Maihiihi School is a focal point for its rural community and aims to develop well-rounded learners. Teachers encourage students to ‘give everything a go’ and provide opportunities for them to engage in a range of relevant and authentic learning activities. The school benefits from strong community support and involvement.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
Maihiihi School is a small rural school located east of Otorohanga, providing education for students from Years 1 to 8. The current role is 59 students, of whom 16 identify as Māori. Two new principals have been appointed since the 2011 ERO review, the most recent in May 2014. The teaching staff has remained constant.
The school’s vision encourages students to ‘give everything a go’ and develop positive relationships with others. This is supported by the ‘Maihiihi Learner’ qualities which are highly visible and underpin school culture. There is a strong sense of support and community among students, staff and parents.
Progress is beginning to be made in the areas identified for development in the 2011 ERO review in relation to students’ taking responsibility for their learning and the appraisal process for teachers.
The board of trustees is well informed about student achievement. Trustees use the information to develop strategic plans and make resourcing decisions, which are resulting in improved student outcomes. Several programmes are in place to support students at risk of not meeting appropriate standards of achievement.
Teachers make overall teacher judgements about individual student’s progress and achievement. They use assessment information to group students, differentiate some learning tasks, and identify target students. Teachers need to further strengthen planning to focus on intentional teaching to meet current learning needs of groups and individual students.
Students are actively engaged in classroom programmes. Teachers use a range of strategies to motivate them and are beginning to promote self-directed learning. Leaders have identified the need for teachers to further investigate ways to support students taking ownership of their learning.
Parents are well informed about students’ progress and achievement which enables them to work in partnership with teachers to support their children’s learning. They receive two written reports each year and the school has begun using student-led conferences to enable students to share their learning. Learning journals provide examples of work in reading, writing and mathematics. This reporting is strongly supported by ongoing, informal conversations between parents and teachers. Teachers have identified a need to review the format of written reporting to parents.
Achievement information reported to the board at the end of 2014 indicates that the significant majority of students are achieving at expected National Standards, particularly in reading and mathematics. The overall achievement of Māori students is comparable with their peers. The school has set targets for 2015 to increase achievement in writing, particularly for boys.
The school’s curriculum reflects the principles, values and key competencies of The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC), and has a strong rural focus. Teachers, in partnership with parents, are currently reviewing the curriculum to clarify expectations for teaching and learning. Priority is given to progress and achievement in literacy and mathematics. Leaders and ERO agree it would be timely to review the qualities of the ‘Maihiihi Learner’ to more closely link them with the key competency expectations of the NZC.
Teachers have established strong relationships with students. Staff and trustees know students, their families and the local community well, and this is reflected in the deliberate use of relevant and authentic contexts for learning. Student learning is further enriched through parent and community expertise, elective programmes, education outside the classroom events, special rural community days and sporting activities.
Student leadership is fostered and encouraged, with some students actively involved in planning new school initiatives. Such opportunities support the school’s aim to develop well-rounded learners. They have ready access to information and communication technology and other resources. Students share a great sense of pride in their school. They appreciate the commitment of the principal and staff to their wellbeing and learning.
ERO observed a range of teaching approaches where the balance of teacher-directed and student-led learning varied. Teachers use modelling books in reading, writing and mathematics. They have been involved in some professional development in writing. A special feature of the school is the significant effort teachers are making to increase boys’ motivation and include male role models in the programme.
Students and parents are very well supported to transition into the school. The school maintains a strong relationship with the local playcentre.
The principal and teachers reviewed performance management processes in 2014. This has resulted in an improved system for ensuring that the requirements of the Registered Teachers’ Criteria and teacher professional standards are being met. Further development should enhance this process.
The school has implemented a regular, teacher-led te reo Māori programme within the school structure. Opportunities are provided for students to learn Māori protocols through kapa haka. To enhance Māori cultural awareness, teachers could now investigate ways to incorporate te iwi ō Maniapoto history within classroom programmes.
The school is well placed to sustain and improve its performance because:
The next steps for continuing school improvement are to strengthen:
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:
During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student achievement:
To improve current practice, the board of trustees should work towards offering students opportunities for learning second and subsequent languages (Years 7-10) as suggested in The New Zealand Curriculum.
Maihiihi School is a focal point for its rural community and aims to develop well-rounded learners. Teachers encourage students to ‘give everything a go’ and provide opportunities for them to engage in a range of relevant and authentic learning activities. The school benefits from strong community support and involvement.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
Dale Bailey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
31 March 2015
Location |
Otorohanga, King Country |
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
1793 |
|
School type |
Full Primary (Years 1 to 8) |
|
School roll |
59 |
|
Gender composition |
Boys 31 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Pākehā |
41 |
Review team on site |
February 2015 |
|
Date of this report |
31 March 2015 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
November 2011 |