Central Regional Health School

Education institution number:
1630
School type:
Special School
School gender:
Co-Educational
Definition:
Regional Health School
Total roll:
19
Telephone:
Address:

Level 7 234 Wakefield Street, Te Aro, Wellington

View on map

CRHS - Epuni Care and Protection Residence - 11/08/2016

Findings

CRHS – Epuni has a very strong focus on meeting students’ social and emotional needs. Transition in and out, through a close partnership with the CYF residential staff, is a particular strength. The school has identified the need to strengthen evidence-based practice and this should lead to further individualisation of teaching and learning programmes to increase students’ engagement and achievement.

1 Context

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

CRHS - Epuni is at Epuni Child Youth and Family (CYF) Care and Protection Residence, located in Lower Hutt. It provides safe and secure care for up to 20 young people aged from 10 to 17 years. All are severely at risk with varied and complex needs. The average stay in the residence is 100 days.

CYF is responsible for running the residence and Central Regional Health School (CRHS) provides education on-site for the young people. The principal leads CRHS over 14 sites, including the Youth Justice facility Te Au Rere a Te Tonga. A team leader is responsible for the day-to-day running of CRHS ‑ Epuni.

The 12 students enrolled at the time of ERO’s visit were allocated to one coeducational class. Student to teacher ratios are low to allow for attention to students’ individual needs. Teachers are supported in classroom management by CYF residential staff.

2 Transitions

How effectively managed are the transitions students make into residence?

Transitions students make into the residence are effectively managed. The school has sound processes in place to collect information about incoming students. The CYF case worker provides a range of information that includes history, specialised reports, information on the student’s behaviours and, on occasions, some achievement information.

Where possible the school team leader makes contact with the previous school to determine students' interests, achievement levels and identified strategies effective for their learning. Making such contact can be a challenge as many students have been out of school for some time.

Carefully considered induction processes help students settle into the school and residence. The school begins the transition process with the student while they are still in the residential unit. 

The team leader meets with the student and uses the well-designed induction package, which was developed with some input from students, to learn more about the student, their interests, needs, behavioural challenges, and cultural knowledge and affiliations. At this time students are is introduced to the expectations that the school has for them. This process may take between one and four days.

Transition processes focus on understanding students’ strengths and needs. Communication needs are assessed by the school speech language therapist. She develops a communication plan for each student that includes goals and supports aspects of students’ social and emotional wellbeing. The school recognises that behaviour and communication needs are closely related. The speech language therapist assists staff to make the curriculum more accessible for students.

During the first two weeks students’ learning needs are assessed. Relevant information is then provided to, and discussed by, teachers. This information, along with teacher observations, is used to write the student’s Individual Plan (IP).

How effectively managed are the transitions students make out of the residence?

Transitions out of the residential school are very effectively managed. The over-arching goal for every student is to transition back successfully to mainstream education, further training or employment.

The school and residence case leaders work together closely to promote positive outcomes for the student. They liaise about the support the student will need in the mainstream classroom. A communications passport, that summarises the students’ communication needs, is developed collaboratively with students and travels with them to future schools.

Considerable care is taken to ensure that the student has the best possible chance to continue their schooling. The principal negotiates directly with the new school principal to enrol the student. The team leader and residence case worker often travel with the student to the new school on a familiarisation visit.

When the new school is further afield the wider CRHS network may be used to support the student as they transition to a new school. The school is proactive in supporting the new school to access resources from the Ministry of Education (the Ministry) to support the student’s transition to, and learning in, the new school.

Transitions are managed flexibly to support individual students’ circumstances. On occasions the transition out may be staged with students moving to a Supervised Group Home but continuing to attend the residential school for a time. Another approach has been for the student to remain in the residence for a time while being supported to attend an outside school. In another case, school staff worked alongside a student in their new school following their transition from the residence.

Both residence and school staff acknowledge that on occasions working in partnership with the student’s site case worker and the local CYF office can be a challenge. Decisions made at this level do not always reflect the priorities and recommendations made by the school or residential staff about how to best meet the students’ needs. 

3 Curriculum

How responsive is the programme to the strengths, needs and interests of each student?

Teaching and residence staff use a Trauma Informed approach that ‘creates opportunities for the young people to rebuild a sense of control and empowerment’. Most of the students come to the residence suffering from trauma.

The presence, participation and then achievement philosophy of the school reflects that of the Ministry, which gives primacy to supporting students’ social and emotional wellbeing as a prerequisite for learning.

This philosophy is reflected in the IPs where there is an initial focus on behavioural goals, which the school sees as essential to ensuring the student is ready for learning. Students have a key competency goal relating to managing self on their desks. The teacher and student reflect daily and weekly on progress in achieving this goal.

Teachers model appropriate interactions that are calm, supportive and non-confrontational. A negotiated class treaty provides a framework for appropriate student behaviour.

Although the school has considerable information about individual students’ learning and achievement, planning for learning is on a whole-class basis. Teachers keep notes on the needs of individual students. Some differentiation is provided in reading and numeracy, and some choices are available in other curriculum areas. Generally the approach is that students do the same work, but teachers expect different outcomes. Greater opportunities for capable students to manage more of their learning should improve levels of engagement. The favourable adult: child ratios should support teachers in providing individualised teaching and learning.

Learning opportunities for students are broadened by the provision of other activities such as a guitar tutor and some weekly off-site activities. The school makes appropriate use of Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu to provide some students with further opportunities that reflect their interests, including study for National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) credits. Some students studying at NCEA level achieve credits in areas such as literacy, numeracy and the visual arts.

The school has identified strengthening cultural responsiveness as a priority and professional learning and development (PLD) is supporting staff in this area. Currently, staff provide a number of cultural opportunities for students, including karakia, inquiry learning related to tikanga and students’ cultural backgrounds, and some weaving.

The school appropriately accesses specialist ancillary support for students using CRHS funding as the Ministry Special Education Strategy and Service Improvement does not provide support for students in residential schools. The school works with the Ministry’s Behaviour Support Team to support students transitioning to local schools.

How effectively is the programme improving students' engagement and educational achievement?

During the on-site phase of this ERO evaluation, student engagement was variable. Room layout and size limited the range of engaging pedagogies used. Desks were arranged in rows and the close proximity of students to each other could lead to distraction and disengagement on occasions. More individual space would allow for more individualised, engaging learning.

Much of the teaching observed was whole-class, short blocks of work. Some activities provided for higher levels of student engagement, including an individual student inquiry project, using laptops, with some student choice about the topic. IPs outline learning goals, but students were not aware of these goals and they were not well used by teachers to motivate students.

Students make variable progress overall due to the diverse nature of their experiences and trauma before arriving at the residence. Revisions of IPs show the progress that students make in their social competencies, but leaders and teachers were not able to clearly demonstrate the extent to which students make academic progress. The school could make more effective use of formal assessment data in a way that shows progress since the initial assessment.

The school has identified the need to strengthen evidence-based practice and teachers are engaged in a two-year PLD programme on teaching as inquiry.

4 Internal and external relationships

How effectively do internal and external relationships support the programme for each student?

The relationship between CYF and teaching staff is strong with a focus on the student. Both groups show respect for the contribution the other makes to the students’ wellbeing. Teachers work closely with CYF staff to exchange information so as to better meet students’ needs.

Daily and weekly planning is shared with CYF, and the IP and the overall CYF plan for the student closely align. They work together on off-site activities such as gym attendance and sports. They participate in joint assemblies to recognise students’ achievements.

The residence manager says that she wants to promote more consistency between the school and the residence on approaches to behaviour management.

5 Sustainable performance

How effectively do programme leaders conduct internal evaluation?

As a new provider since ERO’s previous review, CRHS has made considerable progress on strengthening internal evaluation since that time.

CRHS has a formalised process for internal evaluation across their 14 sites. The team leader regularly reports to the board through the principal using a template that prompts reflection about achievements, what is going well, what needs to improve, and reporting against the CRHS strategic goals. The school informally reviews its own operations and makes changes responsively.

A similar strengthening of performance management processes is evident. The school now has a suitable appraisal process common to CRHS. Staff have ongoing access as part of CRHS to a wide range of specialised and appropriate PLD to help them to better understand, and cater for, students’ particular needs. This generally reflects CRHS priorities although it is possible for a teacher to be assisted to participate in PLD that reflects their individual needs.

Board assurance on legal requirements

Before the recent CRHS 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

CRHS – Epuni has a very strong focus on meeting students’ social and emotional needs. Transition in and out, through a close partnership with the CYF residential staff, is a particular strength. The school has identified the need to strengthen evidence-based practice and this should lead to further individualisation of teaching and learning programmes to increase students’ engagement and achievement.

Recommendations

Teachers should develop additional strategies to strengthen student engagement in learning through the focus on their individual interests and needs.

ERO and the school identify a need to strengthen evidence-based practice to enable teachers to better evaluate the impact of their teaching strategies on student achievement.

CYF staff should work closely with school staff to develop a behaviour management approach that is more consistent with the high trust model evident at the school.

The timing of the next review will be decided in consultation with the Ministry of Education and Child Youth and Family. 

Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central

11 August 2016

About the School 

Location

Epuni, Lower Hutt

Profile No

1630 (Central Regional Health School)

School type

Special School

School roll

Up to 20

Special features

Care and Protection facility operated by Child, Youth and Family (CYF)

Review team on site

April 2016

Date of this report

11 August 2016

Most recent ERO reports

Education Review

This is the first review at this residence since CRHS became the education provider.

CRHS - Te Au Rere a te Tonga Youth Justice - 15/07/2016

Findings

Te Au Rere a te Tonga places a strong focus on meeting the individual learning needs of students to help them to transition back successfully to mainstream education, or training and employment. It provides targeted teaching and a rich curriculum in a supportive environment to achieve this goal. Perceptive internal evaluation identifies key areas that will assist staff to further improve outcomes for students.

1 Context

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

Te Au Rere a te Tonga is a Youth Justice residence located in Palmerston North. It provides 24-hour, safe and secure care for up to 40 young people aged from 14 to 17 years who have been placed by the courts. The school receives little warning of new students arriving and can receive up to ten students in a week. The period the young people are in residence ranges from two days to over a year. The average stay at the time of the review was 24 days.

Child Youth and Family (CYF) is responsible for running the residence and Central Regional Health School (CRHS) provides education on-site for the young people. The principal is responsible for the 14 CRHS sites, including the Epuni Care and Protection facility school. An assistant principal is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Te Au Rere a te Tonga.

Students are divided into three mixed gender classes, which take into account their particular learning needs. Student to teacher ratios are low to allow for attention to students’ individual needs. Teachers are supported in classroom management by CYF residential staff.

2 Transitions

How effectively managed are the transitions students make into the residence?

Student transitions into the residence and school are effectively managed. The student is placed in an assessment unit for the first three days where they are assessed for their education, health and social needs, and strengths and interests.

This process is comprehensive and thorough. Transition is supported by the assessment unit teacher, and a team of CYF specialists, including health and forensic professionals, the case leader, the site social worker, the whānau engagement coordinator and the CYF employment coordinator. The team work together, closely focusing on, and consulting with, the young person, to determine their education, employment and/or training goals. 

Contact is made, where possible, with the previous school, or alternative education provider, for any information about a student’s learning and strengths and needs. This is often difficult because the student is likely to have been disengaged from school for a substantial period of time. The CYF whānau engagement coordinator may contact the whānau to learn more about the needs of the young person. Their New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) record of learning is also considered.

At the end of the three days the assessment unit teacher discusses the student with the teachers and identifies the appropriate class, based on their needs and goals. An initial CYF Individual Care Plan (ICP) and school Individual Education Plan (IEP) are developed and aligned.

Teachers are very practiced at building rapport and focus on developing positive relationships with and between students, using a range of effective methods. Each class has an agreed treaty or set of expectations ‘of self’, ‘of others’ and ‘of staff’. The student-teacher relationship is respectful and supportive of learning.

How effectively managed are the transitions students make out of the residence?

Transitions out of the residential school are a particular strength. The school and CYF case leader work together closely to provide positive outcomes for the student. The school liaises with the CYF social worker in the community that the young person will be transitioning to about the support the student will need in the mainstream or alternative education classroom, or in employment. 

A discharge portfolio, that contains comprehensive information about the student, including an overview of education needs, entry and exit assessments for literacy and numeracy, NZQA record of achievement, IEP and work portfolio, is shared with staff at the new school or vocational provider. A communication passport that summarises the student’s communication needs, is developed in cooperation with the student and travels with them to future schools. CYF staff value the information the school provides to facilitate the transition process.

The school sometimes successfully assists the new school to access resources from the Ministry of Education to support the student’s transition to, and learning in, the new school. The school has recently resourced a person to monitor and report back to CRHS on the outcomes for the student after they have transitioned out. This role includes ongoing contact with some students who have been placed locally. When the student’s placement is further afield, neither CYF nor the Ministry provides a mechanism for ongoing monitoring of the student’s progress.

School staff acknowledge that on occasions working in partnership with the student’s case worker and the local CYF office can be a challenge. Decisions made at this level do not always reflect the priorities and recommendations made by the school, on how to best meet the students’ teaching and learning needs. 

3 Curriculum

How responsive is the programme to the strengths, needs and interests of each student?

Based on information collected in the assessment class, the student is placed in one of three purpose-designed classes.

  • Education - This is for young people who wish to return to school or alternative education. The focus is on literacy, numeracy, inquiry learning and science. A high quality of teaching was evident in this class.
  • Vocational - This is for students who want to follow a course that will lead to a vocation, but their literacy and numeracy needs improving. The assistant principal acknowledges that the purpose and focus of this group is not well defined and requires further review and improvement. A review of teaching strategies would help strengthen students' ownership of their learning and their engagement.
  • Work ready - This is for young people who have little interest in returning to school and would like to enter the work force. Students learn work readiness and independent living skills while continuing to improve their literacy and numeracy. These students are well engaged and motivated.

Overall class planning and the programme are appropriately linked to a student’s individual plan. Learning in the morning is based on the student’s individual literacy and numeracy needs as identified in their IEP. All teachers provide one-to-one teaching and support in these areas. Students work at an appropriate level and are challenged in a positive way.

The wider programme is related to the students’ own interests. They are provided with opportunities to participate in a wide range of activities from across the curriculum that reflect their interests and strengths. Both CYF and school leaders are proactive in finding ways for students to access the curriculum and learning through activities that they would experience in a mainstream school, while taking into consideration safety in this secure environment. Opportunities vary according to the focus of the specific class and include:

  • inquiry learning project work based on student interests where the quality of work showed high expectations from teachers and students
  • literacy and numeracy and work-based NCEA credits
  • hands-on practical learning including science activities
  • the use of information technology
  • on site Secondary Tertiary Alignment Resource (STAR) and Gateway classes with external providers
  • a monthly, three-day programme, which includes STAR and Gateway programmes, designed to meet specific individual or group needs in relation to employment and life skills.

Teachers provide a culturally responsive curriculum and pedagogy. A staff member teaches te reo Māori to all students. Students have opportunities to mihi and whaikōrero. Some students explore Māori topics in inquiry project work. Good quality Māori art work, much of it by students, is evident throughout the school. A Māori colleague regularly assists teachers to develop their cultural responsiveness and a kuia is present three days a week to support students and staff. The kapa haka group and Tongan and Samoan groups perform at school celebrations. 

How effectively is the programme improving students' engagement and educational achievement?

Teaching approaches and the curriculum are effective for engaging these at-risk students. Students are engaged in their learning whether working individually, cooperatively in groups or in whole-class activities. They have clearly identified learning and social competency goals in their IEPs. These goals are evident in two of the three classes where they are displayed on the walls and used as a teaching tool to focus students on their learning. Students are able to state what these goals are and how far away, or close they are to achieving them. Progress towards goals is evaluated regularly, acknowledged and ticked off during class time.

Students who are in the school more than a month are formally assessed at four weekly intervals in literacy and numeracy. Data from these assessments shows that the programme accelerates student achievement, especially in writing and to a lesser extent reading, and numeracy knowledge, but not yet in numeracy strategies. Students feel they are making progress and achieving. Students are achieving credits, licences and/or certificates in work related areas such as first aid, forklift licences, food safety, scaffolding and traffic management.

4 Internal and external relationships

How effectively do internal and external relationships support the programme for each student?

The relationship between CYF and teaching staff is very positive. They work in a mutually respectful, integrated way, with a focus on the needs of the student. They collaborate on the ICP and IEP plans for students, which are comprehensive, closely aligned and coherent. The assessment unit, with its interagency team, strengthens collaboration and raises the quality of the conversations about the young person, their needs, strengths and interests.

There is a consistent and positive approach to student behaviour with a behaviour management system that operates across both the school and residence. The approach supports the social and emotional wellbeing of students and builds their social competence. Teachers and CYF staff:

  • model appropriate behaviour
  • provide clear expectations
  • allocate consequences which are short term
  • reward good behaviour
  • acknowledge student achievement at joint celebrations.

The school and residence provide a cohesive curriculum across both environments. School and CYF staff work together to provide some students with work-related experiences and opportunities related to their goals. CYF have an employment coordinator who works with their programme coordinator to provide a vocationally-based programme. This forms a part of the three day programmes that the teachers and CYF staff run together, providing students with opportunities to gain credits or certificates. A further example of collaboration for learning is CYF staff videoing student activities in the residence for teachers to assess as an aspect of the students’ school programme. 

5  Sustainable performance

How effectively do programme leaders conduct internal evaluation?

CRHS has a formalised process for internal evaluation across their 14 sites. The assistant principal regularly reports to the board, through the principal, using a template that prompts reflection about achievements, what is going well and what needs to improve, reporting against the CRHS strategic goals.

The residential school informally reviews its own operations and responds to emerging needs, providing opportunities to respond rapidly and for ongoing improvement. For example, in 2014 the assistant principal noticed teachers needed professional learning and development (PLD) to accelerate student progress in literacy. A PLD provider was engaged to focus on the use of e-asTTLe and effective practice in teaching literacy. Since that PLD, student achievement in literacy has improved. The assistant principal has identified that a next step is development of literacy in other curriculum areas such as science, and this is a focus in 2016.

Other areas for development identified through the school’s internal evaluation processes include:

  • numeracy teaching
  • strengthening teacher inquiry to include all teachers
  • increased student agency by sharing more information with students about their learning
  • a review of the purpose of the vocation class.

The school’s internal evaluation processes focus on improving outcomes for students.

The school has an appropriate performance management process common to CRHS. The quality of peer and self review is variable but generally the process is robust.

Staff have ongoing access, as part of CRHS, to a wide range of specialised and appropriate PLD to help them to better understand, and cater for, students’ particular needs. This generally reflects CRHS and school priorities, although it is possible for a teacher to be assisted to participate in PLD that reflects their individual needs. 

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

Te Au Rere a te Tonga places a strong focus on meeting the individual learning needs of students to help them to transition back successfully to mainstream education, or training and employment. It provides targeted teaching and a rich curriculum in a supportive environment to achieve this goal. Perceptive internal evaluation identifies key areas that will assist staff to further improve outcomes for students.

Recommendations

ERO and the assistant principal agree that the school should review the purpose of the vocational class, and the effectiveness of the teaching strategies used with these students, in engaging them in their learning.

CYF and the Ministry should review processes for transitioning out of residential schools to ensure better continuity of learning that meets students’ needs

The timing of the next ERO review of Te Au Rere a te Tonga will be decided in consultation with the Ministry of Education and Child Youth and Family. 

Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central

15 July 2016

About the School 

Location

Palmerston North

Profile No

1630 (Central Regional Health School)

School type

Special School, Residential

School roll

Up to 40

Special features

Youth Justice Residence operated by Central Regional Health School (CRHS)

Review team on site

April 2016

Date of this report

15 July, 2016

Most recent ERO reports

Education Review

December 2012