School Context
Kaukapakapa School caters for students from Years 1 to 8. The school sits on Ngati Whātua land and continues to have many intergenerational connections with families within the Kaipara area. Māori children make up 18 percent of the school roll.
The school’s values of “Citizenship, Achievement, Responsibility, Effort” (C.A.R.E), underpin the school’s culture.
Major building redevelopment has taken place in recent years. This includes a new administration block and six modern learning environments, opened at the beginning of 2017.
Since ERO’s 2015 evaluation, the board has successfully managed the school through a period of changes in personnel. These have included some new staff, leadership team members, trustees and a board chair. Following the retirement of the previous long-serving principal at the end of 2017, a new principal was appointed in Term 2, 2018.
The school has begun work to address recommendations from ERO’s 2015 evaluation, including improved documentation to support student achievement information, and further developments in the school’s commitment to increase learning in te reo me ōna tikanga Māori. An area of non-compliance identified in the 2015 review has been addressed.
Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board schoolwide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:
- achievement in reading, writing and mathematics in relation to curriculum levels
- groups of students including years, levels, gender and ethnicity
- curriculum areas and student engagement
- student attendance and wellbeing.
Kaukapakapa School is a member of Te Kāhui Ako o Kaipara|Community of Learning (COL).
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 students. The school has a proud history of high student achievement in relation to the levels of the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) in reading, writing and mathematics.
The school’s achievement information over the last three years shows almost all students achieve at or above the expected curriculum levels in reading, and most achieve at or above the expected curriculum levels in writing and mathematics. While there are small numbers of Year 8 students, achievement data show almost all achieve at the expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics by the time they complete Year 8.
School achievement information shows most Māori students achieve similar results to their peers. Leaders have identified the trend of fewer Māori students achieving above curriculum expectations in reading, writing and mathematics. Leaders are focusing on what makes the biggest difference in promoting excellence for these students.
Students achieve well in relation to other valued outcomes. They:
- show a strong sense of individual identity and pride in the school
- demonstrate school values that support respectful and positive interactions with others
- are positive, confident learners
- participate within the local and wider community.
1.2 How well is the school accelerating learning for those Māori and other students who need this?
Students are well supported in their learning. The school is developing a more robust focus on accelerating learning for specific groups of learners.
School leaders are developing more focused targeted planning and assessment for children whose learning needs acceleration. School achievement information should include more data for children who need to make accelerated progress. This group could be systematically targeted and their progress evaluated regularly.
School systems and processes promote collaborative approaches and shared responsibilities between leaders and teachers to support students who need to make accelerated progress in their learning.
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 school is well resourced and provides strong foundations in literacy and numeracy for students to achieve well. Senior leaders have identified that it is timely to build on these foundations and redesign the school curriculum to enable increased opportunities for innovative and collaborative teaching and learning experiences. To ensure the curriculum reflects local content and parent aspirations they are involving students, parents/whānau and the wider community in the curriculum design review.
Learning environments are well presented and foster good levels of student engagement in learning. A variety of digital devices are available to support students in their learning. Teachers have sound assessment practices and useful frameworks that guide their practices. New guidelines have been introduced to strengthen teacher reflections and collaborative practices.
Students set appropriate achievement and social goals. They work with parents and teachers to achieve these goals during the year. Parents and whānau who spoke with ERO receive good information about their children’s progress and achievement in relation to the curriculum levels, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics. They affirmed the increased opportunities the school now provides for children to participate with other schools, as individuals and in groups.
Older students appreciate the variety of opportunities to take on leadership roles and responsibilities. They enjoy mentoring and supporting younger students with their learning. Years 7 and 8 students are increasingly well supported to take responsibility to lead their own learning. This has included students taking on greater leadership opportunities within the wider community.
Recent review of organisational processes and systems is enabling school improvement. The principal is focused on building collective teacher and leadership capability and capacity across the school. She is developing a high trust model, and engages multiple stakeholders in developing shared ownership in school decisions.
2.2 What further developments are needed in school processes and practices for achievement of equity and excellence, and acceleration of learning?
Leaders, teachers and the board could strengthen the use of internal evaluation through a formalised process. Internal evaluation could be better used to find out the impact of strategies and initiatives on the achievement of equity and excellence, and on acceleration of learning for those students who need this.
School leaders are continuing to develop clear understandings and expectations around acceleration practices. Further development should include refining and embedding processes, systems and practices designed to move a specific group of targeted children more quickly towards accelerated achievement.
School leaders and trustees are continuing to promote the new school direction. The principal is developing a collaborative professional learning culture and collective responsibility and ownership among all stakeholders in moving the school forward.
Trustees agree that engaging with the New Zealand School Trustees Association (NZSTA) should increase their understanding of their governance roles and responsibilities.
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.
4 Going forward
Key strengths of the school
For sustained improvement and future learner success, the school can draw on existing strengths in:
- a strong literacy and numeracy foundation that supports students to achieve well
- positive learning environments that support student participation and engagement
- new school leadership that promotes collaborative approaches at all levels
- the community’s collective sense of responsibility for the school being ‘at the heart’ of the community.
Next steps
For sustained improvement and future learner success, priorities for further development are in:
- strengthening evaluation capacity at all levels
- developing shared understanding and consistent practices around student acceleration
- continuing to create opportunities that build collaboration and collective ownership among all stakeholders
- accessing external training to further support the board to fulfil its stewardship role.
ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing
ERO is likely to carry out the next external evaluation in three years.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
18 January 2019
About the school
| Location | Kaukapakapa, Auckland |
| Ministry of Education profile number | 1326 |
| School type | Full Primary (Years 1 to 8) |
| School roll | 292 |
| Gender composition | Girls 52% Boys 48% |
| Ethnic composition | Māori 18%
Pākehā 78%
other ethnic groups 4% |
| Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS) | No |
| Provision of Māori medium education | No |
| Review team on site | November 2018 |
| Date of this report | 18 January 2019 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Education Review August 2015
Education Review December 2011
Education Review June 2008 |