Ōmata School

Ōmata 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 

Ōmata School, located south-west of New Plymouth on Surf Highway 45, provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. The school’s vision ‘Nurturing Environment – Connected Learners, Tiakina te TaiaoKia hono ngā akonga is underpinned by the values of Aroha (Compassion), Takohanga (Responsibility), Āuahatanga (Innovation), Rangatiratanga (Integrity) and Māhirahira (Curiosity).

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 

Most learners are engaged, make good progress and achieve very well.
  • Achievement information over the past three years shows that most learners achieve at or above curriculum expectations in reading, writing and mathematics; by Year 8 almost all learners achieve at or above these expectations.
  • Students with additional learning needs are identified, have targeted support and progress well, within an inclusive learning environment.
  • Learners know and express the school’s values, have a strong sense of belonging and purpose, and are confident in their identity.
  • Regular attendance is above the Ministry of Education target for 2024.

Conditions to support learner success

Leadership is highly effective and leads ongoing improvement.
  • Strategic planning and annual goals, developed in partnership with the community, board and staff are focused on achieving equitable and excellent learner outcomes. 
  • Leaders and teachers use a range of high-quality data and other evidence to evaluate and report the effectiveness of strategies used to improve learning and wellbeing.
  • A strong school culture prioritises staff professional growth and capacity building, focused on enhancing teaching practice and improving learner outcomes.
Evidence based and culturally responsive teaching practices provide learners with purposeful and engaging learning opportunities.
  • Teachers and staff consistently implement current research-based programmes that assist students to make ongoing progress with their learning.  
  • Students learn in positive and affirming environments in which they are supported to be independent and take risks to make the most of all learning opportunities. 
  • Teachers meaningfully demonstrate commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi by integrating te reo Māori and mātauranga Māori through the curriculum, supporting knowledge building and learner outcomes.
The school has well aligned systems, practices and programmes that promote learners’ well-being and engagement for success.
  • Effective partnerships between the board, leaders and teachers support collaboration and resourcing that contributes to a successful teaching and learning environment. 
  • Learners experience a well-considered curriculum that is responsive to community aspirations; effectively utilising the local environment and reciprocal partnerships with hapū and iwi.
  • Parents and whānau are respected partners in learning; they are well informed and provided with a range of opportunities to support and actively participate in their child’s learning.

Part B: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

  • maintain strategies to sustain high levels of regular attendance
  • prepare to implement the new English and mathematics curriculum
  • continue to evaluate the impact of improvement strategies on learner progress and achievement outcomes; this includes equity and excellence for all students and the effectiveness of professional development programmes on teacher practice
  • continue with initiatives to strengthen teacher and student use of te reo Māori and mātauranga Māori learning, focused on increasing collective capability.

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

Within six months:

  • review literacy and mathematics programmes to ensure they have a structured teaching approach aligned to national curriculum expectations.

Every six months:

  • evaluate progress and achievement data with a particular focus on the impact of professional development on student achievement outcomes.

Annually:

  • report on the effectiveness of professional learning on equity and excellence for all learners to inform future professional development planning decisions
  • monitor progress made with strengthening teachers and learners’ te reo Māori and mātauranga Māori capabilities and evaluate the impact on learner outcomes.

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

  • sustained levels of attendance, progress and achievement
  • successful implementation of the new English and mathematics curriculum
  • consistently effective and responsive teaching and learning practices that support equitable outcomes for all learners
  • strengthened capability of teachers and learners in te reo Māori and mātauranga Māori learning.

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

Ōmata School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2024 to 2027

As of June 2024, the Ōmata 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 Ōmata 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

Omata School

School Context

Omata School is a semi-rural school, located on the outskirts of New Plymouth. It provides education for students from Years 1 to 8. At the time of this review there were 166 students, with 14 identifying as Māori.

The school’s vision is enacted through the Omata Way: ‘He hapori tauawhi. He ākonga matatika. A supportive environment challenging children to become responsible learners’.

Since the February 2016 ERO report, the library has been relocated enabling the establishment of a seventh classroom and the construction of an orchard garden and cycle pump track.

Annual targets for 2018 focus on accelerating the progress of all priority learners, in particular Year 3 children who need acceleration in reading and mathematics.

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
  • Māori student progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics
  • student wellbeing
  • outcomes for children with additional and or complex needs.

There have been few changes in staffing and board membership. Teachers have participated in professional learning and development (PLD) in writing, mathematics, cultural responsiveness and teaching philosophy to children.

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 continues to achieve equitable and excellent outcomes for all its students.

Most Year 1 to 8 students achieve at or above school expectations in reading, writing and mathematics, with over a third achieving in the above category. A majority of Māori students achieve above school expectations.

Achievement data from 2017 shows that girls are achieving better than boys in reading, writing and mathematics. An identified disparity for boys in reading, writing and mathematics is generally addressed by Year 8.

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

The school is highly effective in accelerating the learning of Māori and other students who need this.

Response to students with additional needs is well considered. Useful processes are in place to monitor and track their progress. There are many examples of accelerated progress made from targeted teaching. Additional learning support programmes contribute to improved student outcomes.

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?

Trustees, leadership and staff are committed to the learning and holistic wellbeing of each child. They care about and promote students’ success. Deliberate evidence-based strategies promote the engagement, participation and achievement of all children, including those at risk of underachieving. These initiatives are developed and enacted through teachers’ practice-based inquiries and collective discussions about effective teaching and student achievement.

A wide range of achievement information is gathered and used deliberately by leaders and teachers to identify, track and monitor students at risk of not achieving and inform teaching programmes and interventions. Students identified with specific learning needs have tailored individual plans, inclusive of parents and whānau.

The Omata Way and The New Zealand Curriculum appropriately underpins teaching and learning across the school. Students engage fully in well considered activities, in stimulating and inclusive classroom environments. They are effectively supported to know about and reflect on their learning. They respond well to positive and constructive feedback from their teachers and peers. Their strengths, interests and needs are well known and nurtured by classroom teachers. Positive respectful relationships are highly evident.

The wider curriculum enables a range of opportunities for students to engage and demonstrate leadership in environmental, sporting and cultural activities. Their key role in the consultation, planning and development of bush walking tracks and an orchard garden has led to authentic, rich learning about sustainability, the environment and being kaitiaki, guardians of the land.

There is a well-considered, strategic focus on improving educational outcomes for Māori learners. Leaders and teachers are collectively committed to growing their bicultural understanding and knowledge. Tikanga and te reo Māori is beginning to be integrated throughout the curriculum in meaningful ways. Māori students’ culture is valued and affirmed.

The leadership team collaboratively develops and pursues the school’s vision. There is clear alignment between the vision, strategic and annual plans. Strategic goals are informed by reflection, review and consultation. A range of information is deliberately gathered and contributes to decision making, change and improvement.

The board represents and is committed to serving the school community. Trustees are well informed about student achievement and school operations. Their resourcing decisions enhance teaching and learning and enable students to experience individual success as learners.

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

The school’s internal evaluation identifies appropriate strategic priorities. ERO affirms plans to further develop cultural responsiveness and digital learning. These should continue to enhance delivery of the school curriculum.

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:

  • collective practice that responds effectively to students’ identified needs and wellbeing
  • curriculum enrichment opportunities
  • effective professional capability and practice, leadership and governance.

Next steps

For sustained improvement and future learner success, the school’s priorities for further development are in:

  • cultural responsiveness
  • digital learning.

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

ERO is likely to carry out the next external evaluation in four-to-five years.

Phil Cowie

Director Review and Improvement Services

Central Region

30 January 2019

About the school

LocationNew Plymouth
Ministry of Education profile number2214
School typeFull Primary (Years 1 to 8)
School roll166
Gender compositionMale 52%, Female 48%
Ethnic compositionMāori 8%
Pākehā 87%
Other ethnic groups 5%
Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS)Yes
Provision of Māori medium educationNo
Review team on siteNovember 2018
Date of this report30 January 2019
Most recent ERO report(s)Education Review February 2016 
Education Review December 2011
Education Review November 2008