Students receive a well-balanced curriculum with a strong focus on literacy and mathematics. There are clear and high expectations for student achievement, and school data shows that most students are achieving at and above National Standards. The school provides additional learning support for students who are yet to achieve expectation.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
Tauranga Seventh Day Adventist School is located in the Bethlehem area of Tauranga city and provides Christian-based education for students from Years 1 to 8. The school has a current roll of 102 students and 19 are of Māori descent.
The ERO review in July 2014 identified areas of professional leadership needing to be improved. The principal, deputy principal and board of trustees have responded very positively to these findings and significant development and change has occurred. School leaders are now providing effective leadership for teaching staff.
Staffing has remained mostly unchanged, with the make-up of the teaching team in the junior school being strengthened and consolidated to maximise the use of individual teacher’s skills. The principal has sought expert guidance from an external consultant to support his leadership of school-wide development in teaching and assessment practice.
The school has been giving careful consideration to consultation with its community, and ways in which this could be enhanced. Work to strengthen the bicultural dimension of the school’s curriculum is inclusive of the parent community and is well underway.
Leadership roles and responsibilities have been reviewed and clarified. The principal and deputy principal now take joint responsibility to lead learning and teaching across the school. The deputy principal has a particular focus in Years 1 to 4 classes and is supported in this role by a senior teacher.
School leaders and teachers have benefited from review and development of best teaching and assessment practice. This process began in August 2014 and has involved the services of an external consultant who is continuing to provide support and guidance. The capability of leaders and teachers to interpret and use achievement information to inform decision making has been significantly strengthened.
Leaders are identifying trends and patterns in school-wide data and using this information to:
A culture of reflective and purposeful practice, led by the principal, is now evident in the school.
Teachers inquire into the effectiveness of their practice and use achievement information to inform this inquiry. They are confidently using assessment information to plan specifically, and teach deliberately to address identified gaps in students’ learning.
The board has engaged the services of an external consultant to appraise the principal. This robust process has been ongoing and has set clear direction for the principal’s professional learning and development. Relevant and measurable goals have been set, and performance monitored against indicators of best leadership practice, and performance criteria. This process has been inspiring for the principal and he is now confidently providing informed professional leadership for the school and its community.
The principal and deputy principal are now working collaboratively with teachers to develop and implement this model for appraisal across the school.
The school is now well placed to sustain and continue to improve its performance because:
Moderation systems and practices: Leaders should work collaboratively with teachers to strengthen decision making for overall teacher judgements (OTJs) in relation to the National Standards. Particular attention needs to be given to the consistency and coherence of judgements between teachers, and across year levels.
Targeted action to accelerate achievement: Leaders need to specifically target identified at risk students in the school’s charter and annual plan, and continue to strengthen deliberate teaching practice to accelerate their progress.
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:
During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student achievement:
Students receive a well-balanced curriculum with a strong focus on literacy and mathematics. There are clear and high expectations for student achievement, and school data shows that most students are achieving at and above National Standards. The school provides additional learning support for students who are yet to achieve expectation.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer
30 June 2016
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Location |
Bethlehem, Tauranga |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
4144 |
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School type |
Full Primary (Years 1 to 8) |
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School roll |
102 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 52 Boys 50 |
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Ethnic composition |
Pākehā Other Māori |
47 36 19 |
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Special Features |
Christian-based education |
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Review team on site |
May 2016 |
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Date of this report |
30 June 2016 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review Education Review Education Review |
September 2014 November 2011 December 2008 |