Miramar North School

Education institution number:

2916

School type:

Contributing

School gender:

Co-Educational

Definition:

Not Applicable

Total roll:

250

Website:

http://www.mns.school.nz

Telephone:

04 388 6657

Address:

Weka Street, Miramar, Wellington

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Miramar North School - 29/04/2019

29 Apr 2019

School Context

Miramar North School has a roll of 240 children from Years 1 to 6. A diverse range of ethnicities includes 13% Māori, 11% Pacific and 15% Asian.

The vision statement is that: ‘Children learn the knowledge, skills and values necessary to be confident, connected, engaged lifelong learners.’ The values that guide practice and underpin the school curriculum are: Integrity - te whakapono; Kindness – manaakitanga; Determination - whāia te iti kahurangi ; Acceptance – whakaaetanga; Responsibility – kawenga; Respect – whakaute; and Teamwork - mahi ngātahi.

Key strategic goals are to strive for excellence in literacy and numeracy, include te ao Māori perspectives in the curriculum, develop a 21st Century learning environment, provide for science, technology and creativity, and work with the community to better respond to students’ needs.

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 school expectations
progress and achievement in relation to the school targets and supporting interventions
attendance and wellbeing.

The school is an active member of the Motu Kairangi 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?

Since August 2014, the school has continued to successfully promote the achievement of equitable and excellent outcomes. School learning information, at the end of 2018, against curriculum levels, shows that most students achieved at or above school expectations in reading, writing and mathematics.

Māori students in 2018 achieved levels similar to those of their peers in the school in all three core curriculum areas. The majority of Pacific students are meeting expectations in reading and writing, but achieving at lower levels in mathematics. Boys are achieving less well in writing when compared to girls.

The school adds value to children’s achievement as they progress through the school. Learning information shows that achievement levels increase as students move through the school towards Year 6.

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

The school is responding well to students identified as at risk of underachievement. Teachers’ judgements against curriculum levels suggest that some of these students, including Māori are making accelerated progress. The school recognises the need to better show accelerated progress for targeted students.

A wide range of strategies and interventions, in particular well-coordinated teacher aide support, are put in place to meet the needs of students identified as at risk of underachieving. Some of these targeted students are English Language Learners and new to New Zealand. Many experience accelerated progress in literacy.

Students with additional and complex needs show good progress towards achieving individual goals, developed in collaboration with parents.

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 made a well-considered approach to the review and improvement of assessment practices that support teachers to make judgements against the levels of The New Zealand Curriculum. Teachers use a suitable range of assessment tools and as a result are building a clearer picture of student learning.

Systems that effectively track and monitor student achievement have been successfully developed. These have the potential to show incremental and accelerated progress, and should be able to provide specific information about students at risk, in particular Māori and Pacific, and their rates of progress over time. There are good processes for sharing information about a range of students’ learning needs.

Learning environments are focused and purposeful, and promote engagement. Respectful and considerate relationships are clearly evident.

Students benefit from a broad and varied school curriculum. There is a well-considered and coordinated approach to delivery and development. The clear vision and key values guide practices that emphasise future focused concepts. Connectedness is well promoted through meaningful and authentic learning contexts, with a deliberate focus on numeracy and literacy.

Emphasis is placed on students increasing their understanding of their own learning. Opportunities are provided for their input into decisions about curriculum direction.

There are good processes for building capability for teachers and leaders across the school. A robust performance management system is in place to support teachers to grow their practice Goals for improvement are aligned to schoolwide strategic intentions. A suitable inquiry and knowledge building framework that helps teachers to reflect and develop their effectiveness has been established.

The collaborative and cohesive leadership team have developed a positive environment for teaching and learning. They clearly communicate shared expectations and good guidelines for teaching. Leaders are responsive to the needs of students and teachers. They manage changes to school operations effectively.

School leaders have employed a range of strategies to successfully increase the engagement of parents and whānau in the life of the school. Good communication supports and strengthens learning focused relationships.

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

The established Matua vision and goals, developed in collaboration with the community, have supported teachers to increase opportunities to engage students in aspects of te ao Māori and enrich the curriculum.

It is now timely to revisit and review the vision and goals to:

redefine the aspirations for success for Māori in partnership with whānau Māori and iwi
develop a strategic and planned approach to implementing the vision.

Schoolwide review is informing decision making and relevant developments. Staff are reflective and work collaboratively together to plan next steps. Strengthening review and inquiry to be more evaluative and evidence based will better determine the impact of planned actions on improving outcomes for students.

The strengthened internal evaluation process should be used to determine how effectively:

the curriculum supports accelerated progress for priority learners
the extent the school is meeting its stated goals and vision
the school is realising the community’s aspirations for learning.

School strategic aims clearly emphasise raising achievement across the school. However, current targets are broad and general. Refocusing them to be more explicit about those learners who need acceleration and include their desired rates of progress is a next step. This would support improved reporting and internal evaluation of how well the school is responding to and progressing the learning of students who need it the most.

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 ERO’s Overall Judgement

On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO‘s overall evaluation judgement of Miramar North School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Well placed.

ERO’s Framework: Overall School Performance is available on ERO’s website.

5 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

good levels of student success and achievement sustained over time
well considered assessment, tracking and monitoring systems to measure achievement and progress
effective processes that support teachers to build their capability and grow their practice
a collaborative and cohesive leadership team.

Next steps

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

reviewing the vision and strategies for Māori students to experience success as Māori
strengthening internal evaluation and inquiry processes
refocussing and refining school targets for improvement.

Alan Wynyard

Director Review and Improvement Services Southern

Southern Region

29 April 2019

About the school

Location	Wellington
Ministry of Education profile number	2916
School type	Contributing Primary (Years 1 to 6)
School roll	240
Gender composition	45% Boys, 55% Girls
Ethnic composition	Māori 13% NZ European/Pākehā 59% Pacific 11% Asian 15% Other ethnic groups 2%
Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS)	Yes
Provision of Māori medium education	No
Review team on site	February 2019
Date of this report	29 April 2019
Most recent ERO report(s)	Education Review August 2014 Education Review August 2010 Education Review May 2007

Miramar North School - 20/08/2014

20 Aug 2014

Findings

Students continue to achieve very well. Committed trustees and leaders are improvement focused. Teachers are respectful and affirming with students and each other. They provide relevant and meaningful learning experiences for all students. Parents, whānau and community partnerships are strong and valued. This supports students in their learning and wellbeing.

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

1 Context

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

Miramar North School has a roll of 296 children from Years 1 to 6. A diverse range of ethnicities include 13% Māori and 7% Pacific. An enrolment zone is in place.

The school’s location on the Miramar peninsula lends itself to bush, airport and coastal learning contexts. The 75th Jubilee, being celebrated during 2014, is resulting in learning opportunities around local history and geography. There is an indoor, heated swimming pool on the premises.

The long-standing principal and leaders guide a strong teaching team. They actively participate in a cluster of kindergartens and schools supporting local education.

Areas identified for development in the August 2010 ERO report have progressed and continue to be important foci for development. Recent schoolwide professional development focused on the teaching of writing.

2 Learning

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

Teachers and leaders make very good use of use achievement information to promote student learning.

Students continue to achieve well. Data for 2013 shows that the majority of students achieved at or above in relation to the National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Many make good progress over time, with marked improvement after two years at school.

Students who are achieving below expected levels are very well tracked and closely monitored. Teachers take responsibility for accelerating the progress of targeted students in their class. There is a wide range of provision for students who require additional support and for those learners who have English as a new language. A holiday clinic after Term 1, based around sport, effectively engaged students and their families and maintained learning.

The special education needs coordinator (SENCO), a long-serving teacher aide, oversees efficient processes for identifying needs, providing programmes, and monitoring student progress. She leads a team of teacher aides who work collaboratively to effectively support students in their learning. There has been a deliberate move to support students in classrooms rather than withdrawing them from class.

Learning partnerships with parents and whānau are promoted. In addition to family conferences and information evenings, parents receive clear and detailed written reports on their children’s progress in literacy and numeracy.

Teachers and leaders use very well-analysed data to inform strategic planning, decisions about students, and possible professional development for teachers.

Teachers and leaders are focused on further developing teacher inquiry processes to consistently promote accelerated progress. ERO affirms this direction. Regular evaluation of the impact of specific and targeted strategies is likely to further enhance progress.

3 Curriculum

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

The school's curriculum promotes and supports student learning effectively.

There are clear expectations to guide teacher practice, including well-considered priorities for each learning area. These support the induction of new staff into the school culture. Teams lead ongoing curriculum review and development. Parent and whānau feedback and suggestions contribute to curriculum design.

A clear, useful, digitised curriculum framework has been developed. Integrated learning is planned around four key concepts: active citizenship, sustainability, creativity and innovation, and global connections. Relevant, meaningful and local contexts are applied within these.

Units and lessons are well planned by teams and teachers. Teachers adapt their planning to respond to student needs and interests. Gifted students are extended in class in many areas and the school makes use of external opportunities for these students as they arise.

Teaching is focused and deliberate. This is especially true for writing where a list of ‘nonnegotiables’ set consistent and explicit high expectations for student work. Use of digital technologies is well integrated by teachers and students.

Students observed were generally well engaged. They have clarity about what they are learning. Interactions are positive, affirming and respectful. Some teachers support students to peer and self assess and reflect on their learning. Teachers should continue to extend strategies which support students having more opportunities to assess and be responsible for their own learning and be clear about their next steps.

Smooth transition of new entrants to school is facilitated by strong community connections with early childhood centres and their families. A local cluster of kindergartens and schools strengthens these links. As children transition through the school, and to Year 7, their placement is well considered and managed.

Values, key competencies and the teaching of thinking skills are well articulated and integrated into curriculum programmes. All students have access to a wide range of co-curricular activities, such as sports, school productions and excursions. Older students appreciate the many leadership opportunities and responsibilities offered.

Several strategies have been implemented to support Pacific student learners, such as a Pacific liaison person, English language learning programmes, and a holiday clinic. Teachers and leaders have identified that it is timely to develop a Pacific action plan to focus on the learning and engagement of Pacific students and their families. ERO’s evaluation supports this direction.

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

The majority of Māori students achieve at or above in relation to the National Standards, in reading and mathematics. End-of-year data for 2013 shows that over two-thirds of Māori students achieved at or above against the writing National Standard.

Māori learners are actively engaged in their learning and participate extensively in school activities and leadership opportunities. The school’s Matua Vision and Goals, to promote reflection of te ao Māori across the school, have been reviewed in consultation with whānau. A committed group of whānau guide school direction effectively. Staff are embarking on professional development to increase their knowledge, skill and confidence in te reo Māori.

Aspects of Māori culture are increasingly part of the curriculum, for example, daily karakia, waiata, mihi, and school productions.

A next step is for teachers, leaders and trustees to continue to seek support from, and work in partnership with, whānau to realise the Matua Visions and Goals. This could include:

incorporating the school’s Matua vision into the existing values framework
continuing to develop the extent to which the curriculum reflects te ao Māori
exploring how the environment could better reflect Māori perspectives.

This should be followed by developing a progressive te reo Māori programme for all students.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

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

The complementary skills and experience of board members strengthen the approach to school governance. Policies are regularly reviewed and are currently being reformatted to give improved clarity. A well-developed strategic plan gives direction for long term and annual planning. This has been informed by consultation with whānau. There is regular reporting of progress against annual and strategic goals.

The principal and senior managers effectively lead a very collaborative, committed staff team. Shared, distributed leadership is a strong feature of the school where staff have responsibilities in their areas of interest and skill. Developing leadership capability is a management priority.

Teachers are highly reflective practitioners. A coaching model for professional discussions, in particular around teaching writing, is now accepted practice. The robust and developmental appraisal process includes teachers examining their own practice in relation to personal and school goals. They take responsibility for collecting a range of evidence to show how they demonstrate enacting the Registered Teacher Criteria.

A range of planned and regular self review is undertaken. In-depth syndicate analysis, review and reflection, along with recommendations and actions, lead to ongoing improvement. A next step should be to strengthen the evaluative nature of the reviews.

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

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

Joyce Gebbie

National Manager Review Services

Central Region

20 August 2014

About the School

Location	Miramar, Wellington
Ministry of Education profile number	2916
School type	Contributing Primary School (Years 1 to 6)
School roll	296
Gender composition	Male 52% Female 48%
Ethnic composition	Māori NZ European/Pākehā European Samoan Indian Asian Chinese Middle Eastern Other Pacific	13% 57% 7% 5% 5% 4% 4% 3% 2%
Review team on site	July 2014
Date of this report	20 August 2014
Most recent ERO report(s)	Education Review Education Review Education Review	August 2010 May 2007 August 2004