52 Orchard Road, Ngatea
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Ngatea School
Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
Background
This Profile Report was written within seven months of the Education Review Office and Ngatea School working in Te Ara Huarau, an improvement evaluation approach used in most English Medium State and State Integrated Schools. For more information about Te Ara Huarau see ERO’s website. www.ero.govt.nz
Context
Ngatea School is located in the town of Ngatea in the Hauraki District and provides education for students in Years 0 to 8. The school vision, ‘Authors of our own learning in a collaborative and supportive community which empowers play, passion and purpose’, guides all aspects of the curriculum.
Ngatea School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to pursue the vision by strengthening:
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self-care and positive mental health at Ngatea School
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organisation, structures and environments
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curriculum and learning programmes.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Ngatea School’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the extent to which a systematic and sustained approach to wellbeing is supporting students to engage successfully in learning. The school expects that strengthening responsive wellbeing practices will support ongoing improvements to a range of student outcomes.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:
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the need to respond to a significant number of students who require support
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the significant difference it will make to learners most at risk of underachieving
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the opportunity to refine wellbeing approaches in response to evaluation findings.
The school expects to see:
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a wellbeing framework guiding consistent and effective wellbeing practices
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ongoing review based on student data, and teacher, student and whānau voice informing refinements to wellbeing practices
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improved student self-care and positive mental health leading to improved student learning outcomes.
Strengths
The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to strengthen student wellbeing outcomes:
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governance and leadership that pursues a clearly articulated strategic vision and plan
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the systems, structures and capacity to pursue consistently excellent and equitable outcomes for all
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a responsive, inclusive curriculum and learning environment that encourages students to become ‘authors of their own learning’.
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
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establishing a wellbeing framework to guide consistent, effective practices at Ngatea School
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building staff understanding of trauma-informed wellbeing approaches
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implementing a range of wellbeing practices to support growth in self-care skills and positive mental health, and improved learning outcomes
Using student data and a range of voices (student, teacher, whānau) to inform ongoing review and refinement of the wellbeing framework.
ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. ERO will support the school in reporting their progress to the community. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report and is due within three years.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
2 September 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
Ngatea School
Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2022 to 2025
As of June 2022, the Ngatea School Board of Trustees 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 Ngatea School Board of Trustees.
The next Board of Trustees 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
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
2 September 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
Ngatea School - 21/06/2017
Summary
Ngatea School, located in the township of Ngatea, provides education for children in Years 1 to 8. The school’s roll of 289 includes 27 Māori children. Since the previous ERO review in November 2013 the school has experienced consistent leadership and staffing. Teaching and learning systems have been restructured to promote more collaborative approaches where teachers work together with smaller groups of children within combined class environments.
How well is the school achieving equitable outcomes for all children?
Ngatea School responds well to Māori and other children whose learning needs acceleration.
Many processes are effective in enabling the achievement of equity and excellence.
Further development is needed in targeting and accelerating the learning and achievement of identified at risk learners, achieving below National Standards.
At the time of this ERO review most Māori and other children were achieving at or above the National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Generally girls achieve at a higher levels than boys.
The school has capacity and capability to accelerate learning for all children. However, disparity in achievement for Māori and/or other children remains.
Leaders and teachers:
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know the children whose learning and achievement need to be accelerated
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need to improve the school conditions that support the acceleration of children’s learning and achievement.
The school agrees to:
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develop more targeted planning to accelerate learning for children
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monitor targeted planning, improved teaching, and children’s progress
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discuss the school’s progress with ERO.
The school has requested that ERO provide them with an internal evaluation workshop.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
Equity and excellence
How effectively does this school respond to Māori and other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration?
Ngatea School responds well to Māori and other children whose learning needs acceleration.
During the three previous years most Māori and other children achieved at or above the National Standards in reading and mathematics. Slightly lower results were achieved in writing. These results are below the Ministry of Education’s 2017 goal of having 85% of all children achieving at or above the National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics.
Māori children proportionally achieved at similar levels than their non-Māori peers at the school in reading and writing, and in 2016 at lower levels in mathematics. Generally girls achieved at higher levels than boys.
School leaders have developed some useful processes to support teachers to make dependable National Standards judgements. They are continuing to review and strengthen these processes.
School conditions supporting equity and excellence
What school processes are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence?
Many processes are effective in enabling the achievement of equity and excellence.
School leadership is knowledgeable and well informed in providing a strategic approach to school development. They work collaboratively with teachers to implement the school’s shared vision of ‘children as authors of their learning’. There is an effective approach to building teacher capability, including accessing meaningful professional development and implementing robust teacher appraisal process. Leaders have developed a useful strategic plan to build cultural responsiveness and are establishing positive relationships with the Māori community. Well-informed leadership contributes to the school being able to meet its vision and promote positive outcomes for children.
The school’s curriculum is rich and responsive to children’s learning and was developed in consultation with the school’s community. The school’s local and collaborative curriculum supports children as self-directed learners.
Teaching practices are effective in engaging children and promoting learning. Teachers demonstrate positive and affirming relationships with children. They make effective use of achievement information to provide targeted learning programmes. High levels of collaboration among teachers supports them to effectively respond to children’s learning needs. ERO observed children engaged in meaningful learning experiences. Children’s learning and wellbeing are enhanced through effective teaching and positive relationships.
Trustees work in the best interests of children. They are well informed about school-wide achievement. Trustees are supportive of teacher professional learning and development, and ensuring equitable opportunities for all children. Supportive stewardship contributes to the school’s commitment to equity and excellence.
Sustainable development for equity and excellence
What further developments are needed in school processes to achieve equity and excellence?
Further development is needed in targeting and accelerating the learning and achievement of identified at risk learners, achieving below National Standards. Aspects of this process are not well developed and aligned:
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charter targets need to focus more specifically on the number of children whose learning requires acceleration
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leaders need to report on the rates of progress for identified groups of target children.
Effective internal evaluation processes, including teachers’ inquiries into their practice, are yet to be embedded. Improved use of achievement information by leaders to identify the effectiveness of initiatives in accelerating achievement is necessary as part of ongoing evaluation.
The school is at an early stage of implementing culturally responsive practices. The school is yet to provide a sequential te reo and tikanga Māori programme across the school, and to systematically include local Māori history in the curriculum.
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:
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board administration
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curriculum
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management of health, safety and welfare
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personnel management
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asset management.
During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student safety and wellbeing:
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emotional safety of students (including prevention of bullying and sexual harassment)
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physical safety of students
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teacher registration and certification
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processes for appointing staff
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stand down, suspension, expulsion and exclusion of students
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attendance
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school policies in relation to meeting the requirements of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014.
Going forward
How well placed is the school to accelerate the achievement of all children who need it?
The school has capacity and capability to accelerate learning for all children. However, disparity in achievement for Māori and/or other children remains.
Leaders and teachers:
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know the children whose learning and achievement need to be accelerated
-
need to improve the school conditions that support the acceleration of children’s learning and achievement.
The school agrees to:
-
develop more targeted planning to accelerate learning for children
-
monitor targeted planning, improved teaching, and children’s progress
-
discuss the school’s progress with ERO.
The school has requested that ERO provide them with an internal evaluation workshop.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Waikato / Bay of Plenty
21 June 2017
About the school
Location |
Ngatea, near Thames |
Ministry of Education profile number |
1850 |
School type |
Full Primary (Years 1 to 8) |
School roll |
278 |
Gender composition |
Boys 50% Girls 50% |
Ethnic composition |
Pākehā 82% |
Provision of Māori medium education |
No |
Review team on site |
March 2017 |
Date of this report |
21 June 2017 |
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review February 2014 Education Review May 2011 Education Review June 2008 |