Glendene School

School Context

Glendene School in West Auckland is a Year 1 to 6 school of 160 students. The school serves an ethnically diverse local community that is predominantly Pacific. Samoan children make up 26 percent of the roll and there are smaller groups of Fijian, Tongan and other Pacific children. Māori children comprise a further 26 percent. The school roll has increased nearly 10 percent in recent years.

The school’s values of kindness and caring are incorporated into its longstanding pastoral care systems and restorative practices. Many of the children and their families have home languages other than English.

Satellite classes of the Arohanui Special School operate on site, as does a parent-led early learning playgroup and a Samoan aoga amata. A social worker, based at the school, contributes positively to supporting the wellbeing of children and their families. The school continues to offer Kids Can, breakfast club, and the milk and fruit in schools programmes.

The board of trustees had recently appointed a new principal at the time of ERO’s 2015 review. Over the past three years, the principal has worked closely with trustees to address recommendations from ERO’s 2015 report. School-wide improvements have been made in teaching and learning, the design of the curriculum, and the use of achievement information.

Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, schoolwide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:

• analysed information about student achievement in reading, writing and mathematics

• trends identified in overall student achievement from year to year

• patterns of achievement for Māori and Pacific children

• accelerated learning goals for students at risk of not achieving to expectations

• evaluation of the impacts of interventions designed for children who are under achieving

• managing children’s learning and behaviour needs.

The board and school leaders are committed to working collaboratively and sharing expertise with local schools through the Waitakere Area Principals’ Association (WAPA) 2020 Learning Project, and the Te Whānau Mātauranga o Kerehana Community of Learning|Kāhui Ako. The common goals shared by participating schools are focused on culturally responsive teaching practice, student ownership of learning, and evidence-based teacher inquiry.

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?

The school is working well towards achieving equity and excellence for all students. Achievement data from year to year is well analysed. Reports on overall achievement show that the majority of children make good progress and reach expected curriculum levels through their years at school.

The data indicate that Pacific children are achieving increasingly well. Trustees are aware of continued disparity in the achievement of Māori children.

1.2 How well is the school accelerating learning for those Māori and other students who need this?

The school is working to increase parity for those Māori and other students who need to make accelerated progress. Leaders set appropriate targets related to improving Māori student achievement. They have also strengthened partnerships with whānau in supporting children’s learning.

Professional learning for teachers is clearly focused on using information to personalise learning for each student. Teachers are able to identify students who need to make accelerated progress. They are working collaboratively with team leaders to implement these approaches consistently across the school.

The school’s achievement information clearly identifies children who are not making expected progress. A variety of teaching strategies provides appropriate support for many of these children. School leaders are continuing to explore ways to accelerate progress for priority learners. The challenge now is to strengthen how teachers plan to support priority learners in classrooms.

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?

The principal and staff have reviewed the school’s valued outcomes for learning and are purposefully designing a curriculum that supports those outcomes. The learner profile, known as Hope, highlights expectations that children will be confident learners who have ownership of their learning and understand their own progress and achievement.

Relationships in classrooms are positive and encouraging.ERO’s 2015 report noted the school’s caring, positive environment. Student wellbeing was a school priority and students were enthusiastic learners. The report also noted that the school had high levels of community support.These features continue to be significant conditions that support children’s learning and progress.

Clear guidelines for teachers’ planning are outlined in school documents and closely aligned with school goals and achievement targets. In most classrooms, teachers are supporting children to set goals and to understand and use self and peer assessment. School leaders plan to extend and consolidate the use of these student-led learning approaches.

The school values the community’s involvement, and has worked hard to increase parent partnerships to help improve student achievement. School leaders have made deliberate efforts to strengthen engagement with Māori and Pacific parents.

The school’s curriculum and cultural practices have been strengthened with the inclusion of tikanga and te reo Māori. Children benefit from their involvement in practices such as whole-school pōwhiri and waiata. The cultures of all children, staff and trustees are valued and respected, and purposeful consultation with parents and whānau is well planned. Leaders are aware that further developments should include meaningful whānau consultation about specific improvement targets for Māori achievement.

The principal is a capable and experienced curriculum leader who is establishing a learning culture that involves both student and teacher feedback. These purposeful internal evaluation processes are enabling the school to make improvements that benefit learners. The improvements are appropriately supported by coaching and mentoring approaches that build teachers’ practice.

The board is well informed about student achievement and improvement-focused internal evaluation. Trustees are reviewing their own understanding of governance, and working closely with the principal to set goals and plan strategically. The board and community are proud of the school’s attractive and well-resourced learning environment that supports children’s learning.

2.2 What further developments are needed in school processes and practices for achievement of equity and excellence, and acceleration of learning?

Trustees and leaders have appropriately identified the need for a more consistent focus on accelerated learner progress in teachers’ planning and practice. This would support the board’s goals for lifting rates of progress for targeted groups and individual students.

The board’s goals for accelerating learner progress should also inform teachers’ inquiry into the effectiveness of their practice as part of the recently updated appraisal process. Leaders and teachers should include inquiry processes to strengthen children’s independent learning skills and competencies such as problem solving, critical thinking and creativity.

Leaders should continue to engage in professional learning regarding the use of student achievement information and evaluation. This learning would strengthen the school’s collective, schoolwide capacity, and teaching and learning approaches.

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 Vulnerable Children Act 2014.

Provision for international students

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. The school has an International Student Policy in place to guide good school-wide procedures that meet the Code of Practice.

4 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

For sustained improvement and future learner success, the school can draw on existing strengths in the:

• engagement of parents and whānau in supporting learners’ progress and achievement

• vision, direction, collaboration and leadership of the school

• teachers’ willingness to examine and respond to achievement information

• the board’s support for teacher development and schoolwide improvement
• the development of internal evaluation across a range of school practices.

Next steps

For sustained improvement and future learner success, priorities for further development are in:

• clarifying expectations for a schoolwide approach to learning through inquiry

• using student progress and achievement data to inform teacher inquiry and practice

• continued evaluation of resources and systems for accelerating the progress of priority learners.

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

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

Julie Foley

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)

Te Tai Raki - Northern Region

7 June 2018

About the school