Summerland Primary caters for students in Years 1 to 6. The largest group of students is Indian. The school’s roll has grown. It includes significant groups of students who are Māori, Indian, Chinese, or have Pacific heritage. There are smaller groups from other diverse backgrounds.
The school vision states “Summerland Primary School - More than a School”. The board’s ambition is to add depth and value to students’ lives and enriching the community. The school values are fun, team, success, respect and integrity.
The board’s strategic goals for 2019 highlight quality teaching practices. Its aim is to be known as a learning community through personalised learning, and as a school where innovation is championed.
Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, schoolwide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:
The board and leaders have addressed the next steps identified in the ERO’s 2014 report very well. A new leadership structure includes two co-principals, a new deputy principal, and a new team coordinator. Leaders and teachers have participated in a significant amount of professional learning and development. The school is a member of Te Kāhui Ako o Waitakere, Waitakere Community of Learners.
The school maintains a strategic focus on ensuring equity and excellence in student achievement and outcomes for all its students.
School achievement data is well analysed in relation to the board targets, year levels and ethnic groups. School information identifies disparity for Māori learners, Pacific learners and boys. Board achievement targets change annually to address priority groups at risk of not achieving.
Schoolwide information for 2017 and 2018 indicates that most students achieve at or above curriculum expectation in mathematics. The large majority of students achieve at or above expectations in reading and writing. Longitudinal information shows that a good number of students, including Māori, make accelerated progress in reading, writing and mathematics.
Students who have English as an additional language, and students with additional learning needs, are well supported. Over time, many students demonstrate significant improvement related to dispositional capabilities such as confidence, interpersonal skills and social skills.
Students achieve very well in relation to other valued outcomes. They see themselves as successful and competent learners. Students learn a variety of skills that promote questioning, thinking, curiosity and creativity. The school’s positive school culture helps students to:
The school has many alternative systems, processes and programmes in place to accelerate students’ learning progress.
‘One size fits one’ is a school philosophy that personalises support and provision for students. Leaders and teachers are very aware of the numbers, names and needs of students at most risk of not achieving.
Te Ara Ako (Māori Academy), a mana enhancing programme, supports all Māori learners to become more confident in their language, culture and identity. Pacific students experience targeted learning opportunities that affirm their identity and culture. Students who have special abilities and strengths participate in enrichment and extension programmes.
Teachers identify, monitor and use specific strategies that support individual students to achieve. They reflect on and adapt their practice to ensure students’ needs are met. Teachers engage in professional development that promotes explicit teaching strategies that help to accelerate learning, particularly in reading.
A coordinated approach ensures diverse educational needs are well met. The board funds a significant number of learning assistants. They provide support for students to progress their learning and to have success through a variety of in-class and withdrawal learning experiences.
Hauora, whānau connections and positive relationships are prioritised. Leaders, teachers and a school social worker who is funded by the board provide individual attention for children and families who require extra support.
Building respectful, collaborative relationships with students and their families is a school priority. Inclusive practices are well embedded. Parents are kept well informed about their children’s progress and achievement in relation to valued outcomes. Transition processes into, through and out of the school are focused on what is best for each child.
The board demonstrates a strong commitment to representing, and actively serving the education and school community. Trustees have well established succession and mentoring processes in place. The board provides significant resourcing to support teaching and learning, professional growth and staff wellbeing.
Leadership is highly effective. School leaders provide strong professional guidance through a scaffolded process that improves schoolwide professional practice. They foster a collaborative team approach and build relational trust with students, staff and the community. Organisational systems and structures enable collaborative learning and decision making to be sustained.
Negotiated and personalised professional learning is a feature of the school that contributes to improved individual and collective capacity. Individual teacher strengths are valued and developed through deep learning and thought-provoking inquiry processes. Robust appraisal processes foster teachers’ professional integrity and support for students to be successful.
Internal expertise and significant external professional development promote change and innovation. An extensive breadth of research underpins leaders’ and teachers’ new learning. Te Kāhui Ako o Waitakere is an established professional learning community that encourages professional dialogue and critique, and creates further knowledge building at this school.
Students learn in caring, collaborative environments where school values are highly evident, and their sense of agency is fostered. Students’ thinking is highly valued and visible. They have good opportunities to contribute to learning programmes that are based on their interests, and where they can make their own discoveries.
The curriculum design and school organisation ensure sufficient and equitable opportunities for student learning. Capable teachers use high quality teaching strategies effectively. There is a strong focus on teaching a range of approaches that promote a consistent ‘language of learning’. A te ao Māori world view is well integrated. Science and Art are special features of the curriculum. Specialist programmes such as the Science Academy and Te Ara Ako enrich student’ learning experiences. Parents value opportunities to contribute to and participate in the curriculum.
The board is committed to improving educational success for all students. Developing strategic plans for enhancing greater educational success for Māori and Pacific learners should highlight a more intentional focus on addressing disparity and further improve outcomes for these groups of students.
Future training for the new board could include exploring the New Zealand School Trustees Association document Hautū: Māori Cultural Responsiveness Self Review tool for Board of Trustees. This would help the board to evaluate the extent to which the school meets its responsibility for promoting greater success for Māori learners.
Leaders and teachers continue to review aspects of the school’s curriculum to enhance outcomes for students. Further developments include strengthening the local curriculum and the school’s digital curriculum, and exploring other leadership experiences for students.
Leaders are committed to engaging with parents/whānau. Strengthening learning partnerships with parents/whānau of those children most at risk of not achieving could help increase parity for students who need this focus.
The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of International Students) Code of Practice 2016 (the Code) 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 the ERO review.
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:
During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student safety and wellbeing:
On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement of Summerland Primary’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Strong.
ERO’s Framework: Overall School Performance is available on ERO’s website.
For sustained improvement and future learner success, the school can draw on existing strengths in:
For sustained improvement and future learner success, a priority for further development is strengthening learning partnerships with parents/whānau of those children most at risk of not achieving.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region
27 September 2019
|
Location |
Henderson, Auckland |
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
6937 |
|
School type |
Contributing School |
|
School roll |
671 |
|
Gender composition |
Boys 53% Girls 47% |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 12% |
|
Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS) |
Yes |
|
Provision of Māori medium education |
No |
|
Review team on site |
June 2019 |
|
Date of this report |
27 September 2019 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review April 2014 |