Herekino School

Findings

Trustees and staff demonstrate commitment to working with the community to deliver a meaningful and relevant school curriculum. ERO is increasingly confident that they are able to progress the school’s goals and sustain the school’s performance in providing better outcomes for students. The principal and trustees have identified key areas for improvement, and for providing a learning environment that will enhance their children’s learning.

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

1 Background and Context

What is the background and context for this school’s review?

Herekino School is a small rural school in the Far North. The school is located to the west of Kaitaia below the Herekino hills and in the tribal boundaries of Te Rarawa. The students are of Te Rarawa decent and most children and staff have connections with local hapū and marae in Herekino, Manukau and Whangape areas. The student roll at the end of 2016 stands at 27 and has steadily increased since the school's last full ERO review in 2014.

Since the beginning of 2015 the school has been on a longitudinal ERO review. An acting principal managed the school in term one 2015. The board appointed a permanent principal later in 2015. Ongoing changes in leadership have been unsettling, but the new principal and trustees have worked collaboratively to progress the areas identified as next steps from the school’s 2014 ERO report.

2 Review and Development

How effectively is the school addressing its priorities for review and development?

Priorities identified for review and development

The priority areas for review and development over this two year review period were:

• curriculum development
• implementing effective teaching practices
• close analysis of achievement information
• strengthen teacher appraisal processes
• ensure effective stewardship
• any others matters that arise. 

Progress

Curriculum development

Curriculum planning is still undergoing development. The principal has strengthened most areas of the curriculum, particularly literacy and numeracy. There is further refinement needed to ensure that the goals, contexts, and values reflect the children and their local community. Localization of the curriculum and recognition of whānau, hapū, and iwi to better reflect the culture, language and identity of children would enhance the curriculum design.

The principal should now include the other key learning areas of The New Zealand Curriculum in school planning, including a digital e-learning plan, so that teachers can deliver a more integrated curriculum approach. Teachers could be supported to develop a deeper understanding of inquiry learning strategies to support children to be lifelong learners.

Effective teaching practices

The principal and teacher are increasingly developing more consistency in their teaching practice. Children work cooperatively and have positive relationships with teachers. Settled learning environments support children to engage well with learning. Children are keen to demonstrate what they are learning and what they have achieved. Teachers have high expectations and manage classrooms effectively. Children work confidently in groups and as individuals.

The next step in teaching and learning is to improve the quality of classroom planning. Teachers' plans should be differentiated to meet children’s various learning levels including a focus on ongoing learning strategies to accelerate the progress of children who are well below and below the National Standards. Goals for children who are underachieving should be specific and targeted so that teacher assessments and comments are helpful, and parents can contribute to their child’s learning progress.

Analysis of achievement information

The principal is strengthening processes for analysing and reporting student achievement. Teacher professional development in teaching and assessing reading has improved the robustness of overall teacher judgements (OTJs). An action plan is in place with goals and target setting for children who require additional learning support. Analysis of children’s achievement shows progress over time and next steps are clearly documented. The plan is focused on reading, writing and mathematics, and identifies areas of learning that require further improvement.

Ongoing professional development for teachers should include creating a better understanding of how to accelerate children’s progress, and achievement. Teachers should also consider ensuring children’s learning is more visible, sharing progress and achievement information with children to promote independent and self-managing learners.

Recent achievement analysis shows overall that children have made very good shifts in reading and mathematics since 2015. Writing is an area identified for further focus in 2017. Teachers are using more reliable data as a basis for their teaching goals and children’s next steps in learning. Professional development will need to continue in 2017 to further support positive outcomes for children. The Ministry of Education (MoE) through the Student Achievement Function (SAF) plans to continue supporting the school. 

Teacher Appraisal

The principal is undertaking the appraisal of teachers and other staff. The board has contracted an external appraiser for the principal, although this process has only recently begun. The principal will need to ensure that the appraisal process for registered teachers is aligned to all the Practicing Teacher Criteria annually. This needs to be an active ongoing inquiry process related to raising student achievement. The use of resources provided by the Education Council could provide ongoing guidance to improve the teacher appraisal process.

Key next steps

The principal should:

• continue to localise the curriculum through the inclusion of culture, language and identity of Te Rarawatanga
• improve the quality of teacher planning with specific strategies to support the progress of priority learners
• promote more visible learning, sharing progress and achievement information with children
• develop better understanding of accelerated progress and achievement.

3 Sustainable performance and self review

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

The board of trustees began the process of consultation with its community in 2015, soon after the 2014 ERO Review. Trustees made significant steps to re-engage the community in the school and to build meaningful partnerships in supporting children’s learning. The roll has increased and the community has responded positively to the commitment of the board and staff.

The new board comprises mostly new trustees, because of the increased interest of the community. The board has had useful training through the New Zealand School Trustees Association. The next step for the board is to adopt the policies developed in 2014, and begin to evaluate the effectiveness of these policies on outcomes for children. Trustees should also use the board work plan to schedule key areas for review and for strategically evaluating their governance practices.

The principal is very capable and strongly committed to the success of the school. She has been engaged with their Community of Learning|Kahui Ako (COL). This involvement will enable the school to connect with other local schools to negotiate achievement challenges and discuss effective teaching practices to improve outcomes for children. The principal has identified this as an important link for keeping up with current strategies, assessment and professional development to strengthen their own internal evaluation.

The school Charter has been reviewed in consultation with the community. The board has worked on the draft plan for the Charter and now there are only minor areas left to address and refine. The finalised document should be ready to submit to the MoE in term one 2017.

Key next steps

The board and principal need to:

• formally adopt and minute the 2014 board's school policies
• use board work plans to schedule key areas for review and internal evaluation
• align teacher appraisal to the Practising Teacher Criteria.

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.

To improve current practice, the board must ensure that the principal has an annual appraisal and signed performance agreement.

4 Recommendations

Recommendations, including any to other agencies for ongoing or additional support.

ERO recommends that the Ministry of Education provide ongoing support to Herekino School to:

• strengthen the quality of teacher planning and assessment
• support the principal’s role in implementing an authentic curriculum
• developing sustainable governance and management practices.

Conclusion

Trustees and staff demonstrate commitment to working with the community to deliver a meaningful and relevant school curriculum. ERO is increasingly confident that they are able to progress the school’s goals and sustain the school’s performance in providing better outcomes for students. The principal and trustees have identified key areas for improvement, and for providing a learning environment that will enhance their children’s learning.

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

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

15 February 2017

About the School