Wairakei School (Christchurch)

Wairakei School (Christchurch)

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 24 months of the Education Review Office and Wairakei School (Christchurch) 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 

Wairakei School (Christchurch) is a contributing primary school that caters for learners in Years 0 to 6 in Bryndwr, Christchurch. The school is a member of Waimairi-iri Kāhui Ako.

Wairakei School (Christchurch)’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

  • community - enhancing the wellbeing of the school community

  • learning - enabling learners to experience success through holistic and experiential learning

  • diversity - developing a culturally rich learning environment for all.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Wairakei School (Christchurch)’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate leadership of sustainable and effective curriculum and teaching practices, in reading.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

  • the school has conducted an internal inquiry into the consistency and effectiveness of literacy practices

  • that inquiry informed 2023 strategic goals that prioritise growth of teaching and learning in reading

  • the school is working with an external facilitator to grow assessment practices and to develop use of achievement data, for more evidence-based planning and decision making.

The school expects to see child-centred practices with students reading with enjoyment and understanding for a range of purposes. Students will develop reading skills and strategies that support them to successfully access the breadth and depth of the localised curriculum. Use of robust assessment tools and practices will support planning and teaching that is responsive to students’ strengths and prior learning - and will be adaptive. Well-resourced and literacy-rich environments, including use of digital learning platforms, will scaffold students’ understanding and engagement. Whānau and parents will partner with the school in promoting improved reading outcomes.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to grow and sustain effective curriculum and teaching practices in reading:

  • a collaboratively inquiring and reflective staff, with a student-centred improvement focus

  • prioritising wellbeing within a culture of hauora and care, underpinned by embedded values

  • a proactive leadership team creating purposeful connections with the wider community, including strong Kāhui Ako links, drawing on expertise and resources that will benefit the school.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • completing the investigation and sense-making phase of its Evaluation for Improvement Plan

  • purposefully weaving these findings into the annual and action planning processes

  • continuing to work alongside an external facilitator to enhance assessment practices, informing strategic goals, annual action plans and related leadership practices for sustainable improvement in 2023, and beyond.

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.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

18 May 2023

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

Wairakei School (Christchurch)

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2022 to 2025

As of November 2022 the Wairakei School (Christchurch) Board 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 Wairakei School (Christchurch), School Board.

The next School Board 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.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

18 May 2023

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

Wairakei School (Christchurch) - 22/08/2017

Summary

Wairakei School has a roll of 272 students, including 57 Māori and 19 Pacific students. The school’s student population is becoming increasingly diverse. It includes children from many different ethnic groups.

Since the 2013 ERO review, the school has been undergoing a major remodelling programme. This was still in progress at the time of the review. Teachers have been focused on collaborative teaching practices during this time in preparation for the move to more open and collaborative learning environments.

While there has been a decline in the proportion of students achieving at or above the National Standards in reading since 2014, there have been improvements in writing and mathematics.

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

The school is responding effectively to Māori and other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration.

The school has effective high quality processes and practices in the areas of curriculum, stewardship, and relationships with parents and whānau. Some aspects of leadership and capability building need to be strengthened.

Students participate and learn in caring, collaborative, inclusive learning communities. Priority learners are engaged and succeeding in their learning.

The board of trustees is well informed about all aspects of the school. Communication with parents strongly supports and strengthens reciprocal learning-centred relationships.

School leaders need to improve their evaluation of teaching and learning so that they know which of their strategies and initiatives are having the most impact on outcomes for children. They also need to put in place a performance management process to provide support for teachers and evidence that they are meeting the Practising Teacher Criteria.

At the time of this review, Māori children were achieving well against the National Standards in reading and less well in writing and mathematics.

The school has capacity and capability to accelerate learning for all children. However, disparity in achievement for Māori and/or other children remains.

Leaders and teachers:

  • know the children whose learning and achievement need to be accelerated
  • need to improve the school conditions that support the acceleration of children’s learning and achievement
  • need to build teacher capability to accelerate children’s learning and achievement.

The school agrees to:

  • develop more targeted planning to accelerate learning for children

  • monitor targeted planning, improved teaching, and children’s progress

  • discuss the school’s progress with ERO.

The school has requested that ERO provide them with an internal evaluation workshop. 

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 effectively to Māori and other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration.

There is a disparity in the achievement of Māori children in writing and mathematics against the National Standards. In 2016, Maori children achieved well in reading. In writing, less than half the Māori students achieved at or above National Standards.

In the past three years, achievement levels for writing and mathematics have been improving. There has been a slight decrease in reading results. The achievement of boys in mathematics has improved considerably since 2014.

Teachers use an appropriate range of assessments and the views of their colleagues to make robust judgements about students' achievement levels. Their next step is to work with teachers from neighbouring schools to ensure greater consistency in their judgements.

School conditions supporting equity and excellence

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

The school has effective high-quality processes and practices in the areas of curriculum, stewardship, and relationships with parents and whānau.

Children participate and learn in caring, collaborative, inclusive learning communities. The learning environments are characterised by respect, relational trust, cooperation and teamwork. Children participate in group-based activities and develop the skills of working together. Older children support younger children in deliberate tuakana teina relationships.

Priority learners are engaged and succeeding in their learning. They benefit from meaningful contexts for learning. Teachers focus on each child in a holistic approach to find the special interest that ignites their learning.

The school strongly supports Māori children to identify as, and take pride in being Māori. Their parents' views are sought and used to support their children's learning. Māori children have opportunities to succeed in ways that support Ao Māori – a world view and values.

The curriculum successfully makes connections to learners' lives and prior understandings. For example, the environmental education programme gives children valuable opportunities for learning skills that develop their confidence and communication skills.

Communication with parents effectively supports and strengthens reciprocal learning-centred relationships. The new online system is adding a greater depth and frequency to the ways that parents can share in and support their child's learning.

The board of trustees is well informed about all aspects of the school. Trustees actively participate in making decisions about resourcing and school events in their role as stewards of the school.

Sustainable development for equity and excellence

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

While the school has many high-quality processes and practices, some aspects of leadership and capability building need to be strengthened.

Leadership does not yet ensure effective evaluation of the school's curriculum and teaching. Some systems to support this, such as the new leadership team structure and student management system, have recently been put in place. Some of the curriculum reviews planned for 2016 did not occur. Senior leaders are aware that they need to be more rigorous about evaluating the impact of specific teaching strategies and initiatives in order to improve outcomes for all children.

Robust performance management processes must be put in place for all staff. The board, principal and senior leaders must ensure that the school has a formal appraisal system that complies with all New Zealand Education Council requirements. The board should seek regular assurance that this system is implemented effectively and is contributing to continuous improvement in the quality of teaching and 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:

  • 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.

Action required

ERO identified non-compliance in relation to the appraisal of staff. School leaders have not consistently undertaken a performance management process that identifies goals for each teacher, and includes regular feedback and comment against the Practicing Teacher Criteria.

In order to address this the board must

  1. Implement policies and procedures for the appraisal of staff.
    [National Administration Guideline 3; S 77A State Sector Act].

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 children. However, disparity in achievement for Māori and/or other children remains.

Leaders and teachers:

  • know the children whose learning and achievement need to be accelerated
  • need to improve the school conditions that support the acceleration of children’s learning and achievement.
  • need to build teacher capability to accelerate children’s learning and achievement.

The school agrees to:

  • develop more targeted planning to accelerate learning for children

  • monitor targeted planning, improved teaching, and children’s progress

  • discuss the school’s progress with ERO.

The school has requested that ERO provide them with an internal evaluation workshop. 

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

Dr Lesley Patterson

Deputy Chief Review Officer - Southern (Te Waipounamu)

22 August 2017

About the school 

Location

Christchurch

Ministry of Education profile number

3577

School type

Contributing

School roll

272

Gender composition

Boys 55%

Girls 45%

Ethnic composition

Pākehā 49%

Māori 21%

Pacific 7%

Asian 13%

Other ethnicities 10%

Provision of Māori medium education

No

Review team on site

May 2017

Date of this report

22 August 2017

Most recent ERO reports

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

August 2013

June 2008

March 2005