Pukepoto School

Pukepoto School - 20/07/2016

Findings

Pukepoto School now provides good quality teaching and learning programmes. There is a distinct and positive whānau feeling in the school that reflects children’s Te Rarawa descent. Leadership and governance has improved and continued growth should embed recent positive developments. The school is well placed to promote increased achievement and improved learning outcomes for all children. 

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

1 Background and Context

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

Pukepoto is a small school serving the community west of Kaitaia. The school has done this for more than 140 years. Most of the children are of Te Rarawa descent and have had family members who have attended the school over several generations.

The 2009 ERO review identified concerns with the school’s curriculum. The 2013 ERO review noted further concerns with teaching and learning, particularly assessment processes, and with leadership, management systems and governance.

Over the two years of ERO’s longitudinal review the board, principal and teachers have had a range of external support and professional learning and development. This has provided the platform for them to make some very worthwhile progress towards improving the quality of teaching and learning and governance and management systems in the school.

The teaching staff have worked concertedly to create vibrant classrooms where children collaborate and are engaged and interested in their learning. Teachers’ strong focus on creating settled and productive classrooms and improving learning is beginning to be reflected in better learning outcomes for children.

2 Review and Development

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

Priorities identified for review and development

ERO and the board identified that in order to improve outcomes for children it would be necessary to:

  • ensure teaching and learning meets the needs of all children and accelerates the progress of children achieving below national standards
  • develop leadership and management systems to support the effective implementation of the curriculum and the running of the school
  • increase the quality of governance in particular around strategic planning, performance appraisal, self-review and reporting.

Progress

As a result of extensive teacher professional development, children are now benefitting from good quality teaching and learning across the school. Teachers in all three classrooms work very well as a team to provide curriculum programmes that are relevant and interesting to children and reflect the local history and children’s heritage. Children are also getting good opportunities for hands on and practical learning.

Teachers are helping children to understand their learning, progress and achievement and the strategies that can help them to learn. Teachers use assessment information well to identify children’s specific needs and to set individual and group goals for children’s learning, particularly in literacy and numeracy. Teaching approaches in these subjects are tailored to meet the needs of individual learners.

While the majority of children are not yet meeting the National Standards in reading writing and mathematics, improved assessment practices are enabling teachers to better monitor children’s increasing progress. Positive learning outcomes that teachers observe in children include increased engagement, better attendance, more on task behaviour, use of a greater range of learning strategies and increased collaboration and persistence with learning tasks.

There is a strong and appropriate emphasis on building a shared language of learning so that children and teachers can talk about the learning process. This is enabling teachers to hone in on how children learn so that they are better able to support them. It is also giving children a foundation to understand their next learning steps and to take greater ownership of their learning.

Teachers set high expectations for learning and behaviour and promote the values of manakitanga, ako, whanaunatanga and whakanui. They provide children with a framework of well-established routines. As a result, children have a sense of belonging and classrooms have a positive and productive tone. Māori protocols including karakia are part of the daily programme. Children work well together and classroom displays and children’s work books provide good examples of their success.

Teachers are positive about the potential benefits of recent professional development they have done to become familiar with the Ministry of Education’s Progress and Consistency Tool (PaCT). This together with moderating assessments with other local schools is likely to help them to increase the reliability and validity of their overall assessment judgements in relation to National Standards.

The principal has developed a curriculum document that reflects work that has been done in the school over a number of years. It shows links to The New Zealand Curriculum framework and reflects the school’s mission statement and vision. It provides sufficient guidance for teachers to plan their teaching programmes. Further work and planned consultation with teachers, parents and whānau should help to ensure that this document becomes more coherent, includes the school’s approaches to te reo and tikanga and continues to reflect parents’ aspirations for their children.

Key next steps

The teaching staff and ERO identified that key next steps for development and review are to:

  • continue to focus on lifting achievement and accelerating the progress of children who are not achieving the National Standards
  • collaboratively embed and extend the progress made to provide and document a child-centred and responsive curriculum that challenges and supports children’s progress and achievement
  • build on teaching as inquiry approaches to establish a cycle of self-evaluation that enables teachers to determine the impact of teaching strategies on learning outcomes for children
  • establish partnerships with parents that effectively promote children’s learning.

3 Sustainable performance and self review

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

The school is sufficiently well placed to sustain and continue to improve and review its performance.

School leadership, management and reporting systems have been strengthened. The teaching team has been empowered to share in the educational leadership of the school. Together with the principal they have improved management and reporting systems so that the school operates more effectively to promote children’s learning.

A staff handbook has been developed with supporting procedures that provide clear expectations for staff and children. Roles and responsibilities have been clarified and this is helping to ensure that processes are more timely and increasingly well-ordered and coordinated.

Appraisal processes have been developed and up dated to incorporate the new requirements of the Practicing Teacher Criteria. Teachers are now setting performance goals that are linked to the school’s strategic goals and targets and are engaging in inquiries into the effectiveness of their teaching practices. They are receiving worthwhile feedback and support from each other along with feedback and modelling from external professional learning and development providers. They are finding this affirming and motivating and it is helping them to improve their teaching.

The board is currently comprised of some longer standing trustees who have benefitted from learning and development that has increased their understanding of their governance role. Trustees are very committed to supporting the sustainability of the school and ensuring it functions well for children. They are very supportive of the teaching team and appreciate and use the information about student learning outcomes that is now being regularly reported to them.

Trustees have built their understanding of aspects of their governance role in relation to personnel including appointments and principal appraisal. This has been achieved through experience and reflection. In particular, they have a better understanding of their role:

  • in setting and monitoring performance expectations for the principal,
  • negotiating a performance agreement with the principal
  • ensuring that the principal’s appraisal process is robust.

The board has established a useful cycle of policy review that should help to ensure that the school’s policies reflect current legislation and remain fit for purpose.

Key next steps

ERO and the board and principal agree that key next steps are to:

  • strategically identify the areas where trustees need to further their governance knowledge, and plan and undertake relevant training to address the areas identified
  • look for ways to maintain and extend communication with other boards to share knowledge and experiences with a view to coordinating initiatives and improving governance practice
  • make reference to ERO’s publications about student safety and staff employment and the requirements of the Vulnerable Children’s Act when reviewing relevant policies
  • continue growing partnership with parents through ongoing consultation including consultation about the option for bilingual education.

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.

Conclusion

Pukepoto School now provides good quality teaching and learning programmes. There is a distinct and positive whānau feeling in the school that reflects children’s Te Rarawa descent. Leadership and governance has improved and continued growth should embed recent positive developments. The school is well placed to promote increased achievement and improved learning outcomes for all children.

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

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

20 June 2016

About the School

Location

Kaitaia

Ministry of Education profile number

1087

School type

Contributing (Years 1 to 6)

School roll

37

Gender composition

Boys 20 Girls 17

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

35

2

Review team on site

May 2016

Date of this report

20 June 2016

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

June 2013

October 2009

November 2006

Pukepoto School - 13/06/2013

1 Context

What are the important features of this school that have an impact on student learning?

Pukepoto School is a small rural school near Kaitaia. The three teacher school has a significant 140 year history and is well maintained. Many members of the community and the board attended the school as students. The school remains an important centre of community activities. The current principal is a long-serving member of staff and has been the school’s leader for six years.

Just over 40 children attend classes from Year 1 to 6. Māori students of Te Rarawa descent make up most of the roll. A feature is the small numbers of children in each of the classrooms. Members of the board are committed to governing the school effectively. They have provided support for the principal to strengthen leadership practices and to enable him to manage ongoing development more effectively.

In 2009 ERO reported that an effective self-review programme was needed to identify priorities aligned to the school’s strategic plan. Strategic self review continues to be an area for development.

2 Learning

How well does this school use achievement information to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement?

The school is not yet making full use of student achievement information to make positive changes to students’ learning. Achievement information in relation to the National Standards should be better analysed and reported, so that trustees can set useful targets and make more informed decisions.

Teachers use achievement information to identify students’ learning needs. Students who are underachieving are withdrawn from classrooms for literacy learning support. The teacher aide works with teachers to provide additional support for specific children in classroom learning programmes. Teachers could do more to personalise learning programmes and support students to become confident self-managing learners.

Positive relationships between teachers and students support classroom learning. Teachers regularly monitor children’s progress using nationally standardised tests. Students participate in report meetings where teachers share their progress and goals with whānau.

Teachers have had little support for implementing the National Standards and for making overall teacher judgements about children’s learning progress and achievement. There are gaps in teachers’ professional knowledge about the use of assessment information for planning and evaluating their practice.

It is important that the principal plans for teacher development in using assessment to improve teaching and learning. Key areas that need attention include:

  • developing overall teacher judgements in relation to the National Standards
  • setting measurable achievement targets in relation to the National Standards
  • analysing, dating and reporting on the achievement of charter targets
  • using assessment information and other tools to help teachers reflect more deeply on their practice, with a view to continual improvement.

3 Curriculum

How effectively does this school’s curriculum promote and support student learning?

Progress has been made to improve curriculum learning programmes. Following the 2009 ERO review the principal undertook an extensive review of the school curriculum with the support of external advisers. As a result, teachers have developed a new framework, based on The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC), for planning a more theme-based approach to learning.

Teachers have incorporated the principles and learning competencies of the NZC into their planning. They are now using integrated learning topics that are more relevant to students. Where possible they use local resources and contexts that children understand and relate to. Curriculum learning resources should now be reviewed to make classroom equipment easier for teachers and students to access.

The school’s curriculum prioritises literacy and numeracy learning. Children also enjoy swimming, other physical activities, and school camps. Excursions into the community and to the local marae provide children with worthwhile learning experiences. They have opportunities for learning about the natural environment. Students would benefit from a well designed school-wide te reo and tikanga Māori programme. This programme could draw on strengths in the community and amongst the staff, and further reflect Māori cultural identity more meaningfully in the learning environment.

The curriculum development is not yet complete. Teachers need ongoing support to sustain the positive changes they have made and to make further improvements in teaching and learning. They should increase students’ participation in monitoring and planning their learning by sharing individual achievement information. This will allow students to understand their progress and next steps better.

How effectively does the school promote educational success for Māori, as Māori?

The school’s roll is currently ninety percent Māori. Students know their whānau and iwi connections and have strong cultural backgrounds. Their whānau support the school and many were past pupils. The staff and board also relate strongly to their Māori heritage and know the local and school history well.

The school curriculum does not utilise the potential of local whānau and iwi to help the school develop strategies for supporting success for Māori students. The board should examine Ka Hikitia, the Ministry of Education goals for strengthening outcomes for Māori students. Trustees should use these guidelines, in consultation with the community, to review the school’s charter, vision and strategic plan.

The principal should document a plan to support Ka Hikitia. His plan to introduce the resource Tātaiako, to support teachers’ reflections on culturally responsive teaching practices is timely.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

The school is not well placed to sustain good practices or improve its performance. Trustees are aware of the need to review school management systems and improve the quality of planning and reporting.

Trustees bring valuable skills to support their roles. However, school development and progress since the 2009 ERO review has been limited. Student achievement information in relation to the National Standards is unreliable and does not allow trustees to set informed targets and goals.

There is little planned self review to support school improvement. School management systems and policies are outdated. The principal must seek advice in order to improve the quality of leadership provided to the board and the staff. The board has made the decision to release the principal to bring about required improvements. Key areas for improvement include:

  • annual planning related to identified priorities for staff development and student achievement targets
  • collation, analysis and reporting of student achievement information
  • forward planning based on self review.

The board should seek an experienced appraiser for the principal to support a professional, planned approach to leadership and school development. ERO is not confident that improvements in school management can be achieved without external support. ERO also recommends that the board seek advice from the Ministry of Education to support ongoing school 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.
  • ERO identified areas of non-compliance relating to teacher appraisal and student wellbeing. In order to comply with legislative requirements the board must:
  1. ensure that teacher appraisal is consistent with the Registered Teacher Criteria and promotes high levels of staff performance [National Administration Guideline 3]
  2. ensure that school documentation regarding accidents, hazard management, health education and education outside the classroom is up to date, monitored and reported regularly to the board of trustees. [National Administration Guideline 5].

Recommendations to other agencies

ERO recommends that:

  • The Secretary for Education considers what support should be given to the board of trustees to assist it to meet its legal obligations in reporting on National Standards in the board’s annual report and how these data are used to form targets for the school strategic plan and charter.

When is ERO likely to review the school again?

ERO intends to carry out another review over the course of one-to-two years.

Dale Bailey

National Manager Review Services

Northern Region

13 June 2013

About the School

Location

Kaitaia

Ministry of Education profile number

1087

School type

Contributing Primary (Years 1 to 6)

School roll

45

Gender composition

Boys 27

Girls 18

Ethnic composition

Māori

NZ European/Pākehā

Asian

39

5

1

Review team on site

February 2013

Date of this report

13 June 2013

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

October 2009

November 2006

May 2003