Mākoura College

School Context

Makoura College is a co-educational secondary school in Masterton catering for students in Years 9 to 13. Fifty one percent of the 279 students on the roll are Māori.

The school motto of ‘Kia Manawanui’ and vision of ‘Growing tika, pono and aroha through learning’ provide a framework for strategic and annual planning. Strategic goals focus on student wellbeing, improved achievement and connectedness with the community.

Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, schoolwide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:

• progress and achievement in the NCEAs (National Certificates in Educational Achievement)
• achievement in reading, writing and mathematics for Years 9 and 10
• attendance, wellbeing and behaviour.

The college is host to the Wairarapa Teen Parent Unit and operates an Alternative Education Centre and a Services Academy.

A new deputy principal began at the start of 2017.

The school has recently become involved in a Ministry of Education pilot project focusing on extending parent and whānau engagement and communication.

Makoura College is a member of the Whakaoriori Kāhui Ako I Community of Learning.

Evaluation Findings

1 Equity and excellence – achievement of valued outcomes for students

1.1 How well is the school achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all its students?

The school is working towards meeting its targets for equitable and excellent outcomes for all students.

In the NCEAs, rates of achievement have declined over the past three years, particularly at Levels 1 and 3. The majority of students achieve Level 1, and most achieve Level 2. In 2018, few gained Level 3 or University Entrance (UE). Most Māori and Pacific students gain Level 2.

Over time boys’ achievement has been consistently lower than that of girls across all NCEA Levels.

In Years 9 and 10, students are assessed using some nationally standardised assessment tools. Learning information, summarised in 2018, shows that less than half of the students were achieving at expected curriculum levels at the end of Year 10 in reading, writing and mathematics.

1.2 How well is the school accelerating learning for those Māori and other students who need this?

The school can show, that in 2018, some students made accelerated progress from Year 9 to Year 10.

In mathematics, the majority of Year 10 students met expectations for progress. Less than half met school expectations for progress in reading and writing.

The school has not yet collected evidence of accelerated progress for those Māori students and other groups of students who need this, in Years 9 to 13.

2 School conditions for equity and excellence – processes and practices

2.1 What school processes and practices are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence, and acceleration of learning?

Students participate and learn in a caring and inclusive environment. The pastoral system has been redesigned to a vertical form, Waka Huia structure, with new deans appointed. Internal support people and external agencies are well utilised to promote student wellbeing and equity of access to opportunities. Some innovative approaches to learning and engagement promote student voice and choice.

Leaders, teachers and trustees are focused on continuing to strengthen whānau and community partnerships through offering a wide range of opportunities for participation in events and activities. Students liaise with, and provide services to, the community through project-based learning. Their pride in working together to help others is clearly evident. Project-based learning is building students’ key competencies and a culture of ako that promotes student agency.

A bicultural approach, emphasising key components of te ao Māori, is clearly evident. This is demonstrated in many ways, including through whole-school, student-led pōwhiri and the prominence of the centrally-located wharenui and wharekai. Staff have been involved in professional development to strengthen their cultural responsiveness. Students’ identities, and whānau and community knowledge, language and culture are integral to school life.

2.2 What further developments are needed in school processes and practices for achievement of equity and excellence, and acceleration of learning?

To accelerate student achievement outcomes from Years 9 to 13, trustees, leaders and teachers should increase the consistency, coherence and sustainability of school processes and practices.

To support consistency of practice and clear expectations for teachers, common templates and documented guidelines should be implemented. This involves:

• developing a consistent approach to identifying those students at risk of not achieving

• improving guidelines for planning, monitoring, assessing and reporting on student learning and outcomes

• regularly revising and collaboratively reviewing staff and student handbooks to ensure current, accurate information is shared, particularly for teacher induction.

The performance management and appraisal procedure should be revised to include the Standards for the Teaching Profession. Leaders and teachers should develop a quality practice template that documents school expectations. Appraisers require support and guidance to ensure that the process is implemented consistently across the school.

Leaders have identified that revisiting restorative practices for students, as part of positive behaviour for learning, is a priority for 2019.

To ensure that the curriculum is coherent and students have sufficient opportunity to learn, leaders and teachers should make sure that:

• the timetable provides sufficient time to revisit and consolidate learning from Years 9 to 13

• learning pathways through the curriculum in Years 9 to 13, and beyond, continue to enable students to make sufficient progress to meet individual, whānau and school aspirations.

Leaders need to build collective capacity and capability to carry out evaluation and inquiry that supports sustained improvement. Trustees, leaders and teachers should develop a shared understanding of an internal evaluation framework. Leaders at all levels of the school should use this framework to evaluate the impact of teaching and learning, and inform decisions that are likely to sustain ongoing improvement.

3 Other Matters

Provision for international students

The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of International Students) Code of Practice 2016 established under section 238F of the Education Act 1989. The school has not attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code.

No international students were enrolled at the time of the ERO review.

4 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
• finance
• 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.

5 ERO’s Overall Judgement

On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement of Makoura College’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Developing.

ERO’s Framework: Overall School Performance is available on ERO’s website.

6 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

For sustained improvement and future learner success, the school can draw on existing strengths in:

• its bicultural approach which values and promotes Māori students’ language, culture and identity
• developing future-focused solutions to improve student engagement and achievement.

Next steps

For sustained improvement and future learner success, priorities for further development are in:

• increasing the consistency, coherence and sustainability of school processes and practices to accelerate student achievement from Years 9 to 13.

Area for improved compliance practice

To improve current practice, the board of trustees and leaders should:

• implement a system of regular review of schoolwide policies and procedures to ensure that these reflect current and best practice.
  [National administration Guidelines (NAG) 2]

Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services Southern
Southern Region
5 July 2019

About the school