Findings
The school’s curriculum responds to students’ diverse needs, cultures and languages. There is a focus on skills for living and digital technology as a learning tool. Students’ wellbeing is a priority. Trustees have close links with the community and use a variety of ways to listen to parents’ views.
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?
The majority of students enrolled at Corinna School are from Pacific families. Approximately 25% of students are Māori. Students bring a wide range of experiences, cultures and languages to their learning. Classes are organised into three whānau groups: Ngā Kākano, Ngāti Aroha and Ngāti Awhina. Special classes provide opportunities for students to improve and practise their first language.
The school is an enviro-school with a focus on healthy lifestyles and community involvement. Students have access to digital learning resources. This is increasingly the means of delivering the curriculum.
Pride in culture, identity and achievement is expressed in the school’s vision and values for developing successful lifelong learners.
2 Learning
How well does this school use achievement information to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement?
Assessment information is used well to identify students’ achievement levels, to measure their progress and develop goals for improvement. Teachers look closely at data for age levels, boys and girls, and for ethnic groups. Where gains are not made or are insufficient, decisions are made about different strategies or specialist help. Annual targets for improvement are decided from the data. Students’ needs are known and understood by teachers.
Students make good progress in the early years, setting a positive foundation for future learning. Collated results, over the past three years, show an increase in the number of students achieving the National Standard across the school. Senior leaders recognise the need to accelerate achievement in Years 4 to 8 and decrease the numbers in the well below and below categories. There is an ongoing focus on improving boys’ progress in literacy. Decisions about extra resources are made according to students’ special or more complex needs.
A wide range of special programmes supports a considerable number of students to make gains in achievement. A particular emphasis on mathematics in 2014 resulted in a group making accelerated progress. Teachers identified strategies that were most effective and extended their use across the school. Through professional discussion and problem solving, teachers make deliberate decisions about their choice of teaching and learning activities.
Support staff, teachers and external agencies work together for the benefit of students with more complex needs. Parents are involved in decision making and regularly share information in partnership with the school. Students benefit from the well planned programmes that are regularly reviewed and modified.
Reports to parents contain good information about their children’s progress and achievement in relation to the National Standards. Next steps for learning are identified and there are useful suggestions for parents to help at home. Students share their learning at three-way conferences with digital samples of work as evidence of their progress. This strategy and teachers’ oral feedback to individuals about their learning is helping to better engage students in the learning process. They are also beginning to make decisions about their next steps for improvement.
3 Curriculum
How effectively does this school’s curriculum promote and support student learning?
The curriculum responds appropriately to the diverse needs of students attending the school. Teachers are increasing their capability to develop a context rich curriculum which is more responsive to Pacific and Māori learners.
There is a definite focus on skills for living and students making self-managing decisions. Students increasingly use digital technology as tools for learning. An environmental focus involves them in meaningful and practical activities. The curriculum encourages students to be involved and challenged.
Senior leaders have processes in place to continue to improve teaching practice and further develop teachers’ capability. Teaching practice generally matches the school’s expectations and teachers share their own enthusiasm for learning. Examples of effective practice observed by ERO include: respectful relationships between students and teachers, students receiving focused feedback about their work and students making some decisions that challenge and motivate them to learn. Rich tasks reflect students’ interests and experiences.
The new entrant teacher enjoys close relationships with local preschools. Students enrolling at age 5 years are welcomed, with their family, and their previous learning experience is shared. Early years’ partnerships with whānau are helping students to confidently begin school. Initiatives are underway to work cooperatively with secondary schools. Transition into and beyond the school is managed to minimise disruption to learning and to promote student wellbeing.
How effectively does the school promote educational success for Māori, as Māori?
The principles of the New Zealand Curriculum are very evident, particularly the emphasis on students experiencing a sense of belonging. Established school kawa and tikanga Māori promote students’ language, culture and identity. Students’ language ability is enriched by specialist staff, there is a working relationship with Maraeroa marae and kapa haka is strong. Māori students have opportunities to experience success as Māori.
4 Sustainable Performance
How well placed is the school to sustain and improve its performance?
The school has the capacity to sustain and improve its performance. Trustees make and review decisions on the basis of useful progress and achievement reports provided by the principal. They are aware of the focus for teaching and learning, including for students whose progress needs to be accelerated. Students’ academic, social, and physical wellbeing is prioritised.
The board has close links with the school community and uses a variety of ways to listen to families’ views. In 2014, groups of parents shared ideas about ways they see language, culture and identity being part of learning. The board should continue to initiate opportunities to strengthen families’ participation in, and understanding of, the curriculum. Ongoing curriculum review should ensure parents’ aspirations for their children are shared. Developing parents’ confidence as partners in learning is likely to assist them to better help their children at home.
Board members’ governance training is limited. The board chairperson has been involved in governance-related meetings and activities. It is timely to increase trustees’ capability through sessions that cater for their individual and collective needs. Well considered training is likely to improve the board’s understanding of its role and responsibilities.
Leadership in teaching and learning is appropriately shared. Teachers’ strengths and interests are recognised. Continuing to develop leadership capability is likely to contribute to consistently effective practices and teachers’ understanding of the curriculum.
Teachers’ professional learning is deliberately planned to increase students’ rates of progress. The whole-school approach to curriculum development results in teachers working closely together. Collaboration is evident. Teachers share ideas about their practice. Adequate time should be given to trialling and embedding new initiatives before reviewing the impact on student achievement.
Students thoughtfully gave their views about what contributes best to their wellbeing. Their suggestions were analysed and built into annual charter goals. Regular reviews throughout the year should assist trustees and staff to monitor how successfully the school is meeting its student wellbeing objective.
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’s curriculum responds to students’ diverse needs, cultures and languages. There is a focus on skills for living and digital technology as a learning tool. Students’ wellbeing is a priority. Trustees have close links with the community and use a variety of ways to listen to parents’ views.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central
22 April 2015
About the School
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Location
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Porirua
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Ministry of Education profile number
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2828
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School type
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Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)
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School roll
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194
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Gender composition
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Female 53%, Male 47%
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Ethnic composition
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Māori
Pākehā
Samoan
Cook Island Māori
Tokelauan
Other Pacific and Asian groups
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24%
1%
48%
11%
10%
6%
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Review team on site
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February 2015
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Date of this report
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22 April 2015
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Most recent ERO report(s)
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Education Review
Education Review
Education Review
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May 2011
June 2009
March 2006
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