State Highway 3, Turakina
View on mapTurakina School is located to the south of Whanganui and west of Marton. It has children in Years 1 to 8. At the time of this review there were 27 children on the roll, including 13 Māori children.
The school’s mission ‘To empower our students to become confident, motivated life-long learners by providing individualised learning to inspire all our students to be the best they can be’, is underpinned by the values of ‘independence, courage, responsibility, respect, pride, empathy, integrity’.
The school’ strategic goals include:
All learners will have an increased sense of belonging at Turakina School through opportunities to build the key competency of participating and contributing.
Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, schoolwide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:
The school has undergone staffing and leadership changes since the previous ERO review. There is a new first-time principal supported by two teachers new to the school.
Teachers have undertaken professional development in:
Turakina School is part of the South Rangitikei Kāhui Ako.
The school is continuing to develop its effectiveness in achieving excellent and equitable outcomes for all students. At the end of 2018 a large majority of all students achieved at or above in reading, writing and mathematics in relation to the levels of The New Zealand Curriculum. Disparity of achievement overtime between girls and boys is reducing across all these areas.
The school is building its effectiveness in accelerating learning of those students who require it.
Of the students identified at the start of 2018, nearly all made progress and many made accelerated progress. Data for 2019 shows similar patterns of progress and acceleration.
Leadership is focused on ensuring schoolwide practices and processes enhance student wellbeing, and enable students to learn and achieve at the expected curriculum level.
An appropriate range of standardised and formative assessment tools is used effectively to measure student achievement and progress. The accuracy and dependability of teachers’ overall assessment judgements about students’ learning is strengthened through internal and external moderation. Teachers use achievement information effectively to track student progress and to inform teaching practice.
Students are well known and responded to through relevant interventions and a range of appropriate internal and external supports. These interventions have contributed to improved student achievement and wellbeing.
The strategic plan appropriately aligns schoolwide goals with professional development opportunities. Systematic, informed inquiry, implemented by leaders through appraisal, is appropriately focused on improving student outcomes. Professional development opportunities have impacted positively on learning for both teachers and students.
Whānau and community are actively encouraged and involved in the life and work of the school. Responsive transition programmes and processes are in place that support students in to the school. Families are welcomed and valued as learning partners in the school.
Leadership ensures trustees are well informed to undertake their roles and responsibilities. Board members have undertaken training and sought external expertise and guidance when required. They demonstrate commitment to resourcing the school to maximise student opportunities and achievement outcomes.
Leaders plan to review and develop the school’s local curriculum. This development should incorporate:
The recently implemented investigative learning programme should continue to be developed,and evaluated to establish the effect of the programme on learner outcomes.
Refining processes for target setting and reporting to specifically focus on accelerating the progress of priority students is needed. Measurements for success for targets should be in numbers, not percentages, to allow for a clearer evaluation of achievement, progress, and acceleration. This should enable leaders and trustees to better respond to the school’s goal of achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all students.
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 Turakina School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Developing.
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, priorities for further development are in:
To improve current practice, the board of trustees should:
Since the on-site stage of the review, school leaders have reviewed and addressed this concern.
Phillip Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services Central
Central Region
23 August 2019
|
Location |
Turakina |
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
2468 |
|
School type |
Full Primary (Year 1 - 8) |
|
School roll |
27 |
|
Gender composition |
Female 14, Male 13 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 13 |
|
Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS) |
No |
|
Provision of Māori medium education |
No |
|
Review team on site |
June 2019 |
|
Date of this report |
23 August 2019 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, June 2016 |
Turakina is a small rural school located just south of Whanganui. It caters for students from Years 1 to 8. At the time of this evaluation 26 students attended the school, 6 of whom identify as Māori. There have been some staff changes, with a new junior class teacher appointed in 2014 and principal release teacher in 2015. Teachers are involved in a range of professional development. They are presently participating in a Ministry of Education contract to Accelerate Literacy Learning (ALL), with a focus on writing. Turakina School is part of the recently formed South Rangitikei Community of Learners.
The vision and valued outcomes defined by the school for all children are to 'be empowered to become confident, life-long learners by providing individualised learning opportunities which inspire them to be the best they can be'. This is promoted by 'recognising learning styles and the importance of student voice and hauora in maximising success and building home-school partnership'. The school values its rural environment, community and heritage, together with key values of independence, courage, responsibility, respect, pride, empathy and integrity.
The school’s achievement information at the end of 2015 showed that the majority of students, including Māori, are achieving at or above in relation to National Standards in reading and mathematics. Approximately half the students are at the Standard for writing. Boys' achievement is proportionally lower than girls' in reading and writing. Targets are set to raise achievement for those below National Standards.
Since the June 2013 ERO evaluation, the school has also given focus to accelerating learning in mathematics, success for boys, teaching-as-inquiry, lifting Māori achievement, personalised learning, e-learning and internal evaluation. Teachers are working with members of the local iwi, Ngāti Apa, to support the inclusion of te reo me ngā tikanga Māori in the curriculum.
The school clearly identifies students who are at risk of not achieving equitable outcomes. Teachers respond effectively to those whose learning and achievement needs accelerating in reading and mathematics. They know the students well and early intervention starts on entry to school. Key factors that contribute to acceleration include teachers:
As a result, some students, including Māori, have had their progress accelerated, particularly in the first three years of schooling. The next step is to ensure the successful strategies that enabled accelerated progress are well implemented, embedded and sustained across the school.
Teachers acknowledge the need to give an urgent focus to accelerating the achievement of those achieving below in writing. These students are identified as the target group they will work with as they continue participation in the ALL contract.
The school's curriculum and other organisational processes and practices continue to be strengthened to develop and enact the school's vision, values, goals and priorities for equity and excellence.
The principal is strategic and energetic in her approach to school improvement. Now that the staffing is more settled, she is able to work collaboratively with teachers to support ongoing development. She keeps the board of trustees well informed about student progress, achievement and other school activities.
The school's curriculum design recognises local goals and is becoming more culturally responsive. It prioritises literacy and mathematics. The curriculum is regularly reviewed to ensure learning contexts are relevant to the needs of students and documentation provides up-to-date guidance for teachers.
Students experience a variety of interesting learning experiences. They are encouraged to take increasing responsibility for their own learning through self and peer assessment. Senior students are provided with leadership opportunities.
Good support is provided for students with special needs. Individual education plans are developed for each child well below National Standards. This is done in partnership with families, together with personnel from outside agencies when appropriate. Progress is regularly monitored with clear next learning steps.
A welcoming school culture is apparent. Families have a range of opportunities to be involved in school activities.
Families receive regular reports about their child's learning and wellbeing. Parents are kept well informed about progress and achievement against National Standards and other aspects of the curriculum, including how they can help at home.
The process for teacher appraisal has been strengthened. This now includes alignment with the Practising Teacher Criteria and good provision of external professional development to support improvement. Teachers are beginning to inquire into their practice to help accelerate the progress of students below National Standards.
A culture of reflection, review and evaluation is developing. Teachers regularly discuss and reflect on their practice. The principal makes good use of a self-review tool to continually improve outcomes for students. Through this process, the school has identified the need to continue:
ERO's findings support these next steps.
School governance is sound. Trustees are committed to improving student achievement, especially for those whose progress needs acceleration. They regularly attend training and seek the views of the school community to inform future planning. There is clear alignment between the board's strategic aims, annual goals and achievement targets.
Leaders and teachers:
The professional learning and development to accelerate achievement in writing should further build teacher capability to achieve equitable outcomes for all students.
Action: The board, principal and teachers should use the findings of this evaluation, the Effective School Evaluation resource, the Internal Evaluation: Good Practice exemplars and the School Evaluation Indicators to develop a Raising Achievement Plan to further develop processes and practices that respond effectively to the strengths and needs of children whose learning and achievement need to be accelerated.
As part of this review ERO will continue to monitor the school’s Raising Achievement plan and the progress the school makes. ERO is likely to carry out the next full review in three years.
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 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.
Processes for appointing staff.
Stand down, suspensions, expulsions and exclusions.
Attendance.
Compliance with the provisions of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014.
ERO and the board agree that further developing internal evaluation, by using best practice indicators, should strengthen teacher practice to deliver a curriculum that 'empowers students to become confident, life-long learners by providing individualised learning opportunities which inspire them to be the best they can be'.
Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central
27 June 2016
|
Location |
Whanganui |
|
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
2468 |
|
|
School type |
Full Primary (Year 1 to 8) |
|
|
School roll |
26 |
|
|
Gender composition |
Male 16, Female 10 |
|
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā other ethnic groups |
6 19 1 |
|
Review team on site |
March 2016 |
|
|
Date of this report |
27 June 2016 |
|
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review Education Review Education Review |
June 2013 April 2010 February 2007 |