Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
Background
This Profile Report was written within fourteen months of the Education Review Office and Ōtūmoetai Primary 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
Ōtūmoetai Primary School, located in Tauranga, provides education for students in Years 1-6. A new principal was appointed in 2019. The school is well-resourced and offers quality inclusive education within single cell classrooms and learning focused environments. The school has re-established strong links with Ngāi Tamarāwaho and Huria Marae and has further developed its curriculum to include local hapū and school history. The school has well-established relationships with other schools and early childhood centres within the Ōtūmoetai Kāhui Ako.
Ōtūmoetai Primary School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:
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to embed and consolidate school curriculum expectations and formative assessment practices
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to continue to establish and maintain effective learning partnerships with parents and whānau to support improved outcomes for ākonga
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to weave te reo, te ao and tikanga Māori visibly and authentically into school learning programmes, classrooms, and local curriculum.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Ōtūmoetai Primary School’s website.
The school is working to evaluate how well school conditions are continuing to enable equitable outcomes and raising the level of academic success for all, with a particular focus on boys and Māori students. ERO will support the school in this endeavour. Enhancing effective learning partnerships with parents and whānau and further strengthening culturally responsive practices continue to be priorities for the school.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:
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the school’s strategic approach that maintains a focus on what matters most for learners in relation to equity, inclusion, and partnerships for learning
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the school’s commitment to ensuring culturally responsive pedagogy continues to be a rich, intentional approach woven into every aspect of teaching and learning at Ōtūmoetai Primary School.
The school expects to see further actions implemented to continue the effective delivery of the local curriculum to enable equitable opportunities for all students.
Strengths
The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to enable equitable outcomes for learners:
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leadership of learning that collaboratively develops and pursues the school’s vision, goals and targets for equity and excellence
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a well-established plan that clarifies actions for improvement, builds collective capacity through ongoing professional learning and contributes to effective evaluation of the school’s curriculum and teaching
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a commitment to reconciliation with Māori through an apology for historical school grievances, that has strengthened positive relationships with whānau, hapū and iwi.
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
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continuing to inquire into students who may not have made expected progress
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continuing to enhance learning partnerships to enable educationally powerful connections with parents and whānau that support improved learner outcomes
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further integrating te reo, tikanga, matauranga and te ao Māori authentically into classroom programmes to strengthen delivery of the local curriculum.
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
13 June 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