Taikura Rudolf Steiner School

Taikura Rudolf Steiner 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 

​​Taikura Rudolf Steiner School​ situated in Hastings is a state integrated, special character school for Years 1-13. The school’s values of respect (whakaute), kindness (atahai), perseverance (manawanui), and gratitude (ngākau reka), underpin the vision that ākonga become free, responsible, caring individuals. The school offers the New Zealand Certificate of Steiner Education at Levels 1, 2 and 3. 

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

 The school is working towards equitable outcomes for all learners. 
  • Years 1 to 10 achievement information shows that most learners achieve at the appropriate curriculum level in mathematics, reading and writing; inequity for Māori learners in in these learning areas is evident.  
  • Senior students (Years 11 to 13) achieve well in the New Zealand Certificate of Steiner Education. 
  • Students with additional learning needs are well supported within an inclusive learning environment and they make good progress. 
  • The school is yet to meet the Ministry of Education targets for regular attendance; strategies to improve attendance are focused on building positive relationships with students and whānau to promote engagement in learning. 

Conditions to support learner success

Leadership is taking steps to foster a culture committed to quality teaching for improved equity of learner outcomes.
  • Leadership is establishing relational trust at all levels of the school, promoting conditions for collaboration and good quality teaching. 
  • Leadership is beginning to set and pursue improvement goals and targets including ensuring supports are in place for those students needing acceleration. 
  • Leadership is working towards the alignment of a localised and the Steiner curriculum to ensure it supports teaching and learning and reflects learners’ language, identity and culture.
Learners have sufficient opportunities to learn across the breadth and depth of the curriculum. 
  • Teachers know learners well and work collaboratively to promote an orderly and positive learning environment that makes the most of students’ learning time.  
  • Learners in Years 1 to 10 are well supported in developing sound foundation skills in reading, writing and mathematics.  
  • Appropriate assessment information is increasingly used to plan and adapt teaching practice and report the progress and achievement of each learner; this continues to be an area for further development.
The school is establishing coherent conditions that underpin school improvement. 
  • Professional development aligned to the school’s goals, builds teacher capability contributing to improved outcomes for learners in reading, writing and mathematics. 
  • Parents and whānau, through a wide range of opportunities are actively involved in the school to support their children’s learning. 
  • Leaders and teachers are strengthening the ways in which they collect and analyse data related to learning and school improvement priorities; they increasingly respond to the needs of learners and know what is working for who and what is not and why. 
  • School leaders have identified, and ERO’s evaluation affirms, the need to further integrate te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori into the local curriculum so that Māori learners can see themselves in the curriculum. 

Part B: Where to next? 

The agreed next steps for the school are to:  

  • continue to develop a responsive localised curriculum that aligns with the Steiner curriculum and meets the needs and aspirations of learners and their whānau 
  • further strengthen adaptive teaching practice and assessment to respond to learner needs and plan targeted interventions to improve equity  
  • further develop capability and capacity of all staff to integrate te reo Māori, tikanga Māori, and mātauranga Māori within the school’s local curriculum to support Māori achieving success as Māori 
  • work with parents to focus on improving attendance rates for all learners. 

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

Within six months: 

  • continue the development of a local curriculum framework, including key statements for reading, writing and mathematics 
  • collaboratively analyse data to inform teacher practice and prioritise effective teaching and learning strategies that make a positive difference to all learner outcomes 
  • continue to strengthen the consistency of te reo Māori, tikanga Māori across the school and in everyday classroom practices, giving greater effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi  
  • strengthen strategies and approaches that support attendance and assist the school community to understand the correlation between regular attendance and academic progress and achievement.

Every six months: 

  • use learner outcome data to monitor the impact of adaptive teaching practices, assessment and targeted interventions to improve equitable outcomes 
  • monitor and report to the board, progress against the annual plan to ensure evidence-based decision making for school improvement 
  • regularly meet with whānau and learners to sustain active participation in the development of the school curriculum 
  • monitor the effectiveness of strategies to increase and sustain regular attendance.

Annually: 

  • use the analysis of progress, achievement and attendance data to know the impact of initiatives and professional learning on learner outcomes; know what is working or not and for who and make adjustments 
  • evaluate the impact of professional development to continue to strengthen the integration of  
    te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori in the curriculum 
  • evaluate the extent to which a responsive localised curriculum meets the needs and aspirations of learners and their whānau; continue to focus on developing reciprocal relationships with hapū and iwi

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

  • increased equity and excellent outcomes for all learners through consistent, effective responsive teaching practice  
  • data and evidence-based evaluation practices inform board, school and classroom decision making to adapt and respond to all learners’ needs 
  • te reo Māori, tikanga Māori, and mātauranga Māori are effectively embedded within a responsive curriculum that supports Māori students learning as Māori 
  • meeting or exceeding the Ministry of Education target for regular attendance. 

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 

​12 December 2024​ 

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 

Taikura Rudolf Steiner School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report ​2024​ to ​2027​

As of ​June 2024​, the ​Taikura Rudolf Steiner 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 ​Taikura Rudolf Steiner 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  

​12 December 2024​ 

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 

Taikura Rudolf Steiner School

Provision for International Students Report

Background 

The Education Review Office reviews schools that are signatories to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020. 

Findings 

The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code and has completed an annual self review of its implementation of the Code. 

At the time of this review there was one international student attending the school, and one exchange student. 

Positive student and staff relationships promote learning and wellbeing supported by practices and processes within the school wide pastoral and academic system. Feedback to ERO indicated appreciation of support from students and staff and a strong sense of belonging within an inclusive school community. 

Students have many opportunities for involvement in school wide activities that meet their interests and aspirations.  

International students have full access to The New Zealand Curriculum within the special character of the school and are well supported to achieve success in their academic goals and aspirations. Individual needs are well met within the placement of appropriate and meaningful programmes that are responsive to each student’s goals and aspirations.  

There is an opportunity for ongoing improvement through strengthening self review. This should support the school to continue to respond effectively in meeting international student needs.  

Shelley Booysen 
Director of Schools  

​12 December 2024​ 

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  

Taikura Rudolf Steiner School - 11/11/2019

School Context

Taikura Rudolf Steiner School is a co-educational, state integrated school located in Hastings for students from six to eighteen years of age. The current roll of 389 includes 17% of students who identify as Māori and a small number of those with Pacific heritage. Since the June 2016 ERO report, a new principal and deputy principal have been appointed. An elected board of trustees and a proprietors’ trust board provide stewardship of the school.

The school is organised into the lower school (classes 1 to 7) and the high school (classes 8 to 12). There is a close relationship with two local Rudolf Steiner kindergartens that most students have attended. The curriculum is informed by both the Waldorf Curriculum and The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC). Assessment of learning in the lower school is in relation to the Waldorf learning steps, aligned to the NZC. The school offers qualifications on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework Levels 1, 2 and 3 through the New Zealand Steiner Certificates (NZSC). These qualifications are managed by the Steiner Education Development Trust on behalf of the Federation of Rudolf Steiner Waldorf Schools Aotearoa New Zealand.

The school states that it provides an education based on spiritual and scientific insights into child development. The special character reflects the educational philosophies of Rudolf Steiner.

The school has specific targets to lift achievement in the lower school in mathematics, comprehension and writing.

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

  • reading, writing and mathematics
  • New Zealand Certificate in Steiner Education.

The school is a member of the Steiner Waldorf 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?

Trends indicate that outcomes for all students are moving strongly towards being equitable and excellent.

School data for 2018, shows that most students in the lower school achieved at or above expectation in reading, writing and mathematics, as measured by the Steiner Learning Steps. Māori student achievement is comparable to that of Pākehā students in mathematics and writing, with some disparity for Māori learners in reading. Boys and girls achieve at similar levels.

School data shows achievement has improved over time for all students, except for Māori students in reading and this declined slightly in 2018. Pacific students achieved at similar rates to Pākehā learners in 2018.

High school achievement information shows that most students achieve the New Zealand Certificate of Steiner Education (NZCSE) at all three levels. In 2018, a large majority of students gained either a highly commended or distinction endorsement at Level 1. Almost half gain an endorsement at Level 2 and most gained an endorsement at Level 3. All students who gained Level 3 also gained University Entrance.

Longitudinal data shows that disparity in achievement between males and females has decreased and achievement at Levels 1 and 2 has improved. Most Māori students achieve well.

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

Accelerated learning is evident in reading, writing and mathematics in the lower school, including for those Māori and Pacific students who need this. In 2018, all students accelerated to reach expected levels.

In the high school, all students who were identified as being at risk at the beginning of high school were effectively accelerated to gain either Level 2 or 3 NZCSE in 2018.

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?

Students have a curriculum that successfully upholds the principles of the Steiner curriculum alongside the key components of The New Zealand Curriculum. The lower school curriculum has identified aims for learning and growth at each level and these are closely linked to the developmental stages of children. High school students receive clear information about content and the skills required in the various curriculum areas to enable informed choices to support their success and educational pathway. Te reo Māori is an established part of the integrated curriculum delivery.

Students learn in an inclusive and caring environment. Positive relationships between students and with teachers encourage a strong sense of belonging. Each student is well known by all staff and this contributes to each student’s development as capable and confident learners. A wide range of opportunities engage students in learning.

A range of appropriate assessment tools is used to monitor and track individual achievement. Achievement information is also well used for detailed planning that supports the specific learning needs of each student, including those with additional needs.

Students with additional needs are extensively supported to enable them to achieve. Relevant support staff, agencies and specialists are engaged by the school to support individual student development. Teachers work very closely with each student and family to implement targeted strategies. Progress for these students is closely tracked and shared with families. Identified students with higher needs are making progress against the goals in their individual education plans.

Parents and whānau are welcomed and involved in school activities as respected and valued partners in learning. Opportunities for parents to engage in workshops to grow understanding about Steiner practices are further building the reciprocal partnership. There are many opportunities for parents to provide the school with feedback about school priorities. Parents receive detailed information about their child’s learning and progress. There is strong support for the school, particularly from those whose children have additional needs. Parents who met with ERO value the many rich opportunities available to their children.

Teachers are supported to grow professionally through targeted learning and development and the appraisal process. Culturally responsive practices have been given priority and these are guided by the school’s He Reo Ora strategy. The He Reo Puawai – Te Reo Māori Curriculum, developed and implemented by Steiner schools has provided the foundation for this work.

The small, newly established leadership team works effectively to align systems and make ongoing improvements across the school. The roles and responsibilities of the Proprietors Trust and the Trust Board are clear. The alignment of strategic and annual plans is being actioned.

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

Achievement targets need to be sharpened to focus more explicitly on students whose learning needs acceleration. This focus should enable trustees to make informed decisions about resourcing to promote excellence and equity. Procedures for learning support for both lower and high school students need to be clear for all staff.

The leadership team acknowledge the need to further develop a shared understanding about best practice for expected curriculum delivery to promote consistency of practice across the school. The school is beginning to develop its localised curriculum.

The board needs to improve in its accountability and improvement functions. It has the collective capacity to do so, with leadership from the board chair. Recently introduced board processes are yet to be fully implemented. To ensure board effectiveness, with focus on equity and excellence in student outcomes, trustees need to build on and implement recently developed systems and processes. This will enable the board to review and reflect on their effectiveness as a board in their stewardship role.

3 Other Matters

Provision for international students

The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of International Students) Code of Practice 2016 (the Code) established under section 238F of the Education Act 1989. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code.

No international students were enrolled at the time of the ERO review.

4 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.

5 ERO’s Overall Judgement

On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement of Taikura Rudolf Steiner School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Well placed.

ERO will maintain an ongoing relationship with the school to build capacity and evaluate progress.

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.

6 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

  • leadership that works cohesively to promote excellence and equity

  • learning environments that promote equity and achievement

  • learning partnerships that fully involve parents and whānau.

Next steps

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

  • its localised curriculum and shared understanding of best practice curriculum delivery through the school’s stated Steiner principles
  • stewardship to keep up to date with statutory responsibilities and more sharply focus on excellence and equity.

Actions for compliance

ERO identified non-compliance in relation to personnel management.

In order to address this, the board of trustees must:

  • ensure records are kept on site that meet requirements in terms of background checks of new employees.
    [The Children’s Act 2014]

Areas for improved compliance practice

The board is in the process of reviewing all policies and procedures for alignment and to fully implement an ongoing cycle of regular review. It is essential that this process is completed to bring additional rigour to the policy framework and ensure that all policies are current, useful and systematically reviewed. The work on financial management should be given priority.

To improve current practice, the board of trustees should ensure full implementation of the following:

  • policy framework for financial management
  • annual assessment of the principal against all professional standards for principals
  • internal procedures for receiving and dealing with information about serious wrong doing, after a review of these.

Additionally, the board should:

  • include a specific response to pandemic planning in school procedures
  • be familiar with the requirements of the updated Ministry of Education Guidelines for Registered Schools in New Zealand Schools on the use of Physical Restraint and the Guidelines for the Surrender and Retention of Property and Searches
  • be aware of the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act in regard to student work experience programmes.

Since the onsite phase of ERO’s evaluation the school has provided evidence of the following updates:

  • pandemic planning, referenced in the Health, Safety and Welfare Policy
  • procedures for appointments
  • policy for the appraisal of the principal.

Phillip Cowie

Director Review and Improvement Services Central

Central Region

11 November 2019

About the school

Location

Hastings

Ministry of Education profile number

231

School type

Composite (Years 1-15)

School roll

389

Gender composition

Male 51%

Female 49%

Ethnic composition

Māori 17%

NZ European/Pākehā 71%

Pacific 3%

Other ethnic groups 9%

Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS)

Yes

Provision of Māori medium education

No

Review team on site

August 2019

Date of this report

11 November 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review June 2016

Education Review June 2013

Education Review April 2010