Buckland School

Buckland School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 5 months of the Education Review Office and Buckland School 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 

Buckland School is located in the Franklin district, in a semi-rural setting on the outskirts of Auckland. The school provides education for students in Years 1 to 8, based on the values of kia u, kia mau, and kia manawanui (respect, responsibility and resilience).

Buckland School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:

  • focus on student success with high achievement and learning outcomes through a wide range of quality learning opportunities

  • build community through local curriculum design to promote student wellbeing and learning.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Buckland School’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how effective the local curriculum design is improving equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to:

  • develop a local curriculum and planning and assessment practices, that provide learning opportunities to achieve excellent and equitable outcomes for all

  • to increase the inclusiveness of culture, language and identity within curriculum design and planning.

The school expects to see the localised curriculum reflecting the aspirations of whaanau, hapuu and iwi and supporting equitable outcomes for learners.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to increase the inclusiveness of culture, language and identity within curriculum design and achieve equitable outcomes:

  • Commitment to ongoing improvement through teacher professional learning

  • Established systems and processes to identify and support learners to improve outcomes

  • A community that has high expectations of the school and supports the wide range of learning opportunities available.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • implementing a localised curriculum to increase te ao Māori, te reo and tikanga within teaching and learning programmes across the school, supported by professional development for teachers

strengthening school-wide internal evaluation processes to identify what is working for which groups of students and plan accordingly.

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.

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

14 February 2023

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

Buckland School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2022 to 2025

As of July 2022, the Buckland School Board of Trustees 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 Buckland School Board of Trustees.

The next Board of Trustees 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.

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

14 February 2023

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

Buckland School - 11/05/2016

1 Context

Buckland School is located in a semi-rural setting close to Pukekohe and provides education for children from Years 1 to 8. Fifteen percent of children identify as Māori. Staff, children and parents value the traditions and community connections of this long established school.

Since ERO's 2013 review, school leaders and teachers have been involved in significant professional development that has focused on increasing understanding about effective teaching practices. Board members have also continued to upskill. Some members have attended specific courses to help them support school initiatives with te ao Māori. A new building is currently being constructed to provide additional learning spaces.

2 Equity and excellence

The vision and valued outcomes defined by the school are for all children to be lifelong learners, to relate well to others, to be active participants and to have high self-esteem.

The school's achievement information shows that many learners achieve at or above National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Over the past three years there has been improvement in the percentages of children achieving National Standards in writing and mathematics. During this period Māori student achievement has improved significantly in reading, writing and mathematics. Children's achievement increases across all National Standard curriculum areas as they progress through the school. A high percentage of students reach National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics by the time they reach Year 7.

Since the 2013 ERO review the school has continued to refine its assessment practices. Targeted professional development has supported teachers to reflect on their practice. All teachers have been involved in school-wide professional learning contracts, including the Ministry of Education Leadership and Assessment contract in literacy and mathematics. There has been a significant focus on developing bicultural aspects of curriculum and practice. These developments have resulted in a greater consistency of teaching practice across the school and a shared understanding of the school's teaching expectations. As a result, most children are better able to talk about their learning and what they need to do to be successful.

3 Accelerating achievement

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

The school has been successful at accelerating the progress of Māori children, especially over the last three years. School leaders use explicit and robust processes to identify and monitor children who are not achieving at expected levels and whose learning needs acceleration. Teaching teams regularly reflect on these target children. They trial different strategies and interventions to accelerate their progress. Children and their whānau are very well supported by strong pastoral care, with an emphasis on children's wellbeing and engagement. Whānau actively contribute to their children's learning.

Recent initiatives focused on developing bicultural practices in the school have been an intentional strategy to further support Māori children's success. Whānau are pleased with this focus and the school's approach to developing bicultural practice. Leaders and trustees should continue to develop, embed and sustain bicultural practices across the school.

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

The school responds very well to other children whose achievement needs accelerating through systems and processes that are similar to those used for Māori children. Leaders and teachers regularly review their practice to identify further changes that could be made. They work collaboratively and take collective responsibility for the wellbeing and achievement of all learners. All children are supported individually to reach their potential.

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 priorities for equity and excellence?

The Buckland School learning community is characterised by respect, empathy, relational trust, cooperation and teamwork.

The school's curriculum, processes and practices promote and enact the vision, values and priorities very well. The curriculum responds well to children's and whānau aspirations within the local context. It draws on the knowledge of children, parents/whānau and community and responds to children's identified strengths, needs and prior knowledge.

Assessment activities are inclusive, authentic and fit for purpose, providing relevant and meaningful evidence to assess children's achievement and progress, and to develop next steps. Teaching practices scaffold children learning effectively. Children with special needs and abilities participate in learning opportunities that provide appropriate challenge and support.

Children's views are gathered and responded to. Learners value the school-wide opportunities and outside school experiences provided. They have leadership opportunities in cultural, pastoral and academic settings.

Children's achievement is recognised in the academic, sporting, social, leadership and values areas. They use digital devices and resources in ways that promote their learning in digital and technological literacy.

Trustees recognise each other's individual knowledge, expertise and experience. They have a shared understanding of their roles, responsibilities and distribution of tasks. They regularly review and reflect on the school's and board's effectiveness and seek advice to ensure ongoing improvements.

Trustees receive good information about student achievement. They know the story behind the data, resource interventions, monitor progress and have high expectations for children's progress and achievement.

The principal and senior leaders know the community and are proactive in seeking partnerships with parents. Leaders are approachable and show care and concern for the wellbeing of children, staff and parents/whānau. The school invites parents/whānau and the community to participate in school activities and decision making in a variety of ways.

Trustees and staff identify and draw on community resources and expertise to increase their capacity to improve children's achievement and wellbeing.

Coherent performance management processes build teachers' professional capability and collective capacity. Leaders ensure alignment between children's learning needs, teacher professional learning goals, and processes for teacher appraisal.

The school culture is conducive to reflective practice by teachers. Organisational structures, processes and practices enable and sustain ongoing learning, collaborative activity and collective decision making.

5 Going forward

How well placed is the school to achieve and sustain equitable and excellent outcomes for all children?

Leaders and teachers:

  • know the children who need their learning and achievement 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.

The school has a focus on relationships and care at all levels. These relationships foster supportive learning partnerships. Inclusiveness and equity are valued. The outcome is confident and engaged learners.

Very good consistency of teaching practice across the school supports children's learning. This consistency has been achieved through school-wide focused professional learning and development, along with development of teachers' shared understandings about expectations.

The board fosters bicultural practice and is strategic in its resourcing and implementation. Māori children are well supported in their culture, language and identity and all children are developing cultural understandings.

Leaders agree that they need to continue to:

  • develop and embed bicultural practices across the school at a considered pace
  • strengthen children's ownership of their learning and teachers' innovative pedagogical thinking.

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.

Recommendation

ERO recommends that the school continues to develop evidence-based evaluation to review the impact of changes made to teaching practice and curriculum provisions in promoting equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners. 

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

11 May 2016 

About the school

Location

Pukekohe

Ministry of Education profile number

1239

School type

Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)

School roll

260

Gender composition

Girls 53% Boys 47%

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Chinese

Indian

Samoan

Filipino

others

15%

74%

2%

2%

2%

1%

4%

Review team on site

March 2016

Date of this report

11 May 2016

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

April 2013

September 2010

November 2007