School Context
Glenavy School is a small rural Years 1 to 8 primary school in South Canterbury. It has a roll of 87 students from culturally diverse backgrounds. This includes an increasing number of English language learners, particularly from the Tongan and Filipino communities.
The school’s fluctuating roll is impacted on significantly by the local dairying industry. However, since ERO’s 2017 review, the school has experienced consistent roll growth.
The vision of the school is represented as the ‘Bridge of Success’ and underpinned by the strategic pillars ‘Rural, Pride, Achievement and Future’. To achieve its valued outcomes, the school aims to support its students to adapt and contribute to the global community and to develop self-respect, integrity and skills for self-management.
Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, schoolwide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:
- achievement in reading, writing and mathematics
- progress and achievement in relation to identified school targets
- outcomes related to wellbeing for student success.
Some trustees have joined the board since the school’s January 2017 ERO review. Teaching staff has remained the same for a number of years. The school is an active participant in the Whitestone Kāhui Ako | Community of Learning.
Evaluation Findings
1 Equity and excellence – achievement of valued outcomes for students
1.1 How well is the school achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all its students?
At the end of 2019, the majority of students achieved at national curriculum expectations in writing and mathematics. Most achieved at expected curriculum levels in reading. Given the movement of students in and out of the school it is not meaningful to comment on achievement trends over time.
Māori students achieved very well in relation to their peers at the school, with most at expectations for reading and writing. The majority of Filipino and Pacific students achieved at expectations in reading, writing and mathematics.
School achievement data showed a gender disparity in reading and writing for boys in 2019. However, this disparity has reduced over time.
Students with additional learning needs make very good progress in relation to their learning goals.
Students achieved well in relation to the school’s broader valued outcomes. Reports to the board showed students:
- have a strong sense of pride in their school and local community
- have respect for others and themselves
- have positive relationships with adults
- feel safe and know the school values.
1.2 How well is the school accelerating learning for those students who need this?
The school is successful in accelerating the progress of the majority of students who need this.
A significant number of boys have made accelerated progress in reading and writing. As a result, there is a reduced disparity for boys in literacy.
School achievement information indicates that most students who have English as an additional language make accelerated progress in literacy and mathematics over time.
2 School conditions for equity and excellence – processes and practices
2.1 What school processes and practices are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence, and acceleration of learning?
Students benefit from a broad, rich curriculum that is inclusive, authentic and relevant to their diverse cultures. A strong emphasis is placed on integrating literacy and mathematics and building students’ oral language. Students access a diverse range of learning opportunities that support their engagement and wellbeing, including the development of leadership skills.
Leaders and teachers use effective strategies to engage and accelerate the learning of students who need additional support. This includes detailed assessment and monitoring of their progress and specific planning of next learning steps. School staff are highly responsive to students with special learning needs, ensuring individual goals are achieved. The school has deliberate practices and interventions to assist students whose learning has been disrupted, such as transient students.
As a result, students develop a strong sense of belonging to their school and show improved levels of achievement and engagement.
School leaders have established a collaborative school culture and implemented useful schoolwide systems and processes. They ensure that teachers’ professional learning and inquiry align well to the school’s vision and strategic priorities, including deepening professional practice in order to better support students. A useful appraisal system and clear teaching and learning expectations contribute to effective teaching practices.
Trustees represent and serve the school and its community well in their stewardship role. They scrutinise learning information regularly to inform resourcing decisions that contribute positively to equitable outcomes for all students.
2.2 What further developments are needed in school processes and practices for achievement of equity and excellence, and acceleration of learning?
The school and ERO have identified the need to refine and extend leaders’ and teachers’ analysis and use of assessment and achievement data. This will provide a more accurate picture of rates of acceleration and sufficiency of progress for students at risk of not achieving.
Aspects of internal evaluation could be further strengthened. Presently, useful processes are in place for gathering and making sense of teaching and learning, wellbeing and other information. Some of the outcomes of this information could be better used to inform future planning. This includes the subsequent evaluation of the impact of changes made.
3 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:
- board administration
- curriculum
- management of health, safety and welfare
- personnel management
- finance
- asset management.
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 Children’s Act 2014.
4 ERO’s Overall Judgement
On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement of Glenavy School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Well placed.
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.
5 Going forward
Key strengths of the school
For sustained improvement and future learner success, the school can draw on existing strengths in:
- school systems, processes and practices that are focused on achieving equity and excellence, and accelerating students’ progress
- an inclusive and responsive localised school curriculum that effectively uses students’ interests, teachers’ skills and knowledge, the environment and wider community to make learning engaging and relevant
- the principal’s collaborative approach that establishes and models high expectations
- a caring and inclusive learning environment that promotes equity and excellence.
Next steps
For sustained improvement and future learner success, priorities for further development are to continue to:
- strengthen aspects of internal evaluation to better inform school development
- strengthen analysis of achievement information to better know about the rates and sufficiency of progress students make.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region - Te Tai Tini
5 June 2020
About the school
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement.