Findings
The school’s vision and values promote a positive, settled school tone. Students make good progress in their learning. School priorities are to review the curriculum to further enhance students’ critical thinking skills and educational success for Māori, and to ensure the school is well placed for Year 7 and 8 students.
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?
Mangere East School continues to provide good quality education for students from Years 1 to 6. Students are predominantly of Pacific origin, with large groups of Samoan, Cook Island and Tongan students. Māori students comprise about 22 percent of the roll. Approximately a quarter of all students have English as an additional language.
The school’s vision and values underpin the positive, settled tone of the school. The board and staff promote an affirming and inclusive learning environment and student wellbeing is well supported. The board has successfully built a modern learning environment (MLE) to replace classrooms lost in a serious fire in 2010. Manumea, the school’s Samoan Bilingual Unit, continues to be a successful and integral part of the school. The school environment is attractive and well maintained.
The school has a positive ERO reporting history. Trustees have responded positively to the recommendations of the school’s 2011 ERO report. Many noteworthy practices identified in that report have been maintained and further developed.
The experienced principal continues to provide future-focused leadership for the school and community. Since the last ERO review several new initiatives have been introduced, including whānau grouping. The board has recently received approval from the Ministry of Education to become a full primary school and will cater for students in Years 1 to 8 from 2015.
2 Learning
How well does this school use achievement information to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement?
The board, school leaders and teachers use student achievement information well to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement.
Trustees set relevant achievement targets and provide specific resourcing that is focused on improving outcomes for students at risk of achieving to their potential.
School data shows that Māori and Pacific students achieve above the local, regional and national statistics for Māori and Pacific achievement. Some students, particularly those who participate in learning support programmes, are making accelerated progress in reading and writing. The principal agrees that it could be useful to analyse the school’s achievement data over time, particularly for students who have only attended Mangere East School.
Students successfully participate in the ‘Pasifika Maths’ programme. This programme promotes teaching mathematics through local and culturally relevant contexts that better fit the world view of the child. Students show high levels of engagement and enjoy opportunities for problem solving and discussing their learning as they work collaboratively with each other.
Recent professional development has helped teachers to make reliable judgements about children’s progress against the National Standards and to share this information with parents. Students would now benefit from opportunities to participate in meaningful discussions about their learning and achievement with their parents and teachers.
Teachers are committed to raising the achievement of students in reading, writing and mathematics. They participate in weekly professional learning discussions that help them to:
- identify and closely monitor the progress of students whose learning needs to be accelerated
- improve their professional knowledge and critique their teaching practice
- use more deliberate teaching strategies to accelerate student progress.
School leaders continue to develop the quality of teaching practice across the school. Teacher professional development and school-wide focus on writing is building students' capacity to write with confidence. Where teachers use high quality teaching practices engagement in learning is high and students are active learners. School leaders acknowledge that establishing consistently effective teaching strategies that develop students’ critical thinking, creativity and ownership of learning is an important priority for the school.
The principal has recently returned from study leave. His sabbatical study focused on accelerating student learning and findings from this study could have a positive impact on students’ progress and achievement.
3 Curriculum
How effectively does this school’s curriculum promote and support student learning?
Mangere East School has developed a school curriculum that is relevant to its school context. It promotes positive outcomes for learners, is becoming better aligned with the principles ofThe New Zealand Curriculum (NZC), and places a suitable emphasis on the NZC key competencies.
Students are confident and eager participants in their learning. They appreciate caring and supportive relationships with teachers and each other. Student wellbeing is central to decisions about the curriculum. Students have a range of responsibilities and leadership opportunities, and serve the school well. Students’ emotional and social competence is promoted and those with special educational needs are well catered for. Effective transition processes are in place with neighbouring early childhood services.
Students experience a curriculum that emphasises reading, writing and mathematics. Their writing and oral language are celebrated at school, with parents, and in the community through on-line provisions and the school’s radio station. Opportunities for students, teachers and parents to provide feedback to teachers further supports two-way conversations about learning and helps students to achieve.
Inquiry learning models teach students strategies that enhance their sense of directing and owning their learning. Students also experience a broader curriculum through sports, the performing arts, ICT and education outside the classroom. The physical environment of the MLE provides good opportunities for students to learn more cooperatively and collaboratively with each other.
The new whānau grouping structure promotes many opportunities to enact the school vision of 'Together We Learn – Me Akō Tahi Tātou'. Cultural concepts of manaakitanga and tuakana/teina learning relationships are fostered. Teachers know the students and their families well.
A key initiative of the school’s curriculum is promoting educational success for Samoan students. The board’s commitment to bilingual education in Samoan and English is well resourced. Students have good opportunities to explore the curriculum in the Manumea teaching unit. This positive learning environment successfully promotes and nurtures Samoan students’ language, culture and identity.
School leaders acknowledge the importance of continuing to develop an engaging, relevant and challenging curriculum. They are currently undertaking a curriculum review. Leaders recognise that priorities for review and development could include:
- reviewing the school’s curriculum against the principles and key competencies of the NZC and considering programme design for Year 7 and 8 students
- looking at how Te Aho Arotaki Marau mo te Ako i te reo Māori – Kura Auraki (Curriculum Guidelines for Teaching and Learning Te Reo Māori in English-medium Schools) could enhance the school’s curriculum
- exploring how promoting science and further extending student-centred learning opportunities might strengthen students’ critical thinking and problem solving skills
- broadening the identification of, and in-class provision for, those students who are gifted and talented.
How effectively does the school promote educational success for Māori, as Māori?
Mangere East School has some positive initiatives in place that promote educational success for Māori students, as Māori.
Māori students are involved in pōwhiri and kapa haka in the school and community. They celebrate and provide leadership during Matariki and Māori Language Week. The establishment of whānau groups in the school’s organisational structure acknowledges the importance of tikanga Māori in the way students learn. Māori students are also well represented in wider leadership roles within the school.
To further support success for Māori students, school leaders acknowledge there would be value in:
- developing a school-wide te reo Māori language learning progression to extend students’ language skills
- better understanding how Ministry of Education strategies, such as Ka Hikitia-Accelerating Success 2013 - 2017 and Tātaiako - Cultural Competencies for Teachers of Māori Learners, can further influence school performance and enhance outcomes for learners.
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.
Trustees are longstanding members of the community, and it is timely that board members now review their roles and responsibilities and align these, where appropriate, with the goals and aspirations contained in the school's charter and strategic plans. Board review should also include a formal process for succession planning so that the board remains well placed to serve the school now and in the future.
Self-review processes are focused on teaching, learning, and promoting positive outcomes for students. They include a focus on students at risk of not achieving to their potential. Student achievement information is used strategically to inform decision making. The principal ensures that there is clear alignment from the strategic plan, through the annual plan, to the well developed plans that support programme implementation.
A new deputy principal joined the leadership team in 2014. School leaders work well together and provide opportunities that allow teachers to also develop skills as leaders. The school’s appraisal process is robust and based on an effective model that is focused on improving outcomes for students.
The school is developing a culture of professional inquiry. Leaders provide good support, guidance and systems to promote teacher dialogue and reflection about their practice. Well considered professional learning and development is having a positive impact on improving teaching practice.
The board and school leaders are committed to developing the school as a learning community. Whānau are welcome at the school and are encouraged to take an active role in their children’s learning. The aiga of students in Manumea meet regularly to strengthen learning partnerships between home and school. Leaders have initiated some good learning partnership opportunities that help teachers and parents to work more collaboratively to support children’s learning.
The school has developed good relationships with Tainui as mana whenua. School leaders could now explore how the Tainui education plan might benefit the tamariki of Mangere East School. The school continues to explore ways to improve educational success for Māori, as Māori. Meeting regularly with whānau Māori could support this initiative.
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
The school’s vision and values promote a positive, settled school tone. Students make good progress in their learning. School priorities are to review the curriculum to further enhance students’ critical thinking skills and educational success for Māori, and to ensure the school is well placed for Year 7 and 8 students.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
Dale Bailey
Deputy Chief Review Officer - Northern Northern Region
16 January 2015
About the School
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Location
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Mangere East, Auckland
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Ministry of Education profile number
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1348
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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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499
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Gender composition
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Boys 55%
Girls 45%
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Ethnic composition
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Māori
Pākehā
Samoan
Tongan
Cook Island
Niue
Indian
other ethnicities
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24%
2%
32%
16%
12%
5%
4%
5%
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Special Features
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Samoan Bilingual Unit
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Review team on site
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November 2014
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Date of this report
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16 January 2015
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Most recent ERO report(s)
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Education Review
Education Review
Education Review
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December 2011
June 2008
June 2005
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