Kaurihohore School

Kaurihohore School - 18/01/2017

1 Context

Kaurihohore School was established in 1877, and is located in a rural setting close to Kamo, Whangarei. It has a proud history in the community, with strong intergenerational connections and significant links. Most Māori children whakapapa to hapū of Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Hine. Special features of the school environment include a new heated pool and bike track. Teachers have participated in significant professional development that has been focused on increasing children's engagement in their learning. Since ERO's 2013 visit the school roll has increased.

2 Equity and excellence

The vision and valued outcomes defined by the school for all children are captured in the school's mission statement, 'Enthusiasm and values for life through learning'. This vision is underpinned by four pillars of learning which promote student ownership of their learning and are visually represented in the school grounds.

The school’s achievement information shows that in relation to National Standards, the majority of children achieved very well in reading, writing and mathematics in 2015. All Māori children achieved very well, especially in mathematics. Over the past three years high levels of achievement have been sustained. The majority of children leave Kaurihohore School achieving at or above the National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. The school's current focus is on accelerating the progress of all children who are achieving below the expected standards.

The school's charter targets focus on increasing the number of children achieving the National Standards. Children's progress towards these targets is closely monitored by the board, leaders and teachers. Analysis of the 2015 achievement information shows that many children make accelerated progress to achieve the appropriate National Standard.

The school has expressed an interest to be a member of Ngā Kura Mō te Ako o Whangarei. This means that the school will be working with other local schools to raise achievement across the community and to improve children's transitions through the schools.

Since the last ERO evaluation the school has implemented a range of new initiatives focused on accelerating children's achievement. These initiatives include:

  • building teachers' capacity and capability to support the acceleration of students' progress and raising achievement
  • planning improvements that focus on building learning relationships with whānau
  • implementing a developmental approach to learning for new entrants to increase their oral language skills
  • strengthening moderation practices using external expertise to increase the reliability of teacher judgements.

These initiatives are well developed in the school's approach to accelerating children's progress and achievement.

3 Accelerating achievement

How effectively does this school respond to Māori children whose learning and achievement need acceleration?

The school responds very effectively to Māori children whose learning and achievement need acceleration. School leaders and teachers closely track and monitor the progress of these children. External professional development programmes supported teachers to provide targeted support for Māori children who needed to make accelerated progress in mathematics. As a result, the school reports that many of these children made accelerated progress.

Acceleration plans are developed to identify children's individual learning needs. Key strategies for acceleration include:

  • increasing children's oral language and developing early literacy and mathematic skills through play-based learning
  • using teacher aides in the classroom so teachers can work more with children who need to make accelerated progress
  • teachers regularly meeting to discuss children's progress and achievement.

Staff promote an environment that values te reo me ōna tikanga Māori to support success for Māori children. Tuakana/teina relationships bring older and younger children together, building a strong sense of whanaungatanga and belonging.

The school uses external expertise to promote te reo Māori through kapa haka. School leaders recognise that it is now timely to develop a sequential te reo Māori programme to increase Māori children's mana through their language, culture and identity as Māori.

How effectively does this school respond to other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration?

The school responds effectively to other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration. The systems, practices and programmes in place for them are similar to those that support Māori children.

Achievement information reported to the board clearly identifies Māori and other children whose learning and achievement need accelerating. Teachers identify children who need to make accelerated progress and plan collaboratively. They share specific learning goals with parents to support learning at home, based on children's individual learning needs.

Increased use of digital learning is increasing children's understanding of learning and strengthening learning partnerships with parents and whānau. A new inquiry approach, Mantle of the Expert, is providing more opportunities for children to be leaders in their own learning. This approach has had a significant impact on increasing boys' engagement in learning.

Children with high and special learning needs are very well supported. Leaders and teachers closely track children who need to make accelerated progress. Children's wellbeing is a priority and their sense of belonging is promoted through carefully considered, individualised approaches.

Leaders are building collective staff responsibility for accelerating children's progress and achievement. A collaborative inquiry approach provides teachers with opportunities to reflect on and change their practice to better support children's learning.

4 School conditions

How effectively do the school’s curriculum and other organisational processes and practices develop and enact the school’s vision, values, goals and targets for equity and excellence?

The school's curriculum develops and enacts the school's vision, values, and goals for equity and excellence effectively. There is a warm and inclusive culture for children and whānau that promotes children's learning and wellbeing.

The school's integrated curriculum supports children as confident, articulate, critical thinkers. It provides opportunities for children to be creative and experience real-world investigations using collaborative learning approaches. Digital learning technologies are increasingly integrated in teaching programmes to enrich children's learning opportunities.

Children participate in various co-curricular opportunities in sport, culture and leadership. New entrant children experience a developmental approach to learning that supports them to build positive relationships with teachers and each other.

The curriculum is regularly reviewed and refreshed to meet the ongoing learning needs and strengths of children, teachers and the community. Staff engage in appropriate professional development to strengthen their teaching practice. School leaders have focused on increasing teachers' evaluative thinking to enhance their appraisal process.

School leaders provide capable, professional leadership. They know their staff, children and community well. The principal has a well considered approach to leading change and works collaboratively to promote a culture of evaluative inquiry for improvement.

The board has a good understanding of its stewardship role. Trustees and senior leaders work well as a team to utilise their collective strengths. They scrutinise achievement information and allocate resources strategically to meet children's learning needs.

The school has continued to strengthen its links with whānau Māori, promoting positive, learning-centred partnerships. Whānau appreciate the opportunity to contribute to the school's strategic direction and speak confidently about the leadership and cultural opportunities that enhance their children's learning. To extend these positive relationships and promote success for Māori children, the board could now use the New Zealand School Trustee Association's resource Hautū: Māori Cultural Responsiveness Self Review tool for Board of Trustees, as a useful internal evaluation tool.

5 Going forward

How well placed is the school to accelerate the achievement of all children who need it?

Leaders and teachers:

  • know the children whose learning and achievement need to be accelerated
  • respond effectively to the strengths, needs and interests of each child
  • regularly evaluate how well teaching is working for these children
  • act on what they know works well for each child
  • build teacher capability effectively to achieve equitable outcomes for all children
  • are well placed to achieve and sustain equitable and excellent outcomes for all children.

Kaurihohore School is very well governed and led. Children's learning is highly promoted and there are a range of successful interventions and strategies in place for children who are at risk of not achieving success. Systems for monitoring and evaluating teaching practice, student assessment are highly effective. Professional development promotes strategies for accelerating student achievement. Developing a sequential te reo Māori programme and implementing Hautū will be helpful for the board in supporting tamariki Māori to succeed as Māori and for other children to have their cultural identity affirmed and celebrated.

ERO is likely to carry out the next review in four-to-five years.

6 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 the following:

  • board administration

  • curriculum

  • management of health, safety and welfare

  • personnel management

  • 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

  • processes for appointing staff

  • stand down, suspensions, expulsions and exclusions

  • attendance

  • compliance with the provisions of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014.

7 Recommendation

ERO recommends that the school continue to use internal evaluation to monitor and report on the effectiveness of school improvement initiatives, including those related to accelerating children's progress and achievement. 

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

18 January 2017

About the school 

Location

Kamo, Whangarei

Ministry of Education profile number

1032

School type

Contributing (Years 1 to 6)

School roll

202

Gender composition

Boys 53% Girls 47%

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

other

22%

76%

2%

Review team on site

November 2016

Date of this report

18 January 2017

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

May 2013

June 2010

June 2007

 

Kaurihohore School - 31/05/2013

1 Context

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

Kaurihohore School, established in 1877, caters for students from Years 1 to 6 from a semi-rural area close to Whangarei.

The 2010 ERO report noted the school’s emphasis on positive values, citizenship and ‘Habits of Mind’ approaches that had helped to achieve the settled and respectful school tone. These good characteristics continue to be evident across the school.

Most members of staff have had a long relationship with the school and continue to be enthusiastic about teaching and learning. They know students, families and the community well. The board is a mix of experienced and new trustees with useful complementary skills.

Since the 2010 ERO report substantial improvement and changes have been made to the school environment. These include a new administrative block, car park, shaded courtyard area as well as improvements to the playground. School leaders and staff have begun to work collaboratively towards addressing the areas for improvement identified in the 2010 ERO report.

2 Learning

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

School-based achievement information is used well to inform decisions about teaching and to identify target students. Teachers regularly collect school-based data to identify student achievement and progress for aspects of literacy, numeracy and ‘Habits of Mind’.

The 2010 ERO report recommended that the school increase the use of nationally referenced assessment tools in order to strengthen the reliability and validity of the school’s assessment data. School leaders have now introduced a norm-referenced tool for reading. Analysed data from this test identified gaps in student learning and provided useful information to inform future teaching.

School leaders agree the next steps are to strengthen overall teacher judgements about students’ achievement compared to National Standards by using the data from a wider range of curriculum areas, including the areas of the mathematics curriculum beyond number. ERO strongly recommends that nationally referenced assessment tools are introduced for assessing writing and mathematics to increase the validity of school assessment data. This would also be a useful step to strengthen overall teacher judgements and provide a more accurate determination of how well students are achieving in regards to National Standards.

The board and principal should now consider how they can improve their reporting on student achievement during students’ first three years at school by ensuring students are assessed on their beginning-school anniversaries against National Standards expectations.

The school has a holistic approach to providing for students. This is reflected in the information shared with families at parent interviews and in formal reports that give parents rich information about their child’s school experiences. Goals for students in reading, writing and numeracy are shared with parents through homework books and parent meetings. Teachers conference with students and discuss their strengths and next steps.

Student learning is celebrated and shared with peers and families in many other ways. These include class festivals, the web, assemblies, movies and presentations.

3 Curriculum

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

The school’s curriculum engages students in learning well. The New Zealand Curriculum vision, principles and key competencies are clearly incorporated into class programmes.

Inquiry learning is a feature of the school’s curriculum. Students confidently use a range of inquiry tools and approaches. They enjoy a variety of learning experiences through class programmes that engage their interest. Students are provided with choices about what they want to investigate and ways to present their findings. This has resulted in high levels of student enthusiasm and engagement in school activities and programmes.

Students’ opinions are actively sought and listened to. There are many opportunities for students to have leadership responsibilities and to develop values and skills that will serve them well as life-long learners.

Students are encouraged to be imaginative and creative. The principal and teachers survey students for their input. Several new initiatives such as the kapa haka group and the sports academy have been established as a result of student ideas.

When the school has gathered further nationally referenced data, school leaders will be better placed to evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum in supporting student learning and achievement.

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

The school has made an ongoing effort to engage students and whānau in the promotion of te ao Maori in the school. A kapa haka performance by other students has become the catalyst for driving an increasing student interest in Māori culture. This enthusiasm has been supported by a lead teacher for Māori, parent/whānau commitment and the support of external facilitators, and staff are being supported to strengthen their own knowledge of te reo and tikanga Māori.

The school curriculum includes many topics and events that support the heritage of Māori students. They enjoy leadership opportunities, and their knowledge and skills are valued for cultural roles such as leading powhiri and whaikorero.

Analyses of Māori students’ achievement indicate that most do as well as other students at the school and are well engaged in their learning. The challenge for teachers is to continue to strengthen the curriculum content and students’ knowledge of their Māori heritage.

School leaders acknowledge that their next steps to continue the momentum for Māori success could include:

  • aligning ‘Habits of Mind’ with Māori values and concepts
  • reviewing the environment to strengthen the reflection of te ao Māori
  • using Tataiako, the cultural competencies for teachers of Māori learners, as part of their strategic planning and appraisal processes.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

Kaurihohore School is well placed to sustain and improve its own performance.

Committed trustees are enthusiastic about the school, knowledgeable about their roles and engage in professional development to keep themselves informed about their governance responsibilities.

School leaders are inclusive and collaborative. They involve teachers, students, trustees and the community in decision making. The principal models the value of life-long learning and encourages teachers to try new ideas and to be innovative. Guidelines for teaching and exemplars of student work are well documented to promote consistent teaching and learning.

The teacher performance management system has been strengthened. It provides a worthwhile platform for teachers to reflect on their own practice and give feedback to each other. Teachers make very good use of ICT to explore ideas about teaching and to incorporate research and professional feedback into teaching programmes. This process could be further enhanced through using student achievement information better to develop goals that support teachers to accelerate the progress of target students.

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.

In order to improve current practice the board through the principal and staff must ensure assessment covers all aspects of the reading, writing and mathematics curriculum and is sufficiently comprehensive to enable progress and achievement of students against National Standards to be evaluated.

When is ERO likely to review the school again?

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

Dale Bailey

National Manager Review Services

Northern Region

31 May 2013

About the School

Location

Kamo, Whangarei

Ministry of Education profile number

1032

School type

Contributing (Years 1 to 6)

School roll

166

Gender composition

Boys 50%

Girls 50%

Ethnic composition

NZ European/Pākehā

Māori

other

75%

19%

6%

Review team on site

February 2013

Date of this report

31 May 2013

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

June 2010

June 2007

October 2003