Te Kura o Mōkihi Spreydon School

1 Context

Spreydon School has a diverse community and caters for children in Years 1 to 6. The school is undergoing and managing some significant changes. The long-serving principal resigned in 2016 and a new principal was yet to be appointed at the time of this review. The school is in the planning stages for the building and relocating of the school to a new site. The board and school leaders are also managing changes to the school's enrolment zone and reduction in roll numbers at the new site.

2 Equity and excellence

The vision and valued outcomes defined by the school for all children are the 'Spirit of Spreydon Heart Values'. These include relationships, responsibility, learning and success. The school's graduate profile expectations are for children to be proud achievers, 21st century thinkers, respectful citizens, self managers, effective communicators and team players.

The school’s achievement information shows that the majority of children in 2015 were achieving at expected levels. Achievement is highest in reading and writing. Mathematics has been identified as an area for future focus. Māori children achieve best in writing and mathematics, while their reading achievement is lower. Pacific children achieve best in writing. Information provided by the schools shows achievement that levels have remained consistent for all groups over time.

Senior leaders acknowledge that a stronger focus needs to be made to lift the progress and achievement of those children, particularly Pacific, who are not yet achieving at the National Standards.

Targeted professional development for teachers in reading and writing has contributed to improved outcomes for children. To support consistency of assessment practices, senior leaders and teachers have developed useful guidelines. This has assisted the ways they assess children's learning and improved overall teacher judgements (OTJs). They have identified that they now need to extend these assessment and moderation practices across and beyond the school.

Since the last ERO evaluation the school has strengthened the achievement targets to clearly identify the groups of children at risk of not achieving. Senior leaders have ensured that these groups are known by all teachers and plans are in place to support the accelerated learning of these children. All teachers have undertaken significant professional learning in ways to teach reading and assess accurately in writing. School leaders and teachers are in the early stages of implementing a more biculturally inclusive culture and environment.

3 Accelerating achievement

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

The school responds well to Māori children whose learning and achievement need accelerating.

Teachers have high expectations for Māori children's learning and social interactions. They provide a wide range of meaningful and interesting educational activities that foster children's interests and enable them to experience greater success in learning. Māori children's pride in achieving as Māori is enhanced by having opportunities to learn te reo and tikanga Māori through the school's kapa haka. A teacher with responsibility is supporting other teachers' understanding and capacity in including Māori language and culture within class programmes.

Teachers make very good use of assessment information and their knowledge of children to identify those at risk of not achieving and those who need further extension. They closely monitor and provide appropriate support. Positive learning partnerships with parents are successfully fostered to enhance learning outcomes for children.

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

The school responds in similar ways to other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration. Teachers work closely together and regularly reflect on what works best for individual children, focusing on meeting children's social and emotional needs to enhance their achievement.

Senior leaders and teachers have recently begun to work with other schools in their cluster to build stronger connections with the local Pacific communities. They have prioritised the need for greater focus on improving the ways teachers can better support Pacific children to accelerate their progress and achievement.

Senior leaders agree that aspects of the school's assessment practices need to be extended. This includes ensuring that all learning areas are assessed and reported on to parents and the board.

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 targets for equity and excellence?

The school's curriculum, processes and practices are supporting increasing opportunities for children to experience success in their learning. The vision and values are very well known and understood by the school's community. Children learn in a safe and inclusive environment. They experience rich and varied learning programmes that provide clear pathways for learning.

Senior leaders have recently reviewed the curriculum and are currently refining it to ensure it gives greater prominence to Māori language, culture and perspectives. Senior leaders and teachers have identified that there needs to be closer alignment between the school's values and Māori values. They are at the early stages of working with local Māori to better understand the Māori context of the area. They are considering ways to reflect this within the school's key documents and practices, particularly as they move to a new site.

The school's vision and values successfully contribute to a positive and inclusive culture. They are closely linked to the graduate profile and clearly define what skills and attributes children will gain during their time at the school. These values are well known and embedded across the school.

Children's transitions to school are very well planned. Positive relationships are developed with whānau and families to support children as they start school. Parents are provided with useful information about their child's education. They also have many opportunities to participate in school events and contribute their ideas and views through regular consultation.

Senior leaders and teachers have high expectations for learning and teaching. Teachers are provided with detailed guidelines and expectations. They have a useful process for reflecting on their teaching practices and ongoing consideration of ways to improve how they meet the needs of individual and groups of children. Senior leaders agree that they now need to formalise a process for internal evaluation that clearly focuses on learning outcomes for children.

Changes in leadership have been well managed and led. Senior leaders are strategic in their decision making and have made good use of individual teacher strengths and expertise. They have a strong focus on building capacity within the school and provide teachers with useful feedback about their teaching practices. During the on-site stage of the review, senior leaders improved the quality of the school's annual plan. This framework will provide better guidance for determining the school's future priorities and direction.

Trustees bring a wide range of skills, expertise and experience to the board. They are focused on positive outcomes for all children. Trustees are kept well informed about children's achievement, progress, programmes and school events. They respond to and resource appropriately for the identified needs of children within and beyond the school. 

5 Going forward

How well placed is the school to accelerate the achievement of all children who need it?

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.

Teachers and leaders work closely together to provide a positive learning community. They are strongly focused on children's learning, progress and wellbeing. Internal evaluation is an area for ongoing improvement. Senior leaders are aware of the need to strengthen the way the school engages with its Pacific community to support learning outcomes for Pacific children. They also need to continue to extend internal evaluation practices to support their planning and decision making.

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

• provision for international students

• provision for students in school hostels. 

7 Recommendations

For the school to continue to improve its performance, the board and senior leaders have identified, and ERO agrees, that they need to:

• continue to refine the strategic plan to ensure it is a comprehensive overview of the school's intentions and future direction
• extend internal evaluation practices to ensure there is a clear process that is understood at all levels of the school
• consider the best ways to manage change as they plan for the relocation and rebuild of the school.  

Dr Lesley Patterson

Deputy Chief Review Officer Te Waipounamu/Southern

26 January 2017 

About the school