Waikino School

School Context

Waikino School is located near the township of Waihi and provides education for students in Years 1 to 6. The school’s current roll of 79 includes 20 Māori students and a small number of students from a range of other cultural backgrounds.

The school’s vision is to ‘develop life-long learners who strive for excellence and make a positive difference’. The school’s values include ‘respect, leadership, creativity and peacefulness’.

The school’s strategic goals focus on:

• maximising individual potential and achievement in literacy, numeracy and the wider curriculum
• fostering creativity, innovation, inquiry and problem solving for learners, teachers and whānau
• taking action for the school, community and wider environments
• developing the school as the heart of its community.

The school’s achievement target focuses on those students most at risk of not achieving in writing.

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

• reading, writing and mathematics
• wellbeing.

Since the November 2016 ERO report, there have been many changes in personnel. A new principal was appointed during the middle of 2017 and almost all teachers are new to their roles. An all new board of trustees was elected in 2019.

The school had undertaken significant property enhancements and the roll has grown considerably over the past three years. Leaders and teachers have undertaken professional learning and development in literacy and culturally responsive practices.

The school is a member of the Waihi Community of Learning|Kāhui Ako.

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?

The school is not yet achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all students.

The school’s achievement data from 2018 shows the majority of students achieve at or above expected levels in reading, approximately half in mathematics and less than half in writing.

Mid-year 2019 data for Maori students shows they are achieving at similar levels to their Pākehā peers in literacy, but at significantly lower levels in mathematics.

Girls are achieving at significantly higher levels than boys in literacy. Boys are achieving at very low levels in writing. Data over the past two years shows significant improvement in reading, while writing achievement has declined.

The school’s analysed data from 2018 shows significant improvement in overall levels of wellbeing for students.

Students with additional learning needs are well supported and make appropriate progress in relation to their individual goals.

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

The school is accelerating learning for some Māori and other students who need it.

Achievement information over the past two years shows effective acceleration in literacy and mathematics as a result of targeted interventions and programmes.

The school’s analysed data from mid-2018 to mid-2019 shows a large majority of priority students made accelerated progress in all areas. Most Māori students who were at-risk of not achieving also made accelerated progress in literacy, but lower rates of acceleration in mathematics.

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 school has a highly inclusive culture for learning. Affirming relationships between teachers and students promote wellbeing and calm and settled environments. Students with additional needs are well catered for through personalised planning that contributes to progress and acceleration. Effective liaison with a wide range of outside agencies supports students’ learning and behavioural needs. Deliberate strategies facilitate positive transitions for students into and out of the school. Trustees make informed decisions about resourcing and fund learning support programmes that contribute to equitable opportunities to learn.  

The school’s local curriculum effectively engages students. A wide variety of educational opportunities in the outdoors, caters for different learning styles and supports development in the key competencies. A strong feature of the school’s curriculum is forest learning and environmental education. Teachers actively promote problem-solving and risk-taking in authentic contexts for learning. Respectful tikanga practices are well embedded in the life of the school and affirm the place of language, culture and identity for Māori students. Strong school values enable a sense of community and belonging for students and their families.

Leadership is highly focused on building teacher capability. Professional learning has been prioritised to support teachers’ assessment capability and improve the overall reliability of achievement information. Data is used well to track, monitor and report on individual progress and rates of acceleration for at-risk students. Clear expectations for teaching and learning have been developed collaboratively to guide consistency of schoolwide practices. A clear vision and direction for school development is supporting continuous improvement.

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

The board, principal and staff must prioritise and develop a strategic and sustainable approach to raising overall levels of student achievement.

Current school targets focus on accelerating at-risk students in writing. There is a need to extend this focus to include all students at-risk of not achieving in reading and mathematics.

A challenge for the school is the significant changes in the teaching team. Priority should be given to:

• continuing to build teacher capability in targeted planning, effective teaching strategies and formative assessment practices to improve outcomes for students

• reducing disparity in achievement, especially for boys in literacy and Māori students in mathematics.

Continuing to empower students in personalised learning pathways is an agreed focus for the school. Useful frameworks have been developed to support students to understand their identified goals in learning. However, there is a need to further strengthen students’ knowledge of their current and next learning steps, especially for students at-risk of not achieving.

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 Children’s Act 2014.

4 ERO’s Overall Judgement

On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement of Waikino School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Developing.

ERO’s Framework: Overall School Performance is available on ERO’s website.

5 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

• leadership for learning that is focused on improving outcomes for all students
• a culture that supports the individual needs of students
• a curriculum that contributes to high levels of student engagement.

Next steps

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

• building collective capacity in targeted action to raise schoolwide levels of achievement and reduce disparity
• student agency to grow fully independent learners.

Phillip Cowie

Director Review and Improvement Services Central

Central Region

30 October 2019

About the school

Location	Waikino
Ministry of Education profile number	2054
School type	Contributing (Years 1 to 6)
School roll	79
Gender composition	Female 49 Male 30
Ethnic composition	Māori 20 NZ European/Pākehā 52 Other ethnic groups 7
Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS)	No
Provision of Māori medium education	No
Review team on site	August 2019
Date of this report	30 October 2019
Most recent ERO report(s)	Education Review November 2016 Education Review November 2013 Education Review December 2010

1 Context

Waikino is a small school located near the township of Waihi which provides education for children in Years 1 to 6. The school currently operates three multi-level classes for 44 children, including eight of Māori descent. There has been considerable roll growth at the new entrant level during 2016. The current principal was appointed in 2014 and trustees are well established in their roles. A significant factor influencing student learning over the last two years has been the development of a unique local curriculum that has fully engaged parents, whānau and the wider community in the life of the school.

2 Equity and excellence

The vision and valued outcomes defined by the school for all children are 'for all children to develop as life-long learners who strive for excellence and make a positive difference'. In order to achieve this the school has embedded the foundations of literacy, numeracy, hauora (wellbeing), creativity and uarā (values) in its vision and documented priorities.

The principles of the Waikino Learning Community were established in consultation with students, whānau and staff and embody high expectations, the Treaty of Waitangi partnership, cultural diversity, inclusion, community engagement and a future focus that is consistent with the established enviro-school's kaupapa.

The school’s achievement information shows that in 2014 and 2015 most students, and all Māori, achieved National Standards. The information also shows that, of the very small number of students achieving below expected levels, most experienced accelerated progress during 2015.

The school continues to explore strategies and tools to strengthen moderation processes that teachers undertake when they make judgements about each child's achievement in relation to National Standards. These processes are continuing to develop as teachers' knowledge and understanding of assessment are improving.

Since the last ERO evaluation the school has maintained a priority on providing equitable outcomes for all students through an ongoing focus on accelerating progress for students achieving below expected levels.

Significant developments since the 2013 ERO review include:

• the appointment of a new principal and some new teaching staff
• a major review of the Waikino School local curriculum to embrace
  • strong links with the natural environment
  • local Māori history and tikanga
  • a vibrant, visual and well-understood Māori dimension
• board funding of additional teacher time and targeted support for students with identified learning needs
• ongoing engagement with the school community in learning and wellbeing focused partnerships
• school-wide, externally facilitated professional development for teachers, with a focus on writing in 2015 and 2016
• a planned programme of trustee training
• major review and redesign of the performance management system for teachers and the principal, which includes strong links to accelerating progress for at risk learners.

The school is currently in a process of consultation and consideration of the benefit in joining a local community of learning (CoL), alongside other Waihi Schools, to share good practice and address common achievement challenges.

3 Accelerating achievement

How effectively does this school respond to children whose learning and achievement need acceleration?

The school responds effectively to all children whose learning progress requires acceleration. The principal and teachers have made effective use of achievement information to identify students achieving below expected levels. They have worked together to clearly define and understand what 'accelerated progress' looks like, set targets and implemented strategies to accelerate progress for all these students. The school has responded to children whose learning needs accelerating through the following programmes, interventions and strategies:

• the inclusion of all students achieving below expected levels in annual charter targets and plans that are developed collaboratively between the staff, principal and board of trustees
• targeted teaching through the establishment of teaching as cycles of professional inquiry, which are aligned with school charter targets
• appropriate and closely monitored learning support programmes
• close communication with, and involvement of, parents and whānau in partnerships focused on accelerating achievement
• targeted school-wide professional learning for teachers to improve their practice
• the close alignment of teacher appraisal processes with accelerating student progress for target students.

The school's response to accelerating progress for at risk learners is thorough, well planned and has contributed to the acceleration of progress for most of the small number of students achieving below expected levels in 2015, including Māori.

4 School conditions

How effectively do the school’s curriculum and other organisational processes and practices develop and enact the school’s vision, values, goals and targets for equity and excellence?

The local curriculum is authentic, integrated and coherent. Its design and implementation provides a sound basis for accelerating progress for all students in contexts where local environments, connections to students' lives and tikanga are central. Tikanga and te reo Māori are highly valued and visible in the school environment, routines, rituals and teaching programmes.

The curriculum includes clearly defined expectations for student achievement at each year level and increasing opportunities for students to self-assess and be aware of their next learning steps. The school intends to continue to strengthen these processes so that students become increasingly aware of their learning journey and self-directed in their approach to understanding their progress.

School leadership has maintained a strong, collaborative and effective focus on building teacher capability. High expectations for teacher performance, and student engagement and success have been established. Leadership is knowledgeable about the use of assessment information and can speak confidently about the school's approach to accelerating student achievement.

The principal provides trustees with extensive information about student achievement and engagement, which they scrutinise carefully to set robust targets that focus on accelerating student progress and make decisions about school resourcing to support these targets. Trustees also have a well-developed understanding of their roles and responsibilities in regard to accelerating student progress, and the links between internal review and school improvement. The board of trustees is focused on continually gathering community voice and maintaining the open, trusting and respectful relationships that are evident across the school.

There are well-developed systems in the school to review and improve school effectiveness. A strong and well-defined culture for learning in the school is emerging. Teachers are focused on improving their practice through the process of 'teaching as inquiry'. This process involves them systematically reviewing, reflecting on and sharing their practice in consideration of how effectively they are accelerating progress for students achieving below expected levels. The school intends to further develop and embed this 'teaching as inquiry' approach across reading, writing and mathematics. This is likely to further strengthen the alignment between school targets and teacher practice across all core curriculum areas.

The school is actively engaged with its community. Parents are well informed about their child's levels of achievement and progress through informal and formal sharing of information, regular consultation and an open door policy. The principal and teachers are highly attuned to parents' aspirations and children's dispositions, particularly for parents and whānau of students whose progress requires acceleration. These whānau enjoy especially close relationships in learning with the school that include ongoing communication about student successes, challenges and goals to accelerate progress. Strong collaborative relationships with whānau are supporting the acceleration of progress for all children.

To further build teacher capacity and effectiveness, the principal will continue to lead the development of initiatives that build teachers' knowledge and understanding about student learning progressions. This is necessary to strengthen processes that contribute to dependable judgements about each child's achievement in relation to National Standards. In addition, improved knowledge and understanding about learning progressions is likely to contribute to:

• increasingly targeted teaching as teachers continue to build their pedagogy and practice
• sustainability of teacher practice and effectiveness to accelerate student progress.

5 Going forward

How well placed is the school to accelerate the achievement of all children who need it?

Leaders and teachers:

• know the children whose learning and achievement need to be accelerated
• respond effectively to the strengths, needs and interests of each child
• regularly evaluate how well teaching is working for these children
• act on what they know works well for each child
• build teacher capability effectively to achieve equitable outcomes for all children
• are well placed to achieve and sustain equitable and excellent outcomes for all children.

The school is in a good position to continue to accelerate progress for students achieving below expected levels because:

• the board is strongly committed to maintaining high levels of community engagement and involvement, and building Māori tikanga and protocol in the school
• the new teaching team works closely with the principal, who is providing well-informed leadership of learning, and strong direction for school development
• teachers know individual students very well and relationships between teachers and students are respectful
• internal evaluation is well developed and well understood across the school.

As the roll continues to build and the new teaching team develops, practices that need to be further enhanced and embedded are:

• teachers' inquiries into their practice that identify and share strategies that work for students at risk of poor educational outcomes across core curriculum areas
• students' knowledge about their own learning, progress and next steps
• teachers' moderation of student achievement in relation to National Standards.

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

6 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 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

• processes for appointing staff

• stand down, suspensions, expulsions and exclusions

• attendance

• compliance with the provisions of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014

7 Recommendation

ERO recommends the principal and teachers continue to develop student agency and teacher knowledge and capacity to accelerate achievement for all students with a particular focus on students achieving below expected levels. 

Lynda Pura-Watson

Deputy Chief Review Officer

25 November 2016

About the school

Location	Waihi
Ministry of Education profile number	2054
School type	Contributing (Years 1 to 6)
School roll	44
Gender composition	Girls 23 Boys 21
Ethnic composition	Pākehā Māori Pacific Other	31 8 4 1
Review team on site	August 2016
Date of this report	25 November 2016
Most recent ERO report(s)	Education Review Education Review Education Review	November 2013 December 2010 March 2008