Findings
The school has responded well to the areas for review identified in the 2018 ERO report. Teachers and leaders have significantly improved the collation and use of assessment data to improve student outcomes and the local curriculum has been developed. The school can show that, as a result of the above improvements, disparity has been reduced for groups of students.
On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO ‘s overall evaluation judgement of Vardon School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Developing.
1 Background and Context
What is the background and context for this school’s review?
Vardon School is located in Hamilton North within the ancestral boundaries of Ngāti Wairere. It caters for students in Years 1 to 6. The current roll of 345 includes 38% who identify as Māori. The school reports that Māori students come from various iwi throughout New Zealand.
Since the 2018 ERO review there has been a change of principal. Teachers and leaders have undertaken a significant programme of professional development and internal review related to the areas for improvement identified in the 2018 ERO report.
2 Review and Development
How effectively is the school addressing its priorities for review and development?
Priorities identified for review and development
The areas for review and development identified in the 2018 ERO report related to:
- strengthening the collation and use of assessment information by trustees, leaders, teachers students and parents
- continuing to strengthen the local curriculum to clarify expectations for teacher practice in literacy and mathematics and to ensure a local curriculum is developed that reflects the aspirations of both Māori and non-Māori parents and whānau
- developing processes for robust evidence-based evaluation of the curriculum including the school innovations and interventions
- continuing to strengthen learning partnerships with parents, especially those parents of at-risk learners.
Progress
The validity and reliability of student assessment information has been significantly strengthened. The school now has a well-documented assessment schedule that is clearly understood by teachers. A range of assessment tools is used in literacy and mathematics to identify students at risk of not achieving and to identify students’ next steps in learning. The importance of teacher observation as a component of an overall teacher judgement is well defined.
Charter targets now reflect a focus on accelerating the progress of all students who are at risk of not achieving in reading, writing and mathematics. The board of trustees receives regular reports on progress against these targets and about what strategies are in place to ensure they are fully met.
The tracking and monitoring of student progress to ensure that all students are meeting their potential is highly effective. The new system for tracking student progress and achievement is becoming well-embedded. Teacher planning and classroom programmes clearly respond to student learning needs. Student progress information now provides the basis of rich teacher discussions about students’ learning needs and how to more effectively respond to these.
Team leaders are collating syndicate-wide data about the progress of their students. They are using this data to identify learning needs that are common across the syndicate. There are examples of highly responsive professional development which supports teachers to more effectively address those learning needs.
Students spoken to by ERO were generally able to articulate what level they were at, where they needed to get to and what specific learning they needed to do to get there. There are examples of students collecting their own evidence of progress to share with teachers and whānau. There are also examples of students starting to plan their own learning pathways in collaboration with the teacher.
Te reo, tikanga and te ao Māori are significantly more visible and integrated throughout classroom programmes. The approach to teaching local iwi history is centred around the hapū, Ngāti Wairere and an ancestor, Hotumauea. Māori concepts such as kaitiakitanga, hauora and whanaungatanga form the building blocks of the local curriculum. This promotes the natural integration of Māori knowledge and perspectives into topic studies in learning areas. An external provider has been employed to take an extension kapa haka group and weekly waiata sessions with each syndicate.
Expectations for teacher practice about the assessment of reading, writing and mathematics are well defined in a collaboratively developed document called ‘Principles of Practice.’ Team leaders have regular release time to undertake ‘open to learning conversations’ with their teachers to support them in ensuring these principles are well enacted.
Essential elements of a local curriculum have been defined using a collaborative process with staff. These include values, concepts, enduring understandings, dispositions and key competencies. The school has identified that the next step is to develop a coherent structure and format. Expectations for planning in learning areas other than literacy and mathematics are being strengthened. This ensures coverage of The New Zealand Curriculum and relevant assessment of all the contexts for learning identified by the local curriculum.
Processes for robust, evidence-based evaluation of interventions and innovations are evident. Recently introduced interventions to support at risk students in reading are being evaluated using a pre-test, post-test approach. This allows leaders and teachers to change or modify these interventions to make them more effective. It also ensures that the board of trustees can make more informed resourcing decisions.
The school involves parents and whānau in ways which support and enrich the curriculum for students. There are many examples of individual and group initiatives that further empower parents and whānau to assist their children with their learning.
Key next steps
Leaders and teachers should explore the use of a nationally norm-referenced tool to add further reliability and validity to student assessment.
Leaders need to ensure that progress and achievement reports to the board allow trustees to clearly track the extent to which they are reducing the disparity for priority groups such as Māori, Pacific, boys and second language learners of English.
The school needs to continue to develop a consistent and sustainable approach to engaging parents as partners in their children’s learning that is well understood and used by all teachers.
3 Sustainable performance and self review
How well placed is the school to sustain and continue to improve and review its performance?
The school is now able to sustain and continue to improve and review its performance.
The developments and improvements have enhanced the school’s ability to reflect, plan, act and report to its community using evidence which includes student achievement information. Leaders and teachers have built their capability to sustain and continue to improve student achievement. They have established a sound foundation of values that contributes to positive relationships and improved student learning, engagement, progress and achievement.
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
- school policies in relation to meeting the requirements of the Children’s Act 2014.
Conclusion
The school has responded well to the areas for review identified in the 2018 ERO report. Teachers and leaders have significantly improved the collation and use of assessment data to improve student outcomes and the local curriculum has been developed. The school can show that, as a result of the above improvements, disparity has been reduced for groups of students.
On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO ‘s overall evaluation judgement of Vardon School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Developing.
ERO’s Framework: Overall Findings and Judgement Tool derived from School Evaluation Indicators: Effective Practice for Improvement and Learner Success is available on ERO’s website.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region - Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
27 October 2020
About the school
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement.