Springston School

Summary

Springston is a Year 1 to 8 school, west of Lincoln. The school has a roll of 250 children, including 17 who identify as Māori. Since the 2013 ERO review, a new principal has been appointed and four new trustees are on the board. The board chairperson is new to the role, but was a member of the previous board. Collectively, trustees bring a wide range of expertise to their stewardship role.

The principal and teachers have been active contributors to the Lincoln Community Cluster which has begun its transition into the Ngā Mātāpuna ō ngā Pākihi Community of Learning.

The school has made some progress in meeting the recommendations outlined in the 2013 report. Children are encouraged to make good use of their thinking and reflective skills to support their ongoing learning. The board and school leaders still need to develop a useful process for conducting effective internal evaluation.

Although there was a slight decrease in achievement levels for some groups in 2015, results for 2016 show that children overall are achieving well against the National Standards (NS). Māori children are achieving above NS in reading and mathematics and at NS in writing. Some boys are not achieving as well in reading and writing. Special programmes and learning support are in place to address this disparity.

How well is the school achieving equitable outcomes for all children?

The school is successfully achieving equitable outcomes for all children. Teachers respond well to children whose learning and achievement need acceleration. Programmes are in place to assist groups of children to achieve accelerated progress in reading and writing.

The processes that are effectively enabling the achievement of equitable outcomes include:

• well understood values that strongly support a positive and inclusive school culture
• close monitoring of children’s progress
• relevant learning support programmes, including extension activities for highly able learners
• regular evaluation of the effectiveness of support programmes and teaching strategies in meeting the learning needs of children.

The school is actively supporting children to achieve equity in educational outcomes by effectively introducing sustainable processes and practices that improve outcomes for all children.

School leaders do not have a formalised process for regular internal and external moderation of teachers’ judgements about children’s writing. This is a next step.

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

Equity and excellence

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

The school is effectively responding to all children whose learning and achievement need acceleration. Most Māori and Pacific children are achieving very well against National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics.

There is disparity in boys’ writing and some students’ writing at Year 3 and Year 7. Well-managed learning support programmes specifically respond to children whose learning and achievement need acceleration. Teachers closely monitor children’s progress and take note of the strategies that effectively support learning. They have high expectations for learning and relentlessly focus on children reaching their full potential.

Leaders and teachers work alongside members from the local iwi to strengthen their bicultural programme. A next step is for teachers to increase the visibility of this across the school. The school’s values align well with Māori values. These values support all children, and particularly Māori children, to enthusiastically engage in learning.

School conditions supporting equity and excellence

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

The school has useful processes that are effectively enabling the achievement of equity and excellence.

The school values are strongly embedded and underpin all aspects of learning and teaching. Collaborative approaches ensure collective responsibility for teachers and children in ensuring caring, respectful and supportive relationships.

Teachers know the children well. They effectively encourage tuakana teina relationships where older children support their younger peers with their learning. Children’s successes are readily recognised and celebrated. These positive approaches strongly enhance children’s wellbeing and build their confidence. Children’s learning is greatly enriched by a good range of digital devices. The school’s broad curriculum provides opportunities for children to learn in a range of stimulating contexts. These include cultural activities at the marae and science experiences in the laboratory at the university.

The school is ably led and managed. School leaders strategically select professional development and learning opportunities to extend teachers’ professional capability. The distributive leadership model actively capitalises on teachers’ strengths and is effectively building sustainable practices.

The board and principal work collaboratively. Trustees have sought training and used their wide-ranging skills to develop a future-focused plan that sets a clear direction for the school. Resourcing decisions are well considered and based on supporting children whose learning needs accelerating.

Sustainable development for equity and excellence

What further developments are needed in school processes to achieve equity and excellence?

The school has developed useful processes and systems to provide equitable outcomes for all children.

In order to continue to sustain equity and excellence, the school needs to:

• increase the visibility of bicultural practices across the school
• formalise a process of regular internal and external moderation
• develop a systematic approach to internal evaluation.

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
• 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.

Going forward

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

Children are achieving well. The school demonstrates strong progress toward achieving equity in educational outcomes, supported by effective, sustainable processes and practices.

Agreed next steps are to:

• formalise a process of regular internal and external moderation

• make bicultural aspects more visible in rooms and in documents

• develop a systematic approach to internal evaluation.

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

Dr Lesley Patterson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern (Te Waipounamu)

11 July 2017 

About the school