Pasadena Intermediate - 12/12/2017

• On this page:

• School Context
• Evaluation Findings
• 1 Equity and excellence – valued outcomes for students
• 2 School conditions for equity and excellence
• 3 Board assurance on legal requirements
• 4 Going forward
• About the school

Pasadena Intermediate in Point Chevalier caters for students from Years 7 to 8. Māori learners make up 12 percent of the roll, and 12 percent have Pacific heritage.

The school’s vision is to ‘nurture the whole person and personal excellence will be achieved’. This encapsulates children becoming responsible global citizens through learning to think, being confident in who they are, and establishing enduring relationships within the social and physical environments. The school’s vision is underpinned by values that permeate the school. These values, which include achieving and being proud, active and safe learners, are well understood and upheld by students, teachers and parents/whānau.

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 in relation to school targets

• outcomes related to Māori and Pacific students

• outcomes for students with additional learning needs

• children’s wellbeing, pastoral care, and results from Learning Centre programmes

• staff presentations related to teaching and learning, and professional development

• student presentations about their learning, including feedback on school initiatives.

Reports to the board reflect the school’s current strategic goals and aims. Strategic goals are well focussed on students, the school’s future focus, links with the community, and bilingual pathways.

The board and staff have worked together to restructure the school’s vision and culture. A new senior leadership team has been established, and other key teacher appointments have been made. Staff have participated in professional learning and development (PLD) contracts to do with the teaching of mathematics and literacy, and positive behaviour for learning. In addition, there has been PLD to do with performance management, data literacy, and teaching as inquiry.

Pasadena Intermediate is part of Waiorea Community of Learning (CoL) which is focussed on ensuring that children access educational pathways for success.

Evaluation Findings

1 Equity and excellence – valued outcomes for students

1.1 How well is the school achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all its students?

The school is very effective in achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all students.

School data show that from 2015 there has been a positive upward trend in overall student achievement. Most students achieve at or above the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics.

Student achievement information indicates that teachers have been very successful in reducing disparity for Māori and Pacific learners in reading, writing and mathematics. Data for 2017 show Māori learners achieving higher than other groups in both writing and mathematics. Students clearly make considerable progress between Years 7 and 8, most noticeably in reading and mathematics. Data also show that disparity in literacy and numeracy achievement between girls and boys is steadily reducing.

Students achieve very well in relation to other school valued outcomes. Most students:

• have a high level of understanding of their learning, and can identify their next steps
• feel safe, culturally valued, and included
• have a strong sense of belonging
• value the opportunities they have to contribute to school decision making, and to direct their own learning
• demonstrate strong interpersonal skills
• value and respect diversity.

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

The school is very effective in responding to those Māori, Pacific and other students whose learning and achievement need acceleration.

Student achievement data are very well analysed. The information collected is used successfully to determine intervention programmes and develop curriculum achievement plans. Individual student case studies, and close monitoring and tracking systems, ensure that students requiring targeted intervention receive immediate and relevant support.

Māori learners are included in the ‘target’ student groups formed by teachers. They receive in-class support and specialist acceleration programmes. All learners take part in weekly te reo and te ao Māori classes, including extension sessions through the school’s gifted and talented programme.

2 School conditions for equity and excellence

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

The school’s overarching vision and values are being realised in its positive school culture. Highly effective school leadership drives the focus on ‘putting students first’, and systematically identifying any student underachievement. As a result, staffing and programmes are well designed to meet the needs of all learners.

Teachers know children well, set high expectations, and use innovative and holistic approaches to cater for their diverse learning needs and interests. Teachers also inquire into the effectiveness of their own practice, and use evidence of student learning outcomes for their individual and collective inquiries. Learners have equitable opportunities to learn, and participate in effective and well differentiated learning programmes.

Student achievement is promoted through the school’s holistic, integrated curriculum that includes specialisation classes, the curriculum framework model, and a student led focus. The Learning Centre provides effective provision for students requiring support and acceleration. There is high quality teacher monitoring, tracking and reporting of student progress and achievement to parents and the board of trustees.

Relationships between parents/whānau, teachers, students and the wider school community are productive and reciprocal. Well-established systems support students’ transitions into and out of the school. Partnerships and networks are used to provide learners with equitable and enriched learning opportunities.

High quality stewardship and leadership strategies support the achievement of equity and excellence. A robust teacher appraisal system is linked to student achievement, and aligns to differentiated professional learning development. Internal evaluation occurs at all levels of the school and positively impacts on decision making.

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

To support the achievement of equity and excellence, leaders and teachers should sustain and build on existing good practices, including:

• continuous holistic improvement in outcomes for Māori, Pacific and other learners through consultation with parents/whānau
• embedding collaborative and innovative pedagogy through a curriculum framework that is responsive to diversity
• implementing a bilingual pathway for Māori students that reflects the needs of local iwi and the community.

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. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code. At the time of this review there were two international students attending the school.

The school provides international students with a high standard of education. Students experience an inclusive school culture and opportunities to participate in a well-rounded school curriculum.

4 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

• leadership and direction setting that prioritises outcomes for learners, and builds conditions for equity and excellence of student outcomes

• teaching practices that model commitment and passion for life-long learning

• a culture of consultation and collaboration among leaders, teachers, and parents/whānau.

Next steps

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

• exploring the implementation of a bilingual pathway for Māori students

• extending innovative learning environments through the structural rebuild of the school.

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

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

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

Te Tai Raki - Northern Region

12 December 2017

About the school