Glenfield Primary School

Glenfield Primary School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 6 months of the Education Review Office and Glenfield Primary 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 

Glenfield Primary School is located on the North Shore, Auckland. The school provides education for learners from years 1 – 6.  The school’s vision is ‘A community growing successful learners’.

Glenfield Primary School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

  • student wellbeing will be reflected by their engagement in learning and their social and emotional behaviour

  • there will be a sound knowledge of cultural practices evident, and all classrooms will be inclusive of all learners/ākonga

  • teaching practice will demonstrate a high awareness of diverse learners’ needs and interests

  • cultural knowledge and prior experiences will be used to make learning more relevant and effective for diverse learners/ākonga.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Glenfield Primary School’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how well culturally responsive practices, high expectations and positive relationships are fundamental to teaching and learning and improving outcomes for all learners/ākonga.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to:

  • accelerate academic progress and achievement, ensuring learners/ākonga have greater ownership of their learning, and next steps

  • enhance culturally responsive teaching practice to ensure all learners/ākonga have a sense of belonging and achieve personal success.

The school expects to see stronger learning partnerships with whānau and an environment where students have a sense of belonging and a greater understanding of themselves and others. There will be a culture of high expectations, where students feel valued, have ownership over their learning and know what they need to do to improve.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to evaluate how well culturally responsive practices, high expectations and positive relationships will improve outcomes for all learners/ākonga.

  • differentiated professional learning and development to enhance teaching and learning practices.

  • collaborative, consistent and culturally responsive learning structures that ensure quality for all learners/ākonga.

  • professional relationships and effective teaching are focused on the learning and wellbeing of all learners/ākonga.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • utilising the aspirations of parents and whānau in decision making, planning and teacher practice

  • the consistent delivery of effective culturally responsive teaching practice

  • ensuring students’ prior knowledge, backgrounds, and world views are used to inform teaching and learning.

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

24 July 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

Glenfield Primary School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2022 to 2025

As of August 2022, the Glenfield Primary 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 Glenfield Primary 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

24 July 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

Glenfield Primary 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

24 July 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

Glenfield Primary School - 21/05/2018

School Context

Glenfield Primary School, on the North Shore of Auckland, is a contributing school (Years 1 to 6) that caters for approximately 320 students from its ethnically diverse local community. The school roll has steadily grown since 2012. Children of Pacific and Māori heritage represent approximately nine percent of the roll.

The school’s vision of ‘A Community Growing Successful Learners’ and its values of ‘Inclusive, Respectful, and Responsible’, are valued outcomes of the school’s curriculum. The school’s core focus on student wellbeing encompasses social, emotional, cultural, academic and physical development. Students in the three satellite classes of Wairau Valley Special School are successfully integrated into the life of the school.

The experienced principal and senior leaders guide school improvements. Current goals and targets for learner success are focused on supporting children who are at risk of not achieving and the nearly 30 percent of students who are English Language Learners. Key school targets are focused on raising the learning outcomes for students in mathematics and developing oral language in all areas of the school.

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 of target and priority students

  • progress and achievement of English Language Learners

  • student wellbeing surveys.

The school is part of the Kaipatiki Khui Ako|Community of Learning, which is made up of nine local schools and three early learning services.

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 achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for many students. The school’s achievement information shows that the majority of children, including Māori, are achieving at expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics after six years at the school. English Language Learners are specifically targeted and well supported in classrooms.

Inclusive and responsive approaches are effective in supporting children with additional learning needs. Leaders and teachers closely monitor their progress related to learning and wellbeing. Learning assistants work with individual and groups of students, and in classrooms alongside teachers to assist students with additional learning needs and their families/whānau.

Students achieve very well in relation to other valued outcomes that include:

  • confidence in using achievement information to improve their learning

  • participation in discussions to share ideas and develop understandings

  • showing empathy and support for others

  • collaborating effectively in decision making

  • being active inquirers in their learning and wellbeing.

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

The school responds well and continues to adapt practices to better respond to those Māori, Pacific and other students whose learning and achievement need acceleration.

Sound planning and assessment practices are lifting student achievement. The school has evidence of accelerated progress of individual students, especially for children who are at risk of not achieving.

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?

Capable leadership, and examples of innovative, research-based approaches support positive outcomes for children. School leaders work collaboratively to make well considered decisions and develop initiatives that are strongly improvement and future focused. They are implementing good strategies to consolidate and embed recent initiatives consistently across the school. Thoughtful analysis of theory and practice helps determine the best way forward for the school.

The principal’s leadership is driven by a vision of developing ‘assessment-capable’ learners. High quality student-led learning is developing. The school’s learner profiles, and writing, reading and mathematics learning progressions that are child friendly support this vision. Teachers enable students to better understand their own achievement and how they best learn. Leaders and teachers are committed to success, excellence and equitable outcomes for all.

Senior leaders continually review the school’s practices. They are open to new learning and knowledge building, and interpret and use data well to improve outcomes for learners. Leaders use educational research and expertise to extend teachers’ professional thinking and learning, and to contribute to curriculum development.

Collaborative leadership strategies are focused on high expectations for effective teaching practice. School leaders are supporting teachers to increase consistency in classroom practice. Leaders and teachers meet regularly for professional inquiry into student progress and achievement. Teachers are encouraged to research and be innovative to support children’s engagement, motivation and learning. Differentiated professional learning targets identified areas for improvement.

The school’s curriculum supports students to be confident, connected, actively involved learners. The school’s vision and values underpin class programmes. Students help develop relevant and purposeful inquiry-focused learning opportunities. The integrated inquiry approach promotes the New Zealand Curriculum key competencies and the school’s future-focused set of skills. Bicultural practices are woven into the programme. Staff are strengthening practices that support children’s language, culture and identity.

Leaders and teachers are bringing te reo and tikanga Māori into the life of the school. Staff are accessing external professional development to better integrate te ao Māori into the curriculum. The school receives strong support from the local secondary school te reo Māori teacher.

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

School leaders have a deliberate planned approach to school improvement. Current developments include the trialling and evaluation of a new approach to mathematics teaching and learning. This approach is designed to involve students in evaluation of their own learning through the use of digital technologies. Mathematics learning progressions in child friendly language are being refined and embedded.

A number of teachers are new to the school. They are receiving appropriate induction and support to implement and embed the school’s new teaching and learning practices. This development should contribute to greater consistency in approaches to achieving equity and excellence for all students across the school.

Digital technologies are being trialled and implemented by teachers and students school-wide. A specialist staff member supports with this initiative. This implementation should further develop and support the school’s vision and curriculum by allowing students to explore and learn using a range of media.

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 four international students attending the school.

The school’s practices and processes provide very good support for students’ pastoral care. Good processes monitor and support students’ learning and achievement. Students are involved in a wide range of school activities and are well integrated into the school community.

4 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

ERO considers that the school has the leadership capability and collective capacity to sustain and build on current good practices to support equity and excellence in students’ learning.

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

  • capable leadership that has a focused intention to improve teaching and learning

  • inquiry-based learning that is future focused and stimulates students’ thinking

  • students’ use of achievement information to improve their learning

  • an inclusive vision and school culture that enables students to feel valued

  • a connected and collaborative culture for improvement that develops teacher capability

  • deliberately targeted and planned development to support leaders and teachers to be innovative and adaptive to cater for diverse learners.

Next steps

For sustained improvement and future learner success, development priorities across the school include:

  • continuing to build the school’s capacity to support students’ accelerated learning

  • consolidating and sustaining improvements in teaching and learning to support the school’s vision

  • supporting teachers’ and students’ use of digital technologies to improve learner outcomes and align with the school’s future-focused curriculum.

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

21 May 2018

About the school

Location

Glenfield, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

1296

School type

Contributing (Year 1- 6)

School roll

318

Gender composition

Boys 51%, Girls 49%

Ethnic composition

Pākehā 20%

Māori 7%

Filipino 23%

Indian 12%

African 7%

Chinese 4%

Samoan 4%

Middle Eastern 3%

Tongan 3%

other Asian 10%

other Pacific Peoples 3%

other ethnicities 4%

Provision of Māori medium education

No

Review team on site

March 2018

Date of this report

21 May 2018

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review; April 2015

Education Review; August 2012

Education Review; April 2009