Parkside School

Education institution number:
1435
School type:
Special School
School gender:
Co-Educational
Definition:
School for pupils with intellectual impairments
Total roll:
141
Telephone:
Address:

184 Wellington Street, Pukekohe

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Parkside School - 13/03/2019

School Context

Parkside School is located in Pukekohe and provides special education for students aged 5 to 21. The school’s roll of 150 includes 51 Māori students. Parkside School is the base school and has five classes. There are 12 satellite classes hosted by other schools in Pukekohe and the Franklin district. Almost all students have high or very high needs and receive ongoing resourcing scheme (ORS) funding. The school also provides a specialist outreach service for ORS funded students who attend other schools in the local area. 

The school’s mission is to support the unique social-emotional, cognitive and physical needs of students and to provide a positive learning environment which prepares learners to live and participate in their community. Learning opportunities are designed to meet students’ needs through:

  • increasing their communication, literacy and numeracy skills

  • developing wellbeing and self esteem

  • experiencing life skills, interdependence and positive life outcomes.

The school’s core values acknowledge that:

  • all students can learn in different ways and at different rates

  • all students have individual abilities and needs

  • all students belong, are respected and valued

  • when the school enrols a child, it also enrols the family and whānau.

Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, school-wide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:

  • achievement of individual goals.

Since the previous review in 2014 roll numbers have steadily increased. There have been some changes to leadership and the teaching team. The principal, deputy principal and majority of trustees are experienced and long serving in their roles. Te Waka Tapawhā was established in 2016 for students over the age of 18 years to support their transition into the community.

The school is a member of the Pukekohe Community of Learning |Kāhui Ako (CoL).

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?

The school is highly responsive to Māori and other students’ individual learning and wellbeing needs and is achieving equitable outcomes for all.

The school’s data shows high levels of overall goal attainment for all students. This has been a consistent pattern over time. The data is not yet collated specifically for the numbers of students who have achieved their own learning goals.

During the onsite phase of the ERO review leaders collated the individual student goal data for 2016-2017. This showed most Māori students are achieving all of their individual goals. The majority of all other students achieved their goals in 2016 and term 1 of 2017, with most achieving all of their goals in term 3 2017. Data from 2018 is yet to be collated and analysed.

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

The school’s individualised approach to learning ensures that Māori and all other students have the opportunity to make progress, accelerate in and achieve their own learning goals.

Leaders, teachers, specialists, parents and whānau use a wide range of appropriate learning information to develop challenging and realistic goals for each student. IEPs (individual education plans) and ITPs (individual transition plans) are used effectively to guide staff, monitor progress and share outcomes and future direction with parents. Students are encouraged to have ownership of their own learning and monitor their progress through visual and written prompts.

Trustees are well informed about how students are being supported to make progress and achieve through the range of specialist programmes and planning.

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 school has a highly responsive and inclusive culture for learning. An extensive range of specialist support programmes and therapies address the complex needs of all students. An individualised approach to supporting students and their families enables positive transitions into, through and beyond the school. Effective liaison has increased the variety of work placement opportunities and supports the positive integration of students into the wider community. Kapa haka enriches cultural learning and provides opportunities for students to develop leadership. Māori students are affirmed in their language and culture.

Strong communication with parents and whānau enables positive partnerships for learning. Parents’ aspirations for their children are acknowledged and valued. There is a collaborative approach to goal setting. Individualised advice and guidance for parents supports learning and behaviour at home. A variety of events, including the annual family camp encourages whānau engagement and participation.

Effective teaching strategies support individualised learning pathways. Comprehensive individual plans are developed in consultation with teachers, specialists and families. They prioritise learning and wellbeing. Authentic contexts and multi-sensory learning strategies are relevant to the needs of students. Students’ communication is enhanced through the use of appropriate tools and assistive technology. Visual prompts promote students’ independence and self-management. Literacy and mathematics learning is naturally integrated into classroom programmes.

Sensitive and respectful relationships between adults and students create a positive environment for learning. There are opportunities for students to learn together and work co-operatively to develop positive social skills and relationships. Teachers develop students’ knowledge of their own learning goals and value their contributions.

Leadership builds relational trust and effective collaboration at all levels. Strong pastoral care and personalised support is provided to students, families and whānau. A strategic approach to developing teacher capability is evident in the comprehensive induction programme for teachers, specialists and support staff. Leaders contribute to research and the wider education community. Trustees are fully committed to the school and ensure the appropriate provision of professional learning and development to improve outcomes for learners.

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

Leaders now need to collate and report to the board on students’ progress and achievement to support ongoing internal evaluation of school programmes and practices.

Leaders and teachers should continue to develop shared understandings and teaching practices to further enhance students’ engagement for learning.

There is a need to further strengthen the teacher appraisal system to:

  • review school guidelines to ensure alignment to the Teaching Council requirements

  • formalise and document targeted observations on teaching practice in relation to goals

  • ensure consistent implementation school wide.

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.

Actions for compliance

ERO identified non-compliance in relation to personnel management.

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

  1. ensure procedures set in place to obtain and consider information from New Zealand Police for core and non-core workers are followed
    [Vulnerable Children Act 2014, regulations 5-8 of the Vulnerable Children Regulations 2015, requirements for safety checks of children’s workers, Education Act 1989, sections 78c to 78cd].

4 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

  • leadership that provides students with equitable opportunities to learn and succeed

  • a curriculum that is highly responsive to students’ individual needs

  • strong relationships that enable positive partnerships for learning within the school and community.

Next steps

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

  • refining the reporting on student achievement to further enhance internal evaluation

  • implementing a robust appraisal system for teachers and leaders.

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

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

Phillip Cowie

Director Review and Improvement Services

Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region

13 March 2019

About the school

Location

Pukekohe

Ministry of Education profile number

1435

School type

Special School

School roll

150

Gender composition

Boys 68% Girls 32%

Ethnic composition

Māori 34%
Pākehā 53%
Asian 5%
Other 8%

Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS)

Yes

Provision of Māori medium education

No

Review team on site

November 2018

Date of this report

13 March 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review June 2014
Education Review January 2010
Education Review February 2007

Parkside School - 24/06/2014

Findings

Leaders at Parkside School have high expectations that students with significant needs can and will learn. Personalised programmes cater very well for students’ individual needs and capabilities. Strong relationships between staff and families ensure parents’ aspirations are respected. Effective leadership and governance support the school’s high quality performance.

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?

Parkside School in Pukekohe provides education for students from aged five to 21 years who have special learning needs. The base school operates four classrooms with a further eleven satellite classes at seven host schools in the Franklin area. The school proudly ‘enrols the family’ when a new student is accepted. This inclusive attitude is evident in extensive pastoral care services and the caring, respectful relationships evident between staff, students and families.

All students receive Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS) funding which provides the highest level of special education support for students with significant special learning needs. Teachers are supported by a team of therapists, specialist teachers, a psychologist and many teacher aides. The school also provides a Specialist Outreach Service for other ORS funded students at schools in the Franklin district.

The experienced principal and senior management team provide strong leadership for the school.

Since the last ERO review in 2010 they have significantly enhanced their systems for collating school achievement data. They have further developed specialised programmes to maximise learning opportunities for students, working in collaboration with researchers locally and internationally. Property development has included upgrading classrooms and facilities at several sites and a search is underway to find premises for the senior students’ life skills programme. The high quality practices identified in the 2010 ERO report continue to be features of the service.

2 Learning

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

The school uses achievement data very well to foster positive outcomes for students. Learning for all students is guided by individual education or transition plans (IEPs for students up to 16 years old and ITPs for older students). Goals pertinent to students’ abilities and their developmental and social needs are developed collaboratively between families, teachers and specialists. Very regular monitoring of small incremental steps enables teachers to demonstrate progress and achievement. Analysis of goal achievement in 2013 indicates that students achieved eighty-six percent of their goals across the school. A focus on literacy in Years 1 to 8 resulted in eighty-five percent achievement of reading goals; an improvement of four percent on 2012 results.

An initiative begun in 2010 to improve students’ engagement in learning has shown very positive results. Working in collaboration with international researchers, several teachers have been trained to implement the Engagement Profile and Scale (EPS). This programme helps teachers to identify strategies that motivate resistant students to engage in learning tasks. Strong evidence of success in these trials has prompted leaders to identify that extending the school’s capability and capacity to deliver EPS to more students is a priority.

An extensive internal review begun in 2013 identified some inconsistencies in the quality of literacy programmes for learners. The review has prompted intensive analysis of teachers’ skills and knowledge and appropriate professional development to strengthen their understanding of literacy for students with special learning needs. Teachers and teacher aides are excited about students’ improved outcomes.

Learning is personalised and responsive to individual needs. Thorough induction processes result in careful class placements, and the integration of specialist programmes enables students to benefit from individualised, age-appropriate experiences within their peer group. While some whole class topics are planned, teachers use their extensive knowledge of students to adapt tasks to match individual goals. Many students show a sense of belonging and enthusiasm in their classrooms, often helping others and responding positively to teachers’ prompts.

Parents and whānau are active partners in their child’s learning. Beyond their involvement in IEPs or ITPs parents are often consulted on other issues and policies. Daily notebooks enable them to communicate with teachers and they appreciate the school’s assistance to access external health agencies. Parents also value newsletters, electronic communications and meetings through which they can share information, ask questions and express their aspirations. The annual school camp for students and their families and network support groups is a highlight of the school year and helps families to know each other and deepen their sense of community.

The school informs parents about National Standards, but reports achievement against IEP and ITP goals and the key competencies in The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC). While a small number of students are working within Level 2 of NZC and 3 students undertake correspondence schooling with Te Kura, most students are working towards Level 1 of the curriculum.

3 Curriculum

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

The school curriculum is embodied in ‘Parkside’s Framework for Learning’. Documented as a diagram, this framework incorporates the multiple components that contribute to learning in the school. The framework includes links with NZC, the school charter and philosophy, specialist programmes and relationships with the community. The documentation, practices and systems that sit behind this framework effectively promote and support students’ learning. Senior leaders are considering the value of more specifically documenting a Parkside School Curriculum.

Students benefit from the diverse learning opportunities the school provides. They enjoy a range of literacy and mathematics based experiences as well as many other classes such as specialised music, hydrotherapy, horse riding, cooking and targeted physical movement programmes. Older students go out into the community as part of their life-skills programme. Students in satellite classes are generally well integrated at the host schools, mixing with other students for some learning activities and attending school events.

Strategies for special education teaching and learning are important features of the curriculum. All teachers receive ongoing and extensive professional development about current trends and advances in special education. Teachers meet regularly in small groups to critique their work together. They keep digital journals to reflect on their own practices. Teachers work closely with teacher aides, guiding their work with students and discussing strategies to ensure IEP goals are addressed and that learning is accurately assessed.

The Specialist Outreach programme provides worthwhile professional development and support for teachers in a range of local schools as they seek to make the best provision for students with special needs.

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

Thirty percent of the student population identifies as Māori. The board has appointed a knowledgeable and enthusiastic Dean of Māori to support staff to promote the success of Māori students. She has worked diligently to engage whānau and enhance understanding of te reo and tikanga Māori within the school. Most staff have participated in Mauri Ora professional development. The dean has developed a comprehensive range of resources to support Māori content in learning programmes and readily provides advice and guidance for staff. Teachers are becoming more confident to use te reo Māori in class.

Many students confidently participate in powhiri and sing waiata, and some are learning their pepeha. One satellite class particularly promotes tikanga Māori and has a relationship with the immersion class at the host school. This setting provides an enriched Māori option for whānau.

Analysed data indicate that Māori students achieve their goals at a similar rate to other students. Recent reading results show higher achievement for Māori than the whole school cohort.

The dean represents Parkside School at Te Huarahi; the Pukekohe community initiative to promote the success of Māori. The school is proactive in fostering progress and actively uses the Ministry of Education publications Ka Hikitia and Tataiako to enhance teachers’ responsiveness to Māori.

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. It has a committed and knowledgeable board of trustees that understands governance well. Although trustees delegate most responsibilities to the principal, they are kept well informed through her reports and they support the senior leadership team to develop school systems that are aligned and comprehensive. Together with staff and families and whānau, the board has maintained a positive school tone and a respectful culture.

The principal is an effective leader. She is committed to growing the expertise of others and delegates responsibilities to senior leaders, deans and teachers effectively. The principal involves the school in international research projects and encourages Parkside staff to provide internal professional development for schools and teachers in the local area. A mentoring programme is in place to support new teachers and those new to Parkside or special education. Teachers’ ongoing learning is valued and expected. The recently revised appraisal process is focused on supporting reflective practices.

The school has robust self-review processes. Extensive investigations are well documented and result in meaningful changes in practice. Leaders intend to continue using their self-review strengths to sustain ongoing improvements to school policies, practices and decision making.

Trustees are well informed about student achievement and progress, and know about the positive impact of self-review processes. The board is responsive to the interests of the community, staff and students. Trustees have resourced classrooms and specialist programmes very well and they support the school’s ongoing property development. Although most have long tenure on the board, members are aware of the need for succession planning and implement good strategies to sustain board knowledge and continuity.

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

Leaders at Parkside School have high expectations that students with significant needs can and will learn. Personalised programmes cater very well for students’ individual needs and capabilities. Strong relationships between staff and families ensure parents’ aspirations are respected. Effective leadership and governance support the school’s high quality performance.

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

Dale Bailey

National Manager Review Services Northern Region

24 June 2014

About the School

Location

Pukekohe, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

1435

School type

Special School

School roll

124

Gender composition

Boys 67%

Girls 33%

Ethnic composition

Māori

NZ European/Pākehā

Indian

Korean

others

30%

60%

2%

2%

6%

Special Features

10 satellite classes at 7 host schools:

Pukekohe High School, Pukekohe Intermediate School, Pukekohe East School, Pukekohe Hill School; Pukekohe North School; Valley School; Waiuku View Road School.

3 Outreach itinerant teachers.

Review team on site

May 2014

Date of this report

24 June 2014

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

January 2010

February 2007

June 2004