St Joseph's School (Dannevirke)

St Joseph's School (Dannevirke)

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 18 months of the Education Review Office and St Joseph’s School (Dannevirke) 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 

St Joseph’s School, located in Dannevirke, provides education for learners from years 0 to 8.

St Joseph’s School (Dannevirke) has these strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners:

  • that they are connected to their faith and are fully engaged in faith practices within the school

  • to provide a high-quality, student centred education ensuring equity and excellence for all

  • to develop the use of effective systems and procedures that empower school leaders and teachers to improve learning outcomes for students

  • to actively strengthen partnerships for learning through meaningful connections with students, whānau and families.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on St Joseph’s School (Dannevirke) website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how effectively the interventions and programmes accelerate the literacy achievement of all students, with particular focus on priority learners.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

  • that leaders and teachers have identified the need to comprehensively review the teaching of literacy throughout the school

  • to support leadership to align systems and processes, strengthen curriculum delivery, data literacy and teacher practice, and lift the achievement of all learners.

The school expects to see the review supporting the board, leadership and staff in decision-making that will guide their strategic direction, embed high-quality literacy practice and delivery, and focus on continuous improvement in outcomes for learners.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to evaluate how effectively the interventions and programmes accelerate the literacy achievement of all students, with particular focus on priority learners:

  • teachers who actively research and trial a range of well-informed approaches to literacy learning clearly focused on raising student achievement

  • well established systems that monitor, track and support the progress of priority learners in literacy

  • a committed board, focused on student achievement, that prioritises the resourcing of teachers’ professional learning in literacy.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • the development of a strategic framework to review and evaluate literacy programmes schoolwide

  • using the evaluation findings to guide the board, leaders and staff in decision-making, build collective capability and culturally responsive practice, align systems and processes for sustained improvement in literacy.

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.

Kathy Lye
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini

22 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

St Joseph's School (Dannevirke)

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2022 to 2025

As of November 2022, the St Joseph's School (Dannevirke), 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 St Joseph's School (Dannevirke) 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.

Kathy Lye
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini

22 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

St Joseph's School (Dannevirke) - 20/09/2018

Findings

St Joseph’s School (Dannevirke) has made good progress in providing students with more responsive teaching and learning that has improved their achievement. Professional development and growing leadership is empowering teachers to trial strategies to increase students’ ownership of learning. The development of governance, the school curriculum, appraisal, inquiry and the use of internal evaluation, is ongoing.

ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.

1 Background and Context

What is the background and context for this school’s review?

St Joseph’s School (Dannevirke) is an integrated Catholic primary school for students in Year 1 to 8. Of the 113 students enrolled, 38 are Māori and two of Pacific heritage.

Since the May 2016 ERO report, the principal resigned and an experienced relieving principal was in place for Term 4, 2017. Currently the deputy principal is the acting principal, pending a permanent appointment for 2019. There have been some recent changes in the teaching staff with two experienced teachers providing continuity for students. A core group of trustees have been in place since the mid-2016 board elections.

The previous ERO report identified the need to improve schoolwide understanding about student achievement for equity and excellence, including accelerating the progress of Māori learners who need this. Redeveloping the school curriculum to guide teaching and learning was a key next step.

Other areas for improvement included governance practice, annual student achievement targets and the alignment of these with teacher appraisal and inquiry and professional learning and development. Strengthening learning partnerships with families and whānau was also a key next step.

2 Review and Development

How effectively is the school addressing its priorities for review and development?

Priorities identified for review and development

These included:

  • schoolwide understandings about student achievement for equity and excellence, including Māori student achievement through accelerated progress
  • redeveloping the school curriculum to guide responsive and effective teaching and learning
  • strengthening learning partnerships with families and particularly with whānau
  • improving governance practices, annual student achievement targets and the focus on acceleration for students who need this
  • increasing the alignment between key school systems with the annual charter targets.
Progress

Good recent progress is evident in schoolwide understanding about the role of accelerated learning for students who need this support. Student achievement has improved over time since 2016 for many students. The reporting of student achievement to the board includes better analysis of achievement, progress and identifying disparity in student outcomes. Data is increasingly informing schoolwide priorities for action and improvement.

Students experience more responsive curriculum opportunities that engage them in purposeful and interesting learning. The development of collaborative teaching practices enable students to make choices and to lead aspects of their learning. Positive and respectful learning-focused relationships are evident. Learners with additional learning needs are well-known and specific planning for teaching and appropriate resourcing decisions made.

Strengthened schoolwide assessment practices support a clearer understanding about accelerated progress. This enables seamless transitions for students. Teachers have a greater sense of urgency in addressing students’ needs.

Schoolwide opportunities to celebrate Māori students’ culture, language and identity continue to evolve and grow. Regular whānau hui encourage learning partnerships. Pōwhiri, karakia and kapa haka are central to how the school operates. Whānau and community members’ increasing contribution to school activities and parish events is valued.

Trustees have made progress in developing a clearer policy framework, particularly with the input of acting principal. The board is getting more useful data to track the progress of annual improvement targets. This is enabling trustees to scrutinise data to gauge the impact of targets and intervention programmes for students. Ongoing work in this key area is planned for.

Key school systems and processes to support improved student outcomes are better aligned. The 2018 appraisal process is linked to Education Council requirements and includes formal inquiries into individual teaching practices. Staff professional development is linked to school priorities and teacher needs. Provisionally certificated teachers are well supported and encouraged to trial new strategies.

The acting principal’s professional leadership supports teachers to focus on enhancing students’ learning opportunities. Recent visits to other schools is helping leaders to further refine school systems and processes to strengthen the impact of these on student outcomes. This includes reporting on the outcome of special programmes and interventions to trustees.

3 Sustainable performance and self review

How well placed is the school to sustain and continue to improve and review its performance?

The school is better placed to sustain and improve and review its performance. Recent improvements in student achievement reflect growth in effective teaching strategies and professional leadership. Trustees have increased their knowledge and understanding about their governance roles and responsibilities. They continue to strengthen processes for reviewing the school policy framework.

Internal evaluation practices to gauge the impact of school initiatives and programmes is at the early stage of consideration and remains a key next step.

Key next steps

Trustees, school leaders and staff should continue to:

  • review and develop a responsive curriculum in consultation with the school’s community
  • develop school systems and processes to support accelerated learning, particularly for Māori learners that need this support
  • strengthen the use of appraisal, teaching as inquiry and internal evaluation to improve student outcomes
  • strengthen governance practices
  • refine targeted planning to accelerate learning.
    [ERO will monitor and discuss progress with the school.]

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

St Joseph’s School (Dannevirke) has made good progress in providing students with more responsive teaching and learning that has improved their achievement. Professional development and growing leadership is empowering teachers to trial strategies to increase students’ ownership of learning. The development of governance, the school curriculum, appraisal, inquiry and the use of internal evaluation, is ongoing.

ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.

Alan Wynyard

Director Review and Improvement Services

Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region

20 September 2018

About the School

Location

Dannevirke

Ministry of Education profile number

2676

School type

Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)

School roll

113

Gender composition

Female 53%, Male 47%

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Pacific
Other ethnic groups

34%
57%
2%
7%

Review team on site

August 2018

Date of this report

20 September 2018

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review
Education Review
Education Review

May 2016
April 2013
February 2010

St Joseph's School (Dannevirke) - 30/05/2016

1 Context

St Joseph's School (Dannevirke) provides an integrated Catholic education for students in Years 1 to 8. Of the 94 students enrolled, 42 are Māori and 2 are Pacific.

Since the April 2013 ERO report, the school has experienced two changes of principal. The recently appointed principal was acting in the role during term 4 2015. Most staff are long-serving members of the school and parish community. By mid-2016 the school expects to gain a teacher through roll growth.

2 Equity and excellence

The vision and valued outcomes defined by the school for all children are that they develop spiritually, personally and academically. Children will build self-esteem and positive relationships with others around them. The charter gives emphasis to equity, quality and excellence in educational outcomes for each student.

The school’s achievement information shows that overall, Māori student performance in writing has improved since 2012. However, over the same period, it has trended down in reading and mathematics. While the achievement picture for all students is similar, the 2015 data shows there are proportionally more Māori students performing below National Standards expectations in each area than Pākehā peers. The board has yet to consider how well they are addressing this disparity.

Data also shows a downward trend for boys in the three areas. Leaders and teachers are in the second year of professional learning in using data to know how effectively teaching practice is accelerating progress. The principal has approached the Ministry of Education to provide a Student Achievement Function (SAF) practitioner to support school development. St Joseph's is part of a recently formed Community of Learning (CoL) in Dannevirke.

3 Accelerating achievement

How effectively does this school respond to Māori children whose learning and achievement need acceleration?

The school uses assessment information to identify Māori students whose learning and achievement need support. In writing, individual needs are being identified. New strategies are trialled as part of the schoolwide professional learning and development focus on inquiring into teaching practices. A key next step is to more clearly identify each student's learning needs in reading and mathematics, to support evaluation of how effectively teaching strategies contribute to improved learning in these areas. Individual student progress needs to be tracked long-term to know the gains made as students transition through the year levels.

The school should clarify its definition of accelerated progress in reading, writing and mathematics. This is likely to assist with monitoring progress and evaluation of what is working best for students.

How effectively does this school respond to other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration?

The Special Education Needs Coordinator is revising systems to manage provision for students with additional needs. Individual education plans are developed. The expertise and assistance of external agencies are sought to assist teachers with meeting individual needs. Reporting student outcomes, as a result of school-funded programmes and from external agency assistance, should assist trustees to make decisions about resourcing initiatives for having a positive impact.

Pacific student learning is individually monitored and tracked to assess achievement and progress.

In 2016, the school has set an annual goal for all students to make progress toward literacy and mathematics outcomes. Targets have been set in response to what is evident from the 2015 endofyear data. These need to focus specifically on the numbers of students in the identified groups, whose achievement is below or well below National Standards expectations, and on the extent of progress expected to raise achievement. This should assist the principal to report progress in relation to annual targets and to better evaluate the impact of teaching strategies.

Developing systems that align to teachers' professional learning and appraisal to more clearly focus on their individual students' learning needs and interests is a next step to accelerate their progress.

4 School conditions

How effectively do the school’s curriculum and other organisational processes and practices develop and enact the school’s vision, values, goals and priorities for equity and excellence?

High expectations and positive interactions between children and staff continue to be features of the school. The special character values and key competencies are evident in practice and relationships. These contribute to an environment supportive of student wellbeing for learning.

Learners experience a wide range of opportunities. Some aspects of modern learning practices are beginning in classrooms through the use of digital devices.

Parents and whānau are actively involved in the school through attendance at consultation, arts and cultural evenings. Parents receive regular, informative reports about their child's progress in relation to the National Standards.

New families are warmly welcomed and inducted into the school through pōwhiri and parish events. Entry to school from early childhood services is responsive to individual, family and whānau needs. The positive relationships maintained with early childhood services and secondary schools, including the local high school, assist students to transition smoothly along their educational pathways.

Māori students take on key roles that celebrate their language, culture and identity, for example, leading in kapa haka and pōwhiri. Increased leadership roles better enable students' views to be raised and responded to.

A whānau group continues to operate in the school through the support of the Director of Religious Studies and a core group of whānau. They hosted and organised the recent local Catholic schools' kapa haka. Increased use of social media facilitates information sharing with whānau. Growing whānau involvement is likely to assist with strengthening learning partnerships and their strategic role in the school's future direction and decision-making.

A limited amount of schoolwide teacher professional learning and development has occurred since 2013. A literacy focus, between 2013 and 2014, supported assessment of writing and moderation with teachers of other schools. Teachers are open to learning by visiting other schools and building on new initiatives, such as the Community of Learning.

The principal and deputy principal are working with an external facilitator to improve the system for teacher appraisal. Processes will strengthen links between individual teacher needs, feedback, inquiry into practice and self-reflection against the Practising Teacher Criteria. Setting individual goals related to planned learning outcomes, and gathering relevant evidence of effectiveness, should improve the impact of the appraisal process.

The board is appropriately focused on rebuilding its governance practices. In 2015, trustees participated in governance training. They are making policy review a priority and have recently revised how this is done. Completing the review of the health and safety policy and procedures is a key priority to ensure a robust governance framework underpins school operations. Succession planning and developing sustainable practices is a current focus for the upcoming board elections.

The board is aware of the importance of setting suitable student achievement targets and receiving reports about the impact of school initiatives on lifting learning. Specific targets should be supported by focused action plans with measures of success.

Leaders and teachers are reflective and focused on positive student outcomes. Teachers are becoming more thoughtful about strategies that contribute to accelerated progress. They work collaboratively to support positive student outcomes.

The school curriculum is insufficiently developed to guide cohesive teaching and learning opportunities or to evaluate its effectiveness for learners. Some recent curriculum review and reflection in relation to literacy, mathematics and culturally responsive teaching, has occurred. Further development is needed. The document should incorporate recent research on effective teaching practices, reflect the principles of The New Zealand Curriculum and the central role of the learner. Strengthening guidance for robust formative assessment practices, moderation and overall teacher judgements should be part of school development.

Developing an internal evaluation framework should assist staff and the board to better monitor and evaluate the impact of the curriculum and specific initiatives.

After a period of change, the school is faced with some key next steps for improvement. These include:

  • building cohesive governance practices
  • developing the school curriculum to guide effective teaching and assessment practice
  • strengthening culturally responsive practices
  • strengthening involvement of whānau in learning partnerships and school decision-making
  • establishing an internal evaluation framework to support improvement.

5 Going forward

How well placed is the school to achieve and sustain equitable and excellent outcomes for all children?

Leaders and teachers:

  • have begun to build their knowledge of the children whose learning and achievement need to be accelerated
  • have not yet adequately established necessary conditions to effectively accelerate learning and achievement
  • are not well placed to achieve and sustain equitable and excellent outcomes for all children.

ERO intends to carry out a process of ongoing evaluation to support development over the course of one-to-two years.

6 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 the following:

  • Board administration.

  • Curriculum.

  • Management of health, safety and welfare.

  • Personnel management.

  • 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.

  • Processes for appointing staff.

  • Stand down, suspensions, expulsions and exclusions.

  • Attendance.

  • Compliance with the provisions of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014.

The board identified a number of area in its board assurance statement that require attention to better meet legislative requirements. The board should:

  • adopt a statement on the delivery of the health curriculum, at least once every two years, after consultation with the school community.[Section 60B Education Act 1989]

To improve current practice, trustees and the principal should improve the governance policy framework by:

  • ensuring that policy and procedure review is timely and robust to ensure health and safety practices are in place, including hazard identification and management processes
  • developing policy and procedures to meet the requirements of the Vulnerable Children's Act 2014, including police vetting processes and personnel policies
  • developing a policy or procedure for search and retention
  • ensuring that the Analysis of Variance for 2015 is completed to meet school annual planning and reporting requirements
  • ensuring the school curriculum clearly provides careers education in Years 7 and 8.

7 Recommendations

ERO has identified a number of areas for development and has discussed with the board and principal the following areas:

  • develop a robust governance policy framework and processes for regular review
  • strengthen student achievement targets and supporting action, including clear schoolwide processes for monitoring and reporting how well school initiatives accelerate the progress of students at risk of poor educational outcomes
  • review and develop a cohesive schoolwide curriculum, reflecting the principles of The New Zealand Curriculum, guidelines for effective teaching, culturally responsive practices and increase students' ownership of learning
  • continue to develop formative assessment practices, moderation and overall teacher judgements to better identify individual learning needs
  • strengthen positive relationships with whānau Māori to support learning partnerships and strategic input into curriculum development and the future direction of the school
  • complete the redevelopment of teacher appraisal to support improved teaching
  • develop an internal evaluation framework to underpin school improvement. 

Joyce Gebbie

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central

30 May 2016

About the school

Location

Dannevirke

Ministry of Education profile number

2676

School type

Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)

School roll

94

Gender composition

Male 53, Female 41

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Pacific

Other ethnic groups

41

50

2

1

Review team on site

March 2016

Date of this report

30 May 2016

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

April 2013

February 2010

February 2007