Ōrākei School is a full primary school situated in Ōrākei and caters for students in Years 1 to 8. The school has close historical and cultural links with Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei. Many Māori children whakapapa to the local iwi Ngāti Whātua. Māori students make up 30 percent of the roll, Pākehā students 41 percent, and other students have Pacific or multicultural heritages.
The school’s vision of ‘Nurturing Excellence’ in staff, students and the learning environment, is complemented by the school’s five core values of Whakaute - respect, Pākihi Hinengaro - inquiring minds, Tōku Whakapono - self-belief, Kairangi – excellence, and Auahatanga - creativity.
Since ERO’s 2016 review, the school has experienced significant staffing changes. The new principal was appointed in 2019, and two new deputy principals have been recently appointed. These were all internal appointments. Further changes have included the increase to three Māori medium classes in Te Ahureinga o Te Aroha (TAoTA) and the establishment of a Montessori class.
Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board schoolwide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:
The school is a member of Te Roopu Pourewa Community of Learning | Kāhui Ako.
The school is working towards achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all its students.
The school’s achievement information indicates that most students are achieving at expected national curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics. By the end of Year 8, most students leave school well prepared for secondary education learning. Māori students achieve well in literacy and mathematics. Leaders are aware of the disparity for some groups of students.
Students in Te Ahureinga o Te Aroha learn through Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, the Māori Medium curriculum. Achievement information for these students is not reported separately from students working in English medium. School leaders agree that reporting the levels of achievement for students in TAoTA would provide a more accurate overall picture of achievement across the school. Assessment systems aligned to Te Marautanga o Aotearoa are at the development stage.
The cohort of Pacific students is too small to report overall achievement trends and patterns. The school monitors the achievement of these children individually.
Many students achieve well in relation to the school’s broader valued outcomes. Students demonstrate:
tuakana/teina practices
a strong sense of belonging and connection to the school and community
respectful and positive relationships with staff and each other.
The school has developed ways to accelerate student learning progress. Relevant systems are used to identify, track and regularly monitor the progress of children who need to make accelerated progress. Teachers have increased their understanding of accelerated progress required to achieve more equitable outcomes for all students. They are using useful strategies to increase students’ rates of progress in mathematics. School achievement data indicate that in 2018, students identified at risk of not achieving in literacy, made accelerated progress over that year.
The board, leaders and teachers are committed to achieving equitable outcomes for all learners. The school has effective processes and practices to enable the achievement of equity and excellence, and acceleration of learning.
The school’s culturally responsive curriculum promotes mana whenua in the rohe of Ngāti Whātua and reflects the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand. A specialist teacher provides meaningful opportunities for students and teachers to learn te reo Māori. This is helping to increase teachers’ confidence to use the language.
Ako is the school’s ‘signature practice’ model of teaching and learning. This approach is successfully improving teachers’ professional practice and building student agency. Teachers are promoting opportunities for students to use self and peer assessment strategies, so they can take a greater role in their learning. For many students these strategies are helping them to make accelerated progress.
Teachers are using achievement information well to respond to students’ learning strengths and needs. Students learn in flexible learning groups, and this approach is supporting them to make accelerated progress. Children with additional learning and behavioural needs feel accepted, enjoy positive relationships with their peers and teachers. They are active, visible members of the learning community. A broad range of professionals support the health, wellbeing and education of these students. Students develop oral language skills and build social and emotional competencies to help them to be successful learners.
Leaders have built strong relational trust with the school community. Teachers support parents and whānau by providing them with ways to help with their children’s learning at home.
The leadership team is committed to the school’s vision. Leaders are building relational trust and effective collaboration as a new team. They agree that further developments for achievement of equity and excellence, and acceleration of learning include:
developing a strategic plan to guide Te Ahureinga o Te Aroha
developing a localised curriculum that reflects the voice and aspirations of the community aligned to the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa
strengthening the assessment requirements for Te Matauranga o Aotearoa
continuing to grow the capacity of leaders to lead change
refining evaluation systems and practices for improvement and innovation.
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. No international students were enrolled at the time of the ERO review.
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:
During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student safety and wellbeing:
On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement of Ōrākei 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.
For sustained improvement and future learner success, the school can draw on existing strengths in:
For sustained improvement and future learner success, priorities for further development are in:
ERO identified an area of non-compliance in relation to the health curriculum.
In order to address this, the school must consult with the community on the delivery of the health curriculum at least once every two years.
[Education Act 1989, s60B.]
ERO recommends that the New Zealand Qualifications Authority as Administrator of the Education (Pastoral Care of International Students) Code of Practice 2016, follows up with the school on its implementation and review of policies and processes that give effect to the Code.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region
4 December 2019
|
Location |
Ōrākei, Auckland |
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
1402 |
|
School type |
Full primary (Years 1-8) |
|
School roll |
399 |
|
Gender composition |
Boys 52% Girls 48% |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 30% |
|
Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS) |
Yes |
|
Provision of Māori medium education |
Yes |
|
Review team on site |
September 2019 |
|
Date of this report |
4 December 2019 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review June 2016 |