Geraldine High School

Geraldine High School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 29 months of the Education Review Office and Geraldine High School working in Te Ara Huarau, an improvement evaluation approach used in most English Medium State and State Integrated Schools. For more information about Te Ara Huarau see ERO’s website www.ero.govt.nz

Context

Geraldine High School is located in South Canterbury and provides education for students in Years 7 to 13. The school describes itself as a co-educational school in a rural environment with a vision to inspire and empower individuals. The key values of Whakatutukitanga | Achievement; Manaakitanga | Respect; Rangatiratanga | Responsibility; and Whanaungatanga | Relationships, inform school life. 

Geraldine High School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:

  • create meaningful connections
  • foster self-awareness and belief
  • be motivated to reach their highest potential.

A copy of the school’s strategic plan can be requested from Geraldine High School.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how well teacher practices respond to students’ identified needs, strengths, and cultures, in order to address disparity.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to: 

  • address identified areas of disparity for some learners, including the achievement of boys
  • better support students who identify as Māori to succeed as Māori

The school expects to see:

  • improved student achievement, with accelerated progress for boys in particular
  • increased student confidence in articulating their own progress and identifying their next steps for learning
  • consistent practice in teacher planning, pedagogy, assessment, and reporting.

Strengths 

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to evaluate how well teacher practices respond to students’ identified needs, strengths, and culture, in order to address disparity.

  • Facilitated opportunities to engage Māori whānau inform school reviews to bring about improvements.
  • Analysis of data, including student voice, is used to track achievement and inform teaching and learning.
  • A shared vision for learning has been collaboratively developed which is bringing about consistency of teaching for increasingly engaged learners.
  • Professional learning in tikanga and te reo Māori, developing growth mindsets, learning design, and effective feedback, is aligned with goals and initiatives identified for improvement.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • continuing to investigate the needs, aspirations, and interests of learners and their whānau to broaden opportunities for learning
  • developing consistency of practice in teacher planning, pedagogy, assessment, and reporting, with a focus on accelerating progress for boys in particular
  • refining systems for tracking student progress and achievement in Years 7 to 10 
  • evaluating the impact of changed practices on student engagement and achievement.

ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. ERO will support the school in reporting their progress to the community. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report and is due within three years. 

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

29 November 2023 

About the School

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement.  educationcounts.govt.nz/home

Geraldine High School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2021 to 2024

As of December 2021, the Geraldine High School, School Board has attested to the following regulatory and legislative requirements:

Board Administration

Yes

Curriculum

Yes

Management of Health, Safety and Welfare

Yes

Personnel Management

Yes

Finance

Yes

Assets

Yes

Further Information

For further information please contact Geraldine High School, School Board.

The next School Board assurance that it is meeting regulatory and legislative requirements will be reported, along with the Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report, within three years.

Information on ERO’s role and process in this review can be found on the Education Review Office website.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

29 November 2023 

About the School 

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home

Geraldine High School

Provision for International Students Report

Background

The Education Review Office reviews schools that are signatories to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020.

Findings

The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code.

No international students were enrolled at the time of the ERO review.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

29 November 2023 

About the School 

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home

Geraldine High School - 27/01/2017

Findings

Geraldine High School highly values positive relationships, shared understandings and a purposeful environment that promotes achievement. Students are well supported by a comprehensive pastoral care system and a committed board, leadership team and staff. The school is an integral part of its local community and makes very good use of the wider natural environment to extend learning opportunities. Leaders and teachers are focussed on improving outcomes and providing meaningful pathways for students. Achievement information shows a trend of continued improvement in NCEA over the past three years.

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?

Geraldine High School is coeducational and provides education for students from Years 7 to 13. Students attend from the township and the wider South Canterbury area. Teachers make good use of the school’s location to provide students with many varied outdoor education experiences. Sixty five percent of students travel to and from school by bus. The school works closely with local community groups to successfully support students’ wellbeing and extend their learning. The school is part of a local Community of Learning within a group of primary schools and early childhood centres.

Since the previous ERO review in 2013, a new principal and deputy principal have been appointed. The restructured senior leadership team is working effectively to continue to teaching and learning. The board also has responsibility for Carew Peel Forest School and continues to have stable trustee participation.

The redevelopment of the Learning Support Centre is providing expanded opportunities for inclusive education.

The July 2013 ERO report identified a number of areas for improvement. Progress has been made with the targeted use of achievement data and with improved communication with staff. This report identifies that the school still needs to develop a framework for internal evaluation processes.

2 Learning

How well does this school use achievement information to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement?

The school is continuing to strengthen the effective use of student achievement information to help make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement.

Students achieve well overall, with data indicating positive improvements over the last three years in NCEA results and in National Standards.

Achievement information against the National Standards in 2015 shows that most students in Years 7 and 8 are at or above the standard, with achievement being highest in reading. The school’s National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) results show: 

  • very good literacy and numeracy achievement has been sustained over recent years
  • high achievement in Level 1
  • improving overall trends across all three NCEA Levels. 

The senior leaders have implemented initiatives to better monitor and support student progress. School-wide goal setting processes, including effective three-way conferencing with students, parents and teachers, are strengthening learning partnerships.

Students benefit from a culture of manaakitanga/caring within the school. The pastoral leadership and systems are a distinct strength of the school. Pastoral support and processes are valued, embedded and reviewed to support and promote students realising their potential. The school’s key operations are underpinned by an ethos of care for students’ sense of belonging, engagement and wellbeing.

Areas for review and development.

In order to further raise student achievement, leaders and teachers should rigorously evaluate the impact of their teaching.

Senior leaders have identified, and ERO agrees, that greater provision must be made to improve assessment guidelines, expectations, tracking and moderation at Years 9 and 10.

3 Curriculum

How effectively does this school’s curriculum promote and support student learning?

The school’s curriculum responds well to students’ needs and interests. Underpinned by a strong focus on the school’s values, the curriculum offers a broad range of programmes and opportunities that promote relevant learning pathways for all learners.

A distinctive feature of the curriculum is the strong use made of the local environment to extend learning, engagement and employment pathways. The wide range of courses offered includes a Primary Industries Academy, extensive education outside the classroom including a senior outdoor education course, hospitality, and a Year 10 challenge. The school continues to initiate further links with the community and tertiary institutions to increase curriculum opportunities available to students.

Community links are further strengthened through the value placed on service. Students are well supported, working with local groups to become positive and contributing members of the community.

Learning for Years 7 and 8 students is enhanced through the opportunities they have for specialist subject teaching. These students value the relationships with senior students that they develop through mentoring, the vertical form structure and wider school activities. In Years 7 and 8, a range of innovative practices are being explored to increase achievement and engagement. These include: 

  • more flexible timetabling to allow needs-based grouping
  • inquiry approaches to learning
  • increased student ownership of their learning
  • additional learning assistants. 

Literacy, numeracy and physical education are prioritised in the junior years. Additionally, students are able to enjoy choices within arts, technology and languages in Years 9 and 10.

Students in the senior school have a broad choice of subjects and pathways and are well supported to achieve literacy and numeracy at NCEA level. Strategies to support learners, including those whose learning is at risk and those requiring extension in the senior school, include: 

  • needs-based classes and a supported learning programme
  • mentors from both within the school and outside
  • additional academic support
  • programmes tailored to individual needs and aspirations
  • use of outside providers and agencies
  • a team approach by the academic, pastoral and careers deans to support all learners
  • accessing a range of external opportunities. 

Digital technology is increasingly being used by some staff as a tool for learning, and the parent portal is strengthening the role of parents as partners in their child’s learning and decision making.

The expanded dean network provides ongoing mentoring of students’ achievement, progress and future planning. As part of its pastoral network, the school employs a social worker.

Students are able to develop leadership skills through a range of opportunities and there is increasing evidence of student voice in decision making across the school.

An on-site, purpose-built learning support centre provides a wide range of learning opportunities for inclusive education and for these students to enjoy full participation in school life.

Next Steps

To continue to strengthen the curriculum and related areas the school needs to: 

  • develop a coherent, overarching curriculum document that identifies the unique features of the school, reflects the vision and values and provides clarity around expectations for high quality teaching across learning across learning areas
  • develop a systematic approach to internal review of the curriculum in order to ensure its ongoing responsiveness relevance and effectiveness
  • continue to explore and embed ways to use digital technology as a tool for improving teaching and learning
  • consolidate current appraisal practices into a cohesive, robust and reflective system which includes teaching as inquiry across all teaching areas 

Leaders must also ensure that robust procedures are in place for systematic annual planning and evaluation in the learning support centre. This should include: 

  • clear goals for improvement that also include priorities for continuing to strengthen communication and accountability
  • identified timeframes for reporting progress against goals and priorities to the board
  • planning for continuing to build staff capability and effectiveness in the work of the learning centre
  • ensuring that parents have regular opportunities to provide feedback about the quality of learning support provisions. 

How effectively does the school promote educational success for Māori, as Māori?

The school is beginning to make better progress in promoting educational success for Māori, as Māori. This includes: 

  • development of a strategic plan
  • appointment of a teacher of te reo Māori
  • increasing visibility of te ao Māori within the school
  • providing opportunities for whānau to meet and discuss important ideas and issues. 
Areas for review and development

In order to make further progress in this area, leaders need to continue to strengthen and embed current approaches, evaluate outcomes and report to the board the progress being made towards set goals.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

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

The school has a highly committed board of trustees with a shared vision of positive outcomes for all students. Priority is being given to what matters most for students’ learning in its long-term and annual planning. There is a range of experience and skills among the trustees and a commitment to ongoing training. The operations of the board are directed by a comprehensive set of guidelines. The board utilises appropriate outside expertise where necessary.

The principal has built relational trust across the school. There is a strong sense of purpose and collaboration within the senior leadership team and senior leaders are supported to develop their professional capability and leadership. Leaders in turn actively support the professional learning and development of staff.

Leaders and staff are focused on establishing and embedding systems and practices that enable positive outcomes for all students. These include: 

  • the trialling of a new appraisal system
  • targeted resourcing, based on data, to meet student needs
  • improved induction and mentoring systems for staff
  • a focus on maximising staff strengths and interests
  • increased opportunities for staff to build professional capacity and leadership. 

The school has a very positive reciprocal relationship with the community. Leaders and trustees consult widely to ensure that the school authentically represents the aspirations, values and interests of its community.

The board and senior management are strongly focused on continuing to maintain and build positive relationships within and outside of the school.

The board, senior management and staff have identified a need to establish consistent internal evaluation practices in order to support and sustain their goal of improving outcomes for all students.

The next steps for the board and leaders are to:

  • develop a robust framework for internal evaluation in order to promote evidence based decision making and direction setting
  • continue to focus on building leadership capacity, including providing more strategic opportunities for middle leadership capability building.

Provision for international students

The school is a signatory to the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students (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 three international students attending the school.

International students are well supported pastorally and academically at Geraldine High School and feel included in both the school and the community. The school has comprehensive internal review systems for ensuring their wellbeing and that their experience is a positive one. These include ongoing documented monitoring of academic progress and homestay suitability.

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

Geraldine High School highly values positive relationships, shared understandings and a purposeful environment that promotes achievement. Students are well supported by a comprehensive pastoral care system and a committed board, leadership team and staff. The school is an integral part of its local community and makes very good use of the wider natural environment to extend learning opportunities. Leaders and teachers are focussed on improving outcomes and providing meaningful pathways for students. Achievement information shows a trend of continued improvement in NCEA over the past three years.

ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years. 

Dr Lesley Patterson

Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern/Te Waipounamu

27 January 2017

About the School 

LocationGeraldine
Ministry of Education profile number352
School typeSecondary (Years 7 to 13)
School roll530
Number of international students3
Gender compositionBoys 51%; Girls 49%
Ethnic composition

Pākehā

Māori

Pacific

Asian

Other Ethnicities

Other European

74%

12%

2%

4%

3%

5%

Review team on siteOctober 2016
Date of this report27 January 2017
Most recent ERO reports

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

July 2013

July 2009

October 2005

Geraldine High School - 01/07/2013

1 Context

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

Geraldine High School is a coeducational secondary school (Years 7 to 13). Students learn in a caring and inclusive, rural environment. This is seen in the family/whānau atmosphere where students and adults interact positively with each other across the school.

Teachers and students make very good use of the local environment and community to extend students’ learning experiences.

Students’ contributions to the life of the school are sought and valued. Students spoken with by ERO appreciate that their teachers will “go the extra mile” for them.

The school has a history of very good National Certificate in Educational Achievement (NCEA) results. The board and school leaders give priority to supporting senior students to achieve highly. They ensure students have good quality learning experiences to support their progress and achievement.

The July 2009 ERO report identified a number of areas for improvement. Progress has been made in developing learning programmes for Years 9 and 10 students, and in providing more leadership opportunities for senior students. This report identifies that the school still needs to make better use of achievement information in Year 7 and 8, and further develop its self-review processes.

2 Learning

How well does this school use achievement information to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement?

The school is making better use of student learning information to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement for students in Years 9 to 13.

Students are appropriately aware of their achievement. Senior students monitor their progress well in attaining credits toward NCEA. Students in Years 7 and 8 spoken with by ERO had a good knowledge of their achievement in relation to the National Standards.

Senior students set meaningful goals for managing their own learning and achievement.

Teachers have made good use of student achievement data to identify the learning needs and abilities of students at Years 9 to 13. School leaders and teachers have introduced useful initiatives to support and extend some students.

Heads of Department present comprehensive reports about student achievement to senior leaders. Many of these reports provide good-quality analysis to inform the setting of useful student achievement targets.

Area for review and development

Senior leaders and teachers need to make better use of achievement information for priority learners in Years 7 and 8. This should include better identification of students at risk of not achieving, developing targets for their achievement and progress, planning strategies for their accelerated progress, and evaluating the programmes put in place.

3 Curriculum

How effectively does this school’s curriculum promote and support student learning?

The school’s curriculum effectively promotes and supports students’ learning.

The curriculum is especially effective in the way that it promotes the development of competent, confident young people who make positive contributions to life, particularly beyond the school.

Students take advantage of the many leadership and service opportunities the curriculum provides. Students spoken with by ERO said they really valued these experiences and the contribution these make to the positive school culture.

Curriculum guidelines are suitably linked to school charter and the New Zealand curriculum expectations. There are very good examples of guidelines for learning and teaching.

Other factors that contribute to curriculum success include:

  • good to very good quality of teaching
  • strong international student programme
  • effective English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) support
  • settled classrooms and students on task, with many well engaged in their learning.

Student successes are celebrated in a number of ways, including in assemblies, in newsletters to parents and the community, and by teachers informing parents.

A next step is to develop further students' involvement in designing, planning and assessing their learning to increase their understanding and independence.

How effectively does the school promote educational success for Māori, as Māori?

The board and school leaders give suitable priority to developing a culturally safe and inclusive environment for Māori and their whanaū as part of a plan that is in its early stages of development. The school’s next step is to develop shared understandings of how the school’s values are linked to those of its whanaū and community.

Māori students achieve highly in all levels of NCEA .This is supported by teachers having high expectations of their learning, and is shown in the school’s reporting and review processes.

Māori students spoken with said they felt well supported to achieve as individuals. They liked their teachers and their peers, their views were sought and listened to and they had opportunities for leadership.

The school is working proactively for Māori students to learn more about Te ao Māori and to build staff capacity and resources in this area.

The principal is providing leadership for staff to grow awareness and skills when working with Māori learners and their whānau. This is becoming increasingly embraced by teachers. Students, teachers and leaders recognise the need to expand this further so that it becomes integral to school and class practices.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

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

The board, in consultation with the staff, has established challenging and appropriate long-term aims that give prominence to student progress and achievement, success as Māori, and providing a positive learning environment. Useful annual planning and school processes help the development of these priorities and provide good direction for heads of department, and a sound basis to review against.

The principal and senior leaders have identified some areas for development to strengthen leadership across the school. Significant progress has been made in a number of these areas including specific training for some leaders and improved communication and decision making between all levels of leadership. Leaders and teachers have identified a need to continue improving communication within the staff.

The school is using a number of useful review approaches. This includes using external expertise to review aspects of the curriculum and guide the school’s self review. Trustees and senior leaders have included some useful indicators in their annual plan to enable specific evaluation. This includes seeking students’ opinions, and using this information for planning and decision making.

Trustees and leaders now need to further develop a systematic framework to guide self review throughout the school. This should include:

  • evidence from a range of sources
  • measurable indicators of successful outcomes
  • thorough analysis of information to lead to well-informed judgements
  • results being used to improve student outcomes
  • keeping sufficient records to support ongoing self review and show progress over time.

Provision for international students

The school is a signatory to the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students (the Code) established under section 238F of the Education Act 1989. At the time of this review there were eight international students attending the school. The teachers responsible for the school’s international students’ programme have developed an effective department self-review process that successfully meets international students’ educational, and pastoral care needs.

The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the code.

ERO's investigations confirmed that the school's self-review process for international students is thorough.

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.

When is ERO likely to review the school again?

ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.

Graham Randell

National Manager Review Services Southern Region

1 July 2013

About the School

LocationGeraldine, South Canterbury 
Ministry of Education profile number352 
School typeSecondary (Years 7 to 15) 
School roll576 
Number of international students8 
Gender compositionGirls 51% Boys 49% 
Ethnic composition

New Zealand European/Pākehā

Māori

Asian

Pacific

Other Ethnicities

83%

11%

3%

1%

2%

Review team on siteMay 2013 
Date of this report1 July 2013 
Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

July 2009

October 2005

June 2002