6 Canal West Road , Waitakaruru
View on mapThis Profile Report was written within six months of the Education Review Office and Waitakaruru 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
Waitakaruru School is located in the Hauraki District and provides education for students in Years 0 to 8. The school’s SHARP values (Self-discipline, Honesty, Aspiration, Respect, Perseverance) and graduate profile provide a foundation for its pastoral system and localised curriculum.
Waitakaruru School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:
give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi
ensure every student is able to gain their highest possible standard in educational achievement
ensure the school is a physically and emotionally safe place
ensure the school is inclusive and caters for students with differing learning needs.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Waitakaruru School’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the extent to which strengthened wellbeing practices are improving resilience, engagement and learning outcomes for all students.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:
the need to respond to a significant number of students who require support
the significant difference this focus will make to learners most at risk of underachieving.
The school expects to see:
a wellbeing framework guiding a coherent, comprehensive approach to wellbeing and engagement
a range of strategies being implemented to promote wellbeing and engagement that respond effectively to individual students’ needs
improved student resilience, engagement and wellbeing leading to improved learning outcomes.
The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to improve learner outcomes:
strengthened systems and practices for identifying students with additional needs and tracking their progress
relationships within and beyond the school that promote connection and inclusion
leadership that is committed to developing an inclusive environment that meets the needs of individual learners.
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
developing a comprehensive and coherent approach to wellbeing based around the SHARP values
continuing to strengthen staff understanding of responsive wellbeing strategies
implementing a range of wellbeing practices to support increased engagement and resilience
using student wellbeing data and student achievement information to monitor the impact of improvements to wellbeing practices.
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.
Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools
20 July 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 June 2023, the Waitakaruru School Board has attested to the following regulatory and legislative requirements:
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
ERO and the board have identified the following areas of non-compliance during the board assurance process:
a police vet had not been obtained every three years for every person, contractor or employee who works at the school.
[Education and Training Act 2020, Schedule 4]
The board has since addressed the areas of non-compliance identified.
For further information please contact Waitakaruru 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
20 July 2023
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO ‘s overall evaluation judgement of Waitakaruru School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Developing.
Waitakaruru School is a rural school located in the Hauraki district. It provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. The school’s current roll of 73 includes 24 Māori students.
Since the previous ERO review in 2017 there have been significant changes to the teaching team, with three new appointments midway through 2018. The principal and deputy principal have remained in their roles. A new board of trustees chairperson was appointed in 2019. Leaders and teachers have undertaken professional learning and development in positive behaviour for learning (PB4L), writing, accelerating literacy learning (ALL) and appraisal.
The school is a member of Hauraki Community of Learning|Kāhui Ako.
The 2017 ERO report identified significant areas for development and this report summarises the progress made in addressing these areas.
regular reporting to the board of trustees about the progress of at-risk learners
teachers’ use of assessment information
strengthening moderation processes
partnerships with whānau and iwi to strengthen culturally responsive practices
te reo Māori, local Māori history and places of significance systematically incorporated into the school’s curriculum
implementing the appraisal process
expectations for teaching practice including the principles of Tātaiako
professional development programme in response to achievement patterns and trends
health curriculum consultation
provision and maintenance of a safe outdoor environment and other compliance issues.
Leaders have developed clear processes to identify students at-risk of not achieving. Priority students’ progress and achievement is regularly tracked, monitored and reported on over time. Trustees are well informed about student achievement and use this information to make appropriate resourcing decisions to enable equitable opportunities to learn.
Leaders and teachers have strengthened all aspects of assessment practice. Strong frameworks for learning progressions in reading, writing and mathematics have been developed as part of the school’s involvement in the Hauraki Community of Learning|Kāhui Ako. Teachers use these progressions effectively to inform differentiated planning for students. Participation in regular moderation and collaborative discussions support the consistency of teacher judgements about student achievement. A range of assessment tools including standardised assessments supports reliability of whole school data.
A strong focus on culturally responsive practice has been effectively implemented across the school. Teachers know their students and whānau well and have respectful and affirming relationships with them. Stronger links to local iwi and marae have been built and regular whānau hui has contributed to positive partnerships for learning. A documented te āo Māori curriculum priorities a sequential approach to the teaching of te reo, tikanga and Haurakitanga. School values are well embedded and articulated by students and support positive behaviour and calm settled environments for learning.
Leadership has effectively built teacher capability through a range of planned strategies. Clear school guidelines and expectations are in place for planning, assessment and evaluation. Extensive internal and external professional learning has been undertaken to develop professional knowledge and a school-wide approach to improving outcomes for priority learners. A regular cycle of teacher appraisal has been implemented which includes documented observations of teaching, ongoing coaching and mentoring and teacher reflective practice. This is well aligned to the needs of students at-risk of not achieving.
Trustees have adopted a comprehensive policy framework to address all legislative requirements. All compliance matters have been satisfactorily addressed.
Leaders now need to:
continue to build collective capacity to accelerate learning for all students at-risk of not achieving
continue to strengthen aspects of internal evaluation and targeted action to raise overall achievement and reduce disparity for Māori students and boys in literacy.
Waitakaruru School is developing very useful processes and practices to sustain and continue its performance. Factors contributing to sustainability are:
leadership for learning that is highly focused on building capability and improving outcomes for all students
the use of student achievement information that has been strengthened at all levels of the school
teachers clearly identifying and responding to the learning and behavioural needs of their students through specific planning and programmes
culturally responsive practices and values that are well embedded in the school’s curriculum
trustees who are providing effective governance and are keeping well informed about student achievement.
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:
During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student achievement:
On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO ‘s overall evaluation judgement of Waitakaruru School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Developing.
ERO’s Framework: Overall Findings and Judgement Tool derived from School Evaluation Indicators: Effective Practice for Improvement and Learner Success is available on ERO’s website.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services Central
Central Region
7 November 2019
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Location |
Hauraki District |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
2069 |
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School type |
Full Primary (Years 1 to 8) |
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School roll |
73 |
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Gender composition |
Male 43 Female 28 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
24 |
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Review team on site |
June 2019 |
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Date of this report |
7 November 2019 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
July 2017 |