Riverhead School

1 Context

Riverhead School, in northwest Auckland, has a long history in the area and is well supported by its community. Current local development is changing the traditionally semi-rural area to a more urban school community, and is creating significant roll growth. The school is about to begin an extensive building project to ensure future capacity and to provide innovative learning environments to support the school's child-centred curriculum.

The school’s 2011 ERO report noted well designed systems and practices, collective responsibility for student achievement and wellbeing, effective leadership and governance focused on continuous improvement, and strong community support. These features continue to be strengths of the school.

2 Equity and excellence

The Riverhead School vision ‘Think, Do, Discover' reflects the school's expectations for learning and behaviour. The vision is underpinned by the school's BUMP@R philosophy, which incorporates the Key Competencies from The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) and the school's key values of Resilience and Excellence. The vision, philosophy and values form a strong foundation for all practices and interactions, and promote equity and excellence in achievement and wellbeing.

The school’s achievement information shows that most learners achieve at or above the National Standard in reading, writing and mathematics. Māori student achievement is at slightly lower levels than for the overall school profile. A focus on reading has seen improved achievement for Māori children in this learning area. School leaders are aware of the need to continue to improve achievement for Māori children, particularly in writing. School data also shows a need to improve boys' achievement in writing.

Since the last ERO evaluation the school has made good use of external professional development to extend teacher capability in literacy and mathematics. School leaders, staff and trustees have continued to embed their focus on student achievement, with increased emphasis on priority learners, teacher inquiry into practice, and improved reporting of progress and achievement. A cohesive approach to change management has ensured that school-wide systems are clearly aligned with the school vision and values.

3 Accelerating achievement

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

Riverhead School responds positively to Māori children whose learning and achievement needs acceleration. However, it is not yet able to demonstrate accelerated progress over time.

Good school systems for the use of student achievement information support leaders and teachers to gather information about Māori children as a group and individually. Staff identify children whose learning and achievement needs acceleration. Interventions and targeted programmes are provided in response to children's strengths, interests and needs. Leaders and teachers closely monitor children's short and long term progress.

The school has a Māori Engagement and Achievement Plan, which includes targets for accelerated achievement as well as goals to raise the mana and holistic success of Māori children within the school. Whānau are regularly informed about the progress and achievement of their children and successes for Māori children generally.

A lead teacher provides good support for staff and children in te reo and tikanga Māori. Tuakanateina practices are valued and children are encouraged to use their strengths and knowledge to support their peers and teachers. Children of all ages have the opportunity to participate in kapa haka and pōwhiri. They and their whānau value these opportunities to build leadership and mana. In recent years many strategies have been implemented to strengthen partnerships with whānau, including the re-establishment of a whānau group. Whānau appreciate the school's commitment to regular consultation and the opportunities to contribute their ideas and aspirations to the development of strategic goals aimed at promoting success for Māori students overall and for their own children.

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

Riverhead School responds well to other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration.

School leaders and teachers use student achievement information well to identify and monitor the progress and achievement of all learners. Good processes are in place to identify children not achieving at expected levels. From overall school data, staff identify cohort groups and individual children whose learning and achievement needs acceleration. School leaders and teachers analyse achievement data well, plan and implement appropriate learning programmes to promote acceleration. They monitor children's' progress regularly. Teachers inquire into the effectiveness of practices and collaborate to support all learners. Parents receive good information and are included in their children's learning in many ways.

School leaders are committed to accelerating student achievement through continuous improvement of teacher practice. Planned next steps include reviewing the purpose and use of withdrawal programmes, and increasing the depth of teacher inquiry into practice.

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 priorities for equity and excellence?

Riverhead School's curriculum and organisational processes and practices effectively develop and enact the school's vision, values, goals and priorities.

The school is governed by an experienced board of trustees with good understanding of governance roles and responsibilities. Trustees work collaboratively with the principal and deputy principal, with a strong focus on student achievement and shared ownership of the school's strategic direction. Trustees are well informed about school operations and practices and scrutinise information thoroughly in their stewardship role.

School leadership is effective. The experienced principal and deputy principal are future focussed and successfully promote continuous improvement. They have established effective systems to support teaching and learning, and provide clear guidelines and expectations for staff. They have implemented systems that promote teacher collaboration, dialogue, reflection and inquiry into practice. Robust appraisal processes also help teachers to inquire into the effect of their teaching practices on outcomes for learners. They provide opportunities for teachers to take on leadership roles, and provide good support for new leaders.

School trustees, leaders and staff have a strong commitment to strengthening bicultural practices. The school's curriculum incorporates bicultural perspectives and themes. Children at all year levels learn te reo Māori within class programmes. The development of te reo Māori and te Ao Māori in recent years has established good foundations for culturally responsive practices. Continuing to build teachers’ confidence and capability in te reo me nga tikanga Māori would benefit Māori children, as well as promoting and normalising bicultural practices for all children and staff.

School leaders and trustees are committed to strong home-school partnerships. Parents and whānau are welcomed and involved in the school. The whānau group and recently formed Pasifika parents group provide helpful liaison between families and school. The board actively seeks input from children, staff, and parents to inform decision-making and is responsive to information gathered through consultation.

The school curriculum provides a wide range of learning experiences to support and extend children's needs, interests and strengths. This includes specialist music and language programmes, opportunities for the Arts and performance, and education outside the classroom (EOTC). The school vision 'Think, Do, Discover' underpins the school inquiry model and a range of approaches are used to develop children's thinking skills. Transitions through class year levels within the school are well supported by consistency in expectations, approaches and shared 'learning language'. Students in Years 7 and 8 experience a rich, age-appropriate curriculum.

Information and communication technology (ICT) is valued as a learning tool. ICT was an area of development during 2015 and there are many examples of effective use within classroom programmes. This remains an area for development during 2016 to further extend the use of ICT as part of modern learning practices.

During the past two years leaders have implemented a range of strategies to support the development of modern, innovative learning environments and approaches. A strategic approach to change management is ensuring that these innovative teaching and learning practices (ILP) are being phased in across the school, and are becoming well established in many classrooms. The Year 7 and 8 students benefit significantly from learning in modern learning environments. These classrooms provide a good model for ongoing school development of ILP.

High levels of student involvement in learning are evident in many rooms. In all rooms teachers support children to set goals and to discuss their current learning, progress and achievement. Children are increasingly able to self-manage and monitor their own learning, and to identify and articulate their learning successes, including sharing their progress and achievement with parents. This is particularly evident in the senior classes. School leaders have identified student ownership of learning as an area for continued development and extension.

School leaders have identified curriculum as a key area for review and development during the next two years. Planned improvements focus on redesigning the curriculum to be even more responsive to Riverhead learners, more collaborative, and more reflective of the modern learning practices that are being established in the school.

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
• respond effectively to the strengths, needs and interests of each child
• regularly evaluate how well teaching is working for these children
• act on what they know works well for each child
• build teacher capability effectively to achieve equitable outcomes for all children
• are well placed to achieve and sustain equitable and excellent outcomes for all children.

School trustees, leaders and staff work collaboratively to provide positive educational outcomes for all children. There is a strong focus on student achievement and wellbeing at all levels of the school. Positive relationships with families and the wider community are evident.

Processes for self review are well established. To further increase evaluation capability and to support sustainability of current good practices, leaders and trustees agree that they could improve the documentation of some aspects of their self review processes. They are currently considering ways in which they could use the recently published School Evaluation Indicators: Effective Practice for Improvement and Learner Success, and other resources, to extend their internal evaluation practices.

ERO is likely to carry out the next 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 Recommendations

ERO recommends the school extends its current internal evaluation practices and evidence-based inquiry to sustain and further promote its focus on equity and excellence in outcomes for all learners. 

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

8 June 2016

About the school

1 Context

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

Riverhead School is a full primary (Years 1 to 8) school located in the semi-rural community of Riverhead, in the Rodney District. The school is well supported by its community, many of whom have historical links with the school. Since the 2008 ERO review, the board has successfully managed significant building projects that support teaching and learning across the school.

The school is led by a capable and cohesive leadership team who are focused on continuous improvement. Their shared vision is clearly articulated and well understood by students and teachers. Well designed school systems and practices contribute to a positive tone in the school. There is collective ownership of responsibility for the wellbeing of students and staff.

2 Learning

How well are students learning – engaging, progressing and achieving?

Students are highly motivated and engage well in the learning process. Students of all ages are able to talk about their learning and present as confident and capable learners. They willingly share their ideas with others in the class and are confident to take risks in their learning.

School achievement information shows that most students are achieving well in reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers’ analysis of achievement data is detailed and well used in lesson planning. Achievement information is also used to set annual school achievement targets. Senior leaders and teachers closely monitor the progress of students who are underachieving in relation to these targets.

Teachers and managers see raising student achievement as a collective responsibility and focus. ERO recommends that senior leaders extend their reporting on achievement to the board by including an analysis of the progress of groups of students over their time at school and summarising the data to identify trends and patterns.

Well considered work has been undertaken to incorporate the National Standards for reading, writing, and mathematics into the school curriculum. This work is ongoing. The board has set one achievement target against National Standards in the 2011 charter, and has chosen reading for this focus. Parents receive two written reports a year that indicate how well their child is achieving against the curriculum levels in relation to the National Standards. Senior leaders are developing more accurate reporting to parents on their child’s achievement in relation to the National Standards after one, two, and three years at school.

ERO and school leaders agree that the next step is for teachers to continue to support students to engage in making independent decisions about their learning.

How well are Māori students learning – engaging, progressing and achieving?

Sixteen percent of the school roll identifies as Māori. Māori students achieve at levels that are similar to those of the rest of the school population. Senior leaders provide the board with a separate analysis of Māori student achievement. Māori students benefit from teachers’ close monitoring of achievement targets designed to support their learning.

Through ongoing consultation, the school has developed good relationships with Māori whānau. Māori students are consulted and provide useful information about their learning at Riverhead School. Their voice is respected by leaders and their opinions also inform the teaching of te reo Māori and tikanga Māori in classrooms. Māori students are given many learning and leadership opportunities, including those that affirm their identity as Māori.

3 Curriculum

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

The Riverhead school curriculum is well designed and aligns well with the principles, values and key competencies of The New Zealand Curriculum. The school’s vision for students’ learning is reflected in the integrated approach to learning and behaviour that is evident across the school. The curriculum effectively promotes and supports student achievement in all learning areas and coverage is carefully monitored across a four year cycle. Students have opportunities to engage in a wide range of co-curricular opportunities to complement their class programmes. Clear documented guidelines support teachers to deliver the curriculum effectively.

The school has developed a cycle of curriculum review that focuses on assessment information. Students, teachers and the community have a shared ownership of the curriculum. Senior leaders have reviewed the careers programme for Year 7 and 8 students and are developing a more integrated approach to this aspect of the curriculum. Leaders have begun to further develop the school’s te reo Māori and tikanga Māori curriculum, using the recent Ministry of Education resource, He Reo Tupu, He Reo Ora.

There is clear evidence of consistent good teaching practice across the school. An effective appraisal process, linked to professional learning programmes, ensures that teachers are well supported to continue to develop their teaching practice.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

Riverhead School is well placed to sustain and further improve teaching and learning in the school and to promote positive outcomes for all students.

Factors that support this school to sustain and improve its performance are:

• highly effective governance and management systems that underpin continuous school development
• committed professional leadership, focused on continuous improvement
• well aligned school systems and procedures that support the agreed strategic direction of the school
• respectful interpersonal relationships between students and staff
• inclusive practices that support students’ engagement in learning
• high quality self review that is future focused and contributes to positive outcomes for students
• planned initiatives that foster the development of leadership skills across the school.

Provision for international students

The school is a signatory to the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students (the Code) established under section 238F of the Education Act 1989. At the time of this review there were no international students attending the school. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code. ERO’s investigations confirmed that the school’s self-review process for international students is thorough.

Board assurance on legal requirements

Before the review, the board of trustees and principal of the school completed an ERO Board Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklist. 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 students' achievement:

• emotional safety of students (including prevention of bullying and sexual harassment)
• physical safety of students
• teacher registration
• stand-downs, suspensions, expulsions and exclusions
• attendance.

When is ERO likely to review the school again?

ERO is likely to carry out the next review in four-to-five years.

Richard Thornton

National Manager Review Services Northern Region

1 September 2011

About the School