East Otago High School provides education for students from Years 7 to 13 in the small rural town of Palmerston. It has a roll of 149 students.
The school’s mission statement is ‘East Otago High School develops resilient learners and recognises the needs of our diverse community to create successful citizens.’
Its vision is that students are responsible, respectful and motivated citizens who contribute positively to society.
‘Strength through Learning’ - Kia kaha ma roto matauranga - is its motto.
The school’s current strategic goals are:
The annual objectives for 2019 to achieve these goals are:
Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, schoolwide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:
Since the last ERO review in 2016, a major external evaluation of the school’s functions has been undertaken. It has led to improvements in school policies and practices. A new principal was appointed in 2018 and began at the start of the 2019 school year. Progress has been made in most of the areas identified in ERO’s 2016 report.
The school is working towards achieving equity and excellence for its students. The school’s data shows that over the past three years, most Year 7 and 8 students have achieved at or above expected levels in reading. The majority are achieving at or above the expected levels in mathematics.
In Year 9, there has been mixed results for literacy over time. Most students have achieved at the expected levels in mathematics. Almost all girls achieved at or above expectations in mathematics. In Year 10, most students achieved the expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics.
In 2018, most students achieved NCEA Level 1 and Level 2 qualifications. Almost all girls achieved the Level 1 qualification, and all Year 12 boys achieved Level 2 NCEA. There is some disparity at Level 1 for boys and Māori and at Level 3 for boys.
Approximately half of the Year 13 students achieved a Level 3 qualification and/or university entrance. For the years 2014 to 2017, most students left school with NCEA Level 2 or above.
The school’s achievement information shows good acceleration in 2019 for Year 7 and 8 literacy, for those students who need it. Leaders and teachers have established baseline data in 2019 to enable accelerated learning at other year levels to be measured and reported at the end of 2019.
Leadership ensures an orderly and supportive environment that is conducive to student learning and wellbeing. Teachers are implementing practices to promote positive behaviour. There is a strong focus on improved attendance and achievement. Leaders and teachers know the students well and take a strong interest in their wellbeing. Targeted learning support is provided for students at risk of not achieving. The appointment this year of a Māori dean is enabling additional support for those Māori students who need it.
The school is effectively responding to the interests and needs of students. It has provided additional opportunities for students to take part in activities beyond the classroom and established a new course as a result of student feedback. An inquiry learning approach has enabled students to build on their experiences and learn in ways that interest them. Teachers are developing culturally responsive practices to meet the needs and interests of their students.
School leaders and trustees are building relational trust and collaboration with the school community. Links have been re-established with the local marae. Stronger links have been made with local primary schools. A project to help students learn more about, and participate in, their local community has successfully contributed to positive community relationships. The school receives positive publicity and feedback from the community.
Trustees and school leaders now need to plan how to evaluate the impact of the significant initiatives for improvement that have been recently implemented. They need to consider how they will measure the success of the key changes made to determine which initiatives have made the most difference for students.
The board should continue to take advantage of training opportunities for trustees on their roles and responsibilities, especially when new trustees are elected or co-opted.
The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of International Students) Code of Practice 2016 (the Code) established under section 238F of the Education Act 1989. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code.
At the time of this review, there were no international students attending the school.
ERO’s investigations confirmed that the school’s processes for reviewing compliance against the Code are robust and well documented.
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:
During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student safety and wellbeing:
On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement of East Otago High School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Well placed.
ERO’s Framework: Overall School Performance is available on ERO’s website.
For sustained improvement and future learner success, the school can draw on existing strengths in:
For sustained improvement and future learner success, priorities for further development are in:
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services Te Tai Tini
Southern Region
19 September 2019
Location |
Palmerston |
Ministry of Education profile number |
371 |
School type |
Secondary (Year 7-15) |
School roll |
149 |
Gender composition |
Girls: 63% Boys: 37% |
Ethnic composition |
Māori 24% NZ European/ Pākehā 72% Pacific 4% |
Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS) |
Yes |
Provision of Māori medium education |
No |
Review team on site |
July 2019 |
Date of this report |
19 September 2019 |
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review June 2016 Education Review May 2013 Education Review February 2010 |