Pukekohe East School - 30/05/2017

Summary

Pukekohe East School is a semi-rural primary school for students in Years 1 to 6. The current roll of 168 includes, 17 Māori and a small number from Pacific and Asian cultures. The school roll has grown in recent years and the number of Māori children has increased.

Since the previous ERO review in 2012 the principal and management team have remained the same.

How well is the school achieving equitable outcomes for all children?

The school’s is responding well to children whose learning is at risk.

There are many processes that are enabling the achievement of excellence and equity.

Further development is needed in school-wide targeted action to accelerate the achievement of identified groups of learners.

At the time of this ERO review the significant majority of all children were achieving at or above National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. This school has successfully addressed disparity in educational outcomes for Māori children over the last three years.

Children are achieving well. The school demonstrates strong progress toward achieving equity in educational outcomes, supported by effective, sustainable processes and practices.

ERO and the school agree that the next step is to continue to enrich the school’s curriculum to reflect:

current thinking and shifts in practice
valued student outcomes expressed in the vision
whānau aspirations and ideas for promoting and enriching culture, language and identity.

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

Equity and excellence

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

The school is responding well to Māori and other children whose learning is at risk.

Data gathered and reported by the school in 2016 showed that the significant majority of all children, including Māori achieved at or above National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Māori children are achieving as well as other children in the school in reading, writing and mathematics in relation to National Standards. The school has implemented effective strategies and practices that have addressed the achievement disparity for Māori children over the last three years.

The school’s achievement data shows that during 2016 nearly all children working below the expected National Standard in reading, made accelerated progress. While achievement of boys overall is similar to girls in reading and mathematics, it is below in writing. A more targeted, school-wide approach to address this disparity is being developed and implemented.

The school gathers achievement information using a range of appropriate tests and strategies. This data, along with additional information gathered by teachers is used to make judgements about each child’s achievement in relation to National Standards. Across-school moderation processes are robust and contribute to dependable judgements. The school values the potential of its involvement in the Community of Learning|Kāhui Ako. This will enable teachers to share and reflect on assessment and moderation practices with teaching colleagues in other schools.

School conditions supporting equity and excellence

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

There are many processes that are enabling the achievement of excellence and equity.

Leadership of learning is effectively creating conditions that promote equity and excellence for all children. There is a strong culture of professional learning, shared leadership and collaboration that leads to common understanding of, and consistent use of effective teaching strategies across the school. This leadership of learning is contributing to equitable opportunities for all children to experience success and strive for their personal best.

The school has well-embedded systems and practices for internal evaluation. Ongoing monitoring enables the impact of the curriculum, school processes and practices to be evaluated and modified when needed. Well-developed internal evaluation is effectively growing the school’s collective capability to focus school improvement on achieving equitable outcomes for all children.

Teaching as inquiry processes are well established. These processes are robust and lead teachers to identify and share the most effective strategies for accelerating children’s progress.

Leaders and teachers have established and documented clear and shared understandings about effective teaching practice and expected learner outcomes across the curriculum. The curriculum actively engages children in innovation, inquiry, sustainable practices and promotes self belief and strategies for them to develop as confident, self-managing learners.

The school effectively engages families and whānau in reciprocal learner-centred relationships. These productive learning partnerships support equitable and excellent outcomes for each child.

Trustees are well informed about children’s achievement. This ongoing and informative reporting enables trustees to make timely and responsive resourcing decisions that support equitable outcomes for children.

Teachers have a well-developed understanding of effective assessment practices. Their skilled interpretation of data informs planning and teaching to address individual learning strengths and needs, and to make reliable judgements about achievement in relation to National Standards.

Sustainable development for equity and excellence

What further developments are needed in school processes to achieve equity and excellence?

Further development is needed in school-wide targeted action to accelerate the achievement of identified groups of learners.

The school recognises that enriching the school’s curriculum to support the achievement of equity and excellence is a next step.

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
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.

Going forward

How well placed is the school to accelerate the achievement of all children who need it?