School Context
Maungaturoto School, a rural school north of Auckland, caters for 248 students in Years 1 to 6. The school has experienced significant roll growth in 2018 with the enrolment of 31 new entrants and 55 students across Years 1 to 6. Generations of local families have attended the school. About a third of students are Māori and a very small number of children have Pacific heritage.
The school’s stated mission is ‘Uplift our children, for they are our future – Me hapaitia i ngā tamariki, ko roto rātou ngā pataka apopo’. Its vision is for students to be resilient, effective communicators, actively involved, lifelong learners (REAL) with values of community - whanaungatanga, a ‘can do’ attitude - kia kaha, respect - manaakitanga, excellence - hiranga (CARE).
School priorities emphasise providing a safe and challenging environment and high quality teaching and learning programmes. Priorities include developing movement skills through quality physical activity and maintaining positive relationships between home and school. The school’s 2018 targets focus on accelerating reading progress for a target group, and raising schoolwide achievement in mathematics.
Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board schoolwide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:
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reading, writing and mathematics
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the progress and achievement of target groups and students with additional needs
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engagement, wellbeing and CARE values information
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student participation in school events and activities.
School staff continue to engage in ongoing professional learning and development in mathematics, Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L), Accelerating Learning in Mathematics (ALiM) and Accelerating Language Learners (ALL).
Maungaturoto School is part of the Twin Coast Kāhui Ako | Community of Learning (CoL) which is currently exploring ways to improve writing, with an emphasis on progressing the writing of boys.
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 increasingly effective in achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for its students.
Over the last three years there have been upward achievement trends, showing that most students achieve at or above expected New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) levels in reading, writing and mathematics. There have been good levels of parity for all groups of students.
The school’s 2018 achievement data has been influenced by the significant number of new enrolments and some disparities are now evident. The school is aware of where these disparities exist and is working to address them.
The school is continuing to make progress in relation to assessing and reporting about other valued outcomes that support students’ holistic development.
School leaders and teachers support learners to meet the school’s valued outcomes. Most learners:
- can demonstrate and talk about the CARE values
- are strengthening their understanding around being REAL learners
- are confident to talk about their learning
- are respectful of themselves and others, and have a strong sense of pride in the school.
1.2 How well is the school accelerating learning for those Māori and other students who need this?
The school responds well to students whose learning and achievement need acceleration. This is clearly evidenced in the board’s strategic plan.
School information shows accelerated progress for the majority of students who need this, particularly in Years 5 and 6. School leaders have identified the need to provide more clarity about levels of accelerated learning, and to further refine their understandings of accelerated progress.
Teachers are making increasing use of student data to identify and target teaching to the learning needs of students. Leaders and teachers ensure that extensive learning support, interventions and programmes are available to help students with additional needs to access the curriculum and to accelerate their learning.
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 has a well-established and inclusive culture that permeates all school operations, is apparent in the wider school community, and is reflected through the school CARE values. This is underpinned by respect for local iwi, tikanga Māori and the history of the area. The school culture forms a solid foundation for establishing fundamental relationships of respect and care. Community partnerships focus on the learner. A shared pride in the school and students’ achievement is very evident. The board and school leaders place student learning and wellbeing at the centre of all decision making.
In its stewardship role, the board actively represents and serves the school’s education community. Trustees identify strongly with the school values and culture. They bring a variety of strengths to their roles and contribute well to school decision making. Trustees value student data reports and they target resourcing accordingly. The board has begun to annually assess its effectiveness.
Effective school leadership ensures a shared commitment to school values and students’ holistic development. Leaders maintain a caring and supportive environment that is conducive to student learning and wellbeing. They actively lead the development of the curriculum and improvements in teaching and learning. Leaders are strategically building teacher capability and leadership across the school.
The school places importance on and values educationally powerful connections and relationships with parents, whānau and its community. Collaborations with the community enrich learning opportunities for students. Partnerships with the Māori community have strengthened over time.
There has been genuine collaboration with the community to develop a curriculum that is values based and underpinned by a caring school culture. Teachers are transferring new learning strategies across the curriculum as a result of whole-school professional development. They are extending the range of learning opportunities in meaningful contexts, and increasing the focus on developing skills for the 21st century learner. Teachers are continuing to strengthen and embed bicultural practices and understandings across the curriculum.
2.2 What further developments are needed in school processes and practices for achievement of equity and excellence, and acceleration of learning?
Leaders and teachers have identified the need to continue increasing opportunities for students to lead their own learning.
To support the achievement of equity and excellence, leaders and teachers are continuing to refine assessment practices, including shared understandings of accelerated progress.
Leaders acknowledge the need to strengthen the school’s internal evaluation processes by more clearly documenting the impact of changes made on outcomes for students.
Leaders also recognise the importance of continuing the development of schoolwide understanding and inclusion of te reo and tikanga Māori across the curriculum and within classroom programmes.
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:
During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student safety and wellbeing:
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emotional safety of students (including prevention of bullying and sexual harassment)
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physical safety of students
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teacher registration and certification
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processes for appointing staff
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stand down, suspension, expulsion and exclusion of students
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attendance
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school policies in relation to meeting the requirements of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014.
Areas for improved compliance practice
To improve current practice, the board of trustees should review and update the staff performance management policy and procedures, and procedures for board meetings that exclude the public.
4 Going forward
Key strengths of the school
For sustained improvement and future learner success, the school can draw on existing strengths in:
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stewardship practices that are student focused and community connected
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leadership that is supportive, collaborative and fosters leaders of learning and improvement
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community ownership of the school that supports learning-centred relationships with parents, whānau and community
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the CARE value-based school culture that instils a positive learning culture and commitment to develop REAL learners.
Next steps
For sustained improvement and future learner success, priorities for further development are in:
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implementing plans to develop teaching and learning practices that increase student agency in learning and further develop REAL learners
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refining assessment and internal evaluation practices to increase equity and excellence in 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.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region
8 February 2019
About the school
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Location
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Maungaturoto, Northland
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Ministry of Education profile number
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1049
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School type
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Contributing (Years 1-6)
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School roll
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248
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Gender composition
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Boys 58% Girls 42%
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Ethnic composition
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Māori 31%
Pākehā 68%
other ethnic groups 1%
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Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS)
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Yes
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Provision of Māori medium education
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No
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Review team on site
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December 2018
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Date of this report
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8 February 2019
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Most recent ERO report(s)
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Education Review December 2015
Education Review January 2013
Education Review November 2009
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