Marina View School

School Context

Marina View School is a large primary school located in West Auckland. The school caters for approximately 700 students from Years 1 to 8. The school’s stable roll reflects the wide cultural diversity of the local community. International students from Korea and China are enrolled at the school.

Marina View School is committed to the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) vision for all children to be confident, connected, actively involved lifelong learners. The intention of the school motto “Learning for Life” is to engage children in purposeful and authentic learning. The school aims to support children to be effective learners, thinkers and communicators, and globally minded, resilient citizens.

The school has undergone some refurbishment since the previous ERO report. This includes improvements to classrooms, the administration area, and the outdoor environment.

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

• progress towards the school’s strategic goals and direction
• the wellbeing of staff and students
• the impact of professional learning and development opportunities for teachers and leaders
• the achievement and progress of students who require accelerated learning
• ways the school’s curriculum responds to diverse requirements.

Marina View School is a member of Te Whiria a Tangata Kahui Ako|Community of Learning.

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 is achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all students very well. Most students, including Māori, achieve very well in reading, writing and mathematics. The school’s data show improvement over time in Māori student achievement. Parity in achievement between Māori and other students has been achieved in reading and writing. Improvement of Māori achievement in mathematics has lessened disparity in that area and is indicative of the school’s focus on achieving equitable outcomes.

Most Pacific students achieve very well in reading, writing and mathematics. Longitudinal data shows parity of achievement compared with other groups of learners in the school.

Students achieve very well in relation to other school valued outcomes. Children:

• demonstrate caring relationships with adults and peers
• collaborate with, learn from, and support the learning of others
• display self motivation and regulation in their learning
• are reflective and creative thinkers.

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

Marina View School is accelerating learning for those Māori and other students who need additional support very well. The school has taken purposeful, well considered measures to reduce disparity for Māori students in mathematics. The achievement of Pacific students has successfully been raised over time.

Responsive teaching approaches, focused interventions, and ongoing monitoring have resulted in improved achievement for target students. Boys’ achievement in writing increased in 2017 and achievement levels of Māori students in mathematics show a significant increase. The school monitors very well students whose achievement is at risk of falling behind their cohort group in order to adapt programmes and teaching practices.

Children with diverse learning needs respond well to individual learning plans and are well supported to make progress towards the school’s expected outcomes.

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?

Te Tiriti o Waitangi underpins the school’s vision, values and strategic direction, with a particular school wide commitment to the principle of partnership. All students are affirmed in their language, culture and identity. The school has developed a culturally responsive practice plan, to support its strong bicultural focus. Teachers are supported through well considered external professional development and internal systems and leadership. Te reo me ngā tikanga Māori are woven through school programmes and interactions. Recent refurbishment of the environment has made the school’s bicultural commitment more visible through the use of te reo Māori in signage and artwork depicting a Māori worldview.

The leadership team work effectively and collaboratively. Leadership expertise promotes very good systems, practices and processes to improve teaching and learning. Leaders have established clarity and shared understandings, around the school’s goals, purpose and direction, that enable high level strategic thinking. Leaders and teachers make very good use of external expertise and connections, to build capability and sustain ongoing improvement and innovation. Relational trust at every level of the school supports collaboration, risk taking and openness to change.

Strong partnerships for learning have been established with the community, and globally through learning relationships with schools in Korea and China. Partnerships with parents and whānau are valued as the key to establishing positive outcomes for students. Strong tuakana-teina interactions enhance children’s learning.

Students participate and learn in caring, inclusive and collaborative learning communities that are strongly child-centred. Responsive teaching effectively supports and promotes student learning across the curriculum. There is a particular emphasis on supporting students to develop digital knowledge, technological fluency, and productive and critical thinking. The curriculum is personalised and based on children’s interests, needs and strengths. As a result, children are highly engaged and enjoy a breadth of learning opportunities.

Trustees have clarity around their roles and responsibilities. The board is well informed to support decision-making that is focused on improving outcomes for students.

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

The board, leaders and teachers could now focus on enhancing collective capacity in evaluation, inquiry and knowledge building to sustain the very good innovation and improvements at all levels of the school.

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 Vulnerable Children Act 2014.

Provision for international students

The school is a signatory to the Pastoral Care of International Students) Code of Practice 2016 (. At the time of this review there were eight long stay, and 22 short stay international students attending the school.

The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code.

ERO’s evaluation process confirms that the school’s internal evaluation processes are of very good quality.

The school provides international students with pastoral care processes of a high standard. They receive very good quality English language support. International students integrate well into the school’s educational programmes. They immerse themselves in all aspects of school and community life.

4 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

For sustained improvement and future learner success, the school can draw on existing strengths in:

• high quality leadership practices that collaboratively develop and enact the school’s vision, goals and targets for equity and excellence
• a culturally responsive focus that contributes to the school’s effectiveness in promoting positive outcomes for all students
• leadership that builds relational trust and effective collaboration at every level of the school community
• high quality professional capability among staff that supports effective teaching and learning.

Next steps

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

• continuing to develop the quality of internal evaluation to build and sustain improvement and innovation through all levels of the school.

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

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

Julie Foley

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)

Te Tai Raki - Northern Region

11 June 2018

About the school