School Context
Ōpoutere School is located near Whangamata. It provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. The school’s current roll of 93 includes 34 Māori students.
The school’s vision is based on ‘respect for self, people, the environment and opportunities’ and links to the school values which include:
The vision and values are underpinned by the core beliefs of mana, whanaungatanga, manaakitanga and poutama.
The school’s strategic aims focus on working collaboratively, developing future focused learners and achieving success for all.
Leaders and teachers gather and report to the board schoolwide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:
Since the previous ERO review in 2016 there have been some changes to the teaching team and to the board of trustees. A new principal and deputy principal were appointed in 2017. Leaders and teachers have undertaken professional learning and development in writing, culturally responsive practices, play-based learning and innovative programmes.
The school is a member of Te-Tara-o-te-Ika-a-Maui/Coromandel Community of Learning|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?
The school is working towards equitable and excellent outcomes for all students.
The school’s data from 2018 shows that most students are achieving at or above expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics.
There is significant disparity for Māori students in relation to their Pākehā peers in all areas. Girls are achieving at significantly higher levels than boys in literacy and some disparity remains in mathematics achievement.
Data over the past three years shows significant improvement in writing and mathematics achievement for all students, including Māori students and boys.
1.2 How well is the school accelerating learning for those Māori and other students who need this?
The school is accelerating learning for some Māori and other students who need it.
Assessment information from 2018 shows effective acceleration in writing as a result of targeted actions and interventions.
Leaders have yet to collate, analyse and report on school-wide acceleration data in reading and mathematics for all students at risk of not achieving.
Students with additional learning needs are well supported to make appropriate progress in relation to their individual goals.
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?
A rich and challenging curriculum effectively engages students in authentic contexts for learning. A strong feature of the school’s curriculum is environmental education and adventure learning which develops students’ key competencies and capabilities through risk taking and problem solving. A well-documented local curriculum supports a holistic approach to meeting students’ needs and interests. Strong bicultural perspectives and a planned approach to learning about local iwi history and places of significance affirms Māori students in their culture and contributes to a positive sense of belonging.
Teachers use effective strategies to enhance learning. Students at-risk of not achieving are clearly identified through a range of appropriate assessment information and their progress is closely tracked and monitored. Students with additional learning needs are well supported through effective liaison with a wide range of outside agencies. Teachers know their students and families well and positive partnerships for learning are enhanced through regular and open communication. Respectful and affirming relationships enable calm and settled environments for learning.
Leadership works collaboratively to improve outcomes for all. Highly effective relationships between leaders, staff, trustees, parents and community contribute to a positive school culture. Professional learning and development is prioritised to build teacher knowledge and capability. Leadership has developed clear guidelines and expectations for teacher appraisal that is well aligned to students at-risk of not achieving. The principles of Ka Hikitia and the cultural competencies in Tātaiako are strongly evident in school documentation and are supporting schoolwide culturally responsive practices. Innovative approaches to enhance student learning and engagement have been established supporting students to have success across the curriculum, especially for Māori students and boys.
The board is working closely with the principal to improve outcomes for students. Trustees strongly support the school’s vision and direction. They have undertaken appropriate training and are experienced in their roles. Regular consultation with the community gathers views to inform school decision making. Trustees make appropriate resourcing decisions to enable equitable opportunities to learn for all students.
2.2 What further developments are needed in school processes and practices for achievement of equity and excellence, and acceleration of learning?
The management and use of student achievement information requires strengthening.
Priority should be given to:
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identifying trends and patterns over time and responding more effectively through targeted action
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strategically monitoring and reporting on rates of progress and acceleration for at-risk students over time
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inquiring more deeply into what is making a difference for accelerated outcomes.
There is a need to empower students to lead their own learning by:
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 Ōpoutere School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Developing.
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:
- leadership for learning that is focused on improving outcomes for all students
- an inclusive culture that supports the individual needs of students
- an holistic curriculum that contributes to high levels of engagement, belonging and student success.
Next steps
For sustained improvement and future learner success, priorities for further development are in:
- internal evaluation and targeted action to raise achievement and reduce disparity for Māori students and boys
- building collective capacity to further improve outcomes for students
- student agency to grow fully independent learners.
Actions for compliance
ERO identified non-compliance in relation to curriculum.
In order to address this, the board of trustees must:
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work towards offering students opportunities for learning second or subsequent languages (Years 7 -10).
[The New Zealand Curriculum].
Phillip Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services Central
Central Region
14 November 2019
About the school
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Location
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Whangamata
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Ministry of Education profile number
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1867
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School type
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Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)
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School roll
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93
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Gender composition
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Male 50 Female 43
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Ethnic composition
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Māori 34
NZ European/Pākehā 59
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Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS)
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Yes
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Provision of Māori medium education
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No
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Review team on site
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June 2019
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Date of this report
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14 November 2019
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Most recent ERO report(s)
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Education Review June 2016
Education Review April 2013
Education Review June 2010
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