Springdale School

School Context

Springdale School, located between Te Aroha and Morrinsville provides education for Years 1 to 8 students. The current roll of 48 includes seven Māori students.

Since the previous ERO review in 2016, a new and first time principal was appointed in April 2018 and there have been some changes to the teaching team. New trustees have been elected including the board chairperson in July 2018. Teachers have undertaken professional learning and development in writing and positive behaviour for learning facilitated by the Community of Learning| Kāhui Ako (CoL).

The school aims to provide the most effective and engaging teaching possible while supporting children to achieve to the highest standard, inclusive of the school values, academic achievement, social awareness and understanding, emotional intelligence and knowing themselves as learners.

Promoting the values of caring, honesty, independence, perseverance, respect and teamwork are stated priorities of the school.

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

• reading, writing and mathematics.

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?

The school is working towards achieving equity and excellence for all students.

In 2018 the large majority of students achieved national curriculum expectations in reading, writing and mathematics. The school’s data also indicates that girls achieved at higher levels than boys in mathematics and writing, and at significantly higher levels in reading. Māori student achievement is higher than Pākehā in writing, reading and mathematics. Overall data in 2018 has declined since 2017, most significantly in mathematics and slightly in reading and writing.

Students with high learning needs are making good progress against their individual learning and behaviour goals.

1.2 How well is the school accelerating learning for those Māori and other students who need this?

The school has some achievement information that shows individual students have had their learning accelerated.

The school is yet to collate and analyse information to show school-wide rates of acceleration.

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?

The principal is developing a culture of relational trust across the school community. This is supporting collaboration, change and improvement. Leaders are well supported by the board of trustees to provide appropriate resources for learning environments. They have sought external expertise and built professional education networks that have contributed to:

• a refresh and review of the vision and values of the school

• a more strategic approach to resourcing including the use of teacher aides

• ongoing school policy and procedure review

• providing more leadership opportunities to school personnel to utilise their strengths

• developing improved systems and practices to track and monitor at-risk students.

Students participate in caring and responsive environments. There are shared understandings among students and teachers about social expectations for participation and engagement underpinned by the school values. Parent and student aspirations have been gathered in early 2019 to support local curriculum design. Students are encouraged to work cooperatively with their peers in ability and social groupings. There are leadership opportunities for students and they are actively involved in planning authentic learning experiences that include their strengths and interests.

Leaders and teachers provide orderly and supportive learning environments. They have respectful relationships with students and are positive and affirming in their interactions. Teachers use a range of appropriate assessment tools to identify student strengths and needs. Students with additional learning needs are well integrated and supported in classroom programmes. Teachers provide a range of learning opportunities that support high levels of student participation and engagement.

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

Further development is needed in aspects of school operations and teaching and learning practices.

This should include:

• full implementation of recently developed systems and processes to track and monitor at-risk students

• ensuring the performance management system meets the Teacher Council NZ expectations and guidelines

• developing shared and agreed expectations for teaching and learning to ensure a consistent and robust approach to teacher planning, tracking and monitoring and targeted action for students whose learning needs acceleration

• further collation, analysis and reporting of school-wide student achievement data to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of classroom teaching, programmes and interventions

• building internal capability within the school to further strengthen the bicultural dimension.

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 ERO’s Overall Judgement

On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement of Springdale School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Developing.

ERO’s Framework: Overall School Performance is available on ERO’s website.

5 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

For sustained improvement and future learner success, the school can draw on existing strengths in:

• leadership that promotes a school-wide culture of high relational trust

• orderly and supportive learning environments that value parent and student input

• effective use of external expertise to support improved school practices.

Next steps

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

• implementing a robust performance management system

• reporting regularly to the board school-wide rates of acceleration for at-risk learners to better understand what is making the difference to student progress and achievement

• agreed and shared expectations to improve the consistency of teaching and learning.

Actions for compliance

ERO identified non-compliance in relation to performance management and languages offered in curriculum.

In order to address these areas, the board of trustees must:

1. Ensure that the school curriculum is working towards offering students opportunities for learning second or subsequent languages (Years 7-10)
   [The New Zealand Curriculum]
2. Ensure that performance management, including attestation and practices meets New Zealand Teachers Council requirements.
   [s 77c State Sector Act 1988; NZ Gazette and relevant Collective Employment Agreement].

Areas for improved compliance practice

To improve current practice, the board of trustees should:

• continue to maintain the regular schedule of policy and procedure review.

Phil Cowie

Director Review and Improvement Services Central

Central Region

11 June 2019

About the school

1 Context

Springdale School, located between Morrinsville and Te Aroha, caters for children in Years 1 to 8. The school is the focal point of the Springdale community and recently celebrated its centenary. There are high levels of parent involvement in school events and activities. A significant number of parents have intergenerational links with the school.

2 Equity and excellence

The vision and valued outcomes defined by the school for all children are, that they develop to reach their highest potential through the school's programmes, values and beliefs. Springdale School believes that every child is a learner, and mathematics and literacy are the core of learning. These beliefs contribute to positive relationships and a strong sense of belonging for all children and their families.

The school’s achievement information shows that, at the end of 2015, 14 children were below National Standards in reading and writing and 10 children in mathematics. The school's 2015 achievement data clearly indicates that six of the 14 children made accelerated progress in reading, a third of the children in writing, and half in mathematics. The school's data also identifies children who have been below the standards are making expected progress, toward acceleration.

Since the previous ERO evaluation, continued improvement has been a focus with the implementation of a range of initiatives. These include:

• strategic resourcing to reduce class sizes and multi-year levels within classes
• the promotion of positive and respectful relationships
• opportunities for children to work cooperatively in groups in classroom programmes
• teaching and learning practices adapted to improve children's engagement and achievement
• professional development with a focus on writing
• the review of the mathematics curriculum.
• regular discussions between teachers and parents about children's learning needs and progress
• responsive and reciprocal interactions with external agencies that support individual children and their families.

3 Accelerating achievement

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

Springdale School has responded well to those children whose learning and achievement need acceleration. The school is able to identify those children who are not achieving at their expected levels and are able to show how they respond to their identified needs. They know the targeted children making expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics. The impact of the work being done shows that a number of the children make accelerated progress and others are progressing towards their specific learning targets.

Teachers use a range of assessment tools to monitor children's progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics. Children requiring extra support in their learning, including the small number of Māori children, are targeted and a range of programmes put in place to accelerate their progress.

Teachers have participated in professional development in writing. Teaching strategies are modified so children experience success in their learning. Teachers are beginning to evaluate the effectiveness of the programmes of learning they provide to respond to the needs of children. Children are working with teachers to identify their learning progress and their next steps.

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?

Springdale School's curriculum, processes and practices effectively promote learning and achievement for most children. The school's curriculum has appropriate emphasis on reading, writing, mathematics and the key competencies, and includes relevant local contexts. Reading and writing are key focus areas for 2016 / 2017 with staff attending board-funded professional development. Children benefit from a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities, including sports, arts, science, rural events and educational visits. These initiatives foster children's engagement and participation.

Teachers use assessment information to set targets for children. They know their children and their families well. They are working to assist children to better understand and take greater responsibility for their learning. They are improving the overall teacher judgements that they make about achievement for those children in their first three years at school. Teachers work collegially and use a range of teaching and learning strategies. The school participates in local education clusters.

Experienced board members provide effective governance. Trustees have a sound understanding of their roles and responsibilities, are committed to school development, and improving outcomes for children. They have employed an additional staff member for five years prior to the increased teaching entitlement in 2015. They use achievement information and parent input to support them with considered decision making.

The principal has a clear vision for school direction and works effectively with staff, children and the community. Parents are well informed about their child's achievement. Informal discussions, student-led conferences, and reporting strengthen learning partnerships among teachers, children and parents.

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.

Springdale school provides a broad curriculum relevant to the children and the local community. Classroom programmes are supplemented by teacher aide assistance. These things support the direction for accelerated learning. The school should celebrate the things they do well. The key next steps include:

• Strengthening the process for making overall teacher judgements about achievement for children in their first 3 years at school.
• Strengthening the school's response to promoting culture language and identify for Māori.
• Reviewing the school's strategic plan to more clearly identify long term plans for the development of school priorities in achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all children.

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 Recommendation

The board, principal and staff have appropriate systems and practices in place to support them to progress the areas identified within this report. 

Lynda Pura-Watson

Deputy Chief Review Officer

8 June 2016

About the school