Oruaiti School

Oruaiti School

School Evaluation Report 

Tēnā koutou e mau manawa rahi ki te kaupapa e aro ake nei, ko te tamaiti te pūtake o te kaupapa. Mā wai rā e kawe, mā tātau katoa.

We acknowledge the collective effort, responsibility and commitment by all to ensure that the child remains at the heart of the matter.

Context 

Oruaiti School is in Mangonui in Te Tai Tokerau. It provides education for learners in Years 1 to 8. The school values “caring, confident and responsible life-long learners” underpin the school’s local curriculum.

There are two parts to this report.

Part A: An evaluative summary of learner success and school conditions to inform the school board’s future strategic direction, including any education in Rumaki/bilingual settings.

Part B: The improvement actions prioritised for the school’s next evaluation cycle.

Part A: Current State

The following findings are to inform the school’s future priorities for improvement.

Learner Success and Wellbeing

Outcomes for learners are becoming more equitable and excellent.
  • The majority of learners are achieving at or above expected curriculum levels in literacy and mathematics; there is disparity in boys’ achievement in literacy and for Māori learners in writing.
  • Learners experience a positive and caring learning environment which supports their wellbeing.
  • Learners with additional needs benefit from specific in-class support; their progress and achievement is regularly monitored against their individual learning goals.
  • School attendance does not yet meet the Ministry of Education national targets; leaders and teachers continue to use a range of strategies to improve attendance rates.

Conditions to support learner success

Leaders foster a culture committed to sustaining high quality teaching and continuous improvement.
  • Effective school leadership sets clear goals and expectations, fosters trust, and a collaborative culture committed to high quality teaching and improvement.
  • The school’s strategic plan has a clear line of sight, is meaningful and purposeful and prioritises outcomes for learners.
  • Leaders support teachers to continue to develop their capability in mātauranga Māori and te reo Māori and increase the knowledge and confidence of all learners.
Learners experience many curriculum experiences within an inclusive learning environment. 
  • Learners participate and learn in positive and affirming environments; relationships are respectful and valued.
  • Curriculum planning prioritises literacy and mathematics teaching to effectively support ongoing improvement in learner outcomes.
  • Learners experience a curriculum that provides them with authentic and relevant learning opportunities and incorporates the culture and heritage of the local environment.
Key conditions that underpin successful education continue to be strengthened.
  • Parents and whānau are provided with several opportunities to participate in their children’s learning which enables them to support their child’s learning pathway.
  • The board and principal strategically prioritise and engage well with local kaumatua and the community and seek their knowledge to develop the school’s local curriculum.
  • Ongoing professional learning supports leaders and teachers to grow their capability in specific teaching and learning areas; these initiatives are aligned to learner need and school priorities.

Part B: Where to next? 

The agreed next steps for the school are to:

  • further strengthen the use of assessment information to inform responsive teaching practices and improve achievement outcomes
  • strengthen internal evaluation processes to inquire into what is working well, what is not and where to next
  • further integrate and strengthen te reo and tikanga Māori across the school and in everyday classroom practices to enhance learners’ language, culture and identity
  • continue to implement effective strategies that improve regular attendance rates.

The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.

Within six months:

  • develop a professional development plan focused on improving assessment and responsive teaching practices that will accelerate learner outcomes
  • in collaboration with mana whenua, use the Poutama Reo research to inform the continued development of te reo Māori across the school.

Every six months:

  • continue to analyse and monitor learner progress, achievement and attendance information to inform next steps in teaching and learning.

Annually:

  • evaluate the effectiveness of strategies to improve learning, engagement and attendance and report the outcomes to the board
  • review, refine and embed the Māori language programme.

Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:

  • increased equity for all learners through the effective use of data to inform teaching and learning
  • higher attendance rates
  • authentic use of te reo Māori and tikanga Māori across the school
  • positive working partnership with mana whenua.

ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a School Evaluation Report and is due within three years.

Me mahi tahi tonu tātau, kia whai oranga a tātau tamariki
Let’s continue to work together for the greater good of all children

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

12 December 2024

About the School

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement.  educationcounts.govt.nz/home

Oruaiti School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2024 to 2027 

As of August 2024, the Oruaiti School Board has attested to the following regulatory and legislative requirements:

Board Administration

Yes

Curriculum

Yes

Management of Health, Safety and Welfare

Yes

Personnel Management

Yes

Finance

Yes

Assets

Yes

Further Information

For further information please contact Oruaiti School, School Board.

The next School Board assurance that it is meeting regulatory and legislative requirements will be reported, along with the Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report, within three years.

Information on ERO’s role and process in this review can be found on the Education Review Office website.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

12 December 2024

About the School 

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home

Oruaiti School - 08/05/2017

Summary

Oruaiti School is a small rural school of approximately 104 children. The roll has doubled in the last two years. Just over half of the children are Māori and the roll includes a small number of Asian children.

Since the 2014 ERO evaluation there have been several changes in board membership and staffing. New trustees have been well supported by the long serving board chair. A new principal, deputy principal and teaching team have been appointed. These changes have led to a review of school practices and processes as part of building a new leadership and professional team.

The school is a member of the Far North Community of Learning | Kāhui Ako (CoL) which comprises 21 schools. This CoL has agreed to focus on providing children with greater opportunities to become self-directed learners. The CoL also plans to work more collaboratively to support transition for children as they move across the year levels and between schools. These initiatives are likely to enhance children’s learning pathways.

A number of the strengths identified in ERO’s May 2014 report have been sustained and Oruaiti School continues to provide good quality education for children.

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

Oruaiti School is becoming increasingly effective at responding to Māori and other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration. The school’s most recent data show that overall about three-quarters of children achieve at or above the National Standards in reading and writing and about two-thirds achieve the Standards in mathematics. Data show that achievement in National Standards is improving over time, with significant improvements in writing. There have been lifts in reading achievement for Māori learners and boys. The school has appropriate planning in place to continue improving achievement for Māori children in writing and mathematics.

School leaders are building trusting relationships with the school community. This is contributing to a strong sense of collective ownership of the school’s new direction. Trustees are unified in their commitment to serving the school and education community well by actively representing the interests of children and whānau. A Ministry of Education facilitator is helping teachers to build capability in assessment and the use of achievement information.

Next steps for the school include continuing to develop learning-focused partnerships with whānau, a culturally responsive curriculum, and more rigorous internal evaluation.

Children 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?

Oruaiti School is increasingly effective at responding to Māori and other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration.

School leaders and teachers are reflective and focused on making improvements to help promote equity and excellence. A number of children with additional learning needs attend the school. Leaders and teachers are developing new processes with parents/whānau and external agencies to support these diverse learners. The school has inclusive practices that support all learners to achieve more equitable outcomes.

The school’s curriculum and teaching programmes support children to achieve the valued learning outcomes identified in the school’s charter andThe New Zealand Curriculum. Most notably the children have positive attitudes towards enacting the school values of being caring, responsible and confident lifelong learners.

The school’s most recent data show that overall about three-quarters of all children achieve at or above the National Standards in reading and writing and about two-thirds of all children achieve the standards in mathematics.

The school is able to show that it is accelerating the progress of some Māori children at risk of not achieving in reading, writing and mathematics. Data show that between 2014 and 2016 overall achievement in reading and mathematics has lifted for all children, including Maori. Children’s achievement in writing has lifted significantly.

There is increasing parity in achievement for Māori children and boys in reading. However, some disparity in achievement remains for Māori children in writing and mathematics. Appropriate planning and professional development is underway through 2017 to help teachers to address this.

Teachers continue to extend the good practices they use to ensure they are making dependable overall teacher judgements about student achievement in relation to the National Standards.

School conditions supporting equity and excellence

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

The school’s processes and actions that are most effective in helping to achieve excellence and equity for all children include; leadership, the building of relational trust with children and the community, consultation and opportunities for children to experience an authentic and bicultural curriculum.

Strong leadership is evident. The principal builds relational trust through her integrity and openness with the school community. She is working successfully to build collective ownership of the school’s new direction. She distributes leadership opportunities to staff in ways that contribute to greater equity and opportunity for learners.

Internal evaluation processes support the school’s new direction. Leaders use consultation processes to seek staff, trustees and whānau input when deciding priorities for improvement.

Trustees are unified in their approach to actively represent and serve the school and community. They have strengthened board processes and continue to develop their understanding of the board’s roles and responsibilities. Trustees use school data to help them with resourcing decisions in order to contribute to improving outcomes for learners.

Regular professional learning is helping teachers to integrate education theory and practice to support learners. Teachers have high expectations of themselves and children. Effective strategies help teachers to establish learning-focused relationships with children. Support staff are an integral part of strategies designed to support the diverse needs of children.

Children value participating in real-life learning contexts such as environmental education. Staff bring skills and expertise in te reo me ōna tikanga Māori. These experiences are developing teachers and children’s confidence as bicultural citizens. Māori children appreciate opportunities where they can experience educational success as Māori.

Sustainable development for equity and excellence

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

School leaders and teachers work collaboratively to improve school processes to help achieve equity and excellence. The school’s leaders, teachers and the board use internal evaluation to identify further areas for development.

Leaders have begun to review and document the school curriculum. This will be an opportunity to continue the development of a culturally responsive curriculum that promotes student-centred approaches.

Leaders and teachers are committed to working with parents and whānau to improve outcomes for children. Several initiatives have been identified for 2017 to help strengthen learning partnerships with parents and whānau so they can better support their children’s learning at home.

Consultation with the school community is helping leaders develop collective ownership of the school’s new direction. School internal evaluation processes require strengthening to help leaders clearly identify what is not working well and why, as well as what is working well and for whom. This step would also help the board to make targeted resourcing decisions.

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

Children 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:

  • continue developing a culturally responsive curriculum that promotes student-centred approaches to teaching and learning
  • strengthen learning partnerships with parents and whānau that will help them to support their children’s learning at home
  • improve internal evaluation processes through greater use of evaluative critique.

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

Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

8 May 2017

About the school 

LocationOruaiti, Mangonui
Ministry of Education profile number1066
School typeFull Primary
School roll104
Gender compositionGirls       51%
Boys      49%
Ethnic compositionMāori
Pākehā
Asian
  55%
  43%
    2%
Provision of Māori medium education0
Number of Māori medium classesNo
Total number of students in Māori medium (MME)0
Total number of students in Māori language in English medium (MLE)104
Number of students in Level 1 MME0
Number of students in Level 2 MME0
Number of students in Level 3 MLE0
Number of students in Level 4a MLE104
Number of students in Level 4b MLE0
Number of students in Level 5 MLE0
Review team on siteMarch 2017
Date of this report8 May 2017
Most recent ERO report(s)Education Review 
Education Review
  October 2009 
  May 2014