Ashburton Intermediate

School Context

Ashburton Intermediate School caters for 399 Years 7 to 8 students, 60 of whom identify as Māori and 49 as Pacific. Students attend mainly from six contributing primary schools, with most students transitioning on to the neighbouring co-educational college.

The school’s valued outcomes for its learners are integrity, consideration, innovation and excellence. Students are issued with a Values Passport and this is used throughout their time at the school. The school’s mission is for all students to grow and achieve academically, socially, emotionally and physically through the intermediate school years and into a dynamic, changing world.

Strategic goals for 2019 include a focus on engaging students, whānau and the community through innovative teaching and learning, developing relationships that reflect the core values and beliefs, and the development of the school site to meet student and community needs.

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

• achievement in reading, writing and mathematics

• rates of accelerated progress of target students

• wellbeing and behaviour

• attendance.

Since the 2017 ERO review the school has had changes to some members of the teaching team. There is a major school rebuild planned.

The 2017 ERO review found that there were significant areas to address to improve equity of achievement and progress for Māori and Pacific students. The school has been receiving support from the Ministry of Education and is making progress in reducing these disparities.

The school is a member of the Hakatere Kāhui Ako |Community of Learning (CoL).

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 working towards achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all its students.

In relation to New Zealand Curriculum expectations:

• a large majority of students are achieving at or above the school’s expectations in reading, writing and mathematics, and overall levels of achievement continue to improve

• while there has been an improvement in achievement for Māori students, there continues to be disparity in reading, writing and mathematics for Māori

• results are lower in reading, writing and mathematics for Pacific students, many of whom are second language learners

• there is significant and ongoing disparity for boys in writing.

Schoolwide information is analysed and reported regularly to the board. The data shows progress over time, and identifies gender, ethnicity and those receiving additional support. The board ensures resourcing for priority learners in line with the school’s strategic aims and annual goals.

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

The school has had some success in responding to those learners whose achievement needs acceleration.

School leaders and teachers place priority on providing specialist teaching and well supported interventions, particularly in reading and mathematics. Achievement information is collated regularly to track and report on progress. Evidence provided by the school shows that some learners make accelerated progress over time.

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?

The school curriculum makes powerful connections to real life contexts and student experiences. This is supported by a timetable that is responsive to, and enables students to experience the breadth and depth of the New Zealand Curriculum. Ongoing, systematic review of the curriculum ensures it meets students’ needs and interests. Learning programmes are differentiated and provide extra support and extension for students who need this. Progress and achievement are regularly tracked and monitored. A cycle of regular reporting informs parents and whānau and provides opportunities for them to be partners in their children’s learning.

Students participate and learn in caring, collaborative, inclusive learning communities. They are supported to develop goal setting and self-monitoring skills that enable them to increasingly take control of their own learning. Relationships are positive and respectful. The school proactively identifies and draws on community resources to enhance student learning opportunities, achievement and wellbeing.

Teachers work collaboratively to build capability and collective capacity. A robust appraisal process is directly linked to key professional learning developments and the school’s strategic priorities. Student achievement, learning and wellbeing needs inform decision making. Teachers and leaders are improvement focused and willing to innovate to find solutions to challenges.

Leadership ensures a supportive environment and provides schoolwide systems that support teaching and learning, underpinned by a well-embedded values system. Leaders provide teachers with time and resources to develop the capabilities and capacity required to support positive outcomes for students. Student achievement is a key focus of leaders and the board. Leaders are targeting resourcing to meet key priorities. The board supports the principal to pursue the school’s vision, values and strategic direction.

2.2 What further developments are needed in school processes and practices for achievement of equity and excellence, and acceleration of learning?

Leaders need to ensure there is a consistent approach to moderation practices, analysis and the use of data to:

• inform next steps for teaching and learning

• continue to reduce disparity for learners

• better identify what is working well for students’ learning and where improvements are needed.

Trustees and school leaders need to ensure regular planned community consultation to build reciprocal relationships with Māori and Pacific whānau and the wider community.

3 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 Children’s Act 2014.

4 ERO’s Overall Judgement

On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement of Ashburton Intermediate’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Developing.

ERO’s Framework: Overall School Performance is available on ERO’s website.

5 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

For sustained improvement and future learner success, the school can draw on existing strengths in:

• leadership which ensures a supportive environment and schoolwide systems that support teaching and learning
• a curriculum which promotes student engagement and makes powerful connections to real life contexts and student experiences
• teachers and leaders who are improvement focused and willing to innovate to find solutions to challenges.

Next steps

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

• ensuring consistent moderation practices, analysis and use of data to inform next steps for teaching and learning, and continuing to reduce disparity for learners
• using data from a range of sources to better identify what is working well for students’ learning and where improvements are needed
• trustees and school leaders ensuring regular, planned community consultation to build reciprocal relationships with Māori and Pacific whānau and the wider community.

Actions for compliance

ERO identified non-compliance in relation to:

• consultation with the school’s Māori community (National Administration Guideline 1e)

• consultation on the health curriculum, at least every two years(Section 60B Education Act 1989).

In order to address this, the board of trustees must:

• carry out consultation with the school’s Māori community, and develop and make known to the school’s community policies, plans and targets for improving the progress and achievement of Māori students
• adopt a statement on the delivery of the health curriculum, at least once in every two years, after consultation with the school community.

Dr Lesley Patterson

Director Review and Improvement Services Te Tai Tini

Southern Region 

1 August 2019

About the school

Location	Ashburton
Ministry of Education profile number	3282
School type	Intermediate Years 7-8
School roll	399
Gender composition	Girls 52% Boys 48%
Ethnic composition	Māori: 15% NZ European/Pākehā: 70% Samoan: 4% Tongan: 4% Cook Islands Māori: 3% Other ethnicities: 4%
Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS)	Yes
Provision of Māori medium education	No
Review team on site	May 2019
Date of this report	1 August 2019
Most recent ERO report(s)	Education Review May 2017 Education Review March 2013

Summary

Ashburton Intermediate School has a roll of 420 children. This includes 62 Māori and 58 Pacific children.

A new principal commenced in Term 4, 2016 and a new chairperson was elected at the beginning of 2017.

The school has made good progress addressing the next steps identified in the 2013 ERO report. Children have been well supported to develop and use critical thinking and inquiry more independently. The use of information technology and devices as learning tools is gradually being introduced.

The school is part of the Hakatere Kāhui Ako/Community of Learning (CoL). Shared CoL goals are contributing to school priorities and annual achievement targets.

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

The school’s achievement information shows that progress is being made with achieving equitable outcomes for all children. The new principal is aware that significant work is required to achieve equitable outcomes for some groups of children.

While targeted plans are in place to address disparity in achievement, it is too early for ERO to evaluate the outcomes of new initiatives for children’s learning and progress over time.

The school has some useful systems and processes in place to enable equity and excellence for some learners. These include a curriculum that responds to, and engages learners through a wide range of opportunities within and beyond the school.

The school must build its capability and capacity for effective evaluation and inquiry to reduce the significant disparity that exists between overall student achievement and that of Māori and Pacific children.

ERO is likely to carry out the next review in 1-2 years.

Equity and excellence

How effectively does this school respond to Māori and other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration?

The school’s National Standards information shows that the school is not yet responding effectively to the needs of Māori and other children whose learning and achievement need to be accelerated.This information continues to reflect disparity between overall student achievement and that of Māori, Pacific children and boys in a number of learning areas.

Achievement information provided by the school shows that some groups of children have made positive progress moving from well below to below the National Standards. Leaders and teachers should continue to extend the early success that new interventions are having on children’s progress.

The board, school leaders and teachers also need to be more strategic and evaluative about what should be done differently to ensure that:

• sufficient progress in achievement is made by all children
• there is clarity about which strategies and practices are having the most positive impact on children’s progress over time.

The school has a range of systems for identifying and monitoring those children who need additional support to accelerate their progress. Trends in achievement information show some improvements in 2016 to overall achievement in some learning areas.

Leaders and teachers recognise that they need to develop more robust systems to support teachers' judgements about children's achievement.

School conditions supporting equity and excellence

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

The school is focused on improving systems and processes to enable equity and excellence for learners.

Internal evaluation processes are helping to identify what teachers need to know about children whose learning needs acceleration.

School governance and leadership are focused on promoting positive outcomes for learners. There is a shared understanding of the strategic direction of the school.

Key aspects for promoting equity and excellence are:

• providing an inclusive environment focused on developing positive and strong relationships with learners and their families
• building leadership opportunities for staff and learners.

The school's curriculum is well-designed, responsive and reflects the local community and context. Key aspects of the curriculum that support equity and excellence are:

• that learners are provided with broad and meaningful learning opportunities within and beyond the school    
• the integration of the curriculum and aligning it to the school’s vision, values and local bi-cultural context
• the frequent inclusion of te reo and tikanga Māori in classroom programmes and school activities
• a programme for learners to use critical thinking and inquiry more independently.

Children have the opportunity to succeed as leaders in a variety of sporting, cultural and outdoor activities. Children with particular talents are extended well in their field of expertise. Many Māori and Pacific students are showing good leadership.

Professional learning and development is linked to the strategic goals that support equity and excellence for all learners. Good use is being made of research and external expertise.

Sustainable development for equity and excellence

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

A number of school processes need further development to address disparity and achieve equity and excellence. In particular:

• senior leaders should develop ways of analysing the impact of professional development on children’s learning, progress and achievement
• inquiry into teaching and learning should be strengthened to investigate more deeply what teachers are doing that is having the greatest impact on outcomes for learners
• reports to the board should include well-analysed information and make clear recommendations to improve outcomes for all children.

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, trustees must ensure that a robust and regular process is in place to assure the board about the wellbeing of children and staff. 

Appraisal audit

The appraisal process should be more closely aligned with Education Council requirements.

To improve current practice, the board of trustees and school leaders must strengthen teacher appraisal by ensuring that appraisers regularly document the evidence of their involvement in the process.

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 children. However, disparity in achievement for some groups of children remains. 

Leaders and teachers:

• need to continue to improve the school conditions that support the acceleration of children’s learning and achievement
• need to continue to build teacher capability to accelerate children’s learning and achievement.

The school agrees to:

• develop more targeted planning to accelerate learning for children
• monitor targeted planning, improved teaching, and children’s progress
• discuss the school’s progress with ERO.

ERO will provide an internal evaluation workshop to support the school to develop effective planning and monitoring processes to support equity and excellence for all children.

In consultation with the school, ERO recommends that the Ministry of Education provide support that targets positive and sustainable outcomes for children whose learning is most at risk of underachievement. 

ERO is likely to carry out the next review in 1-2 years. 

Dr Lesley Patterson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern/Te Waipounamu

23 May 2017

About the school 

Location	Ashburton
Ministry of Education profile number	3282
School type	Intermediate Year 7 to 8
School roll	420
Gender composition	Girls 45%; Boys 55%
Ethnic composition	Pākehā 65% Māori 15% Pacific 14% Asian 3% Other ethnicities 3%
Provision of Māori medium education	No
Review team on site	March 2017
Date of this report	23 May 2017
Most recent ERO reports	Education Review March 2013 Education Review August 2009 Education Review August 2006