October 2013

1 Context

What are the important features of this school that have an impact on student learning?

Akaroa Area School is a small rural school providing education for students from Years 1 to 13. Students, staff and families have a strong sense of community. Students and their parents feel welcome and included in the school. Junior and senior classes work together in a family-like way.

Students learn in a positive learning environment. Students ERO spoke with said the school is a safe place to learn and that teachers cared about them and their learning.

The small class numbers support teachers to provide students with a range of personalised learning opportunities. This includes Years 11 to 13 students having good access to distance learning.

Teachers have high expectations for students’ progress and National Certificates of Education Achievement (NCEA) success. They have developed flexible ways to meet students’ interests and needs.

The school has made some progress towards meeting the areas for review and development in the May 2010 ERO report.

2 Learning

How well does this school use achievement information to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement?

The school is increasingly making good use of student achievement information to promote positive outcomes for students.

Teachers support students to be successful and make positive progress in their learning. Students benefit from the guidance of many passionate and committed teachers who have a strong desire to see them achieve.

Learning support programmes are focusing on individual students to accelerate their progress. The special needs coordinator works very effectively with other staff members to identify students at risk of not achieving. Together they design and implement teaching, including intervention programmes, to match students’ learning needs. Student progress is closely monitored and programmes are changed to improve their effectiveness.

As students move into the senior school, their programmes become increasingly personalised based on their achievement, progress and interests. Teachers talk with students about their future plans and interests. These conversations, along with achievement information, are used to plan the best direction for the students’ future learning. In 2012, all students who sat NCEA in Years 11 to 13 achieved success in their respective levels. Senior managers and teachers have high expectations for student achievement.

Teachers in the junior area of the school have been working towards gaining a shared understanding of assessment practices and how these relate to the National Standards. They are using a wide range of assessment tools to determine student progress and to inform their teaching practice.

Teachers have reviewed the ways they report students’ progress and achievement to parents. However the written reports for students in Years 1 to 8 do not clearly show how well students are achieving in relation to the National Standards.

3 Curriculum

How effectively does this school’s curriculum promote and support student learning?

The school’s curriculum effectively promotes and supports students’ learning.

Teachers provide students with a wide range of learning experiences. Many pathways are provided for senior students to succeed in achieving qualifications towards tertiary education and training. Students enjoy their many opportunities to participate in cultural and sporting activities.

Students have a range of contexts to take on leadership roles, in different ways, at all levels of the school. Their ideas and opinions about their learning are sought and valued.

Teachers provide a wide range of curriculum choices to meet students’ individual needs. Teachers and students learn from each other particularly across year levels and learning areas. This contributes to the positive relationships and interactions which are evident between older and younger students. Senior students value and care about the wellbeing of junior students.

The local community works effectively in partnership with the school to provide scholarships and vocational experiences, and share their knowledge and skills with students.

Teachers and students are using information and communication technologies (ICT) very well as tools for learning. This has been a focus for teachers’ school-wide professional development. Distance learning has created many learning opportunities for senior students so they are not disadvantaged by their rural location. Junior students also benefit from good use of ICT in their learning programmes.

In the sample of classes ERO observed, many examples of high-quality teaching were seen. Students in these rooms were highly engaged and motivated to achieve. The next steps for senior leaders and teachers is to share this best practice to develop collective understandings of what is expected as best teaching practice at Akaroa Area School.

Senior leaders have identified, and ERO confirms, that the school’s curriculum needs further development. The next step is to evaluate how well the school’s curriculum reflects the vision, values and principles of the New Zealand Curriculum.

The school provides a range of professional learning opportunities for staff. These are extending teachers’ capabilities to effectively use assessment information and improve outcomes for students. However, the senior managers and the board need to clearly specify the purpose of professional learning and development (PLD) and monitor its impact on learning and teaching. Planned review of PLD would inform further curriculum development.

School leaders have developed a useful framework for teachers to use when reviewing the curriculum. This is providing some very good information for further direction. They now need to ensure that recommendations are considered and acted upon in a timely manner to produce positive outcomes for students.

How effectively does the school promote educational success for Māori, as Māori?

The school effectively promotes Māori success as Māori. This can be seen in the way:

• tikanga Māori is valued and promoted throughout the school
• te reo Māori is enthusiastically taught by teachers for all students in Years 1 to 10 and this is actively supported by the principal
• the school engages with its Māori community and the local marae
• students take leadership opportunities.

It would be timely for the school to collate and analyse how well its Māori students are as a group engaging, achieving, progressing and experiencing educational success as Māori.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

The board and senior managers are continuing to build on the school’s good performance to further improve outcomes for all students. However, the school will be better placed to sustain its performance when the board and the senior management team can address some aspects of management and governance.

The board and the senior managers have consulted widely with the community, teachers and students. Trustees and senior leaders use the outcomes of these surveys to inform their thinking and future planning. The board makes well-considered decisions based on a wide variety of information to provide suitable resources to support student learning. The newly elected trustees are enthusiastic about their roles and are focused on improving school performance. They have quickly accessed suitable support and training to help them understand their role as governors of the school.

Senior managers and teachers are making good use of what they know about student progress and achievement. They are now ready to extend their analysis of student achievement and progress over time. This would help them to identify patterns and trends and use this information to better inform learning and teaching programmes.

The board and the senior leaders need to review the school’s leadership structure. Some areas of leadership are not working as well as they could be to promote positive, sustainable outcomes for students. Leadership roles and responsibilities throughout the school could be included as part of this review. Trustees should consider the use of an external advisor to assist the board as part of this process.

The board and senior managers agree with ERO that there is a need to review the school’s charter and the strategic and annual plans, so they become more useful and well understood documents. This includes:

• revisiting the vision and strategic focus to ensure there is a shared understanding of the school’s strategic direction
• developing more detailed plans that clearly state the board’s annual priorities, intended outcomes and how these will be monitored and evaluated
• aligning these priorities through all of the school's documentation
• ensuring all stakeholders are consulted and involved in the change process.

The school’s appraisal process could be further strengthened so that it more rigorously supports its expectations for high quality teaching in an ongoing way. This could be more closely linked to teachers’ professional learning, school goals and teachers enquiring into their own practice.

Provision for international students

The school is a signatory to the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students (the Code) established under section 238F of the Education Act 1989. At the time of this review, there was one international student attending the school. The school provides a personalised programme and pastoral care to enable this student to have success at the school.

The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the code. ERO’s investigations confirmed that the school’s self-review process for international students is sound.

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.

When is ERO likely to review the school again?

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

Graham Randell

National Manager Review Services Southern Region

21 October 2013

About the School

Location	Akaroa, Banks Peninsula
Ministry of Education profile number	350
School type	Composite (Years 1 to 13)
School roll	137
Number of international students	1
Gender composition	Boys 55%; Girls 45%
Ethnic composition	NZ European/Pākehā Māori Other ethnicities	78% 19% 3%
Review team on site	August 2013
Date of this report	21 October 2013
Most recent ERO report(s)	Education Review Education Review Education Review	May 2010 April 2007 December 2003