Parakai School

School Context

Parakai School caters for students from Years 1 to 8. The roll comprises 219 students; 38 percent are Māori and five percent have Pacific heritage. The school’s roll is becoming increasingly ethnically diverse.

In recent years the school has had changes in staff and leadership. The senior leadership team now consists of a recently appointed principal, a deputy principal, and two newly appointed senior teachers. The school is also experiencing significant roll growth.

The school has embedded its new vision, which is “to grow GREAT citizens, empowered to live successfully in their personal lives and global life”. The vision includes a focus on high expectations, respect, being open to learning, and thinking critically and creatively. The school’s valued student outcomes encompass the vision, relationship-based learning, and a thinking-based curriculum which promotes students connecting, extending and challenging their learning.

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

• achievement in reading, writing, and mathematics

• localised curriculum developments

• wellbeing and pastoral care.

The school’s strategic priorities for improving valued student outcomes and success include:

• developing student engagement

• fostering bicultural and multicultural practices throughout the school.

The 2016 ERO report noted that Parakai School teachers used their knowledge of students well to meet their needs and respond to their strengths and interests. Since the 2016 ERO review, leaders and teachers have further developed the school’s learning inquiry model. They have also strengthened relationships with whānau to extend learning partnerships and pathways for students.

The school is part of Te Kāhui Ako o Kaipara 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 has been consistently working towards achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for students. A large majority of students achieve at or above expected national curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics.

Leaders and teachers identify students’ needs early and put in place appropriate support and interventions. They track and monitor student achievement well. Team leaders and teachers are continuing to strengthen their assessment practices and analysis of information to help them respond to students’ learning needs and support accelerated progress. They focus on target groups of students to lift achievement in literacy and mathematics. Outcomes for students in reading and writing are variable. Data show that girls achieve at higher levels than boys, and some disparity remains for Māori students, in these areas.

School data show that most students achieve well in relation to the school’s valued outcomes which relate closely to the thinking-based curriculum.

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

The school is implementing strategies to assist the acceleration of learning for Māori and other students who need this, and to reduce disparity in achievement for Māori students and boys. School leaders and teachers share the collective responsibility for all students’ success and are aware of the areas requiring attention to ensure equity for all students.

Leaders and teachers have introduced a new student management system to better identify and respond to students’ needs and next learning steps to progress their learning.

Teachers use effective approaches to build students' confidence which allows them to engage more readily in new learning. Learning assistants support students in the classroom within an inclusive environment. The school invests in professional development for learning assistants.

Leaders and teachers are purposefully developing culturally responsive practices to better support student learning. These include tuakana/teina relationships and collaborative groupings to grow learners’ confidence and engagement.

The Special Education Needs Coordinator (SENCO) has introduced good schoolwide systems and processes to improve provision for students with additional learning needs. Intervention programmes are responsive to students’ learning needs and their holistic wellbeing. Individualised programmes for some students incorporate ongoing collaborative planning and review with parents, whānau and external agencies.

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 and teachers promote partnerships with parents to support equity and excellence and acceleration of learning. New initiatives currently being trialled are building parents’ confidence and capability in contributing to their children’s learning and increasing meaningful connections with whānau. Effective networks and links to external agencies and the local community support wraparound care for students and whānau. Leaders and teachers have established useful relationships with schools in the local area through the Kāhui Ako.

The school’s valued student outcomes are highly evident across the school. Curriculum design and delivery supports learners to be actively engaged in learning. Students at all levels participate in a range of opportunities to develop their learning to learn and thinking capabilities. Students’ understanding of their own learning and progress is increasing.

Teachers create trusting respectful relationships with students. Students learn in settled and positive learning spaces. Good progress is being made to develop an increasingly relevant and responsive local curriculum that reflects the history of the area and connects to students and whānau.

Leaders are collaborative and have a shared vision for the direction for the school. They have established expectations that teachers will engage in inquiry into the effectiveness of their practice. Teachers are encouraged to take on leadership roles, using their strengths and interests to engage all children. Ongoing professional development through coaching, mentoring and modelling is supporting and promoting change. There is increasing consistency in teaching and learning practices.

The board of trustees has a shared vision for the school and sets a clear direction for future improvement. Trustees bring a wide range of skills and knowledge to their role. They utilise external expertise effectively in their governance role. The board has a strong focus on wellbeing and success for children and adults in the school community.

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

Leaders and teachers should continue to strengthen te reo and tikanga Māori across the school. They should continue to develop ways of encouraging students, teachers and whānau to make the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa, New Zealand more visible through routines, rituals and school events.

The board and leaders should continue to develop systematic internal evaluation processes to deepen investigation and inquiry into what is working effectively in the school to improve equitable and excellent outcomes for all students.

The principal and school leaders provide regular reports to the board on student achievement in reading, writing and mathematics. The next step is to provide more written analysis and evaluation to support the student achievement data and opportunities for improvement.

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 Children’s Act 2014.

4 ERO’s Overall Judgement

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

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:

• effective partnerships with parents that support students to engage in their learning
• a continually developing curriculum that is meaningful, relevant and responsive to the students of Parakai School
• a focus on leadership development across the school
• a board of trustees that is collaboratively supporting the direction of the school.

Next steps

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

• strengthening bicultural practices across the school
• deepening evaluative processes to better inform school decision making and implementation of strategies to improve outcomes for all students.

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services Northern

Northern Region

27 November 2019

About the school