Postgate School

1 Context

Postgate School caters for students from Years 1 to 8. At the time of this evaluation, 312 students were enrolled, with 41% identifying as Māori and 38% as Pacific. The school's Whānau Kaitiaki and Pasifika Advisory groups provide support and guidance for leaders and teachers. There have been a few staff changes over the past three years, with the appointment of an assistant principal and two team leaders. The leadership team, with support from an external consultant, takes an active role in leading schoolwide professional learning.

2 Equity and excellence

The vision, and valued outcomes, defined by the school is for all children 'to be a catalyst for setting them on the path to positive life-long learning, encouraging them to be effective contributors to society'. Postgate PRIDE is the school's values system. This promotes participation (whanaungatanga), respect (manaakitanga), integrity (tikanga), determination (rangatiranga) and excellence (maramatanga). 'Together we learn and achieve - Ma te mahi ngatahi, ka tu pakari te matauranga'.

The school’s achievement information shows that the majority of students, Māori, Pacific and others, are achieving at or above in relation to National Standards for reading, writing and mathematics. The achievement of boys is proportionally lower. Annual achievement targets are set to raise and accelerate the achievement of students below and well below National Standards, including Māori and Pacific boys. Students who are well below have individual education plans.

Since the April 2013 ERO evaluation, the school has continued to strengthen governance, leadership, teaching and learning to support acceleration, community engagement and internal evaluation, including appraisal. Specific focus has been given to developing student-centred leadership. The Whānau Kaitiaka and Pacific Advisory groups have encouraged the engagement of all families in their child's learning. The Whānau Kaitiaki group has assisted with the appointment of a te ao Māori leader to support growing knowledge of te reo me ngā tikanga Māori.

3 Accelerating achievement

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

The school responds well to accelerating the progress of Māori students whose learning and achievement need acceleration. This is being done with increasing effectiveness over the past three years. Key factors are identified to help students below and well below in relation to National Standards make accelerated progress. These include teachers:

• using a wide range of appropriate and well analysed assessment information to identify students' strengths and learning needs
• inquiring into practices to enable responsive teaching and successful learning
• giving priority to success for Māori students by gaining greater understandings about their identity, language and culture
• sharing ideas about strategies that are more likely to accelerate learning
• helping students take greater responsibility for their learning by providing useful feedback and next learning steps
• actively encouraging learning-centred partnerships with whānau that support reciprocal engagement in their child's learning.

The school’s National Standards data in 2015 showed improved outcomes, including examples of acceleration for Māori, compared to 2013 and 2014. Leaders and teachers have a relentless focus on accelerating the achievement of Māori students over their eight years of schooling, through the implementation of these strategies. Leaders also have a continuing focus on improving the reliability of the judgements teachers make about National Standards through moderation processes.

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

The school responds well to other students whose learning and achievement need acceleration by using the successful strategies identified for Māori students. Leaders and teachers believe that what works for Māori learners in education works for all learners. The identity, language and culture of Pacific students is valued and celebrated, and aiga are welcomed as partners in their child’s learning.

The school’s 2013 and 2014 data showed that Pacific students continued to achieve as well as, if not better than, other students in the school, especially in reading and writing. Examples of acceleration are evident through the school's data. There is also a relentless focus on accelerating the achievement of Pacific and other students below National Standards.

Good systems and processes for monitoring and tracking the progress and achievement of all students are developed. Leaders plan to track the achievement of the same cohort group from school entry, to exit in Year 8, against National Standards. This should assist the identification of patterns and trends of acceleration over time, guide curriculum adaptation and target resource allocation.

4 School conditions

How effectively do the school’s curriculum and other organisational processes and practices develop and enact the school’s vision, values, goals and priorities for equity and excellence?

The school's curriculum, and well aligned processes and practices, effectively develop and enact the board's vision, values, goals and priorities for equity and excellence.

The principal and deputy principal show highly effective strategic leadership. They work collaboratively with staff and promote knowledgeable and shared leadership across the school. High expectations and PRIDE underpin all activities and there is a strong commitment to the vision, goals and motto.

A responsive and rich curriculum gives priority to literacy and mathematics, health and physical education, the arts and inquiry learning. The Whānau Kaitiaki and Pasifika Advisory groups guide the reflection of Māori and Pacific cultural values so the curriculum is relevant to students' needs and interests.

Students take increasing responsibility for monitoring their own learning against success indicators. Older students play a key leadership role within the school, especially in powhiri and other cultural events.

Students with special educational needs are provided with high quality programmes. Individual education plans are developed in partnership with whānau, aiga and parents, and include outside agencies when appropriate. They include long-term goals, next learning steps and information about how families can help at home. Progress towards the goals is regularly monitored.

A sound appraisal process is used. This is based on the Practising Teacher Criteria with provision of internal and external professional learning to support teacher growth and development.

The school fosters strong relationships and learning-centred engagement with whānau, aiga and parents. Families are well informed about their child’s progress and achievement with suggestions about how they can help at home.

School culture is welcoming and inclusive. Students readily engage with adults and they are developing as confident, happy, life-long learners. Good systems and processes are in place to support students’ health and wellbeing.

A strong culture of critical reflection, review and evaluation supports continuous improvement. Leaders have a clear understanding about internal evaluation and use appropriate indicators to gauge programme effectiveness.

Sound governance is provided. Trustees give priority to ensuring the best possible outcomes for students. They regularly seek the views of the school community, are strategic in their approach and well informed about the progress students make towards the annual goals and achievement targets. The relationship between trustees and leaders is based on trust, integrity and openness.

5 Going forward

How well placed is the school to achieve and sustain equitable and excellent outcomes for all students?

The school is very well placed to achieve and sustain equitable and excellent outcomes for all students. Effective processes and practices are developed to support the acceleration of Māori, Pacific and other students below and well below National Standards.

Leaders and teachers:

• know the students who need their learning and achievement to be accelerated
• respond effectively to the strengths, needs and interests of each child
• regularly evaluate how well teaching is working for these students
• act on what they know works well for each child
• build teacher capability effectively to achieve equitable outcomes for all students
• are well placed to achieve and sustain equitable and excellent outcomes for all students.

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

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 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.

• Processes for appointing staff.

• Stand down, suspensions, expulsions and exclusions.

• Attendance.

• Compliance with the provisions of the Vulnerable Students Act 2014. 

6 Recommendation

ERO and the board agreed that annual planning would be further strengthened by including expected outcomes for identified areas of development. This should enable trustees, leaders, teachers and the community to more effectively evaluate the impact of initiatives towards achieving the vision, values and strategic goals in the school’s charter. 

Joyce Gebbie

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central

17 May 2016

About the school