Kamo High School

Education institution number:
13
School type:
Secondary (Year 9-15)
School gender:
Co-Educational
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
593
Telephone:
Address:

1 Wilkinson Avenue, Kamo, Whangarei

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Kamo High School

Findings

1 Background and Context

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

Kamo High School is a co-educational school situated in Whangārei. The school caters for 737 students in Years 9 to 13 of which 52 percent identify as Māori. The school’s vision is to be a centre for excellence and equity for the changing and varying needs of students.

The January 2020 ERO report identified the continuation of concerns about school operations and governance. Key concerns included curriculum leadership, progress, achievement and evaluation of student outcomes, wellbeing, and credibility of school processes relating to National Certificates of Educational Achievement (NCEA).

Priorities for improvement included meeting requirements for the principal appraisal, personnel policies and engaging with community on policies, plans and targets for improving the progress and achievement of Māori students.

The commissioner was appointed to undertake the school’s stewardship function for 2020 until a new school board was formed in November 2021.

An acting principal was appointed at the start of 2020 to continue school operations. Leadership was further strengthened through the permanent appointment of the current tumuaki in August 2021. A significant number of new leadership and staff appointments have occurred since 2020.

The school is part of the Te Tai Raki Whangarei Kāhui Ako | Community of Learning.

2 Review and Development

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

Priorities identified for review and development

The school has made valuable progress in addressing the areas for review and development identified in ERO’s 2020 report.

ERO identified four additional evaluation priorities to report progress:

  • provision of a positive learning environment and student wellbeing

  • student outcomes – attendance, progress and achievement

  • teaching effectiveness and responsive curriculum

  • leadership and stewardship.

Progress
Provision of a positive learning environment and student wellbeing

Progress is evident in the provision of more positive and supportive learning environments for student learning. Senior leadership, curriculum leaders, deans and whānau leaders provide support and guidance to students to learning pathways. Orientation includes opportunities for students, parents, and whānau to sample the curriculum and meet staff and students prior to the new year.

A modified transition programme supports the extensive number of late enrolments that continue throughout the year. Additional counselling and guidance for students and their whānau supports tauira to have a positive experience and settle into school routines and principles of whanaungatanga, ako, taukiri me whenua tangata.

There is a clear focus on removing barriers to encourage positive participation in learning. More regular contact with whānau is a key aspect of this work. Strengthened classroom routines and management of learning programmes improve students’ readiness to receive learning. Students are in class on time and teachers are planned and ready to receive students.

Clear pastoral systems guide a collaborative approach to support students. Deans, whānau, teachers, counsellors and youth workers are part of this team. Strategies to improve attendance and engagement are in place. Strengthening connections to students’ whānau is an ongoing priority.

The school values of Tū Pono (Pride), Aroha Atu (Respect), Tū Tonu (Perseverance), Ōna Tū (Self-Management) and Urunga (Participation) are more visible across the school. Students present well and are respectful. They enjoy positive relationships with their teachers and peers. There is a more settled ahua in and across the school.

Students benefit from a range of wellbeing resources and support including access to school health nurses, guidance counsellors and youth workers including others external to the school. Students enjoy lunch choices from the Ka Ora, Ka Ako programme.

A focus on extending the school’s understanding and response to students’ whānau views and perspectives continues to grow. Useful strategies are used to share information with the school community using digital platforms.

Student outcomes - attendance, progress and achievement

Kamo High School values the success of all students. Regular celebrations shared in the school pānui, and assemblies can be accessed in person or by live stream. Students are acknowledged for competencies that link to the school values and principles and across the curriculum and engagement.

The school has implemented new systems to track attendance and to respond to students for whom non-attendance is a problem. Attendance rates are improving as more students attend regularly. Targeted resources to further improve regular attendance are in place.

Improving students’ literacy is a key focus. Leaders report positive shifts with some students making accelerated progress. Targeted programmes for numeracy continue to strengthen and adapt to the needs of these students so they can better access the broader curriculum. Improved use of assessment is a key factor in lifting these results.

A consistent number of senior students are achieving their literacy and numeracy requirements to attain National Certificates of Education Achievement (NCEA). A positive increase was noted for males and Māori students. Improving learner outcomes in NCEA continues to be a priority.

The school strategic priorities are committed to further improving NCEA Levels 1 and 3. Term 1 data shows significant gains compared to Term 1, 2022 across all curriculum levels. This includes shifts in the attainment at merit and excellence levels. Māori and Pacific students are part of the positive improvement. Developing targeted approaches to better respond to Māori achievement, particularly at NCEA Levels 1, and 3 and in University Entrance.

Learning support is at the initial stages of rebuilding its leadership. Senior leadership provides strong knowledge and consistency of support systems during this change for staff and students.

Teaching effectiveness and curriculum development

School leaders and board members are continuing to build sustainable school practices. The use of data analysis, evaluation, and reporting are influencing improvement. Leaders track and monitor data. Term by term checkpoints increase the potential to measure impact and consider responses.

A planned approach has increased accountability and integrity of assessment practices in NCEA. There is a clear focus on further strengthening the collective capacity of leaders and teachers to use in-depth analysis of outcomes information for programme planning.

Strengthening the senior curriculum design includes expectations for effective teaching, learning and assessment opportunities to be more clearly organised to align to NCEA course completion in a one-year school cycle. Timetables and delivery design are in place to enable students to design their curriculum.

The school is better positioned to respond to literacy and numeracy needs across the junior school. Suitable complementary assessments tools to improve teacher knowledge about students’ guide- planning and teaching.

Kamo High School provides and encourages participation in a wide variety of sports and cultural experiences. Leadership opportunities extend from junior ambassadors to prefect roles.

NCEA and vocational pathways continue to strengthen with a deliberate focus on ensuring students have a meaningful qualification. Further work is required to develop programmes to support all students learn strategies to plan and manage their learning and career pathways at and beyond school. Continuing to design and develop the whole school curriculum is ongoing and remains a priority.

Leadership and stewardship

Significant growth in professional leadership has occurred. The principal, school leaders and staff share a clear understanding about their professional roles and responsibilities.

Leadership has progressed with new team members adding to collective strengths for a more considered change approaches that include students and whānau.

Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board on student progress and achievement of valued outcomes across all levels of the curriculum aligned to strategic goals.

Trustees understand their roles and responsibilities. External expertise has provided guidance in stewardship to support and manage early priorities during early transition.

The board scrutinises reported evidence on all valued outcomes including engagement. Information is used purposefully to inform strategic decision making for resourcing and targeted planning.

Iwi engagement with the school is developing through management of the current building project. This will significantly improve the learning environment, support learners’ wellbeing and foster community engagement.

Trustees see the opportunity in this relationship to progress the school’s commitment to develop and make known to the school community, policies, plans and targets for improving progress and achievement for Māori students.

3 Sustainable performance and self review

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

The school has increased its capacity to sustain improvements and review its performance. Strategic leadership appointments further complement emerging strengths in curriculum and assessment practices. These changes contribute to creating a professional and positive environment for students, staff and whānau.

Considerable progress has occurred in strengthening the school’s processes for reviewing policies, procedures, and practices to guide school operations.

Improved professional leadership has supported students, staff, whānau, hapu and iwi to navigate extensive change and developments. The principal has focused on strengthening systems and processes and practice, including professionalism, to ensure all decisions focus on learners and their valued outcomes.

School trustees and leaders have focused on the wellbeing of staff and students through a range of challenges, some of which remain ongoing. The school has provided consistency for students in learning, improved the culture and safety for a range of priority groups. Students highlight the school’s strengths are the people and being an inclusive place for everyone.

Key Next Steps

The board, school leaders and staff should continue to create and implement a progressive plan to give greater effect to enact bicultural practices to meet Te Tiriti o Waitangi requirements, through:

  • extending strategic conversations to give effect to strategic aims by engaging with whānau Māori to know outcomes, enable involvement in strategic planning and improve outcomes for Māori and all students

  • progressing the development of a localised curriculum

  • improving access, engagement and the articulated curriculum for te reo Māori me ona tikanga

  • continued focus on improving literacy and numeracy and outcomes in the junior school and for Māori at all levels of the school curriculum.

The board, school leaders and staff should continue to:

  • use data to monitor students’ progress, inform teaching strategies and use internal evaluation to know impact for more defined support and ongoing improvements in learner outcomes

  • grow professional leadership and governance capability to effectively monitor the school’s strategic plan and annual improvement targets to improve learner outcomes

  • ensure that new initiatives are based on well communicated and collaboratively identified outcomes, are well planned, with clear timeframes and milestones that are closely monitored for impact on staff, students and whānau.

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

  • school policies in relation to meeting the requirements of the Children’s Act 2014.

Provision for international students

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 and has completed an annual self review of its implementation of the Code.

At the time of this review there were three international students attending the school, and no exchange students.

The school has appropriate and comprehensive processes to effectively monitor, report and review its provision for the health and safety, wellbeing, learning and engagement of its international students.

4 Recommendations

The board should continue to seek further professional development focused on strengthening and sustaining stewardships practices. This includes working with New Zealand School Trustees Association (NZSTA) to monitor annual improvement targets for their impact on lifting learner outcomes.

Conclusion

Kamo High School has made significant progress in relation to the priorities identified in this report. Leaders, staff, and the board are aware of the need to sustain momentum for improving the school’s performance for its learners.

On the basis of these findings, Kamo High School will transition to ERO’s Te Ara Huarau, school evaluation for improvement approach.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

16 October 2023

About the School

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement.

Kamo High School - 31/01/2020

School Context

Kamo High School in Whangarei caters for students in Years 9 to 13. Of the 890 students currently enrolled, 50 percent are Māori and two percent have Pacific heritage. Over the last year, the roll has increased.

Since the 2018 ERO evaluation, ongoing concerns have been identified relating to school culture, working relationships and staff turnover, and personnel management. These areas of school performance have had a negative impact on learning outcomes for students. There have been changes in school governance and management.

In August 2019, the board of trustees sought help from the Ministry of Education to provide guidance and support with governance and personnel management. These issues have not been resolved. A Limited Statutory Manager (LSM) was appointed in August 2019 to undertake some functions and powers of the board, including employment, curriculum and assessment.

In September/October 2019, the board of trustees resigned, the LSM position was revoked, and a commissioner was appointed to govern the school.

The school’s vision is that it will be ‘a centre of excellence and equity for the changing and varying needs of every student’. The school values are Tū Pono (Pride), Aroha Atu (Respect), Tū Tonu (Perseverance), Ōna Tū (Self-Management) and Urunga (Participation).

The board’s strategic goals focus on the learning environment, school values, meaningful learning, student achievement, and positive partnerships with whānau.

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

  • achievement in reading and mathematics for Years 9 and 10
  • achievement within the New Zealand Qualifications Framework
  • student engagement
  • progress in relation to the school’s strategic goals.

The school is part of the Te Tai Raki Whangarei Kāhui Ako | Community of Learning (CoL). The focus of the CoL is to facilitate student learning and development through cultural responsiveness, authentic and meaningful learning, and wellbeing.

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 continues to develop systems and processes for achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for students.

National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) data show that rates of achievement declined in 2017 and 2018. Achievement disparities for Māori and between genders persist across year levels.

High levels of numeracy and literacy achievement in NCEA have been sustained over time in Years 12 and 13. Data also show that the majority of students achieve in literacy and numeracy at Year 11. In 2018, 54 percent of students achieved Level 1, 56 percent achieved Level 2, and over 60 percent of students achieved Level 3. Achievement in University Entrance (UE) and excellence and merit endorsements increased in 2018.

Numeracy data collected at the beginning of 2019 show that over half of Year 9 students are not achieving the expected curriculum levels.

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

The school is working towards achieving equitable outcomes for those Māori and other students whose learning needs acceleration. School information shows examples of some students making very good progress over two or three years.

Over half of the students enter Year 9 with low levels of literacy and numeracy achievement. In 2018, school data showed improvements for many children in Years 9 and 10, in reading and numeracy.

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?

Leaders and teachers have a strong, student-centred approach. They know students and families well and are focused on prioritising student engagement, learning and wellbeing.

The school has had a long-term commitment to building teacher capability and developing effective teaching and learning practices to increase student engagement. Staff have access to professional learning opportunities to support students with significant learning and behavioural needs.

Improved systems for monitoring student progress and achievement are increasing the school’s responsiveness to students’ learning and engagement needs. Increasing numbers of students are staying at school through to senior year levels.

Learning support for students with additional needs is well coordinated. There is a range of identification processes and good liaison between classroom teachers, teacher aides, deans and specialist agencies.

Improving relationships and connections with parents and the community are helping leaders and teachers to achieve increasing equity and excellence in student outcomes. Parents who spoke with ERO reported positively about these connections and appreciated the leaders’ time, energy and efforts to build and maintain relationships.

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

There continues to be a need to improve employment practices and the work environment provided for staff in the school. Personnel, morale and employment concerns reported to ERO indicate that this area of school performance should be a priority. The challenge for school leaders is to work with staff in ways that promote wellbeing and incorporate learning leaders’ and staff input into decision making. This work should contribute to a more positive, inclusive and safe work environment, start to rebuild relational trust at all levels of the school, and create a school climate conducive to better outcomes for students.

Actions to address significant concerns include:

  • using a code of conduct that promotes professional communication and the use of appropriate language with and about colleagues and students

  • improving the quality of professional and curriculum leadership

  • more considered, thoughtful, collaborative and strategic change management

  • improving the quality of personnel management, including processes for changes to job descriptions, staff appointments processes, managing complaints and personal grievances.

In addition, to support ongoing improvements in teaching, learning and outcomes for students, leaders should work purposefully towards:

  • building an evaluative culture to make the best use of student information and survey feedback to support considered, evidence-based decision making and change management

  • improving the credibility, reliability and integrity of assessment practices, particularly in NCEA, to inform decisions about teaching strategies, interventions, target setting and resourcing

  • prioritising strategies to improve outcomes for students, including reducing disparity and raising levels of achievement.

The 2018 Special ERO report identified the need for leaders to embed bicultural practices that value Māoritanga and establish classroom and school environments that reflect te ao Māori. It also identified that a priority for leaders and teachers was to ensure that a responsive, culturally located, bicultural curriculum is delivered that recognises the 50 percent of the school who are Māori. These are still priorities for the school.

3 Other Matters

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. At the time of this review there were eight international students attending the school. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code.

Kamo High School has sound systems and practices to ensure quality education and pastoral care for international students. Students’ progress and achievement is monitored, and students’ course selections are carefully considered and personalised. Students integrate well into the school’s education community. Good standards of evaluation ensure systems and practices continue to develop and improve.

4 Board Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the board and principal of the school did not complete 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.

5 ERO’s Overall Judgement

Based on the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement of Kamo High School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Needs development

ERO will maintain an ongoing relationship with the school to build capacity and evaluate progress.

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.

6 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

  • student-centred approaches to engagement in learning and wellbeing

  • a long-term commitment to building teacher capability to use effective teaching practices

  • improving relationships and connections with parents, whānau and the community.

Key Next Steps

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

  • prioritising strategies to improve outcomes for students, including reducing disparity and raising levels of achievement

  • creating a positive, inclusive and safe work environment for staff

  • improving employment practices and personnel management

  • improving the quality of curriculum leadership

  • more considered, collaborative and strategic change management

  • building an evaluative culture to make the best use of analysed data to support evidence-based decision making

  • improving the credibility, reliability and integrity of assessment practices, particularly in NCEA.

Actions for compliance

During the course of the review, ERO identified some areas of non-compliance. In order to address these, the school must:

  • implement personnel policies and employment practices that comply with the principles of being a good employer

  • annually appraise the principal against all the professional standards for principals

  • develop and make known to the school’s community, policies, plans and targets for improving the progress and achievement of Māori students.

National Administration Guidelines, 1(e), 3, 5(c), State Sector Act 1988, s77A (1,2a,b).

ERO recommends that the Secretary for Education continue the intervention under Part 7A of the Education Act 1989 in order to bring about the improvement in the key areas outlined in this report.

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services Northern

Northern Region

31 January 2019

About the school

Location

Whangarei

Ministry of Education profile number

13

School type

Secondary (Year 9-13)

School roll

890

Gender composition

Boys 55% Girls 45%

Ethnic composition

Māori 50%

NZ European/Pākehā 45%

other ethnic groups 5%

Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS)

Yes

Provision of Māori medium education

No

Review team on site

October 2019

Date of this report

31 January 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

Special Review June 2018

Education Review November 2016

Principal Recruitment Allowance December 2015