Fairfield School (Levin)

School Context

Fairfield School (Levin) is a large primary school with 506 students in Years 1 to 8. The roll comprises 47% NZ European/Pākehā, 33% Māori children, 8% of Pacific heritage and 10% Asian students.

The vision is to empower students to be ‘open, self-directed and engaged lifelong learners. E whakarangatira ana te hunga ākonga kia tōrunga, kia motuhake hoki ōna pukenga akoranga mo ake tonu’.

‘Perseverance, respect, responsibility, creativity, innovation, mana and unity’ reflect the values considered by the community to provide a foundation for successful learning.

Strategic goals to 2021 are focused on: providing high-quality learning and teaching programmes; creating a rich, safe and meaningful learning environment; growing and fostering tikanga Māori and Pacific heritage; strengthening and enhancing community relationships; and extending leadership and developing effective processes and systems.

Achievement targets in 2019 seek to: accelerate student achievement in Years 4 to 8 in mathematics and Years 5 and 6 in reading; and promote the health and wellbeing of individuals in Years 7 and 8.

Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, school wide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:

• student progress and achievement

• wellbeing

• attendance.

A new principal joined the school in Term 3, 2019. From 2017, schoolwide professional learning and development (PLD) has been undertaken in mathematics, literacy, te reo me ngā tikanga Māori and teaching as inquiry.

The school is member of the Taitoko 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?

The school is working purposefully toward equity and excellence for all its students. Achievement outcomes are often good, with many students achieving at or above expectations in reading, writing and mathematics. Trends from 2016 show a slight increase for Māori learners in writing and mathematics and a pattern of positive achievement for girls in literacy. Continuing to address disparities for boys in literacy and for Pacific students in all three areas are priorities to achieve equitable outcomes for all.

Wellbeing survey information for students in Years 4 to 6 indicates that most students are positive about school.

The school reports high levels of attendance for most students.

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

The school provides a wide range of actions and initiatives to respond to Māori and other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration. In 2019, some students requiring their progress and learning to be accelerated achieved curriculum expectations in reading, writing and mathematics.

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 who participate in additional learning programmes and those with complex needs receive comprehensive support. Tracking and monitoring processes are thorough, promoting a timely response to their learning and engagement needs. Individualised goals, for high needs learners, are developed in conjunction with parents, staff and external specialists to match the specific needs of students. Transition in, through, and out of school is well managed to suit learners, families and whānau. Appropriate resourcing provision, including the allocation of additional personnel, impacts positively on the progress and achievement of English speakers of a second language (ESOL).

Students’ skills, competencies and capabilities are well supported through their active participation in well-designed curriculum experiences. Learners pursue their interests and passions through a wide range of authentic learning opportunities. Aspirations for Māori learner success encompass the shared values of Ariki, Tohunga, Mangotoa and Aronui. Leaders effectively guide the school in their ongoing development of culturally responsive practices aligned to their vision for Māori learner success. Comprehensive teaching and learning guidelines inform practice expectations that support consistency in the classroom. Access to digital technologies assists student inquiry. Students are well supported by teachers to make decisions in relation to their learning needs.

Students learn in a positive and inclusive environment. They articulate a sense of belonging and connection to their school, of feeling included and secure and where their culture, language and identity are valued and celebrated. Daily interactions reflect the shared school values and promote positive relationships between staff, students and their peers. Well-considered communication strategies engage parents and whānau, in their child’s learning and celebrate achievements.

The vision for student success is central in the decision making of trustees, leaders and staff. Leaders and teachers purposefully engage in PLD that builds capability and contributes to positive student outcomes. Staff are highly collaborative and reflective practitioners. They gather relevant information from a wide range of sources, including current research, that impacts in curriculum developments that benefit learning in the classroom.

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

Strategic planning identifies relevant goals to guide ongoing development. As a next step leaders and trustees should further develop annual and implementation plans. Including key progress indicators should support evaluation that determines the impact of actions and strategies aligned to desired outcomes for targeted students.

Increasing rates of accelerated achievement and maintaining a consistent trajectory for identified groups overtime is required to achieve equitable outcomes for all. Leaders should evaluate current processes, systems and practices to determine strategies and actions that make the greatest difference in accelerating student progress and use this to inform further refinements.

The school gathers a wide range of assessment data. To strengthen current practice leaders and teachers should:

• review assessment tools and further develop how they are used to determine the extent of student progress within curriculum levels
• refine achievement targets, giving priority to addressing disparities for boy’s literacy and Pacific students
• strengthen evaluative commentary to trustees in relation to learner outcomes.

Leaders and teachers have implemented a range of curriculum initiatives designed to strengthen student learning, engagement and achievement. As changes have progressed it is timely for the school to collectively strengthen their knowledge and use of evaluation. Undertaking systematic evaluation aligned to specific achievement targets should provide information into what works for these learners and barriers that need addressing.

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 Children’s Act 2014.

4 ERO’s Overall Judgement

On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement of Fairfield School (Levin)’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Well placed

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.

5 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

• a purposeful response to learners with complex and additional learning needs that impacts positively on their learning and engagement
• inclusive school and classroom environments that foster positive student involvement at school
• well considered curriculum developments that are impacting positively on student engagement and promoting self-directed learning opportunities
• professional capability of staff that purposefully sustains the school’s valued outcomes and seeks to further develop their vision for learner success.

Next steps

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

• strengthening annual goals and implementation plans to guide ongoing development and support rigorous evaluation aligned to student outcomes
• building assessment practice to more fully determine the extent of student accelerated progress and support improved evaluation of achievement outcomes
• building evaluation capability and practice to determine the impact of curriculum changes on students experiencing disparity in their achievement or engagement.

Phillip Cowie

Director Review and Improvement Services 

Central Region

4 February 2020

About the school

1 Context

Fairfield School (Levin) is a large primary school catering for students in Years 1 to 8. Since the April 2012 ERO report a new principal has been appointed. Staff have worked with a number of external facilitators to strengthen school systems and programmes. The teaching of writing has been the most recent focus.

2 Equity and excellence

The vision and valued outcomes defined by the school for all children are Perseverance, Respect, Responsibility, Creativity, Innovation, Mana and Unity. These values have been reviewed over the past eighteen months in consultation with the school community.

The school’s achievement information shows that many students are achieving well in relation to the National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics, with greater numbers achieving in reading. Writing achievement in 2015 improved across the school.

There has been improvement in Māori student achievement from 2013 to 2015 in writing and mathematics. There was a positive shift in writing of 15% in 2015. This remains an ongoing priority and focus for the school.

Progress towards equitable outcomes for Māori students' achievement continues to require targeted actions. There is disparity for Māori and boys overall in reading and writing. Mathematics has been identified for targeted professional learning and development (PLD) in 2016 and 2017.

Achievement information for Pacific students shows that many achieve well in relation to National Standards in reading writing and mathematics. Accelerated progress has been made for some Pacific students in writing in 2014-15. The school continues to target actions to improve Pacific students' achievement.

Teachers have worked with an external adviser to develop internal moderation of assessment judgements in writing. This has strengthened the reliability of teachers' judgements. The focus for moderation in 2016 is reading and in 2017 it will be mathematics. Reporting to parents was reviewed and the reports contain useful information in relation to National Standards.

Since the last ERO evaluation the school has developed:

• teaching as inquiry
• processes for identifying students at risk of not achieving equitable outcomes
• Tikanga Māori across the school
• the school charter, a conceptual Fairfield Curriculum and learning progressions
• play-based learning in the junior school
• student ownership of learning
• significant use of digital technologies within the curriculum, particularly mobile devices.

3 Accelerating achievement

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

The school has a clear and deliberate focus on improving Māori student achievement. Comprehensive systems and processes are in place to track and monitor their progress and achievement. Charter targets reflect this priority.

The school's Māori Achievement Strategy 2016-2018 was developed in consultation with whānau. The strategy emphasises and fosters Māori achieving success as Māori. The intent is to continue to raise awareness, build tikanga Māori and raise student achievement.

A next step for the school is to increase the emphasis on promoting accelerated progress for some Māori students. Teachers should continue to deliberately focus on how well their teaching strategies impact on the pace of progress and achievement of individuals.

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

The school acknowledges the growing Pacific community and has developed a Pasifika Achievement Statement in the strategic plan. A charter goal on growing and fostering Pacific culture continues to be a focus for the school.

Students with additional learning needs are well supported. There are good systems and processes for identifying, tracking and monitoring these students. Collaboration with external agencies, parents and whānau support children. There is a good range of programmes and initiatives available. Allocated resourcing is used appropriately.

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 targets for equity and excellence?

The conceptual curriculum has been developed in consultation with parents. It has a strong theoretical base and is clearly linked to The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC). Positive aspects of the curriculum include:

• an emphasis on effective teaching and learning
• student agency, where students are empowered to determine choice in their learning, accessing the curriculum through their own interests
• students able to talk confidently about learning and progress in relation to the key competencies
• learning progressions in reading, writing and mathematics aligned with National Standards and NZC
• students makinggood use of the progressions for self-assessmentand identifying their next learning steps.

There is a deliberate and strategic focus on building and developing community engagement, working towards building partnerships. A range of appropriate and effective strategies is used to communicate with and engage parents, whānau and community.

Teachers began inquiring into their practice in 2015 and developed a useful framework to guide this. To further develop this process teachers should continue to increase the focus of their inquiries on those individual students whose achievement needs accelerating.

Implementation of the appraisal process has been strengthened. There is a useful framework with multiple aspects that inform and promote teachers' professional growth. Collaborative learning opportunities assist staff to develop effective teaching practice. Newly graduated teachers are well supported and mentored.

Leaders are developing and promoting a coherent approach to teaching and learning across the school. Structures, processes and practices have been established to promote collective understanding and ongoing school improvement. The school's vision and values have been reviewed and refreshed and translated into te reo Māori. The board, leaders and staff demonstrate a shared understanding of the school vision and work collaboratively to promote positive outcomes for all students. Student leadership is promoted.

Trustees are very focused on raising the achievement of those students who are at risk of under achieving. They are well informed about school operations and student achievement. The board bases its decisions on a useful range of information. They are involved in ongoing training and seek opportunities to continue to develop their understanding of their roles and responsibilities. The board resources the school strategically to support improvement.

There have been a number of developments in the past eighteen months to support student learning. The school should further strengthen the internal evaluation process by more clearly defining the desired outcomes of these developments. The board and staff should continue to effectively evaluate the impact of practice and programmes on student achievement to ensure equitable outcomes for all students.

5 Going forward

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

Leaders and teachers:

• know the children whose learning and achievement need to be accelerated
• respond effectively to the strengths, needs and interests of each child
• regularly evaluate how well teaching is working for these children
• act on what they know works well for each child
• build teacher capability effectively to achieve equitable outcomes for all children
• are well placed to achieve and sustain equitable and excellent outcomes for all children.

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

7 Recommendation

ERO recommends that the school continue to strengthen internal evaluation for improvement. This should include developing and embedding strategies that focus on effectively promoting equity and excellence and enhancing educational outcomes for students. 

Joyce Gebbie

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central

26 October 2016 

About the school