St Matthew's Primary School (Hastings)

St Matthew's Primary School (Hastings) - 28/06/2018

School Context

St Matthew’s Primary School (Hastings) is affiliated to St Matthew's Anglican Church. It is part of the parish complex in Hastings which also includes the church and an early learning service. It serves a diverse multicultural community.

At the time of this ERO evaluation, the roll is 133 students in Years 1 to 8, with 33 identifying as Maori and 18 as Samoan. A significant number of children require additional learning support.

The school promotes an inclusive environment with a focus on a holistic approach to education for all students. The school vision is: Working together to set our learners on a path of lifelong learning. The school’s valued outcomes for all students are expressed through their core values. Kāhui Ako targets for achievement in writing and mathematics, and for wellbeing are a focus for the school.

Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, schoolwide information about achievement outcomes for students in reading, writing and mathematics.

There is a stable and long standing leadership team. Since the May 2015 ERO review, there have been considerable changes in staffing at the junior level of the school. This includes an additional teacher funded by the board. Experienced and newly elected trustees make up the board.

The school is part of the Ngā Hau e Whā Kāhui Ako.

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 yet to have consistently equitable and excellent outcomes for all students.

In 2017, the majority of students achieved at curriculum expectation in writing and mathematics. Student achievement in reading has declined over time.

Significant disparity for Māori and Pacific learners and boys is yet to be addressed.

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

The school does not yet have a well-articulated, shared understanding of acceleration. Some students have made accelerated progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

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?

Leaders and teachers work together to build capability and collectively respond to individual needs of students.This contributes to a shared understanding of effective teaching strategies. The promotion of student self-management skills for learning contributes to purposeful learning for students.

There is a comprehensive approach to identifying and assessing all children’s individual needs. This includes children with additional needs. Specific strategies, interventions and external expertise are identified to help each student to engage in the curriculum.

Student engagement is strongly supported through positive, respectful relationships between children and with adults.Learning spaces are calm, purposeful and student centred. Children are supported to participate positively in school life.

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

Strengthening and aligning systems and processes to focus more deliberately on equity of outcomes for all students is a priority.

Trustees, leaders and teachers should continue toto support a develop and strengthen systems and processes sharpened focus on learners at risk of underachievement. Identifying, collating and reporting rates of progress for individuals and groups should help to provide a clearer schoolwide picture of acceleration. This should assist the school to evaluate its success and progress towards achieving its priorities.

A more cohesive approach to promoting schoolwide improvement is needed.Clearly defining the roles and responsibilities of leaders aligned to school priorities should support this.

Review of the school curriculum is required to better reflect community aspirations for children’s success. This should include:

  • clear expectations for evidence-based teaching and learning
  • inclusion of Te Ao Māori and culturally responsive practice
  • rationale and educational thinking behind specific programmes and interventions .including those aimed at improving students’ literacy and numeracy

The school provides a range of opportunities for parents to be informed about their child’s progress and achievement. The school has identified that extending these positive relationships to learner centred partnerships is a next step.

Trustees must build their capacity to scrutinise the effectiveness of school practices to achieve valued student outcomes. This should assist them to more effectively promote equitable and excellent outcomes for students.

Strengthening internal evaluation to better determine the effectiveness of teaching and learning practices should support trustees’, leaders’ and teachers’ knowledge of what has the biggest impact on improving outcomes for groups of students and support next steps for continued development.

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.

Actions for compliance

ERO identified non-compliance in relation to reporting to the board appraisal of teaching staff. In order to address this, the board of trustees must:

  1. ensure that all teachers are fully appraised annually.
    [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 ensure all hazards in the school grounds and classrooms are appropriately addressed to minimise risk to children’s safety.

The board has identified through its special character review that the school may not meet the requirements for non-preference students in the school. The board needs to clarify the status with the Ministry of Education to ensure the school meets requirements.

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.

No international students were enrolled at the time of this ERO evaluation.

4 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

  • a strong culture of collaboration among leaders and teachers that supports teaching and learning throughout the school
  • an inclusive and caring school community that effectively promotes learning and a sense of belonging.

Next steps

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

  • strengthening the stewardship and leadership focus on equity and excellence to promote improved outcomes for students
  • developing clear school targets to address disparity
  • targeted planning to accelerate learning [ERO will monitor and discuss progress with the school.]
  • building internal evaluation processes and practices to better understand the effectiveness of programmes and initiatives on acceleration and achievement for learners at risk of not achieving [ERO will provide an internal evaluation workshop for trustees and senior leaders.]

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

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

Patricia Davey

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)

Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region

28 June 2018

About the school

Location

Hastings

Ministry of Education profile number

1608

School type

Full Primary (Year 1 to 8)

School roll

133

Gender composition

Female 55%, Male 45%

Ethnic composition

Māori 25%

Pacific 15%

Pākehā 27%

Indian 26%

Other ethnic groups 7%

Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS)

No

Provision of Māori medium education

No

Review team on site

May 2018

Date of this report

28 June 2018

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, May 2015
Education Review, June 2012
Education Review, February 2010

St Matthew's Primary School (Hastings) - 21/05/2015

Findings

The school well placed to sustain and improve its performance. Student achievement information is well used to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement. Support for promoting Māori student success has developed significantly. A next step is to further develop curriculum guidelines to better promote and support student learning.

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

1 Context

What are the important features of this school that have an impact on student learning?

St Matthew's Primary School (Hastings) caters for students in Years 1 to 8.

The school is affiliated to St Matthew's Anglican Church and is part of the parish complex which also includes the church and an early childhood centre. It serves a diverse community and this is reflected in the multicultural roll.

The shared core values are recognised and understood throughout the school as the guiding framework for learning and behaviour. There is a strong focus on providing an inclusive environment for students.

2 Learning

How well does this school use achievement information to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement?

The school uses student achievement information well to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement.

Since 2013, leaders and teachers have initiated a Pathways to Learning project to identify students’ diverse learning needs. This approach is in response to concerns about students’ progress not accelerating as expected. Staff decided to look more closely at how students learn and the sensory, cognitive and motor skills that enable this. As a result, teachers have an awareness of the challenges students can have as learners. Teachers continue to develop their practices to respond to each child’s individual needs.

Learning support programmes and interventions are targeted for students at risk of not achieving. Reading data reported in 2014 shows target students are making expected and accelerated progress. These students receive teacher aide and specialist teacher support. Students' progress is closely tracked and monitored. Trustees receive information showing the impact of the support provided.

Student achievement data reported to the board in December 2014, shows that most students are achieving at or above in relation to the National Standards in writing and mathematics. The school has appropriately identified reading as a focus area for improvement across the school.

Māori students are achieving at similar levels to their peers in reading and writing, but below in mathematics. Leaders agree with ERO, that Māori students, who are not progressing as expected in relation to the National Standards, should be identified in school achievement targets to accelerate their progress.

Pacific student progress is tracked and monitored through a learning register. Data shows that they achieve at similar levels to their peers in reading and mathematics, but lower in writing. Pacific students’ learning is supported in English Second Language programmes. A next step is to ensure students whose achievement is of concern are included in school targets.

Parents receive useful information in reports about their child’s achievement, strengths and next learning steps. These should be clearer about achievement in relation to the National Standards.

3 Curriculum

How effectively does this school’s curriculum promote and support student learning?

The St Matthew’s Primary School curriculum has a clear emphasis on the core curriculum areas of reading, writing and mathematics. Other learning areas are within integrated programmes. Students participate in a wide range of learning experiences in and outside the classroom. A next step for the school is to further develop its curriculum guidelines to better promote and support student learning. This should include reflecting the:

  • special character and school community
  • bicultural nature of New Zealand
  • cultural diversity
  • The New Zealand Curriculum key competencies and principles.

The Pathways to Learning project has enabled teachers to participate in extensive professional learning. They are developing strategies that support students to meaningfully engage in learning. Teachers work collaboratively to reflect on and trial new practices to improve their approaches to teaching and learning. The appraisal process provides teachers with very useful professional feedback and next steps to improve their strategies.

Teachers effectively use a good range of strategies that engage students in learning. There is a focus on supporting students to be self managing and independent. Students engage with learning in environments that are calm and inclusive.

Teachers have conversations with parents and whānau about strategies they can use at home to support their children’s learning. Leaders have identified, and ERO agrees, that these discussions are an opportunity to further strengthen learning partnerships with families.

How effectively does the school promote educational success for Māori, as Māori?

The school has responded positively to areas for further development identified in the June 2012 ERO report. Leaders and teachers have participated in extensive professional learning and development. They are working with local iwi and external agencies to understand the Ngāti Kahungunu Education Plan and support their understanding of te reo me ngā tikanga Māori. The use of Tātaiako: Cultural Competencies for Teachers of Māori Learners, should further support teacher development in this area.

Staff have helped develop expectations for te reo Māori knowledge and skills that students will acquire across year levels, to guide the teaching of the language. Hauora is reinforced through the school’s recently reviewed health and physical education curriculum.

Students are confident participants in activities related to te ao Māori. Their achievements are celebrated in the school and community.

4 Sustainable Performance

How well placed is the school to sustain and improve its performance?

The school is well placed to sustain and improve its performance. Self review is well considered and planned. It includes input from a wide range of school and community perspectives. Current research is part of the process and recommendations are actioned. Review enables trustees and leaders to know the impact of initiatives and interventions on student outcomes.

The charter clearly identifies priorities for improvement and change. Trustees and leaders agree that the charter should be further strengthened by clearly identifying student outcomes in achievement target action plans.

Trustees are well informed about student progress and programmes. The principal provides detailed reports, with suitably analysed data, to help inform the board’s decisions. Trustees are very supportive of the direction the school is taking to ensure students succeed as learners.

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:

  • board administration
  • curriculum
  • management of health, safety and welfare
  • personnel management
  • financial management
  • asset management.

During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student achievement:

  • emotional safety of students (including prevention of bullying and sexual harassment)
  • physical safety of students
  • teacher registration
  • processes for appointing staff
  • stand-downs, suspensions, expulsions and exclusions
  • attendance.

In order to improve current practice the school must review and redevelop student reports to parents to ensure they clearly show progress and achievement in relation to National Standards.

Conclusion

The school well placed to sustain and improve its performance. Student achievement information is well used to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement. Support for promoting Māori student success has developed significantly. A next step is to further develop curriculum guidelines to better promote and support student learning.

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

Joyce Gebbie

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central

21 May 2015

About the School

Location

Hastings

Ministry of Education profile number

1608

School type

Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)

School roll

117

Gender composition

Male 53%, Female 47%

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākēha

Indian

Pacific

Other ethnic groups

19%

40%

26%

9%

6%

Review team on site

April 2015

Date of this report

21 May 2015

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review
Education Review
Education Review

June 2012
February 2010
March 2009