Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
Background
This Profile Report was written within eighteen months of the Education Review Office and Solway College working in Te Ara Huarau, an improvement evaluation approach used in most English Medium State and State Integrated Schools. For more information about Te Ara Huarau see ERO’s website. www.ero.govt.nz
Context
Solway College is located in Masterton (Wairarapa). It is predominantly a boarding school with limited day places for girls in years 7-13. Over the past three years the school has gone through a full change in senior leadership team. The special character which provides “a holistic education for young women, in a caring, Christian, close-knit and inclusive family environment” is at the heart of the school.
Solway College’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:
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to pursue excellence through the Solway Way values and programmes
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to be empowered to move confidently and purposefully into the next phase of their lives
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for staff to work collaboratively so every student is nurtured to achieve their potential
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for families to be partners in their daughters’ education
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for a holistic education that prioritises wellbeing to support student success
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that the environment equips students to thrive in tomorrow’s world.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Solway College’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the implementation of an evaluation framework to support the review of school’s curriculum (Tō Mātou Ara Manaia - Our Solway Way) and its impact on student achievement and wellbeing.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:
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to support the systematic review of Tō Mātou Ara Manaia - Our Solway Way
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for the actions taken as a result of the Tō Mātou Ara Manaia - Our Solway Way review to have a positive impact on student achievement and wellbeing.
The school expects to see equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners as they transition successfully through their Solway education and beyond school.
Strengths
The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to use effective evaluation to know the impact of its priorities for improvement:
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its systematic review of school conditions that lead to equitable and excellent outcomes for learners
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leaders’ rigorous monitoring and reporting to inform the pace and success of change
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its prioritisation of partnership with both local iwi in the initial consultation of the strategic plan, and as partners in the ongoing implementation and evaluation of Tō Mātou Ara Manaia - Our Solway Way.
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise strengthening its collective capacity to use evaluation for improvement and innovation across the school.
ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. ERO will support the school in reporting their progress to the community. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report and is due within three years.
Kathy Lye
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
15 February 2023
About the School
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home