Bay of Islands International Academy

Education institution number:
1112
School type:
Full Primary
School gender:
Co-Educational
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
63
Telephone:
Address:

935 Purerua Road, Purerua

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Bay of Islands International Academy

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 18 months of the Education Review Office and Bay of Islands International Academy 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 

Bay of Islands International Academy | Te Whare Mātauranga o Te Tii provides education for children in years 1 to 8. The school offers the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP). The school has strong local connections including to Whitiora Marae and Ngati Rehia.

Bay of Islands International Academy’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

  • aroha ki te mātauranga | loving to learn

  • whakanuia te hauora | enhanced wellbeing

  • whānaungatanga | conscious citizenship

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Bay of Islands International Academy’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how effectively the professional learning and development programme is supporting teachers to strengthen their understanding of the school’s inquiry to engage learners through the conceptual learning approach.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

  • to support the implementation of Aotearoa Histories and local curriculum through the Programme of Inquiry

  • to continue to enhance the kaupapa Māori focus throughout the school

  • to diversify and broaden the curriculum by expanding learning opportunities.

The school expects to see teachers work collaboratively to design and deliver a local curriculum that encompasses the school’s inquiry and conceptual learning approach. Learners will experience the depth and breadth of a local curriculum and Aotearoa Histories curriculum that is engaging and promotes agency and belonging.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support it in its goal to evaluate how effectively the professional learning and development programme is supporting teachers to strengthen their understanding of the school’s inquiry to engage learners through the conceptual learning approach: 

  • learners experience an inclusive and respectful school environment that supports them to achieve

  • leaders and staff work to ensure equity of opportunities, including digital tools, for all learners to engage fully in the curriculum

  • the school is engaging, and building meaningful relationships with the Māori community, Māori whānau, hapū and iwi.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • working collaboratively to plan and deliver professional development for the Programme of Inquiry.

  • continuing to develop and deliver a rich local curriculum

  • planning for the implementation of the Aotearoa Histories curriculum

  • working to build teachers and leaders capability to know the impact on learner engagement and agency. 

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 December 2022 

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

Bay of Islands International Academy

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2022 to 2025

As of April 2022, the Bay of Islands International Academy 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 Bay of Islands International Academy 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 December 2022 

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

Bay of Islands International Academy - 16/01/2017

1 Context

Bay of Islands International Academy (Te Whare Mātauranga o Te Tii) is a rural school in Purerua, Northland, which provides education for children in Years 1 to 8. Since ERO's 2014 evaluation, the school roll has significantly increased from 45 children to 105. Of these children, 45 identify as Māori. Previously known as Te Tii School, the school has experienced significant turnaround in growth and improvement since 2012 when the school roll had dropped to 8 students in total. The board's future-focused strategy and commitment to excellence in governance and management has underpinned positive progress and school expansion.

The principal, who was appointed in 2013, has led and managed well the school's development resulting from the increased roll, staff and teaching spaces. The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP) was introduced in 2014. Professional development for teachers has prioritised the implementation of IB PYP, literacy and mathematics teaching, and ways to work in innovative learning environments.

Families from the local and wider Kerikeri area choose to send their children to this school, despite some travelling considerable distances to do so. Parents and whānau express confidence in the improvement trajectory the school has demonstrated over the last four years.

2 Equity and excellence

The vision and valued outcomes defined by the school for all children are focused on promoting an engaged community of learners, building their knowledge, motivation and confidence to progress, achieve and succeed in life. The school's charter recognises that genuine, productive relationships among teachers and their children, whānau and wider communities are an essential foundation for effective teaching and learning. The school's motto is "Learn and grow with us. Kia ako, kia tupu, tahi tatou".

It is important that the significant roll growth over the past three years is taken into account when interpreting the school’s achievement data. The school's priority during this time of expansion has been to develop a shared understanding about the principles and practice of IB PYP among the community, teachers and children.

The school’s achievement information shows that during 2013 to 2015 there has generally been accelerated progress in National Standards reading and writing for children in Years 1 to 3. Public achievement information shows that this has not been the trend for children in Years 4 to 8.

National Standards data show that during these three years achievement in mathematics has decreased across the school. A persistent disparity in Māori children's progress and achievement is also evident. Maori children are over-represented in the groups below National Standards. School achievement information also shows that boys are not achieving as well as girls.

Significant improvements are evident in student achievement outcomes in 2016. Achievement information for 2016 shows accelerated progress in reading, writing and mathematics across the school, particularly for children in Years 1 to 4. The principal's most recent report to the board shows that the majority of the 41 children who were identified at the beginning of the year at risk of underachieving have made accelerated progress. This positive trend means that many of these children are likely to achieve National Standards by the end of the year.

School data show that children generally achieve better at Bay of Islands Academy than their peers at the regional level, in the far north in particular. Furthermore, the schools is holding its own when children's overall achievement is compared with national averages.

One of the fundamental PYP principles is collaboration. Teachers demonstrate this aspect of professional practice when discussing and assessing children's work with colleagues, particularly in writing. At this stage they do not moderate children’s work with other schools. The principal is keen to investigate the possibility of cross-school moderation as part of the Community of Learning (CoL) initiative.

Since the last ERO evaluation the school has:

  • had an increased focus on accelerating progress to enable equitable outcomes for all learners
  • prioritised children's wellbeing as the foundation for successful learning
  • resourced additional time and implemented programmes to accelerate children's learning in reading and mathematics
  • developed more specific action plans in response to trends indicated in achievement data
  • provided the board with a clearer analysis of children's progress, and reports on the effectiveness of strategies to address achievement disparity
  • developed teachers' and children's shared understanding of the IB PYP programme.

3 Accelerating achievement

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

During 2014 and 2015, the school's focus was on embedding IB PYP, and managing the expanding school roll. During these two transformational years, while children showed progress in their learning, the teaching strategies for and ways to measure acceleration, were not well implemented across the school.

The school has since established clearer processes and expectations to achieve equitable outcomes for all children. Staff are now more effectively and consistently responding to children whose learning needs acceleration. A key feature of this improvement is the school's responsive curriculum that enables meaningful and personalised learning for each child.

Achievement data are well used to:

  • enable early identification of children at risk of not achieving equitable outcomes
  • guide planning, programmes and interventions to accelerate children's progress
  • set meaningful achievement targets as part of the annual plan
  • inform the board of the progress of all children, particularly those who have been identified as requiring additional support
  • build collaborative partnerships in learning between teachers and children, focused on shared responsibility for improvement.

4 School conditions

How effectively do the school’s curriculum and other organisational processes and practices develop and enact the school’s vision, values, goals and targets for equity and excellence?

The school's organisational practices support children well to be confident in their identity, language and culture. The school encourages Māori children to be successful as Māori. They display an active sense of fairness, social justice and respect of human rights. Children advocate for themselves and others.

The school's learner-focused curriculum strongly reflects the vision, values and principles of The New Zealand Curriculum. Children can select contexts in the conceptual framework that encourage them to work collaboratively, explore their interests, develop critical thinking skills and use problem solving strategies.

Sound foundations for successful learning are developed through the school curriculum. Inquiry, collaboration and sharing are strongly evident in school practices. Children are curious and enjoy having their thinking extended. They learn with and from other children, and value opportunities for tuakana teina relationships. Children know their choices for preferred learning styles and contexts, and these are respected by their teachers. As a result, children are becoming more responsible for themselves, their learning and development.

Internal evaluation is used well to improve teaching and learning. Teachers are increasing their ability to identify relevant improvements in their practice that are likely to promote positive outcomes for children. A more clearly defined and planned careers programme for Years 7 and 8 would enable children to be better informed about potential learning pathways.

The board and staff share responsibility to minimise economic and social disparities in the school. They maintain strong relationships with children that are based on trust, respect and honesty. The school's philosophy for children's success is underpinned through a strong set of caring, child-centred values. Staff and children celebrate learning and diversity.

School leaders, teachers and the board are strongly committed to, and value, meaningful consultation with parents, families/whānau and the community. While this consultation is not always successful, the increased school roll shows the community's confidence in the school's vision for children.

The school is now well placed to:

  • identify further ways to engage all children in learning, including improving their attendance
  • improve data analysis and tracking of accelerated progress over time, particularly for those children who are not achieving at expected levels
  • extend teachers' skills and strategies to accelerate and sustain children's progress, particularly for Māori children and boys
  • develop stronger and meaningful relationships with whānau, hapū and iwi.

School leaders agree that the curriculum could more specifically include Māori perspectives. They are keen to enrich Māori children's learning by further integrating te reo and tikanga Māori in meaningful curriculum contexts.

5 Going forward

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

Leaders and teachers:

  • know the children whose learning and achievement need to be accelerated
  • respond to the strengths, needs and interests of each child
  • regularly evaluate how teaching is working for these children
  • need to systematically act on what they know works for each child
  • need to have a plan in place to build teacher capability to accelerate the achievement of all children who need it.

The school is now well placed to sustain and extend equity and excellence opportunities for Māori children, and other children. School leaders are determined to further build on initiatives that are promoting equitable outcomes for all children. This determination includes a particularly strong emphasis on effective teaching and learning strategies to promote and sustain children's accelerated progress.

Strong school leadership, particularly by the principal and well supported by the board, is focused on reducing disparity and ensuring equitable outcomes for all children.

Action: The board, principal and teachers should use the findings of this evaluation, the Effective School Evaluation resource, the Internal Evaluation: Good Practice exemplars and the School Evaluation Indicators to develop more targeted planning to accelerate student achievement. Planning should show how processes and practices will respond effectively to the strengths and needs of children whose learning and achievement need to be accelerated.

As part of this review ERO will continue to monitor the school’s planning and the progress the school makes. ERO is likely to carry out the next full review in three years.

6 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 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

  • processes for appointing staff

  • stand down, suspensions, expulsions and exclusions

  • attendance

  • compliance with the provisions of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014.

To improve current practice, the board of trustees should:

  • ensure that all teacher appraisals, including the principal's, meet the requirements of the Education Council
  • continue to develop and refine meaningful policies that meet legal requirements
  • ensure provision of a Years 7 and 8 careers programme to enable children to develop an understanding of potential learning pathways and future careers.

7 Recommendation

ERO recommends that leaders continue to build internal evaluation capability at all levels of the school, particularly focused on accelerating children's progress. The school should also continue to focus on extending its relationship with whānau, hapū and iwi. 

Graham Randell Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

16 January 2017

About the school 

Location

Purerua, Northland

Ministry of Education profile number

1112

School type

Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)

School roll

105

Gender composition

Girls 47% Boys 53%

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

other

41%

56%

3%

Review team on site

November 2016

Date of this report

16 January 2017

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

Special Review

Special Review

February 2014

January 2011

June 2009


 

Bay of Islands International Academy - 03/02/2014

1 Background and Context

What is the background and context for this school’s Arotake Paetawhiti review?

Bay of Islands International Academy (Te Whare Mātauranga o Te Tii) is a Year 1 to 8 primary school situated on the Purerua Peninsula. It was previously known as Te Tii School and has direct and historic links back to the Rangihoua Mission School founded in 1816. The school has traditionally had a high proportion of Māori students, with many of them coming from Te Tii village.

Over the past five years the quality of school programmes has been variable and the school has experienced fluctuations in the school roll that have threatened its viability. As there were no nominees for the board of trustee elections in 2010, the Ministry of Education (MoE) appointed a commissioner in place of the board.

In January 2011, ERO’s report noted the commissioner and staff had effected some positive developments in relation to school operations and finances. However, ERO also noted that leadership, teaching programmes, students’ engagement with learning, and relationships between the school and community needed to improve.

Following the 2011 ERO review, and when the commissioner had finished his work and the board was reconstituted, the school worked with ERO and the MoE to identify priorities for review and development. The commissioner provided initial support for the board to help it progressively grow its governance capability. The principal at the time also began the process of improving the curriculum and the quality of teaching and assessment.

More recently, the school’s chairperson, new board and new principal have taken steps to help the school make very good progress. They have lifted the quality of governance and teaching and learning to create a sound foundation for further school development. The school’s name change signifies that it is taking on new directions. This report highlights and affirms the school’s significant progress.

2 Review and Development

How effectively is the school addressing its priorities for review and development?

Priorities identified for review and development

Following the 2011 ERO review report ERO, following priorities for review and development were identified. ERO and the school agreed on the need to:

  • strengthen educational leadership and school management
  • improve the quality of curriculum, assessment and teaching in order to better engage students in their learning and lift their achievement
  • develop and strengthen school governance, particularly in relation to community consultation, strategic planning, self review and aspects of financial and personnel management.

How effectively is the school addressing its areas for review and development?

Progress

The school is effectively addressing the areas for review and development identified in the 2011 ERO review. Educational leadership and management have improved significantly, along with assessment and teaching. Students are engaged and interested in their classroom programmes and, in most cases, are making good progress with their learning.

Since 2011 the school has had two principals. Each has demonstrated a commitment to strengthening educational leadership and improving the quality of the curriculum, teaching and learning. School management systems, particularly those to do with the management of assessment and student achievement information, have also been progressively strengthened.

The current principal and board are leading the introduction of a new framework for the school’s curriculum based on the Primary Years Programme (PYP) of the International Baccalaureate. This programme builds on the emphasis that has been placed on literacy and numeracy learning over the last two years. The school’s curriculum continues to be developed. It will be important for the board and staff to consider and document how:

  • the PYP will enact the principles of The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC)
  • the school’s curriculum meets the requirements of the NZC, particularly its vision and principles relating to the Treaty of Waitangi and the bicultural foundations of Aotearoa New Zealand
  • teaching programmes will reflect the local history and heritage of Ngati Rehia and promote the language, culture and identity of Māori students, given that this is an important aim of the school’s mission
  • the learning areas of science and technology will be integrated into classroom programmes.

Systems for collating and using student achievement information have been significantly improved. There is now a scheduled framework for assessing students in literacy and numeracy and for reporting achievement information to parents, the board and the community. Teachers are using good assessment approaches to identify students' levels of achievement and their learning strengths and needs. The principal has noted that the scope of assessment will need to be progressively expanded to cover a broader range of curriculum areas. In addition, further work to develop teaching as inquiry is planned.

Teachers are making good use of assessment information to plan programmes that meet students’ learning needs. They have clear targets for raising students' achievement. Students who need extra support and extension are identified. Students are also involved in setting goals and reflecting on their learning progress and challenges. The principal has identified that developing plans for meeting the needs of students with specific talents and abilities is an additional priority.

The school has some good evidence of students making accelerated progress in reading. Continuing to improve home-school partnerships, making good use of external support such as the Resource Teachers of Learning and Behaviour and appropriately focused professional development for teachers, are some of the key strategies being used to promote students’ learning and achievement.

As a next step to help ensure teachers are well positioned to meet the specific needs of their Māori learners, school leaders should consider working with the Ministry of Education resource Tātaiako: Cultural Competencies for Teachers of Māori Learners.

3 Sustainable performance and self review

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

Priorities identified for review and development
Progress

The school is now in a position to sustain and continue to improve and review its performance. The board and staff have developed and strengthened school governance, including community consultation, planning, self review and financial and personnel management.

The school’s charter and planning reflect the board's strong commitment to providing high quality learning opportunities and outcomes for students. The charter also reflects ongoing formal and informal consultation with the community. This has included specific consultation opportunities for the Māori community. Appropriate targets have been set to improve student achievement. There are documented plans to guide the school’s ongoing strategic development.

Governance has been strengthened progressively, with the help of Ministry of Education advisors. More recently, the board has made good use of the School Trustees Association training and information. Trustees are representative of the local community and have a useful variety of experiences and skills to bring to their governance roles.

The principal provides the board with good quality information about curriculum and student achievement. This information is used as a basis for board decision-making. The board has undertaken a comprehensive review of finance, asset and personnel policies, over the past two years. This process provides a useful framework for further policy and other reviews.

A key focus for the board’s strategic planning has been to improve the viability of the school. Strong roll growth indicates renewed community confidence in the school. It is notable that families from the wider Kerikeri area are choosing to send their children to the school. The board’s strategies aimed at recruiting more students have been successful. These strategies include:

  • renaming the school and lifting the school’s profile in the community through the media and school website
  • developing rationales and plans for adopting the Primary Years Programme of the International Baccalaureate as an important point of difference in the school’s curriculum
  • securing additional external funding to resource the school
  • improving school property, including classrooms
  • providing a school bus for students who live in the wider geographic area.

The board confidently anticipates that the school roll will continue to grow in the coming year. Trustees acknowledge that successfully serving a growing and diverse community will present both challenges and opportunities. They recognise the school’s particular responsibility to its local Māori students.

Effective community consultation and robust self-review processes should help to ensure that the school sustains its progress and continues to improve. As the board plans for the school’s future it could now consider Ka Hikitia, Accelerating Success 2013-17, the Government’s Education Strategy to guide schools in accelerating the educational success of Māori 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.

The board has identified some areas in which the school does not currently comply with legislative and regulatory requirements. The board has indicated to ERO that it has plans to address these matters by:

  • developing procedures for reporting to the board on the implementation of personnel policies
  • establishing and documenting appropriate hazard identification and remediation procedures
  • consulting the community about the school’s health curriculum
  • making arrangements for providing guidance counselling for students
  • documenting the school’s policies and procedures for minimising bullying.
When is ERO likely to review the school again?

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

Dale Bailey National Manager Review Services Northern Region

3 February 2014

About the School

Location

Purerua, Northland

Ministry of Education profile number

1112

School type

Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)

School roll

45

Gender composition

Girls 24, Boys 21

Ethnic composition

Māori

NZ European

NZ Chinese Asian

other

17

22

3

3

Review team on site

November 2013

Date of this report

3 February 2014

Most recent ERO report(s)

Special Review

Education Review

Education Review

January 2011

June 2009

April 2006