Manakau School

Education institution number:
2896
School type:
Full Primary
School gender:
Co-Educational
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
97
Telephone:
Address:

Mokena Kohere Street, Manakau, Levin

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Manakau School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within six months of the Education Review Office and Manakau School 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

Context 

Manakau Primary School is a rural school located in the Horowhenua district, providing education for learners from Years 1 to 8. The school vision: “Developing future guardians of our changing world” encourages all learners and their whānau to take an active role in education.

Manakau School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

  • Working to further develop community connections to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and promote improved learner outcomes.

  • To facilitate open and meaningful sharing between school and home, embracing diverse abilities and celebrating learner goals, mahi, successes and challenges.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Manakau School’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the impact of a more culturally responsive curriculum, reflective of whānau priorities and shared understanding between home and school, on the engagement, progress and achievement of all learners.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

  • the school has identified a need for strengthened consultation to be responsive to the aspirations and views of Māori whānau, hapū and iwi in its strategic planning and curriculum design

  • to know the impact of teachers’ professional development, and interventions for improving literacy for identified target students.

The school expects to see:

  • a process in place for continuing to reflect in the curriculum, cultural inclusivity, equity and development of student agency, resulting in improved outcomes for all learners

  • structured and evidence-based evaluation processes in place to know, and respond, to the impact of professional development, responsive curriculum, and targeted interventions for learners.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths:

  • a value-based school culture which promotes and facilitates wellbeing for all

  • teachers and leaders who recognise and celebrate the diverse abilities and individual progress of each learner.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • consulting with the community to ensure priorities and aspirations of whānau are reflected in curriculum programmes, planning and professional development

  • ensuring that reporting to, and communication with parents, reflects a real time understanding of individual learner progress, and knowledge of the New Zealand Curriculum, which enables parents to work in partnership with the school.

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

16 August 2023 

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

Manakau School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2023 to 2026

As of April 2023, the Manakau School Board has attested to the following regulatory and legislative requirements:

Board Administration

Yes

Curriculum

Yes

Management of Health, Safety and Welfare

Yes

Personnel Management

Yes

Finance

Yes

Assets

Yes

Actions for Compliance

ERO and the board have identified the following areas of non-compliance during the board assurance process: 

  • undertake all components of the required safety checking of workforce for persons that the Board employed or engaged as a paid children’s worker. [Children’s Act 2014] 

The board has since addressed the areas of non-compliance identified.

Further Information

For further information please contact Manakau School, School Board.

The next School Board assurance that it is meeting regulatory and legislative requirements will be reported, along with the Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report, within three years.

Information on ERO’s role and process in this review can be found on the Education Review Office website.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

16 August 2023 

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

Manakau School

Findings

Manakau School has effectively addressed its priorities for improvement. Board members, the principal and teachers are working together to ensure positive outcomes for students. Key school practices are successfully supporting an ongoing improvement focus. This is likely to continue to increase and sustain student progress and achievement.

1 Background and Context

What is the background and context for this school’s review?

Manakau School, in the Horowhenua district, caters for children in Years 1 to 8. Of the 115 learners enrolled, 35% identify as Māori. 

In 2021, the board has been working with the New Zealand School Trustees Association (NZSTA) and the principal and teachers have focused on teaching and learning in mathematics with support from an external facilitator.

2 Review and Development

How effectively is the school addressing its priorities for review and development?

Priorities identified for review and development

The school’s last ERO report in May 2020 identified improvement was needed in reporting progress and achievement, board and school systems and processes, the curriculum, appraisal, and internal evaluation. Some legislative requirements were not being met at that time.

Progress

The school has made significant progress in all areas.

The school is tracking the progress of all individual students very well. Moderation practices have been strengthened. Judgements about achievement are consistent and dependable. Since 2019, the number of children achieving at or above expected levels in reading has significantly increased. While the same pattern is not evident in writing and mathematics, in the first half of 2021 the majority of students made appropriate progress in these two learning areas.

The school is now setting targets that are specific to those students needing to make accelerated progress.  In mid-2021 the majority of students targeted for additional support in writing made accelerated progress. Approximately half of the students targeted for additional support in reading and mathematics made accelerated progress.

The board is now better informed about schoolwide achievement and the progress of targeted students. Increasing the frequency of these reports will enable the board to have more current information to inform decision making.

Leaders and teachers are analysing student learning information more deeply to identify the impact of their teaching programmes. Students are benefiting from teachers’ use of deliberate strategies to support their learning. This has occurred as part of teachers’ Professional Growth Cycle where purposeful teaching has been well supported by professional learning and development, observations and feedback.

The school has made considerable progress in developing the local curriculum. The principal has approached this strategically, ensuring that teachers have input and gain a shared understanding of the overarching framework. The curriculum now provides increased guidance for teaching delivery. Progressions of learning are clearly documented. Curriculum coverage in all learning areas is being tracked. Students are learning across the breadth of the New Zealand Curriculum.

The board has carried out a useful evaluation of board effectiveness. A major outcome of this evaluation was to develop sound induction documentation and board systems to ensure all members have a consistent understanding of their governance role and how they work to support the principal’s leadership. Following the appointment and induction of two new board members, the board participated in an NZSTA governance and management workshop. Board members now have a greater knowledge of their governance roles and responsibilities.

The principal has been involved in a strategic leadership initiative. The strategic goals for 2022 give increased clarity and are likely to better guide the school’s future direction. The board and the principal have developed strong relational trust leading to a more effective working relationship.

The school has effectively addressed the areas identified for improvement in its 2020 ERO report.

3 Sustainable performance and self review

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

The school is well placed to continue to sustain and improve its performance.

Board members, the principal and teachers are reflective and improvement focused. They collect and use a range of information from different groups to inform decision making. The principal ensures that planned outcomes of professional development and other areas of focus are sustained.

There are improved systems to ensure that legal requirements and school policies and procedures are met.

The board uses a useful framework to guide internal evaluation for improvement.

Key next steps

The school intends to continue its development of curriculum, including expectations of effective teaching practice.

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
  • school policies in relation to meeting the requirements of the Children’s Act 2014.

Conclusion

Manakau School has effectively addressed its priorities for improvement. Board members, the principal and teachers are working together to ensure positive outcomes for students. Key school practices are successfully supporting an ongoing improvement focus. This is likely to continue to increase and sustain student progress and achievement.


The school will transition into ERO’s Evaluation for Improvement process.

Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region - Te Tai Tini

2 December 2021

About the school

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement.

Manakau School - 23/06/2020

School Context

Manakau School, in the Horowhenua district, caters for children in Years 1 to 8. Of the 120 learners enrolled, 28% identify as Māori.

The mission, ‘Nurturing confident, resilient and enquiring students who are actively-involved, life-long learners’, is supported by the PRIDE values of Perseverance, Respect, Integrity, Diversity and Excellence. The motto of ‘Personal Best Always’ underpins teaching and learning.

Strategic aims for 2020-2022 focus on building student wellbeing and curiosity to enhance their engagement in learning. They aim to grow skilled, actively-involved members of society who are guardians of their community.

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

  • achievement in reading, writing and mathematics in 2019
  • attendance
  • wellbeing.

Since the December 2017 ERO review, there have been several changes in staffing. The deputy principal and team leader have been recently appointed to these positions. The board is a mix of long-serving and newer trustees.

The school is a member of the Taitoko Kāhui Ako|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 gradually working towards achieving equity and excellence for its students.

The school’s reported achievement information for 2019 indicates that in Years 4 to 8, most students achieved at or above the school’s curriculum expectations in writing and mathematics. A large majority achieved well in reading. In this age group there was significant disparity in boys’ achievement for all three areas.

For Years 1 to 3, 2019 information shows that most students achieve at or above the school’s curriculum expectations in writing and mathematics. A majority achieve well in reading. Boys in Years 1 to 3 experience significant disparity in their literacy achievement.

Schoolwide achievement information was not collected in 2018.

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

The school is unable to provide a clear overall picture of acceleration of learning for groups of students over time. There is evidence that some individual students make accelerated progress through being part of focused programmes.

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?

The school’s positive environment provides appropriate challenge to promote student engagement and wellbeing. Students work collaboratively, responding to a range of learning opportunities. They confidently express their ideas and articulate what they are learning.

Teachers bring valuable pedagogical and assessment knowledge to their roles. They have a shared understanding of individual learners’ needs and interests, with a strong focus on improving outcomes. Students lead their learning with appropriate support and guidance.

Positive, respectful relationships are evident among staff and students. Strong links with the local community support children’s sense of belonging.

Teachers are appropriately supported to build their capability through the provision of relevant professional learning and development opportunities.

Students with additional and complex needs are suitably identified and well supported. Individual plans are put in place for them and their progress is monitored. Internal programmes of support are provided, based on needs. Appropriate external expertise is accessed when required.

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

Aspects of governance and leadership need further development. While trustees and leaders prioritise the wellbeing and engagement of students, putting systems and processes in place that clearly focus on learner outcomes and meeting legislative requirements are key next steps.

Individual students’ achievement and progress is well known by classroom teachers. The board and leaders should now ensure that achievement information is regularly gathered, well analysed and reported to clearly show the progress and achievement of groups of students. This should enable senior leaders and trustees to identify trends and patterns over time, set appropriate goals and targets for learning, and provide appropriate resourcing for improved student outcomes.

Establishing coherent information about students whose learning needs to be accelerated, including all boys who are underachieving, is a priority at class through to board levels. Annual target-setting and tracking need to be improved so that these students have their progress better monitored and reported during the year. This development should support a more deliberate and responsive approach to achieving equity and excellence.

The school’s documented curriculum needs further review and development to better reflect and guide practice, priorities and initiatives. Clear expectations for teaching and learning across all curriculum areas should ensure children have access to the breadth and depth of the New Zealand Curriculum.

Updating and implementing policies and procedures for appraisal are urgent priorities. Ensuring that all teachers are appraised is a requirement of the NZ Teaching Council. It is also essential for building teacher capability and supporting a strategic approach to professional development that is linked to the school’s valued outcomes.

Teachers gather a comprehensive range of information to enable them to respond effectively to the learning needs of students. Developing schoolwide, shared understanding and use of internal evaluation is an important next step. Explicitly identifying desired outcomes should enable clear indicators of success to be articulated. This should better support more effective measuring of the impact of actions taken, and better support decision making about current priorities and future developments.

3 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 Children’s Act 2014.

4 ERO’s Overall Judgement

On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement of Manakau School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Needs development.

ERO will maintain an ongoing relationship with the school to build capacity and evaluate progress.

ERO’s Framework: Overall Findings and Judgement Tool derived from School Evaluation Indicators: Effective Practice for Improvement and Learner Success is available on ERO’s website.

5 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

  • teachers’ capability and strong focus on improving student outcomes
  • the positive learning environment which promotes student engagement and wellbeing.

Next steps

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

  • effectively gathering, analysing and reporting student assessment information to clearly show the progress and achievement of groups of students
  • improving target setting and tracking so that those students whose learning needs to be accelerated are more easily monitored and their progress reported during the year
  • raising the achievement of all boys who are underachieving across all year levels and key learning areas so that disparity in their learning outcomes is reduced and eliminated
  • continuing to review and develop the documented curriculum to better reflect and guide current practice, priorities and initiatives
  • ensuring that appraisal systems and practices meet legislated requirements and are fully implemented to support a strategic approach to teacher development
  • promoting shared understanding and use of internal evaluation to more effectively measure the impact of actions taken.

Actions for compliance

During the onsite stage of the review, ERO identified non-compliance in relation to:

  • the appraisal of all teaching staff
  • the reporting of appraisal to the board of trustees
  • assurance of curriculum coverage
  • consultation and development of a Māori action plan
  • consultation and adoption of a statement on the delivery of the health curriculum.

In order to address this, the board of trustees must:

  1. implement policies and procedures to ensure all teachers are appraised annually and report this to the board
    [Section 77C, State Sector Act 1988; NZ Gazette and relevant Collective Employment Agreement]
  2. receive information from the school to assure itself that all students have access to the depth and breadth of the New Zealand Curriculum
    [National Administration Guideline 1(b)]
  3. in consultation with the school’s Māori community, develop and make known to the school’s community, policies, plans and targets for improving the progress and achievement of Māori students
    [National Administration Guideline 1(e)]
  4. consult with the school community and adopt a statement on the delivery of the health curriculum at least once every 2 years.
    [Section 60B, Education Act 1989]

Areas for improved compliance practice

To improve current practice, the board of trustees should:

  • review procedures related to keeping board minutes to ensure private matters are discussed and recorded in committee rather than in the public domain
  • ensure documentation is developed and procedures implemented to support new staff members’ induction into the school
  • ensure that policies and procedures on prevention of bullying include reference to sexual harassment, racist, homophobic, transgender, and bullying of students with special needs
  • improve guidelines and procedures for supporting the physical safety of students, including those related to risk management for excursions, medication storage and tracking, and the recording of parent contact following accidents.

ERO recommends that the Ministry of Education and/or New Zealand School Trustees Association consider providing support for the school in order to bring about improvement in:

  • governance and leadership
  • data capability and use
  • acceleration of student learning
  • internal evaluation, including curriculum review.

Dr Lesley Patterson

Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)

Southern Region - Te Tai Tini

23 June 2020

About the school

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement.