Alfriston School

School Context

Alfriston School, Manurewa, caters for students in Years 1 to 8. The school has approximately 380 students. Māori students make up 19 percent of the roll, 4 percent are Pacific, and 22 percent are Indian.

The school’s mission is for students to be equipped with the skills, knowledge and attitudes to succeed in life. Valued student outcomes identified in the school vision include learning that is connected to the real world, high expectations for all students, and students’ cultures recognised and valued. The vision is underpinned by the school values, which include respect, fairness, pride, and cooperation.

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

• provision for additional learning needs, and for gifted and talented students

• practices that support students’ cultural identity and language

• the curriculum, including the performing arts.

Since the 2013 ERO report, school leadership has remained stable. There have been changes in the board and teaching team, and the school’s curriculum has continued to evolve. Leaders and teachers have participated in professional learning and to promote teachers’ and students’ assessment capability, and to deepen students’ learning.

Evaluation Findings

1 Equity and excellence – valued outcomes for students

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

The school has many effective strategies in place for supporting students to achieve equitable and excellent outcomes. Overall, most students achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics. School data show a positive upward trend in student achievement, with increasing numbers of students achieving as they move through the school.

Overall school data show some disparity for boys in literacy, and for Māori in reading, writing and mathematics. However, as students move through the school, significant progress is evident at most year levels, and the school is successful in addressing in-school disparities. By the time students reach the end of Year 8 almost all learners are achieving well.

Students achieve very well in relation to other school valued outcomes. These include students:

• demonstrating high levels of engagement and confidence as learners

• being able to talk about their progress, achievement and next steps

• collaborating with, learning from, and supporting the learning of others

• becoming digitally fluent, using a range of e-learning tools to enhance learning.

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

School leaders and teachers use effective strategies and practices to support students whose learning and achievement need acceleration. Leaders and teachers are very aware of those children most at risk of not achieving. They prioritise how they will respond by carefully monitoring and tracking the progress of these learners.

School achievement data show that Māori students who are initially below the standards make accelerated progress and positive shifts in achievement. Specific and varied programmes and targeted teaching support accelerated learning progress.

Clear strategic planning provides a high level of coherence. The school charter identifies specific achievement targets that focus on accelerating the progress of identified groups of children. These targets are well known, and progress towards these targets is closely monitored.

Children with additional learning needs, and children who speak languages other than English, are well supported. Their wellbeing, progress and achievement are closely monitored to ensure these children have full access to the curriculum.

2 School conditions for equity and excellence

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

Students enjoy a rich, broad, and strongly integrated and connected curriculum. Literacy, mathematics and oral language are prioritised. Performing arts and school productions are a feature of the curriculum. Tuakana/teina learning relationships are integral to curriculum design. Students enjoy many leadership opportunities within the curriculum.

There is a significant focus on developing students’ assessment capacity. Students are keenly focused, and actively engage in managing their own learning. Students receive feedback from their peers and teachers to help them learn. They regularly collaborate with others about their learning experiences, and have many peer coaching opportunities.

Strong connections and relationships with parents and whānau support positive learning outcomes for students. A variety of strategies for engaging in reciprocal partnerships with parents/whānau, include parents/whānau:

• being involved in learning-centred programmes, particularly for children in the junior school

• participating in the broader school curriculum

• using online programmes at home that enable students to share their learning.

Highly effective leadership has a significant impact on student outcomes. Leaders maintain organisational structures, processes and practices that enable and sustain collaborative learning. The school motto ‘Ngā tui he waiata’ is well lived. Leaders actively seek out the perspectives of students and parents/whānau. They use their perspectives to inform the school’s strategic direction and curriculum development.

Leaders are deliberate in their approach to developing professional capability and collective staff responsibility for students’ learning progress. Collaborative inquiry processes enable leaders and teachers to integrate theory and practice, and take responsibility for their own professional learning and improvement.

A strong culture of internal evaluation supports ongoing improvement, including well-documented action plans that align with targets for accelerated progress. The board, school leaders, and teachers are highly reflective and focus on making improvements to enhance equity and excellence.

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

Leaders agree that continuing to strengthen bicultural practices is an area for ongoing focus. Reviewing and enhancing bicultural practices would provide more opportunities for Māori children to experience success as Māori, and for all children to learn about the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand.

School leaders also identify sustaining high quality practices as a school priority. They have established a distributive leadership model to grow teachers’ capacity to lead and embed high quality practices.

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.

Provision for international students

The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of International Students) Code of Practice 2016 (the Code) established under section 238F of the Education Act 1989. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code. At the time of this review there were two international students attending the school. International students at Alfriston School are provided with very good levels of pastoral care. They are well supported to achieve educational success and to integrate into the school community. Effective systems are in place to monitor compliance with the Code of Practice 2016.

4 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

• the board’s scrutiny of the school’s effectiveness in achieving valued student outcomes

• leadership that collaboratively develops and pursues the school’s vision, goals and targets for equity and excellence

• organisational structures, processes, and practices that enable and sustain collaborative learning and decision making

• a highly innovative, integrated curriculum that engages students, helps them articulate their own achievement, and supports inclusion for all.

Next steps

For sustained improvement and future learner success, development priorities are in strengthening schoolwide bicultural processes and practices to further support Māori students’ educational success.

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

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

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

Te Tai Raki - Northern Region

12 December 2017

About the school