Wiri Central School

Wiri Central School

School Evaluation Report 

Tēnā koutou e mau manawa rahi ki te kaupapa e aro ake nei, ko te tamaiti te pūtake o te kaupapa. Mā wai rā e kawe, mā tātau katoa.

We acknowledge the collective effort, responsibility and commitment by all to ensure that the child remains at the heart of the matter.

Context 

Wiri Central School is located in South Auckland and provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. Mōkai Āwhina provides Māori bilingual learning and Fofoa i Vaoese provides Samoan bilingual learning. The school’s vision of Learning today for a better tomorrow is underpinned by the four core values of Kotahitanga, Manaakitanga, Whanaungatanga and Rangatiratanga

There are two parts to this report.

Part A: An evaluative summary of learner success and school conditions to inform the school board’s future strategic direction, including any education in Rumaki/bilingual settings. 

Part B: The improvement actions prioritised for the school’s next evaluation cycle. 

Part A: Current State

The following findings are to inform the school’s future priorities for improvement.

Learner Success and Wellbeing 

The school is working towards achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for learners.  
  • Less than half of learners achieve at and above expected curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics. 
  • Learners have a strong sense of belonging to their school; they experience a positive, inclusive and supportive learning environment that celebrates their cultures and identities. 
  • Less than half of learners attend school regularly and the school is yet to meet the Ministry of Education’s 2024 target for regular attendance; leaders and teachers apply a range of well-considered approaches focused on improving attendance rates.

Conditions to support learner success

Leadership is strengthening high trust, collaborative relationships across the school to increase consistent approaches to teaching and learning. 
  • Leaders use student achievement information and feedback from the school community to plan strategic goals; leadership is strengthening their evaluation of progress against these goals to support positive learner outcomes. 
  • Relevant professional learning opportunities and shared understandings of effective teaching and learning approaches among leaders and teachers are building consistent teaching practices across the school. 
  • Senior and middle leaders promote and sustain relational trust across the school; staff work collaboratively to plan learning that is increasingly responsive to learner needs.
Students have increasingly meaningful opportunities to learn through an engaging curriculum.
  • Positive and respectful relationships between teachers and learners, that includes effective support from learning assistants, ensure engaging and supportive classroom learning environments. 
  • Teachers plan and implement learning experiences that increasingly meet the different needs of learners. 
  • Students speak confidently about their current learning and goals and have increasing opportunities to collaborate and discuss progress against these goals. 
School conditions that underpin successful outcomes for learners are strengthening.
  • Parents and whānau, as valued partners in their child’s learning, increasingly participate in the life of the school. 
  • Teachers regularly monitor the progress of target students and are strengthening their use of achievement information to plan next steps for teaching and learning. 
  • Leaders carefully plan consultation with whānau and the community, responding to their feedback and strengthening parent and whānau knowledge of learning programmes. 
  • The board makes appropriate resourcing decisions that align with and are responsive to the strategic goals and emerging needs of learners and staff. 

Rumaki/Bilingual Outcomes and Condition to Support Learner Success 

Learner success and wellbeing 

  • Ākonga are confident practitioners of mātauranga Māori in all contexts.
  • A small majority of ākonga are progressing towards meeting or exceeding expected achievement levels in pānui, tuhituhi, and pāngarau.
  • Ākonga are mature, capable, reo speaking role models in the school and their local communities.
  • Ākonga are proud and confident in their Māori identity.

Conditions to support learner success

  • The learning programme in Mōkai Āwhina immerses ākonga in authentic cultural experiences.
  • Kaiako participate in ongoing targeted professional development to strengthen teaching and learning in literacy and numeracy.
  • Leadership promotes te reo Māori by offering ākonga opportunities to participate in school and community activities, kaiako deliver focused te reo Māori literacy programmes.
  • The school authentically honours partnerships with whānau and mana whenua for guidance on relevant kaupapa.

Part B: Where to next? 

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

  • evaluate strategies and approaches to continue to increase the regular attendance of all learners 
  • embed effective teaching, learning and assessment practices to ensure teacher consistency and improved student progress and achievement 
  • strengthen school wide analysis and use of achievement information by leaders and teachers to effectively respond to learner needs
  • provide ongoing professional development for using valid assessment, and planning and teaching strategies to support ākonga progression in te reo matatini and pāngarau.

The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.

Within three months:

  • review school attendance outcomes and strategies that are having the most impact to inform future planning
  • design and implement a school wide system for robust analysis of achievement information that shows the impact on learner outcomes over time; this system should clearly identify groups of learners who are at risk of underachieving.

Within six months:

  • refine the process for tracking and responding to the needs of target learners and support teachers to use achievement information effectively 
  • provide professional learning for middle leaders so that they continue to build consistent teaching, learning and assessment practices in their teams
  • leaders and teachers of Mōkai Āwhina should analyse 2024 data and targets, review the current schedule to align with new education priorities, integrate curriculum areas through the oracy programme and incorporate feedback from beginning teachers.

Every six months:

  • monitor and review strategies for improving students’ attendance to inform next steps
  • use the systems and processes for analysing and responding to student achievement information to identify priorities for teaching and learning
  • continue to evaluate and provide professional learning opportunities that strengthen teachers’ understanding and use of highly effective teaching, learning and assessment practices.

Annually:

  • evaluate the impact of teaching, learning and assessment practices on students’ engagement, progress and achievement and use this to inform future planning and resourcing
  • review and report to the board on student attendance, progress and achievement information, with a focus on responding to those learners who are at risk of underachieving, to support ongoing decision making for improvement
  • consult with kaiako to track and monitor achievement data in relation to annual targets and gather feedback from beginning teachers.

Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:

  • increased regular student attendance
  • improved progress and achievement for all learners
  • consistent use of systems and processes for analysing and tracking student achievement information, effectively responding to the needs of learners
  • improved engagement and progress in te reo matatini and pāngarau for all learners in Mōkai Āwhina.

ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a School Evaluation Report and is due within three years.

Me mahi tahi tonu tātau, kia whai oranga a tātau tamariki
Let’s continue to work together for the greater good of all children

Sharon Kelly
Acting Director of Schools

4 February 2025

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

Wiri Central School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2024 to 2027 

As of July 2024, the Wiri Central 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 Wiri Central School, School Board.

The next School 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.

Sharon Kelly
Acting Director of Schools

4 February 2025

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

Wiri Central School - 09/05/2019

Findings

Wiri Central School has made good progress in addressing priority areas for development. Collaborative practices are supporting improved teaching practices. Students experience settled learning environments and variety in classroom programmes.

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

1 Background and Context

What is the background and context for this school’s review?

Wiri Central School in Manurewa, provides education for children from Years 1 to 8. Māori and Samoan children each make up one-third of the roll. Tongan and Cook Island Māori children make up 20 percent. The school’s two language-based units are Mōkai Awhina, offering bilingual education in te reo Māori, and Fofoa i Vaoese, a Samoan bilingual option.

The senior leadership team includes a long-standing principal and deputy principal, and a recently appointed deputy principal. They are supported by six leaders of learning, including two who are new to their role. Since the 2017 ERO review, almost half of the staff are new to the school.

The 2017 ERO report noted a school focus on student wellbeing, the loyalty of the local community, and families’ intergenerational connections with the school. ERO identified concerns with systems and processes for:

  • guiding teaching and learning to raise the level of student achievement
  • building effective leadership capability to sustain and embed changes
  • promoting in-depth internal evaluation to support school improvement
  • building board capability to strengthen governance.

For these reasons ERO decided to monitor the school’s progress through a longitudinal review process.

Over the past two years the school has worked with ERO, the Ministry of Education, and an external facilitator, to make improvements in specific areas of concern. As a result, quality systems and processes for monitoring overall school achievement and building leadership to sustain change, have significantly improved. Governance processes and internal evaluation have been strengthened, and continue to be ongoing areas of focus for the school.

2 Review and Development

How effectively is the school addressing its priorities for review and development?

Priorities identified for review and development

Priorities for school review and development identified in 2017 included:

  • addressing low student achievement through the use of effective systems and processes
  • building teacher capacity and creating a professional culture of learning
  • strengthening leadership capacity and capability to sustain and embed changes
  • establishing a process for in-depth internal evaluation that promotes ongoing school improvement
  • building board capability to strengthen processes and school improvement.
Progress

The school has made progress in all of the priority areas.

Senior leaders have developed and implemented schoolwide systems and processes to address low student achievement. Interventions are now happening earlier for students whose achievement needs improvement. Leaders and teachers share information about good teaching practices to support teaching and learning.

The progress of target students is discussed at all levels. These discussions focus on developing a shared understanding of how teachers can accelerate progress, and foster learning partnerships with parents, in order to accelerate student achievement. Partnerships with families are providing parents with ways to support their children’s learning at home.

Schoolwide information shows small positive shifts in students’ achievement compared with the 2017 data. Senior leaders acknowledge it is too soon to see significant improvement in school data across all curriculum areas. They have recognised that where there is poor student attendance, the impact on low student achievement is high. Leaders are considering strategies to increase students’ engagement with the school curriculum.

Leaders and teachers have reviewed the school curriculum. They have made good shifts towards a shared understanding of the school vision and the development of teaching approaches that increase student ownership of their learning. Teaching and learning practices are becoming more consistent and embedded across the school.

Teaching practices in Mōkai Awhina continue to be strengthened by new staff members’ use of its curriculum and assessment. Fofoa i Vaoese has had some changes in staff and an additional class. Teachers in this unit are beginning to develop their own Samoan curriculum and assessment practices. Students from both units participate in schoolwide activities, events and programmes.

A schoolwide culture of staff professional learning and sharing is promoting clear expectations. New appraisal processes include specific goals focused on lifting student achievement. Leaders continue to provide opportunities for teachers to share evidence of effective practices that contribute to raising student achievement.

Key next steps

The principal and senior leaders should continue to evaluate and refine systems and processes that guide improvement. They should plan intentional strategies to sustain recent improvements and current good practices. The principal and senior leaders agree to continue to:

  • further develop schoolwide shared understandings of strategies that help to raise students’ achievement
  • extend moderation practices by working with other English medium schools
  • build middle leadership capability.

3 Sustainable performance and self review

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

The school is increasingly well placed to continue to review and improve its performance.

Senior leaders work collaboratively. They have developed a strategic approach to building leadership capability to sustain and embed changes. Professional learning focused on leadership is helping to build the capability of the leaders of learning and supporting them to develop a shared understanding of their roles and responsibilities.

The school has developed and implemented the Wiri Whānau Way to guide positive relationships and behaviour management. Leaders should review the content and use of the school’s anti-bullying policy, to address the high number of reported incidents.

Good frameworks have been developed to guide internal evaluation across the school. It is timely for trustees, leaders and teachers to strengthen their shared understanding of the purpose of internal evaluation, including its impact on outcomes for students.

The board of trustees works collaboratively. This has supported the board’s capability to strengthen support for school improvement initiatives. There is a willingness from trustees to continue to strengthen their governance roles and responsibilities through external support.

The school is a member of Te Kaahui Ako o Manurewa |Community of Learning, which is made up of local schools. This is fostering useful school connections and initiatives that could support improved outcomes for students.

Key next steps

The school has been through a period of significant change, challenge and improvement, and is now moving into the next phase of this change process. The senior leaders and trustees should continue to evaluate systems and processes to support ongoing improvement. The principal and trustees agree to:

  • improve the content and use of the school’s anti-bullying policy
  • seek external support to build trustees’ understanding of their roles and responsibilities
  • develop a shared understanding of the purpose of internal evaluation and its impact on outcomes for students across the school
  • further explore strategies to strengthen educational learning partnerships with parents.

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.

In order to improve practice, the board should:

  • develop secure processes for filing confidential documentation
  • ensure correct processes are followed for the use of in-committee meetings.

4 Recommendations

Recommendations, including any to other agencies for ongoing or additional support.

ERO recommends that the Ministry of Education continue to provide support for Wiri Central School to build teacher capacity and capability to sustain practices that result in improved outcomes for students.

Conclusion

Wiri Central School has made good progress in addressing priority areas for development. Collaborative practices are supporting improved teaching practices. Students experience settled learning environments and variety in classroom programmes.

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

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services Northern

Northern Region

9 May 2019

About the School

LocationWiri, Auckland
Ministry of Education profile number1576
School typeFull Primary (Years 1 to 8)
School roll374
Gender compositionBoys 55% Girls 45%
Ethnic compositionMāori
Samoan
Tongan 
Cook Island Māori
other ethnic groups
34% 
39%
11% 
9%
7%
Special FeaturesMāori Bilingual 3 classes MMI Samoan Bilingual 4 classes
Review team on siteMarch 2019
Date of this report9 May 2019
Most recent ERO report(s)Education Review
Education Review 
Education Review
June 2017 
May 2014 
April 2011