Conifer Grove School

Education institution number:

1255

School type:

Full Primary

School gender:

Co-Educational

Definition:

Not Applicable

Total roll:

500

Website:

http://www.conifergrove.school.nz

Telephone:

09 299 7490

Address:

Evanda Crescent, Takanini, Auckland

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Conifer Grove School - 14/06/2019

14 Jun 2019

School Context

Conifer Grove School is a Year 1 to 8 Primary School on the eastern shores of Pahurehure Inlet on the Manukau Harbour. The school’s roll of 504 students reflects the community’s diversity. Twenty-four percent of students identify as Māori, and 25 percent identify as New Zealand European/Pākehā. In addition, there are significant numbers of students with Indian, Pacific, and Asian heritage, as well as smaller numbers of students from other ethnicities.

The board responded positively to recommendations from the 2016 ERO review and has continued to make ongoing improvements. Following the retirement of the school’s long-serving principal in 2017, the board appointed a new principal in 2018. Significant developments following that appointment have included changes to the structure of school leadership and some changes to teaching staff.

The school’s vision is “We believe that learners are Collaborative, Curious, Creative Thinkers and Learning is Conceptual, Community Focussed and Authentic” fostering “Learning for a Lifetime”. School values of Whakamiha (respect), Mana Motuhake (responsibility), Manaaki (caring), Hiranga (excellence) and Matatika (honesty) are promoted in classrooms and are evident in children’s interactions with teachers and each other.

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

overall achievement in reading, writing and mathematics
the progress and achievement of target students including Māori and Pacific learners
wellbeing and pastoral care
attendance.

Conifer Grove School is a member of the Rosehill Community of Learning | Kāhui Ako.

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 achieves equitable and excellent outcomes for many of its diverse students in relation to their language, culture, identity and wellbeing. Students also achieve very well in relation to other school valued outcomes. They:

show a sense of pride and belonging to the school
are inclusive and accepting of others
demonstrate the school values that support positive interactions with others
demonstrate confidence in themselves as learners.

The school is still working towards achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all students in relation to literacy and mathematics. Over the last five years the majority of students have continued to achieve at their expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics. Māori students’ achievement levels are similar to those of their non-Māori peers.

The school has identified disparity in achievement for Pacific students in reading, writing and mathematics, and disparity in achievement between boys and girls, particularly in writing. Senior leaders have useful planning in place to provide expert professional development and coaching, to help teachers address these achievement disparities. Tracking writing achievement shows that disparities in this learning area are being reduced.

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

The school is becoming increasingly effective at accelerating learning for those Māori and other students who need this. School leaders and teachers identify students at risk of not achieving and regularly monitor their progress. Teachers have developed a shared understanding of acceleration.

The board sets schoolwide achievement targets in writing and mathematics for each year level, however there has been variable success in meeting these targets. Setting explicit targets focussed on raising the achievement of Pacific students who are at risk of not achieving would create a greater sense of urgency in relation to accelerating their progress.

Leaders and teachers work collaboratively with parents and whānau, learning assistants, and external agencies. They develop relevant individual learning and achievement plans for those students with additional learning needs.

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?

Stewardship, leadership and a growing culture of professional reflection and inquiry are key school conditions that are helping the school to achieve greater equity and success for students.

The board represents and serves the school and community well. Trustees bring a variety of strengths to their roles and contribute effectively to school decision making. They regularly seek parent and whānau views and make good use of reports about student outcomes and achievement. The priority that trustees place on student wellbeing and achievement is evident in their strategic decisions related to teacher professional development and resourcing.

The principal promotes a shared approach to leadership and is growing a strong, collaborative and increasingly reflective professional culture. The roles and responsibilities of senior leaders are well defined and clearly understood. Middle leaders value the opportunities to develop their own talents, and experiment with innovative ideas that result in positive outcomes for students. Teachers have good opportunities to build their individual and collective leadership capacity.

The school’s curriculum is becoming more responsive to diverse students’ strengths, interests and needs. Biculturalism is becoming more deeply embedded in the school environment. Tikanga and te reo Māori are integrated into everyday school life. A parent teaches te reo Māori across the school and is supporting teachers to deliver a bicultural curriculum. This commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi is valued by whānau and students, and supports positive learning outcomes for all.

Teachers’ inquiring into the effectiveness of their practice has been strengthened. This approach is now more aligned to the school's appraisal process. This is helping teachers to ensure that their teaching and professional development has a positive impact on learning outcomes for students.

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

Trustees and leaders agree that continuing to improve teaching practice is the school’s key strategic priority. Evaluating the impact of change management and growing the kāhui ako are further priorities that are likely to benefit all students. Leaders and teachers should consider the benefits of:

developing an explicit strategic focus or goal to accelerate the achievement of Pacific students who need to make accelerated progress
supporting teachers to increase their understanding and use of student achievement information to improve their teaching practice
continuing to develop learning centred partnerships with parents, whanau and aiga.

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 ERO’s Overall Judgement

On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement of Conifer Grove School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Developing.

ERO’s Framework: Overall School Performance is available on ERO’s website.

5 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

stewardship practices that focus on improving outcomes for all children
capable school leadership that is collaborative, strategic and evidence informed
a strong sense of wellbeing and belonging for staff and children
a biculturally responsive learning environment that recognises and affirms the diverse identities, languages and cultures of children, parents, whānau, aiga and the community.

Next steps

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

targeted planning to accelerate progress for Pacific students who require this
growing the quality and consistency of teaching practice across the school
increasing teachers’ understanding and use of achievement information, to develop teaching and learning programmes responsive to students’ needs and strengths.

Areas for improved compliance practice

To improve current practice, the board of trustees should review and customise generic school policies and procedures to reflect the context of Conifer Grove School.

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services Northern

Northern Region

14 June 2019

About the school

Location	Takanini, Auckland
Ministry of Education profile number	1255
School type	Full Primary (Year 1-8)
School roll	504
Gender composition	Girls 54% Boys 46%
Ethnic composition	Maori 24% NZ European/Pākehā 25% Indian 19% Samoan 8% South East Asian 5% other European 6% other Asian 5% other Pacific 8%
Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS)	Yes
Provision of Māori medium education	No
Review team on site	April 2019
Date of this report	14 June 2019
Most recent ERO report(s)	Education Review January 2016 Education Review November 2012 Education Review August 2009

Conifer Grove School - 15/01/2016

15 Jan 2016

Findings

Students at Conifer Grove School benefit from learning environments that reflect the school’s culture of high expectations. Affirming relationships and positive values provide sound foundations for learning. The school’s responsive curriculum builds on students’ strengths and supports their learning needs. Good quality governance, leadership and teaching help to ensure these positive features are sustained.

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?

Conifer Grove School continues to provide students from Years 1 to 8 with a rich variety of learning opportunities. The school’s overarching vision of 'Learning for a Lifetime' is characterised by caring and inclusive relationships and practices within a vibrant school environment. Staff, students, whānau and families are very proud of their school.

Students are confident, friendly and respectful. An annual cultural fair is a significant event that honours students’ language, culture and identity. Trustees, school leaders and staff continue to have high expectations for all students to experience and celebrate success.

Students learn in three age-related add teams Timata, Haemata, and Kotahitanga. Transition into, through and beyond the school is very well managed. Special features of the school’s setting include the Information Technology Centre and the productive school gardens situated in the attractive school setting. These facilities are well used to enhance students’ learning and community participation.

ERO’s 2012 report noted how the school’s positive tone reflected its core values of responsibility, honesty, caring and trust. Trustees and school leaders have sustained and further developed these positive features.

2 Learning

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

Student achievement information is used well to make positive changes that increase learners’ engagement and success. Trustees and school leaders scrutinise school-wide achievement information. This helps them to ensure that resources are focused on the areas of greatest student need.

Students enjoy affirming relationships with each other and with staff. They are highly engaged and work independently and collaboratively. Increasingly they can talk about their achievement and teachers assist them to set appropriate learning goals.

The school’s active promotion and support for the wellbeing of students impacts positively on their engagement and learning. The Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) initiative has been successful in creating more positive home and school relationships in order to improve children’s wellbeing and increase their school achievement.

The school works well with the significant numbers of new entrant students who arrive with limited formal literacy and numeracy skills. Transition programmes are individualised to the developmental levels of each child. This helps to ensure students experience success in their first years at school.

Well-developed assessment systems provide achievement information that is used to inform strategic decisions. National Standards data indicate that the majority of students achieve well in literacy and mathematics. Māori students achieve particularly well in mathematics. The achievement data for Pacific students are trending upwards in literacy and mathematics.

Senior leaders use assessment data to monitor selected students and ensure that these students receive the help they need to progress in reading, writing and mathematics. They put in place support programmes that are carefully targeted to the needs of identified students. The progress students make while on these programmes is carefully monitored.

Learning environments celebrate students’ achievements and successes. Teachers promote strategies that help students to become increasingly self-managing learners. Senior leaders recognise that increasing opportunities for students to take further ownership of their learning is a next step. ERO supports this intention.

3 Curriculum

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

The school’s curriculum is effective in promoting and supporting student learning. The school values and The New Zealand Curriculum key competencies are cornerstones of the curriculum. Students experience a wide range of opportunities to participate in meaningful learning activities and experience success. They also have good opportunities to develop social and leadership skills as they move through the school.

Curriculum documentation provides clear direction for teachers. Assessment information, student views and parent contributions inform ongoing curriculum review and development.

Learning programmes are relevant and flexible. They feature a natural integration of information and communication technologies (ICT) to enhance learning opportunities for students. School leaders are focused on empowering students for the future. This involves extending e-learning and maximising the opportunities provided for students to learn locally, nationally and globally.

Team leaders and teachers are highly collegial and willingly share their expertise. They implement the curriculum very well and are committed to strengthening their practice. Well-considered professional learning and development, using internal and external expertise, enhances teaching practices.

Students have opportunities to learn about and participate in the Māori dimension of New Zealand’s cultural heritage. School leaders have appropriately included, in the new school wide te reo Māori plan, further professional development to increase teachers’ capacity to integrate te reo me ōna tikanga into learning programmes.

The board and school leaders recognise that providing more evaluative information in reports to the board about the effectiveness of initiatives is a useful next step for curriculum development. More evaluative reporting is likely to enhance strategic planning and help with decision-making about resourcing.

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

Twenty six percent of students identify as Māori. Māori students express very positive attitudes to learning and are well represented in school leadership roles. They take pride in the recognition and acknowledgement of Māori values and tīkanga. They have multiple opportunities to celebrate significant events in the Māori calendar such as Matariki and to participate and lead karanga, waiata and kapa haka.

Particular strategies to promote Māori success in the school include the:

school waiata which is a feature of school assemblies
prominent displays of te reo Māori throughout the school
strategic appointment of a Māori teacher to further develop Māori school initiatives.

The Māori Parents Whānau Committee is providing cultural expertise and guidance for trustees, staff and students. Key members of this whānau group have developed an action plan, Te Ara Hou, to strengthen educational success for Māori and build productive partnerships with Māori whānau.

Trustees and school leaders are committed to promoting Māori student potential. They acknowledge that Te Ara Hou provides a more coordinated and strategic approach to promote success for Māori, as Māori. To enhance this plan, trustees and school leaders could identify and document the roles and responsibilities they have in relation to achieving the goals of Te Ara Hou. The New Zealand School Trustees Association’s resource Hautū could be a useful tool to guide this new development.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

The school is well placed to sustain and improve its performance. An inclusive school culture and committed staff, trustees and community provide a strong foundation for sustaining and improving student learning. School leadership is focused on valued outcomes for students.

The principal is instrumental in building leadership capacity and influence throughout the school. She is well supported by a competent senior leadership team who have complementary leadership skills and strengths. The team is focused on creating a professional learning culture and recognising people’s capabilities to enhance school development.

Capable middle leaders are pivotal to ongoing improvement of classroom programmes and for sustaining school initiatives. Positive professional relationships have helped establish a collegial culture of trust and care.

The board is well led. Trustees are committed to supporting the school’s ongoing development. They use their skills and expertise for the benefit of the school. Trustees have worked strategically to build relational trust with their school community. They have sought feedback from families, staff and students to help them plan for the future.

ERO affirms the school’s intention to review the charter and strategic plan. The board should give priority to its role in setting, evaluating and monitoring strategic and annual goals. The principal could now adapt her reporting to focus more on progress towards meeting these goals.

Trustees and school leaders recognise that key next steps for school development include:

updating appraisal policies, procedures and practices to align with the latest New Zealand Education Council expectations
developing a Treaty of Waitangi policy to underpin steps taken to promote Māori student success as Maori
extending evaluative inquiry to better inform and support the board’s self-review and the school’s strategic direction.

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

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

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

15 January 2016

School Statistics

Location	Takanini, Auckland
Ministry of Education profile number	1255
School type	Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)
School roll	546
Gender composition	Boys 53% Girls 47%
Ethnic composition	Pākehā Māori Indian Samoan Asian African other Pacific other	36% 26% 12% 8% 6% 3% 6% 3%
Review team on site	November 2015
Date of this report	15 January 2016
Most recent ERO report(s)	Education Review Education Review Education Review	November 2012 August 2009 September 2006