Auckland Normal Intermediate

Education institution number:
1211
School type:
Intermediate
School gender:
Co-Educational
Definition:
Normal School
Total roll:
707
Telephone:
Address:

Poronui Street, Mount Eden, Auckland

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Auckland Normal Intermediate

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 18 months of the Education Review Office and Auckland Normal Intermediate 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 

Auckland Normal Intermediate (ANI) in Mt Eden caters for year 7 and 8 learners. The school’s vision is to have internationally minded, inquiring, knowledgeable and confident lifelong learners.

ANI continues to work with the University of Auckland and its initial teacher education programme. It currently shares some of its grounds with the Faculty of Education.

Auckland Normal Intermediate are part of the Auckland Central Community of Schools Kāhui Ako (ACCOS).

Auckland Normal Intermediate’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are grounded in:

  • belonging: to be locally connected and to be balanced

  • preparedness: to be knowledgeable and to be lifelong learners

  • innovation: to be globally minded.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Auckland Normal Intermediate’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how well the school’s local curriculum supports the individual needs and interests of all learners. The school will also investigate how well the curriculum supports the effective implementation of the Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories curriculum and New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) refresh.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to:

  • align school and Kāhui Ako key focus and priorities

  • support key shifts for the school in curriculum development and implementation

  • help students successfully transition between Kāhui Ako schools.

The school expects to see clear and consistent expectations for student progress and achievement.  Students will experience an engaging local curriculum and learning pathways that are consistent among schools in the local Kāhui Ako. Staff expect to see an effective implementation of the Aotearoa New Zealand histories curriculum as part of the NZC refresh.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support it in its goal to evaluate how well the local curriculum supports the individuals needs and interests of all learners:

  • an inclusive and positive learning environment that supports a sense of belonging for students and staff

  • overall high levels of learner achievement and engagement in a variety of different academic, cultural, and sporting activities

  • teachers who provide relevant and meaningful learning activities to support successful outcomes for all students

  • school-wide leadership opportunities for staff and students.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • continuing to develop and implement the Aotearoa New Zealand histories curriculum

  • working with the ACCOS Kāhui Ako to develop learning pathways across, and through local schools

  • addressing areas of non-compliance identified in the school’s Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2022 to 2025 to meet the requirements of the Children Act 2014

  • the School Board undertaking a comprehensive review of the school’s health and safety obligations, policies, and procedures to ensure they are implemented correctly and consistently.

Recommendation

Although the Board attested to having policies and procedures in place to safeguard the physical and emotional safety of all its students, the board has not sufficiently monitored the implementation of the policies and procedures and has not verified that the agreed actions and guidance have been followed in practice. The board has not taken all reasonable steps to fully ensure the safety of every child within the school.

ERO recommends that the Ministry of Education continues to support Auckland Normal Intermediate to ensure that the school is meeting their legislative requirements including processes for appointing staff and school policies in relation to meeting the requirements of the Children’s Act 2014. ERO recommends the Ministry of Education consider an intervention under the Education and Training Act 2020.

ERO further recommends that Auckland Normal Intermediate School Board continue to undertake training with New Zealand School Trustees Association (NZSTA) to strengthen their governance capacity to meet their legal requirements.

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.

Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

14 April 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

Auckland Normal Intermediate

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2022 to 2025

As of December 2022, the Auckland Normal Intermediate, 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

No

Finance

Yes

Assets

Yes

Actions for Compliance

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

  • suitable human resource documentation and management including selection and appointment procedures that show the appointment panel has the proper delegation from the board; applicants are registered for teaching positions; and for non-teaching positions, a safety check including Police Vet has been carried out; the background of an applicant’s character, competence, qualifications, and experience is carefully checked, original or certified documents are properly sighted; and certified documents are authenticated by persons authorised to do so

(Section 599/600 Education and Training Act 2020; Good practice; MoE Guidelines)

  • children’s worker safety checks under the Children Act 2014 including keeping accurate records of each aspect of the safety checking process, were carried out and completed for all staff.

(Children’s Act 2014, and regulations 5–8 of the Children’s (Requirements for Safety Checks of Children’s Workers) Regulations 2015)

  • ensuring that, the board obtained a Police vet for non-teaching and unregistered staff working in the school before their employment or engagement at the school.

(s104 Education and Training Act 2020)

  • safety checking of Children’s workers, and periodic rechecking of existing children’s workers which includes police vetting.

(Children’s Act 2014, and regulations 5–8 of the Children’s (Requirements for Safety Checks of Children’s Workers) Regulations 2015).

The board have taken steps to address the areas of non-compliance identified.

Further Information

For further information please contact Auckland Normal Intermediate, 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.

Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

14 April 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

Auckland Normal Intermediate

Provision for International Students Report

Background  

The Education Review Office reviews schools that are signatories to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020.

Findings

Auckland Normal Intermediate has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code and has completed an annual self-review of its implementation of the Code.

At the time of this review there were 10 international students attending the school, and no exchange students.

Auckland Normal Intermediate has effective processes in place to evaluate the quality of provision for international students. The School Board receives regular reports based on internal evaluation of the international programme which includes student progress and achievement information. Students are provided with high levels of pastoral and academic support.

Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

14 April 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

Auckland Normal Intermediate - 19/08/2016

Findings

Students experience a rich curriculum that prepares them well to be global lifelong learners.
Their enjoyment and engagement in the learning process is highly evident, with high levels of achievement. A sense of collective responsibility and collaboration allows the school to work on meaningful change and supports the sustainability of successful initiatives that support student learning.

ERO is likely to carry out the next review in four-to-five years.

1 Context

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

Auckland Normal Intermediate in Mt Eden caters for Year 7 and 8 students. The school is designated as a school where trainee teachers are given practical experience. It continues its reciprocal relationship with the Faculty of Education at University of Auckland, and has a positive profile in its community. Five percent of students are Māori and three percent have Pacific heritage.

The school has a positive ERO reporting history. The 2011 ERO report noted that the majority of students achieved well. A focus for the school since the 2011 review has been to develop a more strategic approach to responding to the potential of Māori students. The board of trustees continues to oversee the upgrading of teaching spaces to create more innovative learning environments (ILEs).

The school offers the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme. The school uses IB as a framework to implement The New Zealand Curriculum and to create a profile of the Auckland Normal Intermediate learner.

The school’s promotion of and response to students’ wellbeing is extensive. A positive tone supports the learning of all students. Students have pride and a sense of ownership and belonging in their school.

2 Learning

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

Achievement information is used very well at many levels in the school. The school has a holistic approach to assessment. There is a richness to the school’s assessment information that gives senior leaders, teachers and parents a good understanding of the student as a learner.

Achievement information shows that the school has high levels of achievement in reading and mathematics. At present there is a school focus on accelerating achievement in writing. Māori students are achieving at higher levels than the general school population. The school is aware of the need to focus on raising Pacific student achievement. In 2016 the board adopted a school Pasifika plan as a strategic approach, to raise achievement for this cohort. Very good systems support teachers to make valid judgements about progress and achievement in relation to the National Standards.

The board, school leaders, and class teachers use achievement information to set school priorities and achievement targets, design curriculum programmes and closely monitor progress. Very effective school monitoring systems for tracking all students’ progress allows class teachers to continually evaluate and give immediate and different responsive approaches to student learning needs. Achievement information is also used to inquire into the effectiveness of teaching practices, and to support students’ successful transitions into and out of school.

There are multiple opportunities for students to engage with achievement information. Student groups work with the board and senior leaders to identify and lead initiatives to support school achievement improvement plans. Students are taught strategies to use their own achievement information so they can be actively involved in decisions about how to make progress in their leaning. Students also play a role in reporting their progress and achievement to their parents and whānau. The impact of these school practices is that students’ engagement is heightened through an increased awareness of themselves as a learner.

Strong community relationships are now focused on supporting students’ learning. The school is continuing to explore ways to extend and enrich opportunities that create learning partnerships with whānau. The focus is on providing whānau with the knowledge and skills to support their children’s successful learning.

Students’ enjoyment and engagement in the learning process is highly evident. They talk about their learning with confidence and support the learning of their peers. Student engagement in learning is very well supported by the school’s culture of celebrating learning and respectful learning relationships. Teachers share a belief that they can make a difference for all students. Coaching between teachers, among students, and from students to teacher is becoming common practice in the school.

3 Curriculum

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

The school’s curriculum promotes and supports student learning very effectively. Students experience a rich curriculum that is preparing them to be global lifelong learners.

The curriculum is well designed and documented. A cohesive curriculum framework that combines The New Zealand Curriculum and IB provides clear guidelines for students and teachers. Significant characteristics of the school curriculum include:

  • high focus on student agency
  • recognition of the collaborative nature of learning for future focused learners
  • effective use of innovative learning environments to promote student engagement and achievement
  • equitable learning opportunities for all students.

The school is committed to ensuring that students have positive learning experiences. Students are taught the skills to use prior knowledge to support new learning and be successful and independent learners. The curriculum promotes a learning approach that is co-constructed with students. Opportunities for students to have a say in selecting meaningful contexts for learning, and to share their knowledge as teachers of other students, contribute to ongoing expansion and change in the curriculum. Teachers maintain a focus on learning programmes for literacy and mathematics.

The curriculum caters well for individuals and diverse groups. It builds on students’ interests and strengths, and fosters innovation, creation and responsible risk taking in the learning process. The school’s focus on learning how to learn and encouraging all students to reflect on their own learning process is highly evident. Students who need learning support or extension are well catered for, as are students with varied interests. There is strong inclusive practice to support the social engagement and learning of students with special learning needs.

Classroom and specialist subject teachers use an integrated and collaborative approach to delivering the curriculum. As a result, learning activities and content are cross curricula, relevant, authentic and engaging for students. The curriculum provides individual learning pathways and supports a personalised learning programme for students.

Planned learning experiences that reflect the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand are given an increasingly important place in the curriculum. Cultural diversity is acknowledged and celebrated, enriching learning opportunities for students. School leaders and teachers value the students’ different languages and cultures and what each child brings to the learning process. Students who are speakers of other languages are given opportunities to use their first languages to support the learning of others.

Teachers are well supported to deliver the curriculum successfully. Teachers plan well and skilfully scaffold learning for students. They are flexible in their teaching role as they respond to the diverse needs of the modern learner. Teachers are supported in their ongoing professional growth by effective programmes that personalise their learning and provide access to further study and research. Performance management systems are comprehensive. These systems align with school priorities and reinforce expectations of a professional learning culture.

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

The school is effective in promoting education success for Māori, as Māori. The school has 30 students who identify as Māori. Māori students have positive attitudes to school and learning, and enjoy the opportunities they have to succeed as Māori and be leaders in the school.

School data show very high levels of academic achievement for Māori students. They are achieving above the general school population in reading and writing and at the same levels as in mathematics. Māori students’ learning is supported by the school’s holistic approach to raising student achievement. Teachers know them well, value their student’s strengths and have high expectations for them as learners. A recent initiative, where every Māori student has an individual learning plan and map that they contribute to, has the potential to impact positively on their learning.

Promoting success for Māori is a strategic priority for the board and is supported by a recent documented action plan that guides school initiatives to develop the potential of all Māori students. This action plan is a result of effective consultation with whānau.

The school has increased opportunities that promote Māori students’ cultural identity since the last 2011 ERO review. These include kapa haka, pōwhiri, festival performances, recognition of
Te Ao Māori and tikanga in learning programmes and compulsory te reo Māori language programme. Māori are acknowledged as tangata whenua and Māori kawa is observed at school events.

Māori students play a significant role in leading the school strategies that enable students to be successful as Māori. Students feel a sense of responsibility and learn more about their cultural heritage as a result of these leadership opportunities.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

The school is very well placed to sustain its current good practices and continue to enhance its performance.

The board, staff, students and community share ownership of the school’s vision and values. There is cohesion and alignment across all school operations. The work of the board and senior leaders is well coordinated through the school’s strategic and operational planning process. A sense of collective responsibility and collaboration allows the school to work on meaningful change and supports the sustainability of successful initiatives.

The board provides effective governance. Decision-making is well informed and inclusive with a focus on improving outcomes for all students. The board has a strong oversight of care for all adults and students in the school. There are good systems in place to ensure school accountabilities are met.

Leadership in the school is highly effective and strategic. Strategies for nurturing leadership capacity across the school are effective at all levels. The principal and senior leaders clearly articulate the school’s teaching and learning model, ensuring that it is evident in practice. Team leaders, middle leaders, Community of Learning leaders, classroom teachers and support staff all lead the ongoing improvement of programmes. A spirit of leadership is strongly nurtured in students through many meaningful leadership opportunities. Students are involved in supporting strategic goals and see themselves as leaders. They are very active participants in school decision-making.

Internal evaluation is used very well to support ongoing improvements. A robust set of processes for implementing and documenting review is well embedded. Input is sought from a variety of people, including students. School leaders use review findings appropriately to evaluate effectiveness and set future school priorities.

School leaders, teachers, and students contributing to and working with the wider education community is a strength of the school. The board and school leaders build networks with other schools. They make good use of external advice and sound education research to support improved outcomes for students. The principal leads the Ministry of Education Community of Learning project that is focused on raising student achievement in Central Auckland.

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 were 19 international students attending the school. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code. ERO’s investigations confirmed that the school’s internal review process for international students is very thorough. The school has coherent and sustainable systems in place to support good provision and care for international students. 

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.

Conclusion

Students experience a rich curriculum that prepares them well to be global lifelong learners.
Their enjoyment and engagement in the learning process is highly evident, with high levels of achievement. A sense of collective responsibility and collaboration allows the school to work on meaningful change and supports the sustainability of successful initiatives that support student learning.

ERO is likely to carry out the next review in four-to-five years. 

Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

19 August 2016

About the School 

Location

Mt Eden, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

1211

School type

Intermediate (Years 7 to 8)

School roll

680

Number of international students

19

Gender composition

Boys      52%
Girls       48%

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Chinese
Indian
Korean
Pacific
other ethnicities

  5%
45%
27%
12%
  3%
  3%
  5%

Review team on site

June 2016

Date of this report

19 August 2016

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review
Education Review
Supplementary Review

October 2011
June 2008
April 2006