Kaharoa School

School Context

Kaharoa School is located on the rural outskirts of Rotorua. The school caters for students in Years 1 to 8. The roll of 199 includes 34 children who identify as Māori and a small number from diverse ethnic groups. Since the last ERO review in 2016, the roll has remained stable with the management of an enrolment scheme. Most of the leadership and teaching team remain in their roles. The board of trustees has an experienced chairperson, all other trustees are newly elected.

The school vision is underpinned by the aspirations for ‘A Kaharoa Kid’ who will be a thinker, communicator, self-manager, can do kid, participator and friendly. The school values are interwoven into the language and culture of the school. The school is a central focal point for the community.

Staff have accessed professional learning and development in culturally responsive practices, digital technology, writing and coaching.

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

• reading, writing and mathematics
• digital fluency
• oral language.

The school is a member of the Te Maru o Ngongotaha Kāhui Ako.

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 of its students.

The school’s achievement information in 2019 shows the large majority of students are achieving at or above national expectations in writing. The school reports good results in junior oral language. Most students are achieving in mathematics and reading. School data over time shows consistent improvement in literacy and digital fluency, mathematics achievement remains consistent.

Achievement level for Māori students has improved over time in literacy. There is ongoing significant disparity between Māori and their Pākehā peers in reading, writing and mathematics, however this disparity has reduced in literacy over the last 2 years. Girls significantly outperform boys in reading and writing and achieve at comparable rates in mathematics.

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

The school is able to show effective acceleration in reading and writing for Māori and other students who need it.

School data shows that by the end of Year 8 in 2018, all students achieved at or above curriculum expectation in reading, writing and mathematics. 2019 data shows effective acceleration for the majority of students who need it in reading, writing and mathematics.

The school’s recent professional development of teaching as inquiry focussed on target learners in 2019 is showing an increase in acceleration in literacy, including oral language in the junior school. Māori students are accelerating at similar rates to their Pākehā peers in reading, writing and mathematics.

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?

Leaders actively promote a collaborative, considered and reflective approach to school improvement. The well-informed board of trustees consult with the community and are focused on strategic resourcing, with the support of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), to ensure students’ needs are met. A recent focus on building culturally responsive practice across the school is enabling teachers, students and parents to build bicultural understanding and connections. Leaders are focused on improving collective practice and are accessing appropriate professional learning and development. Leadership is distributed and empowering teachers to innovate to meet the diverse needs of learners.

Children’s learning is well supported by respectful and affirming relationships. Transitions into and out of the school are well considered with strategies to meet the needs of family and whānau. Learning environments are well resourced. Children are engaged in meaningful learning activities with various opportunities for student independence. Teachers use a wide range of strategies to manage different behaviours and learning needs. Children with additional needs are well catered for by teachers who plan for individual needs.

An inclusive curriculum underpinned by cornerstone values contributes to a nurturing learning environment. Student leadership is encouraged by providing opportunities to contribute their voice to inform aspects of school developments. Senior students model the school values and tuakana-teina relationships are evident. Children benefit from a wide range of meaningful learning contexts both in and out of the classroom, where children’s interests are promoted and explored. Rich opportunities for learning in science, technology, the arts, and connections with local bicultural themes are actively developed. The school culture contributes to the school graduate profile of well-rounded citizens of strong character.

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

Leaders are valuing the importance of using data to inform decision making. Key next steps are to continue to build collective capacity of leaders and teachers to more effectively use assessment information to:

• focus on the achievement challenges for identified groups of learners to effectively address disparity
• develop a shared understanding of effective teaching strategies that contribute to accelerating and monitoring progress for at-risk learners
• implement schoolwide expectations to better promote student agency
• continue to strengthen the alignment of teacher inquiries, professional learning and development, and use of data to improve student outcomes.

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 Children’s Act 2014.

4 ERO’s Overall Judgement

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

ERO’s Framework: Overall Findings and Judgement Tool derived from School Evaluation Indicators: Effective Practice for Improvement and Learner Success 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 culture of collaboration among leaders that promotes innovation to improve outcomes for learners
• teaching and learning that supports and meets the individual needs of students
• a curriculum that promotes belonging, wellbeing and connection to place.

Next steps

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

• continuing to improve outcomes for students, to achieve equity for all groups in the school and raise levels of achievement overall
• improving consistency of teaching practice across the school in the use of data to make decisions about students learning
• use of data from a range of sources, for internal evaluation that better identifies what is working well and where improvements are needed schoolwide.

Darcy Te Hau

Acting Director Review and Improvement Services

Central Region

18 March 2020

About the school

1 Context

Kaharoa School, located in a rural settlement north of Rotorua, provides education for children in Years 1 to 8. The school's roll of 212 includes 39 Māori students. Since the 2013 ERO review there has been a significant increase in the number of Māori children attending the school. At the 2016 elections, three new parent representatives were elected to the board of trustees and a new chairperson was appointed. Leadership has remained the same and there has been minimal changes to the teaching team.

2 Equity and excellence

The vision and valued outcomes defined by the school for all children are to develop the competencies of being a thinker, communicator, self manager, being friendly and having a can do attitude. These competencies are supported by the school's cornerstone values of respect, responsibility, duty, compassion, obedience, honesty, consideration and kindness.

The school’s achievement information shows that over the last three years approximately half of Māori students achieved at and above the expected National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. The proportion of Māori students achieving the standards is slightly below national comparisons for Māori and significantly below their non-Māori peers in the school. Overall school achievement levels are similar to national comparisons. Boys achieved at slightly lower levels than girls in reading and writing, and at comparable levels in mathematics.

The school is using a range of assessment tools to assist teachers to make overall teacher judgements in relation to National Standards. They work together to analyse students' work to support consistency of judgements particularly in writing.

Since the last ERO evaluation the school has accessed external professional learning and development for teachers to strengthen teaching practice and accelerate achievement in the areas of writing and mathematics. Teachers have worked with Ngāti Whakaue and key staff from a neighbouring secondary school to increase their understanding of local Māori history and places of significance. In 2016 a specific focus has been on strengthening teaching practices in the area of reading.

3 Accelerating achievement

How effectively does this school respond to Māori children whose learning and achievement need acceleration?

The school has identified a need to respond more effectively to those Māori children needing to accelerate their learning. In response to the 2015 achievement data, school leaders have implemented a more intentional focus on accelerating the achievement of Māori children at risk of not meeting the expected National Standards in reading. This strengthened response is evidenced by:

• specific achievement targets for identified at risk Māori children in the school's charter
• teachers using assessment information to inquire into the effectiveness of their practice for accelerating the progress of Māori children in reading
• relevant professional learning and development for staff
• close monitoring of the progress and achievement of Māori children in reading by leaders and teachers.

Mid-year assessment data for 2016 indicates that approximately half of at risk Māori children made accelerated progress in reading.

School leaders acknowledge the need to embed and sustain these identified effective practices in reading, and continue to extend them to writing and mathematics.

How effectively does this school respond to other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration?

The more intentional focus on accelerating achievement has been extended to other children whose learning and achievement needs acceleration. In 2016 specific targets for other children at risk of not achieving the expected standards were set in the school's charter.

School leaders should now consider implementing more systematic internal review of programmes and initiatives designed to accelerate children's achievement. To assist this process leaders should report more frequently to the board of trustees on the progress and achievement of targeted learners. This is likely to support trustees and leaders to more effectively evaluate these approaches and make evidenced-based decisions about ongoing resourcing.

4 School conditions

How effectively do the school’s curriculum and other organisational processes and practices develop and enact the school’s vision, values, goals and targets for equity and excellence?

The school provides a broad and rich curriculum that is promoting processes and school-wide practices to improve the effectiveness of enacting the schools' vision, and reducing disparity through useful goals and targets being set. Appropriate priority is placed on literacy and mathematics. There are strong links with the community. Good use of the local, rural and natural environment provide many meaningful contexts for children. This interesting curriculum is contributing to high levels of children's engagement in learning.

The principal acknowledges the importance of strengthening the integration of Māori language, culture and identity in the curriculum. This is likely to further support the school's commitment to accelerating the achievement of Māori children.

The school's inclusive culture reflects the agreed valued outcomes for all learners. There are high expectations for senior students to model the school's values and they have many opportunities to develop leadership skills. The corner stone values are well understood and underpin the school's positive and supportive climate for learning.

School leaders are well informed and provide effective leadership of learning to build teacher capability. They model effective practice and work collaboratively with staff to take on new learning. Leaders make good use of current research and teaching approaches to support teachers' professional learning and development. Teachers receive regular feedback about the effectiveness of their practice. Leaders and teachers are committed to continuous improvement of teaching practices most likely to achieve equitable outcomes for all learners.

Leaders and teachers are continuing to develop and strengthen school-wide assessment practices. Teachers are making good use of relevant assessment information particularly for targeted children, to plan specific programmes for these learners. Leaders are closely tracking the progress and achievement of identified target children. These more deliberate approaches are beginning to impact more positively on children's learning outcomes.

School leaders are giving careful consideration of the ongoing implementation of learning progressions for reading, writing and mathematics. Fully embedding the use of these is likely to strengthen:

• teachers curriculum knowledge
• the validity and reliability of overall teacher judgements in relation to National Standards
• children's understanding of their own learning and next steps
• parents as partners in their children's learning.

There are increasingly high levels of Māori whānau involvement in the school. The school actively seeks the aspirations of whānau and use this knowledge to inform decisions about the school's curriculum. Māori and other parents are well informed about classroom programmes and school activities. There are many opportunities for parents and whānau to share their knowledge and expertise with children. Teachers are now well placed to build meaningful partnerships for learning, particularly with parents of children at risk of not achieving expected outcomes.

5 Going forward

How well placed is the school to accelerate the achievement of all children who need it?

Leaders and teachers:

• know the children whose learning and achievement need to be accelerated
• respond effectively to the strengths, needs and interests of each child
• regularly evaluate how well teaching is working for these children
• act on what they know works well for each child
• build teacher capability effectively to achieve equitable outcomes for all children
• are well placed to achieve and sustain equitable and excellent outcomes for all children.

This year, school leaders and teachers have implemented a planned and aligned focus on accelerating the achievement of Māori and other children who were achieving below the National Standards, particularly in reading. Key aspects of this plan include:

• setting specific charter targets for those Māori and other children at risk of not achieving
• regular monitoring of the progress and achievement of these children by teachers and school leaders
• professional development for teachers to support them to implement strategies that support accelerated progress
• ongoing teacher reflection about the effectiveness of their teaching in accelerating the achievement of at risk children.

To strengthen these approaches leaders and teachers should:

• implement practices that further support parents to assist their children's learning at home
• embed the use of learning progressions for reading, writing and mathematics.

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

6 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 the following:

• board administration

• curriculum

• management of health, safety and welfare

• personnel management

• 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

• processes for appointing staff

• stand down, suspensions, expulsions and exclusions

• attendance

• compliance with the provisions of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014.

7 Recommendation

School leaders should give priority to continue extending the effective approaches used to accelerating achievement in reading to the areas of writing and mathematics. 

Lynda Pura-Watson

Deputy Chief Review Officer

17 November 2016 

About the school