Burnham School - Te Kura o Tiori

Burnham School - Te Kura o Tiori

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 12 months of the Education Review Office and Burnham School - Te Kura o Tiori 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 

​​Burnham School is located south of Rolleston in a semi-rural setting and provides education for years 0 – 8. The school offers bi-lingual Māori provision and small class sizes in a family atmosphere. The Learner Actions of Respect, Effort and Pride are promoted in the school. 

Burnham School - Te Kura o Tiori’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

  • empowering teacher’s growth and capacity to improve student achievement, delivering a quality future focused curriculum  

  • equipping learners to feel confident as participants in their learning 

  • engaging whānauand community to be connected as partners in learning. 

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Burnham School - Te Kura o Tiori’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the effect of the school’s writing programme and use of assessment for learning to increase student achievement in writing.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

  • increasing student engagement, progress and achievement in writing in Years 0-8 

  • building teacher capability in the use of assessment information to inform teaching and learning programmes. 

The school expects to see:

  • students actively engaged and challenged in their learning, equipped with clearly identified goals and their next steps. 

  • increased student progress and achievement in writing in Years 0-8  

  • teacher use of authentic assessment information to inform teaching and learning programmes and enable student agency. 

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to increase student achievement in writing: 

  • the introduction, development, and ongoing in-school support of the school’s writing programme 

  • building teacher capability by prioritising professional development in ‘assessment for learning’ to further develop teaching pedagogy that has a direct link to student achievement outcomes. 

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • the development of a localised curriculum with focus on a graduate profile that speaks of the school’s values, local tikanga and aspirations of the school’s community 

  • continued professional development in assessment for learning to build teacher capability in using assessment information to inform teaching and learning programmes and increase student achievement. 

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.

Kathy Lye
Acting Director Review and Improvement (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini

19 April 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

Burnham School - Te Kura o Tiori

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2022 to 2025

As of May 2022, the Burnham School - Te Kura o Tiori 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 Burnham School - Te Kura o Tiori, 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.

Kathy Lye
Acting Director Review and Improvement (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini

19 April 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

Burnham School - 16/01/2018

School Context

Burnham School is a full primary (Years 1 to 8) school. It is located in the Selwyn District of Canterbury. It has a growing roll (currently 164 students), 34% of whom identify as Māori.

The school is on the same site as the Burnham Military Camp. It has a strong relationship with and is well supported by the military. Defence force families constitute about 50% of the school’s roll. Other local children make up the rest of the school population. The nature of military family deployments has a significant effect on enrolment fluctuations. There have been recent changes to staffing, the leadership team and board personnel. A second bilingual class was established in 2017.

The school’s overarching vision is ‘Stand tall, aim high’. This challenges learners to know and feel good about themselves and to try their best. A key part of this vision is a focus on literacy and numeracy. The school aims to have learners who will graduate as self-directed, collaborative and connected young people, able to find their place in the world. The school’s learning goals are to provide the best quality education for learners within a fun, safe and friendly learning environment. It also aims to provide opportunities for learners to be challenged to reach their potential. School values are visible, well explained and reflect some of the military values within the school community.

Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, school-wide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:

  • achievement in reading, writing and mathematics in relation to the National Standards

  • outcomes for children with additional learning needs

  • progress and accelerated progress

  • progress and achievement in relation to school and national targets

  • outcomes related to engagement and wellbeing for success

  • outcomes related to identity, culture and language.

The school is a member of the Ngā Peka o Tauwharekākaho Kāhui Ako | Community of Learning.

Evaluation Findings

1 Equity and excellence – valued outcomes for students

1.1 How well is the school achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all its students?

The 2017 achievement information shows that the school is effectively working to achieve equitable and excellent outcomes for all students.

School information shows that 77% of children are achieving at or above the National Standards in reading and mathematics, and 72% in writing. The school data shows boys and Māori children are over represented in the ‘below’ levels for achievement.

1.2 How effectively does this school respond to those Māori and other students whose learning and achievement need acceleration?

The school is responding well to those Māori and other students whose learning needs to accelerate.

Strategies employed by teachers over 2017 have effectively raised levels of achievement and reduced the levels of disparity in reading and writing. However, disparity still exists for Māori boys in mathematics.

The school is able to show the levels of progress and acceleration over the year for individual students. This data shows that approximately one third of students’ learning has been accelerated in reading, writing and mathematics.

The school has made a strategic decision to raise the profile of Māori in the school as a response to the need to accelerate the learning of some Māori students. The place of Māori culture, identity and language is highly valued. Māori students have the choice of learning in bilingual or English medium classes. Their progress and achievement is closely monitored and individual students are provided with programmes and ways of learning that best suit their particular needs.

Students with special learning needs are well supported to progress. The inclusive culture within the school helps children to know they belong and are valued.

2 School conditions for equity and excellence

2.1 What school processes and practices are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence?

The principal is providing strong ongoing professional leadership that ensures a focus on key goals and targets to improve outcomes for students. The school is highly responsive to the needs of students and their families. Students benefit from a school-wide culture that values and supports them as individuals and which is focused on each child achieving success. School leadership ensures professional development and appraisal are carefully targeted to build capability around school initiatives and support teachers to meet students’ needs. The principal is well supported by a committed, well-informed board that has a clear understanding of its roles and responsibilities, particularly in achieving equity and excellence for all students.

Leaders and teachers use a range of effective ways to ensure strong, respectful relationships within the school and beyond. Teachers work collaboratively to share information and practices and to develop strategies to improve students’ learning and wellbeing. A new digital learning and communication system is facilitating reciprocal school - home relationships by enabling children to share their learning with their parents.

Community and learner opinions are actively sought and well used to inform decisions at all levels of school organisation. Leaders and teachers are responsive to the special circumstances of many of the children and their families. A pastoral care network effectively meets the needs of their families.

A broad, culturally responsive curriculum offers students rich opportunities for learning. Individual students who need extra support are clearly identified, closely monitored and planned for. Teachers adapt programmes to engage learners and involve learners in goal setting and making decisions about their learning. Bicultural understandings are reflected throughout school practices and programmes. The school benefits from very useful connections with and support from organisations such as the army, local businesses and other agencies. These relationships support a wide range of resourcing and activities for students’ learning and wellbeing.

The school has successfully addressed next steps actions in its previous Education Review Report in 2014.

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

In order to ensure sustainability of leadership, processes and the strategic direction, the school needs to continue to build the leadership capacity of its junior and senior school leaders.

Teachers are beginning to reflect on their practice through the appraisal system and through teaching as inquiry. The school needs to continue to support teachers to develop a more consistent and evaluative approach to their professional reflection and inquiry. It also needs to ensure that the positive outcomes of inquiry projects are used to effect sustained improvements for students.

The school needs to track and make known to staff and board throughout the year, the levels of progress and acceleration of students at risk of poor outcomes. This should help the school better monitor the progress of those who need extra support to succeed.

To further recognise the gifts and talents that studentshave, the school could expand its definition of gifted and talented to include Māori concepts of giftedness.

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 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

For sustained improvement and future learner success, the school can draw on existing strengths in:

  • professional leadership that supports teachers to grow in their professional capacity

  • the high importance placed on te ao Māori to ensure Māori students are given the best opportunities to succeed as Māori

  • the strong, caring relationships particularly for families who have a parent in active service.

Next steps

For sustained improvement and future learner success, development priorities are in:

  • building amongst staff and the board a shared understanding of robust internal evaluation

  • developing a useful framework to support and implement robust internal evaluation, that covers all aspects of school life over time

  • tracking and making known to staff and board throughout the year, the levels of progress and acceleration of students at risk of poor outcomes.

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

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

Dr Lesley Patterson

Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern

Te Waipounamu - Southern Region

16 January 2018

About the school

Location

Burnham

Ministry of Education profile number

3304

School type

Full Primary (Years 1-8)

School roll

164

Gender composition

Girls: 50% Boys: 50%

Ethnic composition

Māori: 35%
Pākehā: 57%
Pacific: 6%
Other: 2%

Provision of Māori medium education

Yes

Number of Māori medium classes

2

Total number of students in Māori medium (MME)

30

Total number of students in Māori language in English medium (MLE)

 

Number of students in Level 1 MME

 

Number of students in Level 2 MME

30

Number of students in Level 3 MLE

 

Number of students in Level 4a MLE

 

Number of students in Level 4b MLE

 

Number of students in Level 5 MLE

135

Review team on site

October/November 2017

Date of this report

16 January 2018

Most recent ERO reports

Education Review: July 2014
Education Review: August 2011
Supplementary Review: June 2008

Burnham School - 14/07/2014

Findings

The school has strong links with the local community. It provides a supportive and inclusive learning environment. Teachers adapt their teaching to effectively meet individual student’s learning needs. Students participate in relevant learning experiences. The school is well managed and governed. The board and managers are well placed to extend some aspects of school planning and review.

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

1 Context

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

Burnham School is located in the Selwyn district. It is one of three New Zealand schools connected to a New Zealand Military Defence Force camp. The school also provides for other students from the local area.

Teachers are very proactive in getting to know students and their families well. Relationships between students, teachers and the wider community are positive and supportive.

A special feature of the school is the strong pastoral care that is provided for students and their families. The principal and school staff have a close liaison with the military pastoral care team.

Since the August 2011 ERO review the school has appointed a new principal, some new staff, and a new board has been elected.

The school has responded positively to the 2011 ERO review. While most areas have been addressed, there are still some being worked on due to events beyond the school’s control in 2012. Pastoral care for students and families was the major priority at that time.

2 Learning

How well does this school use achievement information to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement?

The school is highly effective in using student achievement information to meet the learning needs of all students.

Student achievement shows that most students are at or above the National Standards. School information shows that students are making progress. Most students achieve better in reading and mathematics. In 2013 many students made significant progress in writing. Senior leaders and teachers have a school-wide focus on the teaching of writing to help continue to raise achievement levels.

School annual achievement targets are well thought through and appropriate for identifying those groups of students most at risk of not achieving. Senior leaders, teachers and the board have a sound knowledge and understanding of the annual targets. There is a shared responsibility for supporting these students to improve their learning.

Students with particular needs are also clearly identified. Learning programmes for these students are thoughtfully considered and well-managed by a specialist teacher. Students learn within their classes and in small withdrawal groups. Their progress is regularly monitored and goals adapted appropriately. The board provides extra funding to support these additional learning programmes.

Parents now regularly receive written information about how well their children are achieving against National Standards. Most reports to parents provide very detailed information about students' learning and achievement. The next step for senior leaders and teachers is to review the written reports to parents of junior students. These reports need to clearly show students’ levels of achievement against National Standards in a way that is meaningful to parents.

3 Curriculum

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

The school’s curriculum is well planned and considered. It reflects the unique character of the local community.

The school’s values are well known and used by students and staff. Students share these values in meaningful ways with their families.

Students have ownership of their learning. They are involved in planning some of the school-wide units for learning. Students benefit from a wide variety of additional learning opportunities. This includes practical science activities, sport, music and Education Outside the Classroom.

Teachers continually reflect on ways to improve their teaching to better support the learning and wellbeing of all their students. They regularly share their knowledge and ideas with each other. They make appropriate changes to their learning programmes to meet students’ individual needs.

Students learn in attractive, well-resourced classrooms. They use electronic resources purposefully to help motivate them in their learning.

Students work and play well together. They have many chances to learn in groups of various sizes and ages. Tuakana teina is clearly evident throughout the school. Older students can take on a number of different leadership roles around the school.

Parents are able to find out about their child’s learning and school happenings in many different ways. This includes the useful and informative individual class blogs and the school’s website. The staff encourage open communication and make themselves readily accessible to parents.

The principal and teachers have identified, and ERO agrees, that their next steps are to:

  • continue to document the school’s curriculum
  • extend how they collect and analyse students’ achievement information in all learning areas beyond literacy and mathematics.

How effectively does the school promote educational success for Māori, as Māori?

The school successfully encourages Māori students to experience their identity, language and culture in their learning and within the school environment.

Teachers know their Māori students as individuals and have good relationships with their whānau. They identify when students need additional support or extension and respond appropriately. Māori students’ progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics is closely monitored. This achievement information is shared with whānau and regularly reported informally to the board.

Partnerships between Māori students’ whānau and the school are strong. Successful consultation with Māori whānau happens regularly. The board and senior leaders value the views and opinions of Māori students and their whānau. They are highly responsive and make changes to school practices and programmes as a result of the consultation with whānau.

Māori students are able to learn about their culture in a variety of ways. A teacher with specialist knowledge provides additional opportunities for all students to learn about te ao Māori. She also supports other staff in their increasing knowledge of te reo and tikanga Māori.

The school values Māori culture and encourages pride in biculturalism. All students learn about te reo and tikanga Māori and are involved in the school’s kapa haka. The school’s haka was especially written for the school by a student’s parent. ERO observed students performing in the school’s kapa haka with confidence and enthusiasm.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

The board, principal and staff work well together with a shared focus on student learning and wellbeing.

The principal and senior leadership team display strong, collaborative leadership. They recognise individual teacher strengths, use them well and build leadership capacity.

The school’s appraisal process is rigorous, linked to the professional standards for teachers and the school’s priorities. It gives all members of staff clear guidance and feedback for future ongoing development.

The board and principal welcome students with high needs and emphasise the inclusive culture through their resourcing and planning.

The new board is actively increasing its knowledge about roles and responsibilities. Trustees access training and support to increase their awareness of and their understanding of good governance.

The board’s annual plan is clearly defined. It is based on identified priorities to enhance learning outcomes for students. This plan provides specific actions to be taken within set time frames.

The principal provides the board with comprehensive reports about student learning and achievement and school operations. The board makes appropriate decisions to allocate resources based on assessment and other information to meet identified needs and priorities.

The board values and responds to the views of its community.

There is a strong culture of reflective practice evident within the school. The principal acknowledges it would be beneficial to develop a more formal self-review process.

ERO agrees that the board's current focus on improving the school's strategic plan is timely. The Board and principal are working on including a timeline to support the identified strategic goals. They have already begun to seek the views of the community about future direction for the school.

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.

Conclusion

The school has strong links with the local community. It provides a supportive and inclusive learning environment. Teachers adapt their teaching to effectively meet individual student’s learning needs. Students participate in relevant learning experiences. The school is well managed and governed. The board and managers are well placed to extend some aspects of school planning and review.

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

Graham Randell

National Manager Review Services Southern Region

14 July 2014

About the School

Location

Burnham, Canterbury

Ministry of Education profile number

3304

School type

Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)

School roll

145

Gender composition

Boys 56% Girls 44%

Ethnic composition

NZ European/Pākehā

Māori

Pacific

Other Ethnicities

59%

32%

5%

4%

Review team on site

May 2014

Date of this report

14 July 2014

Most recent ERO reports

Education Review

Supplementary Review

Education Review

August 2011

June 2008

June 2007