Taonui School

School Context

Taonui School is located in a rural setting on the outskirts of Feilding. Of the78 students from Years 1 to 8, 9% identify as Māori.

The school states that the vision, ‘STRIVE for today: inspired for the future’, supported by the values (success, teamwork, respect, individuality, vision and enjoyment), underpins teaching and learning. The school’s mission statement focuses specifically on excellent teaching, provision of learning opportunities and the holistic development of students. The valued outcomes are for students to be:

• successful
• work collaboratively
• show respect towards others
• show enjoyment in learning and life.

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

• achievement in reading, writing and mathematics in relation to The New Zealand Curriculum

• progress and achievement over time

• progress and achievement for those with diverse learning and health needs.

Over the past three years the school roll has continued to grow and there have been changes in leadership and the board.

In response to the condition of the administration buildings, considerable property developments have been completed over the past year.

The school has addressed and continues to focus on the areas for improvement identified in the May 2015 ERO report.

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 continues to develop consistent systems and processes to promote effective practice and accelerate learning to address equity of outcomes for all students.

In 2017, school data showed the majority of students, including Māori, achieved expectations in reading. Achievement in writing and mathematics was lower with just over two thirds achieving at or above expectations. Boys’ achievement continues to be significantly lower than that of girls.

School reported data for students shows an increase in the percentage achieving at or above expectation since 2015. However, there was a small reduction when compared to 2016 data, other than for girls and Year 8 students.

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

The school continues to develop its effectiveness in responding to students whose learning and achievement need accelerating.

Teachers use a range of practices and processes to accelerate progress for identified students. Disparity for boys continues to be a challenge. Leaders and teachers recognise the need to inquire into the effectiveness of practices and processes to better promote acceleration of those identified as at risk of underachieving.

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?

Positive relationships across the school community support and promote students’ wellbeing and an environment that is conducive to learning. Leaders and teachers know students well. Parents, whānau and community are welcome and well involved in school activities as respected and valued partners in their children’s learning.

Teachers use appropriate assessment tools to identify and respond to individual learning needs of students. They use data effectively to monitor, track, report and review progress over time. The principal analyses information to identify and report achievement trends and patterns for schoolwide, year level, gender and ethnicity cohorts.

Students with diverse learning or health needs are well supported through a range of initiatives and interventions, including using appropriate external agencies and specialists. Clear plans are developed that support and monitor progress, learning and wellbeing.

Trustees are well informed about student achievement and curriculum focuses and use this to inform their decision making. They are very supportive of staff and their wellbeing. Provision of schoolwide professional learning and development is well aligned to school goals and priorities.

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

To reduce disparity of achievement between boys and girls, consideration should be given to developing targets and actions that focus specifically on acceleration of groups of students who are underachieving.

Staff and trustees should use the considerable information about student achievement and progress, along with other relevant information to:

• evaluate the effectiveness of practice, curriculum, interventions and initiatives on student outcomes

• further build their knowledge of practices and strategies that work best to promote and accelerate improvement and equitable outcomes for students.

The school’s commitment to cultural responsiveness and New Zealand’s bicultural heritage should continue to support ongoing development of students’ language, culture and identity.

Processes for building teacher capability, including appraisal and teacher inquiry require strengthening to focus more on effective practice and outcomes for students.

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 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

• a culture of collaboration across the school that maintains high expectations for teaching and learning

• pastoral care, that responds to students’ needs and promotes their wellbeing and learning for success

• teachers’ use of data that monitors class and schoolwide student progress and achievement.

Next steps

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

• developing a curriculum that better reflects the school’s priorities and commitment to cultural responsiveness

• targeted planning to accelerate learning
  [ERO will monitor and discuss progress with the school]

• strengthening understanding and use of internal evaluation processes and practices to determine what is working well for student’s learning and where improvements are needed
  [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

7 May 2018

About the school

Location	Feilding
Ministry of Education profile number	2462
School type	Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)
School roll	78
Gender composition	Male 48, Female 30
Ethnic composition	Māori 7 Pākehā 62 Other ethnic groups 9
Provision of Māori medium education	No
Review team on site	March 2018
Date of this report	7 May 2018
Most recent ERO report(s)	Education Report, May 2015 Education Report, January 2012 Education Report, August 2008

Findings

The vision of the school has been revised in consultation with the community and is based on STRIVE values. This provides a good framework for curriculum development with a particular focus on responding to Māori students and boys, and developing a shared understanding of effective teaching practice.

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?

Taonui School is a three classroom school located in a rural setting on the outskirts of Feilding.

Since the 2012 ERO review, three new teaching staff have been appointed. At the time of this review the roll was 69. Boys currently make up two thirds of the roll. The majority of the students travel to the school from Feilding.

A new vision and STRIVE values: success, teamwork, respect, individuality, vision, and enjoyment, have been developed. Student success is celebrated through STRIVE awards.

2 Learning

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

A wide range of assessment information is collated over time. This is used well by teachers to develop programmes at differentiated learning levels. Strengthening the analysis of data should help accelerate student progress and achievement.

Most students are achieving in relation to National Standards in reading and mathematics. Junior reading data for 2014 shows that many students made accelerated progress. Further support is necessary for boys and Māori students to achieve in writing. In 2015, there is an appropriate focus on improving students’ progress in writing, especially that of boys.

Learners at risk of not achieving at expected levels are well identified. Short-term learning goals for these students are set and regularly monitored by teachers. Reading and writing intervention programmes are in place. It is unclear how successful these interventions are for accelerating the progress of priority learners.

A family-like atmosphere engages the community in a range of student-centred activities. Partnerships with parents and whānau are developing a focus on learning and achievement.

Students with additional diverse needs have individual learning plans. These are developed with the families and whānau and external support agencies. The school is very inclusive of these students.

Students set learning goals in reading, writing and mathematics. Access to exemplars helps students know how they are achieving.

Teachers have begun to inquire into teaching practice to see how their deliberate actions impact student achievement outcomes.

Further developing teaching as inquiry should focus on:

• deepening teachers’ reflections about how effective practice impacts on student achievement
• robust and collaborative discussion between teaching staff about research-based approaches to teaching and learning
• shared understandings of effective practice
• using the knowledge and expertise of current staff.

3 Curriculum

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

The school's curriculum supports learning for many students. The vision and values have been recently reviewed to better reflect the local context of the school. The review process included gaining feedback from staff, students and the school community. Establishing focus groups as a means of gathering the views and aspirations of the parent community is a planned next step.

The newly-developed school values underpin the curriculum. These are evident in the classrooms and communications with families. STRIVE awards celebrate students’ successes across the curriculum. Curriculum programmes beyond reading, writing and mathematics are taught through student inquiry and make good use of resources in the local environment.

There are clear guidelines to assess students in reading, writing and mathematics. Parents receive useful information about student progress in relation to National Standards.

Classes are multi-levelled. Within each class, teachers group students according to learning levels. Teachers manage and organise classroom programmes in response to high numbers of boys on the roll. The curriculum is being reviewed. It is timely for the school to strengthen this development through consideration of:

• shared understanding of effective teaching practice
• the Treaty of Waitangi principles and a bicultural context
• the context for learning experiences to support boys.

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

The board and principal acknowledge that promoting success for Māori as Māori is an area for review and development. Ka Hikitia: Accelerating Success 2013 - 2017, the Māori Education Strategy, should be the framework for this review.

The aspirations of whānau and iwi should be sought to guide development. A systematic planned approach is needed to build capacity in te reo me ngā tikanga Māori and culturally responsive practice.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

The school is developing its capacity to sustain and improve its performance.

The board has developed appropriate strategic goals within the charter. Trustees receive regular reports that keep them informed about student achievement. They use the information to make decisions about ongoing funding and resourcing.

Annual achievement targets set for reading, writing and mathematics are beginning to focus specifically on learners at risk of underachievement. Targeted action has supported raising student achievement to a limited extent.

Analysis of achievement data should further explore trends and patterns over time for groups of students not making accelerated progress. This will allow the school to monitor progress more accurately and the board to provide resources where most needed.

Teachers regularly receive feedback on their practice through the appraisal system. Aligning the appraisal system to teaching as inquiry should further assist teacher development.

The school systematically reviews aspects of curriculum programmes in order to improve. Asking deeper questions about quality and effectiveness in self review is a next step. Evidence and information should be gathered from a wide range of sources.

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.

Conclusion

The vision of the school has been revised in consultation with the community and is based on STRIVE values. This provides a good framework for curriculum development with a particular focus on responding to Māori students and boys, and developing a shared understanding of effective teaching practice.

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

Joyce Gebbie

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central

5 May 2015

About the School

Location	Feilding
Ministry of Education profile number	2462
School type	Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)
School roll	69
Gender composition	Male 44, Female 25
Ethnic composition	Māori Pākehā Asian	10 57 2
Review team on site	March 2015
Date of this report	5 May 2015
Most recent ERO report(s)	Education Review Supplementary Review Education Review	January 2012 August 2008 June 2007