Maunu School

School Context

Maunu School, is located in a semi-rural community on the outskirts of Whangarei. It caters for students in Years 1 to 6. The school has a roll of approximately 323 students. The majority are Pākehā children, ten percent are Māori children, and there is a variety of other ethnicities.

Children learn in collaborative learning environments across the school. The school’s mission statement states that Maunu School upholds the provision of a positive and inclusive learning community. Students are encouraged to be confident and actively involved in learning so they can be the best they can be. The mission statement is underpinned by the school values of respect, responsibility, excellence, integrity and curiosity.

Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, schoolwide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:

• achievement in reading, writing and mathematics
• progress and achievement in relation to school targets
• outcomes for students who are gifted and talented, and those with additional learning needs
• engagement, wellbeing and attendance.

Since the 2015 ERO evaluation there have been changes to the board with some new trustees and a new chairperson. A new leadership structure has been established across the school. Following the retirement of the long serving principal at the end of 2016, the board appointed an experienced principal in term one, 2017.

Staff have participated in Ministry of Education’s (MoE) Blended E-learning and Digital fluency professional learning and development contract. This has included exploring ways to embed digital technology approaches to enhance children’s learning. This initiative is promoting further opportunities for family/whānau to be involved in learning beyond the classroom.

Maunu School is a member of the Ngā Kura mo te ako o Whangarei (Group 2) Community of Learning|Kāhui Ako (COL) in the Whangarei area. 

Evaluation Findings

1 Equity and excellence – achievement of valued outcomes for students

1.1 How well is the school achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all its students?

The school is responding effectively towards achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for its students.

School achievement information shows most children, including Māori children achieve at and above expected curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics. These trends and patterns have been sustained over three years. Overall, there is increasing parity between different groups of students, across gender and ethnicity.

Leaders have identified the need to accelerate boys’ writing. This school focus area aligns to one of the intended COL achievement challenges.

School achievement information is collected for different groups of students and provides a schoolwide picture of their progress over time. Teachers use a variety of assessment tools to gauge how well children are achieving. They identify children who require additional learning support, and those children who require extension in the core areas of reading, writing and mathematics.

Students achieve very well in relation to other school valued outcomes. Children:

• show a sense of pride and belonging
• have strong relationships that support positive interactions
• are inclusive and accepting of others
• consistently demonstrate school values that celebrate individual characteristics and success
• demonstrate confidence in themselves as successful learners.

1.2 How well is the school accelerating learning for those Māori and other students who need this?

The school is increasingly effective in accelerating learning for those Māori and other students who need this.

A range of well-considered programmes and interventions are in place to ensure equitable opportunities and acceleration for children are the focus for these programmes. Teachers develop useful plans targeted to accelerate the progress of identified groups of children. Children benefit from deliberate teaching strategies that support ways to improve their progress and achievement.

Leaders and teachers work collaboratively with parents and whānau, learning assistants and external agencies to cater effectively for children with additional learning needs. The recent restructuring of the Learning Support Leadership role is to extend the schoolwide collaborative approach to improve outcomes for students. 

2 School conditions for equity and excellence – processes and practices

2.1 What school processes and practices are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence, and acceleration of learning?

The school’s processes and actions are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence for children.

Children experience a curriculum that places a significant focus on developing students’ literacy and mathematics skills and understanding. The recently reviewed curriculum is being embedded to support and respond to children’s interests and capabilities to attain the school’s valued student outcomes.

School-wide concepts are meaningful and foster children's engagement in their learning. Targeted professional learning, that has focused on bicultural practices and curriculum perspectives, benefits Māori children as well as promoting bicultural practices for all children.

Trustees bring professional expertise to their stewardship roles. They serve the community by gathering the voices of parents and whānau and using this information to inform school decisions. Trustees prioritise student wellbeing and achievement through strategic decisions that provide well for teachers’ professional development and curriculum resourcing.

The principal has introduced a number of initiatives. When embedded, these are likely to continue to strengthen leadership roles and teaching practices that promote ongoing collaborative learning across the school. Children actively contribute to the school community through their leadership roles and other opportunities.

The school’s sporting and cultural events develop strong connections and relationships with parents, whānau and the wider community. Parents and whānau are respected and valued in their children’s learning. They participate in and value student-led conferences and use digital technologies to support their children’s learning.

Positive practices identified in the 2015 ERO report have been sustained and refined to improve outcomes for all learners. Recent changes that are contributing to greater equity and excellence for children include:

• reviewing and streamlining policies and procedures to reflect current effective practice
• reviewing documents to provide increased clarity, cohesion and alignment to the renewed school’s strategic direction
• redefining and expanding leadership roles and responsibilities across the school.

2.2 What further developments are needed in school processes and practices for achievement of equity and excellence, and acceleration of learning?

Good school processes and practices for achievement of equity and excellence are continuing to be

strengthened. To further enhance these processes and practices school leaders agree to:

• continue to strategically align school processes that build the capability and expertise across the school at all levels through a distributed leadership model
• extend the use of analysed data information for more groups of students and evaluate progress against the school’s valued learner outcomes. 

3 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
• finance
• 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.

4 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

For sustained improvement and future learner success, the school can draw on existing strengths in:

• an inclusive environment underpinned by strong school values
• its improvement focused approach that strategically guides the future direction of the school
• educationally powerful connections and relationships with parents and whānau that impact positively on academic outcomes and student wellbeing
• increased leadership capability of students and staff at all levels across the school.

Next steps

For sustained improvement and future learner success, priorities for further development are in:

• enhancing internal evaluation capability to build shared understandings and practices across the school. 

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

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

Julie Foley
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)

Te Tai Raki - Northern Region

1 May 2018

About the school

Findings

The school is well positioned to continue to effectively support student learning. School leaders work in partnership with the school’s community to promote student progress. They are making curriculum changes to ensure that teaching and learning is relevant to students and reflects current best educational practice.

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

1 Context

What are the important features of this school that have an impact on student learning?

Maunu School provides education for Years 1 to 6 students in a semi-rural community on the outskirts of Whangarei. The spacious site and buildings are well maintained. Mature trees and historic stonewalls are a feature of the area and the school environment.

The school is committed to delivering high quality education in partnership with their supportive community. The whānau group, Te Roopu Tautoko, and the Parent and Teacher Association work collaboratively with the board and staff.

The school’s values of responsibility, respect, excellence, integrity and curiosity underpin all aspects of school operations. Students and staff enjoy positive, inclusive and caring relationships that support the school vision to develop students’ lifelong joy of learning.

Recent professional development has supported teachers to develop approaches that involve greater use of digital technologies. The senior leadership team is also considering how learning environments can be redesigned to support these approaches. Other professional development has focussed on how students and teachers use assessment information to inform teaching and learning.

The 2011 ERO report acknowledged the engagement of students in their work and the positive school culture that supported their learning. It reported that the school was well led. The report suggested that further work could be done to strengthen self review and that students could be better supported to plan and evaluate their learning. Progress has been made in these areas.

2 Learning

How well does this school use achievement information to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement?

Students, including Māori, are achieving very well in relation to the National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Senior leaders make good use of achievement information to identify and monitor trends and patterns. They are working to increase the percentage of students who are working well above the National Standards.

School leaders and teachers are taking useful steps to ensure that school-wide achievement information is based on reliable data. Processes for gathering and analysing achievement data have improved and teachers are discussing the judgements they make to ensure greater consistency in these judgements. The school is beginning to work with local schools to moderate their assessments.

Some students are provided with additional support to help them make accelerated progress. Groups of teachers meet often to share ideas about how the learning of these students can be best supported. The progress of these students and the impact of strategies to promote their learning are well monitored.

Teachers report regularly to parents about their children’s progress and achievement. Written reports, as well as planned and informal discussions involving parents and students, help parents know about ways to promote learning. Parents of students needing additional learning support are encouraged to discuss their child’s progress more regularly.

Achievement information is well used by the board and senior leadership team to make strategic resourcing decisions. The board funds a wide variety of support programmes to meet the learning needs of groups of students. Trustees monitor the achievement of Māori and Pacific and special needs students.

Teachers could now encourage all students to make better use of achievement information to identify their next learning steps and work towards individualised achievement goals.

3 Curriculum

How effectively does this school’s curriculum promote and support student learning?

Maunu School’s curriculum is well aligned with The New Zealand Curriculum and promotes and supports student learning. It is broad in its coverage with a deliberate intention to educate the whole child. There are many learning opportunities that relate to the Arts, including school productions. Learning contexts are often relevant and motivational for learners.

The school curriculum promotes student thinking and engagement. A school-wide inquiry approach to teaching in science, social sciences and health has been developed. As the students progress through the school they learn skills and strategies to help them to conduct their own inquiry and research.

The recent focus on the use of Information and communication technologies (ICT) to support learning is already having a positive impact on student learning and engagement. Students successfully access, process and present their work using digital devices. The school’s ICT vision recognises the value of the learning opportunities provided by technology.

There are many opportunities for students to lead and influence the school curriculum. A representative leadership group meet regularly to discuss aspects of school operations. These leaders represent groups of students such as librarians, sports shed monitors and peer mediators. Parents are also invited to support the design and implementation of the curriculum by sharing their knowledge and expertise.

There are many opportunities for all students to understand aspects of te ao Māori and to be successful citizens of bicultural New Zealand. Students participate in kapa haka, pōwhiri and noho Marae. They have regular te reo Māori lessons. School leaders acknowledge that expectations for student learning te reo Māori could now be raised.

How effectively does the school promote educational success for Māori, as Māori?

The school is effective in promoting educational success for Māori. This is evident in significant improvements in the National Standards achievement over recent years. The school also successfully supports Māori students to identity as Māori and to learn tikanga and te reo Māori.

Trustees are familiar with the Ministry of Education’s Māori education strategy, Ka Hikitia, Accelerating Success. Te Roopu Tautoko has supported the board to include aspects of Ka Hikitia into school practices. One practical step the board has taken is to increase opportunities for all students to learn te reo Māori.

4 Sustainable Performance

How well placed is the school to sustain and improve its performance?

The school is well led and governed. Trustees are knowledgeable about their governance role and have expertise and experience to ensure that school operations such as finance are well managed. Trustees have a clear focus on student learning and take a strong interest in achievement patterns and trends. They use this information to make good resourcing decisions.

The board regularly reflects on its performance and processes to ensure that it governs effectively. Trustees work in partnership with parents. They consult regularly with parents/whānau and students and respond to suggestions made. Te Roopu Tautoko has recently contributed to the school’s draft strategic plan by offering ideas to support a bicultural approach to education.

Senior leaders work collaboratively. They are supporting the staff to develop a professional learning culture. They encourage teachers to reflect on their practice, to work together and share ideas about how to support student learning. Whole school professional development programmes and syndicate meetings are contributing to the development of an improvement-focused teaching and learning culture.

Self review guides the school’s strategic planning. Decisions are often evidence based. ERO and the school agree that the school would benefit from developing a more robust self-review process. This approach would support the school to systematically inquire into, and evaluate the effectiveness of, policies, programmes and practices.

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

The school is well positioned to continue to effectively support student learning. School leaders work in partnership with the school’s community to promote student progress. They are making curriculum changes to ensure that teaching and learning is relevant to students and reflects current best educational practice.

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

Dale Bailey

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern Region

26 January 2015

About the School