Clarkin Road , Fairfield, Hamilton
View on mapTēnā 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.
Fairfield Intermediate in Hamilton provides education for students in Years 7 and 8. The school’s values are Whaanaungatanga, creating a sense of belonging, Manaakitanga, creating a place of kindness and compassion and Kaitiakitanga, through actions we are guardians of ourselves, others and the environment.
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.
The following findings are to inform the school’s future priorities for improvement.
| The school is working towards reducing inequity between groups of students |
| School leaders provide cohesive, focused leadership that increasingly strengthens school conditions to support student success. |
| Teaching practices, through the curriculum, are increasingly responsive to students’ learning needs and enhance engagement and outcomes. |
| The board, leaders and teachers are strengthening schoolwide conditions to support improved student outcomes. |
The agreed next steps for the school are to:
The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.
Within six months:
Every six months:
Annually:
Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:
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
Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools
13 November 2024
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
As of June 2024, the Fairfield Intermediate Board has attested to the following regulatory and legislative requirements:
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
For further information please contact Fairfield Intermediate, 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.
Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools
13 November 2024
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
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.
The school is 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 2000. The 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 the review there were five international students attending the school.
Schoolwide policies, practices and procedures have been developed to ensure student needs in wellbeing and academic learning are well supported. Strong individual pastoral support, both from international staff and schoolwide systems, focuses on wellbeing. An inclusive learning environment supports students’ learning needs within a well-resourced international student centre.
International students have full access to The New Zealand Curriculum and are supported to achieve success in their academic goals and aspirations. Guidance and support ensure effective pathways and transitions for students beyond Fairfield Intermediate.
Students have many opportunities for involvement in schoolwide activities that meet their interests and aspirations. Students spoken to by ERO enjoyed their experience at school, value the opportunity to develop in their English language learning and appreciate the friendships made throughout their time at the school.
Internal evaluation is ongoing, informing school strategic planning and focused on continuous improvement.
Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools
13 November 2024
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
Fairfield Intermediate has made sufficient progress in relation to the key next steps identified in ERO’s May 2018 report. The school will transition into ERO’s Evaluation for Improvement approach.
Fairfield Intermediate school is a large urban school in Hamilton catering for students in Years 7 and 8. The current roll of 622 includes 40% Pākehā students, 40% who identify as Māori, 6% as Pacific and others from a diverse range of cultures and ethnicities.
Shortly after the 2018 ERO review the school’s principal went on extended leave. Since then the deputy principal has been the acting principal and the assistant principal has taken over the deputy principal role. Other senior leadership roles have been distributed to other school leaders. The board of trustees has remained stable with only one new member since the 2018 report.
The areas for review and development identified in the 2018 ERO report may be summarised as:
Leaders have implemented strategies to build a positive and collaborative staff and school culture. High levels of transparency and consultation are now evident. Teachers prioritise developing genuine and caring relationships with students. School-wide behaviour management guidelines reflect a positive and restorative approach. Students who spoke with ERO enjoy their learning. Students with pastoral needs are well-supported.
Reciprocal relationships with parents and whānau are now more visible. The school charter and strategic plan for 2020 have been developed in consultation with parents. Information gathered from parent and whānau surveys has been used to identify the school’s strategic goals.
Culturally responsive practice has been strengthened. A new localised curriculum is being developed in consultation with parents, whānau, students and staff. The curriculum now features regular inclusion of Māori content, local iwi and New Zealand / Aotearoa history. Teachers have improved their understanding and enactment of practices which contribute to better outcomes for Māori and other priority students. There has also been significant professional development designed to improve the quality of teaching and learning, particularly in the area of writing.
There is now a clear focus on responding to the individual learning needs of all students in ways that address disparity between groups of students in the school. Each teacher has implemented a system for tracking and monitoring individual student progress. Most teachers use the learning progressions framework of The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) in literacy and mathematics to identify students’ next steps in learning. Students at risk of underachieving are clearly identified and their progress is discussed by teams and senior leaders. A comprehensive range of data is provided to the board to enable them to monitor progress against school-wide targets and make appropriate resourcing decisions.
Clear expectations for teacher practice are contributing to improved practice. Ongoing support from curriculum leaders in Māori, literacy and mathematics, and regular team meetings, is contributing to consistency of practice. Team leaders are supported in their role by regular meetings with senior leaders.
Internal evaluation for ongoing improvement has been strengthened. Information about student progress, achievement and behaviour is used well to:
Other effective forms of evaluation include principal reports to the board on progress against the school’s strategic goals and ongoing policy review.
In line with current theory and best practice, student and parent voice is increasingly used to inform programme development.
ERO and senior leaders agree that it would be useful to continue to:
Fairfield Intermediate is now well placed to sustain and continue to improve and review its performance. Leaders have established a positive culture that allows all stakeholders to work together in the best interests of students. A greater focus on student progress, particularly for those at risk of under achieving, has strengthened the school’s ability to improve overall levels of achievement and address any disparity between groups of learners. Effective systems for self-review promote ongoing improvement in all areas of school operation.
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:
Fairfield Intermediate has made sufficient progress in relation to the key next steps identified in ERO’s May 2018 report. The school will transition into ERO’s Evaluation for Improvement approach.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region - Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
29 April 2021