Taoroa School

Taoroa 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

Taoroa School is a rural primary school, located in the Rangitikei district. It provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. The school’s vision is for learners to be connected, engaged and empowered and for them to be at the centre of learning, having barrier free to learning that is supported by quality teaching and leadership.

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 majority of students make sustained progress over time.
  • A large majority of learners achieve at or above expected curriculum levels in reading and mathematics, the majority in writing; focus remains on ensuring equity and improving writing outcomes for all learners.
  • Learners needing extra support are identified and provided with successful additional support to learn and make progress towards achieving their goals.
  • Many target students have made accelerated progress in reading and writing.
  • Most learners attend school regularly, almost meeting levels expected by the Ministry of Education; staff work closely with families to encourage regular attendance.

Conditions to support learner success

Leadership is effectively embedding improvement strategies aligned with school priorities and works collaboratively with staff towards improving learner outcomes.
  • Leaders have set specific improvement goals and targets to support acceleration of progress for those learners at risk of underachievement.
  • Learners’ engagement, progress, achievement and wellbeing are monitored regularly and 
    well-supported to continually improve by school-wide systems.
  • Leaders’ consistent focus on building positive partnerships with whānau, hapū, iwi, and the local schools’ network supports students to access an increasing range of learning opportunities.
Learners experience a meaningful curriculum, supported by explicit and responsive teaching.
  • Local contexts and mātauranga Māori are increasingly reflected throughout the curriculum; education outside the classroom is meaningfully incorporated. 
  • Teachers provide students with a wide range of authentic and culturally responsive learning opportunities within an inclusive environment.
  • Consistent and effective teaching practice is well-supported by professional development, aligned to the school’s strategic goals that promote student wellbeing and achievement.
Well established systems and processes support continuous improvement for learners.
  • Relational trust across the school and its community increasingly supports whānau to be valued and respected partners in their children’s learning.
  • Trustees are involved in comprehensive strategic planning that prioritises positive learning and wellbeing outcomes; they seek high levels of parent and community voice to support this process.
  • Staff are strengthening the ways that they collect, analyse and interpret achievement and wellbeing data that supports a timely response to students’ learning and wellbeing needs.

Part B: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

  • review and evaluate current assessment tools and schedule, to determine the effectiveness for teaching and learning
  • continue strengthening teaching capability through professional development that supports improved learning and wellbeing outcomes for all 
  • continue to accelerate learning for all, particularly those who are underachieving
  • continue to work with mana whenua to develop the local curriculum.

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

Within six months:

  • review and evaluate assessment tools used currently to determine their usefulness
  • use the learnings from writing professional learning and development in teacher practice and class programmes
  • work with mana whenua and Kāhui Ako to further develop and implement the localised curriculum
  • investigate programmes that will further enhance the achievement of extension learners.

Every six months:

  • leaders and teachers track and monitor student wellbeing, attendance, progress and achievement outcomes to know the impact of improvement programmes
  • report to parents their child’s progress, achievement and wellbeing outcomes
  • report to the Board outcome information for attendance, wellbeing and achievement. 

Annually:

  • student achievement and progress information are analysed for trends and patterns, reported to the community and used to inform progress towards improving learning and wellbeing outcomes for all students
  • evaluate to what extent key priorities and goals have been met to inform forward planning.

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

  • accelerated learning in writing and improved equitable outcomes for all
  • revised and streamlined assessment schedule that supports overall teacher judgements
  • localised curriculum documentation being further developed to guide teaching practice and learning programmes.

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

10 September 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

Taoroa School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2024 to 2027 

As of May 2024, the Taoroa 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

No

Assets

Yes

Actions for Compliance

ERO and the board have identified the following areas of non-compliance during the board assurance process:

  • School donations. Boards should consult with their school communities and reflect their views when making decisions about whether to opt in to the scheme or not and let their school communities know their final decision.
    [Education and Training Act 2020]

The board has since taken steps to address the areas of non-compliance identified.

Further Information

For further information please contact Taoroa 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

10 September 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

Taoroa School - 06/06/2018

School Context

Taoroa School is located in a rural setting in the Taihape district. The current roll is 28, with all students identifying as Māori. The board of trustees funds transport for the many students who travel from Taihape to attend.

The school’s goals and targets are focused on improving learning for students. The stated valued outcomes for students is that they will experience life-long learning through the ‘Play is the Way’ programme to support them to be successful in a rapidly changing world.

The school aims to have all learners able to access The New Zealand Curriculum as evidenced by achievement in relation to national expectations.

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
  • whole-school improvement, trends and patterns over time for reading, writing and mathematics.

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 effectively supports the achievement of equitable and excellent outcomes for all students. Māori students achieve well. Schoolwide 2017 achievement data indicates that most achieved at or above expectations in reading, writing and mathematics.

Reading achievement information over the past three years shows a consistent increase in the numbers achieving at or above expectation. The trend is variable in writing and for mathematics.

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

During 2017, the school effectively accelerated learning for most of students identified in achievement targets to be achieving at expectation by the end of the year. The school has used this achievement information to develop 2018 annual targets for identified students achieving below expectation. Deliberate strategies and actions have been identified to accelerate the achievement of these students.

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 learn in a positive, inclusive environment where their relationships with adults and peers are warm and respectful. Their wellbeing is a key priority. Staff know students and their whānau well. They work collaboratively to provide appropriate learning opportunities for students.

High expectations for learning and practice are clearly evident. Teachers use a range of effective strategies to respond to the needs of individuals and groups of students. Students are highly engaged in their learning, work well together and are keen to share their learning with others.

Staff use data to inform teaching and learning. A focus on improving achievement in writing in 2017, resulted in a significant increase in those achieving at or above expectation. The mathematics programme, adapted for 2018, reflects a focus on personalised learning for each student and is beginning to impact positively on student engagement and learning.

Students receive and respond well to feedback from their teachers. They are able to talk about what they have learned and are beginning to make decisions about and take more responsibility for their learning.

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 curriculum has been reviewed recently. It needs further development to ensure that it reflects and guides current priorities, programmes and practice.

New programmes have been recently implemented. Staff and trustees should use the considerable information about student achievement and progress, along with other relevant information that is available to them, to:

  • evaluate the effectiveness of practice, curriculum and initiatives on student outcomes
  • further build their knowledge of practices and strategies that work best to promote and accelerate improvement and equitable outcomes for students.

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.

Appraisal audit

The endorsement process for renewing and issuing of practising teacher certificates was not sufficiently implemented to meet Education Council requirements.

Actions for compliance

ERO identified non-compliance in relation to appraisal.In order to address this, the board of trustees must:

  1. implement a performance management system for the principal and teachers that is evidence and inquiry based and linked to the Standards for the Teaching Profession [s77c State Sector Act 1998; (NZ Gazette No 180: Dec 1996)]

4 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

  • an inclusive and caring environment that effectively promotes learning, wellbeing and a sense of belonging
  • a strong culture of collaboration amongst staff that promotes high expectations for learning and wellbeing.

Next steps

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

  • further development of the curriculum so that it better reflects current priorities, programmes and practice
  • strengthening appraisal and internal evaluation processes and practices.
    [ERO will provide an internal evaluation workshop for trustees and senior leaders.]

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

On receipt of a suitably responsive action plan, ERO is likely to carry out the next external evaluation in three years.

Patricia Davey

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)

Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region

6 June 2018

About the school

LocationTaihape
Ministry of Education profile number2463
School typeFull Primary (Years 1 – 8)
School roll28
Gender compositionFemale 15, Male 13
Ethnic compositionMāori 28
Provision of Māori medium educationNo
Review team on siteApril 2018
Date of this report6 June 2018
Most recent ERO report(s)Education Review March 2015 
Education Review January 2012 
Education Review September 2008