Brookfield School is located in the Tauranga suburb of Otumoetai, and caters for students in Years 1 to 6. The roll has increased significantly since the previous ERO report in 2015 and an enrolment scheme is now in place to manage the growth. The current roll of 246 includes 161 Māori and a small number of students from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Three rumaki classes provide education immersed in te reo Māori for 55 tamariki. The rumaki section of the school has grown rapidly since 2015. The school’s vision is to nurture the child and foster a community of learners.
The school charter documents the intent to achieve the school’s vision through parallel learning pathways, Te Marautanga o Aotearoa which is delivered in te reo Māori, and The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) which is delivered in English. The school has developed a graduate profile, based on the key competencies of the NZC that focuses on developing wānanga, rangatiratanga, whanaungatanga, ako, whaiwāhitanga and mana/whenuatanga.
Since the 2015 ERO report here have been some changes to board composition, including the election of an experienced trustee as chairperson. The deputy principal has been acting in the principal’s role since Term 3 2017 and there have been some changes to the senior leadership team. A new permanent principal has been appointed to begin at the start of Term 3 2018.
The school is part of the Otumoetai Community of Learning | Kāhui Ako.
Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, school-wide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:
reading, writing and mathematics
pānui, tuhituhi, kōrero and pāngarau.
The school is working towards achieving equitable outcomes for all of its students.
School achievement information from 2017 shows that in classes where English is the language of instruction (auraki):
approximately three quarters of all students achieved at or above expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics
pākehā significantly outperformed Māori, and girls significantly outperformed boys in reading, writing and mathematics.
These patterns of achievement have been reasonably consistent over the last three years.
2017 achievement information gathered by the school shows that in the rumaki:
approximately three quarters of students achieved at or above expected levels in pānui and kōrero, two thirds in pāngarau and the majority in tuhituhi.
Useful information about trends over a longer period is not yet available.
The school responds well to some Māori and other students whose learning and achievement needs acceleration. The school has information to show that targeted programmes and actions have been effective in accelerating the progress of some groups of learners. The school is yet to collate information about accelerated rates or trajectories of progress for all students whose learning is at risk across the curriculum.
Outcomes for students with identified additional learning needs are closely monitored against individual and small group learning and development goals. School data shows that most students make good progress against their individual goals.
Trustees, teachers and leaders successfully model and promote culturally competent practice. Reciprocal, responsive relationships support student learning and wellbeing. Māori learners’ language, culture and identity are valued and affirmed across the school.Deliberate strategies are in place to engage parents and whānau in a partnership to support their children’s learning. Respectful and caring relationships are evident between teachers and students, and tuakana teina relationships are strongly evident across the school.
Teachers’ professional learning and development (PLD) is making an effective contribution to improving student achievement. Decisions about PLD are made in response to achievement trends, patterns and priorities. These decisions are focused on improving teacher practice and aligned to teacher appraisal goals for improvement. Teacher PLD is focused on raising achievement for specific groups of learners.
Systems to meet the needs of students with special needs (SWSN) are well developed and effective. Responsive strategies are in place to engage and motivate these students in caring environments. The special education needs coordinator oversees a wide range of programmes to support students’ reading, writing, mathematics and wellbeing. Processes for identifying, planning and responding to a diverse range of student learning and developmental needs are thorough and results are clearly reported. Students with more complex needs are also well catered for in inclusive environments.
There is a need to improve teachers’ use of assessment information, including the effective use of learning progressions. This is necessary to enable teachers to define and track accelerated learning and plan programmes to ensure all students whose learning is at risk are on a pathway to success with their learning. Sharing this knowledge with students is also necessary to support students to establish an improved understanding of their own learning, progress and acceleration.
School-wide target setting needs to be more specifically focused on accelerating the progress of all students whose learning is at risk. Such inclusive targets are needed to:
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.
The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of International Students) Code of Practice 2016 (the Code) established under section 238f of the Educational Act 1989. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code.
At the time of this review no international students were attending the school.
The school has comprehensive systems and processes in place to support the wellbeing and learning of international students.
For sustained improvement and future learner success, the school can draw on existing strengths in:
culturally responsive connections and relationships that contribute to student wellbeing and high levels of engagement with learning
professional learning that is responsive to improving outcomes for students and aligned with other school priorities
inclusive and responsive practices to identify and address the learning and care needs of SWSN.
For sustained improvement and future learner success, priorities for further development are in:
teachers’ knowledge, management and use of achievement information to track and monitor rates and trajectories of acceleration, and plan increasingly responsive programmes for all at risk learners
an approach to strategic target setting to provide a sound foundation for ongoing internal review more sharply focused on accelerating achievement for all at risk learners.
internal evaluation processes and practices.
[ERO will provide an internal evaluation workshop for trustees and senior leaders.]
ERO is likely to carry out the next external evaluation in three years.
Adrienne Fowler
Director Review and Improvement Services
Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region
20 September 2018
Location |
Tauranga |
Ministry of Education profile number |
1699 |
School type |
Contributing Primary (Years 1 to 6) |
School roll |
246 |
Gender composition |
Girls 51% Boys 49% |
Ethnic composition |
Māori 66% |
Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS) |
No |
Provision of Māori medium education |
Yes |
Number of Māori medium classes |
3 |
Total number of students in Māori medium (MME) |
55 |
Total number of students in Māori language in English medium (MLE) |
126 |
Number of students in Level 1 MME |
55 |
Number of students in Level 2 MME |
0 |
Number of students in Level 3 MLE |
0 |
Number of students in Level 4a MLE |
0 |
Number of students in Level 4b MLE |
126 |
Number of students in Level 5 MLE |
65 |
Review team on site |
June 2018 |
Date of this report |
20 September 2018 |
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review April 2015 |