Dunedin North Intermediate

Findings

Dunedin North Intermediate is effectively addressing its priorities for improvement. The board, leaders and staff are working together to ensure positive outcomes for students. Key school documents, practices and groups are successfully supporting an improvement focus. The school is establishing a foundation of values, leadership and relationships likely to sustain and improve student learning, engagement, progress and achievement.

On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO ‘s overall evaluation judgement of Dunedin North Intermediate performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Well placed.

1 Background and Context

What is the background and context for this school’s review?

This report evaluates Dunedin North Intermediate’s progress in addressing the areas for review and development that were identified in ERO’s 2017 Education Review report.

That report identified the need for improved use of assessment information, including the setting of targets to improve students’ progress and achievement. It also identified the need for leaders to review and develop key documentation to provide for consistent delivery of the curriculum, and further promotion of educational success for Māori as Māori.

At the time of the 2017 review the principal had recently started, and over the three years prior to that review there had been significant staff changes. The senior leadership and trustees are now well established, and have a collaborative focus on improvement and high expectations for all.

The trustees, leaders and teachers have sought a range of support to provide targeted development in each of the identified areas. They have focused on developing the school’s charter, curriculum and assessment for learning practices that are strongly based on the competencies that students require to be successful. They have a sound understanding of the need for robust evaluation of the impact of the curriculum on achievement of the school’s valued student outcomes.

This ERO review has found that the board, principal and teachers have made significant progress in the areas identified in ERO’s 2017 report.

2 Review and Development

How effectively is the school addressing its priorities for review and development?

Priorities identified for review and development

The 2017 ERO report recommended that the trustees, principal and teachers:

• improve target setting and the associated plans of how the targets will be achieved, including for Māori students
• make better use of assessment information for all students to be successful
• continue to give priority to the review and development of key documents, including curriculum guidelines, strategic plan and guidelines for internal evaluation.

Progress

The principal, school leaders and teachers are highly focused on all students making sufficient progress over their time at the school. They have significantly improved the gathering, analysis, recording, reporting and use of assessment information for individual students and school wide. Coherent and strategic scrutiny of data has led to:

• trustees, leaders and teachers making better informed decisions for target setting, teaching, resourcing, and professional learning and development
• leaders and teachers building a greater awareness of the achievement levels and rates of progress of individual students, groups of students and school wide
• increased capability of teachers to reflect on the impact their teaching strategies have on learning outcomes for students.

School leaders have worked to improve school culture and community relationships. This has led to:

• improved rates of student engagement
• organisational structures and processes that strengthen and sustain focused professional learning and collaborative activity to improve teaching and learning
• whole-school approaches to pastoral and behavioural support for students
• improved systems for communication with parents and whānau
• strategic use of available resources to support individual students and schoolwide needs.

School leaders use effective internal evaluation practices, informed by achievement and progress data, student and staff voice, to implement practical improvements in teaching and learning. Leaders have developed and consistently applied efficient management systems for equitable outcomes for students.

Since the 2017 ERO review the school has increased the use of tikanaga and te reo Māori in schoolwide practices. The mathematics teaching programme makes purposeful use of concepts of manaakitanga, ako and tuākana tēina for all students. Māori students benefit from increased opportunities to learn about their culture and to experience their culture within school practices. School leaders are using innovative ways to welcome and involve whānau in school activities, such as student-led hui.

Key next steps

The school identifies, and ERO’s evaluation confirms, that there has been significant change in operations at Dunedin North Intermediate in the past two years. The key next step is to embed the newly developed systems for sustainable and coherent teaching and learning practices.

3 Sustainable performance and self review

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

The school is well placed to sustain and continue to improve and review its performance.

The principal and senior leaders are very effectively building teacher capability. They promote and maintain high expectations and a supportive environment that is conducive to student learning and wellbeing. School achievement information shows that almost all students made expected or accelerated progress in 2018.

Leaders provide useful reports to the board to inform decision making about school priorities and strategic planning for improvement. This planning is ensuring new systems, processes and initiatives have a clear focus on enabling positive learning conditions and operations across 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

Dunedin North Intermediate is effectively addressing its priorities for improvement. The board, leaders and staff are working together to ensure positive outcomes for students. Key school documents, practices and groups are successfully supporting an improvement focus. The school is establishing a foundation of values, leadership and relationships likely to sustain and improve student learning, engagement, progress and achievement.

On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO ‘s overall evaluation judgement of Dunedin North Intermediate performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Well placed.

ERO’s Framework: Overall School Performance is available on ERO’s website.

Alan Wynyard

Director Review and Improvement Services Southern

Southern Region

27 March 2019

About the School