Marlborough School

School Context

Marlborough Schoolcaters for children in Years 1 to 6. Of the approximately 309 students, nine percent are Māori and six percent have Pacific heritage. Pākehā students comprise 36 percent of the roll. Children from a variety of ethnic backgrounds represent the remaining 49 percent.

The school’s vision is to provide all students with challenging learning activities that are developmentally appropriate and meaningful, and to encourage them towards independence and lifelong learning. School values that support this vision focus on learning, empowering, achieving, respecting, and nurturing (LEARN).

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

• achievement and progress in reading, writing and mathematics

• engagement and wellbeing

• theschool’s curriculum that includes inquiry, science, the arts, and health and physical education.

Schoolwide professional learning and development (PLD) initiatives have focused on increasing staff capability to lift achievement levels for learners who are at risk of not achieving. Supporting students to become their own teachers has been integral to much of the PLD.This ‘Visible Learning’ focus is promoted by the Kaipatiki Community of Learning|Kāhui Ako (CoL) that the school belongs to.

Key school goals and targets for improved student outcomes are consistent with those of the CoL. These targets are to raise achievement in writing for boys, in reading for Year 1 students, and in mathematics for students, particularly in Years 3 and 4.

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 effective in achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all students.The school’s achievement information for 2015 to 2017 shows that most children achieve at expected levels in relation toThe New Zealand Curriculum, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics. There is parity of achievement between Māori, Pacific and Pākehā children, and with gender.

Students achieve very well in relation to other school valued outcomes. Most students:

• are actively involved in their learning and contribute to the life of the school
• have a strong sense of belonging and connection to others in the school community
• are socially and emotionally competent, resilient and optimistic about the future.

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

The school accelerates the learning for most of those Māori and other students who need this.School data show positive shifts in achievement for the majority of these students in reading, writing and mathematics.

Targets and goals for improved student outcomes have traditionally reflected the school’s success in catering for most learners’ requirements. Involvement in the local CoL since the 2015 ERO review has helped the school develop staff capability in setting more specific targets. These targets are supporting teachers to accelerate the progress of the small number of learners who are at risk of not achieving. Curriculum leaders with school-wide oversight have been appointed to support teachers in this endeavour. Student progress towards specific targets is monitored by school leaders and the board.

Children with additional needs are well supported by staff to make progress in their learning and wellbeing. An inclusive school culture that promotes diversity and increasingly, focused teaching approaches respond to these students’ specific learning requirements. Children with additional learning needs have good opportunities to develop their literacy and mathematical skills and knowledge in the broader curriculum, alongside their peers.

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?

Very good school leadership builds on staff talents and capabilities. High expectations for teaching and learning are mutually agreed to and form the basis for school operations, appraisals and PLD.Trustees have effective working relationships with school leaders and staff.The board directs funding to initiatives and professional development that are focused on raising student achievement.

Well-founded connections between families/whānau and the school contribute significantly to children’s sense of belonging and their active engagement in their learning.Parents are well informed through a variety of means about how well their children are achieving and progressing.

Teachers use their knowledge of children, their families and whānau to support children’s overall learning and development.They identify students’ strengths, interests and gaps in learning to cater for their individual requirements. Students receive good quality feedback from their teachers about their achievement and progress.

Processes and practices that enable achievement of equity and excellence include:

• the school’s broad curriculum that helps children use their capabilities and interests in their learning

• well managed transitions that provide children with a seamless educational experience

• positive relationships with external support agencies that help the school cater for children’s diverse learning and wellbeing requirements.

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

The principal, school leaders and trustees strategically support staff to adapt their teaching practice to meet the expectations of this key school development. The increased use of digital technologies has helped teachers and students access achievement information and make collaborative decisions about its use to improve learning.At the time of this ERO external evaluation, PLD is focused on embedding teaching practice that supports students to use achievement information to guide their learning.

The inclusion of more te reo Māori in classroom programmes would complement the positive bicultural developments in the school that support Māori children’s culture and identity and contribute to their success as Māori. This development will support the school’s very good provision for its multi-ethnic roll.

ERO and school leaders agree that deepening evaluative practice will help trustees, school leaders and teachers to identify and implement effective practices that are focused on improving learning outcomes for children at risk of not achieving. Some very good evaluation tools and structures have been adopted by the school to increase reflective practice at all levels.

The school’s improvement goals align well with the local CoL’s PLD priorities. School leaders are open to new ideas and possibilities and see great benefit belonging and contributing to this network of leaders, trustees and teachers.

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.

Provision for international students

The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of International Students) Code of Practice 2016 (the Code) established under section 238F of the Education Act 1989. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code.

At the time of this review three international students attend the school, including no exchange students.

International students at the school receive very good quality education and care. They are well integrated in to the school community and have varied opportunities to contribute to the life of the school. Their progress is well monitored and parents are regularly informed about how well their children are learning, and adjusting to their new school setting.

4 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

• a positive school culture that supports children’s sense of worth and belonging

• leadership that focuses on equity and excellence for all learners and helps teachers to accelerate the progress of children who are at risk of not achieving

• stewardship that promotes and sustains strong connections and goodwill between home and school, and in doing so, contributes to children’s successful learning and wellbeing.

Next steps

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

• replicating examples of existing very good teaching practice in order to improve school-wide consistency of approach to catering for children who are at risk of not achieving
• continuing to strengthen partnerships with parents and whānau so they are confident in supporting their children’s learning at home
• continuing to enhance evaluation processes, at all levels, that are focused on improving learning and wellbeing outcomes for all learners.

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

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

Julie Foley

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)

Te Tai Raki - Northern Region

17 May 2018

About the school

Location	Glenfield, Auckland
Ministry of Education profile number	1361
School type	Contributing (Years 1 to 6)
School roll	309
Gender composition	Boys 53% Girls 47%
Ethnic composition	Māori Pākehā Chinese Filipino Indian Korean Tongan African Middle Eastern other Asian other Pacific peoples other ethnicities	9% 36% 14% 12% 9% 4% 3% 2% 2% 2% 3% 4%
Provision of Māori medium education	No
Review team on site	March 2018
Date of this report	17 May 2018
Most recent ERO report(s)	Education Review Education Review Education Review	April 2015 January 2012 June 2008

Findings

Marlborough School provides a welcoming, inclusive environment for its culturally diverse students, families and whānau. Most students achieve well in relation to National Standards. The school aims to empower students to be life-long learners in a nurturing and respectful environment. The new principal is collaborative and consultative in her approach to change.

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

1 Context

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

Marlborough School caters for students from Years 1 to 6. It is located in Glenfield on the North Shore of Auckland. Students come from diverse cultural backgrounds. Nine percent are Māori and six percent have Pacific heritage. Other major groups of students are of Filipino, Chinese and Indian heritage.

The school is welcoming and inclusive. Respectful relationships underpin all practices. Students show pride in their school and display a sense of belonging. They talk about their positive interactions with teachers and students of all ages. They appreciate the richness of cultures that make up their school.

The 2012 ERO report noted that good quality teaching practices were being sustained. Teachers were continuing to manage classrooms well with a focus on developing students as confident learners.

Since the 2012 ERO report staff, students and parents have reviewed the school vision and values. They have developed a shared vision with the acronym LEARN which guides students and teachers towards independence and life-long learning, and ‘learning through living’.

A new principal was appointed to the school in late 2014. Through her collaborative and consultative approach she is building an understanding of the school community to ensure that any change is well considered.

2 Learning

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

The board, principal, senior leaders and teachers use achievement information very well to make positive changes for learners.

Publically available school achievement information shows that the school already meets the 2017 Better Public Service (BPS) target of 85% of students achieving at and above National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Overall Māori students and Pacific students are achieving at similar levels to the wider school population.

School achievement data shows that a very high number of students are achieving at National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. School leaders have identified that their next step is to increase the number of students achieving above National Standards in these learning areas.

School leaders are continuing to refine systems to support teachers to make reliable overall judgements in relation to National Standards. This development should include consideration of all learning areas and continued opportunities for teachers to moderate their judgements together.

Leaders and teachers have developed good systems for the collation and analysis of school-wide student achievement information. Teachers use this information to plan programmes to cater for students’ strengths and learning needs.

Leaders use achievement data to identify and monitor students who would benefit from additional support. A specialist learning teacher is funded by the school board to establish programmes for groups of students at risk of poor outcomes. These support programmes result in improved confidence, engagement and achievement for most students.

Teaching and learning practices encourage students to know themselves as learners and to understand how to learn. Students are developing the ability to talk about their progress and achievement. ERO affirms senior leaders’ intentions to further develop in this area of student led learning.

School leaders recognise that they still need to refine reporting to parents in relation to National Standards, particularly for reporting the achievement of students in their first three years of school.

3 Curriculum

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

Marlborough School’s curriculum is effective in promoting and supporting student learning. The school’s emphasis on the teaching and learning of mathematics and literacy sets good foundations for students to achieve the school’s vision of independence and life-long learning. Leaders have developed clear curriculum documents to guide teachers in mathematics and literacy. It would now be useful to review and further develop curriculum documents in other learning areas, including inquiry-based learning and integrated approaches.

The school’s vision and values drive the curriculum. Recent school-wide professional development has been focused on embedding positive behaviours for learning, and developing student ownership of their learning. Students affirm that these initiatives have a positive influence on their wellbeing and learning. ERO observed positive, settled and interactive classrooms.

Bicultural practices and multicultural aspects are recognised as important components of school life in this diverse cultural setting. A tutor in te reo Māori spends time in all classrooms to provide support for teachers to learn and build their confidence in the use of te reo Māori. Te reo and tikanga Māori is beginning to be integrated into classroom programmes. This is an area for ongoing development.

Students are given many opportunities to develop their leadership both in the classroom and through other school initiatives. Senior students in particular participate in a range of activities where they are encouraged to grow their leadership and support younger students.

Teachers promote opportunities for students to partake in a wide range of co-curricular activities. These include sports and cultural programmes, environmental experiences and education outside the classroom where children engage in authentic and meaningful learning.

The school’s planned e-learning vision is at the implementation stage and is designed to further enhance the quality of the school’s learning processes.

ERO and school leaders agree the key next steps for improvement are to continue to develop:

• all students’ ability to know about and understand their learning
• opportunities to extend and challenge the learning of able students.

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

The school has made good progress to effectively promote educational success for Māori as Māori.

The school has 24 students who identify as Māori. These students have positive attitudes to school and learning. They enjoy the warm, inclusive and nurturing environment of Marlborough School. Māori student learning is supported by the holistic approaches to raising student achievement.

Māori students see and hear aspects of Māori culture and language in the environment, curriculum and school practices. The Te reo Tautahi programme supports teachers and students with their acquisition of te reo Māori. Kapa haka groups are supported by the local high school and perform at various events both in school and in the community.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

The school is well placed to sustain and improve its performance. The new principal is establishing positive relationships with the school and community. The senior leadership team has been restructured and leadership roles are being clarified and defined. Specific professional development would now benefit the senior leadership team in readiness for their newly defined roles.

School leaders and staff continue to extend and embed the clear vision, values and direction developed over recent years. Positive relationships have been established with parents. Good foundations are in place to continue to build learning partnerships. Trustees and school leaders have identified the need to increase parent engagement, including more strategic consultation with Māori and Pacific families.

Well considered school wide professional development for teachers has helped them improve their teaching of writing. This learning can now be transferred across all learning areas. Teachers could also extend their use of evaluation processes to judge the effectiveness of teaching programmes.

Trustees bring a range of expertise and experience to their roles. They continue to improve reporting expectations and the use of student achievement information at board level. Trustees’ have sought external advice and support to assist with some decision making. They have introduced a new policy framework to streamline governance processes. To improve practice the board should now personalise a number of policies to ensure they reflect the school’s context and practices.

ERO and school leaders agree the key next steps for development are to:

• continue to increase teachers’ professional collaboration and reflective practice
• review and clarify current self-review processes, including the documentation of outcomes
• implement plans to strengthen the appraisal process to better support improvements to teaching.

Provision for international students

The school is signatory to the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students (the Code) established under section 238F of the Education Act 1989. No international students were enrolled at the time of the ERO review.

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.

Conclusion

Marlborough School provides a welcoming, inclusive environment for its culturally diverse students, families and whānau. Most students achieve well in relation to National Standards. The school aims to empower students to be life-long learners in a nurturing and respectful environment. The new principal is collaborative and consultative in her approach to change.

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

Dale Bailey

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

17 April 2015

About the School

Location	Glenfield, Auckland
Ministry of Education profile number	1361
School type	Contributing (Years 1 to 6)
School roll	271
Number of international students	0
Gender composition	Boys 52% Girls 48%
Ethnic composition	Pākehā Māori Filipino Chinese Indian African Samoan Tongan Korean other	36% 9% 19% 10% 10% 3% 3% 3% 2% 5%
Special Features	Host to Audio Visual Unit and satellite teachers
Review team on site	February 2015
Date of this report	17 April 2015
Most recent ERO report(s)	Education Review Education Review Education Review	January 2012 June 2008 June 2005