Whangarei Adventist Christian School has undergone a period of improvement. Teachers provide appropriate programmes of work. Students are well engaged, and older students are taking responsibility for aspects of their learning. The board is developing its capability to more effectively govern the school.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
Whangarei Adventist Christian School is a small integrated primary school in Whangarei. It provides Adventist special character education for students in Years 1 to 8.
This is the second consecutive longitudinal ERO review process for the school. Since the 2015 ERO review, the school has experienced fluctuations in roll numbers and staffing entitlements. A new principal was appointed in December 2016.
Priorities identified for review and development during ERO’s 2015 review included strengthening:
The school has made good progress in addressing some of the areas identified for review and development. Improvements made to teaching and learning are substantial. The roll growth indicates the Adventist community’s renewed confidence in the school. Governance remains an area for development.
The principal has focused on improving the learning culture for students. Teachers now have higher expectations of children’s output in the classroom. They provide appropriate learning opportunities for children. Teachers promote student behaviour that is likely to be conducive to their learning. As a result of these good practices, children are better engaged in class programmes.
Newly introduced assessment processes have increased the accuracy of information about children’s learning, and support the overall dependability of student achievement data. Older students have a good understanding of their levels of achievement in reading, writing and mathematics. They use this knowledge to plan for their next steps in learning. Parents receive appropriate written reports about their children’s progress and achievement.
Teachers foster independence in students. Older students manage elements of their own timetable and learning. Students explore aspects of their interests using the school’s inquiry approach. They are increasingly presenting their learning to their peers and parents to conclude a project.
Online programmes designed to support reading and mathematics learning engage students well. Teachers use informative summaries from each child’s use of these programmes to monitor and track their progress.
In order to continue to improve teaching practice and learning opportunities, key next steps include:
The school is better placed to sustain and continue to improve its performance.
Effective leadership is driving school improvement. The principal has confidently prioritised and addressed many of the areas identified for improvement in the 2015 ERO report. In addition to the significant improvements to teaching and learning, aspects of management including the administration systems, record keeping and management of resources have also been improved.
The growing roll resulted in the appointment of a second teacher. This has helped teachers to extend the range of opportunities that they plan for students and to further develop the school culture.
Internal evaluation processes are not yet being used to improve school operations. As the school re-establishes as a two teacher school, it is important to develop internal evaluation processes. These processes should be developed and used at the classroom, school and governance levels to determine the effectiveness of programmes, initiatives and practices in promoting positive outcomes for students.
The board is still developing its capability to effectively govern the school. While trustees meet regularly and are committed to the school, their understanding of the extent of their governance role is still developing. They have continued to focus on reviewing policies and have had some involvement in strategic planning. It is timely for trustees to undertake training as a board to support them to effectively govern the school.
In order to continue to improve the school’s performance, key next steps include:
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:
During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student achievement:
ERO recommends that trustees use support from the Ministry of Education and New Zealand School Trustees Association to continue building their capability to more effectively govern the school.
Whangarei Adventist Christian School has undergone a period of improvement. Teachers provide appropriate programmes of work. Students are well engaged, and older students are taking responsibility for aspects of their learning. The board is developing its capability to more effectively govern the school.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
Julie Foley
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
19 February 2018
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Location |
Whangarei |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
4154 |
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School type |
Full Primary (Years 1 to 8) |
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School roll |
29 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 17 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
10 |
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Review team on site |
December 2017 |
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Date of this report |
19 February 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
November 2015 |