Sacred Heart Girls' College (N Plymouth)

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 

Sacred Heart Girls’ College (N Plymouth) is a state-integrated Catholic school providing education for students in Years 7 to 13. The school offers day and boarding options. Students are encouraged to do everything to the best of their ability; striving for personal excellence with their academic, physical and spiritual hauora.

There are three parts to this report.

Part A: A summary of the findings from the most recent Education Review Office (ERO) report and/or subsequent evaluation. 

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

Part A: Previous Improvement Goals

Since the previous ERO report of July 2022 the school has been evaluating how effectively the pastoral needs of the students are met. 

Expected Improvements and Findings 

The school expected to see:

The refinement of pastoral care systems and processes to meet student needs more effectively.

• Leaders have carried out an extensive review of pastoral care systems and processes over the past three years that has informed the preferred structure and programmes going forward.
• Well-defined roles and responsibilities for Manaaki teachers and deans have been established through meaningful consultation with stakeholders. 
• The role of deans has been aligned with the House structure, and an increase in number, has been implemented for the start of 2025 to provide greater accessibility and cohesion of pastoral care provision.
• The school’s goal setting and mentoring programme (GEMS) has been reviewed; new programmes, attending to student Hauora/wellbeing, positive relationships and self-efficacy, have been developed and are delivered by staff with specialty in these areas.

A shared understanding of pastoral needs in the school community.

• Leaders, staff and students increasingly understand the range of pastoral needs within the school community; leaders and ERO agree that there is yet to be consistently applied pastoral practice at all levels of the school.
• Students know who is available to speak to about their pastoral needs and how to access their assistance; most students access a member of the pastoral team if necessary.

A way to measure the effectiveness of pastoral care and improved wellbeing outcomes for all students, particularly those who are at risk.

• The school is yet to put in place an evaluation process to regularly gather evidence and monitor whether the new pastoral system and programmes are having the desired outcomes, and who for.

Part B: Current State 

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

Learner Success and Wellbeing 

• Almost all students gain National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) Level 1 and most students gain Level 2 and 3, and University Entrance; the majority of students gain the certificate endorsed with either Merit or Excellence.
• The school has yet to address small disparity in achievement for Māori learners in NCEA Level 2.
• A large majority of Year 7 to 10 students achieve at curriculum level expectation in reading, mathematics, and science and make expected progress over time; a few students make accelerated progress.
• Regular student attendance is below the 2024 Ministry of Education targets; regular attendance has improved over time and continues to be a focus for the school.

Conditions to support learner success

• Leaders pursue key improvement goals and are beginning to use evidence to plan and monitor aspects of the strategic improvement cycle; a next step for the school is to systematically gather evidence, feedback and ideas to measure the impact of initiatives on student outcomes and who for.
• Leaders are strengthening collaboration at every level of the school to effect strategic vision and improvement goals.
• Whānau and students are increasingly involved in decision making in the school and they are beginning to see their aspirations reflected in the school’s decision making. 

• Teachers create orderly learning environments and are developing collaborative planning that respond to individual learning needs and to strengthen student engagement.
• Teachers have clear achievement outcomes for students from Year 7 to 13, guiding and setting expectations for high-quality teaching practice and coordinated curriculum progressions. 
• Te reo Māori, tikanga Māori, mātauranga Māori and te aō Māori are increasingly woven through all aspects of the school curriculum and day-to-day life of the school.

• Leaders and teachers recognise, affirm, and appreciate the diversity of students and are taking steps towards fully understanding students’ cultural identity and values.
• Professional learning opportunities are increasingly aligned with the school’s strategic direction. 
• Leaders and teachers are building a shared understanding of the role of evaluation for improvement; the school is growing its data analysis capability.
• The board is strengthening the regular review of student data to identify strategic improvement priorities, plan and make appropriate resourcing decisions. 

Part C: Where to next? 

The agreed next steps for the school are to:

• develop and implement an evaluation process, with regular milestones, to gather evidence and measure the impact of the new pastoral structure and programmes on improved outcomes, including attendance, for students and inform next steps 
• continue professional learning for leaders and teachers to access, interpret and use attendance, wellbeing and achievement data to build a more responsive and consistent approach to student learning and pastoral care
• consolidate a consistent understanding of high-quality teaching and learning to respond to a wide range of student learning and pastoral needs, including Māori learners in NCEA Level 2.

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

Within six months:

• create an evaluation timeline outlining actions to regularly gather stakeholder feedback and ideas and voice about the restructured pastoral structure and programmes 
• review and refine targeted professional learning to strengthen the data literacy of staff and ensure the restructured pastoral system and wellbeing programmes are understood by all.

Every six months:

• use whānau, student and staff feedback and ideas to determine the impact the new pastoral structure and programmes is having on improved student engagement 
• continue to collect and analyse attendance, achievement and wellbeing data, to ensure that the initiatives are having the desired outcomes; use this information to refine and make improvements to the pastoral structure and learning programme.

Annually:

• analyse and report attendance, achievement and wellbeing outcomes to the board and community; in partnership with whānau, students and staff; use this information to inform the next strategic steps.
• review the impact of professional learning for leaders and teachers to access, interpret and use attendance, wellbeing and achievement data; use this information to plan the next steps in professional learning. 

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

• Improved student outcomes; leaders and teachers use attendance, wellbeing and achievement data and evidence to be responsive and consistent when attending to student progress and pastoral care
• staff, students and whānau feedback and ideas are actively sought, considered and used in decision making by the school
• an embedded and sustained understanding of the role of evaluation for improvement.

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

5 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

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2024 to 2027 

As of October 2024, the Sacred Heart Girls’ College (N Plymouth) 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

Actions for Compliance

ERO and the board have identified the following areas of non-compliance during the board assurance process:

• consultation with the school's Māori community, developed and made known to the school's community policies, plans and targets for improving the progress and achievement of Māori students, has not been held 
  [Section 127(1)(d), Education and Training Act 2020]
• reporting to the school community the progress and achievement of Māori students against plans and targets has not been carried out
  [Regulation 21, Education (School Boards) Amendment Regulations 2022]
• consultation with the school community, at least once in every two years, prior to adopting a statement on the delivery of the health curriculum has not been undertaken
  [Section 91, Education and Training Act, 2020]

The board has since taken steps to address the areas of non-compliance identified.

Further Information

For further information please contact Sacred Heart Girls’ College (N Plymouth), 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

5 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

Provision for International Students Report 

Background

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.

Findings

Sacred Heart Girls’ College, New Plymouth has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code and has completed an annual self-review of its implementation of the Code. The self-review process is thorough and considers all aspects of the Code of Compliance benefitting from the experience of the school’s International Student Coordinator and the International Dean. 

At the time of this review there were 3 international students and no exchange students. The school intends to wind down its international student provision over the next two years.

International students are accommodated in homestays where the students enjoy positive relationships. Students feel welcomed by adults and students who have made them feel part of the wider community by inviting them to participate in all aspects of school life. There are opportunities to connect with international students from other schools.

Students appreciate the support of teachers who respond to their learning needs in the classroom and targeted English as a Second Language tuition is provided. Academic programmes are adapted to ensure student success and pathways beyond school. Pastoral support is readily available with personalised induction and frequent proactive check-ins.

Sharon Kelly
Acting Director of Schools

5 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

Hostel Report 

Background

The Chief Review Officer has the authority to carry out reviews (which may be general or in relation to particular matters) of the provision of a safe physical and emotional environment that supports learning for students accommodated in hostels under section 470 of the Education and Training Act 2020. This function is delegated to review officers who have the powers to enter and carry out review of hostels under section 472 of the Act.

Findings 

The hostel manager and the hostel owner has attested in the Hostel Assurance Statement that they meet the requirements of the Hostel Regulations 2005. 

Reasonable steps are being taken by Elizabeth House to provide boarders with a safe physical and emotional environment

Boarders appreciate the ‘home away from home’ environment, friendships and the opportunities to become self-reliant, whist supported by the hostel staff. Pastoral care is prioritised and the hostel manager models inclusion to her staff. There are a range of personnel who students have a positive relationship with and readily access for emotional and social support. There is also very good assistance for boarders’ wishing to engage in extra-curricular activities outside of school. 

The hostel accommodation is comfortable, with a range of areas available for students to relax, socialise or have quiet time. The students also have access to the school facilities.  There are opportunities for students at all year levels to take on leadership and buddy roles within the hostel and to provide feedback on various aspects of hostel life. Routines and expectations are well understood and followed throughout the hostel.

Learning is supported through supervised homework. Supervisors work with the boarders and have a range of skills they share with them.

More coherent alignment and governance between the school and its hostel, with particular regard to policies and procedures, would better support boarders and their families by having more consistent practices and expectations. Clear lines of management and governance by the various stakeholders would also strengthen the day-to-day running of the hostel. 

Actions for Compliance 

ERO and the Trust Board of Elizabeth House identified non-compliance in relation to: 

• regular review of hostel policies and procedures 
• evacuation records show that regular (once per term) emergency drills have not been carried out.

In order to address this, the Trust Board must: 

• fully review and update all hostel policies and procedures to ensure that they are aligned with and cover all current legal requirements and Ministry of Education best practice expectations and guidelines
• through regular reporting to the Trust Board, ensure hostel staff carry out regular emergency drills; fire, earthquake and lockdown, to improve practice and fully meet all regulatory expectations.

The hostel owner/Manager has since taken steps to address the areas of non-compliance identified.

Sharon Kelly
Acting Director of Schools

5 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