Billah Street, Tokoroa
View on mapStudents are learning in an attractive and well-resourced environment. There is a need for the board of trustees, principal and TPU leaders to seek support from the Ministry of Education to address the areas for development identified in this report.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
Pa Harakeke Teen Parent Unit is an attached unit of Tokoroa High School. There are currently 24 Ministry of Education funded TPUs operating across New Zealand. TPUs provide a flexible and supportive environment for teenagers who are parents or are about to become parents. Attendance at a TPU gives students an opportunity to continue their education and develop the best possible pathway for their future and the future of their children.
ERO reviews all of the TPUs every three years. Each unit receives an individual report outlining areas of good performance and areas for further development. The terms of reference for these reviews are set out below. The findings across each of the TPUs contribute to a national report by ERO which presents findings about the overall quality of all TPUs.
The evaluation focus for ERO’s review of Teen Parent Units is:
In the context of this review, student outcomes include their educational, social, health and wellbeing outcomes. It also includes student destination outcomes, and the success students have in transitioning from the TPU to further education, training or employment.
The terms of reference for the evaluation of TPUs are the:
Pa Harakeke is located near the Tokoroa High School campus in Tokoroa. It provides education and support for teenage parents and adult students with children. The unit was established in 2011 and is governed by the board of trustees at Tokoroa High School. At the time of this review there were 10 young parents on the roll, 9 of whom were of Māori descent, from a variety of rohe and places.
Since the 2015 ERO review there has been a change in leadership. One staff member continues to provide continuity of learning for students. The teacher-in-charge has a focus on sustainability and initiated a vegetable composting garden which provides opportunities for students to gain related credits.
Leaders and management have made good progress in addressing the areas for improvement identified in the 2015 ERO report related to:
The Memorandum of Understanding between the host school and the TPU needs to be current and up to date. There is also significant need to review aspects of the quality of education provided by the TPU so that more young parents in the local area and wider community benefit from the service.
A small number of students achieve National Certificate Educational Achievement (NCEA) Levels 1, 2, 3 and UE literacy, and continue onto tertiary or employment opportunities. The data also shows that students who remain in the unit over time make good progress and gain higher levels of achievement and employment. This student achievement information shows an urgent need to review educational outcomes and expectations and career pathways for students.
Good use is made of the student management system to track and monitor student achievement information. A recent initiative was displaying this information for individual students to support them in setting their individual learning goals and tracking their progress.
Leadership, management and organisation is not yet effectively meeting the expectations of Ministry of Education (MoE) Guidelines. To improve practice, it is now important to:
document a memorandum of understanding between the TPU and the host school which sets clear expectations for roles and responsibilities of the management committee and the teacher-in-charge
implement internal evaluation systems and processes linked to the MoE Guidelines and expectations for best practice
develop strategic and annual planning aligned to Tokoroa High School’s strategic direction, identifying appropriate personnel, responsibilities, budgeting and resourcing, timeframes and expected outcomes, that support the unit to meet its goals
implement robust appraisal systems and professional learning and development opportunities that provide staff with opportunities to continually build their capability in teaching and learning in a TPU setting
integrate culturally responsive practices that promote success for Māori as Māori, including the teaching and learning of te reo and tikanga Māori
provide students with access to a rich, well planned curriculum which is diverse, engaging and intellectually stimulating.
The Pa Harakeke curriculum plan 2017 requires strengthening to include the outcomes developed by the MoE for teen parent units. The majority of students are studying through Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu (Te Kura), The Correspondence School. Some students gain credits and participate in authentic learning through the TPU sustainability gardening project with a subject teacher. Students are able to gain credits and qualifications through a Barista course.
Students would benefit from further opportunities to learn from specialist subject teachers and pursue higher educational pathways. Student placements for Gateway were implemented in 2017. Students need opportunities to explore and participate in the wider community for sporting, cultural and educational experiences. Students with strengths and interests in Te Reo Māori need to access specialist subject teachers who can support their continued development and success as Māori.
Individual learning plans would be improved by including the strengths, aspirations and interests of students. While students document their goals, teachers are yet to show how they will support students to achieve these goals through deliberate daily and long term planning, evaluation and assessment.
Leaders and teachers acknowledge the need to integrate culturally responsive programmes into daily practices. There is a need for teachers to formally document and respond to student voice.
The TPU unit has not yet effectively analysed how the programme is improving student attendance, engagement and educational achievement.
It is now important for teachers to co-construct, document and provide feedback to students about their progress towards meeting:
Student engagement and success would be enhanced by strengthening induction and transition processes. Some students expressed appreciation of the support they receive as teen parent students. It is important for leaders and teachers to review how well students are able to experience equitable opportunities, wellbeing and belonging that promote their engagement and success.
A helpful initiative is the transportation provided for young parents to and from the unit and a drop- off service for children to several early childhood centres. An incentive to encourage attendance is the opportunity for students to gain credits through acquiring a driver’s license.
A next step for the TPU is to strengthen careers and vocational pathways to assist transition for students into further employment and higher education.
The TPU currently has four students in GATEWAY placements in the local community. Through the principal’s leadership, the relationship with Waikato University has been strengthened. A recently revitalised community group that includes whānau and Pacific parents meets regularly, and has expressed an interest in supporting the TPU.
Students would benefit from planned and timetabled opportunities for external agencies to visit the centre to strengthen and support student wellbeing.
ERO, the TPU manager, and the host school principal and board agree that there is an urgent need to improve the quality of education provided in the TPU. ERO recommends that the Ministry of Education provides support to address the following key priorities:
Students are learning in an attractive and well-resourced environment. There is a need for the board of trustees, principal and TPU leaders to seek support from the Ministry of Education to address the areas for development identified in this report.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Waikato and Bay of Plenty
13 June 2017
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Location |
Tokoroa |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
639 |
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Teen Parent Unit roll |
10 |
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Gender composition |
Female 9 Male 1 |
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Ethnic composition |
Ethnicity |
Number of students |
|
Māori Pākehā |
9 1 |
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Review team on site |
March 2017 |
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Date of this report |
13 June 2017 |
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Most recent ERO reports |
Special Review Special Review |
March 2015 October 2013 |
Pa Harakeke Teen Parent Unit (TPU) is an attached unit of Tokoroa High School (THS). There are currently 21 Ministry of Education (MoE) funded TPU’s operating across New Zealand, providing a flexible and supportive environment for teenagers who are either pregnant or who have given birth. Attendance at the TPU gives students an opportunity to continue their education and develop the best possible pathway for their future and the future of their children.
The unit was established in 2011 and is governed by the board of trustees of Tokoroa High School. Currently there are 8 teen parents from the wider South Waikato area enrolled. Of these, all identify as Māori.
Since the last ERO review the Pa Harakeke tutors have remained the same, but some changes and reorganisation of the management group have occurred.
At the time of the October 2013 Education Review of this TPU, ERO identified key priorities for review and development related to:
The unit has made good progress towards achieving the goals in the action plan that was developed as an outcome of the October 2013 review.
Student outcomes. The educational and social outcomes for the TPU students have been significantly improved due to an extensive upgrade of the purpose built facilities. In addition, as parents they have ready access to a unit van that transports themselves and their children to and from the unit, and to relevant early childhood centres and other community services.
Teaching and learning. The unit now has robust systems in place for monitoring student progress and achievement across all programmes of learning. Use of the THS KAMAR database, overseen by a senior THS staff member, provides accurate and reliable information for students and staff. Aspects of this data are displayed in the unit to allow students to set achievement goals, and monitor their individual progress across curriculum levels.
Increasing numbers of students have gained National Certificates of Educational Achievement (NCEA) credits at Levels 1, 2, and 3 and some students have gained credits at University Entrance level. Other qualifications such as obtaining a restricted drivers license and achieving first aid certificates support the young parents in their transition into further study and/or work.
Leadership, management and organisation. The TPU team are well supported by THS management and staff, the MoE and an external consultant. They have developed a comprehensive range of policies and procedures to assist with the management and day to day operation of the unit. This documentation also includes a:
The unit has developed a clear and well-defined direction and organisational structure for ongoing development, self review and growth, to improve outcomes for students.
TPU staff has undertaken ongoing professional learning and development with assistance from external providers and THS staff. This has resulted in staff having a better understanding of their roles and responsibilities, which in turn has improved levels of student achievement and the quality of curriculum provided.
A well-balanced curriculum is now in place with students accessing Te Kura (correspondence school), Gateway programmes, career pathways and school-based courses. Involvement of specialist THS staff such as the careers advisor and guidance counsellor provides students with ongoing support and advice.
Pa Harakeke TPU is well placed to sustain, review and continue to improve its performance. The unit has made good progress towards achieving the action plan outcomes that were developed as a result of the 2013 review. They have worked well with the MoE to address the areas of concerns identified by ERO.
Well-documented processes provide the unit with a clear framework for ongoing review. Professional development and relevant networks with other TPU’s support tutors in the unit to further develop a responsive and flexible programme for students.
Improved relationships with the early childhood services are supporting students and their children.
The management group, unit staff and students now need to develop a policy and procedural review schedule to ensure ongoing consultation, review and change management occurs as the unit continues to grow. This schedule should also consider:
strengthening aspects of reporting to the THS board to report progress on the strategic goals and plans identified in the TPU annual plans, particularly in relation to careers and transition programmes
reporting more specifically on student progress and achievement, and documenting a clearer picture of the TPU students within the wider school achievement reports
developing strategies to market the TPU across the wider Waikato region to facilitate increasing roll growth.
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:
During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student achievement:
Pa Harakeke TPU is well placed to sustain and improve its performance. The educational and social outcomes for students have significantly improved with better student achievement results. A well-balanced curriculum is now in place. Specialist high school staff provide students with ongoing support to plan and achieve their goals.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
Dale Bailey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
2 March 2015
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Location |
Tokoroa High School |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
639 |
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School type |
Teen Parent Unit |
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School roll |
8 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 8 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
8 |
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Review team on site |
November 2014 |
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Date of this report |
2 March 2015 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
October 2013 |