Irongate School

School Context

Irongate School caters for 334 students in Years 1 to 8 in Flaxmere, near Hastings. Three quarters of students attending the school are Māori. Other key student groups include 80 Pacific students with Samoan, Tongan, Cook Island and Kiribati heritage.

The school’s stated vision recognises the importance of the local Flaxmere community, hapū, Ngāti Kahungunu iwi and the Kāhui Ako. The school vision is learning for life and to facilitate learning opportunities that enables personal success, development and growth for students. Key values are ako, whanaungatanga, kotahitanga and manaakitanga.

The recently redeveloped Year 8 graduate profile indicates a focus on students having a sense of identity, pride and belonging in knowing who they are and where they are from. Key 2018 strategic goals focus on students being productive by participating and contributing and persevering.

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

• reading, writing and mathematics, including the analysis of variance for the annual plan

• positive behaviour for learning

• trends in attendance.

Since the August 2015 ERO report, an experienced new principal was appointed at the start of 2018. Staffing remains generally stable with some recent changes. A core group of experienced trustees provides continuity in governance.

Key staff professional development includes a focus on mana enhancement for learners, junior students building on their early learning experiences and a focus on school leadership for learning. Groups of staff participated in Poutama Pounamu for culturally responsive teaching approaches, positive learning behaviours and enhancing teacher and student use of digital technologies.

The school is a member of the Te Waka o Māramatanga Kāhui Ako.

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 has yet to achieve equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners. The school reports that the majority of students achieve at or above expectations in reading, writing and mathematics. Girls achieve better than boys in all three areas, particularly in literacy.

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

The school is at the early stages of developing clear systems and processes to respond to those learners whose progress and achievement need acceleration. Data for 2017, shows that just under a third of students targeted in a schoolwide writing intervention programme made accelerated progress.

Lifting student achievement particularly in mathematics remains an ongoing next step to achieve more equitable and excellent student outcomes.

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 learn in a positive and settled school environment. Respectful relationships and a focus on students’ holistic wellbeing fosters their strong sense of belonging. Whanaungatanga, kotahitanga, ako and manaakitanga are increasingly enacted by students and staff.

An ongoing review of the school curriculum began at the start of 2018. This contributes to good early progress with establishing expectations for culturally responsive practices. Teaching frameworks based on te ao Māori strongly affirm students’ culture, language and identity. This approach is becoming integrated into all aspects of the school.

Consultation with whānau and families contributes to the redevelopment of the Year 8 graduate profile. Students’ views are increasingly valued and used to inform changes. Growing learning partnerships with parents and whānau is an ongoing priority.

Teachers are embracing opportunities to develop collaborative strategies to enable students to make choices and lead their learning. A sustained focus in 2017, on the teaching of writing to students who needed targeted support, resulted in a positive lift in overall achievement. This was particularly noticeable for Pacific and Māori learners.

Provision and resources for students with additional learning requirements are a key priority. Individual students are well known and supported to participate and engage in learning alongside their peers. Appropriate external expertise is accessed to enhance opportunities for students.

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

School leaders and staff should develop and strengthen the review of the school curriculum and supporting implementation plan to enable students to continue to lead to their learning. This should include establishing schoolwide expectations for:

• dependable assessment practices schoolwide, moderation and analysis and more regular reporting of student progress and achievement

• effective teaching and learning in collaborative teaching and learning spaces.

The board has a clear focus on making resourcing decisions to enable students to equitably access learning resources. It is timely to strengthen their focus on implementing and monitoring the strategic plan to promote positive student outcomes, including the acceleration for those learners who need it. This includes strengthening:

• timely and clear processes for identifying target students, monitoring their progress, teacher analysis and evaluation and reporting to trustees on accelerated learning

• reporting the impact of special programmes and strategies for students receiving additional assistance, including English for speakers of other languages (ESOL)

• the alignment between strategic improvement targets, target students, teachers’ inquiry into their teaching practices, appraisal and the use of schoolwide internal evaluation to improve student outcomes.

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.

Action for compliance

ERO identified non-compliance in relation to a teacher with a lapsed practising certificate.

In order to address this, the board of trustees must:

• ensure all teachers hold a current practising certificate at all times.
  [Education Act 1989]

Areas for improved compliance practice

To improve current practice, the board of trustees should:

• ensure that the school submits its charter to the Ministry of Education by the due date and enable the timely implementation of annual student achievement targets

• strengthen governance, including developing a systematic approach to reviewing policies, procedures and practices.

4 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

• a positive and increasingly responsive learning-focused school environment that is based on supportive relationships

• more responsive school practices that enable students to celebrate their culture, language and identity

• developing collaborative teaching practices that increasingly allow students to make choices and to lead their learning.

Next steps

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

• developing a responsive school curriculum and expectations for effective teaching and learning

• strengthening the alignment of school systems and processes for supporting improved student outcomes, including appraisal, teaching as inquiry and internal evaluation

• improving the effectiveness of governance practices, including policies and procedures

• targeted planning to accelerate learning [ERO will monitor and discuss progress with the school]

• internal evaluation processes and practices.
  [ERO will provide an internal evaluation workshop for trustees and senior leaders]

ERO recommends that the school seeks support from New Zealand School Trustees Association in order to bring about improvements in:

• governance policies, procedures and practices.

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

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

Alan Wynyard

Director Review & Improvement Services

Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region

25 September 2018

About the school

Location	Hastings
Ministry of Education profile number	2582
School type	Full primary (Years 1 to 8)
School roll	334
Gender composition	Male 59%, Female 41%
Ethnic composition	Māori 72% Pacific 24% Pākehā 4%
Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS)	Yes
Provision of Māori medium education	No
Review team on site	August 2018
Date of this report	25 September 2018
Most recent ERO report(s)	Education Review August 2015 Education Review July 2012 Education Review July 2009

Findings

Positive relationships to promote learning are a feature of Irongate School. The board and school leaders are aware of the need to maintain a focus on accelerating progress for students at risk of not achieving expected outcomes. Systems and processes to lift student achievement are continuing to strengthen and develop.

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

1 Context

What are the important features of this school that have an impact on student learning?

Irongate School is located in the Hastings suburb of Flaxmere. It caters for students in Years 1 to 8. At the time of this ERO review the roll was 314 students, with 74% identifying as Māori and 19% as Pacific.

Developing a culturally responsive curriculum has been a focus over the past three years. This development includes a quality teacher profile and an Irongate School graduate profile.

School leaders actively promote positive relationships between students, staff and whānau. Links to the wider community are an integral part of the school.

The school motto: Achieve, Learn, Grow, is visible throughout the school and is embedded in the curriculum.

The school has a positive reporting history with ERO.

2 Learning

How well does this school use achievement information to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement?

The school is refining its use of achievement information to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement.

Achievement information reported in December 2014 shows many students achieved at and above in relation to the National Standards in reading and writing. Although mathematics showed a slight improvement across the school, this remains as an area to be strengthened.

The school is aware of the need to maintain a focus on accelerating progress for students who are at risk of not achieving at the expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics. Systems and strategies continue to be strengthened and developed to support this focus.

Individual needs of students are identified by well-established processes. A range of appropriate interventions support students’ engagement and achievement. Teachers regularly gather assessment information and progress is monitored over time.

Teachers think critically about how their teaching is improving students’ learning. They are reviewing their practice against current research about effective teaching strategies. This is strengthening shared understanding of what makes a positive difference for students.

Evaluating the impact of these strategies on student achievement outcomes needs to continue to develop. As these processes become embedded, the school will be better placed to recognise explicit strategies that promote accelerated progress for learners.

The practice for moderating teachers’ overall assessment judgements about students' achievement continues to strengthen. ERO’s evaluation finds that moderating assessment of writing and developing collective agreement about what achievement looks like at each level is an appropriate area for the school to focus on in 2015.

Continuing to strengthen this practice will allow teachers to more effectively measure students' progress. Identifying specific next learning steps will provide students with the information to talk clearly about their learning. The moderation of teachers’ judgements in relation to reading and mathematics should continue to be a focus.

Teachers know students well. School leaders and staff provide a settled learning environment with a focus on student wellbeing and sense of belonging. Students and whānau have positive relationships with staff.

3 Curriculum

How effectively does this school’s curriculum promote and support student learning?

The Irongate School curriculum promotes and suitably supports student learning. It has clear links with the principles and key competencies of The New Zealand Curriculum. The school’s motto, logo, and syndicate names are centred on the idea of a tree growing, being nourished and flourishing through the year levels of the school.

The school's quality teacher profile draws on current research and other sources, including Ka Hikitia - Accelerating Success 2013-2017. The profile provides clearly expressed expectations for teachers.

Teachers benefit from participating in professional development with both internal and external providers. There has been a recent focus on mathematics and writing. This continues to strengthen research-based teaching practices with a view to impacting positively on learning outcomes for students.

There are clear guidelines for assessing students in reading, writing and mathematics. Parents receive useful information about student progress in relation to National Standards.

The graduate profile within the curriculum clearly articulates the skills and attitudes the school believes students should develop before they leave the school. It would be useful for the school to review how well these aspirations for learners are being met.

How effectively does the school promote educational success for Māori, as Māori?

Since the July 2012 ERO report, there has been a focus on promoting educational success for Māori. A systematic, planned approach has contributed to building the capacity of staff in te reo me ngā tikanga Māori and culturally responsive practice.

Whānau engagement is a priority and the aspirations of whānau and iwi should continue to be sought to guide development for improvement. An appropriate next step identified by the board is to enhance the physical environment to better reflect the kaupapa of the school.

Continuing to strengthen teaching practices that have the greatest impact on improving progress and achievement for both Māori and Pacific students should remain a priority.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

The school is well placed to sustain and improve its performance.

Trustees govern well and continue to develop their governance knowledge. Appropriate strategic goals have been developed within the charter. Regular reports from the principal keep the board informed about student achievement. This information is used to make decisions about funding and resourcing.

Annual achievement targets set for reading, writing and mathematics focus specifically on learners at risk of underachievement. Targeted action is beginning to support acceleration of student achievement.

Analysis of achievement data should further explore trends and patterns over time for groups of students not making accelerated progress. This will allow the school to monitor progress more accurately and the board to provide resources where most needed.

Teachers regularly receive feedback and are supported to reflect on their practice through the appraisal system. Aligning the appraisal system more closely to teachers inquiring into the impact of their teaching should further assist professional growth and development.

The principal has a clear focus on building and maintaining engagement between the school and the wider community. This contributes to a strong sense of belonging within the school.

The board recognises, and ERO agrees, that continuing to strengthen self review is a next step. This should include asking deeper questions about quality and effectiveness. Evidence and information should be gathered from a wide range of sources and reviewed against desired outcomes.

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.

Conclusion

Positive relationships to promote learning are a feature of Irongate School. The board and school leaders are aware of the need to maintain a focus on accelerating progress for students at risk of not achieving expected outcomes. Systems and processes to lift student achievement are continuing to strengthen and develop.

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

Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central

About the School

Location	Hastings
Ministry of Education profile number	2582
School type	Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)
School roll	314
Gender composition	Male 55%, Female 45%
Ethnic composition	Māori Pacific NZ European/Pākehā	74% 19%   7%
Review team on site	June 2015
Date of this report	17 August 2015
Most recent ERO report(s)	Education Review Education Review Education Review	July 2012 July 2009 April 2006