Papanui Junction School

Education institution number:
2420
School type:
Full Primary
School gender:
Co-Educational
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
8
Telephone:
Address:

7471A Turakina Valley Road, Taihape

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Papanui Junction School - 06/08/2020

School Context

Papanui Junction School is a small rural school, located west of Taihape, catering for children in Years 1 to 8. Most students have attended Papanui Junction School for just over one year or less. At the time of this ERO evaluation, there were six children on the roll.

The school states that their overarching vision is to ‘offer quality personalised education in a secure environment, challenging and encouraging children to reach their potential in a culturally appropriate context’. The valued outcomes for students include them having personalised learning and resourcing to counter the effects of isolation.

Since the 2017 ERO evaluation, a new principal has been appointed who was previously the release teacher in the school.

The principal regularly reports schoolwide information to the board, about outcomes for students in the following areas:

  • reading, writing and mathematics.

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?

School achievement information shows that most students attending the school achieve at or above curriculum expectations in reading. All achieve at or above in writing and the majority achieve at or above in mathematics.

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

The principal closely monitors and tracks achievement. Accelerating learning for those who need this is a clear focus. While longitudinal achievement information is not available for most students, the data shows an upward trend for those whose learning needs acceleration.

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?

The principal collects a wide range of data to determine each child’s learning needs. Through individual learning plans the principal, release teacher and teacher aide set appropriate expectations for each student’s learning. Students increasingly work with teachers to set their goals and understand more about what they need to know and learn.

Communication supports and strengthens learning-centred partnerships. The principal values the input of parents, whānau and the wider community by actively involving them in the life of the school. Encompassing te ao Māori within the school culture is strengthened through whānau engagement and participation of all students and staff to build capability.

The board is reflective of its community. Well thought out succession planning from a small pool of parents and families ensures that the board continues to operate. Trustees work collaboratively with the principal, staff and students to provide resourcing for a wide range of learning activities. The board actively supports students’ engagement in regular learning experiences with others from similar schools to mitigate isolation.

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

Continuing to develop the localised curriculum is a priority for the principal and trustees. When considering priorities for development the principal, teacher and trustees should consider how well the curriculum provided is enabling, future-focused and responsive.

The focus on student agency and goal setting to promote student ownership of their learning is an area for ongoing development. The board provides resourcing to support student learning, including a teacher aide. The principal and trustees should consider how best to use the teacher aide in the context of the modern classroom and creating flexible ways for students to learn.

While trustees demonstrate a commitment to ensuring children experience success there are some aspects of stewardship that require strengthening. Knowledge and clear understanding of legislation and expectations of the board to take all reasonable steps to ensure children’s safety and wellbeing requires strengthening.

The board must consider how well it scrutinises its performance in relation to goals and targets. Trustees should undertake internal evaluation to determine what works well for students to achieve and what more needs to be done. The board should also evaluate how effectively it is fulfilling its stewardship role and maximising effectiveness through ongoing training.

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 Children’s Act 2014.

4 ERO’s Overall Judgement

On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement of Papanui Junction School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Developing.

ERO’s Framework: Overall Findings and Judgement Tool derived from School Evaluation Indicators: Effective Practice for Improvement and Learner Success 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 and trustees working together to provide an environment that assists students to be actively engaged in their learning in the classroom and alongside students from other schools
  • whānau and community engagement in the life of the school to provide the small number of students with a wide range of relevant learning experiences.

Next steps

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

  • continuing to strengthen te ao Māori to promote student’s language, culture and identity
  • designing a localised curriculum reflective of the school’s priorities, including culturally responsive pedagogy to challenge and further motivate students
  • continuing to develop and build students’ assessment and ‘learning to learn’ capabilities to foster independent learning
  • ensuring the board meets its statutory and regulatory responsibilities
  • developing evaluation, inquiry and knowledge building processes that assist the board to scrutinise its performance in relation to goals and targets.

Actions for compliance

ERO identified non-compliance in relation to:

  • the board’s responsibility for ensuring that all education outside the classroom experiences follow the requirements as set down in legislation
  • the requirement to maintain regular testing of the school swimming pool.

In order to address this, the board of trustees must:

  • comply in full with any legislation currently in force or that may be developed to ensure the safety of students and employees.
    [National Administration Guidelines 5 (c)]

Since the onsite phase, the school has provided evidence that they have undertaken training and reviewed their policy and procedures regarding the management of swimming pool testing.

Phil Cowie

Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)

Central Region - Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

6 August 2020

About the school

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement.

Papanui Junction School - 22/05/2017

Summary

Papanui Junction is a small rural school in the remote Turakina Valley, west of Taihape. The school caters for students from Years 1 to 8 and at the time of this ERO review there were 11 students.

Since the January 2014 ERO report, staffing has remained stable. Few changes to board membership provides continuity in stewardship of the school.

Strong support from families and the community continue to be a feature of the school. Parents run a playgroup in the school hall which supports children’s transitions to school. The school has formed close professional relationships with two local schools and is a member of the Taihape Community of Learning.

The school’s community have identified that honesty, respect, caring, pride and doing our best, are the qualities they wish to see developed in their children.

How well is the school achieving equitable outcomes for all children?

The school has sound systems and processes to support the promotion of equity and excellence. Most students are achieving well and the school is responsive to those children whose learning needs acceleration.

The school environment has a positive tone. Relationships are warm and respectful. Students experience a broad curriculum and have opportunities to learn in authentic contexts. There is collective responsibility for and a strong focus on student learning and wellbeing.

To further improve outcomes for students the board, principal and teachers should: continue to promote students’ ownership of their learning; align appraisal to meet current legislation; continue to develop teaching as inquiry; strengthen tracking and monitoring to show progress of students and further develop internal evaluation to determine effectiveness of practice.

The school demonstrates good progress toward achieving equity and excellence in educational outcomes for students, supported by effective, sustainable processes and practices.

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

Equity and excellence

How effectively does this school respond to Māori and other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration?

Student achievement has remained consistent over time. In 2016 the school reported that most students achieve in relation to the National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics, with a significant number achieving above in reading.

The school responds well to those students whose learning and achievement needs acceleration. Teachers know their students and plan appropriately to meet their needs. The school works closely with parents and external agencies to support students. Those learners targeted make good rates of progress, with some acceleration evident.

The school uses a wide range of assessment data to support overall teacher judgements in relation to National Standards for reading and mathematics. External moderation has occurred in writing using the school’s matrix. Strengthening external moderation practice is a next step identified by the school. This should promote improved dependability of judgements. Further developing systems and processes for tracking and monitoring student achievement to show progress, should help the school identify successful strategies for acceleration.

School conditions supporting equity and excellence

What school processes are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence?

Community collaborations enrich opportunities for students to become confident, connected, actively involved, lifelong learners through:

  • planned and deliberate actions with local schools to extend learning opportunities for students and counter the effects of isolation.
  • parents, whānau and the community being welcomed and involved in school activities as valued partners in learning
  • collaboration with the playgroup to support seamless transitions to school.

The school’s curriculum effectively promotes the school’s priorities and supports targets for equity and excellence. A strong core curriculum prioritises literacy and numeracy. Other curriculum areas are integrated through an inquiry approach. The curriculum is coherent and students have sufficient opportunities to learn. Digital platforms support and enhance learning opportunities. Currently development of this is a focus of the principal’s inquiry.

The school is continuing to develop the curriculum to be culturally responsive. This is supported by an external agency and collaboration with a nearby school, with opportunities to learn through authentic local contexts.

Teachers work together to plan curriculum, design tasks and activities and assess student progress.

Student leadership is promoted. Students are able to identify their own learning needs and goals. Further developing student ownership of their learning is a school priority in 2017.

Students participate and learn in a caring and collaborative learning environment where tuakana teina is evident and self-management is promoted.

The performance management process for teachers supports their professional growth and development. This includes goal setting aligned to school priorities, observations with feedback and feedforward and an appropriate focus on students at risk of not achieving success.

Continuity of trustees on the board contributes to sustainability and supports new board members. They are well informed about school operations, practices and student achievement. Trustees and leaders gather a range of useful information to make decisions and allocate resources to support improvement.

Sustainable development for equity and excellence

What further developments are needed in school processes to achieve equity and excellence?

Good systems and processes support student achievement and the running of the school.

To further improve equity and excellence for all students, teachers and trustees should:

  • continue to promote students’ ownership of their learning
  • align appraisal to meet current Education Council requirements
  • continue to develop teaching as inquiry
  • strengthen tracking and monitoring to show progress of students
  • further develop internal evaluation to better enable measurement of the impact of initiatives on student outcomes.

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
  • 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.

Going forward

How well placed is the school to accelerate the achievement of all children who need it?

Children are achieving well. The school demonstrates strong progress toward achieving equity in educational outcomes, supported by effective, sustainable processes and practices.

Agreed next steps are to:

  • continue to develop assessment practices to support student ownership of learning and to more clearly show the progress of students targeted for accelerated progress
  • continue to develop teaching as inquiry and align appraisal to meet current Education Council requirements
  • develop internal evaluation to know about effectiveness of teaching practice.

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

Patricia Davey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)

22 May 2017

About the school

Location

Taihape

Ministry of Education profile number

2420

School type

Full Primary School (Years 1 - 8)

School roll

11

Gender composition

Female 6, Male 5

Ethnic composition

Pākehā 11

Provision of Māori medium education

No

Review team on site

March 2017

Date of this report

22 May 2017

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review January 2014
Education Review December 2010
Education Review May 2008