Findings
Whau Valley School has undergone significant school-wide improvement in the last two years. Students, teachers, the board and community and are now well placed to build on these positive developments. Strengthened professional leadership has been established. The school has a renewed sense of direction and high expectations for children’s progress and learning.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
1 Background and Context
What is the background and context for this school’s review?
Whau Valley School is located in Whangarei and provides education for children in Years 1 to 6. The majority of students are Māori. Children have opportunities to learn te reo Māori in bilingual classes or through a school-wide te reo Māori programme. Children also learn sign language to help communication between hearing and hearing impaired students. There are two classrooms where children learn in digital environments.
The 2011 ERO’s report recommended that the board and principal improve assessment, governance, strategic planning, school management and reporting in relation to National Standards. ERO’s 2014 report identified that while progress had been made in some of these areas, further improvements in curriculum, assessment, leadership and self-review were necessary to help raise student achievement. The report recommended ongoing support from external advisors to help build capacity in leadership, governance and management. Since 2014 ERO has provided ongoing evaluation of the school’s progress.
The principal, deputy principal and board have successfully led change management across the school. Leaders have actively sought sound external advice and effectively implemented best practice strategies to address the areas identified for development.
2 Review and Development
How effectively is the school addressing its priorities for review and development?
Priorities identified for review and development
ERO’s December 2014 report identified that improvements were necessary to:
- lift the achievement of all children
- develop and refine systems for analysing student achievement information so that patterns and trends in student achievement can be identified and responded to appropriately
- improve reporting about student achievement to better inform strategic decision making
- develop and document a responsive and coherent school curriculum that reflects community, students, whānau and teachers' aspirations for children’s learning
- build internal evaluation capability and capacity at all levels of the school.
Progress
Student achievement has lifted significantly over the past two years. Leaders and teachers identify all students who need to make accelerated progress and support them systematically. Māori boys have made significant accelerated progress. Leaders have now positioned the school well, as they work towards the government’s targets of having 85% of students meeting National Standards by 2017 in reading, writing and mathematics. Developing students’ ability to conduct ‘learning as inquiry’ is a next step.
The principal is providing significantly improved educational leadership. In collaboration with the board, senior leadership and teachers he has implemented strategic, considered and highly effective responses to the challenges identified in the 2014 ERO review. This has resulted in improved school practices and operations, including better reporting systems.
Leaders and teachers use inquiry and evaluation strategies to systematically improve learning outcomes for children. Evaluative approaches are now being used effectively to solve problems, address concerns and determine outcomes. Leaders use evaluation processes to underpin decision making and this is helping to ensure developments are evidenced based and reflect best practice.
The school’s whānau programme is contributing to students’ success and benefitting whānau. This is reflected in improved student engagement and achievement. Leaders and teachers have created sound foundations for ongoing strengthening of whānau and parent engagement. School leaders continue refining their knowledge and understanding about new groups of students as they arrive in the school. The whānau programme has been enhanced by the active participation of classroom teachers. Teachers are promoting home and school communication and partnership at the classroom level, alongside initiatives to do with the bigger school-wide picture of home-school partnership.
Leaders have led the development of teaching practices that promote adaptive responses to the needs of individuals and groups of children. Together with teachers, leaders have reviewed and rewritten the school curriculum. Key components of the revised curriculum are: responsive teaching and learning, deliberate acts of teaching and children driving their own learning within local and relevant contexts.
The principal and senior leaders are leading the building of professionalism across the school. They have identified relevant professional learning and development priorities. Their approach is helping to lift capability and capacity at all levels of the school. The school’s new appraisal system closely aligns to school targets and is inquiry based. It is an integral component of building the school’s professional learning community. The principal’s external appraisal process is robust and has contributed to strengthening the leadership team.
Key next steps
Going forward ERO and school leaders agree that to continue development leaders and teachers will:
- refine target setting so that targets are more specific in order to enable closer monitoring of progress and robust evaluation of outcomes
- continue building internal evaluative inquiry at all levels of the school
- sustain and continue to build on the momentum that’s been developed across the school through the use of research into effective and best practice
- utilise the new staffing structures and targeted professional development to realise the capability of the leadership team to continue lifting school performance.
- build on school-wide approaches to teaching strategies so that children experience a seamless curriculum and grow their ability to direct their own learning.
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 well placed to sustain and continue reviewing its performance. Improved educational leadership and coherent systems now support a school culture focused on improving student learning. Improved student achievement between 2013 and 2016 is evidence of the school’s growing strengths.
Trustees are developing a shared understanding of stewardship and governance as they work strategically alongside the principal. The board chair has demonstrated highly effective leadership, skill and commitment and this has significantly supported the school’s progress. The board actively seeks external advice and trustee training to strengthen governance.
Internal evaluation is now an embedded feature of school practice. Decision making is now well considered and evidenced. This is resulting in good strategic decision making and efficient resourcing at all levels of the school. The use of sound evaluation practices is likely to continue to have a positive effect on all aspects of school functioning.
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.
Conclusion
Whau Valley School has undergone significant school-wide improvement in the last two years. Students, teachers, the board and community and are now well placed to build on these positive developments. Strengthened professional leadership has been established. The school has a renewed sense of direction and high expectations for children’s progress and learning.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
22 February 2017
About the School
| Location | Whangarei |
| Ministry of Education profile number | 1131 |
| School type | Contributing (Years 1 to 6) |
| School roll | 264 |
| Gender composition | Boys 50% Girls 50% |
| Ethnic composition | Māori Pākehā Pacifika other | 64% 25% 6% 5% |
| Review team on site | December 2016 |
| Date of this report | 22 February 2017 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Education Review Education Review Education Review | December 2014 August 2011 June 2008 |