Hawera High School

Hawera High School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2022 to 2025

As of August 2022, the Hawera High School, School 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

Further Information

For further information please contact Hawera High School, 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.

Phil Cowie
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

10 November 2022 

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

Hawera High School - 15/06/2017

Findings

The school has made significant progress in addressing areas identified for improvement following ERO’s 2015 review. It is now progressing well towards improving the equity of outcomes for learners, building teacher capability, and developing teachers' understanding of cultural competency for learners and their programmes.

ERO will maintain a liaison role with the board of trustees and principal.

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?

Hawera High School caters for students from Year 9 to 13, drawn from the town of Hawera and the rural community of South Taranaki. The roll of 748 students includes 34% who are Māori.

The May 2015 ERO evaluation identified significant areas for review and development. Trustees and leaders have responded well to these areas. This includes accessing professional learning and development (PLD), effectively setting learning improvement targets, monitoring and tracking learner progress, and establishing teaching as inquiry. A clear framework has been provided to build capacity and guide improvements in key areas.

The school is now progressing well towards improving the equity of outcomes for learners, building teacher capability, and developing teachers’ understanding of cultural competencies to support learners and their programmes.

2 Review and Development

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

Priorities identified for review and development

The previous ERO report identified the need to improve outcomes for at risk learners through building:

  • effective practice and use of learning information to accelerate the achievement of students
  • understanding of cultural competencies and responding to Māori learners
  • knowledge and implementation of schoolwide evaluation. 

Actions undertaken to address these areas have been to:

  • understand and implement effective assessment and analysis of data to inform teaching and learning
  • develop and embed teaching as inquiry to better understand the strategies having the most impact on raising student achievement
  • strengthen connections with parents, families and whānau, especially of Māori learners
  • implement processes and systems for accountability, consistency and improvement
  • build teachers' and leaders’ capability through internal and external support and mentoring
  • enhance effective targeting of learning and evaluation for ongoing improvement.
Progress

Reducing in-school disparity in achievement has been a significant focus for the school. Data reported highlights the success of this approach across most year levels. Achievement information is analysed well and is readily accessible to all staff. Leaders and teachers use this data effectively to:

  • support acceleration for those learners most at risk
  • inform teaching and learning programmes
  • track, monitor and respond sooner to learners
  • increase retention of learners through meaningful pathways beyond school.

The National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) data shows an improvement at Year 11 and in endorsement rates for NCEA Levels 2 and 3 over time. NCEA Level 2 continues to be in line with national figures. Improving trends in achievement data are reported by the school in Years 9 and 10. More learners are now better placed to access NCEA.

The establishment and implementation of effective targeting for achievement has been a significant driver for change. Targets are used well at trustee, leadership and teacher levels to enhance the line of sight to those students whose learning and achievement need acceleration. Regular, in-depth information is shared with the board and is scrutinised well to inform resourcing decisions. Learners are now at the forefront of all professional discussions across the school.

Teaching as inquiry has been implemented well and there is now a consistent schoolwide approach. Strategies and initiatives for those students whose learning and achievement need acceleration are regularly reflected on. Increased collaboration between teachers is highly evident.

3 Sustainable performance and self review

How well placed is the school to sustain and continue to improve and review its performance?

A more coherent approach to strategic planning, school operation and leading change is evident. Trustees and school leaders are focused on implementing and sustaining school processes to improve performance.

Well-considered change processes have been implemented by the school. Purposeful selection of initiatives aligned clearly to school priorities has supported improving quality in school operation. A collaborative approach to schoolwide improvement for equitable outcomes is evident.

The appraisal process for leaders and teachers has been strengthened. It is now consistently implemented across the school. PLD is actively sought to support school improvement initiatives. Clear alignment of schoolwide goals and targets is supporting improvements in teacher practice and student outcomes. Expectations for high quality teaching and learning are evident.

Through effective targeting and teaching as inquiry, evaluation and knowledge building has been strengthened to:

  • use data to appropriately identify priority learners
  • establish and embed systems and processes to better track, monitor and report on learners’ ongoing progress
  • increase communication with parents, family and whānau.

Knowing the impact of strategies, programmes, initiatives and interventions on improving outcomes for students is a key next step. It is now timely to build schoolwide understanding of effective evaluation. Implementing a robust evaluative approach should enhance leadership and appropriately inform ongoing improvements.

Key next steps

To sustain and enhance ongoing improvement Hawera High School trustees, leaders and teachers should continue to:

  • strengthen teaching as inquiry to build teacher capability and better support understanding of those strategies that have the most impact of accelerating achievement
  • build schoolwide leadership capability to provide relevant feedback that supports ongoing improvements in teaching practice.

Useful progress has been made to better respond to Māori culture, language and identity. Strategic appointments and partnerships with key stakeholders, including iwi, are modelling and promoting learning-centred, home-school connections. Continuing to strengthen and embed schoolwide responsibility for, understanding and implementation of responsive cultural competencies should be ongoing. This should include:

  • building confidence and competence in te reo me ngā tikanga Māori
  • seeking aspirations and building understanding of meaningful learning partnerships with Māori learners and their whānau
  • recognising, responding to and empowering Māori learners’ language, culture and identities.

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.

To improve current practice the board of trustees should continue to:

  • review all policies and procedures, with urgency, to ensure all guiding requirements are met and follow education and legislative requirements.

Since the onsite phase of the review the schools has actioned police vetting for all non-teaching personnel.

4 Provision for international students

The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of International Students) Code of Practice 2016 established under section 238F of the Education Act 1989. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code.

No international students were enrolled at the time of the ERO review.

Conclusion

The school has made significant progress in addressing areas identified for improvement following ERO’s 2015 review. It is now progressing well towards improving the equity of outcomes for learners, building teacher capability, and developing teachers' understanding of cultural competency for learners and their programmes.

ERO will maintain a liaison role with the board of trustees and principal.

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

Patricia Davey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)

15 June 2017

About the School 

Location

Hawera

Ministry of Education profile number

182

School type

Secondary (Years 9 to 15)

School roll

748

Gender composition

Female 51%, Male 49%

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Other ethnic groups

34%
61%
5%

Special Features

Additonal Needs Unit

Review team on site

May 2017

Date of this report

15 June 2017

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review
Education Review
Education Review

May 2015
June 2012
December 2008