Summary
The school has a roll of 642 children, 74 of whom identify as Māori.
School leaders have addressed several of the next steps identified in the 2013 ERO report. Teachers are more effectively inquiring into their practice. The board has reviewed its policy structure. Strategies are in place to more closely monitor children’s progress and achievement. Assessment practices and internal evaluation are areas for continued development.
Since the previous ERO review, a new principal, deputy principal and several new trustees have been appointed. The school is involved in literacy professional development and is an active member of the Waimea Community of Learning|Kāhui Ako ki Waimea.
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 need acceleration. School leaders and teachers are being proactive in their response to low National Standards achievement data for literacy and mathematics. A positive rate of improvement began in 2016.
Leaders and teachers have put in place many useful processes to more effectively enable the achievement of equity and excellence. Children’s wellbeing is a highly valued outcome and is prioritised in resourcing decisions by the board.
Leadership is highly effective in planning and managing change within a culture of trust and collaboration. Parents and the wider community are actively involved in many aspects of school life and children’s learning. Children engage in challenging and purposeful learning programmes.
To further improve equity and excellence for all learners, school leaders and teachers need to continue to build their knowledge and use of progress and achievement information. A systematic approach to internal evaluation also needs to be developed.
The school has capacity and capability to accelerate learning for all learners. However, disparity in achievement for Māori and/or other learners remains.
Leaders and teachers know the learners whose progress and achievement need to be accelerated. Leaders and teachers:
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continue to develop and implement approaches that effectively meet the needs of each learner
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need to improve the school conditions that support the acceleration of learners’ progress and achievement
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continue to build teacher capability to accelerate learners’ progress and achievement.
The school agrees to:
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develop more targeted planning to accelerate progress for learners
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monitor targeted planning, improved teaching, and learners’ progress
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discuss the school’s progress with ERO.
ERO will:
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 need acceleration. Leaders are improving the effectiveness of processes, practices and partnerships to meet the needs of children whose learning needs accelerating.
Since 2016, children’s achievement in relation to National Standards has improved considerably. More improvement is needed, particularly in writing and mathematics.
The improvement in school-wide National Standards achievement has identified a growing disparity for boys and for Māori children in writing.
Many children are achieving well in reading. Involvement in a Ministry of Education literacy intervention for reading shows very good levels of acceleration for those children involved.
Teachers are building their capacity to moderate assessment decisions, particularly in writing. Leaders and teachers need to continue to strengthen teachers’ understanding of assessment against the National Standards to ensure that judgements about children’s learning are reliable and consistent.
The school has improved its systems and practices and the way it works with parents in responding to children with additional needs. It is now in a better position to support these children and ably report on their progress, achievement and wellbeing.
School conditions supporting equity and excellence
What school processes are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence?
Many useful processes have recently been introduced to effectively enable the achievement of equity and excellence.
Children engage in challenging and purposeful learning programmes that relate to real-life contexts, issues and experiences. Parents, children and staff contribute to a curriculum that reflects agreed values, incorporates bicultural perspectives and is inclusive. Parents and the wider community are involved in many aspects of school life and the curriculum.
School leaders have built a culture of trust and collaboration. Children have many opportunities to learn and make choices in well-resourced environments. Students’ voice is actively sought and acted upon, enabling school leadership and teachers to be informed about their views on a range of matters. A positive school culture is evident. Māori and other children surveyed commented that they feel they are listened and responded to, and respected.
Leadership and management of change is highly effective. Priorities that impact on children’s learning and wellbeing are continuously promoted, resulting in well-considered actions. Teachers’ leadership is being actively promoted and strengthened. The pace of change is strategic. It is well supported by cohesive organisational processes and practices that assist teachers to support children whose learning needs accelerating. Teachers are increasingly reflective about the best ways to assist children to accelerate their progress. There are examples of highly evaluative thinking demonstrated by leaders and teachers.
High priority is placed on children’s wellbeing. A team approach to meeting children’s needs is building collaboration among staff. Several useful initiatives are in place, including board funding for extra teaching release and the employment of a social worker.
Teachers’ professional learning and development is purposeful and is helping to build teachers’ capability to enable equity and excellence for children. Teachers are working together to inquire more deeply into the effectiveness of their practice and make improvements to their teaching.
The board is responsive and has significantly increased resourcing to better meet children’s learning and wellbeing needs.
Sustainable development for equity and excellence
What further developments are needed in school processes to achieve equity and excellence?
To further improve equity and excellence for all learners, the school needs to continue building their understanding and use of progress and achievement information. School improvement priorities include:
- extending teachers’ understandings and consistency in National Standards’ judgements about children’s learning
- reporting more clearly to parents about National Standards’ achievement
- trustees scrutinising progress and achievement reports more closely.
The board and school leaders need to place a more deliberate and strategic focus on targeted planning and teaching practices to promote acceleration and reduce the disparity for Māori children.
School leaders need to strengthen internal evaluation so that it is more systematic and consistent across the school.
The board and school leaders need to continue to build staff and children’s digital capability to better manage information and increase children’s understanding and ownership of their learning.
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:
During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student safety and wellbeing:
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emotional safety of students (including prevention of bullying and sexual harassment)
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physical safety of students
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teacher registration and certification
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processes for appointing staff
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stand down, suspension, expulsion and exclusion of students
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attendance
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school policies in relation to meeting the requirements of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014.
Provision for international students
The school is a signatory to theEducation(Pastoral Care of International Students) Code of Practice 2016(the Code) 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 was one international student attending the school and no exchange students.
The school has reviewed and updated its policies and procedures in line with the new Code. The school is closely monitoring and supporting the pastoral care, integration and learning for its international student.
Actions required
The school’s appraisal process is compliant. To further improve practice, the school should keep a summative overview showing whether expectations have been met for all staff.
Going forward
How well placed is the school to accelerate the achievement of all children who need it?
The school has capacity and capability to accelerate learning for all learners. However, disparity in achievement for Māori and/or other learners remains.
Leaders and teachers know the learners whose progress and achievement need to be accelerated. Leaders and teachers:
-
continue to develop and implement approaches that effectively meet the needs of each learner
-
need to improve the school conditions that support the acceleration of learners’ progress and achievement
-
continue to build teacher capability to accelerate learners’ progress and achievement.
The school agrees to:
-
develop more targeted planning to accelerate progress for learners
-
monitor targeted planning, improved teaching, and learners’ progress
-
discuss the school’s progress with ERO.
ERO will:
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
Recommendations
ERO recommends that the school seek further support from the New Zealand School Trustees Association to bring about sustainable improvements in the board’s stewardship role of scrutinising progress and achievement information in relation to the National Standards.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Deputy Chief Review Officer - Southern (Te Waipounamu)
5 October 2017
About the school
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Location
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Richmond
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Ministry of Education profile number
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3233
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School type
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Intermediate
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School roll
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642
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Gender composition
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Girls 51%: Boys 49%
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Ethnic composition
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Pākehā 81%
Māori 12%
Pacific 1%
Other 6%
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Provision of Māori medium education
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No
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Review team on site
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August 2017
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Date of this report
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5 October 2017
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Most recent ERO reports
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Education Review February 2008
Education Review March 2011
Education Review December 2013
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