Hauturu School

School Context

Hauturu School is a small rural school located about 20 kilometres from the west coast settlement of Kawhia catering for students in Years 1 to 8. Currently there are two classrooms for 25 students of whom six are of Māori descent, eight Pacific and 11 NZ European Pākehā. The roll has declined significantly since the previous ERO review but has stabilised over the last two years.

The school’s vision states, ‘Toi Te Mātauranga, Toi Te Mana, Toi Te Whenua’ (Strive for knowledge, excellence and stewardship’).

The values statement is, ‘We will all model the 3 R’s – Resilience, Responsibility, Relationships’.

The 2019 improvement plan has a focus on writing, with a specific target to accelerate the progress of students achieving below expectation. This aligns to the strategic goals which are to:

• improve outcomes for all students, particularly Māori and Pacific
• accelerate progress of students achieving below curriculum expectations.

Since the previous ERO review in 2016 the school has undergone a number of staffing changes including the appointment of a new principal in Term 1, 2018. The board is made up of both experienced and new trustees. Teachers have participated in professional learning and development provided by the Ministry of Education. The programme focused on improving achievement in writing.

Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, school-wide information about outcomes for students in reading, writing and mathematics.

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 working towards achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all students. The school’s 2018 achievement information shows that most students achieve at or above expected curriculum levels in writing and a large majority in reading and mathematics. Māori and Pākehā achievement is comparable in writing and mathematics. In reading Māori students proportionally achieve less well than their Pākehā peers. Overall Pacific students achieve at lower levels than other groups in the school. Boys achieve at proportionally higher levels than girls in mathematics but at lower levels in reading and writing.

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

The school was effective in accelerating the achievement of some students, including Māori, in reading and writing during 2018. Leaders and the board of trustees acknowledge the need to target achievement in mathematics as a priority for the school.

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?

Students enjoy learning through a rich curriculum. They have many opportunities to learn in local contexts, through engaging in events and places of significance within their community. Teachers know their students well and implement responsive programmes to cater for their needs and interests. ERO observed students learning in orderly and respectful environments. Māori children’s language, culture and identity is strongly promoted through the integration of te reo and tikanga Māori in class programmes and school events. Students with additional needs are included and supported. A feature of the curriculum is the strong culture of care. The school accesses many community programmes to support student learning and wellbeing. Useful links have been established with the local and wider community to enhance curriculum programmes.

The school benefits from strong and cohesive leadership. The principal has high expectations for teachers and students. She has accessed external support to build teacher capability. A culture of professional reflection and relational trust is evident.

Trustees provide well informed governance for the school. They are supportive of the principal and value her approach and progress made to establishing a calm, settled culture of learning. Trustees provide governance to ensure that all students have access to the breadth of the school’s curriculum. They receive regular reports on student achievement and use this information to inform their decision making.

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

Teachers need to implement strategies that promote students’ understanding of their achievement and next learning steps, including:

• the consistent use of learning progressions
• providing regular feedback and feed forward to students about their learning
• continuing to strengthen their analysis and use of data to plan their teaching.

The analysis and use of school-wide achievement data requires strengthening, including:

• setting targets based on accelerating the number of students achieving below expected levels
• regularly reporting to the board about the progress of the targeted students
• using achievement information to evaluate the effectiveness of initiatives and interventions for targeted students.

Priority should be given to implementing programmes and culturally responsive practices that are conducive to accelerating the achievement of Pacific students.

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.

4 ERO’s Overall Judgement

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

ERO’s Framework: Overall School Performance is available on ERO’s website

5 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

• a curriculum that provides many authentic learning opportunities
• leadership that provides clear guidelines for teaching and learning
• governance that promotes equitable opportunities for all students.

Next steps

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

• teaching strategies to empower students as independent, self-motivated learners
• the use of student achievement information to focus on accelerating the progress of at-risk students.

Areas for improved compliance practice

To improve current practice, the board of trustees should:

• ensure pandemic planning is developed to manage crisis situations
  [Student wellbeing; good practice, NAG 5]

• make provision for post disaster and relief.
  [Asset management; good practice, NAG 6]

Phillip Cowie

Director Review and Improvement Services

Central Region

3 July 2019

About the school

Findings

Hauturu School has made considerable progress in addressing issues outlined in the previous ERO Report. Students are settled and engaged. There are now positive partnerships between the school, parents and whānau. Trustees are providing effective governance. The school now needs to work to address areas for further development outlined in this report.

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

1 Background and Context

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

Hauturu School is a small, isolated rural school, located approximately 20 minutes drive from the west coast town of Kawhia. There are currently two classrooms operating for 41 students of whom 26 are of Māori descent.

At the time of the previous ERO report in June 2014 the principal had resigned and a relieving principal was providing professional leadership for the school. That report identified several important matters that were affecting school sustainable performance. These included the need to ensure the board and the principal successfully addressed important issues that related to school leadership and governance.

It was recommended in the 2014 ERO report that trustee training be undertaken in order to bring about successful resolutions to these matters. A further challenge faced by the board was to make a permanent appointment to the principal’s position. ERO also recommended that the school seek external intervention under Part 7A of the Education Act to bring about improvements identified in that report. Specifically this intervention was to:

• provide trustee training about personnel management and good employer practices
• support the board and a newly appointed principal to effectively govern the school in regard to important aspects of personnel management and school governance.

The intervention that occurred involved the appointment of a Limited Statutory Manager who has worked closely with the board to address these challenges.

2 Review and Development

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

Priorities identified for review and development

Leadership

There was a need to:

• coordinate curriculum developments and review
• inform and ensure the board about curriculum implementation
• communicate clearly to parents and trustees about developments in teaching and learning
• ensure trustees and staff establish shared understandings about school assessment systems and reporting processes.

Progress

Good progress has been made in addressing the areas outlined above that relate to school leadership.

The current school curriculum includes an appropriate emphasis on reading, writing and mathematics together with a strong focus on education outside the classroom (EOTC). The local area and places of interest are central to the school’s developing local curriculum. There has been a significant improvement to the way te reo and tikanga Māori are interwoven throughout the curriculum and all aspects of school life. A key next step for the principal is to work with teachers, parents and whānau to establish and document a curriculum that is unique to Hauturu School and reflects the community’s expectations about success and achievement.

Trustees now receive regular and detailed reports about school happenings, student achievement and curriculum matters. This information is enabling them to make well-considered decisions about school resourcing and priorities.

The new principal has consulted widely with trustees and community members to keep them well informed about school developments and gather their views and opinions to assist ongoing decision making. This consultation initially involved a wide range of discussions about establishing expectations for student behaviour, assessment strategies, EOTC and general curriculum information.

Key next steps

Programme planning and delivery

The school acknowledges that an important next step for the principal is to introduce an approach to programme planning and teaching that clearly identifies learning goals for each student at appropriate levels. To address this teachers and the principal need to undertake relevant professional learning that increases their knowledge, understanding and ability to deliver needs-based programmes in a multilevel classroom setting.

Curriculum development

The school is in the process of developing and documenting a local curriculum that reflects the vision, values and priorities of the Hauturu School Community. It is important that this curriculum includes clear and shared understandings about:

• teacher planning for learning covering all subject areas of The New Zealand Curriculum
• feedback and feed forward to students about their learning
• learning progressions as they apply to reading, writing and mathematics.

Further development and implementation of the Hauturu School curriculum is needed to provide clear guidelines for teacher practice and a sound foundation for ongoing curriculum review and refinement. In addition, these developments are likely to enable teachers to make more reliable judgements about student achievement in relation to National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics.

School Governance

There was a need to:

• clarify and define the roles of school governance and management
• ensure consistent management of student behaviour
• implement an annual process for the appraisal and assessment of teacher performance, which is linked to raising student achievement
• improve the lines of communication among teachers, parents and trustees
• address the declining school roll
• clarify school decision making processes for some parents and teachers.

Progress

Good progress has been made in addressing the areas outlined above that relate to school governance.

Trustees have worked closely with external support to increase their knowledge and understanding about their roles and responsibilities for successful governance. Portfolios have been allocated to share the governance work load and a cyclic approach to self review is in place. There is a comprehensive, current and regularly reviewed set of appropriate policies to provide guidelines for all school operations. Improved community relationships have contributed to a more settled school environment and stabilised the school roll.

Documented processes are now in place to support performance management practices for teachers and the principal. Trustees have improved understanding of the process of managing the principal’s performance and the importance of this process in contributing to school improvement.

The principal has worked closely with parents and whānau to establish a consistent and well-understood approach to managing student behaviour in a positive and inclusive way. Clear procedural guidelines are in place and the school and community share the same high expectations for student behaviour. Parents and whānau are now genuine partners in addressing student management issues and feel welcome in the school to discuss any concerns.

There has been a significant improvement in the relationships between parents, whānau and the school. Parents now feel welcome in the school, confident about sharing information about their children’s learning, appreciate the regular communication and take advantage of the many opportunities provided to take an active part in the life of the school.

Key next step

Teacher performance management

The school acknowledges that in order to further strengthen performance management processes, teachers’ professional goals should be more closely aligned to accelerating the achievement of students who are achieving below expected levels. This strengthening should include the implementation of systems to support teachers to reflect on, and inquire into, the effectiveness of their practice, with a view to accelerating achievement for these targeted students.

In addition, evidence gathered during teacher performance management and professional development processes must be more directly linked to the Practicing Teachers’ Criteria of the Education Council NZ.

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 well placed to sustain and improve its performance.

Findings

The appointment and contribution of the Limited Statutory Manager has been an important factor in the success of the school in addressing ERO’s concerns. The LSM has:

• provided valuable trustee training
• worked with trustees to appoint a new principal
• worked closely and successfully with the new principal to address the issues identified in the 2014 ERO.

The ongoing involvement of the LSM has brought about significant and positive improvements to school effectiveness.

The new principal has worked hard to re-establish high levels of trust and productive, respectful partnerships between the school, teachers, parents and the wider community. Trustees have developed a sustainable cycle of planning, school review and improvement. As a result, trustees are now better placed to respond effectively to any current or emerging issues.

Key next steps

It is important for the principal and teachers to undertake a programme of sustained professional learning and development about current best practice in teachers’ use of assessment information to plan and deliver an effective programme of learning in a multi-level classroom environment.

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

Hauturu School has made considerable progress in addressing issues outlined in the previous ERO Report. Students are settled and engaged. There are now positive partnerships between the school, parents and whānau. Trustees are providing effective governance. The school now needs to work to address areas for further development outlined in this report.

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

Lynda Pura-Watson

Deputy Chief Review Officer

31 May 2016

About the School