Roto-O-Rangi School - 19/02/2018

• On this page:

• School Context
• Evaluation Findings
• 1 Equity and excellence – valued outcomes for students
• 2 School conditions for equity and excellence
• 3 Board assurance on legal requirements
• 4 Going forward
• About the school 

School Context

Roto-O-Rangi School provides education for students in Years 1-6. It is located in a rural community south-west of Cambridge. It has a roll of 72, including 20 who identify as Māori. The school’s overarching vision is to aim high through strong foundations, values and innovative learning. The school states its valued outcomes for students are to develop respect, resilience, co-operation, enthusiasm, consideration, and to enable them to take responsibility for their learning. The school has broad targets focused on increasing the proportion of students achieving National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics.

Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, school-wide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:

• reading, writing and mathematics
• progress and achievement in relation to school targets
• value added learning for students with additional learning needs including gifted and talented students.

The school belongs to Te Puna o Kemureti a Community of Learning|Kāhui Ako (COL), consisting of local schools and early childhood services. 

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 achieves excellent outcomes for almost all students and is making good progress towards achieving equity for all.

The school’s achievement information for 2013 to 2016 shows that most students continue to achieve well in reading and writing and almost all achieved the expected level in mathematics. This data also shows that Māori students achieved at comparable levels to other students in the school. The school’s data indicates that proportionally boys achieved at lower levels than girls in reading and writing and at similar levels in mathematics.

Data from 2013 to 2016 shows a pattern of improved achievement for Māori students.

It also shows that all students receiving specialist support make progress and experience considerable success.

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

Teachers are responding very well to those Māori and other students whose learning needs acceleration. School data (2015 to 2016), shows that most at-risk students made accelerated progress. This pattern of acceleration has been sustained in 2017.

2 School conditions for equity and excellence

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

The school has a positive culture for learning. A feature is the family atmosphere and the respectful and trusting relationships. Students and their families enjoy a positive sense of belonging and connection to the school. Students’ language, culture and identity are valued including the unique position of Māori as tangata whenua within the school. A learner centred, personalised approach supports students to achieve equitable outcomes and success in their learning.

The curriculum is highly responsive to students’ interests and learning needs. Students are confident to take on leadership roles and make informed decisions about their learning. Teachers use strategies that support students to think critically and engage in purposeful learning. Teachers and leaders work collaboratively to make reliable, well-informed overall teacher judgements about individual students’ learning. They use this information to plan personalised learning for students. Individual education plans for students with additional needs are closely monitored in partnership with parents.

Leadership is focused on improving student outcomes. The principal works collaboratively with staff to develop teaching practices that meet identified learning needs, and to teach deliberately. Leadership makes strong connections with the parent community to enact the agreed vision and aspirations for learning.

2.2 What further developments are needed in school processes and practices for achievement of equity and excellence?

The school needs to:

• refine its targeted action by focusing more explicitly on all students who are under achieving
• consistently implement the school’s Māori curriculum to support culturally responsive practice.

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:

• a positive culture for learning that is based on respect and care
• a local curriculum that is responsive and learner centred
• leadership that promotes high-quality teaching approaches to accelerate learning.

Next steps

For sustained improvement and future learner success, development priorities are in:

• investigating strategies that accelerate the achievement of boys, particularly in reading and writing
• fully enacting the school’s well-documented Māori curriculum. 

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

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

Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer

Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region

19 February 2018

About the school