Stratford High School

Stratford High School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 6 months of the Education Review Office and Stratford High School 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 

Stratford High School is located in Stratford, South Taranaki. It is a co-educational high school for learners from years 9 to 13.  School leadership is relatively new with the principal and deputy principal appointed in 2020.

Stratford High School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:

  • enhance teaching and learning, responsive to the needs of all ākonga

  • strengthen an inclusive culture that values and recognises the contributions of all students, their families, whānau and communities

  • provide every student with a pathway to a successful future.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Stratford High School’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how effectively they are strengthening an inclusive culture to support all ākonga to engage in learning.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

  • the school knows that an inclusive school culture encourages a sense of belonging and connection, this supports all ākonga to achieve valued outcomes

  • inclusivity supports the school values, and celebrates diversity, cultures, identities and languages

  • there is clear alignment to the school’s new strategic goals that have been established through consultation to better meet the needs of their community.

The school expects to see:

  • a teaching and learning environment that is responsive to the needs of every learner

  • improvement in a range of valued learner outcomes including achievement, attendance, engagement, retention, wellbeing and pathway options

  • stronger connections with family, whānau, community and iwi to support the aspirations of all learners.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to help evaluate how effectively they are strengthening an inclusive culture that support all ākonga to engage in learning:

  • recent community consultation that has informed the future direction of the school

  • school values that can support a consistent approach to responding to diverse needs

  • a leadership team who collaboratively enact the school’s vision, values, and strategic aims

  • systems and processes that identify, and are increasingly responding to, the needs of all learners.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • further building the capacity in the school to better respond to the diverse needs of all learners, particularly Māori

  • redesigning and implementing a new junior curriculum to better meet the needs of all learners

  • measuring and tracking the valued learner outcomes

  • regular consultation and communication with learners, their family/whānau, the community and iwi to ensure that the school is building an inclusive school environment.

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.

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

25 November 2022

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
This school has a teen parenting unit, and a special education needs unit located onsite. An alternative education unit is located offsite but is managed by the school.

Stratford High School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2022 to 2025

As of September 2022, the Stratford High School Board of Trustees has attested to the following regulatory and legislative requirements:

Board Administration

Yes

Curriculum

Yes

Management of Health, Safety and Welfare

Yes

Personnel Management

Yes

Finance

Yes

Assets

Yes

Actions for Compliance

ERO has identified the following areas of non-compliance during the board assurance process:

  • undertake and record sufficient identity checks on the appointment of staff.
    [Children’s Act 2014]

The board has since taken steps to address the areas of non-compliance identified.

Further Information

For further information please contact Stratford High School Board of Trustees.

The next Board of Trustees assurance that it is meeting regulatory and legislative requirements will be reported, along with the Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report, within three years.

Information on ERO’s role and process in this review can be found on the Education Review Office website.

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

25 November 2022

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

Stratford High School - 11/06/2019

Findings

Stratford High School has been involved in a one-to-two year longitudinal ERO review since May 2017 to improve its overall performance and build its self-review capability.

Processes and practices are more successfully contributing to improved student outcomes.

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

1 Background and Context

What is the background and context for this school’s review?

Stratford High School caters for students in Years 9 to 13 from Stratford, Eltham and the surrounding rural areas in Central Taranaki. The current roll of 493, includes 122 students who identify as Māori.

The valued outcomes stated by the school are to provide a safe and inclusive environment that promotes personal growth and values that foster concern and respect. The HEART values – ‘Honest (Pono), Excel (Hiranga), Aroha (Care), Responsible (Haepapa) and Tolerant (Manawanui)’ are prioritised.

The 2019 strategic and annual plan identifies priorities for improvement in relation to achievement, curriculum and partnerships with whānau and the community. The annual targets focus on accelerating progress of Year 9 boys in reading and improving National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) in Year 11 and 12 for Māori and boys.

The school supports a number of students with high and complex needs through its Te Rangimarie class. The school also oversees attached units for Alternative Education and Teen Parents (Whaimana Ako).

Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, schoolwide information about outcomes for students within the New Zealand Qualifications Framework.

The school is part of the Central Taranaki Community of Learning | Kāhui Ako.

Since the May 2017 ERO report, the school has worked alongside ERO to respond to the areas for improvement identified. Professional development has focused on extending practices that better support learners and building senior and middle leadership capability. There are two new members of the senior leadership team since the 2017 ERO review.

2 Review and Development

How effectively is the school addressing its priorities for review and development?

Priorities identified for review and development
  • Raising achievement in Years 9 to 13, particularly for Māori and male students.

  • Reporting to the board of trustees with a greater emphasis on students at risk of not achieving.

  • Senior and middle leadership to more effectively drive improved learner outcomes.

  • Extending the use of Years 9 and 10 progress information to determine the impact of literacy and numeracy programmes and teaching practice.

  • Using internal evaluation more effectively to review the impact of systems and practices, particularly in relation to those students who are underachieving.

  • Policy, procedures and practices related to student safety and wellbeing.

Progress

Improved processes are contributing to improved and more equitable student outcomes. Teachers an leaders are being supported to strengthen practices and have a greater impact on learning.

Since 2017, NCEA results have improved at Level 1 and Level 3. Outcomes are similar to national comparisons at Level 1. Māori and boys achievement in Level 1 have improved. Further reducing the overall data disparity between Māori and non-Māori and between boys and girls at each level of NCEA remains a significant area of focus the school is yet to successfully address.

At Years 9 and 10, standardised assessments are used to show achievement and progress in literacy and numeracy. Data indicates accelerated progress for some students who enter the school below curriculum expectation. Teachers and leaders have strengthened their capability to use data more effectively to evaluate the impact of teaching and support programmes. This practice should also assist leaders and teachers to clearly identify strategies that have the most impact on learner progress in the junior school, particularly for Māori and boys.

A greater focus on reducing disparity and promoting individual student progress is evident. Trustees are more focused on responding to the progress of at risk students. The annual plan has been strengthened to provide appropriate direction and identify priorities for improvement. Broadened curriculum options in the senior school, including vocational pathways, are effectively responding to the specific needs and interests of individual students.

Increased targeting has successfully supported some students to achieve improved outcomes and reduced disparity in some areas. Processes continue to be refined to ensure teaching and additional actions respond more effectively to the needs of targeted students. Ensuring more consistent, schoolwide tracking of at risk students should promote greater effectiveness and improved outcomes for them.

The Year 9 and 10 curriculum is more closely aligned to the levels of The New Zealand Curriculum. Reporting to parents is being enhanced through showing achievement and progress based on curriculum levels.

A re-developed appraisal process is more effectively supporting teacher development and is compliant with Teaching Council requirements. An improved approach to teaching as inquiry is strengthening teacher understanding of the links between deliberate teaching approaches and improved student outcomes. To further strengthen the appraisal process, an increased focus on leadership roles and the quality of feedback and feedforward is needed.

Policies and procedures relating to student care, health and safety are being reviewed in association with an external provider. The school is aligning the documented processes with practices in place. Two priority areas for review and implementation are:

  • bullying prevention programmes and a schoolwide approach to managing bullying behaviour

  • practices and procedures to ensure the safety of students in education outside the classroom activities (EOTC).

3 Sustainable performance and self review

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

The school is:

  • developing its capacity to reflect, plan and act using evidence that includes student achievement and wellbeing information

  • increasing use of student data to inform decision making promoting wellbeing and learning

  • supporting middle leaders to increase the depth and quality of curriculum area review and evaluation

  • developing a cycle of planning, improvement and self review

  • building capability to sustain and continue to improve student engagement, progress and achievement.

To support improved student outcomes leaders need to:

  • establish goals and direction to further promote equity and excellence

  • ensure effective teaching across the school

  • build collective capacity and understanding of effective evaluation and inquiry for sustained improvement

  • ensure a supportive environment conducive to engagement, learning and wellbeing.

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 board of trustees should ensure:

  • health and safety issues are regularly monitored and reported as part of the principal’s report

  • the annual report is accessible to the public

  • in consultation with the school’s Māori community, develop and make known to the school’s community policies, plans and targets for improving the progress and achievement of Māori students.

Conclusion

Stratford High School has been involved in a one-to-two year longitudinal ERO review since May 2017 to improve its overall performance and build its self-review capability.

Processes and practices are more successfully contributing to improved student outcomes.

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

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

Phil Cowie

Director Review and Improvement Services Central

Central Region

11 June 2019

About the School

Location

Stratford, Taranaki

Ministry of Education profile number

179

School type

Secondary (Years 9 to 13)

School roll

493

Gender composition

Male 54% Female 46%

Ethnic composition

Māori
NZ European/Pākehā
Pacific
Other ethnic groups

25%
69%
1%
5%

Special Features

Whaimana Ako (Teen Parent Unit) Alternative Education

Review team on site

March 2019

Date of this report

11 June 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review
Education Review
Education Review

May 2017
May 2014
November 2010