Pukeatua Primary School (Wainuiomata)

1 Context

Pukeatua Primary School (Wainuiomata) caters for students from Years 1 to 8. At the time of this ERO review there were 186 students and 79% identify as Māori.

The importance of relationships based on whanaungatanga contributes significantly to the welcoming school tone. Te ao Māori is evident throughout the school. Māori language, culture and identity are valued and promoted.

Four Māori immersion (Rumaki) classes, including about one-third of the students, comprise Te Whānau. Teaching and learning in Rumaki is based on Te Marautanga o Aotearoa. Ngā Whanaketanga Rumaki Māori are used for reporting student progress and achievement in kōrero (oral language), pānui (reading), tuhituhi (writing) and pāngarau (mathematics).

Two-thirds of students are in the mainstream or 'general' part of the school. Learning programmes are based on The New Zealand Curriculum. National Standards are used for reporting student progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics.

Since the start of 2016 a newly developed Integration Block has supported a multi-purpose technology-based programme involving all students.

The school is part of the Wainuiomata Initiative in Success Education cluster of schools that seeks to collaboratively support children's learning. The board is exploring the benefits for all learners at Pukeatua of participating in a Community of Learning.

The school has responded positively to the June 2013 ERO Report. Many of the next steps identified have been either implemented or are in progress.

2 Equity and excellence

The vision and valued outcomes defined by the school for all children are 'Value You – Value Me. Our values reflect who we are.' The key values are defined as Manaakitanga (caring and sharing), Ngana (commitment), Tuakiri (identity) and Whakaute (respect). They have been developed in association with the community and are demonstrated throughout the school, in authentic ways.

Te Whānau is currently reviewing, in association with whānau, a graduate profile to describe the knowledge, skills and values desired for tamariki by the end of Year 8. Extending the profile through the school should assist in further ensuring the curriculum is truly responsive to student needs and aspirations.

The school’s achievement information shows the overall levels of National Standard/Ngā Whanaketanga achievement in literacy and mathematics need to be increased. In most areas there has been limited improvement over the past three years.

In relation to National Standards at the end of 2015, approximately fifty percent of students achieved at or above expectation in reading and writing. Sixty percent achieved at this level in mathematics. School results for Māori learners and for male students in reading and writing show a need to achieve equity compared to other groups in the school. There is a continuing emphasis on ensuring strong support for early years' literacy development.

In Te Whānau classes, Ngā Whanaketanga data indicates two thirds of students reach the standard (manawa ora and manawa toa) in pānui and half in kōrero. A smaller proportion do so in tuhituhi and pāngarau. Results improved in pānui and kōrero in 2015. Pāngarau is a current focus of professional learning for teachers.

Overall teacher judgements about achievement in relation to National Standards and Ngā Whanaketanga are based on a range of information, including standardised data. Teacher observations of students' learning in specific curriculum areas and in the integrated programme contribute significantly to assessment decisions.

Discussion within teaching teams and across the school assists achievement judgements to be more reliable. Some external moderation involving other schools takes place, particularly involving Ngā Whanaketanga. To ensure all teachers are well supported to make robust overall judgements, the school should:

• document expectations and guidance for making assessment judgements
• continue to extend moderation practice both within the school and with other schools.

Since the last ERO evaluation, to improve student learning outcomes, the school has:

• renewed the vision, mission statement and values
• reviewedand developed the curriculum to clarify expectations and ensure it is more student centred and focused on holistic development
• participated in a range of professional learning for teachers and leaders to support more effective teaching practice
• developed aspects of the teacher appraisal process
• increased the focus on accelerating student progress.

3 Accelerating achievement

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

The school's data indicates insufficient progress is being made for a number of students whose learning and achievement need acceleration.

Teachers, leaders and trustees are aware of the need to increase rates of progress over time to address student underachievement. Students whose progress needs accelerating are identified in school targets and teachers'planning.

In 2016, systems are in place to support teachers to focus more closely on learners identified as underachieving. Processes have been extended to allow students' progress through the year to be more effectively monitored, reported and reflected on. Teachers use achievement information and their knowledge of individuals to identify specific actions to support learners.

End-of-year reporting identifies outcomes for target students and considers the effectiveness of actions for accelerating their achievement.

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

The school responds to other students whose learning and achievement needs acceleration by using the strategies identified above.

Deliberate actions take place to reflect Pacific culture, language and identity in the school curriculum.

An inclusive approach enables all students to be involved in purposeful learning. Specific programmes are in place for those with additional needs. A range of assessment tools, including learning stories, identify and celebrate progress for these students.

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 targets for equity and excellence?

Students experience a broad curriculum that involves them in a range of suitable learning experiences. Literacy and numeracy skills and understanding are appropriately prioritised. Areas identified by the community as significant such as sport, fitness, excursions, technology and te māra (gardens) are given emphasis.

Since the previous ERO report leaders and teachers have been reviewing the curriculum and built, with external support, their capability in literacy and mathematics practice. Professional learning has contributed to better guidelines for effective teaching, learning and associated reflection and improved use of data to inform teaching. As a result, teaching and organisational processes increasingly focus on successfully improving outcomes for students at risk of underachievement. It is necessary to ensure there is a greater impact from the professional learning and approaches relatively recently implemented to accelerate achievement.

Identity, language and culture of Māori learners and their whānau is affirmed through contexts for learning and ongoing development of the curriculum. Tikanga Te Atiawa is recognised and affirmed and the school continues to strengthen both knowledge and understanding of this kawa within their context. Authentic learning activities of high interest to learners are emphasised.

There are high expectations for teachers to develop relationship-based learning to support and promote students' holistic wellbeing. Teachers know students well and a positive tone has been established. Students are generally happy, confident and show they belong.

Teachers use a range of purposeful strategies to promote student engagement and progress. Instructional groups and individual conferencing assist teachers to respond to needs and strengths. Deliberate approaches are supporting oral language development. Teacher aides are active contributors to classroom programmes.

School leaders are supporting teachers to more effectively respond to target learners, monitor their progress and evaluate the effectiveness of strategies. The capability of curriculum leaders is being built and literacy, numeracy and Te Whānau teams are taking greater responsibility for growing teacher effectiveness, reviewing data and developing school targets.

Parents, whānau and the community are involved in school activities as respected and valued partners. Teachers are building more effective relationships with whānau through individual approaches and group activities. Parents receive informative reports about their child's progress and useful suggestions for how they can help learning at home. Teachers and leaders acknowledge increased whānau engagement is a critical factor in raising student achievement and is an ongoing priority.

Leaders and teachers are in the early stages of developing their schoolwide model for teaching as inquiry. It is necessary for leaders to build greater understanding about the use of inquiry to develop teacher practice. This should include using data to measure the effectiveness of changes to practice.

Expectations within teacher appraisal in 2016 link to the school priority of accelerating achievement. To further strengthen the appraisal process leaders and teachers should:

• ensure there is a clear focus on the impact of teaching on learning, achievement and progress
• develop a shared understanding of using appropriate and sufficient evidence to demonstrate the Practising Teacher Criteria have been met
• include a summary document each year that indicates a teacher has participated in a robust appraisal process.

The principal’s appraisal is thorough and links to board priorities for improvement. Areas for ongoing development are identified within the process.

The board promotes and supports students' all-round development. Students' wellbeing is at the heart of decision making. Trustees are well informed about interventions and strategies leaders put in place to improve outcomes. In 2016, trustees are receiving more specific information that enables them to have greater knowledge about the extent of student progress and achievement.

Internal evaluation requires strengthening to ensure the needs of students are more effectively addressed. Leaders, teachers and trustees should continue to develop a systematic approach to evaluation, inquiry and knowledge building.

5 Going forward

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

Leaders and teachers:

• know the children whose learning and achievement need to be accelerated
• need approaches that effectively meet the needs of each child
• need to ensure the school is well placed to accelerate the achievement of all children who need it.

All staff are continuing to extend processes and practices that promote and support student wellbeing and engagement in learning. These have the potential to result in improved achievement outcomes for students.

The most significant challenge is to ensure teachers' professional learning is having impact and the systems recently developed are effectively implemented, so that all students make appropriate progress.

Action: The board, principal and teachers should participate in an internal evaluation workshop. They should use this workshop, ERO exemplars of good practice and the School Evaluation Indicators to address the findings of this evaluation and develop a Raising Achievement Plan that includes a significant focus on building teacher capability to accelerate learning and achievement.

As part of this review ERO will continue to monitor the school’s Raising Achievement plan and the progress the school makes. ERO is likely to carry out the next full review in three years.

6 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 Children Act 2014.

7 Recommendation

To ensure a more effective response to students' whose achievement needs accelerating, the school should continue to:

• strengthen the quality of analysis and interpretation of data for the purpose of teaching and evaluation
• continue to provide professional learning to extend teacher knowledge of effective literacy and mathematics practice
• improve teacher appraisal and inquiry to better focus on the impact of teaching
• extend learning partnerships with families and whānau
• regularly report evaluative achievement information to trustees, to support their stewardship role through increased knowledge of student progress.

In addition, strengthening internal evaluation should help ensure curriculum and school processes are more likely to contribute to improved outcomes for all learners.

Joyce Gebbie

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central

1 September 2016

About the school