Hukerenui School Years 1-8

Summary

Hukerenui School Years 1-8 caters for children in Years 1 to 8 and currently has a roll of 136 children. Māori children make up a fifth of the roll. In 2017, the school has experienced significant roll growth. The board is committed to planning and carefully managing the demands of the expected roll growth.

Since the 2014 ERO evaluation teachers have continued to participate in professional learning to improve positive teaching strategies, and mathematics and literacy programmes. There have been changes in the leadership structure and new teachers have been appointed. Internal expertise is developed through a distributed leadership model. Leaders of Literacy and Mathematics are supporting teachers to improve their practice.

School achievement data shows that children achieve well. Good achievement levels have been sustained, and increased in some areas, since ERO’s 2014 review.

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

Hukerenui School Years 1-8 has implemented specific strategies to help them respond more effectively to Māori and other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration. Effective processes that are helping to address disparities and achieve excellence and equity for children include:

• strategic direction setting that is focused on improvement

• evidence-based and responsive leadership

• continued professional support to improve teaching practices

• an innovative and authentic rural curriculum that promotes students’ ownership of learning.

Agreed next steps include continuing to build on existing practices in relation to:

• the extent to which the curriculum is culturally responsive for Māori learners

• improved access to digital technologies for all children

• learning partnerships with parents/whānau

• internal evaluation that supports ongoing improvement.

Learners are achieving well. The school demonstrates strong progress toward achieving equity in educational outcomes, supported by effective, sustainable processes and practices.

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?

Hukerenui School Years 1-8 has implemented specific strategies to respond more effectively to Māori and other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration.

School leaders, the board and teachers reflect on school practices and focus on making improvements to help promote equity and excellence. The board and leaders have developed well documented improvement plans to accelerate children’s progress, including a strategic focus on Māori learners and children with additional learning needs. The board receives very good information from the principal about student achievement.

School achievement information is well analysed and focuses on trends and patterns over time. Leaders and teachers are very aware of the names, needs and numbers of children at most risk of not achieving. Teachers regularly monitor and track the progress of these learners. They have strengthened assessment processes over time and there is now more consistency in overall teacher judgements in relation to the National Standards.

Nearly 71 percent of children achieve at or above the National Standards in writing, and 82 percent in mathematics and reading. Achievement levels have improved over time in reading, for Māori children overall, and for boys in reading and writing. Boys achieve very well in mathematics. However, disparities remain for Māori learners and for boys in reading.

The principal and teachers closely monitor the achievement of children identified as requiring additional learning support. Leaders and teachers implement specific programmes and work collaboratively with parents and external agencies to cater for the learning needs of these children. The school’s inclusive practices support all learners to achieve more equitable outcomes.

The school’s responsive curriculum supports children to achieve many of the valued student learning outcomes outlined in the school’s charter. Most notably, the children have positive attitudes towards enacting the school values of being supportive of one another, being considerate and becoming confident lifelong learners.

School conditions supporting equity and excellence

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

The school has processes in place that are helping to achieve excellence and equity for all children.

The board is unified in its approach to representing and serving the school and community well. Trustees have intergenerational connections to the school. They bring a range of skills, experience, knowledge and differing viewpoints to their role and access external help when required. Trustees receive very good information from the principal about student achievement. They use this information purposefully to help make appropriate resourcing decisions that contribute to improving outcomes for learners.

The principal provides strong and well considered leadership. This leadership ensures alignment of student learning needs and teachers’ inquiries into their own practices. Internal expertise is being developed through a distributed leadership model. Leaders of literacy and mathematics are supporting teachers to improve their practice.

The principal uses evidence and research well. She is committed to growing the professional capacity of teachers through inquiry, knowledge building and reflection. Systematic, collaborative curriculum processes align very well with the school’s vision, values, goals and targets. The principal is focused on building teacher capability and practice in order to improve outcomes for children.

Children are friendly and confident. They enjoy a rich ‘real life learning’ curriculum, based on rural (Recognising Understanding Rural Agricultural Learning) contexts. This innovative curriculum provides hands on learning. It includes many opportunities for children to take leadership and access outside expertise, including parents/whānau, to support their learning. The curriculum is nationally and internationally recognised. It features science, learning outside the classroom, enterprise and sustainable practices.

Positive relationships with the adjacent early learning service are strengthening transition to school processes for children and families.

The principal has recently established a parent/whānau support group, which has identified some key strategies to help improve One suggested strategy is to A well supported school event is an overnight stay at a local marae. Children and whānau value this rich learning experience.educational success for Māori children, as Māori.review the te reo Māori programme and recording the progression of te reo learning.

Sustainable development for equity and excellence

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

The school is well led and supported by a well-informed board. The curriculum is innovative and involves whānau and community.

tool, Hautū: Māori Cultural Responsiveness Self Review tool for Boards of Trustees. Using this tool could help the board undertake an internal evaluation of the school’s responsibility to promote Māori learners’ success.Some trustees are knowledgeable about the

The board and principal agree that making better use of documented evaluative critique could strengthen some key areas. These include:

• trustees’ effectiveness as a board in supporting the school’s direction

• how specific programmes, such as learning support initiatives, are impacting on and improving equity and excellence for children.

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?

Learners are achieving well. The school demonstrates strong progress toward achieving equity in educational outcomes, supported by effective, sustainable processes and practices.

Agreed next steps are to build on existing practices in relation to:

continuing to prioritise educational success for Māori children, as Māori, and to improve access for all children to digital technologies

• developing learning partnerships with parents/whānau, particularly for those children at risk of not achieving

• using internal evaluation, to assure the board about the difference that programmes are making to outcomes for children.

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

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

3 November 2017

About the school