Findings
Totara Grove School is highly inclusive and gives priority to student wellbeing. Most students achieve well in reading and mathematics. Teachers continue to focus on strengthening writing. The school offers a values-based curriculum that encourages positive social development through provision of programmes that are effective, challenging and stimulating for students.
1 Context
What are the important features of this school that have an impact on student learning?
Totara Grove School is a primary school in Whangarei, Northland, that caters for children from Years 1 to 6. It is situated between the suburbs of Kamo and Tikipunga. Due to continuing roll growth the board of trustees has put an enrolment scheme in place since the last ERO review in 2011.
Seventy-three percent of the children attending the school are Māori. The school’s motto is 'Tupu Tahi – growing together', illustrating its bicultural focus on inclusion for all. The long serving principal and his team have firmly embedded a values-based education approach over several years.
The school’s culture is one where children and teachers work and learn together collaboratively. Participation in school life by families is a key priority and is actively promoted by school leaders, teachers and the board of trustees. The school is a community hub for parents and whānau. They report high levels of confidence in teachers’ commitment to their children’s learning and wellbeing.
ERO’s 2011 report identified many areas of good performance and made some recommendations for improvement. These included teachers using assessment approaches that would encourage their students to become more capable and responsible for their own learning goals. A second requirement was that reports to parents must be compliant with Ministry of Education expectations relating to National Standards. There has been some progress in both of these areas.
2 Learning
How well does this school use achievement information to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement?
Most students are well engaged in classroom tasks and activities. Strong and affirming relationships with teachers and peers underpin children’s learning at all levels of the school.
School leaders and teachers use school achievement information well to track and analyse the learning progress of individual children. Priority students who need additional learning assistance are well served by the school’s systems.
A good proportion of students are achieving at or above the National Standard in reading and mathematics. Teachers are working intensively with students achieving below the standard in writing to lift performance school-wide. Improvement of children’s writing is a 2014 and 2015 charter target.
The school is assessing against National Standards and reporting this data to the board of trustees and to parents. However the format of the school reports does not make it clear to families where the children are performing in relation to the National Standards. Reports to parents also need to include a section on how parents can help their children to learn at home.
Students can talk confidently about some aspects of their learning. Teachers should continue to work with students to increase their understanding about the importance and benefits of taking more responsibility for achieving their learning goals and aspirations.
During the course of the review school leaders and ERO also identified a series of next steps for the school to further promote students’ learning through:
- prioritising the acceleration of writing skills so that more children achieve at or above the National Standard expected for their age
- providing a set of expectations for teachers to guide their practices for helping children to take more ownership of their individual learning
- tracking and evaluating cohorts of children to show trends and patterns of progress and achievement over time
- involving parents and whānau in learning partnerships that may help children to progress more quickly.
3 Curriculum
How effectively does this school’s curriculum promote and support student learning?
Totara Grove School’s curriculum is well aligned to the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC). It is a values based curriculum that encourages positive social development in children. It is a responsive curriculum that allows children to follow their interests and passions and listens to their voice.
Within the curriculum there is emphasis on the importance of key competencies, such as participating and contributing. Co-operative and collaborative learning in classrooms helps to promote children’s wellbeing and their sense of belonging.
Teachers run well managed classrooms. Middle management leaders provide good leadership and role modelling for teachers in their syndicates. The junior school teachers blend elements of the early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki, into their classroom programmes. This helps to promote smooth transitions for children into primary school learning when they enter school in Year 1.
Literacy and numeracy are appropriately prioritised in the curriculum as foundation learning areas. Other subject areas in NZC are positioned within the school’s integrated learning programme. This programme focuses on inquiry into various issues and events, allowing children to make choices and take ownership of their topics for study. Children also learn from a variety of curricular opportunities outside the classroom where authentic experiences add to their knowledge of their local surroundings and region.
High quality professional learning for teachers is a valued and essential part of strategic planning for the school’s development. The positive behaviour for learning (PB4L) initiative is an example of ways teachers are gaining new knowledge that is changing the school’s approaches for managing children’s behaviour.
How effectively does the school promote educational success for Māori, as Māori?
The school community promotes educational success for Māori students as Māori very effectively. Māori children are the largest ethnic group within the school. The principal seeks appropriate advice from whānau and iwi. Perspectives and aspirations from the Māori community are listened to and formally documented by both the board of trustees and school leaders.
Leaders and teachers are currently pursuing their commitment to further develop te reo Māori to ensure that it is frequently used within the school. There is an increasing dimension of Te Ao Māori in curriculum planning and the school environment reflects a sense of turangawaewae for children.
Māori students are generally making good progress with their learning. They continue to achieve at a slightly lower level than other students in the school in relation to National Standards in reading and mathematics. Student progress in writing needs acceleration school-wide.
Whānaungatanga, manaakitanga and tuakana/teina are examples of embedded Māori values that enhance school processes and strengthen Māori children’s wellbeing.
The visible presence of Māori language, identity and culture in the school affirms Māori students and helps all children to develop an understanding of New Zealand’s bicultural heritage.
4 Sustainable Performance
How well placed is the school to sustain and improve its performance?
The school is well placed to sustain its ongoing development and capability. There is a clear strategic plan in place to guide the board’s direction for the next three years. Reviewing progress against this plan at regular intervals would help to refine strategic direction further.
The principal has recently signalled his intention to resign and the board has put in place community consultation to enable families to have input into the appointment process for a new principal. The board values parent voice.
The board of trustees is supportive of school leaders and works productively with staff. The board chairperson is experienced and confident in her leadership role. Trustees bring varied community and business expertise to their governance responsibilities. Board resourcing decisions are firmly based in student learning needs.
During the course of the review ERO, school leaders and trustees agreed on the following next steps for the school’s ongoing development:
- refining and making charter targets more specific to better identify and support particular groups of students who need to make accelerated progress with their learning
- school leaders undertaking regular review of progress being made in relation to annual and strategic plan goals.
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.
To meet its legal obligation the board and school leaders must:
- report in writing twice each year to students and their parents on students’ progress and achievement in relation to National Standards [National Administration Guidelines, 2A(a)].
Conclusion
Totara Grove School is highly inclusive and gives priority to student wellbeing. Most students achieve well in reading and mathematics. Teachers continue to focus on strengthening writing. The school offers a values-based curriculum that encourages positive social development through provision of programmes that are effective, challenging and stimulating for students.
When is ERO likely to review the school again?
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
Dale Bailey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
19 February 2015
About the School
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Location
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Kamo, Whangarei
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Ministry of Education profile number
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1028
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School type
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Contributing (Years 1 to 6)
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School roll
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347
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Gender composition
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Girls 51%
Boys 49%
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Ethnic composition
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Māori
NZ European/Pākehā
Pacific
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73%
21%
6%
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Review team on site
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December 2014
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Date of this report
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19 February 2015
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Most recent ERO report(s)
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Education Review
Education Review
Education Review
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October 2011
September 2007
November 2004
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