Masterton Road , Browns Bay, Auckland
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Browns Bay 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
Browns Bay School is on Auckland’s North Shore. It provides education for learners in Years 1 to 6. The values of respect / manaakitanga, personal excellence / tu rangatira, inquiring minds / whai whakairo and taking responsibility / takahanga underpin the school’s vision of building leaders and learners. A new principal was appointed in Term 2 2024.
There are three parts to this report.
Part A: A summary of the findings from the most recent Education Review Office (ERO) report and/or subsequent evaluation.
Part B: 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 C: The improvement actions prioritised for the school’s next evaluation cycle.
Part A: Previous Improvement Goals
Expected Improvements and Findings
Since the previous report in November 2022, ERO and the school have worked together to evaluate how effectively the school conditions contribute to accelerating learner progress and achievement in literacy.
The school expected to see:
Teachers consistently using effective strategies and practices in literacy.
- Professional development has ensured teachers have good curriculum content knowledge to implement consistent structured literacy teaching approaches.
- Teachers and leaders regularly evaluate the literacy programme and make changes to enhance learner progress and outcomes.
Students demonstrating increasing agency and self-efficacy in their learning.
- Children are able to talk more explicitly and confidently about their literacy learning.
Positive trends in literacy achievement for all learners, including Māori and Pacific learners.
- Achievement data shows significant improvement in reading and writing for most learners, particularly at Year 2.
Other Findings
During the course of the evaluation, it was found that the achievement of learners in reading and writing improved due to structured literacy teaching approaches.
The greatest shift that occurred in response to the school’s action was in the collaborative development of consistent structured literacy teaching approaches across the school.
Part B: Current State
The following findings are to inform the school’s future priorities for improvement.
Learner Success and Wellbeing
Learner outcomes are increasingly equitable and excellent. |
- Most learners achieve at or above the appropriate curriculum level for reading, writing and mathematics.
- Learners who require additional support benefit from systems that ensure their learning needs are identified and addressed, contributing to improved engagement and learning outcomes.
- Learners experience a positive and inclusive learning environment where physical and emotional safety is well promoted and contributes to their sense of belonging.
- Regular attendance is approaching the Ministry of Education 2024 target; the school is working with parents and whānau to support the regular attendance of all learners.
Conditions to support learner success
Leadership is improvement-focused and appropriately pursues strategically selected goals and targets. |
- Leaders undertake effective planning, coordination, and evaluation of teaching and learning to meet students’ learning needs.
- Leaders use a suitable range of quality evidence about learners’ progress and achievement to evaluate the implementation of strategic targets and inform future priorities.
- Leaders ensure professional development is targeted, planned and implemented for improving and sustaining learner outcomes.
A rich curriculum and well-considered teaching strategies provide engaging opportunities for learning. |
- Teachers use a range of appropriate strategies that support and reinforce knowledge and skill-building and respond to learner strengths and needs.
- Programmes to support children with additional needs promote their progress and learning; external agencies are involved when appropriate.
- Leaders and teachers provide appropriate support for the significant number of English language learners in the school to progress well in their learning.
Key systems, processes and practices are well aligned to support positive learner outcomes. |
- Well-developed policies, programmes and practices are in place that promote learners’ engagement, wellbeing, inclusion and sense of belonging.
- Leaders and teachers increasingly use effective communication strategies with parents and whānau to deepen shared understandings of learners’ strengths and learning needs.
- The board and leaders work together to develop and implement the school’s strategic direction to improve outcomes for all learners.
Part C: Where to next?
The agreed next steps for the school are to:
- consolidate cohesive and consistent teaching practices that sustain high levels of learner progress and achievement and meet the refreshed curriculum priorities
- further refine assessment tools, strategies and processes to respond to learner needs, monitor and report progress and achievement of all learners, including those identified with additional needs
- further strengthen learning-focused partnerships with parents and whānau that enable them to be connected and actively engaged in the learning of their child
- continue to focus on raising regular attendance rates for all students to meet Ministry of Education targets.
The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows:
Within six months:
- review assessment tools, strategies and processes to ensure clarity and cohesion for teachers and learners
- develop an implementation plan to guide teacher professional learning to support the review and improvement of current teaching, learning and assessment approaches
Every six months:
- continue to analyse and monitor learner progress, achievement and attendance information to inform next steps in teaching and learning
- use a range of communication strategies with parents to create shared understandings of learners’ strengths and learning needs to inform learning partnerships
Annually:
- using learner progress and achievement data and a range of other sources, evaluate the effectiveness of strategies to improve learning, attendance and engagement, and report the outcomes to the board to inform strategic decision making
- gather feedback to evaluate the impact of strategies used to strengthen engagement and learning partnerships with parents and whānau
- review and evaluate the impact of professional development on coherence of teacher practice and learner progress and achievement outcomes.
Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:
- cohesive and consistent teaching, learning and assessment practices that sustain high levels of progress and achievement for all learners
- effective use of data to inform teaching and learning
- open, learning-focused partnerships with parents and whānau who are connected and actively engaged with the learning taking place at school
- sustained levels of attendance that meet the Ministry of Education targets.
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
Sharon Kelly
Acting Director of Schools
13 February 2025
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
Browns Bay School
Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2025 to 2028
As of January 2025, the Browns Bay 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 the Browns Bay 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.
Sharon Kelly
Acting Director of Schools
13 February 2025
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
Browns Bay School
Provision for International Students Report
Background
The Education Review Office reviews schools that are signatories to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020.
Findings
The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code and has completed an annual self-review of its implementation of the Code.
At the time of this review there were nine international students attending the school and no exchange students.
The school’s internal evaluation process for international students continues to be thorough. The provision for international students is regularly reviewed and school governance and leadership are well informed about international students’ wellbeing, learning and engagement.
Open communication and regular interactions with parents and families support positive home and school relationships and develop quality partnerships for learning. Students are fully engaged in the life of the school and have opportunities to participate and learn in a range of meaningful contexts.
Sharon Kelly
Acting Director of Schools
13 February 2025
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
Browns Bay School
Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
Background
This Profile Report was written within 16 months of the Education Review Office and Browns Bay School working in Te Ara Huarau, an improvement evaluation approach used in most English Medium State and State Integrated Schools. For more information about Te Ara Huarau see ERO’s website. www.ero.govt.nz
Context
Browns Bay School is on the North Shore of Auckland and provides education for students in Years 1 – 6. The school’s vision is ‘building leaders and learners’.
Browns Bay School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:
-
enhance student outcomes across the school with accelerated learning for literacy and mathematics
-
build increasingly effective teaching practices through further refining and extension of the schoolwide teaching as inquiry
-
effectively implement all aspects of the NZ Curriculum using a student-centred inquiry learning approach
-
further develop the inclusive and supportive environment for all learners.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Browns Bay School’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how effectively the school conditions contribute to accelerating learner progress and achievement in literacy.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to strengthen teaching and learning practices to ensure progress and achievement in literacy are consistently equitable and excellent for all learners.
The school expects to see:
-
teachers consistently using effective strategies and practices in literacy
-
students demonstrating increasing agency and self-efficacy in their learning
-
positive trends in literacy achievement for all learners, including Māori and Pacific learners.
Strengths
The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to accelerate learner progress and achievement in literacy:
-
a school culture focused on the values of respect/manaakitanga, inquiring minds/whai whakaaro, taking responsibility/takohanga, and personal excellence/tu rangatira
-
targeted professional development that ensures teachers are using effective teaching strategies and practices in adaptive ways
-
a leadership team which consistently evaluates, prioritises and plans for school improvement.
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
-
continuing to build on effective teaching practice to support learners to progress and achieve in literacy
-
ongoing in-depth inquiry and evaluation of literacy achievement information to ensure equitable outcomes for all learners, including Māori and Pacific learners.
ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. ERO will support the school in reporting their progress to the community. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report and is due within three years.
Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
11 November 2022
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
Browns Bay School
Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2022 to 2025
As of June 2022, the Browns Bay 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 Browns Bay 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.
Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
11 November 2022
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
Browns Bay School
Provision for International Students Report
Background
The Education Review Office reviews schools that are signatories to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020.
Findings
Browns Bay School has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code and has completed an annual self-review of its implementation of the Code.
At the time of this review there were four international students attending the school, and no exchange students.
The school has effective systems and strategies in place to support the education and pastoral care of international students. International students are fully engaged in the life of the school and have many opportunities to participate and learn in a range of contexts. Open communication and regular interactions with parents and families support positive home-school relationships and develop quality partnerships for learning.
Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
11 November 2022
About the School
The Education Counts website provides further information about school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
Browns Bay School - 08/08/2016
1 Context
Browns Bay School, located on the East Coast Bays area of Auckland, caters for children in Years 1 to 6. Browns Bay School is a member of the recently established Mid Bays Schools' Community of Learning. The school roll is growing. A new, experienced principal was appointed in May 2014. Leaders and teachers have been involved in a variety of professional learning contracts specifically to support the acceleration of student progress and achievement. These practices have been sustained and further developed.
2 Equity and excellence
The vision and valued outcomes defined by the school for all children are to provide an optimal learning environment focused on "Building Leaders and Learners" through opportunities that unlock children's potential and develop their capacity for lifelong learning. The school values: Respect - Manaakitanga, Personal Excellence - Tu Rangatira, Taking Responsibility - Takohanga, and Inquiring Minds - Whai Whakaaro are encouraged, modelled and explored as an aspect of everyday life for children, teachers and the community. The school's motto, Ka Puta Te Hua - Effort Brings Reward is clearly understood by children.
Browns Bay School's mission, vision and values form strong foundations for successful learning. Positive relationships between children, teachers, families and whānau are regarded by the school as essential to learning, underpinning equity and excellence.
The Public Achievement Information (PAI) shows that high numbers of children achieve at or above National Standards. The school is well placed to meet the 2017 government target of 85 percent achieving National Standards. Māori children's achievement reflects that for all children. The very small numbers of Pacific children are improving their achievement and achieve at similar levels to their peers in reading and writing.
School achievement data shows some gender-based differences, with the overall achievement of girls exceeding that of boys, particularly in writing and reading. In response, the board, school leaders and teachers continue to focus on deliberate actions to reduce this disparity.
The school's moderation processes rely on internal discussions and teachers sharing examples of children's written work to ensure that their overall teacher judgements are valid and reliable. Representatives from each school in the Mid Bays Cluster collaborate to verify overall teacher judgements made in each school and across the cluster. This concerted effort to ensure consistency across the cluster has occurred over the last four years.
Since the last ERO evaluation the school has
- strengthened biculturalism, providing a stronger sense of things Māori at all levels of the school led by the Ka Hikitia team
- increased the number of specific intervention programmes and resourcing to accelerate the learning of target students
- improved English as Second Language programmes, funding, training and reporting
- strengthened performance management systems to include reflective teaching practices to accelerate student progress and achievement
- increased children's use of information and communication technologies
- reviewed the school curriculum to promote student agency.
3 Accelerating achievement
How effectively does this school respond to Māori children whose learning and achievement need acceleration?
The school is highly effective in responding to Māori children whose learning and achievement needs acceleration. Raising the achievement of Māori and Pacific children and those with special educational capabilities and needs is one of the school's key priorities.
From the time children arrive at the school, teachers are focused on creating opportunities for Māori children to be successful in their learning.
Identification processes begin prior to these children transitioning into the school and at each transition point during the child's time at the school. Whānau are closely involved in identifying the strengths, needs and capabilities of their child. Leaders and teachers use an extensive range of targeted approaches to identify Māori children not achieving through the use of a thorough, school-wide tracking and monitoring process.
Teachers are deepening their understanding of what is required to improve and accelerate student progress and achievement through a shared understanding of accelerated learning. They reflect on ways they can modify their practice to best meet children's learning requirements. Teachers are mindful of their changing relationships with children to promote children's self-efficacy in their learning. These more personalised approaches all help to promote and accelerate the progress of Māori children at risk of not achieving.
School achievement information shows that the few Māori children who do not achieve at National Standards are better positioned for success in their learning because of the progress they have made. Whānau who spoke with ERO, see the progress their target children make in learning through teachers' deliberate actions and new approaches in the classroom. They value the strength of relationships with teachers in supporting children's learning at home.
Leaders and teachers collate and analyse a wide range of data to critically evaluate the success of initiatives designed to accelerate Māori students' learning progress with respect to National Standards. They evaluate how well programmes suits each child's specific learning requirement, and allow for refining and refocussing to maximise opportunities for success. Maintaining longitudinal records of each target child's learning progress and highlighting key acceleration points helps sustain the accelerated progress that these children have made.
How effectively does this school respond to other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration?
The school responds very effectively to other children whose learning and achievement needs acceleration.
External professional development for teachers is targeted to accelerate children's progress and achievement in writing. Teachers respond through a range of approaches to address the gender disparity by:
- identifying every child who is below or well below in writing and in relation to National Standards
- setting an achievement target for each child and identifying their individualised learning goals
- deciding on the teaching actions that are required to help students reach their targets/goals
- inquiring into their writing programmes to ensure that they provide children with enough choice
- analysing and discussing the progress of these students at team level.
Teachers think deeply about what they can do to accelerate the progress of these children. They scaffold children's learning through a range of rich learning experiences across the curriculum and build on what they know about individual children's interests, strengths and capabilities. The children who spoke with ERO value the opportunities to use technology and give feedback to each other in their writing groups. They also enjoyed the use of pictures and images to develop their ideas and make choices about their writing.
This development is also supported by specific school actions that focus on effective teaching practices. Teachers have a target group of students alongside the priority learners in each class. The progress of this target group is monitored carefully and senior leaders maintain a data base to monitor the longitudinal progress of children in the inquiry project.
Leaders collate very useful progress information to identify children's expected and accelerated progress from Year 2 to 6 in writing. 2015 data shows over half of the targeted Year 2 to 6 children made the necessary progress to achieve at and above National Standards by the end of 2015.
School leaders and teachers closely track and monitor all children from school entry. Identified groups of children, including English language learners and those with special abilities are tracked through the English Language Learning progressions and /or Individual Education Plans. These children are progressing and achieving a range of successful outcomes.
Leaders have created a collective staff responsibility for accelerating the progress and achievement of students at risk of not achieving. The 2016 charter targets are clearly focused on acceleration through a strategic and coherent approach across the school. Internal evaluation and a collaborative inquiry approaches provide teaching teams with opportunities to reflect deeply and adapt practices to suit individual children.
4 School conditions
How effectively do the school’s curriculum and other organisational processes and practices develop and enact the school’s vision, values, goals and targets for equity and excellence?
The school's curriculum, processes and practices are very effective in developing and enacting the vision, values, goals and priorities for equity and excellence.
The school's charter contains goals, targets and actions that are focused on accelerating student progress and achievement, particularly for Māori, Pacific and target students in writing. These goals support the enactment of equity and excellence through the school's key improvement strategies.
The Browns Bay School curriculum (Pathways to Success) was reviewed in 2015 to include student agency as part of the effective teaching practices. Student agency is supported by teaching practices that help students to actively contribute to and lead their learning.
The broad curriculum provides opportunities for all children to engage their interests through classroom inquiries and enrichment programmes. The school's curriculum themes and extensive co-curricular activities are highly responsive to children by building on their prior knowledge and experiences outside school.
Children participate and learn in a collaborative and inclusive school culture. They are supported to learn alongside their peers in deliberate mixed ability grouping where they test and explore their ideas. Teachers scaffold prior knowledge to allow children to connect their learning to new information or ideas and this enables children to apply their new skills immediately as they learn.
Te Whare Rama is an initiative to support children's positive engagement in their writing. Team building opportunities connect children through a sense of belonging to share their interests and give feedback to each other about their writing. Children's use of digital devices suppors them to accelerate their progress in writing.
The school recognises the positive impact that bi-cultural practices, curriculum content and the use of te reo Māori has on Māori student, language and culture. The Ka Hikitia team focuses on strengthening the significance of bi-culturalism within the school's culture and curriculum. Māori children and their whānau value their school as a place to learn and connect with their culture.
The school is further extending their networking and collaborative practices by being part of the Mid Bays Community of Learning (CoL). A well-documented action plan linked to the school's strategic plan has a focus on improving learning in writing and mathematics. The professional culture of accountability that is prevalent in the school contributes positively to accelerating the progress of children at risk of not achieving.
The quality of teaching is high. Teachers and support staff work collaboratively to find new and innovative approaches to stimulate and challenge children. Self and peer critique is integral to teachers' professional practice. A highly effective and well-coordinated performance management system supports teachers' professional practice and growth.
Trustees, school leaders and staff place a high significance on building meaningful relationships and developing strong home-school partnerships. Parents and whānau who spoke with ERO value the way the school responds to their aspirations and ideas about their children's learning.
The board, school leaders and teachers are future focused and committed to ensuring that the school serves its community well. Extensive internal evaluation is used to meet the requirements of diverse learners and the changing school population. The complementary nature of external and internal evaluation is focused on setting the school conditions for leaders and teachers to respond holistically to the learning and wellbeing of all children, particularly those at risk of not achieving.
5 Going forward
How well placed is the school to accelerate the achievement of all children who need it?
Leaders and teachers:
- know the children whose learning and achievement need to be accelerated
- respond effectively to the strengths, needs and interests of each child
- regularly evaluate how well teaching is working for these children
- act on what they know works well for each child
- build teacher capability effectively to achieve equitable outcomes for all children
- are well placed to achieve and sustain equitable and excellent outcomes for all children.
Browns Bay School is very well placed to achieve and sustain equitable and excellent outcomes for all children. A high degree of coherence between all processes and systems is evident, due to the effectiveness of thorough, purposeful internal and external evaluation.
Capable trustees bring a range of expertise to their roles. They evaluate their performance in their stewardship role and the work of the school in achieving valued student outcomes. Trustees are supported to be bi-culturally responsive and build on whānau partnerships with the school.
Senior leaders have a purposeful, cohesive and collaborative leadership approach. Their measured management of change and improvement in the school is well-paced and considered. A focus on building collective capacity in evaluation and inquiry has helped encourage people to think and do things differently. Staff wellbeing and their individual and professional growth is valued and cared for. This is helping the school to achieve and sustain equitable and excellent outcomes for all children.
The senior leadership team and the board of trustees acknowledge that their internal evaluation and ERO's external evaluation has prompted the emergence of their ongoing development areas. These include:
- continuing to develop teaching practices that build on children's self-efficacy
- sharing the outcomes of inquiries to inform best practice, particularly in accelerating children's progress and achievement
- continuing to build connections in response to the communities growing diversity
- considering extending the school's ongoing bi-cultural focus through consultation with the local iwi to create a shared local story.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in four-to-five years.
6 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 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
- processes for appointing staff
- stand down, suspensions, expulsions and exclusions
- attendance
- compliance with the provisions of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014
- provision for international students.
7 Recommendation
ERO recommends that the school continues to use internal evaluation to achieve excellence and equity in outcomes for all children.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
8 August 2016
About the school
Location |
Browns Bay, Auckland |
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
1237 |
|
School type |
Contributing (Years 1 to 6) |
|
School roll |
613 |
|
Gender composition |
Girls 51% |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
5% |
Review team on site |
June 2016 |
|
Date of this report |
8 August 2016 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
October 2011 |