School Context
Ridgeview School is located in the semi-rural community of Paremoremo, Auckland. The school caters for children in Years 1 to 6. The school roll comprises 67 students, with 17 children identifying as Māori. Small numbers of Pacific children and children from other ethnic groups also attend the school.
The school’s vision and mission is to ‘create confident, connected, life-long learners’ supported by the school’s values of respect, excellence, and positive relationships. Parents, teachers, and children understand and support these values.
Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, schoolwide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:
- children’s wellbeing and how the aspirations of parents for their tamariki are being met
- how well students are progressing, the achievement of Māori students and the achievement of boys and girls
- the effectiveness of literacy and mathematics programmes in supporting children’s learning.
Staff have participated in Assessment for Learning (AFL) professional learning and development (PLD), to increase their capability in the teaching of reading, writing, and mathematics.
Since ERO’s 2014 evaluation, the board co-opted a Māori trustee to represent a Māori perspective on the board, and have appointed a staff member who is also Māori.
Ridgeview School is a member of the Community of Learning|Kāhui Ako (CoL), Whānau ki te ako: Albany/Greenhithe.
Evaluation Findings
1 Equity and excellence – valued outcomes for students
1.1 How well is the school achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all its students?
The school is making good progress towards achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for Māori, Pacific, and other students.
Most children achieve to expectations in reading, writing, and mathematics. While Māori children achieve in reading at comparable levels to all students, there is some disparity compared with Pākehā learners in writing and mathematics. Interim achievement information for 2017 shows that Māori children are achieving at higher levels than previous years, and an increasing number achieve above expectations.
School leaders and teachers recognise the disparity in achievement for Māori learners in writing and mathematics, and have well-considered strategies in place to accelerate the progress of children who are at risk of not achieving.
Children achieve very well in relation to other school valued outcomes. Most children:
- demonstrate confidence in themselves as learners
- have a strong sense of belonging in school
- use school values to support their positive interactions with others
- are actively involved in their learning, and contribute to the life of the school.
1.2 How effectively does this school respond to those Māori and other students whose learning and achievement need acceleration?
Ridgeview School is increasingly effective in responding to children whose learning progress needs acceleration. The board of trustees, leadership team, and staff prioritise equity and excellence for all children. They have a commitment to supporting Māori children to achieve success as Māori.
Senior leaders and teachers know priority students’ learning strengths and needs. They set timeframes with key benchmarks to closely monitor the progress of priority children. Teachers use a variety of assessment information to help them plan programmes that target the needs of individual children. These targeted programmes promote teachers’ collaborative approaches, and are impacting positively on children’s literacy and mathematics learning.
Increasingly, teachers share their ideas and value feedback from colleagues about ways they can support students’ diverse learning requirements. This is helping to ensure that children who have additional learning needs are well catered for in an inclusive environment. Diversity is celebrated and viewed as a strength in the school. Individual Educational Learning Plans (IEP’s) are collaboratively developed with parents and whānau. These plans have an appropriate balance of learning and wellbeing goals, and strategies to help children make progress with their learning.
Effective school-wide moderation helps teachers to make dependable judgements about children’s achievement in reading, writing, and mathematics. This information about children’s progress and achievement is analysed, monitored, and regularly reported to the board.
2 School conditions for equity and excellence
2.1 What school processes and practices are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence?
Whanaungatanga, manaakitanga, mahi tahi, and ako are significant features of the school’s culture. A Māori language specialist provides in-depth programmes for children in te reo Māori and tikanga Māori that includes kapa haka and waiata. This promotes Māori children’s leadership and learning. Children fulfil tuakana/teina roles in a safe and inclusive environment, and their voices are respectfully heard and valued by their peers and by adults.
Māori children have opportunities to develop their confidence, build on their capabilities, culture and identity through a broad curriculum. Māori children’s success in the arts, science, technology, health and physical education is noted and reported.
Children, parents, whānau and community groups feel supported through affirming relationships with the school. Families are encouraged to be part of the learning processes that help children make progress and improve their achievement. The school has an innovative approach to involving whānau in child-led family conferences. Teachers support parents by discussing ways they could support their children’s learning. Parents of ‘priority learners’ have their child’s individual accelerated learning plan shared with them.
Children benefit from many opportunities to learn collaboratively. These have helped them to develop values, skills, and competencies for successful learning. Children’s use of digital technologies supports the development of “team work”, and helps them to achieve and make progress in their literacy and mathematics learning.
Teachers make learning processes very clear, and this helps children to understand learning and see it as meaningful. For example, teachers explain to children the purpose of each lesson. Children also have good access to information that tells them how well they are achieving and progressing. Teachers could now provide more opportunities for children to identify their own next learning steps, and to help plan how to take these steps.
Staff focus their school goals, practices, and decision-making on what is best for children. Teachers collaboratively reflect on and consider their practice to identify ways to improve their strategies for catering for children’s diverse learning and well-being requirements. This learner-focused approach to school decision-making and inquiry is resulting in positive outcomes for children.
The board provides good stewardship. Trustees are strongly committed to the community and children. They work collaboratively and successfully to contribute to student outcomes, learning, and wellbeing. School leaders continue to focus on developing good quality teaching and learning practices. They also access and support relevant teacher PLD to help them achieve the school’s strategic goals that are focused on equity and excellence.
2.2 What further developments are needed in school processes and practices for achievement of equity and excellence?
The school has appropriate and relevant strategic goals for ongoing school improvement.
These goals include expanding and strengthening the use of evaluation to identify and build on successful school practices and processes. Development should focus on improving staff’s evaluative thinking about the links between their teaching strategies and children’s learning outcomes. This will assist them to build on success and inquire more critically into the effectiveness of their practice. Through expanding the perspectives used in evaluation, partnerships with local iwi could also be strengthened and contribute to improved outcomes for Māori learners.
3 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
- finance
- 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.
4 Going forward
Key strengths of the school
For sustained improvement and future learner success, the school can draw on existing strengths in:
- collaborative leadership that supports equity and excellence for all learners, and provides the means to accelerate the progress of children who are at risk of not achieving
- connections and partnerships with parents, whānau, and community that are focused on improving children’s learning and wellbeing
- the opportunities students have to develop their capabilities through a variety of relevant learning experiences.
Next steps
For sustained improvement and future learner success, development priorities are in:
- embedding a school curriculum that enhances students’ identity and provides opportunities for them to give direction to their learning
- enhancing evaluation processes at all levels particularly to support children who are at risk of not achieving
- continuing to strengthen school processes and practices that are focused on improved outcomes for Māori learners.
ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing
ERO is likely to carry out the next external evaluation in three years.
Julie Foley
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
19 February 2018
About the school
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Location
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Paremoremo, Auckland
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Ministry of Education profile number
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1433
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School type
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Contributing
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School roll
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67
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Gender composition
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Girls 34
Boys 33
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Ethnic composition
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Māori
Pākehā
Fijian
other
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17
40
3
7
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Provision of Māori medium education
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No
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Review team on site
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November 2017
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Date of this report
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19 February 2018
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Most recent ERO report(s)
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Education Review
Education Review
Education Review
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February 2015
October 2012
June 2009
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