14 Wharepapa Road, Te Awamutu
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Wharepapa South School
Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
Background
This Profile Report was written within 19 months of the Education Review Office and Wharepapa South 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
Wharepapa South is a rural school located in the Waitomo District. In 2021, an acting principal was appointed and in 2022 this appointment was made permanent. The principal is a first-time principal.
Wharepapa South School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:
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strengthen teacher capabilities
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grow great learners.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Wharepapa South School’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how well tamariki experience success in reading.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to:
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enhance student participation, engagement and achievement in learning
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improve internal systems and processes to guide school improvement and build capacity.
The school expects to see accelerated progress in literacy for target learners and children with additional needs.
Strengths
The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to improve tamariki success in reading.
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a well-established plan that clarifies actions and provides indicators of success
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leadership and staff that understand and are committed to improving outcomes for all learners
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a well-established culture of acceptance and celebration of diversity and inclusion
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well known school values that support the wellbeing of all learners.
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
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supporting teachers to build practice to teach reading
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building culturally responsive pedagogy across the school.
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
28 March 2023
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
Wharepapa South School
Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2023 to 2026
As of February 2023, the Wharepapa South School Board of Trustees 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 Wharepapa South School Board of Trustees.
The next Board of Trustees 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.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
28 March 2023
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
Wharepapa South School - 21/11/2019
School Context
Wharepapa South School is a full primary, for students in Years 1 to 8. It is in a small farming community south east of Te Awamutu. At the time of this review, 29 students were enrolled and 10 identify as Māori.
The school’s overarching vision is, ‘The friendly school: Learning together, climbing high’. The mission statement encourages students ‘to make the most of opportunities available to them and have the courage to work hard and achieve individual success’. ‘The Wharepapa South School Way’ is underpinned by competencies and values encouraged and fostered in students.
The current strategic plan has a focus on developing a localised curriculum and honouring Māori and diversity through embracing the concepts of manaakitanga, ngā whakapiritanga, whanaungatanga, wananga and ako.
Annual achievement goals for 2019 are for all students achieving below The New Zealand Curriculum expectations for their year level in reading, writing and mathematics to make accelerated progress and meet the expected curriculum level by the end of the year.
Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, schoolwide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:
- progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics.
Schoolwide professional learning and development during 2018, included improving teaching and learning in writing and teaching as inquiry.
Significant staff changes have occurred since ERO’s October 2015 evaluation. During 2018, the school had three different principals. The current principal was appointed in Term 3 of that year. The teaching staff are also new. Members of the board of trustees are experienced, almost all are in their second term of serving the school’s community.
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?
School data showed a decline in student achievement outcomes from 2017 to 2018. The new principal responded to this by implementing several strategies to improve engagement in learning, progress and achievement for all learners.
A trajectory of improvement is noticeable. The mid-year 2019 data, shows the majority of students, including Māori learners, have achieved at The New Zealand Curriculum expectation for their year level in reading and mathematics. While achievement in writing is slightly lower, there is a marked improvement on the end of 2018 outcomes. Females continue to achieve better than males in all areas. School leaders continue to work on eliminating this disparity.
1.2 How well is the school accelerating learning for those Māori and other students who need this?
Teachers continue to develop and implement systems and practices to further accelerate the progress of Māori and other students who require this.
The mid-year 2019 data shows a marked improvement for students in the 2019 annual achievement targets: this includes Māori children, whose learning and progress requires acceleration to be at The New Zealand Curriculum expectation for their year level. Emerging trends show many accelerated their progress in reading, writing and 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?
A positive tone permeates the school. Respectful, responsive, reciprocal relationships between students, families and staff contribute to a positive platform for learning.
Students enthusiastically engage in well-considered learning experiences within the school and local community. They develop attitudes and attributes for self-led learning through the breadth of curriculum experiences provided. There are plentiful opportunities for students to learn with and alongside their peers through authentic and meaningful contexts of high interest to them.
Learners’ wellbeing and sense of belonging are evident as they actively participate in an inclusive environment conducive to learning. This is particularly noticeable for students who have complex learning or health needs who are well supported to engage in learning. Their holistic development is nurtured.
The strategic vision has been reaffirmed in collaboration with the school’s community. Trustees and staff work together to enact the school’s vision for students’ success. Strategies are in place to genuinely involve families and whānau in decision-making about the developing curriculum. Strategic and annual plans suitably reflect relevant priorities and guide developments that are improving outcomes for students.
2.2 What further developments are needed in school processes and practices for achievement of equity and excellence, and acceleration of learning?
School leaders are steadily progressing the well-considered development priorities. These improved practices contribute positively to increasingly coherent organisational conditions focused on improved teaching and learning and sustainable practice.
Documenting the school’s localised curriculum is well underway. Teachers continue to work on the meaningful inclusion of te reo Māori and te ao Māori as an integral part of teaching and learning.
Teachers continue to build their understanding, knowledge and use of the Progress and Consistency Tool and formative assessment practices. This should assist them to better inform next steps for teaching and support student agency. It should also strengthen reporting of students’ progress and achievement to families, whānau and trustees.
When these developments become embedded, leaders should use effective internal evaluation practices to know the extent changes and innovations contribute to improved outcomes. This should assist trustees to know the impact of their resourcing decisions and the students who are benefiting from this.
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 Wharepapa South School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Developing.
5 Going forward
Key strengths of the school
For sustained improvement and future learner success, the school can draw on existing strengths in:
- a positive tone and inclusive culture, that promotes student wellbeing
- students having a broad range of experiences within the school and wider community, that fosters participation and good levels of engagement
- effective change management for improvement, that establishes a clear direction and measured approach for raising student achievement.
Next steps
For sustained improvement and future learner success, priorities for further development are in:
- documenting and then fully implementing the localised curriculum and school’s operational guidelines to better respond to students’ culture and language
- the use of effective internal evaluation practices to identify what is working well for students’ learning and where improvements are needed.
Phillip Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services Central
Central Region
21 November 2019
About the school
Location |
Te Awamutu |
Ministry of Education profile number |
2086 |
School type |
Full Primary (Years 1 to 8) |
School roll |
29 |
Gender composition |
Male 17, Female 12 |
Ethnic composition |
Māori 10 |
Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS) |
No |
Provision of Māori medium education |
No |
Review team on site |
September 2019 |
Date of this report |
21 November 2019 |
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review October 2015 |
Wharepapa South School - 29/10/2015
Findings
Wharepapa South School has strong local community links. Students are confident, have a strong sense of belonging and enjoy success in a safe, inclusive environment. The curriculum is personalised to the needs and interests of students. Collaborative relationships among students, teachers and whānau contribute to a successful learning environment.
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?
The ‘Wharepapa South Way’ provides shared understandings and values that support learning and encourage positive educational outcomes for students.
‘The Friendly School: Learning together, climbing high’
A collaborative curriculum underpins the school vision. Teaching and learning are supported by values that build and grow positive partnerships among students, parents, whānau, teachers and the community. In addition, the multi-level classroom learning area is having a significant influence on teaching and learning, and provides a wide range of cooperative learning opportunities for all students.
Students experience and enjoy a learning approach that builds their confidence, raises their expectations as learners, and encourages them to be actively involved in learning. They learn in an environment where te Tiriti o Waitangi principles of partnership, participation and equity foster the sharing of knowledge and promote mutual understandings.
The board chair is experienced and other trustees bring a wide range of skills to their roles. They are committed to developing individual children’s strengths and interests, and have funded significant renovations to classrooms and school grounds.
The experienced principal, as the professional leader of the school, has an excellent understanding of high quality teaching and learning. She has worked with staff and trustees to appoint two new teachers who have contributed in the development and implementation of the collaborative learning initiative.
Wharepapa South School is situated in a dairy farming area south east of Te Awamutu. It caters for students in Years 1 to 8. The school roll is currently at 27 and seven students on the roll are of Māori descent.
2 Learning
How well does this school use achievement information to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement?
Student achievement information is collaboratively used to make positive changes to learner’s engagement, progress and achievement. Students, teachers, parents/whānau and trustees have a good understanding about achievement and how to use it to promote student engagement in learning.
Trustees are well informed about student achievement and make good use of this information to inform strategic goals and targets, and make appropriate resourcing decisions to benefit all students.
The principal is a mathematics specialist teacher and participates in school cluster groups to support colleagues. She has comprehensively analysed both mathematics and literacy achievement information. This information guides assessment practice and enables teacher’s to set personal goals and measurable targets for students.
All teachers discuss possible next steps for students and work with teacher aides to ensure that there is a clear understanding of student’s needs. In some cases external experts such as the Resource Teacher for Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) and Speech Therapist provide appropriate guidance when needed. This coordination of professionals also includes close liaison with parents and whānau. Comprehensive information about how students learn is assisting teachers to implement a more personalised approach, which effectively promotes students self-awareness and self-confidence.
Students benefit from teachers sharing their achievement in reading, writing and mathematics. They are able to use a range of progressive indicator statements to guide and manage their learning. They have a strong sense of ownership and are focused on achieving their learning goals. They have opportunities to self-assess and peer-assess their work.
Students reflect on their progress and clearly articulate progress and achievement to their parents. This is particularly evident during two formal reporting sessions and also occurs when students share their learning at home. A collaborative sense of responsibility and use of achievement information by teachers, students, parents and whānau is a powerful factor contributing to positive changes for learners.
Parents are able to readily access their children’s e-portfolio and view their progress and success and any time during the school year. Parent and whānau participation is encouraging student learning, self-esteem, and success. This shared approach to learning ensures that parents, teachers and students are fully informed and focused on student learning.
Mid-year progress National Standards data for 2015 indicates that all students who have been at the school for over one year make accelerated progress. Students who have been identified as achieving at levels below other students are well supported. Māori students are also making accelerated progress.
3 Curriculum
How effectively does this school’s curriculum promote and support student learning?
The recognition of the concept that ‘it takes a community to raise a child’ in the curriculum, plays a significant role in student’s intellectual development, physical growth and the emotional wellbeing. School values contribute to the following learning outcomes for students.
- Shared understandings and expectations for learning among teachers, students, parents and whānau.
- High values placed on consultation with all people who are involved in the school and community.
- A strong sense of belonging and identity, which is embedded in school culture.
The principal uses a well-developed, research-based approach to build a collaborative curriculum. She works with trustees to consult parents, and with teachers and students to ensure each stage of the process is reviewed and evaluated. The process has resulted in the development of a personalised curriculum that meets the learning needs of all students. This thorough approach to curriculum review effectively promotes and supports student learning, and has resulted in a diverse and contextualised curriculum based on student needs and interests.
Students are frequently consulted and their views are valued and used to inform curriculum direction. They experience a wide range of learning activities and demonstrate high levels of participation in sport, the arts, tikanga Māori and leadership. Wider experiences and education opportunities outside the classroom are part of the school’s culture.
There are clear and shared expectations for teaching and learning. Teachers are focused on improving their teaching to promote and support student achievement outcomes. Factors contributing to improved teaching practices include:
- focused and sustained professional learning and development (PLD) programmes for teachers
- teacher self-reflection and critiquing their practice and regular feedback from peers
- sharing the purpose of learning with students
- individualised e-learning plans for students.
Teachers have in-depth knowledge of each child’s personal learning needs and how they may need to respond. They have a collaborative responsibility for all students learning, identify specific areas of need for students, and differentiate learning strategies for those who are having difficulty achieving.
Teachers recognise the value of sharing knowledge about students and their wellbeing as an important dimension of student learning and development, and evaluate the effectiveness of their teaching strategies as part of their personal inquiry. The school acknowledges that strengthening the alignment of current individual teacher inquiry to targeted priority learners in reading, writing and mathematics is likely to continue to improve learning outcomes for students.
Positive partnerships among students, their parents, whānau and teachers contribute to students becoming life-long learners.
How effectively does the school promote educational success for Māori, as Māori?
The school effectively promotes educational and cultural successes for Māori students who wish to continue to learn about Te Ao Māori. Teachers are developing their skills in te reo and tikanga Māori and promote classroom learning in this curriculum area. The tuition of te reo and tikanga continues under the direction of teachers. Activities the school has implemented include:
- use of te reo Māori at the start of the day, with the inclusion of whakatau, pepeha and kapahaka during daily programmes
- Māori topic studies and art.
The school has documented guidelines and an achievement plan that is aligned to the Ministry of Education’s publications: Tataiako: Cultural Competencies for Teachers of Māori students and Ka Hikitia: Accelerating Success 2013-2017. The school recognises the need to re-establish links to tangata whenua and the local college marae. In addition, the monitoring of the effectiveness of the school Māori achievement plan should help the school to analyse and evaluate the outcomes for Māori students.
4 Sustainable Performance
How well placed is the school to sustain and improve its performance?
A learning culture that is based on strong partnerships among students, parents/whānau, staff and community is a significant feature of the school and contributes to the school being very well placed to sustain and improve its performance.
Trustees, principal, teachers, students and parents /whānau collaboratively participate in self-review practices, which include:
- well-aligned strategic aims, learning targets, professional learning and development
- thorough review of the curriculum and how it promotes student learning
- the wellbeing of students.
Self-review is rigorous, effective and underpins positive performance and continuous improvement.
Enthusiastic trustees are supported by an effective principal who works with them to make very well-informed decisions based on self-review that is aligned to student engagement and achievement. Trustees are effective, plan for succession, have a strong presence in the school, and work in the best interests of students. The school is in a very sound financial position.
A robust performance management and appraisal system provides all teachers with a framework for critical self-reflection that is aligned to strategic goals, professional learning initiatives and curriculum design and delivery.
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
Wharepapa South School has strong local community links. Students are confident, have a strong sense of belonging and enjoy success in a safe, inclusive environment. The curriculum is personalised to the needs and interests of students. Collaborative relationships among students, teachers and whānau contribute to a successful learning environment.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in four-to-five years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
29 October 2015
School Statistics
Location |
Wharepapa South |
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
2086 |
|
School type |
Full Primary (Years 1 to 8) |
|
School roll |
27 |
|
Gender composition |
Boys 9 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Pākehā |
20 |
Review team on site |
September 2015 |
|
Date of this report |
29 October 2015 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
September 2012 |