Lake Rerewhakaaitu School

Findings

Lake Rerewhakaaitu School provides high-quality, inclusive education in a learning-focused environment. Good systems are in place to promote student safety and wellbeing, and there are supportive educational partnerships among students, parents and staff. Students achieve very well, and targeted programmes respond to those achieving below expected levels.

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

1 Context

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

Lake Rerewhakaaitu School is a full primary school that caters for students from Years 1 to 8. The school is located in close proximity to Mount Tarawera and Lake Rerewhakaaitu, and within the tribal boundaries of Ngāti Rangitihi. It is 40 kilometres south east of Rotorua. The school has a roll of 86 students who learn in 4 multi-year-level classrooms. There are 39 students who identify as Māori and whakapapa to iwi throughout Aotearoa.

The school is actively involved, alongside other primary schools, as well as the local college and kindergarten, in the Reporoa cluster. This involvement includes professional learning and sharing among teachers, inter-schools sports and kapa haka festivals. The Learning Change Network (LCN), a Ministry of Education initiative is providing a forum for these schools to respond to achievement challenges.

The board, principal and staff have remained constant in recent years, providing positive continuity for school direction, and ongoing development and relationships with families, whānau and the community. Concepts of whanaungatanga (family/belonging) and manaakitanga (caring) underpin the school’s safe and inclusive culture.

Since ERO’s last review in 2011, school priorities for development have included the creation of modern learning environments and digital learning. In addition, there is a strong focus on promoting teacher and student agency. This focus emphasises the importance of students having a say in what and how they are learning, and knowing how they are going. In response to this, teachers are able to decide what to teach and how to teach it.

2 Learning

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

The school has highly effective processes for gathering, analysing and using student achievement information to make positive changes to outcomes for all learners.

Overall, students are achieving very well in reading, writing and mathematics and enjoy success in a broad range of other curriculum areas. The school’s 2013 public achievement information shows that in writing and mathematics, most students achieved at or above National Standards, and well above national and regional comparisons. In reading, a significant majority achieved at or above National Standards. For Māori students the information shows similar levels of achievement to others in the school in writing and mathematics, and that they are slightly below their peers for reading. These results also show that Māori students in this school achieve very well in relation to regional and national comparisons.

School achievement information also shows that while some students enter school below expected levels, most make good progress or exceed expectations as they progress through the school.

The school has developed clear expectations for assessment practice and teachers use an appropriate range of assessment tools to inform planning and teaching, monitor progress and achievement, and report to students and their parents. Teachers are skilled at using and interpreting this information. They identify groups, differentiate and modify programmes and teaching strategies in an ongoing way, and identify appropriate support or extension for students at risk of underachieving.

There are well-established moderation processes that enable teachers to make reliable overall judgements about student’s progress and achievement. This in turn enables the principal to collate and deeply analyse school-wide data to make decisions and report patterns and trends in achievement to trustees and school community. The board is well informed about student progress and achievement in relation to appropriate and responsive school goals and targets. They use this information well to resource programmes and initiatives that enhance outcomes for students.

The principal, teachers and the board regularly review and evaluate the effectiveness of the school curriculum, including interventions and initiatives designed to support or extend priority learners and accelerate their progress.

The school has an increasingly deliberate focus on involving parents as partners in their children’s learning. The school and ERO agree that this is an important and ongoing priority for enhancing educational outcomes for all students.

3 Curriculum

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

The Lake Rerewhakaaitu School curriculum is highly effective in promoting and supporting student learning. The curriculum is well designed and reflects the values, principles and key competencies of The New Zealand Curriculum. It also strongly reflects local priorities and is highly responsive to students’ diverse interests, strengths and learning needs across all year levels.

Features and strengths of the school's rich and broad curriculum include:

• an emphasis on literacy and mathematics, while promoting a balance of visual and performing arts, science, technology, social sciences, health and physical education
• inquiry learning where students engage in research that adds depth and complexity to their thinking, knowledge and learning
• well-organised and effectively resourced modern classrooms that support and contribute to collaborative learning among teachers and students
• the purposeful and integrated use of digital tools that engage students and complement more traditional approaches to teaching and learning.

Close and supportive relationships are highly evident between students and staff. These relationships are underpinned by a strong sense of community and mutual respect, and the belief that ‘we are all learners and capable of learning’.

Teachers are knowledgable and reflective about current approaches to teaching and learning, and willingly implement new ideas and innovative practices. ERO observed highly effective classroom practices where teachers:

• empower students to take increasing responsibility for setting their own goals and managing their learning
• listen to students, respond to individual learning styles, and value their ideas about learning contexts and teachers’ practice
• promote tuakana/teina (peer) relationships that enable students to learn from one another within classrooms and across the school.

In order to further promote student and teacher agency there would be benefit in continuing to identify, develop and use strategies that extend collaborative teaching and learning practices across the school.

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

There is a strong commitment throughout the school to value the place of Māori as tangata whenua and promote Māori language, culture and identity. This commitment is underpinned by the principles of te Tiriti o Waitangi and recognises the inherent capability and potential of Māori learners.

Many Māori students experience high levels of academic success. Māori students stand tall as Māori and make significant contributions to the life of the school. Other opportunities for Māori students to succeed as Māori include:

• school protocols that enable them to participate as tangata whenua
• kapa haka within the school and wider community
• learning contexts that promote Māori language, knowledge and culture
• mentoring and leadership programmes provided by specialist tutors from within the school and wider community
• the strong presence of Māori parents and whānau in school activities, classroom programmes, learning conversations and school consultation.

These initiatives are well supported by staff who acknowledge the importance of continuing to build their knowledge, skill and confidence in implementing culturally responsive teaching and learning.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

Lake Rerewhakaaitu is very well placed to sustain and improve its performance because:

• The board chair is knowledgeable, experienced, and is providing highly effective leadership for school governance. Trustees contribute complementary skills and experience and maintain an unrelenting focus on improving outcomes for all learners. The board engages in self review that includes parent and community ideas and aspirations for shaping school improvement and strategic direction.
• The principal is a knowledgeable and well-respected educational leader for the school and community. She is an innovative and highly skilled facilitator of learning and curriculum development for this school and the wider education community.
• Teachers are reflective practitioners who work collaboratively and effectively to promote and extend positive outcomes for all students. There is a culture of high expectations for behaviour and learning. These expectations are valued and promoted at all levels within the school and parent community. There is also a strong commitment for sustaining and improving the school's achievement levels for Māori 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.

Conclusion

Lake Rerewhakaaitu School provides high-quality, inclusive education in a learning-focused environment. Good systems are in place to promote student safety and wellbeing, and there are supportive educational partnerships among students, parents and staff. Students achieve very well, and targeted programmes respond to those achieving below expected levels.

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

Dale Bailey

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

24 February 2015

About the School