Woodend School - 19/05/2017

• On this page:

• Summary
• Equity and excellence
• School conditions supporting equity and excellence
• Sustainable development for equity and excellence
• Board assurance on legal requirements
• Going forward
• About the school 

Summary

This school has a roll of 331 children, including 42 Māori children. The roll is steadily increasing and the school population is becoming more diverse.

Staffing has been stable since the 2013 ERO review. The school has become Katote Community of Learning, of which the school’s principal is the lead principal.

The school has made very good progress in meeting the recommendations outlined in the previous ERO report. Over the last three years, children’s achievement in reading, writing and mathematics against the National Standards has continued to be high, and parents are now well informed of their child’s progress. Progress and achievement information is better used to set more meaningful targets for priority learners.

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

School leaders and teachers are very effectively achieving equitable outcomes for all children.

Processes and practices that are clearly enabling equity and excellence include:

• collaborative team work to ensure children’s wellbeing and readiness to learn are effectively promoted
• close monitoring of children whose learning and achievement need acceleration
• strong focus on celebrating all children’s cultural backgrounds and building their sense of belonging
• reflective teaching practice that identifies strategies and interventions that specifically support children’s learning and progress.

Equity and excellence

How effectively does this school respond to Māori and other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration?

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

A strong partnership with local iwi has increased the school’s response to Māori children’s language, culture and heritage.

The school has useful strategies for identifying children who have specific learning needs in reading in the junior school. These children receive well-structured learning support. Teachers effectively monitor the usefulness of interventions in supporting children’s accelerated progress. High expectations for robust moderation practices result in reliable achievement information.

School conditions supporting equity and excellence

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

The school has many processes in place that are highly effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence.

The positive school environment strongly promotes children’s learning and wellbeing.

Practices that have made a positive impact on children’s learning include:

• the school’s seven principles that place a greater focus on learning and the learner
• collaboration and team work between teachers and between children that strongly reflect manaakitanga
• curriculum design and planning that specifically responds to children’s interests and needs and whānau aspirations
• the use of ICT devices for research and extension studies.

Leaders and teachers share high expectations for programmes and practices that promote equity and excellence. These include:

• planning and resourcing a wide range of interventions with regular evaluation of the effectiveness of these interventions on outcomes for children
• strong leadership that is clearly focused on ongoing improvement
• effective internal evaluation including teacher’s critical reflection that leads to informed student-centred decision making
• robust appraisal processes that promotes increased teacher effectiveness. 

The board is well informed of children’s progress and achievement. Trustees actively work with the school to develop and regularly refresh their strategic direction. They are clearly focused on equity and excellence for all children.

Sustainable development for equity and excellence

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

The school has developed sound reporting processes to inform the board and staff about how effectively they are achieving equity and excellence for all children. Leaders and teachers have not yet reported on how well children are acquiring and using the skills and knowledge gained in curriculum areas beyond literacy and mathematics.

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.

Going forward

How well placed is the school to accelerate the achievement of all children who need it?

Children are achieving excellent educational outcomes. The board and school performance has been sustained over time through well-focused, embedded processes and practices. This school has successfully addressed in-school disparity in educational outcomes.

Agreed next step is to report to parents about children’s acquisition of knowledge and skills in curriculum areas beyond literacy and mathematics.

ERO is likely to carry out the next review in four-to-five years. 

Dr Lesley Patterson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern/Te Waipounamu

19 May 2017

About the school