Browns Bay School

1 Context

Browns Bay School, located on the East Coast Bays area of Auckland, caters for children in Years 1 to 6. Browns Bay School is a member of the recently established Mid Bays Schools' Community of Learning. The school roll is growing. A new, experienced principal was appointed in May 2014. Leaders and teachers have been involved in a variety of professional learning contracts specifically to support the acceleration of student progress and achievement. These practices have been sustained and further developed.  

2 Equity and excellence

The vision and valued outcomes defined by the school for all children are to provide an optimal learning environment focused on "Building Leaders and Learners" through opportunities that unlock children's potential and develop their capacity for lifelong learning. The school values: Respect - Manaakitanga, Personal Excellence - Tu Rangatira, Taking Responsibility - Takohanga, and Inquiring Minds - Whai Whakaaro are encouraged, modelled and explored as an aspect of everyday life for children, teachers and the community. The school's motto, Ka Puta Te Hua - Effort Brings Reward is clearly understood by children.

Browns Bay School's mission, vision and values form strong foundations for successful learning. Positive relationships between children, teachers, families and whānau are regarded by the school as essential to learning, underpinning equity and excellence.

The Public Achievement Information (PAI) shows that high numbers of children achieve at or above National Standards. The school is well placed to meet the 2017 government target of 85 percent achieving National Standards. Māori children's achievement reflects that for all children. The very small numbers of Pacific children are improving their achievement and achieve at similar levels to their peers in reading and writing.

School achievement data shows some gender-based differences, with the overall achievement of girls exceeding that of boys, particularly in writing and reading. In response, the board, school leaders and teachers continue to focus on deliberate actions to reduce this disparity.

The school's moderation processes rely on internal discussions and teachers sharing examples of children's written work to ensure that their overall teacher judgements are valid and reliable. Representatives from each school in the Mid Bays Cluster collaborate to verify overall teacher judgements made in each school and across the cluster. This concerted effort to ensure consistency across the cluster has occurred over the last four years.

Since the last ERO evaluation the school has

• strengthened biculturalism, providing a stronger sense of things Māori at all levels of the school led by the Ka Hikitia team
• increased the number of specific intervention programmes and resourcing to accelerate the learning of target students
• improved English as Second Language programmes, funding, training and reporting
• strengthened performance management systems to include reflective teaching practices to accelerate student progress and achievement
• increased children's use of information and communication technologies
• reviewed the school curriculum to promote student agency.

3 Accelerating achievement

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

The school is highly effective in responding to Māori children whose learning and achievement needs acceleration. Raising the achievement of Māori and Pacific children and those with special educational capabilities and needs is one of the school's key priorities.

From the time children arrive at the school, teachers are focused on creating opportunities for Māori children to be successful in their learning.

Identification processes begin prior to these children transitioning into the school and at each transition point during the child's time at the school. Whānau are closely involved in identifying the strengths, needs and capabilities of their child. Leaders and teachers use an extensive range of targeted approaches to identify Māori children not achieving through the use of a thorough, school-wide tracking and monitoring process.

Teachers are deepening their understanding of what is required to improve and accelerate student progress and achievement through a shared understanding of accelerated learning. They reflect on ways they can modify their practice to best meet children's learning requirements. Teachers are mindful of their changing relationships with children to promote children's self-efficacy in their learning. These more personalised approaches all help to promote and accelerate the progress of Māori children at risk of not achieving.

School achievement information shows that the few Māori children who do not achieve at National Standards are better positioned for success in their learning because of the progress they have made. Whānau who spoke with ERO, see the progress their target children make in learning through teachers' deliberate actions and new approaches in the classroom. They value the strength of relationships with teachers in supporting children's learning at home.

Leaders and teachers collate and analyse a wide range of data to critically evaluate the success of initiatives designed to accelerate Māori students' learning progress with respect to National Standards. They evaluate how well programmes suits each child's specific learning requirement, and allow for refining and refocussing to maximise opportunities for success. Maintaining longitudinal records of each target child's learning progress and highlighting key acceleration points helps sustain the accelerated progress that these children have made.

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

The school responds very effectively to other children whose learning and achievement needs acceleration.

External professional development for teachers is targeted to accelerate children's progress and achievement in writing. Teachers respond through a range of approaches to address the gender disparity by:

• identifying every child who is below or well below in writing and in relation to National Standards
• setting an achievement target for each child and identifying their individualised learning goals
• deciding on the teaching actions that are required to help students reach their targets/goals
• inquiring into their writing programmes to ensure that they provide children with enough choice
• analysing and discussing the progress of these students at team level.

Teachers think deeply about what they can do to accelerate the progress of these children. They scaffold children's learning through a range of rich learning experiences across the curriculum and build on what they know about individual children's interests, strengths and capabilities. The children who spoke with ERO value the opportunities to use technology and give feedback to each other in their writing groups. They also enjoyed the use of pictures and images to develop their ideas and make choices about their writing.

This development is also supported by specific school actions that focus on effective teaching practices. Teachers have a target group of students alongside the priority learners in each class. The progress of this target group is monitored carefully and senior leaders maintain a data base to monitor the longitudinal progress of children in the inquiry project.

Leaders collate very useful progress information to identify children's expected and accelerated progress from Year 2 to 6 in writing. 2015 data shows over half of the targeted Year 2 to 6 children made the necessary progress to achieve at and above National Standards by the end of 2015.

School leaders and teachers closely track and monitor all children from school entry. Identified groups of children, including English language learners and those with special abilities are tracked through the English Language Learning progressions and /or Individual Education Plans. These children are progressing and achieving a range of successful outcomes.

Leaders have created a collective staff responsibility for accelerating the progress and achievement of students at risk of not achieving. The 2016 charter targets are clearly focused on acceleration through a strategic and coherent approach across the school. Internal evaluation and a collaborative inquiry approaches provide teaching teams with opportunities to reflect deeply and adapt practices to suit individual children.

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 curriculum, processes and practices are very effective in developing and enacting the vision, values, goals and priorities for equity and excellence.

The school's charter contains goals, targets and actions that are focused on accelerating student progress and achievement, particularly for Māori, Pacific and target students in writing. These goals support the enactment of equity and excellence through the school's key improvement strategies.

The Browns Bay School curriculum (Pathways to Success) was reviewed in 2015 to include student agency as part of the effective teaching practices. Student agency is supported by teaching practices that help students to actively contribute to and lead their learning.

The broad curriculum provides opportunities for all children to engage their interests through classroom inquiries and enrichment programmes. The school's curriculum themes and extensive co-curricular activities are highly responsive to children by building on their prior knowledge and experiences outside school.

Children participate and learn in a collaborative and inclusive school culture. They are supported to learn alongside their peers in deliberate mixed ability grouping where they test and explore their ideas. Teachers scaffold prior knowledge to allow children to connect their learning to new information or ideas and this enables children to apply their new skills immediately as they learn.

Te Whare Rama is an initiative to support children's positive engagement in their writing. Team building opportunities connect children through a sense of belonging to share their interests and give feedback to each other about their writing. Children's use of digital devices suppors them to accelerate their progress in writing.

The school recognises the positive impact that bi-cultural practices, curriculum content and the use of te reo Māori has on Māori student, language and culture. The Ka Hikitia team focuses on strengthening the significance of bi-culturalism within the school's culture and curriculum. Māori children and their whānau value their school as a place to learn and connect with their culture.

The school is further extending their networking and collaborative practices by being part of the Mid Bays Community of Learning (CoL). A well-documented action plan linked to the school's strategic plan has a focus on improving learning in writing and mathematics. The professional culture of accountability that is prevalent in the school contributes positively to accelerating the progress of children at risk of not achieving.

The quality of teaching is high. Teachers and support staff work collaboratively to find new and innovative approaches to stimulate and challenge children. Self and peer critique is integral to teachers' professional practice. A highly effective and well-coordinated performance management system supports teachers' professional practice and growth.

Trustees, school leaders and staff place a high significance on building meaningful relationships and developing strong home-school partnerships. Parents and whānau who spoke with ERO value the way the school responds to their aspirations and ideas about their children's learning.

The board, school leaders and teachers are future focused and committed to ensuring that the school serves its community well. Extensive internal evaluation is used to meet the requirements of diverse learners and the changing school population. The complementary nature of external and internal evaluation is focused on setting the school conditions for leaders and teachers to respond holistically to the learning and wellbeing of all children, particularly those at risk of not achieving.

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 effectively to the strengths, needs and interests of each child
• regularly evaluate how well teaching is working for these children
• act on what they know works well for each child
• build teacher capability effectively to achieve equitable outcomes for all children
• are well placed to achieve and sustain equitable and excellent outcomes for all children.

Browns Bay School is very well placed to achieve and sustain equitable and excellent outcomes for all children. A high degree of coherence between all processes and systems is evident, due to the effectiveness of thorough, purposeful internal and external evaluation.

Capable trustees bring a range of expertise to their roles. They evaluate their performance in their stewardship role and the work of the school in achieving valued student outcomes. Trustees are supported to be bi-culturally responsive and build on whānau partnerships with the school.

Senior leaders have a purposeful, cohesive and collaborative leadership approach. Their measured management of change and improvement in the school is well-paced and considered. A focus on building collective capacity in evaluation and inquiry has helped encourage people to think and do things differently. Staff wellbeing and their individual and professional growth is valued and cared for. This is helping the school to achieve and sustain equitable and excellent outcomes for all children.

The senior leadership team and the board of trustees acknowledge that their internal evaluation and ERO's external evaluation has prompted the emergence of their ongoing development areas. These include:

• continuing to develop teaching practices that build on children's self-efficacy
• sharing the outcomes of inquiries to inform best practice, particularly in accelerating children's progress and achievement
• continuing to build connections in response to the communities growing diversity
• considering extending the school's ongoing bi-cultural focus through consultation with the local iwi to create a shared local story.

ERO is likely to carry out the next review in four-to-five 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
• provision for international students.

7 Recommendation

ERO recommends that the school continues to use internal evaluation to achieve excellence and equity in outcomes for all children. 

Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

8 August 2016

About the school 

1 Context

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

Browns Bay School, on Auckland's North Shore, continues to provide the very high quality education previously reported by ERO. Students are well supported in their learning. Caring, positive relationships underpin school operations and support students’ sense of belonging in the school. Teachers have high expectations for students’ learning and achievement.

Effective leadership helps to ensure that the school is successful. Students benefit from teachers who engage in research based, relevant professional development. Professional coaching is provided to support teachers to improve their expertise and to make use of achievement data. The experienced leadership team uses external review to complement school self-review processes. Effective teaching and learning practices are clearly defined and are well understood by staff.

A new discovery centre, and the board’s significant investment in information and communication technologies, supports students to take ownership of their learning.

2 Learning

How well are students learning – engaging, progressing and achieving?

Students are well engaged in their learning. They are settled and confident and show pride in their school. Interactions are respectful and students have good opportunities to take leadership roles. Students engage in a wide range of co-curricular activities and make good friendships across Year levels.

Students make very good progress and achieve well. In reading and mathematics, most students achieve at or above National Standards. In writing, the school has identified that, at some Year levels, students need further support to reach similarly high levels of achievement.

Students’ progress is very carefully monitored at school, syndicate and class level. The school has reviewed its assessment processes to ensure that data are robust and well used. Achievement information is analysed by gender and cohort and is used effectively to determine areas of need. Appropriate targets have been set in relation to the National Standards. Teachers use a good range of appropriate assessment tools and are making very good use of achievement data to inform teaching and learning. Clear reporting systems have been developed so that teachers, parents, whānau and students can track students’ progress and achievement.

Pacific learners achieve at levels that are similar to those of their peers. They are well known to teachers and the school tracks their progress and achievement. Students who have specific learning needs are well supported though a variety of programmes. Reporting on the outcomes of the range of interventions in place could be used to inform reviews of resourcing.

The school and ERO agree that, over time, it would be useful to:

• develop ways to assess student achievement in other curriculum areas
• complete the design of the school data tracking system for students in Years 1 to 3
• continue to document trends and patterns in students’ achievement.

How well does the school promote Māori student success and success as Māori?

Māori students enjoy positive relationships with their teachers. They are well supported to achieve at the same high levels as their peers in reading and mathematics. In writing, they perform at the same variable levels as their peers. A few Māori students receive extra support that helps them to make accelerated progress over time. It could be useful for the board to set school-wide targets to further improve the achievement of Māori students.

Māori students are engaged in learning and are involved in the wider life of the school. Senior staff plan to establish a kapa haka group, with the support of whānau. The board has a plan to increase bicultural learning opportunities for all students and, over time, to ensure that a bicultural New Zealand is more clearly reflected in the school. The Ministry of Education resource, Ka Hikitia, has been well used to make action plans and could be further used to evaluate school progress.

Teachers and leaders have begun to use Ministry of Education resources to improve the teaching of te reo Māori. School leaders have identified the need for ongoing professional learning and development to help improve teachers’ skills in using and teaching te reo me ōna tikanga. The board of trustees is committed to further engaging with whānau by:

• developing local links and partnerships with iwi
• consulting more frequently with whānau Māori.

3 Curriculum

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

School leaders and teachers have developed a school curriculum that is aligned to the vision, principles, values and key competencies of The New Zealand Curriculum. Well managed implementation systems ensure cohesion between the school vision, student needs and effective, innovative teaching practice. Research is used purposefully and professionally to inform decision making about curriculum design and delivery.

The school curriculum has a clear emphasis on literacy, mathematics and inquiry learning. Integrated inquiry learning promotes good opportunities for learning in other curriculum areas, thus enabling students to make coherent links in their learning. Good planning and monitoring processes ensure coverage of all areas of the curriculum. It would be useful for the school to review its curriculum to ensure that teaching programmes make effective connections with Māori students and students of diverse cultural backgrounds.

Students enjoy talking about their learning and contribute confidently in classroom discussions. As teachers and leaders continue to review their teaching and learning practices, it could be helpful to extend students' opportunities to be involved in the review process. ERO and school leaders agreed that teachers could:

• provide students with more written feedback on their work to guide them in evaluating their own work and to give them greater ownership of their learning
• increase the level of challenge and pace in learning for more able students
• continue to use e-learning tools and on-line environments to support student learning.

Strong processes are in place to support all teachers to develop their professional practice. Teachers are effective, student focused and model good processes for learning. Senior staff promote the use of high quality teaching practices at all levels of the school.

Staff have good opportunities to take on leadership roles and responsibilities. Coaching is used effectively to support teacher development and is focused on improving student outcomes. Performance management systems are well structured and are being aligned to school indicators of successful teacher practice.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

The school is well placed to sustain and improve its performance. School operations, processes and documents evolve in response to ongoing, highly effective self review.

The school is well led by an innovative, experienced and widely respected principal. Senior leaders are strategic, collaborative and skilled change managers. Staff expertise is well used and valued. Student voice is used effectively to inform decision-making processes. Strong leadership and a commitment to building leadership is evident throughout the school.

The board has a strategic vision for the development of the school and effective governance processes are in place. Trustees have a clear understanding of their roles and are well informed about the operations of the school. It could be useful for senior leaders to refine reporting formats to ensure that reporting gives the board clearer information about progress towards the achievement of strategic goals.

The school engages well with its community. Community support for the school is strong and the leaders are strengthening partnerships with key community groups. Valuable learning partnerships with parents are fostered through student conferences and purposeful review is in place to further strengthen this development.

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 five international students were attending the school.

The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code.

ERO’s investigations confirmed that the school’s self-review process for international students is thorough.

International students are well supported and engage well in the wider life of the school. English language programmes provide international students and other students for whom English is a second language with effective support in developing fluency in oral and written English.

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
• stand-downs, suspensions, expulsions and exclusions
• attendance.

When is ERO likely to review the school again?

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

Richard Thornton National Manager Review Services Northern Region

27 October 2011

About the School