Findings
How effectively is this school’s curriculum promoting student learning - engagement, progress and achievement?
Te Uku School supports students’ academic learning and personal growth very well. Students benefit from the positive and inclusive school culture. Teachers’ high expectations and student-centred teaching practices motivate students to take responsibility for their own success as learners. Strong leadership and a committed board mean that the school is very well placed to build on its many strengths and to keep improving.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in four-to-five years.
1 Context
What are the important features of this school that have an impact on student learning?
Te Uku School is a Year 1 to 8 primary school near Raglan in the Waikato area. The school continues to promote challenging and relevant approaches to learning to encourage students to become confident and successful learners.
High expectations for teaching and student achievement are supporting students to develop life-long learning skills. The board’s core values for the school of building resilience, responsibility, relationships are evident in student and staff interactions. Well developed pastoral care, a culture of inclusion and good use of restorative practices inspire student trust and confidence to try new challenges in their learning.
The school whānau group continues to meets regularly with leaders and trustees to provide insight into whānau perspectives and aspirations for their children and to support school leaders to promote success for Māori within the school.
The school has a history of positive ERO reports. Trustees and senior leaders welcome external feedback and use it to strengthen their own self review.
2 Learning
How well does this school use achievement information to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement?
Teachers, leaders and trustees make good use of achievement information to support students to be successful learners. This information indicates that most students, including Māori students, achieve at or above National Standards in mathematics, reading and writing. The school’s achievement is generally comparable to regional and national levels of achievement.
The school’s data also show a continuing upward trend in achievement. School charter targets designed to accelerate the progress of students not yet achieving at National Standards are underpinned by high quality improvement plans. Over recent years professional learning has prompted changes to mathematics teaching programmes and pleasing shifts in mathematics achievement are evident. Teachers have also introduced a more consistent approach to the teaching of writing throughout the school, resulting in a similar upward shift in achievement over the past year.
Internal school assessment processes help teachers to make reliable judgements about students’ achievements. Leaders and teachers share a collective responsibility for promoting successful learning. Teaching teams regularly strategise together to support students with special learning needs and lower achievers. These students also benefit from tailored programmes teachers have targeted to address specific learning needs.
Students benefit from the cohesive school culture that promotes their learning and achievement. Student-centred approaches to teaching and learning motivate students to take responsibility for their own progress. Students are encouraged to think about how to learn and how to build on their achievement. Leaders and teachers continue to seek ways to extend students’ ability to talk about and evaluate their own learning pathway.
Parents have opportunities to discuss their children’s achievement and to work in partnership with teachers to support students’ learning progress. Written reports, students’ learning journals and conferences with their children and teachers provide parents with a broad perspective of their own children's learning. Written reports clearly state how well students are achieving in relation to each National Standard. Reports could now include meaningful ways in which parents can further support their children’s learning.
3 Curriculum
How effectively does this school’s curriculum promote and support student learning?
The school curriculum is closely aligned with the school’s strategic aim of preparing students for success ‘intellectually, emotionally, physically and socially’. Curriculum design is underpinned by current educational research and best practice. It successfully supports students to become capable, competent and connected learners. Leaders and teachers actively promote the values, principles and key competencies of The New Zealand Curriculum.
Students benefit from a relevant curriculum that has a strong focus on literacy, mathematics and learning skills. They are encouraged to become collaborative, reflective, inquiring learners. Teachers value the students’ perspectives and their views are included in school review and curriculum design. Teaching that is focused on extending students’ knowledge and skills is helping to build their confidence as successful learners.
Teachers work collaboratively, regularly sharing and reflecting on the effectiveness of curriculum programmes and learning initiatives. They have shared expectations of high quality teaching and learning. These good practices have had a positive impact on teachers' professional development.
The board plans to remodel the classrooms to offer students more conducive environments for interactive and collaborative learning. Students will also have greater opportunity to access digital learning integrated within class programmes.
How effectively does the school promote educational success for Māori, as Māori?
Māori students benefit from effective teaching and learning. School data show the majority of Māori students achieve well in relation to National Standards. Their achievement is comparable to their peers in the school and to Māori achievement regionally and nationally. Annual charter targets to promote Māori students’ educational success are implemented and well reviewed.
Te Uku School continues to demonstrate its commitment to biculturalism. Aspects of te reo Māori me ōna tikanga are being integrated within relevant classroom programmes and promoted through whole-school practices including kapa haka and powhiri. Visits to a local marae affirm Māori students’ sense of identity as Māori and enrich all students’ knowledge and understanding of Māori culture.
Students benefit from the well established relationships between the school and the whānau group that meets regularly with leaders and trustees. These relationships form the basis of a partnership whereby the school gains insight into whānau perspectives and aspirations for their children. Whānau also support staff confidence and development in te reo and tikanga Maori. Leaders and teachers are currently learning te reo Māori through an external provider.
Leaders have begun to work with the school’s Māori community to research the local history and to develop a teaching resource. This is likely to enhance all students’ awareness and appreciation of New Zealand’s bicultural heritage.
4 Sustainable Performance
How well placed is the school to sustain and improve its performance?
The school operates very effectively and is very well placed to make ongoing improvements that impact positively on students’ learning. The school charter is relevant and well aligned with the school’s management programme and classroom practices. ERO is confident that the school’s clear focus on student learning outcomes will continue to promote ongoing school improvement.
The school’s reflective culture helps to give the board confidence in the quality of leadership and teaching. Self review is an effective part of the school’s culture and frequently draws on information from staff, students and parents. Reports to the board are commonly high quality and evaluative.
The principal is a strategic educational leader. She continues to build a knowledgeable, reflective and skilled staff. Leaders are consultative and collaborative. They continue to promote a professional learning culture based on up to date research as well as their knowledge of their students and the community. They successfully sustain teaching initiatives and manage the pace of change of further teaching developments.
Teachers make good use of multiple opportunities to reflect on the impact of their practice on student learning. Teacher appraisal and inquiry processes are leading to teachers thinking more deeply about their practice.
The board provides well considered governance. Trustees have been well supported to take up their new governance roles through induction, succession planning and external training. They regularly review strategic and annual goals and make decisions based around what benefits students as learners. Trustees value and include the perspectives of the school’s community. Trustees acknowledge that it is timely as a new board to review and reorganise the board’s policies to align more with the school’s strategic priorities.
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.
Conclusion
Te Uku School supports students’ academic learning and personal growth very well. Students benefit from the positive and inclusive school culture. Teachers’ high expectations and student-centred teaching practices motivate students to take responsibility for their own success as learners. Strong leadership and a committed board mean that the school is very well placed to build on its many strengths and to keep improving.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in four-to-five years.
Dale Bailey
National Manager Review Services
Northern Region
27 June 2014
About the School
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Location
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Te Uku, Raglan
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Ministry of Education profile number
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2024
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School type
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Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)
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School roll
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160
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Gender composition
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Girls 54%
Boys 46%
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Ethnic composition
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Māori
NZ European/Pākehā
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24%
76%
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Review team on site
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May 2014
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Date of this report
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27 June 2014
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Most recent ERO report(s)
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Education Review
Education Review
Education Review
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May 2010
July 2007
June 2004
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