Pouto School

Pouto School 26 January 2022

Findings

On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement is that Pouto School has made good progress to now transition into ERO’s Evaluation for Improvement | Te Ara Huarau approach.

1 Background and Context

What is the background and context for this school’s review?

Pouto School is a small rural school near the end of the northern Kaipara peninsula, south of Dargaville. There has been a drop in student numbers over the last two years. Currently, there are 15 children from Years 1 to 8 enrolled at the school. Most children are of Te Uri o Hau descent.

Over the past eight years three successive ERO reviews have identified concerns regarding leadership, governance, student achievement, the quality of teaching and learning, and curriculum development. The reviews have focused on the progress that has been made towards creating the organisational and other conditions necessary to improve outcomes for students.

The Ministry of Education (MoE) appointed a Limited Statutory Manager (LSM) in 2016 to assist the board of trustees with governance. In December 2019, the MoE deemed that there had been sufficient progress with governance and the LSM intervention was concluded.

The MoE has continued to provide other support including professional learning and development (PLD) about teaching literacy and numeracy and positive behaviour for learning (PB4L). In addition, a Student Achievement Function (SAF) practitioner began working with the school in early 2021. The board has managed property improvements inside and outside of the school with MoE funding and advice.

Through ERO’s ongoing longitudinal review, evidence has been collected to evaluate the progress trustees and staff have made to address the concerns and recommendations identified in the 2019 ERO report. ERO’s findings are outlined in the following sections of this report.

2 Review and Development

How effectively is the school addressing its priorities for review and development?

Priorities identified for review and development

ERO established that the priorities for review and development were to:

  • strengthen the analysis, use and reporting of student achievement
  • improve the quality of teaching and learning
  • improve curriculum design and classroom planning
  • build educational leadership and governance capability to sustain and embed improvements
  • improve internal evaluation.
Progress
Strengthening the analysis, use and reporting of student achievement

The school’s use of assessment for teaching and learning continues to improve. Teachers know how well children are achieving in literacy and mathematics. They use assessment information to plan appropriate programmes for individuals and groups of students. PLD and moderation processes have helped to inform teachers’ overall judgements about each student’s achievement.

Teachers’ assessment judgements are improving because students’ understanding of their own learning has increased. Teachers are continuing to refine strategies to support students to lead their learning. Stronger learning partnerships with whānau have developed through student-led conferencing, sharing learning journals, and whānau and community input into the curriculum.

Mid-year data analysis in 2021 shows improved achievement in writing and mathematics. Deliberate acts of teaching and learning, and a focus on lifting writing achievement, have contributed significantly to this outcome.

Improving the quality of teaching and learning 

Teaching and learning relationships are respectful and productive. All staff are using collaborative approaches in the classroom programme. As a result, students participate and engage in a busy, purposeful learning environment.

Teachers increasingly use assessment information to ensure that programmes cater for the range of students’ learning needs. Teacher aide support is an integral part of teaching programmes. This gives those students who need extra support, the guidance and confidence to work at their own pace.

Improving curriculum design and classroom planning

Classroom programmes are well planned to provide coverage of the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC). The curriculum prioritises literacy and mathematics as foundations for learning. The principal has included an inquiry-based approach to promote science, social science, technologies and understandings of te ao Māori.

Programmes increasingly incorporate local curriculum themes that are relevant and meaningful to learners. Examples of this are students monitoring and assessing the water quality of the local lake and cultivating a newly established school community garden. The local curriculum document continues to evolve.

Building leadership and governance capability to sustain and embed changes

The principal is proactive in drawing on external support for her own development to guide school improvement. She has engaged in leadership programmes and with the local kāhui ako professional learning. This PLD is helping to build collective capacity and individual capability in leadership, stewardship, and teaching.

The board works in collaboration with the principal and represents and serves the school. Trustees are led by an experienced chairperson. They continue to build their governance practice through the use of online workshops with the New Zealand School Trustees’ Association. Trustees could now evaluate the effectiveness of the board’s performance in its governance and stewardship role.

Improving Internal Evaluation

Internal evaluation is continuing to improve. Analysis and evaluation of student achievement and reporting to the board has progressed. Teachers’ inquiry is evidence based, and their reflections contribute well to making teaching practices more responsive and to purposeful appraisal.

Trustees undertake internal evaluation aligned to the school’s strategic plan. Whānau and community perspectives contribute to the evaluation. A focus of the SAF project is to continue growing the evaluation capability of the board, leadership, teachers, and staff. This should help build the collective capacity to do and use evaluation to sustain improvement.

Key next steps

ERO, the board and principal agree next steps include continuing to:

  • develop the data analysis capability of teachers, leaders, and the board
  • develop teaching strategies to cater for the wide range of levels in the single classroom
  • finalise the school curriculum framework, including the local curriculum while prioritising literacy and numeracy
  • build trustees’ shared understanding of their stewardship role and responsibilities.

3 Sustainable performance and self review

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

The school has made satisfactory progress in addressing concerns identified in ERO’s 2019 report. Improved systems and processes are now in place to sustain and continue improvements. The school is a nurturing learning environment for children and adults.

The school has re-engaged with its community, and the community’s confidence is growing. As a result, stronger learning partnerships have developed, and parents now have greater opportunities to contribute to the school curriculum.

The principal has established relevant external support networks to continue improving leadership and teaching capability. This is having a positive impact on the quality of teaching, assessment, and learning. Continuing Ministry support should sustain progress and positively impact on student outcomes.

The principal has strengthened staff appraisal processes and appropriate systems and procedures are now in place for teachers and support staff. With ongoing monitoring and evaluation, these systems should help embed current school improvements and planned improvements to teaching and learning.

To continue and sustain the developments that have been made to date, the board will need to take a strategic approach. It would also be useful for the board to establish a robust and regular review cycle for policies and procedures. More systematic, rigorous internal evaluation processes would assist the board’s governance work.

4 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
  • school policies in relation to meeting the requirements of the Children’s Act 2014.

5 Recommendations

Recommendations, including any to other agencies for ongoing or additional support.

ERO recommends the Ministry of Education continues to support the school to build teaching, evaluation, and data analysis capability.

Conclusion

On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement is that Pouto School has made good progress to now transition into ERO’s Evaluation for Improvement | Te Ara Huarau approach.

Phil Cowie
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region - Te Tai Raki

26 January 2022

About the school

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

Pouto School - 19/06/2019

Findings

The LSM and board have made improvements to some of the areas identified in ERO’s 2016 report. The school climate is more settled. Staff are working collaboratively to improve educational outcomes for children. On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO ‘s overall evaluation judgement of Pouto School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Needs Development.

1 Background and Context

What is the background and context for this school’s review?

Pouto School is a small rural school near the end of the northern Kaipara peninsula, 60 kilometres south of Dargaville. The school currently has 20 children from Years 1 to 8. Most children are of Te Uri o Hau descent. The teaching principal has three days a week to do administrative and leadership work. On these days a provisionally certified teacher (PCT) teaches the principal’s class.

Over the past five years successive ERO reviews have identified concerns regarding leadership, governance, student achievement, the quality of teaching and learning, and curriculum development. The 2016 ERO report recommended external support from the Ministry of Education (MoE). A Limited Statutory Manager (LSM) was appointed in 2016 to assist with personnel, finance and other governance matters. In 2017 a new LSM was appointed by the MoE with responsibility for curriculum management and personnel. Additional concerns highlighted in ERO’s report related to assessment and internal evaluation processes, and performance management systems.

Since 2016 the school has had two LSMs and four principals. In late 2018 the board appointed a permanent first time principal. Throughout the past three years the MoE has provided a wide range of support for the school. In addition to the services of a Student Achievement Function (SAF) practitioner, teachers have engaged in professional learning and development (PLD) about teaching literacy and oral language development.

Evidence collected through ERO’s ongoing longitudinal review of the school has been used to evaluate progress trustees and staff have made to address the concerns and recommendations identified by ERO in 2016. The findings are outlined in the following sections of this report.

2 Review and Development

How effectively is the school addressing its priorities for review and development?

Priorities identified for review and development

ERO established the following priorities for the review:

  • improving the quality and use of student achievement information

  • improving the quality of teaching and learning

  • developing and documenting a localised, responsive school curriculum aligned to the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC)

  • strengthening leadership and governance capability to sustain and embed changes.

Progress
Improving the quality and use of student achievement information

Improvement in this area is still in the early stages. Teachers are using a standardised assessment tool to gather information about students’ achievement in reading and mathematics. Current achievement data indicates that the majority of students are achieving below expectations in reading and mathematics. Further work with the MoE must continue to ensure the implementation of effective assessment practices. This should help to ensure that teachers can accurately assess, inquire into, and evaluate the effectiveness of their actions to accelerate children’s progress. As a first step, teachers should clarify what constitutes accelerated progress for children, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics.

Next steps include:

  • increasing the reliability of assessment information

  • using achievement information to track, monitor and report the progress of individuals and groups of students

  • establishing “teaching as inquiry” approaches to increase teachers’ capability to accelerate, promote and evaluate students’ learning.

Improving the quality of teaching and learning

Children are enjoying a more positive learning environment and opportunities to work collaboratively. Examples of children’s work are displayed in the classroom that affirm talent and effort. The principal has focused on building relational trust with teachers, children and the community. She is developing greater collegiality and professionalism amongst the teaching staff. Inquiry learning approaches are developing children’s thinking and research skills. The priorities to improve teaching and learning are to:

  • develop and document a shared understanding of effective teaching and learning practices to accelerate children’s progress and achievement and embed these consistently with all teachers

  • improve teachers’ planning to ensure there is a suitable level of differentiated instruction and all children have their learning scaffolded appropriately and are extended and challenged.

Developing and documenting a localised, responsive school curriculum aligned to the NZC

The curriculum does not yet adequately cover all areas of NZC. More work is needed to ensure that the curriculum effectively promotes and supports children’s learning and achievement.

Some aspects of the curriculum have improved over the past three years. Learning programmes increasingly support children to learn about and within their own environment. These opportunities foster children’s pride in their language, culture and identity. The school kawa promotes occasions for children to play a lead role in welcoming visitors. Local field trips provide significant learning opportunities for children, staff and whānau. The priorities to continue to create a responsive curriculum are to:

  • develop and document the Pouto School curriculum aligned to the school vision and values and ensure that it reflects the NZC principles

  • continue to localise the curriculum to ensure it is responsive to the needs, language, culture, interests, strengths and aspirations of the children and their whānau

  • develop clear curriculum guidelines and understandings, effective teaching approaches and evaluation to gauge the quality of teaching and the impact on children’s outcomes

  • increase children’s understanding of the role they play in their learning journey, and opportunities for them to identify next learning goals, self-assess and evaluate their progress and achievement in relation to those goals.

Strengthening leadership and governance capability to sustain and embed changes

The board is committed to supporting the school to ensure best outcomes for children. Trustees have received considerable support from New Zealand School Trustees’ Association (NZSTA) to help build their capacity. They have more clarity about their roles and responsibilities in personnel and property management. The board has successfully managed some significant challenges over the past three years. In consultation with the community and supported by the LSM and NZSTA, the board is now governed by a smaller number of trustees.

The new principal has appropriately focussed on building relational trust and effective collaboration with students, staff and the community. She brings a new perspective and expertise, and is working with external support to develop her leadership capacity and capability to lead school improvement.

3 Sustainable performance and self review

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

Although there are aspects of improvement in relation to the priorities identified for development and review, there are still considerable areas for further development. In some cases, developments are in the early stages and it is not yet possible to gauge the likelihood of them being sustained. The changes of principal over the past six years has contributed to this situation.

The LSM has effectively managed finance and personnel issues, and property development. The board has appointed an external appraiser for the principal. The board now needs to develop a performance agreement with the principal that aligns with the school’s strategic goals. Appraisals for support staff have not yet been completed.

The LSM currently has powers for personnel, curriculum and advises the board. Evaluation will be required to fully assess the capacity and capability of the board to take up its complete range of governance responsibilities once the LSM is no longer in place. The principal will require the support of an effective and well-functioning board of trustees to achieve the necessary improvements. The board has been active in preparing for the upcoming triennial board elections.

The school’s strategic plan identifies goals and strategies for school improvement. Aligning internal evaluation more directly to strategic planning is an important next step. This alignment would help to ensure the board is up-to-date and better informed about the progress it is making towards meeting its charter, strategic and annual goals. It would also ensure the board is well informed when determining actions for ongoing improvement. The board should ensure that the principal’s reports to the board are written and evaluative by including information about the impact, quality and effectiveness of programmes and improvements on children’s learning.

Key next steps

The board and principal should:

  • use the priorities and next steps for development identified in this report as the basis for the school’s annual planning

  • develop their understanding and use of internal evaluation to track progress towards their objectives, targets and goals for improving educational outcomes for children and determining actions for ongoing improvement.

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
  • school policies in relation to meeting the requirements of the Children’s Act 2014.

ERO identified the following areas of non-compliance. The board of trustees must ensure that:

  1. all students have opportunities to achieve success in all areas of the National Curriculum
    National Administration Guidelines 1(a) i

  1. all support staff are appraised annually
    (National Administration Guidelines, 3)

  1. the school’s EOTC policy is followed, particularly with respect to the procedures for documenting and approving risk analysis management (RAMS) for all excursions safety.
    (National Administration Guidelines, 5)

To improve current practice, the board of trustees should develop an annual performance agreement with the principal.

4 Recommendations

Recommendations, including any to other agencies for ongoing or additional support.

Conclusion

The LSM and board have made improvements to some of the areas identified in ERO’s 2016 report. The school climate is more settled. Staff are working collaboratively to improve educational outcomes for children. On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO ‘s overall evaluation judgement of Pouto School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Needs development.

ERO’s Framework: Overall School Performance is available on ERO’s website.

ERO will maintain an ongoing relationship with the school to build capacity and evaluate progress.

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services Northern

Northern Region

19 June 2019

About the School

Location

Te Kopuru, Northland

Ministry of Education profile number

1085

School type

Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)

School roll

20

Gender composition

Girls 11 Boys 9

Ethnic composition

Māori
NZ European/Pākehā

18
2

Review team on site

April 2019

Date of this report

19 June 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review
Education Review
Education Review

June 2016
February 2014
May 2011