McAuley High School

Education institution number:
90
School type:
Secondary (Year 9-15)
School gender:
Single Sex (Girls School)
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
769
Telephone:
Address:

26 High Street, Otahuhu, Auckland

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McAuley High School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 12 months of the Education Review Office and McAuley High School working in Te Ara Huarau, an improvement evaluation approach used in most English Medium State and State Integrated Schools. For more information about Te Ara Huarau see ERO’s website. www.ero.govt.nz

Context 

McAuley High School, in Ōtāhuhu Auckland, is a state integrated secondary school for young women from Years 9 to 13. Mercy Catholic traditions and values are central to the school’s curriculum. The majority of ākonga are from various Pacific backgrounds.

Tangata ako ana i te kāenga, te tūranga ki te marae, tau ana

A person nurtured in the community contributes strongly to society.

McAuley High School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

  • Catholic Character – Staff and ākonga will foster, strengthen and enhance their understanding of Catholic Mercy Education to ensure that the special Catholic Character of McAuley High School is deepened and embraced.

  • Excellence and Equity in Student Outcomes – A culturally responsive lens is used to ensure all ākonga can access and be engaged with the curriculum to increase student achievement at every year level for all learners. 

  • Staff and Student Wellbeing – To ensure that learning pathways are provided that develop confidence, resilience and connectedness to grow the hauora of all ākonga and staff.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on McAuley High School’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how well ākonga are supported throughout their transition pathway to tertiary education.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

  • the high numbers of ākonga moving on to tertiary education means there is a need to ensure ākonga, in particular Pasifika learners, are well prepared for this transition

  • a school wide commitment to preparing ākonga to be successful in their tertiary studies so that the community is strengthened by the embodiment of panekiretanga (giving glory to God by striving for excellence in all aspects of life).

The school expects to see:

  • McAuley High School graduates have a strong sense of fa’asinomaga (identity) and autonomy that builds on the school’s Catholic culture and traditions

  • ākonga maintain their sense of fa’asinomaga throughout their tertiary experience

  • professional relationships and effective teaching are focused on the learning and hauora of ākonga, underpinned by relational and culturally responsive teaching

  • professional development that continues to enhance teaching capability with an equity and excellence focus for Māori and Pasifika ākonga

  • well-established, reciprocal, educationally powerful connections, communication and relationships to bring to life the aspirations of ākonga, their whānau, mana whenua and the community.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support their goal to evaluate ākonga transition pathways to tertiary education:

  • ākonga are confident and capable of competing to the highest standards within tertiary education and their chosen career pathways

  • learner progress and achievement outcomes are consistently equitable and excellent for all learners

  • ākonga demonstrate agency and self-efficacy in their learning to achieve excellence in their achievement outcomes

  • Māori and Pasifika ākonga are consistently well supported to achieve success with a strong sense of their cultural identity

  • the school has the collective capacity to do and use evaluation, inquiry, and knowledge building for improvement and innovation with a clear focus on improving outcomes for Māori and Pasifika ākonga

  • the Senior Leadership Team see higher education as a key factor for improving community outcomes.

He rangi tā matawhāiti, he rangi tā matawhānui

A person with narrow vision has a restricted horizon; a person with wide vision has plentiful opportunities.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • continuing professional learning to strengthen the cultural capability of staff

  • strengthening the connection between curriculum, career guidance, community and support provided for ākonga.

ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. ERO will support the school in reporting their progress to the community. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report and is due within three years.

Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

7 March 2023

About the School

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement.  educationcounts.govt.nz/home

McAuley High School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2022 to 2025

As of May 2022, the McAuley High School, School Board has attested to the following regulatory and legislative requirements:

Board Administration

Yes

Curriculum

Yes

Management of Health, Safety and Welfare

Yes

Personnel Management

Yes

Finance

Yes

Assets

Yes

Further Information

For further information please contact McAuley High School, School Board.

The next School Board assurance that it is meeting regulatory and legislative requirements will be reported, along with the Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report, within three years.

Information on ERO’s role and process in this review can be found on the Education Review Office website.

Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

7 March 2023

About the School

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home

McAuley High School - 30/04/2015

1. Context

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

McAuley High School in Otahuhu continues to provide high quality education for young women. The Mercy Catholic traditions and values are central to the school’s success and create a strong sense of unity, connectedness and wellbeing. The school is very proud of the achievements of past students.

The majority of the students are from various Pacific backgrounds and eight percent are Māori. Many of the staff share the cultural backgrounds and languages of the students. The diversity of the school population is celebrated and serves as a productive resource. There has been significant roll growth since ERO’s 2010 review. Well-considered property development has resulted in modern, purpose-built facilities and digital technologies to support the school’s vision for 21st century learning.

ERO’s 2010 review noted that the school provided high quality education supported by high expectations, highly effective leadership and governance, and strong community engagement. Trustees, school leaders and staff have advanced these positive features at all levels in the school.

2. Learning

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

Student achievement information is used very well. School trustees, leaders and staff have high expectations for all students to achieve and succeed. Well-analysed achievement information is used to set targets and priorities, review the effectiveness of learning programmes, develop meaningful pathways for learners and maintain high levels of student achievement.

Students are supported to become articulate, intelligent young women. The warm, mutually respectful relationships that characterise the school foster high levels of student engagement. Students experience a responsive, challenging and highly supportive learning environment. This environment enables students to engage with their peers and teachers in their learning.

Student achievement in National Certificates of Educational Achievement (NCEA) is well above other secondary schools with a similar student profile and exceeds national averages in Levels 1, 2, and 3. Rates of merit and excellence endorsements have further increased in NCEA Levels 2 and 3. Māori students continue to achieve very well with 62 percent achieving merit and excellence endorsements.

Students make very good progress through Years 9 and 10. Progress information is thoughtfully used to plan appropriate programmes and interventions to accelerate student success. With the school’s deliberate focus on literacy and mathematics, substantial acceleration in the rate of progress over these two years is evident.

Staff work in partnership with students and their parents to understand achievement data, and identify ways to support students’ success. A recently introduced multi-level system quickly identifies students who could be at risk of not achieving and guides their selection of courses and qualification pathways. This monitoring system has contributed to the refinement of reports to parents about their children’s achievement.

3. Curriculum

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

The school curriculum is highly effective in promoting and supporting student learning. It is well aligned to the vision, values and key competencies of The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC). The student-centred school culture and responsive curriculum benefit learners and their families.

The 21st century vision for learning that is the focus of curriculum development is continually reviewed and refined. The board and school leaders are extending the use of high quality digital technologies to support student learning. Digital communications enable senior students and their families to make well-informed decisions about course selections and qualification pathways.

Curriculum leadership and teacher expertise are strengths of the school. Teachers are highly respected and valued professionals. Comprehensive appraisal of teachers promotes effective teaching and learning practices. Innovative teaching approaches are promoted through well-structured professional learning. Teachers have introduced feedback logs for students as a deliberate teaching strategy to promote students’ ownership of their own learning.

Pastoral care systems are high quality. Deans and teachers track the learning profiles of their students and offer wider support networks if needed. Career services have a high profile in the curriculum. These high quality services are focused on assisting students to find learning pathways that align with their aspirations and support their transition to further education.

Leadership and departmental review of curriculum design and implementation is highly effective and thorough. The board and school leaders are continually improving the school’s curriculum design to maximise the learning potential of all students.

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

McAuley High School is effective in promoting educational success for Māori, as Māori. Prominent factors that promote Māori student success include:

  • the significant commitment to tikanga Māori within the Religious Education curriculum
  • capably lead provision of te reo Māori and tikanga from Years 9 to 13
  • the increased number of Māori staff in the school
  • active engagement of Māori whānau
  • the leadership of the long serving board chair.

Māori students express positive attitudes to school and learning and are well represented in leadership roles. They have opportunities to participate and be successful in a wide range of cultural events that strengthen Māori identity in the school.

School leaders make good use of the Ministry of Education (MoE) strategy Tātaiako - Cultural Competencies for Teachers of Māori Learners, to develop teachers’ bicultural understanding and practice. Trustees and school leaders agree that further developing the school’s Māori Education Plan could provide a more coordinated and strategic approach to promote educational success for Māori, as Maori. The MoE Measurable Gains Framework would be useful to further promote teachers’ cultural responsiveness.

How effectively does the school promote educational success for Pacific students?

The school is effective in promoting Pacific student educational success. The majority of students are either Samoan or Tongan, with smaller numbers from other Pacific Islands including the Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau and Fiji.

Parents and students appreciate the many bilingual Pacific staff who support parents in their home languages. They also appreciate the school’s promotion of Pacific languages and culture, and values that match their own. The school is justifiably proud of the very good results students achieve in NCEA Samoan and Tongan languages.

4. Sustainable Performance

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

The school is very well placed to sustain and continue improving its performance.

The school goals retain a clear focus on equitable outcomes for students. Students and their families take pride in the school. Student and staff wellbeing underpins decision making at governance and management levels. The school has a culture of support for all students and their families.

Senior leaders have school-wide responsibilities and support the work of the very capable curriculum and support service leaders. The principal's leadership enables change to occur in a collaborative and highly professional manner. Her high expectations for staff are appropriately balanced by strong levels of relational trust and systems for accountability. Senior leaders are well respected by students, parents and staff. They operate strategically, and provide cohesion and consistency across the school.

The board is well led. Trustees are actively and thoughtfully involved in developing high quality learning environments for staff, families and students. They bring professional expertise to their governance roles and make decisions that support the strategic direction of the school. The board and principal ensure that school systems and processes are well aligned with the school’s vision and mission.

School developments align well with the board’s strategic direction, vision and values, and a culture of personalising learning for each student. Self review is well understood and used systematically and effectively to inform decisions and school direction. Trustees receive well analysed information that supports and informs their self review and strategic planning.

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

McAuley High School continues to be a high performing school, providing high quality education for students. Students experience highly effective teaching. They are well supported to achieve personal excellence and are respected as capable, competent women. The school is very well led and governed.

ERO is likely to carry out the next review in four-to-five years.

Dale Bailey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

About the School

Location

Otahuhu, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

90

School type

Catholic Integrated Secondary (Years 9 to 15)

School roll

770

Gender composition

Girls       100%

Ethnic composition

Māori
Samoan
Tongan
Asian
Cook Island
Indian
other Pacific
other

  8%
52%
25%
  6%
  3%
  2%
  3%
  1%

Review team on site

March 2015

Date of this report

30 April 2015

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review
Education Review
Education Review

November 2010
June 2007
December 2004