Three Kings School

Education institution number:
1535
School type:
Contributing
School gender:
Co-Educational
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
378
Telephone:
Address:

944 Mt Eden Road, Mount Roskill, Auckland

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Three Kings School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2022 to 2025

As of November 2022, the Three Kings School Board 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 Three Kings School Board.

The next Board 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

8 December 2022 

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

Three Kings School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 16 months of the Education Review Office and Three Kings 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

Three Kings School |Te Tātua o Rakataura is a contributing primary school located in Three Kings, Auckland.  School values encourage mahi tahi, wairua auaha, whakaute and pakari (Collaborative, creative, respectful, and resilient learners).  Three Kings school is a member of the Puketāpapa Kāhui Ako.

  Three Kings School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

  • Mana Taurite | Equity: To ensure equity of outcomes for all students

  • Te Marautanga | Curriculum: To develop and deliver a broad future focused curriculum that engages and inspires students

  • Hapori | Community: To create strong connections with our local community and use these to underpin our localised curriculum.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the extent to which specific teacher professional development in culturally responsive pedagogy and localised curriculum contributes to equitable outcomes for all learners.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to ensure equity of outcomes for all learners at Three Kings School | Te Tātua o Rakataura. The school has invested in professional learning to establish culturally responsive pedagogy, an approach which focuses on the relationships between teachers and learners as a way of addressing disparities in achievement. School leaders seek to measure the impact of this professional learning.

The school expects to see teachers identifying effective strategies to acknowledge the culture and identity of learners.  A localised, culturally responsive curriculum will ensure teachers continue to adapt and adjust their teaching to ensure equity in outcomes for all learners.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal:

  • strong monitoring, evaluation, inquiry, and knowledge building processes, with a clear focus on equity and excellence for all learners

  • consistent use of effective teaching practices in adaptive ways to promote equitable and excellent learner outcomes

  • commitment and focus on continually improving and strengthening teaching capability and capacity

  • stewardship that strengthens and refines strategic planning to support school improvement.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • setting high achievement targets with a sustained focus on equity of outcomes for all learners

  • leaders and teachers will analyse achievement information in reading, writing and mathematics to monitor the impact of this pedagogy

  • systematic and sustained evaluation of school processes to understand and ensure excellence in the achievement of all learners.

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

8 December 2022 

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

Three Kings 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

Three Kings School is a signatory 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.  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 positive and inclusive relationships evident throughout the school. They participate fully in all areas of learning and socialisation, and they make very good progress whilst at this school.

ERO’s investigations confirmed that the school’s internal evaluation process for international students continues to be thorough.

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

8 December 2022

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

Three Kings School - 29/01/2016

Findings

The school is highly effective in engaging students in learning. Learners benefit from a broad and interesting curriculum. The school fosters very good learning partnerships with parents. The school’s outward facing approach and good self review contribute to a curriculum that is future-focused and relevant to the modern learner.

ERO is likely to carry out the next review in four-to-five years.

1 Context

What are the important features of this school that have an impact on student learning?

Three Kings School caters for students from Years 1 to 6. Many students come from diverse cultural backgrounds. Six percent are Māori and eight percent have Pacific heritage. The school has been operating for 135 years and has a long history of serving and responding to the changing population over that time. This sense of history is valued by the school community.

Three Kings School is a caring and respectful learning community. The school motto, “E tipu e rea, Act well your part”, is clearly articulated by the board of trustees. Students are supported to meet this motto through the four school “R I C H” values of respect, involvement, curiosity and honesty. The school vision and values are highly evident in the curriculum and school practices. Strong relationships and partnerships underpin all practices.

Since the 2012 ERO report, the focus for the school has been on deepening its culture of learning. Initiatives have focused on supporting students to lead the direction of their learning, developing a planned approach to promoting success for Māori and Pacific learners, and strengthening the evaluative nature of school self-review practices.

2 Learning

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

Students, classroom teachers, curriculum team members, managers, and trustees use achievement information well and all participate in building a rich picture of student achievement.

School achievement information shows that students make expected, or greater than expected, academic progress over their time at the school. Good systems support teachers to make valid judgements in relation to the National Standards. The school is making good progress in reading and mathematics towards meeting the government’s achievement goals for 2017 of 85 percent of students achieving National Standards. At present there is a school focus on accelerating learner achievement in writing. Individual student action plans are used effectively to raise the achievement of students who are at risk of not achieving their potential in writing.

Māori students overall are achieving at similar levels to the school population. Pacific student achievement overall shows significant improvement. This is the result of the board’s successful planned approach to raising achievement. Key teachers take a lead role in helping class teachers personalise learning for Pacific learners and supporting families to engage with the school. The Pacific homework club is strengthening the learning partnerships with families.

Achievement information is used to set school priorities, closely monitor student progress, and identify students who are under achieving. Teachers use it well to plan programmes to meet students’ learning needs. Achievement information is also used effectively to identify suitable professional learning opportunities for teachers. Assessment information is shared regularly with students. They are taught strategies to use their own achievement information so they can be actively involved in decisions about how to make progress in their learning. The impact of these school practices is that students are open to learning.

The school has inclusive and responsive practices to support students with special learning needs. A shared approach between teachers, families and external experts ensure students participate fully in appropriate learning programmes and classroom activities.

There is a high level of student engagement in learning across the school. Classrooms are settled and attractive places where student learning is celebrated. The learning focus is clear and purposeful learning relationships between students and teachers are evident. There is a growing use of information communication technologies (ICT) to support engagement in learning.

Strong community collaboration and partnerships are now focused on supporting students’ learning. This shift is promoting a collective responsibility for the raising of student achievement.

School leaders continue to refine their practices to better use achievement information. ERO and school leaders agree a future priority for teachers is to deepen their inquiry into the effectiveness of teaching practices.

3 Curriculum

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

The school’s curriculum is highly effective in engaging students in learning.

The Three Kings values are a cornerstone of the school curriculum. They set a meaningful vision for students as learners and they guide curriculum development. As a result students confidently participate in the learning process. The Three Kings “learning crown”, “questioning waka”, and “wondering wall” place the learner at the heart of the learning process. These qualities, such as the ability to use relevant questions to guide thinking and gain information, are fostered by teachers and understood by students.

Learners benefit from a broad and interesting curriculum, with an appropriate emphasis on literacy and mathematics. Students have good opportunities in other learning areas, including sport, education outside the classroom, and environmental sustainability. Students experience good learning opportunities with specialist teachers in the visual and performing Arts.

The bicultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand is reflected well in the curriculum. Ensuring that students experience a progressive te reo Māori and tikanga curriculum across the year levels is a next step for school leaders.

Teachers are well supported to deliver the school’s curriculum successfully. Programmes are well planned and teaching consistently demonstrates good quality practices. Clear documented guidelines, effective curriculum teams, and external support continue to grow teacher practice. Comprehensive performance management systems are implemented. These systems are well aligned to school priorities, reinforce expectations of a professional culture, and support teachers’ professional practice and growth.

Good practices support successful transitions for students into, within and out of the school. These practices include building positive relationships and partnerships with families and with other learning institutions.

The school fosters very good partnerships with parents that centre on learning opportunities for children. They also provide parents with the knowledge and skills to support their children’s successful learning at home.

ERO recommends that school leaders continue to build on practices that promote a negotiated learning approach with students. This could include building on opportunities for students to select meaningful contexts for learning and sharing their knowledge as teachers of other students.

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

Three Kings School implements increasingly effective initiatives that support Māori learners. The school has 44 students who are Māori.

Since the 2012 ERO report the board has taken a strategic approach to supporting Māori students to be confident in their cultural identities. The board has a useful plan that helps the school build on initiatives and review the effectiveness of school practices focused on developing Māori students’ potential. The recent inclusion of cultural competencies for teachers of Māori learners in teacher appraisals reflects the school’s increased expectations for culturally responsive teaching practice.

The school promotes Māori student leadership and tuakana/teina relationships. Students are encouraged to participate in the school’s strong kapa haka group. Kapa haka is a source of pride for students, the school and its community. It promotes a deeper understanding of tikanga Māori. These practices are integrated authentically in the daily life of the school.

The school is making very good use of external expertise to build staff confidence and knowledge to deliver the school’s te reo Māori and tikanga curriculum and make meaningful connections with whānau. Increasing the number of people to take leadership roles in promoting Māori success should help build on and sustain initiatives that promote positive outcomes for Māori students.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

Very effective governance and leadership provides a strong foundation for ongoing development and sustainability.

Trustees are well informed about curriculum developments and student achievement. Board decision making is strategic and has a focus on improving outcomes for all students. Positive working relationships ensure the work of the board and school management is well coordinated through the school’s long-term and annual planning. The board has good systems to ensure school accountabilities are met. Trustees contribute to and support school activities.

The principal successfully fosters a distributed leadership model that is highly effective. There is a focus on recognising people’s capabilities that complements and enhances school development. Curriculum teams skilfully lead the improvement of classroom programmes. Student leadership is also nurtured through meaningful opportunities. Students of all ages see themselves as leaders.

The board has recently commissioned an external review of school leadership roles. The board is seeking ways that the leadership structure can better support the positive impact of the school’s distributed leadership approach. ERO affirms the review recommendation to extend the senior leadership team in order to support collaborative practices and allow individual strengths to be used to target school improvement.

Self review is used very well. Ongoing critical reflection and the outcomes of school-wide self review provide clear rationale for positive change. Students, staff and the school community are consulted widely as part of review processes, and develop a shared ownership of outcomes to support the school’s overall improvement focus.

A strength of the school is the way it contributes to and works with the wider educational community. The board and school leaders build networks with other schools. They make good use of sound education research to support improved outcomes for students. Three Kings School is a committed member of the Ministry of Education “Learning Change Network” project that has a focus on raising student achievement in writing. Recently the school has joined the Mt Roskill Community of Learning schools group.

The school’s outward facing approach and very good self review contribute to the ongoing improvement of the curriculum that is future-focused and relevant to the modern learner.

Provision for international students

The school is a signatory to The Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students (The Code) established under section 238F of the Education Act 1989. At the time of this review there were three international students attending the school. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code.

The school provides its international students with a very good standard of education. International students and their families are warmly welcomed and enjoy many opportunities to participate in school activities. Regular reporting to the board and self-review practices about international student provision could be strengthened by using the Ministry of Education indicators for good practice.

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 is highly effective in engaging students in learning. Learners benefit from a broad and interesting curriculum. The school fosters very good learning partnerships with parents. The school’s outward facing approach and good self review contribute to a curriculum that is future-focused and relevant to the modern learner.

ERO is likely to carry out the next review in four-to-five years.

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

29 January 2016

School Statistics

Location

Mount Roskill

Ministry of Education profile number

1535

School type

Contributing (Years 1 to 6)

School roll

585

Number of international students

3

Gender composition

Boys 51%, Girls 49%

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Chinese

Pacific Nations

Indian

other ethnicities

6%

55%

10%

8%

6%

15%

Review team on site

November 2015

Date of this report

29 January 2016

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

September 2012

May 2009

January 2006

Three Kings School - 21/09/2012

1. Context

What are the important features of this school that have an impact on student learning?

Three Kings School is a Year 1 to 6 school in Mount Roskill, Auckland. The school serves a culturally diverse community.

The school reflects its history and identity. Its vision for student learning is supported by the development of property and school environment. The school is well led by an experienced board of trustees and stable senior leadership team. The values of respect/manaakitanga and family/whanaungatanga are strongly evident in the school. Relationships with families are welcoming and inclusive.

2. Learning

How well are students learning – engaging, progressing and achieving?

Students are well engaged in learning programmes and positive relationships with teachers and peers are evident. They talk with increasing confidence about their progress and achievement, and participate in parent-teachers meetings to set and reflect on learning goals. Students have many opportunities to develop leadership skills and to contribute to wider aspects of school life. The school is considering ways to further extend student involvement.

Students are achieving very well in relation to the National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics overall. Effective strategies have been implemented to help students to monitor and better manage their own learning. The school has identified and promotes attitudes and competencies based on The New Zealand Curriculum. Teachers use indicators that allow students to track their own progress in developing helpful skills and attitudes for learning over their time at the school.

Achievement information is well analysed and used by senior managers to monitor and report to the board on student progress in literacy and numeracy. This information includes data about the progress of students who are underachieving. Over the past two years the school has had an emphasis on helping students to develop rich questioning skills as a strategy for deepening their learning. Information on students’ progress with questioning skills is also reported to the board.

The school’s information about Māori student achievement shows that these students are achieving results similar to those of non-Māori students in writing, reading and mathematics. The principal monitors and reports to the board on the attendance of Māori students.

Pacific students are achieving similar results to all other students. Most of the Pacific students are on target to meet the National Standards for reading, writing and mathematics at the end of 2012. In consultation with parents, the school has developed a plan for making more effective provision to support the learning, progress and achievement of Pacific students.

School-wide approaches for raising student achievement include:

  • responding to student’s strengths and interests
  • identifying and responding more specifically to the needs of students who are underachieving
  • knowing children and their families well
  • increasing opportunities for parents/whānau to be involved in school events.

3. Curriculum

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

The school’s curriculum is based on current teaching and learning theory. The curriculum provides good guidelines for supporting student progress and engagement in learning. Senior managers have implemented effective strategies to review the curriculum over a three year period.

Externally facilitated professional learning and development for teachers supports the school’s vision of access to quality programmes for all children. School-wide systems have been implemented to help embed the Three Kings School curriculum in classroom programmes.

Good teaching practices in literacy and numeracy are evident. Teachers consistently use achievement information to adapt programme planning for groups of students. They provide good opportunities for students to work collaboratively, and are now moving towards having children lead the direction and implementation of programmes to a greater extent.

Teachers regularly reflect on classroom programmes and consider next steps for teaching and learning. School leaders are continuing to strengthen their evaluation of the effectiveness of classroom programmes in promoting positive outcomes for students.

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

Māori students are achieving well in literacy and numeracy in relation to the National Standards. Senior leaders have also identified the need to support Māori students to further improve their skills relating to deeper questioning and inquiry learning.

The board of trustees has recently developed a Māori education strategy that promotes success as Māori. The principal and senior leaders are now building on this strategy by considering the implications of Ka Hikitia, the Ministry of Education’s Māori success strategy, for their school.

Teachers are undertaking professional development to assist them in implementing the school’s te reo Māori curriculum.

The board and senior managers acknowledge a growing awareness of Māori culture and tikanga within the school community. They have continued to strengthen their processes for consulting with and drawing on the rich source of interest shown by Māori parents and whanau.

4. Sustainable Performance

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

School leaders are developing good systems to sustain and improve school performance. Self review is a regular aspect of all school operations.

Self review continues to be strengthened by leaders evaluating outcomes for students. Strengthening the evaluative nature of self review would improve its usefulness for making decisions about teaching and learning, and about governance and management. It should also improve the sustainability of current good practices and contribute to ongoing school improvement and development.

The school’s vision and mission statements have been reviewed and updated in consultation with parents, staff and students. School-wide goals are clearly articulated, and strategic, annual and action plans to meet these goals are well aligned. Strategic goals are known and understood by teachers and form part of their individual performance objectives and their professional learning and development.

The board is well informed through regular, well analysed reports. Appropriate school-wide targets are clearly based on student achievement results. Trustees support school improvement initiatives, and respond appropriately to priority areas identified through reports outlining progress against targets.

Provision for international students

The school is a signatory to the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students (the Code) established under section 238F of the Education Act 1989. At the time of this review there were four international students attending the school.

The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code. ERO’s investigations confirmed that the school is developing thorough self-review processes for international students.

Three Kings School provides suitably for the pastoral care of international students. Senior leaders respond positively to the educational aspirations of international students and their parents. They monitor and report to parents on student progress in relation to National Standards and English language acquisition.

Senior leaders acknowledge that increasing teachers’ understanding of culturally responsive curriculum practices would enhance their support for international students.

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
  • stand-downs, suspensions, expulsions and exclusions
  • attendance.
When is ERO likely to review the school again?

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

Makere Smith

National Manager Review Services Northern Region (Acting)

21 September 2012

About the School

Location

Mt Roskill, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

1535

School type

Contributing (Years 1 to 6)

Decile

7

School roll

506

Number of international students

4

Gender composition

Boys 55%

Girls 45%

Ethnic composition

NZ European/Pākehā

Māori

Chinese

Indian

Tongan

Niuean

Samoan

African

Cook Island Māori

Korean

Middle Eastern

other

54%

7%

11%

7%

4%

2%

2%

1%

1%

1%

1%

9%

Review team on site

June 2012

Date of this report

21 September 2012

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

May 2009

January 2006

September 2002