Khandallah School - 07/08/2017

Summary

Khandallah School, Wellington, caters for 432 children in Years 1 to 6 and 7% identify as Māori.

Since the September 2013 ERO report, Khandallah School has experienced significant changes in leadership and staff. This has had an impact on continued development of schoolwide processes and practices. Experienced and newly elected members make up the board of trustees.

To improve outcomes for children, staff have participated in a range of professional learning opportunities related to curriculum development and student wellbeing.

Plans are in place for major property developments that will provide new learning spaces for children. Appropriate consideration for minimising the impact on learning is occurring.

How well is the school achieving equitable outcomes for all children?

The school is deliberate in its response to those children whose learning and achievement need acceleration. Many children achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics. In comparison with outcomes for girls, there is disparity for boys in writing. Trustees and school leaders acknowledge the need to improve boys’ achievement in writing.

The leadership team has a clear vision to embed a collaboratively constructed understanding of effective practice to improve equity and excellence in outcomes for all children. This includes meaningful learning partnerships with whānau.

Further development to align school processes and develop a shared understanding of all school practices is a next step. This alignment should support the board and leaders to evaluate the impact of actions on student outcomes.

Children are achieving well. The school demonstrates strong progress toward achieving equity in educational outcomes.

Agreed next steps are to:

sustain the focus on accelerating student achievement, particularly boys’ writing
further align school processes and practices to achieve a fully cohesive approach for equity and excellence
systematically evaluate the effectiveness of curriculum and school operation.

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

Equity and excellence

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

The school is strengthening its response to children identified as at risk of poor educational outcomes. There is a strong sense of collective staff responsibility for improving student outcomes.

In 2016, the school reported that many children, including Māori, achieve well in relation to the National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. In writing for 2016, Māori learners achieved slightly above all children in the school. Significant numbers of learners are achieving above the Standards in reading and mathematics.

A small decline in achievement across all three areas in 2016 was noted. To achieve equitable outcomes for all, the school is taking a considered approach to reviewing boys’ achievement in writing. This group has been appropriately identified in school improvement targets. There is a focused response to effectively meet their needs and accelerate learning.

Children at risk of not achieving are well identified using assessment data and information from a range of sources. Individual plans are put in place for those learners whose achievement requires acceleration. Their progress is regularly monitored, discussed and reported.

The school continues to refine the use of student achievement information. This includes the use of assessment tools to ensure teachers have a shared understanding of how they make their judgments in relation to National Standards. Continuing to work on schoolwide systems for internal moderation and considering ways to moderate with other schools, are appropriate next steps for improving the dependability of judgements.

School conditions supporting equity and excellence

What school processes are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence?

Leaders and teachers work collaboratively and are improvement focused. They take collective responsibility for meeting the needs of diverse learners. Regular opportunities are used to purposefully discuss effective teaching and student achievement.

Respectful and positive relationships are evident in the school. Leaders and teachers are working to further promote the involvement of whānau in meaningful learning partnerships. A range of communication strategies is used to share information about achievement and school developments.

Effective systems are in place to support children’s transitions to and through school, including those learners with additional needs.

School leaders, trustees and teachers are focused on promoting a cohesive direction for student learning, wellbeing and achievement, supported by a respectful school culture. Trustees receive useful information from leaders to set priorities and resource appropriately. They are active and visible in the life of the school. The board is aware of the need to continue to develop a shared understanding of their stewardship role with new members.

The appraisal system has been strengthened to align with the school’s goals and targets for improved student outcomes. There is a focus on further developing the evaluative capacity of staff to understand the impact of their teaching programmes on achievement through a process of inquiry.

Sustainable development for equity and excellence

What further developments are needed in school processes to achieve equity and excellence?

Further aligning school processes and practices is needed to achieve a fully cohesive approach for equity and excellence in student outcomes. In response to a period of significant staffing and leadership changes, leaders, trustees and staff are working towards collaboratively re-establishing effective systems and processes for sustainable, improvement-focused school operation.

ERO’s external evaluation affirms trustees’, leaders’ and teachers’ identification of the need to continue to refine and embed developments in:

the school curriculum, values and principles, including the role of the learner and responsiveness to children’s’ language, culture and identity
sustaining the focus on accelerating student achievement
a clear process for systematic, planned internal evaluation at all levels across the school.

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
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.

Going forward

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