Broad Bay School - 01/11/2019

• On this page:

• School Context
• Evaluation Findings
• 1 Equity and excellence – achievement of valued outcomes for students
• 2 School conditions for equity and excellence – processes and practices
• 3 Board assurance on legal requirements
• 4 ERO’s Overall Judgement
• 5 Going forward
• About the school

Broad Bay School is a full primary school for students up to Year 8 in Dunedin. It has a roll of 28 students.

The school’s vision and values include to provide learning opportunities for students that develop their strengths and abilities and a respect for and appreciation of others, their surroundings and the wider world.

The school states that is strategic aims are:

• teaching and learning
• wellbeing and culture
• community and communication
• environment.

The principal and teachers regularly report to the board schoolwide information about outcomes for students in relation to reading, writing, mathematics and science.

Teacher have undertaken professional development including ALIM (Accelerated Learning in Mathematics), ALL (Accelerated Learning in Literacy) and IYT (Incredible Years Training), funded by the Ministry of Education.

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 achieving positive outcomes for most students. It is working towards achieving equitable outcomes.

Over the last three years most students, including Māori students, achieve at or above school expectations in literacy and mathematics.  During this period boys’ achievement has been consistently lower in writing, mathematics and reading. However, school information shows boys’ achievement improving in reading over time. Girls’ achievement has been consistently high in all three areas.

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

The school effectively accelerates progress in mathematics for those students targeted for interventions. The school has been increasingly effective in accelerating progress in reading.

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 curriculum is focused on the learner. Teachers design experiences and contexts for learning in discussion with their students and support them to work collaboratively on challenges set in real world contexts. Programmes and practices in the junior class contribute to building a strong foundation for learning and engagement. Students’ motivation to learn is strengthened by participation in learning experiences that align with their needs, interests and abilities. Students benefit from teacher and community members’ strengths and expertise, particularly with language learning in te reo Māori, sign language, science and environmental projects.

Teachers inquire into their practice so they can better respond to students’ individual learning needs and promote engagement. They closely track and monitor student progress and work as a team to provide appropriate interventions for those in need of extra support.

Students have voice and choice about the direction of their learning. They learn in a safe and inclusive environment where they are challenged to learn and develop to their individual best.

A sense of whanaungatanga helps build students’ feelings of belonging to both the school and the community. Authentic whānau connections strengthen the links between home and school. Parents, whānau and community are welcomed and involved in school activities as respected and valued partners in learning. They receive regular useful information to enable them to constructively support their children’s learning. External community experts also effectively support students’ interests and enhance their learning and achievement.

The principal and teachers are committed to ensuring the school’s priorities are achieved. There is effective leadership within the school for integration of Māori perspectives and bicultural practice within the curriculum. Planning is underway to ensure students’ and teachers’ learning in these areas is ongoing and able to be sustained over time.

Trustees have a shared understanding of their roles and responsibilities and work collaboratively to continually improve the school and ensure positive outcomes for students. Students’ learning, wellbeing, achievement and progress are the board’s core consideration.

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

In order to build a coherent approach to further achieving equity and excellence for all students, leaders and teachers need to strengthen:

• internal evaluation processes to better know what is going well and what isn’t in relation to achieving valued outcomes for students
• some documentation and processes to ensure greater coherency across the school about aspects of teaching and learning.

Expectations for high-quality teaching and learning need to be systematically implemented across the school to help ensure the sustainability of best practice in improving student 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.

4 ERO’s Overall Judgement

On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement of Broad Bay School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Well placed.

ERO’s Framework: Overall Findings and Judgement Tool derived from School Evaluation Indicators: Effective Practice for Improvement and Learner Success 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 its:

• learner-centred curriculum that challenges students to develop to their personal best

• authentic relationships with whānau and community that enhance student learning and engagement

• collaborative practices that promote school improvement.

Next steps

For sustained improvement and future learner success, the key priority for further development is in:

• strengthening internal evaluation to know more about the impact of the school’s localised curriculum and how well school-wide practices promote student success.

Dr Lesley Patterson

Director Review and Improvement Services Southern

Southern Region

1 November 2019

About the school