Riverhills School

Riverhills School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 12 months of the Education Review Office and Riverhills 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 

Riverhills School is in Pakuranga, Auckland and provides education for students in Years 1 to 6. School leadership is established and experienced. The school is focused on achieving its vision of Care (Manaaki), Inspire (Whakaawe) and Grow (Whakatipu).

Riverhills School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

  • Care | Manaaki – to provide a learning environment that puts people and relationships first

  • Inspire | Whakaawe – to ensure that all ākonga are excited about their learning and have a broad range of opportunities

  • Grow | Whakatipu – to maximise the academic, social and emotional growth of every learner.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Riverhills School’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how well the school conditions facilitate student achievement through developing learner agency across the curriculum for all students.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to:

  • continue to raise and accelerate student achievement

  • engage and empower students to be active participants in the learning process

  • build continuity of formative assessment practices across the school.

The school expects to see:

  • students involved in decisions around their learning

  • students working collaboratively with peers and teachers to provide effective feedback and feed forward

  • classroom programmes consistently supporting and encouraging students to know what they are learning and why

  • students able to articulate their achievement, progress, and next steps to enable excellent and equitable outcomes for all learners.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to facilitate the development of learner agency across the curriculum:

  • students experience a school learning climate that provides a safe space for them to be supported to take risks in their learning
  • professional relationships and effective teaching are focused on the learning and wellbeing of each student
  • school leadership collaboratively sustains a culture of relational trust and a focus on continuous improvement to deliver on the school’s strategic priorities.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • developing shared understanding and expectations of learner agency among students, staff and whānau to support active engagement in the learning process

  • continuing to provide professional learning opportunities that promote effective implementation of formative assessment practices and strengthen consistency across classroom programmes

  • using evaluation, collaborative inquiry and knowledge-building approaches to continue to raise and accelerate student achievement.

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

17 February 2023 

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

This school has two satellite classes from Sommerville Specialist School.

Riverhills School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2022 to 2025

As of November 2022, the Riverhills School Board of Trustees 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 Riverhills School Board of Trustees.

The next Board of Trustees 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

17 February 2023 

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

Riverhills 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

Riverhills 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 no international students attending the school.

The school’s process for annual self-review provides information about aspects of the provision for international students. Their review process includes information about school procedures and the pastoral care of students. School leaders continue to review and strengthen their systems and processes as part of the provisions for international students under the Code.

Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

17 February 2023 

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

Riverhills School - 21/11/2016

1 Context

Riverhills School is a small school located in Pakuranga, East Auckland. There have been many positive developments since the 2013 ERO review. A new principal was appointed in April 2015 and she has refocused plans on the needs of children and the school. This is reflected in children's increased engagement and motivation to learn and a number of new families enrolling their children in the school. The school grounds and environment have also been refreshed. Riverhills School has linked with other local schools as part of the Pakuranga West community of learning (CoL).

2 Equity and excellence

The vision and valued outcomes defined by the school for all children are that children will leave Riverhills School happy, confident, enthusiastic, life-long learners with understanding and respect for themselves and others. This vision is further defined by the school's values of respect, integrity, connections, acceptance and promoting environmental sustainability.

The school’s achievement information shows that in 2015 over half the children in the school were at or above the National Standards in writing and mathematics and just under half met the Standards for reading. In response to this, school leaders and teachers developed new and refocused teaching and learning programmes. As a result, children are now beginning to progress well. The 2016 mid-year data shows children are better placed to meet the Standards by the end of the year. In addition, learners who are currently below the Standard are now making accelerated progress.

Since the last ERO evaluation school systems and processes have been collaboratively reviewed and redeveloped specifically to address low student achievement. The key actions the school is taking to accelerate progress for those children at risk of not achieving equitable outcomes include:

  • embedding teaching practices and processes that reflect up to date professional development and learning (PLD)
  • developing and implementing strategies to strengthen bicultural practices
  • implementing an accelerating achievement plan for all students at risk of not achieving the Standards
  • undertaking internal evaluation to review the impact of programmes and strategies on children's learning
  • building a professional learning community focused on improving outcomes for all students.

3 Accelerating achievement

How effectively does this school respond to Māori children whose learning and achievement need acceleration?

The school is responding effectively to Māori students whose learning needs and progress need to be accelerated. Culturally responsive teacher practice is increasingly supporting and promoting student learning.

The recently revised curriculum is culturally responsive and children identify enthusiastically with many aspects of curriculum inquiry and learning. Māori children affirmed to ERO that they feel able to express their Māori identity, culture and heritage with pride at the school. They also see themselves as capable and competent learners.

Overall, Māori children in the school are achieving better than other children in writing and mathematics but less well in reading. Pacific children are achieving as well as other children in writing and mathematics but less well in reading. Senior leaders should continue to investigate the reasons for Māori and Pacific children's success in writing and mathematics and use what they learn to help them address the disparity in reading achievement.

The board, senior leaders and teachers are committed to the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. This commitment demonstrates respect for children and all that they bring to the school and provides a foundation for Māori children at Riverhills to realise their potential. The opening of a Whānau Room in 2016, for community use, is an example of the schools' responsiveness to whānau. This initiative has helped whānau and the wider community feel welcome and comfortable in the school. These moves to partner better with parents and whānau in children's learning are well supported by the board, leaders and teachers.

The new principal has improved school-wide systems for identifying Māori students who are at risk of not achieving the National Standards. Together with staff, she has developed a 'Raising Māori Achievement Plan'. This is a strategic school-wide approach to ensure all Māori students are supported to achieve positive outcomes. Specifically targeted planning is being used at team and classroom levels and teachers regularly scrutinise the effectiveness of their plans. There is now good evidence to show that a significant number of Māori students are beginning to make accelerated progress.

How effectively does this school respond to other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration?

All children are benefitting from the increasingly robust systems and improved teaching practices that are promoting learning for Māori and Pacific children. Accelerating the progress of all children who are below the Standards is considered an urgent priority by the board and leaders. The principal has made lifting student achievement the key issue for school improvement. Deeper analysis of data and better internal evaluation are now driving development to improve children's progress and achievement.

In all areas of the school there is a high level of responsiveness by senior leaders and teachers to children's needs. Leaders always put children first and support teachers to adapt their teaching practices in ways that enable and encourage children's continued progress.

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 strategic goals, priorities and operational practices are well aligned to promoting improvement in student outcomes. This is having a positive impact on the development of equity and excellence across the school. There is wide consultation on all new initiatives. This supports and strengthens change processes and is helping to establish and sustain powerful connections with parents, whānau and the community.

Leaders have engaged the board, whānau, teachers and children in the development of the new curriculum and teaching and learning approaches. There is good quality teaching and learning evident in classrooms and children enjoy purposeful learning environments. Inquiry based learning is well integrated and children increasingly have good understandings of their next steps for learning.

Teachers and children have become digitally literate. All classrooms have good access to current digital technology. Good quality professional learning has helped teachers to make effective use of the digital tools available to support and enhance children's learning.

Children at Riverhills have high expectations of their capacity to learn and achieve. They are capable and confident learners, enjoy the challenges and opportunities teachers provide and show a strong sense of belonging and pride in their school. Inclusiveness is highly valued in the school, differences are regarded as strengths and are widely accepted by all children and staff. A specialist classroom with skilled staff, provides quality learning programmes for children who require additional support with their learning.

Trustees value the school's unique culture and identity and at the same time are future focused. The board has a strong commitment to lifting student achievement and seeking the best outcomes for children. Trustees make informed decisions and the board resources appropriately. Trustees also access external training to support their governance roles.

The principal has been a highly effective leader of change. This is having an ongoing positive impact; lifting community expectations, establishing a professional learning community based on best practice, and driving improved student achievement. Leaders have successfully worked alongside teachers to develop individual and collective professional capacity. There is a high level of relational trust and collaboration underpinning the school's professional learning community. The new school direction encourages board, staff, children and whānau to participate in school improvement with confidence and pride.

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.

The school is now well placed to achieve and sustain equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners. The principal has taken a considered and planned approach to lifting children's achievement and leading change. Her consultative approach throughout a period of intensive school improvement has ensured children, staff and whānau are actively involved in the school's development.

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

Provision for international students

The Education (Pastoral Care of International Students) Code of Practice 2016 (the Code) was introduced on July 1st 2016. The school is making good progress in aligning its policies and procedures to meet requirements for the 2016 Code.

7 Recommendations

School Leaders and the board agree that to further build the school's capacity to achieve and sustain equitable and excellent outcomes for all children they should:

  • continue to resource, with priority, the acceleration of achievement for students not achieving the National Standards in reading, writing or mathematics
  • continue to seek relevant training to effectively enact board roles and responsibilities and consider ways to review its process and procedures using, Hautū: Māori Cultural Responsiveness Self Review tool for Board of Trustees.

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

21 November 2016

About the school

Location

Pakuranga, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

1465

School type

Contributing (Years 1 to 6)

School roll

72

Number of international students

1

Gender composition

Boys 40 Girls 32

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Asian

Pacific

other European

27%

16%

24%

24%

7%

Review team on site

September 2016

Date of this report

21 November 2016

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

October 2013

November 2010

June 2009