Orewa Beach School

Orewa Beach School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report 

Background 

This Profile Report was written within 6 months of the Education Review Office and ​Orewa Beach 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 

Orewa Beach School is on Auckland’s Hibiscus Coast. The school caters for students from Years 1 to 6 and serves an increasingly diverse community. The school’s motto is He Waka Eke Noa and vision is ‘creating pathways for the future’. The values of resilience, empathy, self-belief, perseverance, equity, cultural awareness, and togetherness are used to enable students to be the best they can be.  

Orewa Beach School​’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are: 

  • an Environment where everyone feels safe and secure 
  • a culture of success for all 
  • creating a culturally sustaining context for learning. 

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on ​Orewa Beach School​’s website. 

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how successfully Orewa Beach School is creating a culturally sustaining context for learning through Te Ao Māori.  

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:  

  • a commitment to “knowing better and doing better” in relation to improving cultural competence 
  • for Māori learners to see their language, culture and identity valued and an integral part of the school 
  • to ensure reciprocal teaching and learning practices will improve educational outcomes for all learners. 

The school expects to see: 

  • a school free of racism, bullying and Māori language becoming an intrinsic part of the school culture 
  • children who are connected to their culture through the school environment, where their language, culture and identity is recognised and valued 
  • teachers who have high expectations of all tamariki 
  • positive relationships continually fostered with whānau

Strengths 

The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to create a culturally sustaining context for learning: 

  • successfully engaging with the Māori Achievement Collaborative and Te Pūheke programmes to ensure Māori learners have opportunities to achieve success as Māori 
  • staff who are learning te reo Māori to support culturally responsive teaching practices 
  • developing closer connections with local iwi/hapū

Where to next? 

Moving forward, the school will prioritise: 

  • teachers' participation in culturally responsive professional learning to enhance a school culture where language and identity are recognised and valued 
  • community outreach to work together for tamariki and support their learning. 

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 

​21 March 2024​ 

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 

Orewa Beach School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report ​2023​ to ​2026​

As of ​August 2023​, the ​Orewa Beach​ 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 

​Yes​ 

Finance 

​Yes​ 

Assets 

​Yes​ 

Further Information 

For further information please contact the ​Orewa Beach​ 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​ 

​21 March 2024​ 

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 

Orewa Beach 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 42 short term international students attending the school at different times during term 3, and 0 exchange students. 

The school ensures effective systems that help to support students' education, and pastoral care. International students benefit from the school’s inclusive culture, and opportunities to participate in a wide range of activities. 

​Shelley Booysen 
Director of Schools 

​21 March 2024​ 

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  

Orewa North School - 20/02/2019

School Context

Orewa North School caters for approximately 390 students from Years 1 to 6. The school serves an increasingly diverse community. Māori students make up 17 percent of the roll.

The school’s motto is ‘Learning: the link to the future’. The board’s overarching vision and its strategic goals are focused on improving outcomes for learners through:

  • building effective leadership and stewardship
  • developing strong educational connections with parents, whānau and the wider community
  • providing a broad curriculum and depth of learning opportunities
  • building teachers’ professional knowledge and adaptive expertise through professional learning.

The current targets for improvement in outcomes are to increase the number of students achieving at or above expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics. Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board schoolwide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:

  • achievement in reading, writing and mathematics
  • progress and achievement of students with additional learning needs.

The board of trustees appointed a new principal in Term 3, 2018. Since the 2015 ERO review, the school roll has increased by over 100 students. Local housing developments in the Orewa area mean that this rapid roll growth is anticipated to continue for the next few years.

The school is a member of the Orewa Kāhui Ako (Community of Learning). In 2017, the achievement focus was on writing and mathematics and in 2018 on digital fluency.

The 2015 ERO report identified curriculum policies, teaching practices and collaboration as areas for development. All of these areas have been addressed.

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?

Overall, achievement data since 2014 show that the school is achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for most of its students.

Over time, school data show that most children achieve at or above expectations in reading, writing and mathematics. Māori children achieve at similar levels to all children.

Although there are small numbers of Pacific students, the large majority are achieving at or above expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics.

School data show that there is increasing parity in achievement between boys and girls.

Other valued outcomes evident in the school include students who:

  • are becoming lifelong and passionate learners
  • have a strong sense of belonging and connection to the school
  • value respectful and supportive relationships
  • are confident and articulate
  • positively contribute to, and participate in, the wider school community.

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

The school is effective in accelerating learning for students who need this.

The school has good systems to identify students who need to make accelerated progress. Student achievement is tracked, monitored and discussed by teachers and leaders. The school has a range of strategies and interventions to accelerate student learning.

Teachers know children well. They identify and use appropriate strategies to accelerate learning for individuals and groups of students.

The school ethos promotes collaboration between teachers and whānau, and between children and teachers. School leaders make good use of external agencies and support services to enable students to participate in appropriate and supportive learning programmes.

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 positive school culture, school leadership and stewardship, a strong bicultural partnership and a deliberate focus on building professional practice are effective school conditions that enable learners to achieve equity and excellence.

School leaders and teachers continue to nurture a strong culture of community involvement. Parents, whānau and the community are welcomed and involved in school activities as respected and valued partners in learning. They receive information and participate in learning opportunities that enable them to constructively support their children’s learning.

The school’s vision, values and valued student outcomes permeate all aspects of the school. Strong and caring relationships are highly visible throughout the school. A sense of shared ownership and commitment to student wellbeing and learning is evident in relationships between staff, parents and the community. Children have a strong sense of belonging and enjoy being at school.

The school has had a long-term commitment to strengthening its bicultural partnership. This commitment includes a deliberate strategy to collectively build a culturally responsive school environment. The values of manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, ako and mahi tahi enrich the positive school culture for all.

Teachers have engaged in purposeful, targeted professional learning to inquire into their own teaching practices, and evaluate the impact that these have on student engagement and achievement. Increased collaboration is strengthening teachers’ understanding and skills to accelerate student learning.

The board actively represents and serves the school’s community. Trustees share a strong understanding of their governance role and responsibilities. They proactively build relationships and consult with the school community. The board regularly reviews, clarifies and reflects on the school’s progress and effectiveness in achieving valued student outcomes.

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

ERO and school leaders have identified that further developments are needed in teacher professional learning and internal evaluation to achieve equity and excellence.

Leaders and teachers should access professional development to deepen their understanding of curriculum design and of teaching, learning and assessment practices that promote student agency.

Leaders and teachers should continue strengthening their collective capacity to sustain improvement and innovation. Building teachers’ capability in internal evaluation would contribute to changes in their thinking and practice, and increase teachers’ professional agency.

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 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. No international students were enrolled at the time of the ERO review.

4 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

  • stewardship that is committed to achieving valued outcomes for all learners
  • effective school leadership that is responsive and improvement focused
  • a culture of community collaboration and powerful connections that maintain high expectations for learner success.

Next steps

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

  • deepening teachers’ understanding of the curriculum, and effective teaching and learning practices to support student agency
  • strengthening collective, internal evaluation capacity to sustain school improvement and innovation.

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

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

Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Service Northern
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region

20 February 2019

About the school 

Location

Orewa

Ministry of Education profile number

1406

School type

Years 1-6 (Contributing Primary)

School roll

390

Gender composition

Girls       52%
Boys      48%

Ethnic composition

Māori                                  17%
Pākehā                                61%
Pacific                                  4%
other European                   5%
other ethnic groups            13%

Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS)

Yes

Review team on site

November 2018

Date of this report

20 February 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review             June 2015
Education Review             June 2012
Education Review             February 2009

Orewa North School - 18/06/2015

Findings

The new principal at Orewa North School is working collaboratively and inclusively with staff, students and parents to sustain the school’s strengths and implement change. He has increased the school’s emphasis on providing focused teaching to improve outcomes for students, particularly those at risk of not achieving. Further growth and development of school self-review and governance practices is very likely to promote improvements in school 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?

Orewa North School is a located in a community with a city growing around its boundaries. The school’s previously semi-rural context, valued by the school community, is changing rapidly. The school caters for Year 1 to 6 students. Māori students make up 18 percent of the roll and there is an increasing number of students of other ethnicities.

Since ERO’s 2012 report, the board of trustees has appointed a new principal who started at the beginning of 2015. He has begun to review the extent to which students are able to express their interests, strengths and aspirations and have these reflected in the school’s curriculum. He is also working with all staff to enhance their professional practice. His collaborative and consultative approach is helping him to build a good understanding of the school community. This should help ensure that any change is well considered.

Previous ERO reports have identified strengths within the school. These included a positive school culture, a supportive climate and settled children. Students had reported that they enjoyed being at school and valued the learning opportunities the school offered. The school continues to benefit from high levels of parent and community support.

The 2012 ERO report also identified areas for school improvement which included developing a more bicultural approach. This report acknowledges the considerable work done to enhance the school’s curriculum and promote success for Māori students. The school’s Kaumatua and Māori whānau continue to play a significant role in these ongoing developments. Professional learning in literacy is also helping teachers to improve student achievement. Further improvement is necessary in the areas of governance and self review.

2 Learning

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

The school’s National Standards data indicates that most students, including Māori students, continue to achieve particularly well in reading, writing and mathematics in comparison to local and national student achievement levels. The school is well placed to achieve the Ministry of Education goal of having 85%of its students at or above National Standards by 2017.

Student achievement information is used by the school to promote learners’ progress and achievement. Teachers use appropriate assessment processes to determine student achievement levels. School leaders use data to set priorities, identify professional learning and development and make resourcing decisions.

Teachers set school-wide and class achievement targets. The progress and achievement of students at risk of not achieving well is monitored. Teachers reflect on their teaching as a syndicate team and support each other to explore a range of teaching practices to help these students. The principal is now establishing specific expectations for teachers to assist them to more systematically plan for, track and report the progress and achievement of these students. School leaders recognise the value of continuing to strengthen the focus placed on outcomes for targeted students.

To promote successful learning and achievement for all students, senior leaders have increased their expectation that teachers identify and use explicit teaching strategies in their planning and practice. Teachers are also being given opportunities to review the impact of their teaching on students’ progress. Improving teachers’ understanding and use of assessment should help them to share achievement levels and next learning steps with their students. Teachers’ use of exemplars and learning progressions displayed in classrooms will contribute to deepening student’s knowledge about their individual learning. This should enable students to set more learning focused goals and to better monitor their own progress.

Students with special needs receive focused support for their learning. Students withdrawn from their classrooms receive extra learning assistance in literacy, numeracy and oracy. Additional specialist programmes support students with social, emotional and behaviour needs. A number of special needs students have individual education plans (IEPs). They receive support in class from experienced teacher aides. The SENCO works hard to provide good quality learning programmes for all of these students.

The school’s introduction of The English Language Learning Progressions as an assessment tool is timely. Greater use of these progressions should help all teachers to better identify, monitor and plan for the progress of students who are new speakers of English.

The leadership team plan to make more effective use of the school’s achievement information by deepening their analysis of it. They plan to examine trends and patterns and scrutinise syndicate and individual class level achievement data. This will provide better information to help leaders and teachers shape the school’s strategic direction, curriculum development and allocation of resources.

3 Curriculum

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

The school’s curriculum is effective in promoting and supporting student learning.

Strong bicultural development is extending the school’s curriculum. The school’s new Māori values, Whanaungatanga, Manaakitanga, Ako, Kaitiakitanga, Kotahitanga and a focus on Whakataukī are being developed with the school community. These values will guide expectations for the culture of the school.

Students have good relationships with each other and their teachers. They cooperate well and classrooms are purposeful and settled environments. The inclusive school tone has a positive influence on students’ wellbeing and their sense of belonging.

Parents involved in the school appreciate teachers’ openness and their opportunities to support children’s learning. School leaders could now consider how they could extend opportunities for all parents to learn more about the school’s curriculum and how to support their children’s learning at home.

Literacy and numeracy are appropriately prioritised in the curriculum. Improving student learning in writing has been a recent focus. Art, music, kapa haka and taiaha classes compliment sport and physical education programmes and students’ opportunities for leadership. Kapa haka now takes place within the school day to increase student participation and reflect the value the school places on this for all students.

Professional development for teachers supports the design of a plan for delivering te reo Māori. This programme is effectively taught by a Māori teacher. It involves students and their teachers learning alongside each other. Students from Year 1 to 3 have been welcomed onto Te Henga o Marama Marae to learn about Māori tikanga. Students have an increasing understanding of New Zealand’s bicultural heritage as a result of these developments.

Students have opportunities for inquiry learning about different curriculum concepts through a range of authentic contexts. Some students are developing their own inquiry questions and ideas through the focus on these concepts.

The principal and school leaders recognise that that school’s curriculum could do more to respond to students’ strengths, prior knowledge, interests and aspirations. Clearly documented curriculum statements and expectations are needed for all curriculum areas to give guidance to teachers. This would help teachers to more consistently implement and sustain programmes. The school is now poised to:

  • undertake extensive curriculum review to ensure students experience a rich and balanced curriculum that better reflects the full expectations of The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC)
  • continue to provide authentic opportunities for students to enrich their inquiries and develop critical and higher order thinking skills across the curriculum
  • continue to purposefully integrate information and communication technologies (ICT) to extend and enhance learning opportunities for students.
How effectively does the school promote educational success for Māori, as Māori?

Orewa North School has many effective ways of promoting educational success for Māori as Māori. Accessing a range of successful and appropriate professional learning and extending the skills of staff has supported the school’s genuine commitment to building its bicultural responsiveness and capacity.

School strategies, including close connectedness with Te Herenga Waka o Orewa Marae, and careful attention to the perspectives of the school’s Kaumatua and whānau have made an important contribution to building bicultural approaches. Kaumatua and whānau play a key role in school powhiri, provide cultural support and skills and are inspiring role models for Māori students. Importantly, the school provides leadership opportunities for Māori students and promotes and monitors their achievement.

The school recognises the positive impact that bicultural school practices, curriculum content and the use of tikanga and te reo Māori can have on Māori student language, culture and identity. Good progress is being made in acknowledging all three within the school. School leaders could consider how they can build on the strengths of their key Māori resource people to extend and strengthen partnership with whānau. Strengthened partnership with whānau would enable them to contribute to decision making and share what they want for their children.

School leaders could also continue to promote educational success for Māori as Māori through their strategic plan, specifying significant and important outcomes.

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.

The new principal is continuing to improve school performance. As a result, the school is well positioned to sustain its strengths and to embark on further development. The principal is establishing positive relationships with the school and community. He is developing clarity for staff and students around expectations and responsibilities. Appraisal and professional development processes are being developed with school leaders and teachers. Well considered and school-wide teacher professional development has begun.

The principal and senior leadership team are working collaboratively and positively as they embark on new initiatives to sustain and improve the school’s performance. The leadership team also plan to enhance their professional skills so that they can purposefully inspire and facilitate new development within and across their teams.

The board of trustees recognise that school governance needs to grow and develop. This report identifies a number of governance weaknesses to do with self review, procedures for appointing staff and aspects of documentation. Trustees should undertake training to help them develop and improve their knowledge and implementation of school governance expectations. They should also review how the board operates. More formal school self evaluation and review processes would help inform trustees and improve board functioning.

The school’s self-review processes would benefit from greater depth and focus on how well and effectively the school is improving outcomes for children. Increased community, staff and student contribution to reviews would also significantly improve the quality of the school’s self-review processes and findings.

Provision for international students

The school is a signatory to the Code of Practice for Pastoral Care of International Students established under section 238F of the Education Act 1989. No international students were enrolled at the time of the ERO review.

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.

During the course of the review ERO identified weaknesses in school governance. In order to address these, the board of trustees with the principal must ensure that the school:

  • maintains an ongoing programme of self review in relation to policies, plans and programmes. [National Administration Guidelines 2 (b)]

To improve current practices, the board should:

  • keep clear documentation of any student stand-downs and suspensions and record the provision of appropriate in-class and wider school support and outcomes for these students
  • ensure public meetings maintain the privacy of individuals and improve the recording of minutes when the public is excluded from board meetings
  • ensure compliance with its legal obligations and appropriately implement and review policies and procedures.

Conclusion

The new principal at Orewa North School is working collaboratively and inclusively with staff, students and parents to sustain the school’s strengths and implement change. He has increased the school’s emphasis on providing focused teaching to improve outcomes for students, particularly those at risk of not achieving. Further growth and development of school self-review and governance practices is very likely to promote improvements in school performance.

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

Dale Bailey

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

18 June 2015

About the School

Location

Orewa

Ministry of Education profile number

1406

School type

Contributing (Years 1 to 6)

School roll

280

Gender composition

Boys 53%

Girls 47%

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

British/Irish

Filipino

Fijian

Indian

South African

Tongan

other Pacific

other Asian

18%

64%

5%

2%

2%

2%

2%

2%

2%

1%

Review team on site

April 2015

Date of this report

18 June 2015

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

June 2012

February 2009

February 2006