Maraekakaho School - 20/11/2018

• On this page:

• School Context
• Evaluation Findings
• 1 Equity and excellence – achievement of valued outcomes for students
• 2 School conditions for equity and excellence – processes and practices
• 3 Board assurance on legal requirements
• 4 Going forward
• About the school

Maraekakaho School, is situated on the rural outskirts of Hastings. It caters for students in Years 1 to 8. All students comes from the surrounding agricultural community. The roll of 163 children, includes 16% who identify as Māori.

The stated vision for students is ‘Making a difference’. The valued outcomes for students are to be ‘resilient, confident, creative, inquisitive, successful, connected and involved’.

In 2018, the school’s achievement targets are focused on raising achievement in writing and mathematics for all students.

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 relation to the levels of The New Zealand Curriculum

• Māori student achievement in reading, writing and mathematics

• wellbeing for success.

Significant changes in the teaching staff have occurred in the past two years.

Professional learning and development (PLD) in mathematics has been sustained over the past three years through the Ministry of Education’s Accelerating Learning in Mathematics (ALIM) intervention. Deepening the understanding and use of teaching as inquiry, and the use of coaching strategies is a current focus for teachers.

The school is part of the Whirinaki 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?

The school is clearly focused on, and working towards, supporting the achievement of equitable and excellent outcomes for all students.

At the end of 2017, achievement information showed that most students achieved at or above curriculum expectations in reading, writing and mathematics. Higher numbers of children achieved well in reading.

Māori students and boys however achieve less well in reading, writing and mathematics. The school is aware of disparity for both groups. There is evidence that this is reducing over time, especially in reading and mathematics.

Since the July 2014 ERO report, achievement over time has shown an upward trend with an increase in the number of students achieving above expectation, particularly in reading and mathematics. The 2018 mid-year data confirms this trend.

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

Students whose learning requires acceleration are well known to teachers and leaders and actions are identified to accelerate their learning. Targeted teaching and a range of interventions are responsive to the needs of individual students.

Of the target students identified in 2017, the majority accelerated their progress in reading with some in writing and mathematics. For those students who made expected or less than expected progress, some are on track to have accelerated their learning by the end of 2018.

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?

A positive culture and high expectations for students to achieve well supports their participation and engagement in the programme. Interactions between adults and students, and each other, are respectful. Students are enthusiastic, able to articulate their learning and enjoy celebrating their achievements with others. They value that teachers strive to make learning fun and enjoyable for them. Leadership is actively fostered and promoted across all levels of the school. This enhances and broadens the range of opportunities for student to experience success. Sustaining each student’s identity as a successful learner, as they transition to school, is a focus.

Students with additional needs learn alongside their peers in an inclusive environment. An appropriate range of interventions are in place to support their learning and engagement in the programme. Systems are being further strengthened to provide a more cohesive approach to identifying and responding to these learners’ needs and abilities.

Teachers are highly collaborative, student-centred, and strongly focused on improving outcomes for students. There is a collective responsibility for all learners. Student’s wellbeing and pastoral care is a priority.

The senior leadership team promotes improvement and leads change through fostering relational trust and collaboration and establishing priorities for development. They provide well-considered, responsive support for teachers to be effective and to grow their practice. A robust, shared appraisal process is used to confirm and build capability.

Trustees have a clear understanding of their stewardship role and responsibility to enable equity and excellence for student learning. They actively represent and serve the school and community, regularly consulting and valuing their input into decision making.

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

Developing a cohesive curriculum document that reflects the school’s and community’s vision and aspirations for learners is a next step. This should support the integration of the principles, values and key competencies of The New Zealand Curriculum expectations for effective teaching and culturally responsive practices.

Further strengthening internal evaluation processes and practices by clearly identifying success indicators would enable trustees, leaders and teachers to better evaluate the effectiveness of programmes, practices and initiatives and their impact on outcomes for students.

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:

• coherent organisational systems, processes and practices that guide school operations and progress the achievement of priority learners

• a positive school culture and high expectations for students to achieve well

• a collaborative leadership team that clearly establishes priorities for improvement to teaching and learning.

Next steps

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

• documenting a cohesive curriculum that is well aligned to the New Zealand Curriculum

• strengthening internal evaluation processes and practices by clearly identifying indicators of success, to better measure effectiveness of actions on improved learner outcomes.

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

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

Alan Wynyard

Director Review and Improvement Services

Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region

20 November 2018

About the school