New Lynn School

School Context

New Lynn School caters for children in Years 1 to 6. The school values its history and heritage and significant community links in New Lynn and West Auckland. The school is culturally diverse. Many children and families speak more than one language. The school enrols a high number of children each year who stay for a short period of time. A satellite class of Oaklyn Special School also operates in the school grounds.

The school vision “Whaia te iti Kahurangi” - Reaching for the Sky” is a strong foundation for successful learning. It prepares children for the future by nurturing, developing and valuing every learner. The school values of respect for self, others, and the environment, support all learning. Positive relationships between children, teachers, families and whānau are regarded as essential foundations to learning, underpinning equity and excellence.

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

• achievement in reading, writing and mathematics
• achievement in relation to school targets
• additional learning support
• student wellbeing and attendance.

Since the 2014 ERO evaluation, the school has:

• opened innovative and collaborative learning environments
• introduced three-way conferences and on-line communications systems for reporting children’s progress to parents.

New Lynn School is a member of the Kotuitui Kāhui Ako|Community of Learning (COL).

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?

New Lynn School is making very good progress towards achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all children through deliberate, targeted approaches. The school maintains a strong focus on 'knowing the learner'.

School achievement information over the last four years show that the majority of children achieve at expected levels in reading and mathematics. Lifting writing achievement remains a key goal for leaders and teachers. School leaders identify in-school achievement disparity for specific groups of children, including boys’ writing. A range of effective initiatives are in place to target cohort and individual learning needs. By the end of Year 6, most of the children are achieving at curriculum expectations in literacy and mathematics.

Leaders and teachers have an unrelenting focus on responding to the learning and wellbeing needs and progress of all children. The school makes a positive difference for those children who enrol at the school for a short period of time.

Children with identified additional learning and wellbeing needs make very good progress in relation to their individual learning goals.

Children achieve very well in relation to other valued outcomes. They:

• demonstrate and live the school values enthusiastically in everyday school life
• experience a wide range of learning opportunities and experiences that enable equitable outcomes for all.

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

The school responds very well to those children who need to make accelerated progress.

Robust systems and processes are in place for identifying and responding to children who are at risk of not achieving in literacy and numeracy. Detailed and highly individualised achievement documentation is regularly updated, monitored and used.

The school has numerous programmes and initiatives that successfully accelerate the progress of target learners. School achievement documentation show that many target learners make accelerated progress. Teachers collaborate well and routinely share effective practice for acceleration.

Leaders, teachers and teacher aides are responsive to children with additional learning needs within an inclusive learning environment. A collaborative and holistic approach ensures children are well supported to experience success and make progress in relation to their individual learning goals. Those children who have English as an additional language are very well supported.

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?

Leaders have established a strong school ethos and inclusive culture. Relational trust is highly evident at all levels of the school, and with parents, whānau and the community. Leaders emphasise the importance of relationships and wellbeing as foundations for learning success.

New Lynn School’s foundations for successful learning include:

• high expectations for all children to experience success
• a collective staff responsibility for accelerating the progress of children at risk of not achieving
• valuing diversity and honouring children’s home languages, culture and identities
• school values that are well enacted and support children’s engagement with learning.

School leadership is highly effective. The principal has established high expectations for teaching and learning. Leaders ensure an orderly and supportive environment that is conducive to children’s learning and wellbeing. A distributed leadership model supports teachers’ professional practice.

Transparent decision-making assists team leaders to implement shared and consistent expectations for responding to children’s learning. A deliberate decision to access an external appraiser for team leaders contributes significantly to growing and sustaining leadership capacity.

The principal promotes relevant professional learning. Leaders use appropriate expertise to build teachers’ capability for ongoing improvement. Well considered professional learning programmes in oral language and individual teaching inquiries are impacting positively on building teachers’ practice and improving outcomes for children.

The curriculum is inclusive, authentic and relevant. A strong emphasis is placed on literacy and mathematics, and on building children’s oral language and vocabulary. Differentiated learning programmes cater for children’s needs, strengths, and abilities. Teachers are continuing to develop self-directed learners by promoting student agency.

The school develops effective educational partnerships with parents and whānau. Parents receive useful information about their children's progress and achievement. Very good communication is evident between the parents of children with additional needs and outside support agencies. Parents who spoke with ERO value the school App that allows parents to share and contribute to their children’s learning.

School systems and teaching practices are underpinned by effective internal evaluation. School leaders use evaluation information well to inform decision-making that meets the requirements of learners and the changing school population. Teaching as inquiry is a feature of teachers’ professional practice. This is supporting leaders and teachers to respond holistically to the learning and wellbeing of all children.

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

School leaders agree the school’s development priorities include continuing to:

• focus on the rate of acceleration for all children who are at risk of not achieving
• provide children with increased opportunities to take more ownership of their learning.

3 Other Matters

Provision for international students

The school is a signatory to theEducation (Pastoral Care of International Students) Code of Practice 2016(the Code) established undersection 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 was one international student attending the school.

International students benefit from the school’s pastoral care systems and its inclusive, positive environment. English language programmes support the students to participate successfully across the curriculum and help them to integrate into all aspects of school life.

4 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 Children’s Act 2014.

5 ERO’s Overall Judgement

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

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

6 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

• leadership that supports and demonstrates high expectations, pride, and a professional culture for improvement
• highly inclusive and caring environments that are responsive to children’s wellbeing and learning needs
• a curriculum that continues to evolve to meet the needs, interests and strengths of all children.

Next steps

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

• focus on the rate of acceleration to achieve equitable outcomes
• promote student agency.

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services Northern

Northern Region

26 July 2019

About the school