Mangapapa School

School Context

Mangapapa School, located in Gisborne, is for students in Years 1 to 6. Of the 499 children enrolled approximately 52% are Māori. A small number of children are English language learners.

The school’s REACH values of respect, excellence, attitude, collaborate and have a heart are highly visible throughout the school. These focus on supporting children’s learning and wellbeing and are well known by students, staff and the community.

A key achievement aim is to accelerate the progress of boys schoolwide, including Māori, in mathematics.

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

• achievement in reading, writing and mathematics
• progress and achievement in relation to the school targets
• attendance.

The school has an experienced leadership team. Longstanding and newly elected members make up the board of trustees.

Since the May 2015 ERO report, the school has taken part in a number of Ministry of Education initiatives: Accelerating Literacy Learning (ALL); Accelerating Learning in Mathematics (AliM); Mathematics Support Teacher (MST); and Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L).

The school is a member of the Taha Whānau (Gisborne) Kāhui Ako.

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?

Achievement data from the end of 2017 shows that the majority of students achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics. Some groups are not yet achieving equitable outcomes.

Since the previous ERO review, an upward trajectory of achievement over time is not yet evident. Most students successfully achieve in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

There is ongoing in-school disparity for Māori students and boys in reading, writing and mathematics. This well known by trustees, leaders and teachers and strategies are in place to address this.

Learners with additional needs are well identified, their needs recognised and programmes of support are put in place. External resourcing and expertise supports this provision appropriately.

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

School data indicates that the majority of target students, including Māori, experience acceleration through class programmes and interventions.

Targets to raise the achievement for boys who are not succeeding at expected levels, particularly in writing, are appropriately set by trustees and leadership.

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?

An appropriate range of systems, processes and strategies are used to identify, track and address the individual needs of students at risk of not achieving at expected curriculum levels.

The school has coherent systems and processes, with a rigorous focus on building teacher capacity for improvement, to promote equitable and excellent outcomes for all students. Leaders have a clear strategic vision that is focused on improving outcomes for all learners, particularly those at risk of not achieving. They work collaboratively and purposefully to address priority areas. A robust coaching model promotes the development and provision of consistent and coherent teacher practice across the school.

The curriculum is well aligned to The New Zealand Curriculum and is responsive to the school’s identified valued outcomes. Students access a wide range of learning opportunities that support them to gain knowledge, skills and values required to meet their potential in learning and life. New programmes and initiatives are strategically introduced and deliberately reviewed at each stage of the implementation before expanding the numbers of children and teachers involved.

Māori learners’ identity, language and culture are positively celebrated in the enacted curriculum. A deliberate focus to develop and strengthen teachers’ cultural competencies supports the provision of a culturally responsive learning environment for Māori children. Considered strategies in place allow whānau to actively contribute to and enrich the learning provision for all students. The concepts of manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, ako and mahi tahi are highly evident.

Leadership clearly values the input of whānau, students and staff to inform decisions aligned to school priorities. They seek, value and respond to feedback from students about decisions that affect them. Parents, whānau and the community are welcomed and involved in school activities as respected and valued partners in learning. A range of appropriate and effective communication strategies is used to communicate and engage with all stakeholders.

Well-considered and flexible processes and practices support the seamless transition of learners into, through and out of the school. Information sharing supports the continuity of learning during transition and is further enhanced through positive relationships with parents, early learning providers and the local intermediate school.

The board actively and effectively represents and serves the school in its stewardship role. Appropriate training for trustees supports them to carry out their roles and responsibilities and strengthen organisational capacity. Trustees are well informed and meet their statutory requirements.

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

Staff regularly inquire into data together to analyse and look for trends and patterns in student achievement to inform decision making and examine what needs improvement. A next step is to further build upon the purposeful systems and process in place to better monitor and measure the progress and acceleration of all groups at risk of not achieving educational success.

A reflective culture is evident across all levels of the school. Review is an established process to support decision making for ongoing improvement. It is timely to shift the focus from reflection and review, to inquiry and internal evaluation. This should assist trustees, leaders and teachers to better know the effectiveness of programmes, initiatives and practices on promoting equity and excellence and acceleration of learning.

The school has identified, and ERO’s external evaluation confirms, the need to continue reviewing the curriculum to ensure all learning areas reflect the school’s new strategic direction.

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 Vulnerable Children Act 2014.

4 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

• stewardship and leadership that sets and communicates clear strategic direction and goals for improvement

• relationships with parents and whānau that promote learning partnerships in relation to a culturally responsive curriculum

• a culture of collaboration among leaders and teachers that promotes quality teaching and appropriate expectations for learning.

Next steps

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

• better monitoring and reporting the progress and acceleration of all groups at risk of not achieving educational success

• building internal evaluation processes and practices, to better understand the impact of programmes and initiatives on acceleration and achievement for learners at risk of not achieving. [The school has requested and ERO will provide an internal evaluation workshop for trustees and senior leaders.]

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

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

Patricia Davey

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)

Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region

22 June 2018

About the school