Turaki School

Turaki School

School Evaluation Report

Tēnā koutou e mau manawa rahi ki te kaupapa e aro ake nei, ko te tamaiti te pūtake o te kaupapa. Mā wai rā e kawe, mā tātau katoa.

We acknowledge the collective effort, responsibility and commitment by all to ensure that the child remains at the heart of the matter.

Context 

Turaki School is in Taumarunui and provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. The school’s vision, Rural School, Global Outlook is underpinned by the AROHA values of achievement, respect, ownership, honesty and attitude– The Turaki Way.

There are two parts to this report.

Part A: An evaluative summary of learner success and school conditions to inform the school board’s future strategic direction, including any education in Rumaki/bilingual settings.

Part B: The improvement actions prioritised for the school’s next evaluation cycle.

Part A: Current State

The following findings are to inform the school’s future priorities for improvement.

Learner Success and Wellbeing

Outcomes for learners are becoming more equitable and excellent.
  • The majority of learners achieve at or above curriculum expectations in reading, writing and mathematics.
  • Students with additional needs are provided with effective assistance and they progress well in relation to their learning goals.
  • Learners experience a positive and increasingly supportive environment that supports their wellbeing and promotes a sense of belonging.
  • Less than half of students attend school regularly, below the 2024 Ministry of Education target; leaders and teachers closely monitor and support whānau to improve the attendance rates for all learners.

Conditions to support learner success

Leaders work well strategically to improve outcomes for learners.
  • Leaders set and pursue schoolwide goals and targets with a focus on increasing progress and achievement for all learners.
  • Clear expectations and scheduling prioritise literacy and mathematics teaching that effectively supports continued improvement in learning outcomes.
  • Leaders use internal and external expertise that facilitates ongoing development of the curriculum and strengthens responsive teaching practices.
Teachers are taking steps to provide consistent teaching, learning and assessment practices.
  • Teachers increasingly demonstrate a culture of learning and reflection focused on aspects of their teaching practice to improve learner engagement, progress and achievement.
  • Teachers are working towards addressing barriers to learning, using assessment data to inform responsive practices that support improved learner outcomes.
  • Students experience a well-considered curriculum that provides them with relevant learning opportunities and reflects the aspirations of the community.
Key conditions continue to be strengthened to support improved outcomes for learners.
  • Leaders and staff work with whānau as respected and valued partners in learning to progress school priorities for learner success.
  • Leaders are developing evaluative capabilities to better know and understand the impact of initiatives and strategies on learner outcomes.
  • The board makes targeted resourcing decisions that support the school’s vision, strategic direction and improvement goals.
  • School leaders are continuing to build reciprocal partnerships with iwi and hapū, to ensure the curriculum reflects local contexts and te ao Māori.

Part B: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to:

  • further develop explicit teaching approaches to sustain and improve learner progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics
  • adopt a framework to increase the use of internal evaluation schoolwide, to support ongoing improvement
  • use internal and external expertise to strengthen the provision of te reo Māori and mātauranga Māori within the curriculum, with a focus on increasing teacher and learner capability
  • explore additional strategies to promote regular attendance.

The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.

Within three to six months:

  • develop a systematic way to monitor the progress and impact of key improvement actions
  • evaluate the provision of te reo Māori and mātauranga Māori within the school’s curriculum, assess teacher and learner capability and develop an implementation plan
  • refine strategies for supporting regular attendance.

Every six months:

  • observe and evaluate teaching across the school, offering personalised feedback and next steps for teachers
  • leaders and teachers regularly collaborate to discuss successful explicit teaching practice and analyse shifts in attendance and achievement data
  • review how well teachers are increasingly integrating te reo Māori and mātauranga Māori within the curriculum and the impact on learner outcomes.

Annually:

  • review and analyse achievement information, including the perspectives of whānau and learners, to identify initiatives that have been most successful in accelerating progress and achievement for all learners
  • report analysed attendance and achievement data to the board, to strategically plan actions that will continue to sustain and improve learner outcomes.

Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:

  • improved attendance and sustained learner progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics for all learners
  • leaders and teachers using data and feedback to collaboratively monitor, track and evaluate the impact of teaching adaptations on learning outcomes
  • increasing staff and learner capability in te reo Māori and mātauranga Māori.

ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a School Evaluation Report and is due within three years.

Me mahi tahi tonu tātau, kia whai oranga a tātau tamariki
Let’s continue to work together for the greater good of all children

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

28 January 2025 

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

Turaki School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2024 to 2027

As of October 2024, the Turaki 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 Turaki 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.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

28 January 2025 

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

Turaki School

School Context

Turaki School, situated in Taumarunui, has a roll of 170 Years 1 to 8 students. This is a decrease from the 235 children enrolled at the time of the November 2015 ERO report. The majority of students (59%) identify as Māori. The school acknowledges the iwi of Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Ngāti Maniapoto and Ngāti Tūwharetoa, who have mana whenua where the school is located.

Within the school vision is the belief that every student can succeed to a high level. The ‘AROHA’ values of ‘attitude, respect, ownership, honesty and achievement’ are promoted in support of the vision.

In 2018 schoolwide achievement targets have been set in reading, writing and mathematics. These include all children below curriculum expectation and needing acceleration in learning.

Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, schoolwide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:

  • achievement in relation to the levels of The New Zealand Curriculum
  • progress in reading, writing and mathematics
  • levels of engagement in learning.

A new principal and senior leadership team have recently replaced a long-serving principal and deputy principal.

Evaluation Findings

1 Equity and excellence – achievement of valued outcomes for students

1.1 How well is the school achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all its students?

A clear picture of overall student achievement outcomes, relative to curriculum expectation over time, is not evident. Lack of a shared understanding for making overall achievement decisions and variable use of assessment data, mean the school cannot be assured of the dependability of the judgements. The newleadership team is supporting teachers to strengthen their understanding of assessment information and develop guidelines to enable more appropriate judgements about achievement and progress to be made.

A range of assessment tools is used by teachers and leaders to identify levels of achievement in reading, writing and mathematics. Reference to specific assessments indicates that a small majority of students, including Māori, achieve at curriculum expectation in reading. Achievement in writing and mathematics is lower, with about half of the students meeting expectation.

School-collected data indicates Māori, as a group, achieve at a lower level than non-Māori, especially in writing. Boys are over represented amongst those needing to make accelerated progress in reading and writing.

1.2 How well is the school accelerating learning for those Māori and other students who need this?

Processes are being developed to enable teachers and leaders to better determine how effectively students’ progress is being accelerated. Strategies are being implemented to support greater progress for these targeted learners.

Specific measures have been identified to show acceleration. Target students are the basis of individual teacher inquiries. Teachers are able to describe the progress individual children have made. They increasingly reflect on the effectiveness of programmes to accelerate progress.

Interim 2018 data indicates children’s progress is more effectively accelerated in mathematics than in reading and writing.

2 School conditions for equity and excellence – processes and practices

2.1 What school processes and practices are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence, and acceleration of learning?

The board is strongly focused on improving student wellbeing and achievement. Trustees question and seek information to support them in pursuing the school’s targets and goals. They receive a range of data to assist them in knowing what is going well, what is not and why. Good collaboration between the board and senior leadership has established a clear understanding of respective roles. The recently reviewed strategic goals and 2018 annual plan establish a clear direction for improvement.

Collective responsibility for improving children’s outcomes is evident. The principal has a strategic approach to building capability across the school. The collective capacity of the new senior leadership team continues to strengthen. Senior leaders are well supported to guide and mentor other teachers.

The recently appointed principal effectively uses inquiry and ongoing reflection to determine priorities for improving outcomes for children. The relational and strategic approach taken is increasing the levels of engagement of staff and community in promoting learning and improvement.

A supportive environment conducive to children’s wellbeing and learning is developing. A renewed focus on AROHA values is leading to greater shared understanding of expected practices and increased consistency in implementing them. A positive schoolwide tone more supportive of learning is further promoted by increased opportunities for children to be heard and take on leadership roles.

Children and whānau are increasingly involved as partners in learning and in determining school direction. Implementation of deliberate strategies is resulting in the establishment of an environment that is inclusive and promotes children’s confidence in their language and culture. Community resources and expertise are valued. Extended opportunities in Māori performing arts recognise the cultural knowledge of children and whānau. The acknowledgement of te ao Māori in everyday school practices and learning, and building of purposeful connections with whānau, effectively promote the importance of children’s identity to learning success.

A sensitive and inclusive approach supports those children with the most complex needs. Children’s learning priorities, interests and strengths are well-known. Goals are determined in association with parents, whānau, teachers, teacher aides and external agencies. Individual learning plans are purposeful and appropriate. Students are well supported to access learning in a caring learning environment.

2.2 What further developments are needed in school processes and practices for achievement of equity and excellence, and acceleration of learning?

The school has identified assessment practices should be improved to ensure the dependability and appropriate use of data to identify and report children’s progress relative to expected curriculum levels. This process should include:

  • building teacher understanding of the use of appropriate tools to show achievement and progress
  • documenting guidelines, including for moderation and monitoring, to ensure consistent and appropriate overall curriculum level judgements by teachers
  • identifying how children’s progress and achievement in literacy and mathematics will be shared with parents, whānau and trustees.

Better use of assessment information should enable the school to build a more comprehensive picture of the quality of learning overall, and also for groups of students, including Māori. This should support better reporting to the board, more effective targeting of resources and an improved understanding of how effectively teaching contributes to excellent and equitable outcomes for learners.

As identified by leaders and teachers, it is a priority to develop a schoolwide, documented curriculum delivery plan, underpinned by The New Zealand Curriculum and the school’s identified core values. This should include:

  • expectations and guidelines for teaching, learning and assessment, and for curriculum innovations underway and planned
  • embedding of learning from teacher professional development
  • planning for ensuring coherence as children progress through the school
  • using whānau voice to further promote Māori culture, language and identity within a local context
  • identifying high quality practices linked to the Standards for the Teaching Profession.

These actions should support consistent schoolwide understanding and implementation of good teaching practices to improve outcomes for learners.

In junior classes, a purposeful play-based learning programme that should promote children’s learning, progress and wellbeing has yet to be effectively implemented. Clear teaching expectations and learning outcomes should be identified to support ongoing inquiry into the impact of this initiative.

A process for teacher appraisal has been developed and is in the early stages of implementation. Appropriate components include evidence-based consideration of the impact of teacher practice on children’s outcomes and personalised teacher goals. The process should be strengthened by ensuring documentation is focused on the Standards for the Teaching Profession and includes an annual summary document. Embedding the newly developed system for appraisal should support improved teacher capability.

Teachers and leaders are reflective and focused on improvement. They should deepen their understanding of internal evaluation to assist them to identify what is working well in the school’s curriculum, where further developments are necessary, and how shifts in practice are impacting on outcomes for children.

3 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:

  • board administration
  • curriculum
  • management of health, safety and welfare
  • personnel management
  • finance
  • 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.

4 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

For sustained improvement and future learner success, the school can draw on existing strengths in:

  • the collaborative and relational focus of the principal, that is increasing the involvement of parents and whānau
  • the direction setting and monitoring by the board of trustees that promotes children’s wellbeing and achievement
  • an inclusive approach that involves all learners in a range of learning opportunities
  • promoting te ao Māori that endorses the importance of children’s identity to success in learning.

Next steps

For sustained improvement and future learner success, priorities for further development are in:

  • improving outcomes for children by raising levels of achievement overall
  • build a more comprehensive picture of the quality of learning as a whole, and to support targeted planning to accelerate children’s learning [ERO will monitor and discuss progress with the school]using dependable assessment information to
  • consistent schoolwide understanding and implementation of good teaching practices to support a curriculum based on valued learner outcomes
  • internal evaluation that clearly identifies what is working well for children’s learning and where improvements are needed.

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

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

Alan Wynyard

Director Review and Improvement Services

Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region

25 October 2018

About the school

LocationTaumarunui
Ministry of Education profile number2040
School typeFull Primary (Year 1 - 8)
School roll170
Gender compositionMale 56%, Female 44%
Ethnic compositionMāori 59%
Pākehā 38% 
Other ethnic groups 3%
Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS)Yes
Provision of Māori medium educationNo
Review team on siteAugust 2018
Date of this report25 October 2018
Most recent ERO report(s)Education Review November 2015
Education Review September 2012
Education Review July 2009