School Context
Rototuna Primary School, located in northern Hamilton, caters for students in Years 1 to 6. The current roll is 939, of whom 15% are Māori. There are 12 international students and a significant number of English Language Learners.
The school’s vision is ‘He Rawe mō Āke Tonu – Our Best Always. The vision is embodied through learning dispositions: ‘The Rototuna learner is a communicator/kaiwhakawhiti kōrero, a researcher/kairangahau, a thinker/kaiwhakaaro, a risk taker/kaikōkiri, a team player/kaimahi-a-rōpū, and a self-manager/kaimahi takitahi’
The school’s strategic goals focus on: rangatiratanga, student progress, achievement and agency; hauora, wellbeing for success; culturally responsive pedagogy and whanaungatanga, educationally powerful partnerships with parents.
Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, schoolwide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:
- achievement and progress in reading, writing and mathematics
- achievement in science, health, social sciences, the arts and technology
- engagement and effort in achieving individual learning goals
- student wellbeing.
A new principal joined the school in term two, 2019. From 2017 to 2019, schoolwide professional learning and development (PLD) has focused on teaching writing and strengthening cultural responsiveness. PLD for teachers in the use of restorative practices began this year.
The school is a member of Te Pae Here Kāhui Ako I Community of Learning.
Evaluation Findings
1 Equity and excellence – achievement of valued outcomes for students
1.1 How well is the school achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all its students?
Achievement data from the end of 2017 and 2018 showed that most students achieved at and above The New Zealand Curriculum expectations in reading, writing and mathematics However there was underachievement for boys in writing.
In 2018 most students achieved at or above expectations in science, health and social sciences. Other data from 2017 and 2018 showed that most students achieved at or above expectations in the arts and technology.
Teachers identified at mid-year 2019 that almost all students were engaged and demonstrated effort in achieving their individual learning goals in reading, writing and mathematics.
1.2 How well is the school accelerating learning for those Māori and other students who need this?
The school tracks the progress of priority learners, including boys, Māori students, Pacific students, English language learners and individuals. These students are involved in specific initiatives to accelerate their progress. Leaders have tracked the achievement of priority learners since the end of 2017 to ‘close the achievement gap’. Three quarters have made accelerated progress in mathematics, two thirds in reading and just under half in writing.
In 2019, most students involved in the Ako Whakatere and reading support initiatives made accelerated progress.
2 School conditions for equity and excellence – processes and practices
2.1 What school processes and practices are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence, and acceleration of learning?
Students are well supported to see themselves as successful, and become independent, actively engaged learners. They talk confidently about their learning, the strategies they use to achieve their goals and what they need to learn next. Teachers promote effort and perseverance as key learning skills. Students’ goals are individualised and achievable. Children are supported to develop independence and agency through a levelled programme of learning progressions.
A thoughtfully-designed conceptual curriculum provides a highly-effective framework that extends and supports the learning and agency for all children. Rototuna learner competencies and bicultural practices are integral to the framework. Links across learning areas are deliberately integrated to enrich the programme.
Effective use of school systems to track and monitor schoolwide student progress and achievement is well established. Leaders and teachers have a very clear picture of achievement for individuals and groups of students over time in all learning areas of the curriculum. A useful online portal enables leaders, teachers, students and whānau to access individual student information. This supports students to track their own learning success. The school has deliberately designed instructional videos and learning resources for students and parents to use at home and at school.
Student wellbeing is a priority that is actively promoted through a wide range of deliberate strategies. Restorative practice is an area of professional development and focus across the school. Wellbeing progressions are used for self review, identifying strengths and next steps. Student feedback informs ongoing development. Leaders and teachers promote a schoolwide environment of caring and collaboration.
The new principal is focused on building relationships and an understanding of school systems and processes. The senior leadership team use a well-considered, highly systematic approach to support coherence and alignment of teaching and learning across the school. They purposefully maintain a culture of improvement, collaboration, innovation and high expectations.
The cohesive senior leadership team provide highly effective guidance and support for staff. Well-developed systems and processes are in place to promote teachers’ professional growth. Comprehensive appraisals, professional learning and development, and teacher inquiries:
- are strategically aligned to the school goals
- give teachers opportunities to challenge themselves and make choices
- are used well to promote consistent teaching practices across the school
- provide a framework for scaffolding practice to meet the school’s high expectations
- support shared understandings for newer teachers to the school and provisionally certificated teachers
- ensure a relentless focus on acceleration for priority learners.
The development of cultural responsiveness has been a priority focus for leaders and teachers. Local kawa and iwi relationships underpin the school’s strong bicultural curriculum. Highly effective leadership supports the school’s journey and drives continual improvement and deepening of Treaty-based practices. Targeted culturally responsive practices promote Māori success as Māori.
Cultural diversity is valued and celebrated. Children and their families for whom English is an additional language are supported with English language learning through a range of initiatives.
Those children with additional learning needs are very well supported. Knowledgeable staff and sound processes enable teachers to effectively monitor and report students’ progress and wellbeing. Characteristics and descriptors to identify gifted and talented students are well documented and useful for decision making about teaching and learning.
Review and internal evaluation processes are robust, well developed and focused on improving student outcomes. A strong understanding of the purpose and process of outcomes-focused evaluation is evident. Leaders and teachers make good use of clear, measurable evidence from multiple perspectives to make judgements about the impact of their strategies. This supports them to make targeted refinements to practice that successfully promote positive outcomes for learners. Trustees use review effectively to guide the future direction of the school, seeking input from students, parents and teachers. Resourcing and property decision making is guided by students’ achievement and wellbeing.
2.2 What further developments are needed in school processes and practices for achievement of equity and excellence, and acceleration of learning?
School leaders have identified, and ERO agrees, the following areas for continued development are to:
- build on teachers’ understanding of restorative practices
- deepen learning partnerships with parents, which is the focus of all teacher inquiry in 2019.
3 Other Matters
Provision for international students
The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of International Students) Code of Practice 2016 established under section 238F of the Education Act 1989. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code. Twelve international students were enrolled at the time of the ERO review.
The school gathers information from students, parents and teachers to regularly review its provision for international students. Effective pastoral care supports students’ wellbeing. Their progress and achievement is closely monitored and reported to parents and the board. Thorough induction processes support the transition of international students into school.
4 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 Children’s Act 2014.
5 ERO’s Overall Judgement
On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement of Rototuna Primary School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Strong.
ERO’s Framework: Overall School Performance is available on ERO’s website.
6 Going forward
Key strengths of the school
For sustained improvement and future learner success, the school can draw on existing strengths in:
- promoting student achievement and wellbeing as priorities, supported by highly effective systems and processes
- a well-designed conceptual curriculum provides a highly effective framework that extends and supports learning and agency for all children
- the senior leadership team that sustain a culture of improvement, collaboration, innovation and high expectations, providing highly effective guidance for staff
- cultural responsiveness is prioritised and embedded across the school
- robust, well developed internal evaluation processes focused on improving student outcomes.
Next steps
For sustained improvement and future learner success, priorities for continued development are in deepening:
- teachers’ understanding of restorative practice to consistently support student wellbeing
- learning partnerships with parents that build on current practices.
Areas for improved compliance practice
To improve current practice, the board of trustees should:
- strengthen record keeping of education outside the classroom practices
- increase staff understanding of physical restraint guidelines
- make the complaints policy more easily accessible for parents.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services Te Tai Tini
Southern Region
1 November 2019
About the school
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Location
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Hamilton
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Ministry of Education profile number
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6976
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School type
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Contributing (Years 1 to 6)
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School roll
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939
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Gender composition
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Boys 50%, Girls 50%
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Ethnic composition
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Māori 15%
NZ European/Pākehā 32%
Other Asian 16%
Chinese 15%
Indian 8%
Middle Eastern 4%
Other ethnic groups 10%
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Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS)
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Yes
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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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August 2019
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Date of this report
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1 November 2019
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Most recent ERO report(s)
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Education Review September 2015
Education Review February 2011
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