New Plymouth Boys' High School

Education institution number:
171
School type:
Secondary (Year 9-15)
School gender:
Single Sex (Boys School)
Definition:
School with Boarding Facilities
Total roll:
1161
Telephone:
Address:

107 Coronation Avenue, New Plymouth

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New Plymouth Boys’ High School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 12 months of the Education Review Office and New Plymouth Boys’ 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 

New Plymouth Boys’ High School is located in New Plymouth, Taranaki. It provides education for boys from Years 9 to 13. It has an attached boarding hostel, Hatherley House.

New Plymouth Boys’ High School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

  • delivering a more modern, innovative, and relevant curriculum

  • providing more opportunities for student voice

  • providing more meaningful reporting that demonstrates the added value each year for students

  • increasing the focus of strong classroom care, relationships and effective teaching

  • focusing more on the health and wellbeing of students.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how well learners in Te Haumaru (the school’s Learning Centre) are supported to thrive in and beyond school.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

  • it is timely to ascertain what is working and what is not working for learners in Te Haumaru to support equitable and excellent outcomes

  • the school wants to know how learners in Te Haumaru are supported to achieve their pathway in and beyond school

  • it is timely to evaluate the effectiveness of new systems and processes in Te Haumaru.

The school expects to see:

  • clarity of what works to support excellent and equitable outcomes for learners in Te Haumaru

  • a coherent pathway for all learners in Te Haumaru from Year 9

  • successful practices shared across the school to support diverse learning needs in classrooms

  • genuine learning partnerships with whānau, teachers and other agencies to support learner success.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support learners in Te Haumaru to thrive in and beyond school:

  • systems and processes that are currently in use to identify and respond to learning needs

  • a new junior curriculum that offers more choice to better respond to a wide range of learners

  • leaders who are committed to supporting learners with diverse learning needs

  • a well-resourced learning centre.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • defining, with the school’s community, what it means to thrive in and beyond school for learners in Te Haumaru

  • collection of a range of stakeholder voice to help identify what is working and what is not working for learners in Te Haumaru

  • sharing effective practice across the school to further build teacher capacity to differentiate teaching and learning to ensure equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners.

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.

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

31 August 2022 

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

New Plymouth Boys’ High School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2022 to 2025

As of April 2022, the New Plymouth Boys’ High School Board of Trustees 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 New Plymouth Boys’ High School Board of Trustees.

The next Board of Trustees 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.

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

31 August 2022 

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

New Plymouth Boys’ 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

New Plymouth Boys’ High 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 8 international students attending the school, and no exchange students.

The school has effective and ongoing self-review processes to maintain a quality experience for international students.

Effective processes and experienced personnel ensure that the pastoral care needs of international students are met. Thorough pre-enrolment and induction processes support students to transition into the school.

The school supports each student to pursue their individualised goals. These include academic, sport, culture, and English language acquisition. Students are encouraged and supported to engage in a range of school and community events.

Many international students are accommodated in the school’s hostel, particularly younger students.

Student feedback indicates that they feel well cared for and can approach a range of people for support.

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

31 August 2022 

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

New Plymouth Boys’ 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  have attested in the Hostel Assurance Statement that they meet the requirements of the Hostel Regulations 2005.

All reasonable steps are being taken by the New Plymouth Boys’ High School hostel, Hatherley House, to ensure boarders experience a safe physical and emotional environment that supports their learning. 

There is connection between the school and the boarding hostel through the sharing of the school’s systems, processes, facilities, and personnel. This supports boarders with their learning and ensures that consistency of expectations are maintained between the school and the hostel.

The development of a homelike atmosphere in the hostel is deliberate and ongoing. Boarders report that they enjoy living and learning at Hatherley House. They recognise and appreciate the care that they receive, the friendships that they make and the opportunities that are offered.

Gathering and analysing anonymous feedback from students, staff and caregivers about the functioning of the hostel would further enhance the hostel’s internal self-review processes.

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

31 August 2022

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

New Plymouth Boys' High School - 21/04/2017

Findings

At New Plymouth Boys’ High School, many students achieve success in a broad range of learning areas, options and extra-curricular activities. The school is welcoming, inclusive and promotes a strong sense of belonging and connection, valuing diversity and difference. The school is well placed to sustain and improve its performance.

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?

New Plymouth Boys’ High School caters for boys in Years 9 to 13. At the time of this review there were 1212 students, of whom 20% identify as Māori. The school hostel houses 160 boarders, including most of the 17 international students.

Since the 2014 ERO review, a new headmaster joined the school in 2015. The senior leadership team has been reshaped with recent appointments of a deputy headmaster and an assistant principal.

Leaders, in consultation with all stakeholders, have refreshed the vision of the school. “Be the example” defines the values and underpins all aspects of school life.

The school has participated in the Kia eke Panuku initiative, aimed at giving life to Ka Hikitia - Accelerating Success 2013 - 2017 and addressing the aspirations of Māori communities by supporting Māori students to pursue their potential. The board valued this initiative and has committed funding for the next three years.

The school has responded positively to the areas for improvement outlined in the previous ERO report.

2 Learning

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

The school continues to strengthen its practices to make positive changes to learners' progress and achievement. There is an increased focus on using information about students' achievement and progress to respond effectively to their needs, interests and aspirations.

In response to previous results for the National Certificates of Educational Achievement (NCEAs), a schoolwide review of programmes, strategies and pathways was undertaken in 2015. In the 2016, improvements in NCEA results are evident, with most students achieving well. Achievement of the NCEAs Levels 1 and 2 is above figures for students in similar schools, and for boys nationally. Around three quarters of school leavers achieved NCEA Level 2 or higher.

There is increasing retention of students to the end of Year 13. However, although there have been improvements in achievement of NCEA Level 3, these results are below national figures for similar schools. Leaders acknowledge this is an area for improvement.

Māori student achievement has improved since 2015, at all NCEA Levels. The within-school gap between Māori and others is narrowing. The school prioritises equity and excellence of outcomes for all students.

An increased range of information about student achievement and wellbeing is collected from contributing schools. It is used effectively to group students and direct resourcing that responds to those with additional needs.

Teachers and leaders continue to develop the use of standardised assessments of progress and achievement in literacy and numeracy in Years 9 and 10. A Year 9 and 10 diploma uses school-based assessment criteria to measure achievement. The planned internal evaluation of the diploma should establish how effectively it promotes progress and achievement, particularly for priority students.

Next steps are for leaders and teachers to better use analysed achievement data, especially at Years 9 and 10, to accelerate students’ progress and improve access to the curriculum. This should include:

  • continuing to develop the use of assessment tools to gather information about student achievement and accelerated progress
  • setting clearer targets with expected outcomes
  • using increased data to better inform programme planning and decision making
  • evaluating the impact of actions and strategies on improving student outcomes.

3 Curriculum

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

The school's curriculum is increasingly effective in promoting engagement, learning and achievement.

Many students achieve success in a broad range of learning areas and options. Increased flexibility provides more responsive learning pathways to better suit individual students' abilities, interests and aspirations. Recently introduced programmes have successfully improved engagement and achievement for groups of students at risk of underachievement.

ERO affirms school leaders' plans to ensure the curriculum meets the needs of all students. Ongoing review and development should focus on:

  • a clear curriculum framework that reflects the principles and philosophy of The New Zealand Curriculum
  • guidance and expectations for high quality teaching and learning
  • indicators of desired student outcomes as a basis for evaluation of the effectiveness of programmes.

The school is welcoming and inclusive. It promotes a strong sense of belonging and connection, valuing diversity and difference. Classrooms observed by ERO had a positive, settled tone, with good levels of engagement in learning.

A cross curricular approach to promoting literacy in Years 9 to 10 has seen improvement for many students and accelerated progress for some. Students identified as at risk of poor outcomes on entry to Year 9, benefit from a focus on building relationships and gathering a wider range of information that enables the school to be more responsive to their learning and wellbeing needs.

Pastoral systems and processes aim to cater for the diverse needs of students and include: increased use of shared information, introduction of mentoring, vertical form grouping to support student wellbeing, relationships and leadership, and use of restorative practices.

Careers education appropriately guides students to choose suitable pathways and options that respond to their strengths and interests for future employment and training. Targeted programmes for Māori students promote their increased engagement, retention and success.

A strong focus on improving communication and building positive relationships between the school and the community is evident. The school continues to strengthen partnerships with parents and whānau to facilitate better education outcomes for students.

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

The school has recently increased its emphasis on promoting improved educational success for Māori and culturally responsive practices.

Kia Eke Panuku and associated initiatives have raised staff awareness and understanding. Māori leaders in the school have strengthened relationships with the community. There is increased consultation with improved opportunities for whānau involvement.

Mentoring and pastoral support respond to the wellbeing needs of individuals and groups. Increased use of culturally responsive learning contexts and teaching strategies promote engagement and recognition of students’ language, culture and identity.

Leaders and staff are committed to valuing and promoting te ao Māori. Trustees plan to build a new wharenui in the centre of the school. To sustain ongoing improvement in outcomes for Māori, the school should continue to:  

  • set specific annual goals and targets to accelerate progress and raise the achievement of Māori at all levels  
  • develop programmes and pathways that promote language, culture and identity for increased numbers of students
  • strengthen the framework, resourcing and strategies for building the cultural competencies of all teachers. 

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.

Leadership sets a clear direction for school improvement. It seeks the perspectives of all stakeholders to decide the vision, values and strategic priorities for the school. Leaders ensure an orderly and supportive environment that promotes teaching and learning. They collaboratively promote effective planning, coordination and review of the school’s curriculum.

Processes and systems for the school's internal evaluation are established at leadership level and are leading to improvement. Teachers and leaders now need to seek improved evaluative information about what makes the greatest difference to, or limits, students' learning, engagement, progress and achievement.

The performance management process has been reviewed and strengthened. There is an increasing focus on supporting teachers to improve their practice and meet the challenge of new initiatives. A more structured framework includes developing a portfolio of evidence that assists those seeking to renew their Practising Teacher Certificates.

A new process encourages teachers to inquire into the effectiveness of their practice. All are now involved, but there is variability in how well the process is understood and implemented. Greater focus on priority students and use of evidence should improve how teachers are able to show the impact of changes in their practice on outcomes for students.

The board focuses on improving outcomes for all learners. Trustees have participated in training about their roles and responsibilities. ERO identifies that targeted action and strategic planning should have a greater focus on accelerating progress for all priority learners, including those in Years 9 and 10.

Provision for international students

The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of International Students) Code of Practice 2016 (the Code) .The school has attested that it complies with and meets all aspects of the Code. At the time of this review there were 17 international students attending the school.

Processes for orientation to the school are well considered, providing students and their families with detailed information. Systems for identifying and responding to individual needs and interests are effective.  English language learners receive appropriate tuition. Additional classroom support is provided where necessary.

International students receive high quality pastoral care, and their wellbeing is a strong focus. Students benefit from positive, respectful relationships. Those who set goals for academic achievement are successful.

The school continues to make positive changes in response to its self-review findings that further strengthen provision for international students. 

Provision for students in the school hostel

The school hostel, Hatherley House, accommodates 160 students, 13% of the school roll. It is owned by New Plymouth Boys’ High School Board of Trustees. The hostel owner has attested that all the requirements of the Hostel Regulations are met. Since the 2014 ERO review, the hostel manager has also been appointed as deputy headmaster.

There has been recent upgrading of some areas of the hostel and a commitment to strengthening buildings and emergency procedures. Emphasis is placed on building strong care and educational partnerships with parents and whānau.

Hostel leaders have reviewed and further developed some procedures to support the physical, emotional and intellectual needs of boarders. Orientation and mentoring for Year 9 students assists their transition to hostel life. Cultural mentoring of Māori students supports their culture, identity, wellbeing and educational success.

Opportunities are provided for students to develop leadership, take responsibility and contribute. Students value the ease of access to the facilities and recreational activities.

Feedback from boarders and their parents is regularly sought, encouraged and responded to. External agencies and providers are used for health and safety education and promotion of student wellbeing. Boarders spoken with by ERO valued the extended family like atmosphere.

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.

At the time of this review, one person was employed in a full-time teaching position without a current Practising Teacher Certificate. Since the onsite phase the situation has been resolved.

The school must have systems and practices in place to ensure that all persons employed by the school in a teaching position have a current Practising Teacher Certificate. [section 349(2) Education Act 1989].

Conclusion

At New Plymouth Boys’ High School, many students achieve success in a broad range of learning areas, options and extra-curricular activities. The school is welcoming, inclusive and promotes a strong sense of belonging and connection, valuing diversity and difference. The school is well placed to sustain and improve its performance.

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

Joyce Gebbie

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central

21 April 2017

About the School

Location

New Plymouth

Ministry of Education profile number

171

School type

Secondary (Years 9 to 15)

School roll

1212

Number of international students

17

Gender composition

Male 100%

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Asian

Pacific

20%

74%

5%

1%

Review team on site

March 2017

Date of this report

21 April 2017

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

June 2014

December 2010

October 2007