Findings
The school has made sufficient progress and will transition into ERO’s approach to working with schools, Te Ara Huarau.
1 Background and Context
What is the background and context for this school’s review?
Waitakere S D A School is a small, state integrated school that caters for students from Years 1 to 8. The school is adjacent to the Seventh Day Adventist Church, and located in Henderson, West Auckland. The board includes long serving and some new members. In 2018, a new principal was appointed as a first-time principal.
The school’s vision states: ‘W S D A will produce individuals of noble character who will be empowered to contribute to this world as they prepare for eternity’. The motto, CARE: care, attitude, respect and excellence, underpin school operations. ERO’s 2018 review reported positive learning and working relationships among trustees, school leaders, teachers, children and the community. These positive relationships continue.
The 2018 ERO report identified some key areas that required development. The report recommended that ERO continue to maintain an ongoing relationship with the school to build capacity and evaluate progress. Significant staff turnover and the COVID-19 pandemic have hampered the school’s opportunity to build capacity and evaluate progress.
2 Review and Development
How effectively is the school addressing its priorities for review and development?
Priorities identified for review and development
Waitakere S D A School has been involved in a longitudinal review with ERO to support school progress and development. The agreed priorities for school improvement identified from ERO’s 2018 report include:
- curriculum development
- develop robust assessment systems, processes, and practices
- improve consistency and quality of teaching and learning
- strengthen internal evaluation capability and capacity
- build leadership and stewardship capability to sustain and embed changes.
The principal and board are actively working with external facilitators to address these development priorities.
Progress
The board, principal and staff have contributed to progressing all priority areas.
Since 2018, the school has received support from the Ministry of Education (MoE), including a Student Achievement Function (SAF) practitioner. Consultants in school management and operations, curriculum development and teaching and learning have provided support, which has significantly contributed to improving school systems and processes.
School processes for evaluation and knowledge-building for improvement are being established. These now need to be guided by a systematic approach to identify and evaluate areas for improvement that positively impact on outcomes for all students. The principal is beginning to collate and monitor overall school achievement and teaching capability more effectively.
The principal and teachers are establishing a responsive localised curriculum framework. A school curriculum overview and implementation plans are now in place to support the delivery of the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC).
Learner progress and achievement are not yet equitable and excellent. However, the school is beginning to establish priorities and plans to improve outcomes for all learners. Teachers are identifying student strengths, and using teaching strategies to increase learner success and reduce disparity.
The principal is ensuring that regular professional learning is supporting teachers to develop their capability. Professional knowledge, and approaches that support teacher effectiveness, are helping to improve student learning. Significant staff changes since 2018 have hindered the effectiveness of these strategies to accelerate student learning.
The board sought support from the New Zealand School Trustees Association (NZSTA), and as a result board members are more aware of how they can enact its roles and responsibilities. The board has systems and support in place to ensure that policies are regularly reviewed to respond to emerging school requirements and legislative changes.
Key next steps
Leaders and teachers should continue to consolidate and embed practices and initiatives that have been introduced by:
- refining the collation and analysis of student information to enhance regular reports to the board about the progress of different groups of learners, including their wellbeing
- continuing to develop a school-wide understanding and use of The Learning Progressions
- evaluating how well the intentions of strategic and annual plans impact on student outcomes
- continuing to develop a responsive local curriculum that is relevant to students, and responds to parent aspirations for their children.
3 Sustainable performance and self review
How well placed is the school to sustain and continue to improve and review its performance?
Waitakere S D A School is beginning to develop its capacity to sustain and improve its performance. Factors contributing to sustainability are:
- continuity and commitment from staff, school leadership and the board to develop its capacity and improve school systems and processes
- schoolwide systems being embedded to monitor student achievement and progress
- professional learning and development in place for leaders and teachers to improve their capability
- governance guidelines in place to support board members with their roles and responsibilities.
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.
4 Recommendations
Recommendations, including any to other agencies for ongoing or additional support.
ERO recommends that the Ministry of Education continues its support of the school due to the disruption caused by significant staff turnover and the COVID 19 lockdowns over recent years.
Te Ara Huarau
The school has made sufficient progress and will transition into ERO’s approach to working with schools, Te Ara Huarau.
Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region - Te Tai Raki
19 July 2022
About the school
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement.