37 Hamurana Road , Omokoroa
View on mapThis Profile Report was written within 9 months of the Education Review Office and Omokoroa Point 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
Omokoroa Point School provides education for children in Years 1 to 8. It is situated on the coastal settlement of Omokoroa near Tauranga. A new principal was appointed in 2020 and there has been a number of changes within the staff. The community of Omokoroa has experienced significant growth in recent years. The school roll has grown and the board of trustees and leaders are planning, adapting and responding to changes as they arise.
Omokoroa Point School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:
effective teaching and learning – consistent, effective teaching and learning will be evident at ŌPS
effective relationships with people and place – nurture a collaborative environment that represents our vision, iwi, and community
hauora – hauora and well-being of our students and staff is prioritised by bringing our school vision to life
Te Tiriti – we are a Tiriti led school.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Omokoroa Point School’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the extent to which adaptations to the school curriculum are leading to equitable and excellent outcomes.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:
the need to monitor and evaluate the implementation of teaching and learning strategies for their impact on learner outcomes
to use the information gathered to evaluate which teaching practices are improving equitable outcomes for learners, and to further refine the curriculum in response to evidence.
The school expects to see:
a shared understanding and language of the local curriculum among students, teachers, whānau and community
a Tiriti led school that values and promotes the identity, belonging and wellbeing of all learners
consistent teaching practice that is informed by research and supported by school evidence of improvement
a trajectory of equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners.
The school can draw from the following strengths to support it in its goals:
Motivated leaders, teachers and staff who are enthusiastic about growing their collective capacity through professional learning.
A rich local environment supported by community connections and partnerships intent on promoting a bespoke local curriculum.
Models of internal evaluation structures to support iterative strategic decision making.
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
teacher capability building in formative assessment structures to inform teaching and learning, supported by appropriate leadership structures
the publication of a clear strategic plan providing shared vision and future actions
the introduction of a localised curriculum reflective of whānau, hapu and community aspirations.
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
14 February 2023
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
As of 14th December 2022, the Omokoroa Point School Board of Trustees has attested to the following regulatory and legislative requirements:
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
The board has identified the following areas of non-compliance during the board assurance process:
The requirement to adopt a statement on the delivery of the health curriculum, at least once in every two years, after consultation with the school community has not been met [Section 92 Education and Training Act 2020].
The board has since taken steps to address the areas of non-compliance identified.
For further information please contact Omokoroa Point 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
14 February 2023
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
Omokoroa Point School provides education for children in Years 1 to 8. It is situated in the coastal settlement of Omokoroa near Tauranga. The current roll of 227 includes 33 Māori children. Since the 2014 ERO review, the principal and senior leadership team have remained the same and five new teachers have been appointed. The principal has taken a pro-active approach to professional growth for teachers, particularly in promoting leadership roles across the school. Leaders and teachers work collaboratively with other schools in the area sharing practice and professional learning opportunities. Several trustees are new to their roles and they have undertaken governance training. Trustees understand their roles and are focused on improving learning outcomes for all children.
The majority of children including Māori, are achieving at the expected National Standard. This pattern is consistent in reading, writing and mathematics. Since 2014, the school has successfully addressed disparity for Maori children in writing and there has been a significant reduction in disparity in mathematics.
The school is responding well to Maori and other children in the school whose learning and achievement needs acceleration. At the time of this review achievement data shows that a significant majority of children are acheiving at or above the National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics.
Processes related to governance, leadership, teaching practice and parent and community partnerships are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence.
Further development is needed to strengthen aspects of internal evaluation.
Learners are achieving well. The school demonstrates strong progress toward achieving equity in educational outcomes, supported by effective, sustainable processes and practices.
Agreed next steps are to:
review strategic priorities to support consolidation and sustainability of initiatives over time
refine achievement targets and evaluate the effectiveness of programmes and initiatives that accelerate the progress of priority learners
review the curriculum to ensure that it reflects current school approaches to teaching and learning, including a more systematic and sequential approach to incorporating te reo and tikanga Māori across the school
further develop and embed shared understandings about teaching as inquiry.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
The school is responding well to Māori and other children in the school whose learning and achievement needs acceleration.
The majority of children, including Māori are achieving at the expected National Standard. This pattern is consistent in reading, writing and mathematics. In writing, girls achieve at higher levels than boys. In mathematics and reading, boys achieve at higher levels than girls. Since 2014 the school has successfully addressed disparity for Maori children in writing and there has been a significant reduction in disparity in mathematics. In reading, Māori as a group are achieving at slightly lower rates than their peers at the school.
The school effectively accesses specialist services for children that have high learning or behaviour needs. Productive partnerships with external agencies support teachers to build capability and provide appropriate learning environments for children. Progress of at-risk learners is closely monitored and reported to parents.
There are sound processes in place to moderate teacher judgements about children’s learning in relation to National Standards. The school gathers achievement information using nationally referenced tests, teacher observations and other useful assessment strategies. Leaders and teachers use this information to make dependable judgements about each child’s achievement in relation to National Standards.
While teachers monitor children’s progress carefully, school-wide achievement information is not used to evaluate the effectiveness of all programmes that are in place to accelerate progress of at-risk learners.
Processes related to governance, leadership, teaching practice and parent community partnerships are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence.
The board effectively serves the school community. Recent consultation has allowed for parent and community aspirations to be strongly reflected in the school’s charter and strategic direction. Trustees ensure that resourcing school initiatives designed to support children with additional learning needs are well resourced. They are highly supportive of the principal. The board’s responsive approach to stewardship contributes to children’s learning and wellbeing.
There is a highly inclusive culture for learning. The principal and senior leaders celebrate diversity and have built strong relational trust at all levels of the school community. They promote and participate in professional learning and development. Leaders encourage innovation and focus on building teacher capability and leadership skills across the school. This approach is contributing to more equitable outcomes for priority learners.
The school effectively prioritises partnerships with parents. There are many opportunities for parents and caregivers to engage as partners in their children’s learning. Parents are welcomed into the school to observe and participate in learning programmes. They are well informed about their children’s learning and progress. The school fosters positive relationships with local iwi and school whānau. Children benefit from focused learning partnerships between the school and families.
Teachers know their students well. Sound assessment processes provide good information about children’s strengths and learning needs. Teachers provide equitable and inclusive learning environments. High expectations for teaching and learning in literacy and mathematics are evident in teachers’ practice across the school. They use authentic contexts and an inquiry approach to actively involve students in their learning. This contributes to children’s engagement, confidence and self-belief as learners.
Further development is needed to strengthen the following aspects of internal evaluation:
board self review of strategic priorities to support consolidation and sustainability of initiatives over time
refining achievement targets to improve ongoing monitoring and reporting progress of at-risk learners
evaluating the effectiveness of programmes and initiatives designed to accelerate the progress of priority learners
reviewing the curriculum to ensure that it reflects current school approaches to teaching and learning, including a more systematic and sequential approach to incorporating te reo and tikanga Māori across the school
developing and embedding shared understandings about teaching as inquiry.
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
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.
Learners are achieving well. The school demonstrates strong progress toward achieving equity in educational outcomes, supported by effective, sustainable processes and practices.
Agreed next steps are to:
review strategic priorities to support consolidation and sustainability of initiatives over time
refine achievement targets and evaluate the effectiveness of programmes and initiatives that accelerate the progress of priority learners
review the curriculum to ensure that it reflects current school approaches to teaching and learning, including a more systematic and sequential approach to incorporating te reo and tikanga Māori across the school
further develop and embed shared understandings about teaching as inquiry.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Waikato/Bay of Plenty
31 October 2017
|
Location |
Tauranga |
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
1862 |
|
School type |
Full Primary (Years 1 to 8) |
|
School roll |
227 |
|
Gender composition |
Girls 52% Boys 48% |
|
Ethnic composition |
Pākehā 73% |
|
Provision of Māori medium education |
No |
|
Review team on site |
August 2017 |
|
Date of this report |
31 October 2017 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review June 2014 |