Avondale Intermediate

School Context

Avondale Intermediate caters for students in Years 7 and 8. Māori students make up 12 percent of the school roll. Students with Pacific heritage make up 45 percent. A significantly increased number of Pākehā students has enrolled in recent years.

The school’s vision aims to ‘grow global citizens for the amazing and extraordinary world ahead.’ The school values of caring (manaakitanga), respect (whakaute), integrity (ngākau tapatahi), and excellence (hiranga) underpin this vision. Staff and students emphasise being safe, tolerant and responsible (STaR) to guide their behaviour and interactions. The school values students being confident, open-minded thinkers who are adaptable, curious and resilient.

Current school targets focus on increasing the number of students achieving at or above curriculum level four in reading, writing and mathematics. Accelerating the rate of progress for students achieving at curriculum level two and three is a school target.

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

• achievement in reading, writing and mathematics

• accelerated progress in mathematics

• outcomes for students with additional learning needs

• engagement and wellbeing for success

• English language acquisition

• identity and culture.

Since the last ERO review there have been some changes to teaching staff. The board and school leadership continue to manage ongoing financial and property issues.

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 has not yet developed the capacity to promote equitable and excellent outcomes for all students. While the large majority of students achieve well in reading, and a smaller majority achieve well in writing, less than half of students achieve well in mathematics.

A majority of Māori students achieve at expected levels in reading and writing. However, less than half achieve at expected level in mathematics. Pacific students achieve at similar levels to Māori students in reading and mathematics, and at higher levels in writing.

Achievement trends over time show some improvement in student achievement in reading and writing. Most students make progress during their two years at the school. Disparity continues to be evident between the achievement of Māori, Pacific and Pākehā students and between boys and girls.

Leaders set broad student achievement targets for reading, writing and mathematics. Anecdotal evidence shows that students are positive about their experiences and the role the school plays in their education.

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

The school does not yet have the capacity to successfully accelerate students’ progress. Leaders must now develop systems and strategies to support teachers to accelerate learning.

Leaders are increasingly identifying the students who need to make accelerated progress. Staff focus on building student attitudes to learning that are likely to result in more positive outcomes. Some teachers, including specialists, provide programmes that successfully engage students. The school has introduced programmes that are designed to promote identity and culture for both Māori and Pacific boys.

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?

Trustees and staff focus on the pastoral care of students and their whānau. Leaders work closely with contributing schools to ensure students transition positively to the intermediate. External agencies work with the school to support positive outcomes for students and their whānau. Some Māori and Pacific boys benefit from programmes that are designed to support their cultural identities.

Shared understandings about school expectations are evident between trustees, staff and students. STaR behaviour expectations, which support an inclusive learning culture for all, are highly visible within the school environment. Over time, the consistent use of this framework has impacted positively on the school culture.

Students have a variety of learning opportunities. They report that most programmes offered by specialist subject teachers are interesting and engaging. Staff and members of the community provide additional opportunities for students to learn through cultural and sporting groups and ‘passion’ projects.

Some skilled teachers provide programmes that engage and inspire students. These teachers use their extensive content knowledge to support deep learning for students. They hold high expectations of students in their classes. Leaders will need to make use of these teachers’ expertise to provide good models for strengthening teaching practice across the school.

Learning assistants provide additional support for individuals and groups of students. A teacher provides a programme for students who are learning English as an additional language. It is timely for these interventions to be reviewed to determine their effectiveness in terms of outcomes for students.

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

Trustees must resolve ongoing financial and property matters. This would enable them to better focus and support initiatives that promote equitable and excellent outcomes for all students.

Leaders must provide effective leadership to:

• establish a professional staff culture
• raise student achievement by developing a shared understanding of strategies that will be effective in accelerating progress
• establish systems and processes that will support the coherent and consistent operation of the school
• develop curriculum documentation that will provide good guidance for teachers about high quality programmes and approaches to teaching and learning
• promote students’ understanding of their progress and achievement so they can make decisions and plan for their own learning
• ensure students have greater access to learning through digital technologies
• evaluate the action plans based on the improvements to be made, so that trustees, leaders and teachers know the impact of their decisions and actions aimed at achieving the desired outcomes.

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 Vulnerable Children Act 2014.

Appraisal audit

During the course of the review, ERO audited the process for the endorsement of teachers’ practising certificates undertaken over the last 12 months. The process in place at the time of the endorsement did not meet Education Council requirements. If recent improvements to the appraisal process are fully implemented it will be likely to meet requirements.

Provision for international students

The school is a signatory to 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. No international students were enrolled at the time of the ERO review.

4 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

• pastoral care that supports students and their whānau

• attitude and behaviour expectations that are embedded for students and adults

• opportunities to access a broad curriculum that engage and interest students

• some good teaching that provides models for strengthening teaching practice across the school.

Next steps

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

• to accelerate progress for all students

• establish systems and processes that enhance the school’s strategic direction.

ERO recommends that the school seek support from the Ministry of Education in order to bring about improvements in:

• finance and property

• leadership support to improve student achievement, curriculum design and implementation, and systems to facilitate school operations

• provision of information and communication technologies (ICT).

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

ERO intends to carry out a process of ongoing external evaluation to support development over the course of one-to-two years.

Julie Foley

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)

Te Tai Raki - Northern Region

7 August 2018

About the school