Opihi College

Opihi College

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 18 months of the Education Review Office and Opihi College 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

Opihi College is a co-educational Years 7 to 13 school situated in Temuka in South Canterbury.

Opihi College’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes are to:

  • support improvement in the learning progress and achievement for all students

  • actively promote collaboration and partnerships with all sections of the school community.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Opihi College’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the effectiveness of internal evaluation in supporting school processes and practices which lead to excellence and equity in student achievement in national qualifications.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to:

  • ensure that the school’s self-review processes are robust, comprehensive and contribute effectively to strengthening teacher capability for supporting equity and excellence in progress and achievement for all students

  • strengthen school-wide practices for planning, delivering, assessing and reporting on progress and achievement

  • improve student outcomes in Years 7 to 9 and NCEA

  • develop clear and equitable shared expectations for student learning, achievement and progress.

The school expects to see that ongoing monitoring and evaluation of achievement, valued outcomes and other indicator data will show improved student achievement outcomes in terms of excellence and equity for all students and in the percentage of students gaining NCEA level 1 to 3 and endorsements.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to use internal evaluation to strengthen practices which lead to excellence and equity in student achievement. 

  • Teachers are improvement focused and share enthusiasm for curriculum development.

  • School leadership and teachers engage in professional learning and development to improve teacher practice.

  • There is a school-wide commitment to growing the capability of the staff to support and promote student achievement and engagement.

Where to next? 

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • implementing a localised curriculum which is responsive to the aspirations of students, parents, and whānau

  • fostering ongoing collection of whānau and ākonga perspectives on how well the curriculum supports all students' sense of belonging and engagement in learning

  • strengthening school-wide practices for planning, delivering, assessing and reporting on progress and achievement.

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

13 June 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

Opihi College

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2022 to 2025

As of May 2022, the Opihi College 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 Opihi College 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.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

13 June 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

Opihi College

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

Opihi College 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 was one international student attending the school, and no exchange students.

Sound processes and practices support students to settle into the school, develop a sense of belonging and actively participate in school life and the wider community. Students are encouraged and supported to take part in a wide range of sports, recreational and cultural activities.

Care is taken to support international students’ health and wellbeing. The wellbeing of international students is catered for by the school’s pastoral care system and communication with the student and whānau.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

13 June 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

Opihi College - 20/06/2018

School Context

Opihi College is a co-educational Year 7 to 13 college in the South Canterbury township of Temuka. At the time of this review it had 271 students.

The school’s vision is for the best for all learners through passion, self awareness and community. The school’s C.A.R.E. values are about community, acceptance, respect and excellence.

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

  • achievement in reading, writing and mathematics for Years 7 to 10

  • achievement in social science, science and agriculture, physical education and health in Years 7 to 10

  • achievement within the New Zealand Qualifications Framework

  • achievement in relation to school targets for NCEA and leaver qualifications.

A new principal was appointed in 2016, and a new deputy principal in 2017. Two new heads of faculty have been appointed in the past year.

The school is part of the North Timaru Kāhui Ako | Community of Learning.

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 working towards achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all its students.

School achievement information for the last three years shows:

  • most students (more than 75%) achieve NCEA Level 2
  • a significant number of school leavers making successful, planned transitions to work
  • students with additional needs being well supported to make appropriate progress and achieve personalised goals
  • a declining proportion of students achieving at expected levels and progressing at expected rates in literacy from Year 7 to 10
  • fewer boys than girls achieving NCEA Level 2 and 3 and gaining endorsements on their certificates
  • a smaller proportion of Māori learners than other groups of learners achieving Level 2
  • lower rates of retention for boys and Māori students to age 17.

The school has set goals to improve junior boys’ achievement in literacy and to raise the retention and achievement of boys and Māori students in NCEA Level 2 and 3. Māori students have increasing opportunities for their language, culture and identity to be recognised and celebrated.

The school now needs to clarify expectations for achievement and progress in the junior school for literacy and other curriculum areas.

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

The school is developing school-wide systems for monitoring and evaluating how well students at risk with their learning have been supported to make accelerated progress. This includes monitoring of students participating in targeted learning support programmes.

School reporting for 2017 shows few of those Year 7 and 8 students targeted for acceleration made progress. However, the school has successfully supported a proportion of students at risk with their learning to achieve success in national qualifications.

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?

Students participate and learn in an inclusive environment where acceptance and respect are expected and rewarded. The strong pastoral system is providing high quality care and support for students who need it. The Positive Behaviour for Learning programme is well embedded within school procedures. It is well understood by staff and students. The C.A.R.E. values are highly evident in the environment. Students know and understand the values, and take pride in wearing badges that identify their level of success in demonstrating each value.

The school, local businesses and community services work well together to provide positive outcomes for students and smooth transitions to work and further learning. Many social agencies have strong links with the school. Local industries have been involved in consultation to develop the new school charter. There has been an increase in the number of opportunities for students to engage in structured workplace learning integrated with school-based learning. Students have appropriate opportunities for second chance learning.

Teachers are flexible and adaptable in their approach to providing equitable and authentic opportunities to learn. A committee of interested teachers and researchers leads the implementation of new strategies to address identified issues about teaching and learning. Professional learning groups provide opportunities for teachers to work collaboratively on an area of interest in order to improve outcomes for students. Teachers have been creative in the way that they have continued to deliver the curriculum in spite of restrictions by the lack of suitable teaching spaces at the time of this review. Students have suitable opportunities for learning outside of regular classes that give them access to a broad curriculum.

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

Trustees and leaders need to build stronger foundations for the governance and leadership of the school. At the time of the review, the board was seeking to co-opt parent trustees to ensure that the board had the full complement of trustees and skills.

The senior leadership team has a relatively new mix of people. Two heads of faculties have recently been appointed. The board, school leaders and middle managers need training and support to develop a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. There needs to be better alignment from key strategic and annual goals, through to faculty goals, professional learning and development (PLD), teacher appraisal and inquiry. Trustees and leaders need to prioritise goals and take targeted action that will make the most difference to improve outcomes for students.

Systems for building professional capability and collective capacity need strengthening. The charter statement of effective teaching needs to be further integrated to make it clear to all teachers the College’s expectations of what high quality teaching looks like. School-wide PLD needs to prioritise building capability and consistency of teaching and learning across the school. The appraisal process, including teachers inquiring into their own practice, needs to be strengthened to better support teachers to continue to improve their teaching strategies.

Leaders and teachers need to build their evaluation and inquiry capability so that they and the board have a better understanding of what is working and what needs to change to improve outcomes for students. The board receives a number of reports on curriculum and achievement. While some of these provide some useful information, there is a need for a more systematic and evaluative approach to reporting. School leaders should provide reports to the board that make sense of the data, prioritise and implement actions needed for improvement, and monitor and evaluate the impact of their actions.

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.

Appraisal audit

The appraisal process has not consistently followed the school’s policy in terms of setting performance expectations, observations of teaching, discussion of performance with an appraiser, and the development of a performance report. The policy needs to state the requirement for teachers to be appraised against the professional standards for teachers. The principal is aware that the previous appraisal process did not meet legal requirements. She has taken initial steps to remedy this for the 2018 process.

Provision for international students

The school 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 all aspects of the Code.

At the time of this review there was one international student attending the school. The director of international students was newly appointed and in the process of building her knowledge of the Code, the role and associated processes.

The school has effective practices for monitoring and responding to the pastoral needs of students. Students are actively supported to participate in the life of the school and the local community. They are helped to make progress with their English language learning by specialist staff.

ERO’s audit of the school’s implementation of its adherence to the Code identified that the school can improve on its current provision by strengthening self review through:

  • regularly collecting student, host-family and teacher feedback to support evaluation of provision
  • better documenting monitoring and support activities.
  • regular reporting on students’ educational progress and achievement, and
  • the provision of professional development for teaching staff about how to support the learning of international students.

Actions for compliance

ERO identified non-compliance in relation to teachers’ performance appraisal.

In order to address this, the board of trustees must:

  • develop and implement personnel and industrial policies which promote high levels of staff performance, use education resources effectively and recognise the needs of the students.
    [National Administration Guideline 3]

Areas for improved compliance practice

To improve current practice, the board of trustees should:

  • prioritise the policies that need to be updated to minimise its risk of not meeting legal requirements and to ensure it is providing a safe environment for students and staff.

4 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

  • providing an inclusive, respectful learning environment

  • promoting school-community links to support student learning

  • teachers’ willingness to research and adapt approaches to teaching and learning to meet the needs and interests of students.

Next steps

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

  • building governance and leadership capability and capacity

  • improving consistency of high quality teaching and learning practices

  • targeted planning to accelerate learning [ERO will monitor and discuss progress with the school.]

  • internal evaluation processes and practices across all school operations.
    [ERO will provide an internal evaluation workshop for trustees and senior leaders.]

Recommendations to other agencies

ERO recommends that the New Zealand School Trustees Association consider providing support for the school in order to bring about improvement in:

  • governance roles and responsibilities of trustees.

ERO recommends that the Ministry of Education consider providing support for the school in order to bring about improvement in:

  • the quality and availability of appropriate teaching spaces.

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

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

Dr Lesley Patterson

Deputy Chief Review Officer

Te Waipounamu - Southern Region

20 June 2018

About the school

Location

Temuka

Ministry of Education profile number

354

School type

Secondary (Year 7-15)

School roll

271

Gender composition

Boys 52% : Girls 48%

Ethnic composition

Māori 24%

Pākehā 69%

Other ethnicities 7%

Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS)

Yes

Provision of Māori medium education

No

Review team on site

May 2018

Date of this report

20 June 2018

Most recent ERO reports

Education Review January 2015

Arotake Paetawhiti February 2013

Education Review January 2012

Opihi College - 12/01/2015

Findings

The school’s strengths are in the quality of care for students, support for their learning and generally good levels of achievement. Together with teachers, the new principal and senior leaders have made significant progress towards addressing a range of concerns that led to an early return by ERO in 2013. This report acknowledges that progress and identifies key priorities for ongoing improvement.

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?

Opihi College is a Year 7 to 13 semi-rural school in South Canterbury. The school has made significant progress since the ERO reviews in 2011 and 2013. Strengthened leadership, management and financial practices are considerably benefiting the school and students’ learning and wellbeing.

The school’s values are most clearly evident in relationships across the college and in the way staff care for students and promote high expectations for their achievement and wellbeing. The school’s smaller size enables teachers to know students and their families very well.

Changes at the school since the 2011 ERO review include a new principal and senior leadership team and some new staff and board members. After a time of some decline, the school’s roll is beginning to grow.

The school has maintained the strengths identified in the 2011 report. Many of the areas for improvement identified in that report have been addressed. Further progress in aspects of self review, department reporting, target setting and planning will strengthen the positive work undertaken over the past three years.

2 Learning

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

The school is making good progress in using achievement information to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement. This is most evident in:

  • teachers’ use of class profiles across the school and portfolios at junior levels to track and review individual students’ learning needs and progress
  • the extra support provided for some students whose learning and achievement are below expectations
  • the regular feedback provided to students about their learning progress that is further supported by mentoring for students at all levels
  • the increasing opportunities for parents to be more fully involved in conferencing about their children’s learning, engagement and progress.

NCEA achievement information for 2013 provided by the school shows that students achieve best at Levels 1 and 2. Students generally achieved at or above regional and national NCEA Levels. National Standards information shows that students achieve best in reading. Achievement levels in mathematics are lower at school entry, and at Year 7 and 8 National Standards Levels. Leaders have identified the need to raise achievement levels in mathematics through further professional development for teachers.

The effective use of a school-wide programme to increase student engagement is:

  • promoting the regular analysis and use of engagement information to focus and continue to improve teaching practices and approaches
  • having a significant and sustained impact on students’ learning, behaviour and attitudes across the school.

Leaders and teachers also make good use of achievement information to acknowledge and celebrate successes across academic, sporting and cultural codes in ways that motivate and further engage students.

The pastoral care of students is a significant strength of the school.

Student wellbeing is given a high priority and responsibility for it is shared across staff, pastoral care programmes are well structured and led at senior leadership, guidance counsellor and dean levels. Parents are well included in pastoral care processes.

Areas for review and development

The next steps to further strengthen the use of achievement information are to:

  • use achievement information to review current literacy and mathematics provisions for students achieving below expectations in Years 7 to 10
  • establish guidelines for literacy monitoring and reporting progress and achievement
  • gather, analyse, track and report achievement information of students in Years 9 and 10
  • review and improve the management of provisions for priority learners.

3 Curriculum

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

Leaders and teachers are making significant improvement with engaging students in an increasingly relevant and interesting curriculum. Students have many opportunities to experience a good range of programmes and activities beyond the classroom that enrich their learning and enjoyment of school.

A recent change to curriculum leadership at a senior level is having a positive impact on providing a flexible and responsive curriculum. Although at an early stage of development, leaver information is now being used to analyse student career destinations and ensure that the curriculum reflects these trends and choices.

Students have increasing opportunities to be involved in a range of work experience situations that will help them to plan career pathways. The continued strengthening of partnerships with the local tertiary and business community by senior leaders is opening up further work experience opportunities for students.

Teachers help students to set goals that better focus their learning priorities and promote self directed learning. They use a good range of teaching approaches and, according to students spoken with by ERO, consistently going the extra mile to encourage and support learning.

The positive relationships between teachers and students and between students are promoting an environment of safety and acceptance. There are many opportunities for collaborative learning in classrooms.

Areas for review and development

Leaders and ERO have identified that the next steps for school-wide curriculum development are to:

  • complete the review of the junior and senior curriculum and document outcomes that reflect the aspirations of students, their parents and the local community
  • improve teachers’ shared understanding of how thinking and inquiry strategies, and key competencies develop from Year 7 to Year 13, and how these can be best taught across subject areas
  • continue to realign the senior curriculum to better meet the vocational needs of students
  • develop a rationale and programme for students identified as gifted and talented.

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

The progress being made to strengthen and support Māori students’ success as Māori is helping to expand opportunities within the school and in the local community. The principal and senior leaders are providing strong support for developments in a range of areas. Leadership of Māori in the school is highly valued by students.

The factors that are most contributing to progress with promoting success as Māori include:

  • the leadership and support of senior leaders and the teacher in charge of Māori and senior leaders
  • the involvement of the principal in regular meetings with the local marae to promote successful outcomes for Māori students
  • a re-energising of kapa haka and attendance at cultural festivals and competitions
  • involvement in a national strategy to increase the engagement of Māori students.
Areas for review and development

In consultation with Māori students and whānau, it is now timely for leaders to develop strategic planning that sets a clear direction for success as Māori. This includes:

  • setting priorities and goals for ongoing improvement
  • developing timeframes, responsibilities and indicators of what success will look like at the college
  • including success as Māori in a regular cycle of reviewing and reporting to the board.

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.

Trustees have given priority to addressing the financial issues that have limited school development in recent years. Careful financial management has resulted in the school now being in a position to plan positively for the future.

Trustees have developed strategic priorities for the school that are giving leaders and staff improved clarity about the future direction of the school. The board has supported the new principal well to achieve improvements to school operations.

The role of the principal has been very important in achieving major school redevelopment. He is working effectively with a new senior leadership team to manage change, and to make substantial improvements to learning and teaching. The strengths of senior leaders are being used to improve the school’s curriculum and the effectiveness of the pastoral care programme. Teachers are given good opportunities to grow their leadership skills.

The appraisal process for teachers has been substantially reviewed. Appraisal now focuses much more on teachers taking responsibility to create better learning opportunities for students. Students can now provide feedback to their teachers about the impact teaching has on their learning and achievement.

Leaders and teachers have developed a reflective culture that is supporting improvement in learning and teaching. Review is now based on the gathering and analysis of a wider range of information, including the views of students.

A significant change in school culture is the opportunity for parents to be more involved in their children’s education and the provision of parent-support programmes. Feedback from parent surveys has affirmed the school’s change in approach.

Areas for review and development

The board and senior leadership team have worked closely with ERO to identify further areas for school development and improvement.

The board has achieved important improvements to some school operations. Changes in board membership have increased the need for trustees to fully understand their governance roles and responsibilities. The next steps for trustees include:

  • participating in whole-board training specific to improving their understanding of governance roles and responsibilities and key priorities for school development
  • establishing plans for effective financial management, property development and ICT resourcing
  • extending annual planning to identify priorities and expected outcomes for board goals that the principal will report on at each board meeting
  • developing a strategic goal and annual planning and reporting processes for student and staff wellbeing.

There have been recent and major changes in leadership responsibilities within the school. The next steps to make sure leadership across the school is effective and accountable include reviewing and establishing job descriptions for all current leadership positions, and establishing terms of reference for the curriculum committee.

Reflection and review has improved for many school operations. However, there are limited guidelines for review planning, documenting and reporting that will ensure self review is central to sustained school-wide practice. The next steps to improve school review are to:

  • further develop and document processes, guidelines and priorities for self review at board, leadership, department and teacher levels
  • make sure the annual review for all departments and programmes is more consistent and evaluative in practice, and aligned to board goals.

Provision for international students

The school is a signatory to the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students (the Code) established under section 238F of the Education Act 1989. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code.

At the time of this review, there were two international students attending the school.

ERO’s investigations confirmed that the school has effective systems and practices to support and review the quality of students’ wellbeing and education. Students are actively included and involved in all aspects of the school.

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

The school’s strengths are in the quality of care for students, support for their learning and generally good levels of achievement. Together with teachers, the new principal and senior leaders have made significant progress towards addressing a range of concerns that led to an early return by ERO in 2013. This report acknowledges that progress and identifies key priorities for ongoing improvement.

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

Graham Randell

National Manager Review Services

Southern Region

12 January 2015

About the School

Location

Temuka

Ministry of Education profile number

354

School type

Secondary (Years 7 to 13)

School roll

291

Number of international students

2

Gender composition

Girls 51%

Boys 49%

Ethnic composition

Pākeha

Māori

Asian

Other ethnicities

75%

18%

5%

2%

Review team on site

October 2014

Date of this report

12 January 2015

Most recent ERO reports

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

February 2013

January 2012

October 2008