Napier Girls' High School

Education institution number:
217
School type:
Secondary (Year 9-15)
School gender:
Single Sex (Girls School)
Definition:
School with Boarding Facilities
Total roll:
1058
Telephone:
Address:

Clyde Road, Bluff Hill, Napier

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Napier Girls' High School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 15 months of the Education Review Office and Napier Girls’ 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 

Napier Girls’ High School is a secondary school for day and boarding girls in Years 9 to 13. The school is in Hawkes Bay, situated in Mataruahou, Napier. The school’s values of manaakitanga, kairangi whaiaro and whanaungatanga underpin the kaupapa of empowering ākonga.

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

  • wellbeing is supported through strengthening conditions, structures, systems and processes that promote learner wellbeing, inclusive of te ao Māori and mātauranga Māori
  • to meet the aspirations of all learners, whānau and community through developing the curriculum to increase access and opportunities for meaningful educational experiences.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate to what extent culturally responsive and relational pedagogy supports and promotes equitable and excellent learner outcomes.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to:

  • improve equitable and excellent outcomes for Māori, that will improve outcomes for all learners
  • support all learners to achieve success with a strong, secure sense of their identity
  • support equitable access for all learners to broader, meaningful experiences and pathways.

The school expects to see:

  • improved equity and excellence in parity of learner outcomes
  • improved attendance, engagement, achievement and retention for Māori through a curriculum that responds effectively to culture, language and identity and is inclusive of te ao Māori, te reo Māori me ōna tikanga and mātauranga Māori.

Strengths 

The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to evaluate culturally responsive and relational pedagogy supporting and promoting equitable and excellent learner outcomes:

  • leadership prioritises and plans for school improvement that led to equitable and excellent outcomes with a particular focus on Māori and Pacific learners
  • staff commitment to ongoing professional learning aligned to the school’s strategic direction to improve learner outcomes
  • a robust professional growth process in Manaaki Ki Te Tangata that supports building capacity and capability for teachers in culturally responsive and relational pedagogy.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise: 

  • teachers strengthening and embedding culturally responsive and relational teaching practices across all curriculum areas that improve student outcomes and wellbeing
  • strengthening school systems and processes for consultation with whānau, hapu, iwi to develop a responsive curriculum that embraces and values local histories, te ao Māori, te reo Māori me ōna tikanga, mātauranga Māori.

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. 

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools 

8 December 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

Napier Girls' High School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2023 to 2026

As of May 2023, the Napier Girls’ High 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

No

Finance

Yes

Assets

Yes

Actions for Compliance

ERO has identified the following areas of non-compliance during the board assurance process: 

  • undertake and record sufficient identity checks on the appointment of staff.

      [ Children’s Act 2014]

The board has since taken steps to address the areas of non-compliance identified.

Further Information

For further information please contact Napier Girls’ 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.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools 

8 December 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

Napier Girls' High School

Provision for International Students Report 

Background

The Education Review Office reviews schools that are signatories to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020.

Findings

The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020.  The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code and has completed an annual self review of its implementation of the Code.  

 At the time of this review there were five international students attending the school, and no exchange students.  

 Staff provide international students with high quality care, well guided by established systems, practices and processes. Positive relationships between staff and international students is a strength and impacts positively on wellbeing and learning. Students spoken to by ERO appreciated the high level of pastoral and academic support, and the wide range of opportunities and experiences available to them.  Students value a sense of belonging and connection to the school.

Meaningful pathways are well considered. International students have access to the full range of the curriculum with flexible programmes to meet their needs. Students are supported in their learning and English learning needs to achieve their goals and aspirations.  Those who set goals for academic achievement experience success in gaining National Certificate of Educational Achievement qualifications that support transition into higher education. 

Self review is focused on continuous improvement. A range of feedback from students, staff, homestay providers, agents and families informs the quality of provision for international students, with regular reporting to the board of trustees.  

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools 

8 December 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

Napier Girls' High School

ERO Hostel Report

Background

The Chief Review Officer has the authority to carry out reviews (which may be general or in relation to particular matters) of the provision of a safe physical and emotional environment that supports learning for students accommodated in hostels under section 470 of the Education and Training Act 2020. This function is delegated to review officers who have the powers to enter and carry out review of hostels under section 472 of the Act.

Findings

The hostel manager and the hostel owner has attested in the Hostel Assurance Statement that they meet the requirements of the Hostel Regulations 2005.

Clear alignment through strategic planning between the school and the hostel includes a shared focus on cultural responsiveness and restorative practices. Well maintained and resourced facilities provide privacy and a range of spaces to support students' needs.  

Positive relationships support students’ wellbeing. Strong connections between the day school and boarding in pastoral care support and systems, promote wellbeing and learning. This support includes learners with diverse learning needs.  Boarders spoken to appreciate and value the role of the Hostel Academic Dean as a key support person and boarders achieve well in their academic achievement.

Hostel house activities promote connection and a sense of belonging. Boarders are supported to be involved in both school-based and off-site activities. They have a range of leadership opportunities within and across year levels. Boarders spoken to be ERO described the hostel environment as friendly, supportive, inclusive and their second home. International students enjoy their hostel experience and are well supported and included into the life of the hostel and school.

Further strengthening the range of student and whānau voice will inform change as part of a review cycle of continuous improvement.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools 

8 December 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

Napier Girls' High School - 30/05/2018

School Context

Napier Girls’ High School has students from Years 9 to 13. The roll of 1024 has steadily grown over recent years and includes 24% Māori students and 2% of Pacific heritage.

The school’s shared vision for students is: Inspiration from the past, learning, contributing and empowering for today and tomorrow.

The overarching student achievement goal is that: Every student realises her highest academic potential and is equipped with essential skills and values for life beyond school.

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

  • achievement and progress in literacy and numeracy, using school-based assessments for Years 9 and 10

  • achievement in the National Certificates of Educational Achievement (NCEAs), and in relation to school leaver qualifications and destinations

  • wellbeing.

The school is one of the oldest in New Zealand for girls. It celebrates its traditions and values. The school boarding hostel, Hewett House, is part of the main campus and accommodates 170 students.

The school has been a member of Mataruahou Napier City Kāhui Ako for the past three years.

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 highly focused on achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all its students. Consistently high levels of student success and retention at school beyond the age of 17 have been sustained and increased over time.

Nearly all students leave the school having gained at least NCEA Level 2, with most achieving Level 3 and many meeting University Entrance requirements. Māori and Pacific students achieve well. In 2017, the school increased the number of NCEAs endorsed for merit or excellence, and successes in New Zealand Scholarship awards.

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

The school positions students to achieve well in national qualifications. It effectively accelerates learning for those students who need it.

Most of those Māori, Pacific and other students who enter the school with achievement below expectations, make accelerated progress.

Assessment data tracked over time, shows that students below national expectations on entry to Year 9 leave the school with at least NCEA Level 2, and many with Level 3.

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 responsive practices and processes for achievement of equity, excellence and acceleration of learning.

The school is well governed and managed. Trustees provide effective stewardship, are well informed, experienced and fully understand their board roles and responsibilities. Strategic direction focuses clearly on improving outcomes for learners. Leaders collaboratively develop and pursue the vision, goals and targets for equity and excellence. Planning, coordination and review of curriculum and teaching successfully continues to improve outcomes. Students, parents, whānau and the community are actively involved in learning-centred relationships at all levels. Increased communication and opportunities for parents to contribute to developments and decision making have strengthened partnerships.

Sustaining and improving student wellbeing is a strategic priority. Pastoral care is well considered, comprehensive, responsive, and supports students to be successful learners. Positive and respectful relationships are clearly evident. Teachers know students well. Shared values, traditions and desired outcomes create a sense of belonging and connection. Teachers increasingly gather and use students’ voice, and encourage students’ contribution to decision making. Students have a range of leadership opportunities.

A personalised learning approach to curriculum, through modified course organisation and content, is increasingly responsive to students’ needs. Innovative and creative teaching practices and curriculum design promote initiative and tailor learning to the individual. Strong curriculum pathways support academic success and transition to further education. Curriculum leaders have extended the range of courses to cater for the increasingly diverse needs of all students. Practicallybased, vocational subjects strengthen pathways to employment or training.

Students with additional learning needs are identified and well catered for through programmes, interventions and specific resourcing. They have appropriate and individualised guidance. Planning for them is undertaken in collaboration with parents and whānau. This supports these students’ engagement and their pathways through and beyond the school.

Useful information about students’ achievement and progress in Years 9 and 10 is gathered from nationally standardised and school-based tests. Good collaboration and communication with contributing schools provides information to identify students entering the high school who need support to progress and achieve, and to plan responsive programmes and interventions. Teachers track and monitor individual students’ academic performance over time.

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

Leaders and trustees set goals to improve already high NCEA achievement. The goals aspire to achieve and sustain equity and excellence for all, including Māori and Pacific students. Purposeful, increasingly responsive professional learning supports teachers to enhance their practice and effectiveness. Appraisal is more robust and useful. Staff continue to strengthen use of information to show progress for specific groups and those whose learning needs acceleration, particularly in literacy and numeracy. Setting targets that are more specific and focused on accelerating the learning of groups of students, should support monitoring and evaluation of teacher effectiveness and progress toward achieving the school’s goals.

The school is strengthening its response to the academic and cultural needs of Māori learners. Strategies to further build staff capability, partnerships with parents and community, and integration of te ao Māori into the curriculum and environment, should support increased success for students.

Initiatives that focus on listening to student voice and strengthening relationships with the community have raised awareness of Pacific students’ cultural and learning needs. Strategies are in place to strengthen the school’s response.

Curriculum review is collaborative and well considered. Changes lead to improved outcomes for learners. Leaders are encouraging and developing a culture of deeper inquiry by all staff. A next step is to further refine the process to be more evaluative, to clearly determine the impacts of specific actions, programme and interventions on improving outcomes.

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 students in the school hostel

The school hostel, Hewett House, can accommodate 175 students, around 20% of the roll. At the time of this review it catered for 169 girls from across Hawke’s Bay and the wider North Island.

Trustees have attested that all the requirements of the Hostel Regulations are met. The principal and the hostel manager are responsible for day-to-day hostel operation on behalf of the board of trustees.

The hostel provides suitable accommodation for full time and weekly boarders from Years 9 to 13. Good provision is made for individual and supervised study. Hostel practices complement and support pastoral care and learning in the school. Building positive relationships is a strong focus. Staff provide pastoral care in an environment that successfully promotes student wellbeing and upholds school traditions and values. Routines and expectations are well understood. Students have opportunities to participate in a range of school activities and sports.

Hostel managers respond to feedback about hostel processes and relationships. This is encouraged and regularly sought from boarders and their parents.

Provision for international students

The college 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 and meets all aspects of the Code. At the time of this review there are 31 international students from Asia and Europe.

Processes for orientation to the school are well considered. Systems to identify and respond to individual needs and interests are effective. Care is taken to provide courses that respond to interests and aspirations of students and their families. Those students who set goals for academic achievement experience success in the NCEAs that supports their transition to higher education.

International students’ welfare is well supported. They benefit from the inclusive environment of the school, and participate in a range of activities within school and in the wider community. Students have opportunities to share their cultures with others.

4 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

  • curriculum pathways, practices and processes that are highly effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence

  • pastoral care that is comprehensive, well considered and responsive, promotes students’ wellbeing and supports them to be successful learners

  • partnerships that are respectful, learning centred, and contribute to a positive school environment.

Next steps

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

  • further refining internal evaluation processes
  • continuing to strengthen the school’s responses to the cultural needs of Māori and Pacific students.

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

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

Patricia Davey

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)

Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region

30 May 2018

About the school

Location

Napier

Ministry of Education profile number

217

School type

Secondary (Years 9-13)

School roll

1024

Gender composition

Female 100%

Ethnic composition

Pākehā 74%
Māori 24%
Pacific 2%

International Students

31

Provision of Māori medium education

No

Review team on site

March 2018

Date of this report

30 May 2018

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review May 2014
Education Review July 2009
Education Review November 2005

Exemplar Report - Napier Girls High School - A Journey Towards Implementing the Digital Technologies Curriculum Content - February 2020

In February 2020 the Education Review Office published an Exemplar Review on A Journey Towards Implementing the Digital Technologies Curriculum Content please read it here