Whakarewarewa School

Whakarewarewa School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 22 months of the Education Review Office and Whakarewarewa 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 

Ko Tūhourangi te iwi
Ko Tarawera te maunga
Ko Puarenga te awa
Ko Tangiwao o te Atua te roto
Ko Te Arawa te waka

Whakarewarewa School, located in te rohe o Tūhourangi, Rotorua, provides dual medium education for children in Years 1 to 8. The roll has grown in recent years. There has been a recent change of principal and some changes in staff. The school whakatauki ‘Kia u ki te pai, - Hold fast to that which is good’ is underpinned by the four learning pou of ‘ahurea – culture, tuakiri – identity, te reo – language, and kaitiakitanga – guardianship’.

Whakarewarewa School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

  • learners at the centre, promoting equity and excellence

  • barrier free access to education through the implementation of the mārau-a-kura

  • quality teaching and leadership supported by purposeful systems and frameworks.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the effectiveness of targeted professional learning and the implementation of supportive structures intended to grow collective capacity of staff. This evaluation will focus on how these developments contribute to improving outcomes for learners.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is the opportunity to:

  • understand which frameworks best support teaching and learning in the Whakarewarewa rumaki and in English medium classes

  • the impact of staff professional learning on capability and collective capacity building, and to refine structures in response to this information.

The school expects to see the mārau-a-kura implementation supported by:

  • formative assessment practices implemented, based on the school pou and learning progressions

  • kaiako using visible learning foundational principles to scaffold learning and improve outcomes for tamariki

  • shared language and understanding of children’s progress through regular korero and communication with whānau.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goals:

  • a mārau-a-kura founded in Tūhourangi histories, places of significance, and conceptual frameworks

  • an inclusive culture focused on manaakitanga and fostering strong identity and belonging

  • foundational frameworks and professional learning provision to support the growth of teaching, learning and assessment practices.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • the strategic implementation of identified priorities through growing collective capacity of staff in the kura

  • improving student outcomes to ensure equity and excellence for the tamariki of Whakarewarewa School.

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

12 October 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

Whakarewarewa School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2022 to 2025

As of February 2022, the Whakarewarewa 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

Further Information

For further information please contact Whakarewarewa 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

12 October 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

Whakarewarewa School - 19/01/2018

School Context

Whakarewarewa School is located in Rotorua and caters for students in Years 1 to 8, the majority of whom are of Tuhourangi descent. The school provides education in both English and Māori mediums. A Māori immersion class currently caters for 14 students in Years 1 to 6. The roll has increased and currently there are 95 students enrolled. Initiatives and interventions to support learning are partly funded by the Ngati Whakaue Education Empowerment Trust.

The school’s vision is Kia u ki te pai, kia hari koa te ako – strive for success and enjoy learning. The aim of the school is to provide a learning environment where all tamariki reach their potential.

A new principal was appointed at the start of Term 3 2017. There have been significant staff changes and new trustees elected. The recommendations in the 2014 ERO report about professional learning and development for teachers in the use of analysis and use of assessment data, and teaching in a collaborative learning environment, are being addressed.

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

  • reading, writing and mathematics in relation to the National Standards

  • achievement in relation to Ngā Whanaketanga.

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

Evaluation Findings

1 Equity and excellence – valued outcomes for students

1.1 How well is the school achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all its students?

The school is achieving equitable outcomes for most students. School achievement information at the end of 2016 shows that the majority of students achieved at or above National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. There is little or no disparity between girls and boys. Overall achievement levels in reading in 2016 declined. School leaders need to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching in reading in order to improve learning outcomes in this area.

Data from 2016 for the rūmaki class shows that almost all students were at and above Ngā Whanaketanga in aspects of te reo matatini. Only a few students were at or above in pangarau.

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

The school is unable to show how effectively it is responding to Māori students whose learning and achievement need acceleration. There is no school-wide information about the acceleration of student progress and learning. Leaders have yet to collate, analyse and interpret assessment information about how well students achieving below expected levels, are progressing. Some teachers are able to show accelerated progress for individual students who are achieving below expected levels.

2 School conditions for equity and excellence

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

The school is providing a culturally responsive curriculum. There is an emphasis on the values of manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, ako, mahi tahi. The curriculum strongly reflects the local iwi vision, aims and aspirations for achievement and success. Tikanga and te reo Māori are strongly promoted and are features of the school. Students are well supported to experience success for Māori, as Māori.

The school, iwi, whānau and the community engage in reciprocal learning-centred relationships. Parents and whānau actively participate in activities such as the three-way conferencing that enables them to support their children’s learning. The school draws resources from its local community to enhance the curriculum and student learning opportunities.

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

Internal evaluation processes and practices need to be improved as follows:

  • the development of a school-wide approach to assessment including the alignment of assessment tools across the school
  • the development of specific targets for students whose learning is at risk
  • the implementation of an effective appraisal system
  • regular curriculum review.

Teacher capability needs to be developed. Relevant professional development for teachers is necessary to establish a coherent and consistent approach to the teaching of literacy and mathematics.

The school’s strategic plan needs review. Priorities must align with focus areas for development for the new leadership team, teachers, the board of trustees, and the growing school community.

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:

  • culturally responsive practices that strongly reflect the local iwi vision, aims and aspirations for achievement and success

  • iwi and whānau engagement who are highly committed to the success of the school and its students.

Next steps

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

  • the use of data from a range of sources, for internal evaluation that better identifies what is working well for students’ learning and where improvements are needed

  • teaching and assessment practice, to provide consistency across the school

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

  • internal evaluation processes and practices.

[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.

Lynda Pura-Watson

Deputy Chief Review Officer

Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region

19 January 2018

About the school

Location

Rotorua

Ministry of Education profile number

2081

School type

Full Primary School

School roll

95

Gender composition

Girls 44 Boys 51

Ethnic composition

Māori 94
Pakeha 1

Provision of Māori medium education

Yes

Number of Māori medium classes

1

Total number of students in Māori medium (MME)

14

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

 

Number of students in Level 1 MME

14

Number of students in Level 2 MME

 

Review team on site

October/November 2017

Date of this report

19 January 2018

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review August 2014
Education Review May 2011
Education Review February 2010