Tauranga Intermediate

Tauranga Intermediate

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 18 months of the Education Review Office and Tauranga Intermediate 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 

Tauranga Intermediate is a large, urban intermediate school that provides education for students in Years 7 and 8 from the wider Tauranga Moana region. The school provides Māori Medium education through the Te Whānau o te Maro unit. The school 'STARS' values of Manaakitia (Safety), Whanaungatanga (Team), Ka taea (Achieve), Whakamanatia (Respect), and Pārekareka (Sense of Humour) underpin a localised curriculum that provides opportunities for learners to 'explore personal potential'.

Tauranga Intermediate’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

  • to raise student achievement by providing powerful learning opportunities through the TIS curriculum

  • to continually improve teacher practice ensuring best practice to meet the needs of students

  • to ensure a positive culture for learning that reflects a bicultural and inclusive community.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Tauranga Intermediate’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how effectively the continuing improvement of teacher practice and adaptations to the curriculum are leading to equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

  • to gain insight into the impact of professional learning on teaching practice and learner outcomes

  • to understand how continued growth of consistent formative assessment practices are further refining the school curriculum to best meet the needs of students and move toward equity and excellence for all.

The school expects to see:

  • learner progress and achievement outcomes that are consistently equitable and excellent for all

  • students increasingly able to understand how well they are progressing and being supported to make choices and decisions about their learning

  • teachers adapting their practice to best meet the needs of learners, based on evaluation and monitoring of what works best for students.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal of improving and strengthening the collective capacity of staff to improve equity of learner outcomes:

  • Effective and cohesive leadership that consistently focuses on strategic implementation of identified priorities.

  • A broad, rich and responsive local curriculum that engages students and provides opportunities to ‘explore personal potential’.

  • Caring relationships that foster identity and belonging within a values based, positive culture for learning.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • continuing to build shared understanding of curriculum and assessment knowledge, based on the school’s Poutama Ako framework

  • promoting equity and excellence for all, through a community of learning that is adaptive and responsive to the identity and needs of each individual learner

  • continuing to build powerful connections with the community, whānau, hapu and iwi to ensure greater reciprocity and collaboration for the benefit of students.

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

15 August 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

Tauranga Intermediate

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2022 to 2025

As of January 2022, the Tauranga Intermediate 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

Further Information

For further information please contact Tauranga Intermediate 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

15 August 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

Tauranga Intermediate

Provision for International Students Report

Background

The Education Review Office reviews schools that are signatories to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020.

Findings

The school, Tauranga Intermediate, has attested that is complies with all aspects of the Code and has completed an annual self review of its implementation of the Code.

At the time of this review there were nine international students attending the school, and no exchange students.

Highly effective self review and robust processes support the school to identify and respond to areas for improvement. Relationships supported by effective communication inform parents, students and their agents and provide opportunities for feedback.

International students enjoy equitable access to the breadth of the curriculum and are well supported to engage with wider school life. English language acquisition is promoted in a range of contexts and well resourced. Learning opportunities are positive and responsive to the students’ needs, interests and aspirations. Caring relationships and pastoral systems and processes effectively support international students’ wellbeing.

Students enjoy a wide range of opportunities and are encouraged to engage with sporting and cultural activities. The cultural diversity of international students is celebrated and students are included as valued members of the school community.

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

15 August 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

Tauranga Intermediate - 05/09/2017

Summary

Tauranga Intermediate is a large urban intermediate school catering for Year 7 and 8 students from the wider Tauranga Moana region. The current roll of 1280, includes approximately 40% Māori, 3% Pacific and 28 international students. Over the last three years, considerable progress has been made in the development of Te Whānau o te Maro unit, which currently provides bilingual and Māori immersion education for 134 students.

The school has had long-term involvement with the Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) project and in 2016 undertook the Restorative Practices contract facilitated by the Ministry of Education. This process has contributed significantly to the current school-wide Positive Culture for Learning (PC4L). The PC4L has includes the integration of systems that support student learning and wellbeing. This integration has contributed to a collaborative and coordinated approach to achieving the school mission of ‘Exploring Personal Potential’. The school is a member of the Tauranga Peninsula Community of Learning|Kāhui Ako, alongside 10 local schools. Tauranga Intermediate achievement priorities and targets to accelerate progress for Māori are fully aligned with those of the Kāhui Ako.

Trustees are very experienced in their roles. The principal continues to provide strong leadership and direction, and there have been some changes to the senior leadership team.

How well is the school achieving equitable outcomes for all children?

The school is responding well to Māori and other children whose learning and achievement needs acceleration.

Many school processes are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence. These processes are closely linked to:

  • governance
  • leadership, including leadership for learning
  • curriculum design and enactment
  • pastoral care
  • internal evaluation.

Further development is needed to:

  • embed processes to that promote student knowledge of their learning, particularly of their next steps
  • develop an approach to school-wide target setting that includes all students whose learning is at risk.

At the time of this ERO review school-wide data shows that in 2016 the majority of students achieved the National Standard in writing, slightly more in mathematics and three quarters in reading. This data indicates that Māori and Pacific students did not achieve as well as other students in the school and that this pattern of disparity has been evident over the last three years. Achievement information for students in Te Whānau Maro, operating at Level 1 and 2 immersion, shows that students achieved across the range of expected levels in kōrero, pānui, tuhituhi, and pāngarau. The 2016 data also shows that girls achieved at higher rates than boys.

Since the last ERO review, the school has adopted a more effective targeted approach to reducing disparity, with significant accelerated progress evident for targeted Māori students.

Children are achieving well. The school demonstrates strong progress toward achieving equity in educational outcomes, supported by effective, sustainable processes and practices.

Agreed next steps are to:

  • review the approach to setting annual targets and providing targeted action to focus more clearly on all students whose learning is at risk

  • embedding processes to promote student ownership of their learning progress, and understanding of their learning journey.

In addition, in Te Whānau o te Te Maro, consideration should be given to:

  • continuing to explore resources that enable kaiako to monitor students’ progress and make increasingly dependable judgements about student achievement in relation to Ngā Whanaketanga

  • further developing the school’s local curriculum in response to Te Marautanga o Aotearoa. 

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

Equity and excellence

How effectively does this school respond to Māori and other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration?

The school is responding well to Māori and other children whose learning and achievement needs acceleration.

Data gathered by the school shows that in 2016 the majority of students achieved the National Standard in writing, slightly more in mathematics and three quarters in reading. This school-wide data shows that Māori and Pacific students did not achieve as well as other groups of students in the school. The school has responded to this pattern of disparity by setting and closely monitoring targets to specifically focus on accelerating progress for Māori students who are not on track to meet the National Standard by the end of the year.

Achievement information for the 68 students in Te Whānau Maro, operating at Level 1 and 2 immersion, is gathered using Ngā Whanaketanga Rūmaki Māori. This data shows that in 2016 students achieved across the range of expected levels in kōrero, pānui, tuhituhi, and pangarau. The data also indicates that girls achieved at higher rates than boys. The school has responded to this disparity through providing teachers with sustained appropriate professional development.

Data is collected and analysed throughout the year about the rates of progress for all students and for targeted groups of students. This data shows that for the cohort of students entering the school in 2015, the overall rates of progress in reading, writing and mathematics have increased. Rates of acceleration for Māori have been slightly higher than for other students in the school. However, there remains disparity for Māori and Pacific learners. Data for the 123 Māori learners included in a school-wide target group shows that a large majority of these students made significant accelerated progress as a result of school-wide targeted action.

Along with improving outcomes for learners, an additional priority and valued outcome for the school is to build students’ and teachers’ capacity as 21st century digital citizens. The externally facilitated ‘Towards Transformation’ project is focused on building teachers’ capability to use digital technology to accelerate learning and enhance student involvement in their learning journey. The project is part of a strategic approach to promoting excellence and equity through the use of technology for all students. This has supported teachers’ professional growth and inquiries, and enabled all students’ to monitor their progress, discuss their learning and share progress with parents and whānau.

Leaders and teachers have established thorough processes to moderate overall teachers’ judgements (OTJs) about each students’ achievement in relation to National Standards. Teachers’ professional learning about writing is adding rigour to their OTJs and providing alignment with the school’s approach to accelerating progress for targeted students. School-wide teachers’ professional development about learning progressions, teaching as inquiry and developments in technology are contributing to increasingly reliable OTJs and building teachers' professional capability.

School conditions supporting equity and excellence

What school processes are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence?

Many school processes are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence.

Governance processes are effective in addressing equity and excellence in the school. Trustees are highly representative of the school community, have appropriate links to the wider community and iwi, and substantial experience in their governance roles. The board receives extensive data from school leaders which they closely scrutinise to determine the effectiveness of school programmes and to set priorities for school development. Regular reports about the rates of acceleration for targeted at-risk learners and other cohorts across the school enable them to make resourcing decisions that support learning and teaching. Board processes also ensure there is alignment of systems, and ongoing internal review, with focused on accelerating progress for at-risk learners.

Leadership processes are effective in promoting accelerated progress. Many teachers are able to experience leadership roles across the school as a result of a strategic focus on building leadership capability in the school. Senior leaders are providing well informed and effective leadership for learning. Strong direction and leadership from the principal is evident in establishing and maintaining a priority on accelerating student progress. Well-developed understanding about the use of achievement information, internal evaluation processes and evidence-based decision making are contributing to a coordinated focus on addressing disparity for identified groups of students. Leaders’ high expectations for teacher performance and outcomes for students, along with the establishment of orderly and supportive environments, are also making an important contribution to promoting excellence and equity.

There are robust, well managed and closely monitored processes in place that enable the delivery of teaching and learning programmes. Curriculum design and enactment ensures that every student has the opportunity to progress through the New Zealand Curriculum and have their learning supported if necessary. Teachers know their learners well, especially the students whose progress needs acceleration. The use of achievement information by teachers to gather evidence and inquire into their practice is making a significant contribution to accelerating progress for target learners.

Collaborative ways of working among teachers and leaders are well developed. Teachers have successfully deprivatised their practice, shared successes, challenges and data to plan specific teaching for targeted learners. These practices are contributing to increasingly focused teaching leading to accelerated progress for target learners.

Through effective use of technology, teachers’ programme planning and curriculum delivery processes are visible to students as the basis for explicit teaching and focused learning. This technology assists students and teachers to assess, evaluate and monitor progress over time. Technology is particularly well used by teachers and target learners to create, develop and monitor individual learning pathways, set goals, reflect on their progress and next steps. Technology is also strengthening the partnership for learning by enabling students to gather evidence of their progress to share with parents and whānau.

The integration of pastoral care and learning support processes is contributing to an effective holistic approach to accelerating progress for at-risk learners. The needs of these students are being addressed through a wide range of integrated and closely monitored learning and pastoral support initiatives.

Leaders have worked collaboratively to establish processes that provide clarity of direction and continual improvement to Te Whānau o te Maro bilingual initiative. Optimum use of the strengths and talents of kaiako is evident. Processes to establish and grow teacher capability and student achievement in Te Whānau o te Maro are well developed. The whānau is well organised, generously resourced and guided by a sound philosophical basis. Relationships with teachers are strong and respectful and students benefit from the range of skills that kaiako bring to their roles. The unit is supported by trustees who ensure appropriate resourcing is provided, and pedagogy and structure is sound. Appropriately targeted professional learning for kaiako is being accessed to provide well-informed pedagogical direction for the whānau. In Te Whānau o te Maro, student ownership, voice and choice are well developed and continue to be strengthened.

Systematic and coherent internal evaluation processes are evident in the school through the effective use of achievement information to:

  • establish school priorities, establish targets to accelerate achievement for specific groups of at-risk learners
  • inform decisions about the provision of learning support initiatives
  • establish specific groups of students for teachers’ professional inquiry cycles
  • evaluate student progress and modify teacher practice to achieve more equitable outcomes for learners.

Sustainable development for equity and excellence

What further developments are needed in school processes to achieve equity and excellence?

Further development is needed to embed processes to promote student ownership of their learning, progress and understanding of their learning journey.

Currently school targets to accelerate student progress are not inclusive of all students whose learning is at risk. Processes to accelerate progress for Māori students who are underachieving are making a difference. This approach needs to include all students who are not on track to reach the end of year National Standard. Attention to this is needed to address continuing in-school disparity.

Further developments in Te Whānau o te Maro are needed to ensure that learning frameworks used by teachers and students are more closely aligned with Nga Whaneketanga. This will enable students’ progress to be tracked as they progress with their learning. Kaiako should also continue to develop the school’s local curriculum in response to Te Marautanga o Aotearoa.

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

  • 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. 

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.

At the time of this review there were 27 international students attending the school including no exchange students.

The school has comprehensive systems to ensure quality provision of pastoral care and education. Students are given many opportunities and are well-supported to be involved in and integrate with the school and local community. The school’s monitoring and review systems to ensure compliance and improvement are ongoing and responsive.

Going forward

How well placed is the school to accelerate the achievement of all children who need it?

Children are achieving well. The school demonstrates strong progress toward achieving equity in educational outcomes, supported by effective, sustainable processes and practices.

Agreed next steps are to:

  • review the approach to setting annual targets to focus more clearly on all students whose learning is at risk

  • embedding processes to promote student ownership of their learning progress, and understanding of their learning journey.

In addition, in Te Whānau o te Maro, consideration should be given to:

  • continuing to explore resources that enable kaiako to monitor students’ progress and make increasingly dependable judgements about student achievement in relation to Ngā Whanaketanga

  • further developing the school’s local curriculum in response to Te Marautanga o Aotearoa.

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

Lynda Pura-Watson

Deputy Chief Review Officer Waikato / Bay of Plenty

5 September 2017

About the school 

Location

Tauranga

Ministry of Education profile number

1990

School type

Intermediate (Years 7 and 8)

School roll

1280

Gender composition

Boys 55% Girls 45%

Ethnic composition

Pākehā 43%
Māori 39%
Indian 3%
Samoan 2%
Other Pacific 3%
Southeast Asia 1%
Other Asian 3%
Other European 3%
Other 3%

Provision of Māori medium education

Yes

Number of Māori medium classes

6

Total number of students in Māori medium (MME)

139

Total number of students in Māori language in English medium (MLE)

77

Number of students in Level 1 MME

39

Number of students in Level 2 MME

23

Review team on site

June 2017

Date of this report

5 September 2017

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review March 2014
Education Review September 2009
Education Review June 2006