Papakura Normal School

Education institution number:
1423
School type:
Full Primary
School gender:
Co-Educational
Definition:
Normal School with Model Classes
Total roll:
712
Telephone:
Address:

49 Walters Road, Papakura

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Papakura Normal School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 24 months of the Education Review Office and Papakura Normal 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 

Papakura Normal School is in Papakura, Auckland, and caters for ākonga in Years 1-8. The mission statement and valued outcomes defined by the school for all ākonga is Ki te whakahihiko, ki te whakamana i te hunga rangatahi kia koke ai rātou ki tōna āpōpō, kia rite hoki ki ngā wero e heke mai ana(to inspire and enable young people to progress toward their future, equipped to meet the challenges ahead). Papakura Normal School works with the University of Auckland, Faculty of Education and Social Work to support teacher trainees.

Papakura Normal School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:

  • embed the kaupapa of the Waka Way to provide a positive and safe environment that ensures the mana of all is treasured

  • develop the professional capability of the kaimahi to raise ākonga achievement through culturally responsive and relationship-based teaching

  • provide a safe, physical, and emotional environment, where ākonga learn to develop positive relationships, and feel valued and respected.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Papakura Normal School’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate school initiatives that positively impact on ākonga attendance, engagement, progress and achievement.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

  • ensuring ākonga attend school regularly, engage, progress, and achieve to experience enhanced mana, is a school goal

  • identifying those effective culturally responsive and relationship-based teaching practices that support all ākonga to engage will further inform teacher practice for improved ākonga outcomes

  • the outcomes of improved ākonga attendance, progress, achievement and engagement will impact positively on meaningful whānau and community engagement.

The school expects to see:

  • ākonga attending school regularly and engaging in culturally responsive, relationship-based learning

  • kaiako, parents, whānau and community working together to ensure the mana of all is treasured

  • strengthening evaluative practice so leaders and kaiako can measure the extent to which attendance, engagement, progress and achievement contribute to improved outcomes for all ākonga.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to evaluate school initiatives that positively impact on ākonga attendance, engagement, progress and achievement:

  • ākonga demonstrate and express a strong sense of belonging, and knowledge of the Waka Way

  • leaders and kaiako collaborate to enact culturally responsive and inclusive practice

  • the school values of ‘Others, Achieve, Respect’ underpin the design and delivery of the curriculum.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise strengthening initiatives that positively impact on ākonga attendance, engagement, progress and achievement by:

  • monitoring for improvement, evaluation and reporting ākonga attendance and engagement

  • further strengthening school planning and implementation for teaching practice that promotes equity and excellence for all ākonga

  • continuing to strengthen sustainable ākonga-centred partnerships with whānau by collecting and responding to stakeholder voice.

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

24 May 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

Papakura Normal School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2022 to 2025

As of October 2022, the Papakura Normal School, 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 Papakura Normal School, 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

24 May 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

 

Papakura Normal School - 24/06/2015

Findings

Papakura Normal School continues to provide good quality education for students from Years 1 to 8. Capable and skilled teachers support students to make very good progress during their years at school. As a result most students achieve at and above the National Standards in reading, writing and maths. The school places a strong focus on supporting the wellbeing of students and their families.

ERO is likely to carry out the next review in four-to-five years.

1. Context

What are the important features of this school that have an impact on student learning?

Papakura Normal School provides very good quality education for students from Years 1 to 8. The school is proud of the school’s military history in Papakura and in 2015 provided opportunities for students to celebrate and learn about New Zealand’s 100 year historical participation in World War One. Over half of all students in the school are Māori. Parents and whānau can choose for their children to learn in one of the two Māori enrichment classes at the combined Years 3 and 4, and 5 and 6 levels.

The school environment is very attractive and well maintained, and classrooms are well resourced. Students are proud of the murals, carved pou and creatively designed seating in the outside spaces. The school’s approach to environmental sustainability provides students with opportunities for gardening, and understanding of New Zealand’s native trees and plants and their medicinal use from a Māori perspective. These features of the school enhance students’ life and learning experiences and show the value that the school places on New Zealand’s bicultural and other cultural heritage.

Many school leaders, including the principal and board chairperson, and a good number of staff are long serving. In 2013 a deputy principal left the school and a new deputy principal was appointed. Many parents have generational connections to the school, and most are engaged in school events and in their children’s learning journey. The school’s inclusive and supportive approaches benefit students and families and especially students with special educational needs.

In the past few years the school has been assigned a social worker, introduced a breakfast club, and employed capable teacher assistants. These aspects of the school support and promote children’s wellbeing, belonging to their school and their learning.

The 2010 ERO report identified that the school had many strengths in areas of governance, leadership, teaching and learning and in promoting positive outcomes for students. These strengths continue to be evident in the school.

2. Learning

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

The school uses achievement information very well to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement.

Most students throughout the school continue to achieve at or above the National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Māori students achieve as well as or better than students nationally and Pacific student achievement is continuing to improve. Students are very well supported to make good progress during their years at the school.

School leaders and teachers are skilled at using data to identify student needs and provide very well targeted professional learning for teachers. Where necessary, student needs are supported by school wide initiatives that link thoughtfully to the school’s carefully considered strategic targets.

A very good example of this well aligned, strategic approach to using data is the focus in 2014 on promoting the oral language skills of children in the early years of school. Teachers identify significantly positive outcomes of this approach and in 2015 have merged the oral language focus into improving the teaching and learning of writing.

Other school initiatives that make positive changes to student learning include parent reading programmes, peer tutoring between older and younger students and an ongoing professional connection with other local schools. In addition, the school has benefited from the support of external specialists to further strengthen how teachers and leaders use data. Teachers work together, with teachers from other schools, and with advisers, to ensure that the judgements they make about student achievement are valid, accurate and reliable.

Teachers and school leaders use data effectively to plan and review long and short term classroom programmes for students. They target the learning needs of students who require further learning support and closely monitor their progress and achievement.

Parents receive very good information about their children’s progress and achievement and are increasingly partnering with teachers and their children to support children’s learning at home. Mutukaroa is an example of this partnership. Student led conferences are one of the ways that students are leading their own learning.

3. Curriculum

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

The school’s curriculum promotes and supports student learning effectively.

It is based firmly on reading, writing and mathematics and with other areas of the curriculum such as science, the Arts and technology, covered through termly theme study and research. Year 7 and 8 students now have specialist technology learning at Papakura Normal School, with the school planning for a designated technology suite in the future. Students have many opportunities during the year to learn about and celebrate each others’ cultures and to participate in many varied sporting and leadership events.

The school recognises and responds very well to children’s wellbeing needs to support and promote their engagement and learning. At the heart of the school’s approach are the positive relationships that exist between the school, parents and students. Specific wellbeing initiatives are well managed and coordinated, and the school’s very good systems are implemented to ensure that students are safe and secure in their school environment and when they are learning outside of the school. School leaders, teachers and staff promote a solutions-based ethos to student needs.

Students experience calm and focused learning environments. Classrooms are attractive, celebrate children’s work and provide good prompts for student learning. Many rooms have new variable furniture that caters well for student preferences and especially for older students. Throughout the school students are friendly and respectful with each other and their teachers. A school wide focus on promoting positive behaviours for learning is having a positive impact on teaching and learning throughout the school.

Teachers are hard working and skilled professionals. They are committed to promoting student achievement and enhancing students’ learning experiences, including the use of digital technologies. In 2015 the school is trialling two digital classes as part of its well considered approach to managing change throughout the school. It is expected that the ongoing evaluation of the trialled approach will contribute towards the future school wide use of digital devices.

Teachers continually reflect on and improve their own practice. They meet regularly to discuss the impact of learning programmes on engaging students and promoting their achievement. With school leaders and at times external specialists, they review and refine specific parts of the school’s curriculum.

Senior leaders and teachers are currently reviewing the impact of their gifted and talented programmes and approaches on enhancing student learning. They agree that they could extend this review to include aspects of the broader curriculum, especially for older students. They are keen to promote learning programmes that are increasingly based on students’ interests, backgrounds and cultures, and that strengthen opportunities for problem solving and critical thinking.

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

The school promotes educational success for Māori as Māori effectively.

Māori students are well supported to have pride in their language, culture and identity. Students throughout the school have opportunities to experience visits to the local Papakura marae, te reo Māori and tikanga, and aspects of te ao Māori in classroom learning programmes. Students in the Māori enrichment classes experience a stronger bicultural approach to teaching and learning.

Māori teachers and learning assistants provide positive role models, especially for Māori students, and good connection points for Māori whanau. This feature of the school promotes student and family wellbeing and belonging to the school. It also creates a useful vehicle through which ongoing consultation takes place.

The school’s specific strategic focus on promoting educational for success for Māori students is clearly aligned to the boards’ strategic planning. It is usefully guided by the Ministry of Education’s strategy documents Ka Hikitia and Tātaiako.

Māori staff are currently consulting with local kaumatua and whānau to develop a school kawa for pōwhiri. With school leaders and the board, they are also aiming to create a vision for further promoting opportunities for Māori students to succeed as Māori. This future focus could include further supporting all teachers in promoting the school wide te reo Māori programme and further developing culturally responsive practices.

4. Sustainable Performance

How well placed is the school to sustain and improve its performance?

The school is very well placed to sustain and improve its performance.

The school benefits from stable staffing and from capable, experienced leadership. Senior leaders identify teachers’ strengths and build their leadership capability in different ways throughout the school. This good approach helps to sustain and strengthen school-based programmes and initiatives.

Senior leaders have high expectations of staff and of each other. They work collaboratively to promote ongoing improvements to teaching practices, and to evaluate the impact of learning programmes on promoting positive outcomes for students. Senior leaders ensure that changes to teaching and learning are very well considered and informed by educational research.

Self review is very well understood at all levels throughout the school and used to make positive changes for learners and teachers. Teacher appraisals use an evidence-based approach that encourages teachers to reflect on and improve the impact of their practice on promoting student achievement. The school engages parents deliberately to celebrate student successes, to encourage their understanding of student learning and to contribute to school self review.

Trustees bring complementary professional backgrounds and skills to their governance role and are led by an experienced chairperson. They receive very good information about school improvements and are future focused in their strategic decision making. Trustees are committed to their school’s continued success.

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

Papakura Normal School continues to provide good quality education for students from Years 1 to 8. Capable and skilled teachers support students to make very good progress during their years at school. As a result most students achieve at and above the National Standards in reading, writing and maths. The school places a strong focus on supporting the wellbeing of students and their families.

ERO is likely to carry out the next review in four-to-five years.

Dale Bailey

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

24 June 2015

About the School

Location

Papakura, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

1423

School type

Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)

School roll

626

Gender composition

Girls 54%

Boys 46%

Ethnic composition

Māori

NZ European/Pakeha

Pacific

Indian

Asian

African

European

54%

17%

14%

8%

5%

1%

1%

Special Features

2 Māori language enrichment units

Review team on site

May 2015

Date of this report

24 June 2015

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

November 2010

December 2007

December 2004