Summary
Foxton Beach School caters for students from Years 1 to 8. At the time this ERO evaluation, there were 188 students enrolled with Māori making up 36% of the roll, and a small number of Pacific children.
The school has a positive reporting history with ERO and responded well to the areas identified for improvement in the August 2014 report. The leadership team and trustees are new to their roles since that time. There have also been a few staff changes.
The school’s vision and values espouse high expectations for students to be motivated future focused learners with connections to their local community.
The school continues to renovate classrooms to provide children with supportive innovative learning spaces. Digital technologies have become an integral part of teaching and learning.
Development has taken place in the junior hub to promote continuity of learning for children from early childhood to school and through their early schooling years. A focus on incorporating learning experiences of high interest and increased opportunities to engage in oral language is in the early stages of implementation.
The school is a member of the Kerekere Community of Learning|Kāhui Ako.
How well is the school achieving equitable outcomes for all children?
School leaders and trustees are appropriately focused on strengthening practices to consistently achieve equitable achievement outcomes for all children.
The school’s achievement information shows that at the end of 2016 many students, including Māori, achieved well in relation to the National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Outcomes for learners in writing were not as strong and this continues as a priority for school leaders to address. An improvement trajectory in boys’ writing and mathematics achievement is evident in the past three years.
The small number of Pacific students achieved at or above in relation to the National Standards.
Further development is required in some school processes to achieve equity and excellence for all students.
The school has capacity and capability to accelerate learning for all learners. However, disparity in achievement for Māori and other learners remains.
The school agrees to:
- develop more targeted planning to accelerate progress for learners
- monitor targeted planning, improved teaching, and learners’ progress
- discuss the school’s progress with ERO.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
Equity and excellence
How effectively does this school respond to those Māori and other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration?
The school continues to see Māori over represented in the low-achieving group in mathematics. For this group the school’s performance in mathematics has declined over time.
Some Māori learners needing accelerated progress are included in target groups at the hub level and in charter targets. Teachers track and monitor the progress of identified learners against expected milestones. The data shows some target learners, including Māori, made accelerated progress and for a few this was substantial.
Use of the Learning Progressions Framework and the Progress and Consistency Tool (PaCT) this year in writing is supporting teachers to make more dependable assessment judgments and is informing next steps developments.
Additional resourcing, including the provision of support staff, assists learners with high learning needs.
School conditions supporting equity and excellence
What school processes are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence?
An inclusive culture is evident. Student and whānau voice is sought and valued. There are plentiful opportunities for parents and whānau to be involved in the life of the school and in children’s learning. Respectful, reciprocal relationships result in an affirming tone that prevails across the school. This is highly conducive to learning and provides a positive platform for children’s belonging and wellbeing.
Trustees continue to develop their understanding of effective governance. Trustees regularly receive student achievement information.They access appropriate learning to support them in their roles and to meet their stewardship responsibility. Strategic goals reflect school priorities. Annual planning identifies actions relevant to the school’s desired outcomes for students.
Curriculum innovations and ongoing renovations to physical learning spaces appropriately focus on promoting effective teaching and learning practice aligned to the school’s vision.
The school’s curriculum continues to develop to enable Māori learners to engage in authentic learning experiences reflective of Māori culture, language and identity. The involvement of whānau in kapa haka enriches Māori, and all, children’s learning experiences.
Students enthusiastically engage in activities and experiences of high interest and in local contexts. Use of digital technologies encourages whānau and student engagement in learning. Students are motivated leaners who make good use of the learning spaces available.
Leaders and teachers participate in professional learning opportunities that appropriately build their knowledge in curriculum areas aligned to the school’s vision and values. They are reflective practitioners who work collaboratively to improve outcomes for all students.
Regular internal moderation in writing is strengthening teachers’ assessment judgments about students’ achievement in relation to the National Standards. The school, through the Kāhui Ako, is moderating these judgements externally.
Sustainable development for equity and excellence
What further developments are needed in school processes to achieve equity and excellence?
The new senior leadership team and trustees are developing shared understanding of their roles in promoting equity and excellence. They need to build their collective capability to lead effective internal evaluation practices. This should assist them to know what is working well, sustain these good practices and identify where further developments to school processes are necessary to improve outcomes for all learners.
Further internal evaluation of the effectiveness of curriculum initiatives is required to address disparity in achievement outcomes for Māori learners, especially in mathematics.
The school should review current assessment practice to more effectively:
- show learners’ rate of progress
- inform next teaching steps
- enable students to be more involved in knowing and planning their next learning steps.
Further development is required in some school processes to achieve equity and excellence for all students. These include:
- improving charter targets to address the disparity and plan dependable pathways of achievement for all students requiring accelerated progress
- evaluating curriculum innovations and interventions to know what is working well and what needs to change to address underachievement
- strengthening teaching as inquiry to link specifically with the school’s targeted learners.
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:
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.
Going forward
How well placed is the school to accelerate the achievement of all children who need it?
The school has capacity and capability to accelerate learning for all learners. However, disparity in achievement for Māori and other learners remains.
Leaders and teachers:
- know the learners whose progress and achievement need to be accelerated
- need to develop and implement approaches that effectively meet the needs of each learner.
The school agrees to:
- develop more targeted planning to accelerate progress for learners
- monitor targeted planning, improved teaching and learners’ progress
- discuss the school’s progress with ERO.
ERO will provide an internal evaluation workshop to support the school to develop effective planning and monitoring processes to support equity and excellence for all children.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
Patricia Davey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)
Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region
30 October 2017
About the school
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Location
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Foxton
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Ministry of Education profile number
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2358
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School type
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Full Primary (Year 1 to 8)
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School roll
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188
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Gender composition
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Male 54%, Female 46%
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Ethnic composition
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Māori 36%
Pākehā 63%
Pacific 1%
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Provision of Māori medium education
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No
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Review team on site
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August 2017
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Date of this report
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30 October 2017
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Most recent ERO report(s)
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Education Review August 2014
Education Review August 2011
Education Review August 2008
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