Cashmere Avenue School

Summary

Cashmere Avenue is a Year 1 to 6 school in the suburb of Khandallah, Wellington.

The roll at the time of this ERO review was 355 students, and 58% identify as New Zealand European/Pākehā, 9% as Māori and 9% as Chinese. The remaining 24% of students are of diverse ethnic heritage.

The new principal, appointed from the end of Term 1, 2017 and senior leaders are promoting a reflective, responsive organisational culture that supports developing practice and ongoing improvement. Regular property development has upgraded a number of teaching areas to better support modern learning practices.

The school is a member of the Northern Suburbs Community of Learning|Kāhui Ako.

How well is the school achieving equitable outcomes for all children?

Cashmere Avenue School responds very effectively to Māori and other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration. Māori children’s achievement is high, though slightly lower than their peers in 2016, especially in writing.At the time of this review, most children were achieving at or above in relation to the National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. This pattern has been consistent over time.

Many effective processes are in place to enable the achievement of equity and excellence.Each student’s holistic wellbeing is a priority.Senior leaders and teachers have high expectations for children to succeed.Students have extensive opportunities to participate and celebrate success in a range of cultural, artistic, sporting and leadership activities. They benefit from positive, affirming relationships with their teachers.

Children are achieving excellent educational outcomes. School performance has been sustained over time through well-focused, embedded processes and practices. This school has successfully addressed in-school disparity in educational outcomes.

Agreed next steps are:

• strengthening learning partnerships with parents and whānau
• enhancing the ability to identify, track and monitor the rate of progress for individuals and cohorts over time
• developing a plan for the meaningful inclusion of te ao Māori across the curriculum.

Equity and excellence

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

Cashmere Avenue School responds very effectively to Māori and other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration.

Māori children’s achievement is high though slightly lower than their peers in 2016 especially in writing. The number of Pacific children is very small and they are tracked individually by senior leaders.At the time of this review, most children were achieving at or above the National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. This pattern has been consistent over time.

Teachers use a variety of useful school-based and standardised assessment tools. Achievement information is used well by staff to plan learning programmes and meet children’s individual learning needs. Personal progress plans that include specific learning goals are developed for each priority student. These are shared with parents and whānau. Progress is regularly monitored, tracked and reported. School data shows that many of these students make accelerated progress. Students with additional learning needs are well supported with appropriate programmes.

Appropriate assessment, moderation processes and tools are in place to promote reliability of teachers’ judgements about children’s progress and achievement. The school has identified that it will extend school-wide moderation practices between syndicates and explore moderation across the Kāhui Ako.

School conditions supporting equity and excellence

What school processes are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence?

Cashmere Avenue School has many effective processes in place to enable the achievement of equity and excellence.

Senior leaders and teachers have high expectations for children to succeed. The school’s community strongly supports the school in a variety of ways. Parents have many opportunities to have input into the direction of the school and to know about their children’s learning. Parents are highly supportive of the wide range of opportunities

Students have extensive opportunities to participate and celebrate success in a range of cultural, artistic, sporting and leadership activities. They benefit from positive, affirming relationships with their teachers.

There is a strong emphasis on growing children’s awareness and management of their own learning. Their input is valued by staff and informs teaching programmes and the choice of activities offered. Teachers are increasingly personalising learning for children.Ongoing review of the school curriculum incudes the development and use of digital technology and inquiry learning.

Senior leaders recognise and use the knowledge and skills of teachers to lead aspects of the curriculum. Extensive professional development is focused on introducing new methodologies and growing teachers’ professional practice. Teachers use research and evidence effectively to inquire into strategies and approaches that enhance engagement and promote improved outcomes for children.

The board is well informed of the progress and achievement that children make over time. They receive regular reports from senior leaders about student engagement and any health and safety matters.

Each student’s holistic wellbeing is a priority. Leaders regularly conduct and respond to student wellbeing surveys. Established relationships with local kindergartens and early learning centres support smooth transition to school.

Sustainable development for equity and excellence

What further developments are needed in school processes to achieve equity and excellence?

The school has many effective processes in place to raise children’s achievement. ERO’s evaluation and findings from the school’s internal evaluation agree that further refining strategic and annual planning, to focus on key development goals should enhance and promote the achievement of equity and excellence for all students. This should include:

• strengthening learning partnerships with parents and whānau
• enhancing the ability to identify, track and monitor the rate of progress for individuals and cohorts over time.

There are many activities and events that enable students to learn about and celebrate Māori culture and language. It is timely to develop a plan for the meaningful inclusion of te ao Māori across all aspects the curriculum.

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

• 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

There is an appropriate appraisal process that affirms teacher practices and contributes to ongoing teacher improvement. 

Going forward

How well placed is the school to accelerate the achievement of all children who need it?

Cashmere Avenue School responds very effectively to Māori and other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration.

Children are achieving excellent educational outcomes. School performance has been sustained over time through well-focused, embedded processes and practices. This school has successfully addressed in-school disparity in educational outcomes.

Agreed next steps are:

strengthening learning partnerships with parents and whānau

• enhancing the ability to identify, track and monitor the rate of progress for individuals and cohorts over time

• developing a plan for the meaningful inclusion of te ao Māori across the curriculum.

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

Alan Wynyard

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central

20 September 2017

About the school

1 Context

What are the important features of this school that have an impact on student learning?

Cashmere Avenue is a Years 1 to 6 school in the suburb of Khandallah, Wellington.

The roll at the time of this ERO review was 343 students, of whom 59% identify as New Zealand European/Pākehā, 11% as Māori, and 1% as Pacific. The remaining 29% of students are of diverse ethnic heritage.

The school welcomes and enjoys the rich range of students’ cultures and backgrounds. Many students in the school community have travelled widely or have lived overseas or in other parts of New Zealand, bringing with them a variety of experiences to share with their peers.

The school is strongly supported by its parents and local community. Many parents volunteer their time to assist in students’ curriculum experiences.

A number of new staff have joined the teaching team since the May 2011 ERO review. The senior leadership team has remained stable.

2 Learning

How well does this school use achievement information to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement?

A useful range of assessment information is collected to identify students’ learning needs. Schoolwide data is well analysed to identify emerging trends and patterns for groups of students.

Detailed reports to the board include historical, gender and ethnicity comparisons and reference to regional and national achievement results.

School personnel continue to explore and challenge themselves to increase the reliability of their overall teacher judgements about students' achievement in relation to the National Standards.

High percentages of students meet or exceed the National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. The proportion of students at and above the Standards exceeds regional and national averages. Māori students are engaged and successful learners. The school monitors the small number of Pacific students and supports their achievement individually.

Staff use a range of well-coordinated and carefully considered approaches to accelerate the progress of those students not yet meeting the National Standards. In 2013, some targeted students made accelerated progress.

An internal review has signalled the need for more purposeful ways of supporting the achievement of these priority students in classrooms and better monitoring of their progress overtime. 'Personal progress plans' written by teachers set achievable and measurable goals for students to work towards. These goals are shared with students and parents, and regularly reflected on.

Teachers discuss the strategies being used to support priority learners in their syndicate teams. This initiative is contributing to changes in teaching practice.

Senior leaders have improved and standardised the system used to record and share information about students’ progress. This is allowing easier collation and tracking of schoolwide progress towards charter goals and should provide a useful framework to support information sharing.

Students with special needs are very well supported. The approach is robust and collaborative. School leaders, the special education needs coordinator (SENCO) and teachers have considerable shared knowledge about the learning, social and emotional needs of all students.

Types of assistance are carefully considered and include the use of parent partnership, teacher aides and at times, community and external agencies. The SENCO provides strong oversight for programmes and records of individual’s achievement and progress are detailed.

Students' transition into the school, between classrooms and on to intermediate education is thoughtfully planned.

• Some initiatives to accelerate the progress of priority learners have been recently introduced. Teachers’ application of 'personal progress plans' is inconsistent. School leaders recognise that their next step is to embed this new initiative and to monitor the quality and impact of it on student outcomes.

3 Curriculum

How effectively does this school’s curriculum promote and support student learning?

The curriculum promotes and supports students’ learning effectively.

Students are highly engaged in a broad range of programmes that build on individual strengths, interests and prior knowledge as a platform of success for all. Students are encouraged to be selfmanaging learners, who know their goals and next steps for learning.

In 2013 there was a shift to personalising student learning. This included strengthening support for priority learners and more able students.

Alongside this, the development of e-learning is a high priority in the school, with a strategic aim of improving the use of e-learning as a learning practice. Information and communication technology (ICT) resources and infrastructure have been upgraded to support this. Staff are making better use of digital tools to support e-learning.

Student wellbeing is a high priority and strongly linked to learning. Effective systems are in place to support students' wellbeing needs. Charter values emphasise respect and responsibility and the vision is underpinned by the development of key competencies. Each year a curriculum focus highlights and reinforces the values, student identity and the mission statement of ‘Making Our Way in the World’.

Positive, trusting and fair student-teacher relationships underpin teachers' knowledge of learners. Students have opportunities to actively improve their wellbeing and that of others through involvement in the student council, the Akoako learning programme, peer mentoring, buddy mentoring and peer mediator roles.

Teachers have high expectations for student achievement. They adapt classroom learning experiences to suit individual abilities and needs. They are developing their ability to inquire into the effectiveness of their practice for students. A sound framework supports this teaching as inquiry process.

Teachers appreciate the associated coaching they receive from senior leaders. The process is contributing to improvements in professional practice.

• Curriculum documents are currently being reviewed and reduced in size and complexity. The new draft guidelines for staff are more focused on key ideas and concepts linked to strategic goals. This is an appropriate area for development.
• The school has identified the need for greater integration of Māori, Pacific and other diverse cultural perspectives and experiences in the curriculum. ERO’s evaluation supports this as an area for further development.

How effectively does the school promote educational success for Māori, as Māori?

The board continues to demonstrate a strategic and ongoing commitment to the promotion of te ao Māori and to strengthening partnership with Māori whānau.

The aspirations and ideas of Māori students and their families are sought and responded to. Significant elements of te ao Māori are now well embedded in school culture. Te reo me ngā tikanga Māori are valued and fostered in an inclusive setting.

The recently released Ka Hikitia: Accelerating Success 2013-2017 triggered an internal review of how well the school is supporting success for Māori as Māori.

In response to key findings, a schoolwide learning programme, Akoako was initiated. Although in its early stages, the programme is strengthening the bicultural curriculum, supporting teacher development and contributing to Māori students' wellbeing and success as Māori.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

The school is well placed to sustain and improve its performance.

Trustees receive high quality, well-analysed information on which to decide priorities. Strategic planning and goals match well to data and to students' needs. Resourcing is well aligned to strategic priorities.

The principal and senior leaders are a collegial and highly reflective team. They focus on continual review of developments and initiatives. They demonstrate useful evaluative thinking and robust evidence-based review informs decision-making in many areas of school operations.

Senior leaders and key staff members conducted strategic, evaluative reviews in 2013. These focused on the school culture, curriculum developments in e-learning, priority learners and success for Māori as Māori in relation to Ka Hikitia: Accelerating Success 2013-2017. The reviews led to positive change.

The management of change is thoughtful. Teachers have opportunities to show leadership and high levels of trust and respect are shown. Staff are involved in understanding self-review findings and developing next steps for improvement.

Senior leaders carefully consider the systems and practices necessary to implement change and execute these through a well-established syndicate team structure.

Senior leaders have good knowledge about student wellbeing and teacher application of new curriculum and teaching approaches. They have set useful goals in the charter in relation to these priorities. They acknowledge the need to strengthen the teacher development and appraisal process and provide stronger alignment to strategic goals.

• Most current initiatives are in early stages of development. The next step is to more carefully consider what the expected outcomes will be and to plan for future evaluation in relation to these success indicators.
• Many new initiatives are being undertaken. Curriculum integration through the development of a skill matrix is being trialled in 2014. The senior leadership team recognises they need to manage change for staff. It is timely to review priorities and to focus on embedding developments that contribute to more success for students.

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.

When is ERO likely to review the school again?

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

Joyce Gebbie

National Manager Review Services

Central Region (Acting)

28 May 2014

About the School