Maraenui Bilingual School (Napier)

Education institution number:
2604
School type:
Full Primary
School gender:
Co-Educational
Definition:
Bilingual School
Total roll:
137
Telephone:
Address:

2A Lister Crescent, Maraenui, Napier

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Maraenui Bilingual School (Napier) - 31/08/2017

Findings

The August 2014 ERO report identified many areas requiring development. Since that time, the new principal, teachers and trustees have successfully focused on improving school conditions in governance, leadership, and teaching and learning. Student engagement and achievement is improving. Continuing to develop evaluation and capability to accelerate learning for all children are key next steps.

1 Background and Context

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

Maraenui Bilingual School is a Years 1 to 8 primary school located in Napier. There are two educational streams within the school: rumaki (Māori immersion); and bilingual. Both streams operate as one with Maraenui Marau-ā-Kura, the document that guides school direction. Of the 200 students enrolled, nearly all are Māori, with most affiliated to Ngāti Kahungunu.

The August 2014 ERO report noted that Maraenui Bilingual School needed to improve governance, professional leadership and teaching practices to raise low levels of student achievement, particularly in the bilingual area of the school.

Following the retirement of the long-serving principal early in 2015, a temporary staffing principal was appointed for two terms. A permanent principal has been in place since mid-2015. There have been further staffing changes and a reorganisation of senior leadership since this time.

A Limited Statutory Manager (LSM), appointed in October 2014, has had a significant impact on improving practices of the board of trustees and professional leadership. The LSM role currently remains in place.

A variety of external professional learning providers have given assistance in literacy and pāngarau. The school has participated in the Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) programme as a vehicle for shared understanding and improved practice schoolwide.

Maraenui Bilingual School is a member of the Matariki Community of Learning | Kāhui Ako. 

2 Review and Development

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

Priorities identified for review and development

The August 2014 ERO report identified the need to:

  • develop and implement consistently high quality teaching practices to improve student achievement
  • improve assessment practices to enable more reliable and valid judgements about student progress and achievement to be made
  • further develop the curriculum to provide a more useful framework for teaching and learning
  • embed practices for systematic review and evaluation of programmes and initiatives
  • provide the board of trustees with more regular and useful student achievement reports
  • improve professional leadership and governance practices focused on accelerating student achievement.
Progress

Maraenui Bilingual School has two educational streams, rumaki Māori and bilingual. Students are socially supported within a culture of well-embedded values and learn through their language, culture and identity.

In the bilingual area of the school, student achievement in reading and writing has significantly improved since 2014. In 2016, 57% of students in reading and 62% of students in writing achieved at or above in relation to National Standards. Mathematics achievement remains of significant concern with 37% of learners at or above the standard. Boys’ achievement is significantly below that of girls in literacy.

There has been a steady increase in student achievement in relation to Ngā Whanaketanga Rumaki Māori (Ngā Whanaketanga) in pāngarau and tuhituhi. Rumaki student achievement still exceeds that of bilingual students.

National Standards and Ngā Whanaketanga judgements are increasingly dependable. Teachers have benefitted from professional learning and development in assessment practice. Sound moderation processes are now in place across both areas of the school.

Leaders have good knowledge about the achievement of individual students and keep detailed and accurate progress records. These are not yet sufficiently used to determine the numbers of students whose progress is accelerated or to evaluate the success of strategies used in target setting. It is unclear how many students in 2016 made accelerated progress and what shifts in teacher practice may have facilitated this.

Building a shared understanding of positive behaviour expectations and associated strategies was a focus in 2016 that continues into 2017. Links to the school's vision and values are clear and the initiative is supporting a consistent approach to promoting student wellbeing. ERO’s observations in classrooms evidenced settled rooms and engaged students. 

Curriculum development and documentation has been a key focus for 2016 and has included parent and iwi aspirations. Teachers across the two areas of the school have developed a shared guiding document for teaching and learning. This reflects: the vision and values; outlines how the school curriculum links Te Marautanga o Aotearoa and The New Zealand Curriculum; and includes the expectations for teaching and assessment practice. The development of a digital learning strategy is a priority for the future.

Some classrooms provide good models for student agency and formative assessment practice. A focus on providing students with authentic learning experiences that link to their Māori language and culture is a key priority in all classrooms.

Leaders and the board have focused on strengthening the connections between rumaki and bilingual classes. Redeveloped leadership systems and practices emphasise joint curriculum planning and sharing of practice.

3 Sustainable performance and self review

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

The school has strengthened its capacity to sustain and improve its performance.

Systems and practices for monitoring and evaluating the success of actions taken to accelerate learners’ progress need further development. Better alignment of target setting, board reporting, appraisal and teacher inquiry should support increased accountability and urgency in raising achievement.

Trustees continue to improve their understanding of their roles and responsibilities as governors. They appreciate the support and guidance of the LSM and have taken up opportunities for professional training. Stronger systems and practices for strategic planning and operation are in place. Self-review practice is emerging.

The board is receiving some frank and useful reports about school operation and student achievement. The quality of reporting from leaders is not yet at an appropriately robust or evaluative level.

Performance management for teachers and the principal has been strengthened. Development goals are suitably aligned to the school priority for increased student engagement. However, teacher inquiry is at an early stage of implementation and usefulness. It is not yet sufficiently focused on the impacts of teacher practice on the accelerated progress of students. Appraisal of teacher practice is affirming of strengths. A greater level of constructive feedback is needed to better support teacher development.

The principal’s current goals include full curriculum implementation and reporting more evaluative information to the board. These are appropriate.

The school has developed more stable and united leadership across the school since 2016. Current leaders are collaborative and committed to improvement. Plans are in place to strengthen schoolwide and strategic leadership further, through a programme of external professional learning and development. ERO’s evaluation affirms this as a priority.

Internal evaluation and inquiry for knowledge building is in the early stage of development.

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.

The following area of non-compliance was found.

The board must:

  • provide appropriate career education and guidance for all students in Year 7 and above. [National Administration Guideline 1(f)]

Conclusion

The August 2014 ERO report identified many areas requiring development. Since that time, the new principal, teachers and trustees have successfully focused on improving school conditions in governance, leadership, and teaching and learning. Student engagement and achievement is improving. Continuing to develop evaluation and capability to accelerate learning for all children are key next steps. 

4 Recommendations

The school is developing capacity and capability to accelerate learning for all children. To further promote student outcomes teachers and leaders need to:

  • continue to build teacher capability to accelerate learning and achievement
  • develop more targeted planning to accelerate learning for children
  • monitor targeted planning, improved teaching, and children’s progress to ensure strategies are effectively supporting improved outcomes
  • continue to improve school conditions that support the acceleration of learning and achievement.

Since the onsite phase of this ERO review, the school developed more targeted planning to accelerate progress for learners.

The school has agreed to:

  • monitor targeted planning, improved teaching, and learners’ progress
  • discuss the school’s progress with ERO.

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

Alan Wynyard

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)

31 August 2017

About the School

Location

Napier

Ministry of Education profile number

2604

School type

Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)

School roll

200

Gender composition

Male 50%, Female 50%

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā

99%
1%

Special Features

5 Māori Immersion/Rumaki classes 4 Bilingual classes

Review team on site

May 2017

Date of this report

31 August 2017

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review
Education Review
Education Review

August 2014
May 2011
February 2008

 

Maraenui Bilingual School (Napier) - 15/08/2014

Findings

How effectively is this school’s curriculum promoting student learning - engagement, progress and achievement?

Maraenui Bilingual School has two educational streams, rumaki and bilingual. Students are socially supported within a culture of well-embedded values and learn through language, culture and identity. However, low student achievement is an ongoing concern. The school must implement consistent, high quality teaching, leadership and governance practices to improve student progress and achievement.

ERO intends to carry out another review over the course of one-to-two years.

1 Context

What are the important features of this school that have an impact on student learning?

Maraenui Bilingual School has a long history of educating students from the local community. Many students who have left the school, return to visit with their families.

There are two educational streams within the school: rumaki (Māori immersion); and bilingual. Both streams operate as one with Maraenui Marau-ā-Kura the document that guides school direction.

Since the May 2011 ERO review, the positive tone and strong sense of whanaungatanga remains highly evident. However, student underachievement remains a concern for all.

2 Learning

How well does this school use achievement information to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement?

The majority of students continue to require critical support to achieve National Standards expectations in literacy and mathematics. Student achievement in writing is of significant concern. It is difficult to establish how students achieve in other essential learning areas. Assessment practices are still developing across the curriculum.

Achievement information is regularly gathered in literacy and aspects of mathematics. This information is collated by the senior leadership team to consider changes needed to improve learners’ engagement, progress and achievement. Leaders are continually working to improve the accuracy of schoolwide data, trends and patterns. They make recommendations to teachers towards increasing rates of progress.

Teachers have access to achievement information to better know each student’s strengths and learning needs. Data is beginning to be used to identify individual students' next learning steps.

Over time, senior leaders have assisted teachers to strengthen their analysis of student achievement information. This is now better used to implement appropriate learning programmes.

Students with special education needs are identified. Internal and external support is put in place. Students' progress is monitored and documented. The special education needs coordinator (SENCO) and senior leadership team are yet to evaluate the effectiveness of resourcing and interventions in supporting these learners to achieve.

Staff, through professional development, continue to refine their overall teacher judgements about students' achievement in relation to National Standards and Ngā Whanaketanga. Further work is urgently needed to ensure National Standards judgements are reliable.

Families receive information about their children’s learning. Many participate in school activities in a wide range of ways, including sporting, breakfast club and cultural initiatives.

Key next steps

Develop and implement consistently high quality teaching practices to improve student achievement.

Improve assessment practices to make reliable and valid judgements about student progress and achievement.

Evaluate the effectiveness of resourcing and interventions that support students with special education needs.

3 Curriculum

How effectively does this school’s curriculum promote and support student learning?

Kaupapa Māori is central to the school curriculum, Maraenui Marau-ā-Kura. This is a blend of Te Marautanga o Aotearoa and The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC). Its implementation is across bilingual and rumaki classes.

The next step is to further develop the curriculum document to provide a more useful framework for teaching and learning. This should better support teachers to plan programmes that offer balance and progression in learning. Guidelines should include the NZC key competencies and curriculum principles.

Students in most classes are engaged in learning. The school pou (values) are embedded. These result in positive relationships between adults and students, and amongst students. A caring, respectful tone pervades the school.

Teachers reflect on their practice. Some are more deeply inquiring into whether their teaching is effective in meeting the needs of students who are well below expected achievement levels. A more consistent approach is needed to develop high quality teaching practices across the school.

How effectively does the school promote educational success for Māori, as Māori?

Students experience learning through language, culture and identity. This is especially evident in the rumaki classes where kaiako are proficient in te reo Māori. Students are confident speakers who talk about their learning.

From Year 5, students from rumaki classes experience high quality, specialist teaching to assist their transition from te reo Māori to English learning across the curriculum. The graduate profile for these students is that they are competent in te reo Māori and English by the end of Year 8. There is evidence to show this profile is a useful aspirational tool.

The next step is to review the level of te reo Māori in teaching and learning across the bilingual classes. This should align with the criteria for each level in the Māori Language Provision funding.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

Maraenui Bilingual School is not well placed to sustain or improve its performance.

Senior leaders work as a collaborative team and complement each other. They continue to implement initiatives with the desired outcome of improved student achievement. However, evidence-based self-review practices are not sufficiently embedded for systematic review and evaluation of programmes and initiatives. The board of trustees should receive more regular student achievement reports with explanation to guide decision making.

For many students, progress and achievement are not sufficient for them to access learning at an appropriate level of the curriculum. Implementation of school expectations for teaching is inconsistent. High expectations and accountability are required by all teachers to urgently respond to this challenge. As the professional leader of the school, the principal must lead improvement.

All teachers are regularly observed with useful feedback and feed forward to improve their teaching. The next step is to link these observations to a robust appraisal system.

It is unclear how effectively the board fulfils its governance role. Trustees had minimal input into this ERO review. Many aspects of governance are led by the principal. Since the on-site phase of the review additional documentation has been received by ERO. This demonstrates an induction process for trustees with the Maraenui Bilingual School Policy Framework guiding the direction.

Key next step

Develop and embed evidence-based self review to improve professional leadership and governance practices focused on accelerating student achievement.

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.

The board of trustees should ensure policies and procedures for appraisal of staff are implemented.

[s 77C State Sector Act 1988]

Recommendations to other agencies

ERO recommends that the Secretary for Education consider intervention under Part 7A of the Education Act 1989 in order to bring about the improvements identified in this report.

Conclusion

Maraenui Bilingual School has two educational streams, rumaki and bilingual. Students are socially supported within a culture of well-embedded values and learn through language, culture and identity. However, low student achievement is an ongoing concern. The school must implement consistent, high quality teaching, leadership and governance practices to improve student progress and achievement.

ERO intends to carry out another review over the course of one-to-two years.

Joyce Gebbie National Manager Review Services Central Region

15 August 2014

About the School

Location

Napier

Ministry of Education profile number

2604

School type

Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)

School roll

189

Gender composition

Male 51%, Female 49%

Ethnic composition

Māori

NZ European/Pākehā

99%

1%

Special Features

5 Māori Immersion/Rumaki classes 4 Bilingual classes

Review team on site

June 2014

Date of this report

15 August 2014

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

May 2011

February 2008

March 2005