Morrison Avenue , Devonport, Auckland
View on mapVauxhall School in Devonport has provided education for local children for 100 years. The roll of around 300 children from Years 1 to 6 includes small numbers of Māori children, and other children from varied cultural backgrounds.
‘Onward - moving forward together’ is the school’s vision for its children, families, community and staff. Central to the vision is the widespread promotion of the values of respect, responsibility, resilience and whanaungatanga. The long-established school philosophy of teaching and learning focuses on child-centred practices within innovative/flexible learning environments.
The school’s strategic goals aim to sustain and enhance the sense of community. They instil the school values, support children to achieve, and aim to develop the school’s collaborative and innovative teaching and learning environment.
Student achievement expectations align to the reading, writing and mathematics achievement challenges established by the Devonport Kāhui Ako | Community of Learning (CoL). Continual development of the school’s bicultural curriculum and use of te reo and tikanga Māori is a clear school target for all learners.
Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board schoolwide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:
progress and achievement in relation to reading, writing and mathematics and all other learning areas in The New Zealand Curriculum
progress and achievement for children with additional learning needs
progress towards the school’s strategic goals and targets, including the impact of teachers’ professional learning on student outcomes
successes and achievements in other areas of the school’s curriculum, including in the local and wider communities
health and wellbeing information pertaining to students and staff.
Vauxhall School has a history of very positive ERO reports. The 2014 ERO report suggested that the school continue to improve its internal evaluation practices. Since this time, staff have engaged in significant professional learning to enhance leadership, teaching and learning, and internal evaluation practices.
The school continues to achieve equitable and excellent outcomes for students.
Patterns of very good achievement are consistent over time. Almost all children achieve at or above expected levels in reading and mathematics, and most achieve at and above expectations in writing. Overall, boys achieve less well than girls in writing, a pattern that follows a national trend.
To achieve greater equity in boys’ writing, leaders and teachers promote focused and targeted initiatives. These include schoolwide professional learning for teachers, using deliberate strategies to engage reluctant writers. Additionally, improving writing is an achievement challenge for the Devonport Kāhui Ako.
The school implements varied, individualised interventions and strategies for children to meet their learning and wellbeing potential. This approach includes generous board resourcing for an extra teacher and learning assistants in each learning area. As a result, children have very good opportunities for individualised and small group teacher time.
The school accelerates learning for Māori and all other children very well. Māori and Pacific children achieve similarly to other children in the school.
Māori and other children whose learning needs to be accelerated, are individually tracked and monitored. Teachers discuss and share information about these children at weekly meetings. As a result of these very good processes, the school’s data show that these children make accelerated progress over time.
School processes and practices are highly effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence, and acceleration of learning.
The school’s value system is central to the school’s caring and inclusive culture. Children are highly respected as capable and competent learners. Learning in action opportunities allow children to promote social justice and have influence within the community. Children have ample opportunities for problem solving, critical thinking and creativity. They are well supported to take learning risks and to be resilient.
Teachers and leaders design and implement a highly relevant, local and contextualised curriculum that is well-considered and research-based. Their skilful practices, and commitment to innovation and change, has supported the easy transition to the comprehensive play-based learning programmes in the junior part of the school. Aspects of the play-based learning philosophy continue to be part of the integrated learning programmes within the senior school.
The school’s child-focused and strengths-based practices include staff working in partnership with families to enhance children’s learning and wellbeing. Staff and children show significant value for learning te reo Māori and living tikanga Māori throughout the school. Transitions in, through and beyond the school are individualised and well managed.
The school promotes shared responsibility for supporting children with diverse learning needs. Staff provide a wraparound approach for children, including involvement of external agencies and families. These very good practices encourage children’s success and promote sustainability.
Highly collaborative and effective leaders engage the teaching team in consensus-based decision making. Leadership approaches allow staff to be courageous and resilient in fore fronting innovation. They embrace professional learning that is well aligned to the school’s strategic direction.
Internal evaluation is rigorous at all levels of the school. As a result, internal evaluation supports ongoing transformation, improvement and growth of teaching and learning practices and outcomes for children.
Trustees have a very good understanding of their stewardship role. They bring high levels of skill and expertise to the board, and are strategic and community-focused in their approach. The board is very well informed about all aspects of the school’s operation, scrutinising information carefully to promote equity and excellence.
The school has worthwhile plans to extend and enhance the play-based learning philosophy and practices, and to continue promoting the school’s bicultural curriculum.
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 Vulnerable Children Act 2014.
The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of International Students) Code of Practice 2016 (the Code) established under section 238F of the Education Act 1989. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code. At the time of this 2018 ERO review, there was one international student attending the school, and no exchange students.
The school has very good systems in place to ensure that students are well integrated into classroom programmes and the wider life of the school, and that their wellbeing and pastoral needs are met.
For sustained improvement and future learner success, the school can draw on existing strengths in:
highly effective, collaborative and courageous leadership
school wide commitment to a child-centred, strengths-based and value-focused curriculum, designed to provide equitable and excellent learning and wellbeing opportunities
highly skilled and professional teaching team who create authentic learning connections with the community
capable stewardship that is focused on improvement, and assured through robust internal evaluation processes that children and families are very well served by the school.
For sustained improvement and future learner success, priorities for further development are in:
extending current good practices to enhance the play-based learning and bicultural aspects of the school’s curriculum.
ERO is likely to carry out the next external evaluation in four-to-five years.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
25 January 2019
|
Location |
Devonport, Auckland |
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
1541 |
|
School type |
Contributing Primary Years 1 - 6 |
|
School roll |
292 |
|
Gender composition |
Girls 51% Boys 49% |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 3% |
|
Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS) |
Yes |
|
Provision of Māori medium education |
No |
|
Review team on site |
November 2018 |
|
Date of this report |
25 January 2019 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, June 2014 |
School leaders, staff and trustees have a clear focus on progress, achievement and success for all students. Strong partnerships with families support effective decision making. Student wellbeing is recognised as key to learning and students are valued as individuals within a highly collaborative school culture. The curriculum and teaching practices are responsive and student centred.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in four-to-five years.
Vauxhall School, in Devonport, Auckland, provides education for students in Years 1 to 6. The board and school leaders maintain high quality practices and ensure ongoing improvements in the governance and management of the school. The school has a history of positive ERO reports. Good practices noted in the 2010 ERO report have been extended.
Since the 2010 ERO review, a new principal has been appointed. The principal and the long-serving senior leaders form an effective leadership team. A collaborative and reflective teaching and learning culture promotes opportunities for many people to contribute to the life and development of the school.
Positive relationships foster students’ sense of belonging and engagement in learning. Strong links are made between students' wellbeing and their learning. Leaders and teachers focus on students as individuals to support all children to reach their potential. Student-centred decision making is evident at all levels of the school.
The school uses achievement information very well to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement.
Students are highly engaged in their learning. They see themselves as confident and capable learners. Students experience focused learning environments, effective teaching strategies, and opportunities to follow their own interests.
Teachers use student achievement information collaboratively to plan programmes and teaching practices in response to students’ learning needs and interests. Flexible approaches to grouping mean that teachers can tailor programmes to meet changing student requirements. Teachers identify students requiring additional learning support and provide targeted support for them in classroom programmes and through intervention programmes. Good transition processes into and through the school support students’ uninterrupted learning.
Senior leaders use the school’s achievement information very well to make strategic decisions, set school goals and targets, and to inform professional development. They also use achievement information to accelerate the progress of students who are not achieving at National Standards, and to identify and monitor the progress and achievement of priority groups of learners. Through their collaborative leadership approach, senior leaders provide opportunities for teachers to be involved in this strategic decision-making.
School student achievement data indicates that most students achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics in relation to the National Standards. The progress and achievement of Māori and Pacific students is well monitored and most achieve at levels similar to those of other students. The board receives regular reports about student achievement. Trustees, leaders and teachers regularly reflect on this information and on current practices to make ongoing changes to further raise achievement levels. Teachers are well supported to make judgements about student progress and achievement. Good work has been done within the school, and with other schools, to develop effective moderation processes to enhance the reliability of achievement information.
Parents receive good information about their children’s progress and achievement in relation to the National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics, through written reports and parent-teacher interviews. Senior leaders are continuing to review the clarity of reports to parents.
Students are very involved in their own learning. They contribute to decisions about programmes and can discuss the knowledge, skills and strategies they are learning. They make good use of feedback from teachers to set goals and evaluate their own success. The school recognises that teachers should continue to build on these good practices and explore ways in which they can extend the sharing of achievement information with students.
The school’s curriculum promotes and supports students’ learning very effectively.
Student learning is well supported through a responsive curriculum in which students’ interests and capabilities are interwoven with the learning areas and key competencies of The New Zealand Curriculum. The Vauxhall School values are actively promoted and taught through the curriculum, thus contributing to the school’s positive learning environment and aligning with the focus on student wellbeing.
Teachers provide good quality teaching in literacy and mathematics. They make overall judgements about students’ achievement in these areas, using information from a range of contexts across the curriculum. The school’s integrated inquiry approach provides purposeful, meaningful learning in contexts that reflect students’ interests, the local environment and wider themes. Strong connections with families and the community support students in their learning.
The school’s variable space philosophy, based on collaborative practices and flexible use of shared teaching areas, provides good support for curriculum implementation. Leaders promote teacher dialogue and reflection, and foster shared understandings and consistent practices. Curriculum documentation provides clear direction for teachers.
The use of an inquiry learning framework as a tool to support learning is consistent throughout the school and across curriculum areas. Students use this framework to monitor and evaluate their own learning.
A significant focus has been the development of e-learning as a key feature of the school’s approach to teaching and learning. Students use information and communication technologies (ICT) in purposeful ways to improve their learning. School leaders are continuing to explore possibilities for using digital technologies to further enhance the curriculum, extend learning partnerships, and provide wider opportunities for students to manage and share their own learning.
The school effectively promotes educational success for Māori, as Māori. This has been an area of significant development over recent years.
Trustees, leaders and staff have built a good foundation of culturally responsive practices that promote the language, culture and identity of Māori students, and encourage all students’ appreciation of New Zealand’s bicultural heritage. This development has contributed to te reo and tikanga Māori being a normal part of the school and has helped to provide an environment in which Māori students feel confident to share their knowledge and capabilities.
Māori students are well engaged in learning and school activities. The school’s kapa haka group, pōwhiri and marae visits are among leadership opportunities provided for Māori students.
School leaders make good use of staff and community strengths to support ongoing improvement. Staff and trustees use Ministry of Education resources as frameworks to guide ongoing review and development. They have an understanding of the current focus on accelerating success for Māori students.
The school emphasises whanaungatanga, which underpins interactions and relationships at many levels of the school. School leaders and staff value relationships with the whānau of Māori students. Systems are established for formal and informal consultation with the Māori community. Trustees and leaders are proactive in seeking and responding to input from whānau and iwi.
Leaders are continuing to promote positive developments in this area. Their strategic goals include:
The school is very well placed to sustain its current high quality practices and continue to improve its performance.
The principal and senior leaders provide effective educational leadership. They promote current best practice and seek new ideas and networking opportunities. Their leadership model promotes a culture of shared responsibility and accountability, provides opportunities for all staff, and is building leadership capacity across the school. Team leaders provide effective leadership. Staff expertise is well used and valued.
Leaders ensure that the collaborative school culture is supported by effective systems and clear documentation. This organisation supports consistency in school operations and in the implementation of the school’s teaching philosophy. Professional development and performance management processes reflect identified staff needs and align with school strategic goals.
Trustees bring a variety of expertise to their role. They have a good understanding of governance and management, and of well considered induction and succession strategies. Trustees have accessed external training and support to improve their governance practices. They are considering ways to extend their self review of their own performance. The board should continue to make use of the resources and personnel available to guide this self review and enhance their governance capability.
A strong culture of reflective practice and review is evident at all levels of the school. A range of formal and informal reporting practices ensure the board is well informed. Trustees and school leaders agree that this could be further strengthened through more evaluative reporting in some areas. Trustees regularly review against the school’s goals and targets. School leaders and trustees have a strong focus on promoting meaningful partnerships with different groups in the school community. They make good use of information from parents, whānau, staff and students to inform strategic decisions.
These effective strategies support decision making that is focused on continual improvement. ERO affirms the board’s commitment to the ongoing review of procedures to ensure that documentation shows sufficient detail and evidence of the board’s assurance role and processes. Trustees agree that they could now further consolidate strategic review processes by formalising some aspects of self review, so that good practices are embedded in ways that ensure their ongoing use.
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 one international student was attending the school. International students are able to access The New Zealand Curriculum and to integrate well into the life of the school. They have many opportunities to participate in school activities and to take on leadership roles. Information and relevant guiding documents relating to international students are well organised and up to date. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code.
ERO’s investigations confirmed that the school’s self-review process for ensuring compliance with the Code is thorough.
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:
During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student achievement:
School leaders, staff and trustees have a clear focus on progress, achievement and success for all students. Strong partnerships with families support effective decision making. Student wellbeing is recognised as key to learning and students are valued as individuals within a highly collaborative school culture. The curriculum and teaching practices are responsive and student centred.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in four-to-five years.
Dale Bailey
National Manager Review Services Northern Region
12 June 2014
|
Location |
Devonport, Auckland |
|
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
1541 |
|
|
School type |
Contributing (Years 1 to 6) |
|
|
School roll |
276 |
|
|
Number of international students |
1 |
|
|
Gender composition |
Boys 52% Girls 48% |
|
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā British Asian Pacific other |
2% 75% 5% 2% 2% 14% |
|
Review team on site |
May 2014 |
|
|
Date of this report |
12 June 2014 |
|
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review Education Review Education Review |
January 2010 December 2006 April 2004 |