Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
Background
This Profile Report was written within six months of the Education Review Office and Rotorua Specialist School - Te Kura Pūkenga o Rotorua working in Te Ara Huarau, an improvement evaluation approach used in most English Medium State and State Integrated Schools. For more information about Te Ara Huarau see ERO’s website. www.ero.govt.nz
This report is part of a nationally coordinated evaluation of 27-day specialist schools during the second half of 2023. This included the development of day specialist school evaluation indicators by ERO with significant input from principals, staff, and the Special Education Principals’ Association of New Zealand (SEPAnz).
Context
Rotorua Specialist School - Te Kura Pūkenga o Rotorua delivers a holistic education for students aged five to twenty-one years who have a range of special educational learning needs, intellectual and physical disabilities. The students are from the wider Rotorua area.
All students enrolled are funded through the Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS). A team of specialists and therapists provide transdisciplinary support for students in consultation with families, whānau and staff. Each student has a personalised learning programme.
Beyond the base school there are 10 satellite classes hosted by seven local schools. A transition class is located in the base school and focuses on post-school preparation for 18 to 21-year-olds.
The school continues to navigate and manage roll growth pressures along with the employment and property demands associated with this.
The school’s mission is: Together we care, learn, and excel, Ki a tatou, Ka ako, Ka piki ake. The student mission statement is: ‘See us, hear us, know us, empower us - Titiro mai, Whakarongo Mai, Korero mai, Whakakaha i a mātou.’
This is supported by and enacted through the school values: Respect - Whakamana, Independence - Whakatipuranga, Community - Hapori, Empowerment- Kairangi.
Rotorua Specialist School - Te Kura Pūkenga o Rotorua’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:
- learning and teaching - students at Rotorua Specialist School - Te Kura Pūkenga o Rotorua are able to be the best they can be
- culture - the school is a place of excellence in the field of special education.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Rotorua Specialist School - Te Kura Pūkenga o Rotorua’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the extent to which curriculum initiatives are responsive to the specific needs of students and extending learning outcomes.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:
- the school is implementing a range of evidence-based curriculum initiatives and needs to know the impact on learner outcomes.
The school expects to see students having access to a broad and culturally responsive curriculum that enhances their individual learning pathway.
Strengths
The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to evaluate the extent to which curriculum initiatives are responsive to the specific needs of students and extending learning outcomes.
- Whānau input regularly contributes to an adaptative curriculum where students achieve their individual goals.
- Systems and processes that are responsive to the holistic needs of learners and their whānau.
- Leadership creates conditions for innovative solutions to sustain improved outcomes for learners.
- Class curriculum is specifically adapted to respond to the unique profiles identified by whānau and each learner’s views in each class.
- Leadership is distributed and actively works to be responsive to create conditions for improving outcomes for learners.
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
- reviewing the school’s strategic goals and strengthening how these link to the annual implementation plan and supporting actions to further improve the curriculum, teaching, learning and its impact on student outcomes
- further refining how the school curriculum is responding to whānau aspirations for tamariki and rangatahi.
ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. ERO will support the school in reporting their progress to the community. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report and is due within three years.
Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools
8 April 2024
About the School
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home