Glen Taylor School caters for a diverse school community and has a role of approximately 260 students in Years 1 to 8. Thirty percent of the school’s roll identify as Māori and 45 percent have Pacific heritage.
The board’s overarching vision for the school is for students to achieve, be confident and enjoy learning (ACE). It aims to achieve this through the values of fun/pārekareka, integrity/manawanui, respect/whakaute, and excellence/panekiretanga (FIRE).
The school’s strategic goals include maximising student achievement and wellbeing, providing a student-centred inquiry curriculum, and embed the Manaiakalani community of learning principles of learn, create, share.
Since the 2016 ERO review, the school has employed a new deputy principal, developed a new leadership team and employed many new staff.
Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board schoolwide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:
The school is part of the Maniakalani Community of Learning |Kāhui Ako (CoL).
The school has more work to do to achieve equitable and excellent outcomes for all its students. A large majority of students are achieving at or above school expectations in reading and writing and a small majority in mathematics.
Parity between Pacific and non-Pacific students in mathematics has been sustained over the past two years. Overall, Pacific students are outperforming non-Pacific students in writing. However, low levels of achievement continue for some groups of Pacific students in reading and writing.
There is continuing wide disparity between Māori and non-Māori students in reading, writing and mathematics. Some gender disparity remains in reading and wider gender disparity in writing and mathematics.
School reported information suggests that some targeted and priority students are making accelerated progress. The school is yet to fully analyse and report on accelerated learning for all priority students for the 2019 year.
The school’s vision and values guide a focus on enhancing equity for all students. The school’s responsive curriculum design provides students with greater choice, input into, and understanding of their own learning. Many consistent teaching and learning practices are being embedded. Effective fundraising is increasing opportunities for all students to participate in rich learning experiences.
The board’s strategic goals are focused on raising student achievement towards excellence. Teachers participate in relevant professional learning and development (PLD) that is aligned to the strategic goals and facilitated both internally and externally. The principal is committed to personal PLD to enhance his role in leading teacher practice to enable equity and excellence. Middle managers are well supported to build their capacity to develop teacher practice. Regular appraisal processes further increase teachers’ professional capability in improving outcomes for students and accelerating their learning.
The board and teachers are building educationally powerful connections with parents that support students’ wellbeing and self-efficacy. Staff use a variety of ways to gather parent and student perspectives and aspirations to inform curriculum design. Parents are able to access information and communicate with senior leaders digitally, and in person, to enhance positive relationships. Information gathered is shared with the board to guide future strategic planning.
Leaders and staff meet with whānau Māori and Pacific parents through annual hui and fono. There are also opportunities for parents to share their perspectives and to have input into what their children are learning. This is supporting a greater emphasis on equity. Senior leaders and the board should consider further ways to consult with whānau Māori.
The board and leaders have a strong focus on reducing barriers to students’ learning and increasing students’ wellbeing and sense of belonging. Leaders track and monitor student outcomes. Teachers would benefit from relevant PLD in analysing and using results of student outcomes to further accelerate student learning.
An effective framework guides internal evaluation processes. Trustees use an evidence-based approach to monitor outcomes of board decision making. Leaders reflect on the success of new initiatives and make responsive changes as needed.
The board would benefit from:
Teachers should continue to increase their data analysis capability. This knowledge could then be used purposefully to inform planning to support individual student progress and achievement toward equity and excellence in the school.
Internal evaluation could be more useful with a greater focus on the effectiveness of decisions in relation to outcomes for students. Documentation of evaluation processes would also be useful.
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 Glen Taylor School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Developing.
ERO’s Framework: Overall Findings and Judgement Tool derived from School Evaluation Indicators: Effective Practice for Improvement and Learner Success 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:
To improve current practice, the board of trustees should improve processes for identifying and monitoring potential outdoor hazards, including:
Since the November review the safe fall hazard has been addressed.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region
4 March 2020
|
Location |
Glendowie, Auckland |
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
1289 |
|
School type |
Full Primary (Year 1-8) |
|
School roll |
264 |
|
Gender composition |
Girls 51% Boys 49% |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 30% NZ European/Pākehā 8% Tongan 18% Samoan 14% Cook Island Māori 11% South East Asian 8% other ethnic groups 11% |
|
Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS) |
Yes |
|
Provision of Māori medium education |
No |
|
Review team on site |
December 2019 |
|
Date of this report |
4 March 2020 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review June 2016 Education Review May 2013 Education Review September 2010 |