The Terrace School (Waipukurau)

The Terrace School (Waipukurau)

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

The Terrace School (Waipukurau) is located in Central Hawkes Bay and provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. The school’s vision He kaha te Mātauranga is promoted through the values of Whakawhanaungatanga, Ako, Kaitiakitanga and Aroha. The school has a bilingual rumaki, Te Aranga.

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

Outcomes for learners are becoming more equitable and excellent.
  • Achievement information for 2023, shows a majority of learners achieved at expected curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics.
  • Mid-year data for 2024, shows a trajectory of improvement in reading, with all Year 8 students at or above expectation.
  • Students with additional learning needs are well supported and they participate, engage and learn in an inclusive learning environment.
  • The school has not yet met, and is working towards, the Government’s target for regular attendance; strategies to improve attendance focus on building positive relationships with students and whānau to promote engagement in learning.

Conditions to support learner success

Leadership increasingly involves whānau, hapū and iwi in decision making for school improvement.
  • Leadership is making good progress in developing a localised curriculum designed to meet the aspirations of whānau and iwi; continuing to build teacher capacity in te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori is a planned next step.
  • Leadership increasingly fosters a culture for teachers that is committed to having high quality teaching and the monitoring of learner progress.
  • Leaders give high priority to an inclusive school culture where students are supported to access learning and barriers to learning are successfully reduced.
Teaching practices increasingly respond to students’ learning needs, interests and cultural identities.
  • Students have sufficient opportunities to learn across the breadth and depth of The New Zealand Curriculum; priority is given to teaching foundation skills in literacy and mathematics.
  • Teachers use appropriate assessment information to adapt teaching practice and report the progress and achievement of each learner.
  • Teachers’ interactions with students are increasingly learning focused and purposeful; teaching strategies that engage all students in learning continue to be a priority.
The school is strengthening and aligning systems, processes and practices to support positive outcomes for all learners.
  • Teachers are well supported to build capability through professional development aligned with the school’s goals; ongoing development of teachers’ practice in structured literacy to address learner needs is given priority.
  • Partnerships for learning are well-developed; parent and whānau input into their children’s education is highly valued.
  • Well considered transition processes promote learners’ wellbeing and sense of belonging; continuing to gather student voice and wellbeing data for all learners is a planned next step.
  • The board is representative of the school community and members work collaboratively with school leaders, whānau and iwi to realise the vision and to achieve improvement goals.

Rumaki/Bilingual Outcomes and Condition to Support Learner Success

Learner success and wellbeing

  • Less than half of ākonga in Te Aranga are achieving at or above expected levels in pānui, while less than a third are doing so in tuhituhi and pāngarau.
  • Ākonga are beginning to experience smooth transitions through Māori-medium education.
  • Ākonga develop confidence and pride in learning and using te reo Māori, supported by growing language skills and cultural connections.

Conditions to support learner success

  • The school is strengthening bilingual teaching, learning programmes, and assessment tools to support the diverse needs of second-language learners in Te Aranga.
  • Whānau and mana whenua contribute through hui, online input and board representation to ensure the reo programme reflects community aspirations.
  • Te Aranga is supported by an environment where te reo is normalized and reinforced through whānau engagement and cultural practices.

Part B: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

  • focus on improving attendance rates for all learners using the strategies in place
  • build teacher capability and capacity in evidence-based teaching practices to improve outcomes for all students in reading, writing and mathematics
  • further develop capability of all staff to integrate te reo Māori, tikanga Māori, and mātauranga Māori in the curriculum to support Māori learners to achieve success as Māori
  • collect and use student wellbeing data to strengthen responsive classroom and school wide practices
  • strengthen planning, teaching, assessment and data analysis in Te Aranga.

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

Within six months:

  • monitor the effectiveness of strategies to increase and sustain regular attendance
  • continue professional learning and development in structured literacy for teachers for consistency in approach
  • implement a responsive local curriculum, strengthening te reo Māori and tikanga Māori across the school and in everyday classroom practices
  • conduct a wellbeing survey with staff, learners and whānau, to assist with strengthening classroom and school wide practices that further engage learners
  • source reo rua-specific professional development around assessment, robust data analysis and monitoring and tracking ākonga progres

Every six months:

  • analyse attendance data, measure progress towards improving regular attendance at school and adapt strategies accordingly
  • continue to build on teachers’ capacity and capability to integrate te reo Māori, tikanga Māori, and mātauranga Māori and identify agreed ways to measure progress
  • continue to monitor the impact of professional development for teachers on raising student achievement in reading and writing

Annually:

  • use the analysis of progress, achievement, wellbeing and attendance information to know the impact of initiatives and professional learning on student outcomes
  • evaluate the extent to which the local curriculum meets the needs and aspirations of learners and their whānau
  • measure progress made to integrate te reo Māori, tikanga Māori, and mātauranga Māori in the curriculum.

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

  • improved wellbeing, progress and achievement outcomes for all students; improved learner outcomes for ākonga in Te Aranga
  • improved regular student attendance
  • consistent and high-quality, evidence-based teaching practices in literacy and mathematics
  • the aspirations of learners and their whānau met through a responsive curriculum.

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

Sharon Kelly
Director of Schools (Acting)

24 April 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

The Terrace School (Waipukurau) 

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2024 to 2027

As of November 2024, the The Terrace School (Waipukurau) 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

Actions for Compliance

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

  • safety checking of workforce; evidence of risk assessment.
    [Children’s (Requirements for Safety Checks of Children’s Workers) Regulation 2015; Part 1 Clause 5,7,8] 

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

Further Information

For further information please contact The Terrace School (Waipukurau), 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.

Sharon Kelly
Acting Director of Schools

24 April 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

The Terrace School (Waipukurau)

Findings

On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO ‘s overall evaluation judgement of The Terrace School (Waipukurau)’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is:  Developing.

1 Background and Context

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

The Terrace School, in Waipukurau, caters for 139 students in Years 1 to 8 of whom 127 identify as Māori. Level 2 te reo Māori option is provided in three classes for students in Years 1 to 8.

The 2018 ERO report identified significant areas for improvement. Over the past two and half years the school has participated in an ERO evaluation process to support improvement.

There has been a complete change to leadership and teaching staff. Until the beginning of 2020 the school was governed by a Ministry of Education (MoE) appointed Commissioner. Trustees were elected at end of 2019 and took up their roles in 2020.

Leaders and staff have accessed appropriate external professional learning and development (PLD) to support them in their roles and practice. They have worked positively and shown a determined focus on improvement.

This ERO report evaluates the progress made and how well placed the school now is to sustain continuous improvement.

2 Review and Development

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

Priorities identified for review and development

The overall goal was to improve governance, school practice and operation to promote

positive learning outcomes and accelerate progress of all students. Areas of focus to support this have included:

  • continuing to raise student achievement
  • continuing to develop and document the school’s local curriculum, including the documentation of expectations for teaching
  • developing schoolwide consistency across the implementation and monitoring of the inquiry process
  • building sound stewardship practices to effectively govern the school.
Progress
School leadership is implementing processes that are contributing to positive change and improvement.

Leaders and teachers have developed and use a range of appropriate processes and systems to measure, track and document student learning. End of 2019 data indicates that a large majority of students achieved at or above expectation in reading with a smaller majority in mathematics and just under half in writing. This data was used to determine student achievement targets focusing on writing and mathematics for 2020 and PLD focuses for teachers.

Mid 2020 data shows that the majority of students are achieving at or above expectation in mathematics and reading and just under half in writing. Trends over time from mid 2019 and mid 2020 show an increase in the percentage of students achieving at or above expectation. Data for students identified in the school’s writing and mathematics annual achievement targets indicates over half have made accelerated progress in mathematics and some students in writing.

Deliberate strategies support all staff to work collaboratively to promote student learning and wellbeing. Relationships are respectful and culture, language and identity, and diversity are valued. Parents, whānau and the community are involved in school activities as respected and valued partners in learning. Leaders and staff know students well and use a wide range of strategies to effectively engage students in learning.

School leaders are taking a measured and considered approach to developing a culturally responsive, localised curriculum, clearly aligned to the school’s values and identified priorities. This curriculum has been developed in collaboration with staff and whānau. Staff are developing expectations to guide effective teaching.

Useful frameworks support teachers to inquire into and reflect on their practice linked to the school priority of accelerating progress and achievement in writing. Teachers are supported by external PLD to reflect on and build their capability to promote positive learning and wellbeing outcomes for students. They use student achievement information to inquire into their practice, determine what is working well and what they need to do differently.

The board is well informed by the principal about student achievement, school goals, priorities, student learning and curriculum development. Trustees use this information to make evidence based decisions about school improvement.

All trustees are new to the board. They clearly understand that student wellbeing, learning, achievement and progress are their core business. Trustees continue to grow their understanding of their governance roles, responsibilities and obligations.

Key next steps

ERO and the board agree that key next steps for the school are to:

  • support students to have more understanding and ownership of their learning
  • embed the localised curriculum
  • continue to build teacher capability and use of inquiry to promote learning for all students.

3 Sustainable performance and self review

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

The school has developed its capacity to improve, review and sustain its performance. The principal and board have worked in a systematic way to address areas identified in the previous ERO report and are working well together to lead the school forward. They are focused on continuing to improve student achievement. The school’s ongoing involvement in professional learning and development effectively supports leaders and teachers to promote positive learning and wellbeing outcomes for students.

As new initiatives are embedded it is appropriate to use school developed internal evaluation practices to evaluate their effectiveness and identify any changes for ongoing improvement.

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
  • school policies in relation to meeting the requirements of the Children’s Act 2014.

Conclusion

The school has developed its capacity to improve, review and sustain its performance. The principal and the board have worked in a systematic way to address areas identified in the previous ERO report and are working well together to lead the school forward. They are focused on continuing to improve student achievement.

On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO ‘s overall evaluation judgement of The Terrace School (Waipukurau)’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Developing.

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.

Phil Cowie

Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)

Central Region - Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

19 February 2021

About the school

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement.