Island Bay School

School Context

Island Bay School is located in southern Wellington, for students from Years 1 to 6. Of its roll of 450, most are Pākehā, 10% are Maori and there are small numbers of students from a range of other ethnic groups, including Pacific.

The school has recently developed a new vision and values through consultation. The vision is ‘to nurture holistic learners in a broad, inquiring curriculum that fosters a love of learning and cultivates creative minds’. The newly developed WE CARE values of whanaungatanga, empowered, curious, creative, collaborative, critical thinkers are promoted.

Schoolwide targets for 2018 are: to continue the focus on Māori student achievement; and general student achievement in mathematics and science.

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

• achievement in reading, writing and mathematics
• acceleration and achievement for Māori students
• interventions and programmes implemented to support learners at risk
• health, safety and wellbeing.

There have been a number of recent changes to the leadership team and to trustees. Property developments have occurred to provide collaborative teaching hubs within the school.

Ongoing professional learning and development (PLD) has been undertaken to support the review of curriculum and culturally responsive practice. Current PLD is supporting the teaching of science and leadership development.

Island Bay School is a member of the South Wellington 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?

High levels of achievement in reading, writing and mathematics are sustained. Māori student achievement has continued to improve over time and includes a significant improvement in achievement in writing in 2017. Children achieve well in the senior levels of the school in reading and writing and many students who are achieving at expectations make accelerated progress to achieve above expectations. Pacific children achieve well.

The school recognises boys’ achievement in writing continues to be less than girls. This is an ongoing area for improvement.

Students requiring additional learning support are provided with well-considered and co-ordinated provision to promote their learning and progress.

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

The school promotes accelerated progress for those Māori and other learners at risk, including children with specific learning needs. There are high expectations for all Māori to achieve well as competent and capable learners. School data indicates that, in the main, progress is accelerated for those identified as needing this.

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?

The school has a collaborative culture that supports a well-established community of learners. Relational trust, shared understandings and innovation are fostered. Staff have good access to a range of PLD to support theories of practice, responsive teaching and improvement. Capability is built through regular opportunities for collective learning and reflection. Teachers’ strengths and contributions are valued and supported.

Children demonstrate enjoyment in learning and participate with interest and enthusiasm. The school’s vision and values are effectively promoted through the recently refreshed curriculum. Inquiry-based and integrated approaches to learning encourage students to make meaningful connections, empower them to lead their learning and develop self-efficacy and agency. Curriculum development is well informed by current research and teachers’ interests and strengths. Teachers are working to build their cultural competencies to deliver a curriculum that promotes a local base and responds to the aspirations of whānau Maori.

Teacher practice is responsive to student needs, strengths and interests. Good systems are in place for gathering, sharing and using information about students’ learning. Students have opportunity to understand their achievement and learning. Families’ involvement in their children’s learning includes online platforms for sharing and providing feedback on work. Student progress is supported by target setting and the regular monitoring of the learning and progress of all students at risk in their learning.

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

As a school of continuous improvement, teachers and leaders are developing more useful systems to assess meaningfully across the curriculum and to show progress and acceleration. The school is refining reporting and inquiry about rates of acceleration for all learners at risk, to inform understanding of successful strategies and outcomes.

The school has continued to build responsiveness to Māori learners and their whānau. Māori voice is actively sought to inform decision-making to enrich provision. A Māori learner profile has been developed in consultation with families to determine and enact aspirations for their children. A next step is to more systematically integrate actions through a strategic approach to development, leadership and improvement. Further empowering whānau to lead these developments should be a key consideration.

A sound framework for appraisal has been developed that is appropriately focused on learner and strategic priorities. Improvements to consistency of implementation and robustness of appraisal and teacher inquiry are required. This should further support teacher improvement and help to identify the effectiveness of strategies and practice in promoting learning and progress.

There is a clear focus on improvement and development to align with the vision for learning. Views of students and families are sought to inform school direction and development. Continuing to develop shared understandings and systematic internal evaluation processes should support the growth in knowledge about impact of implemented actions and further guide decision-making and ongoing improvement.

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.

Areas for improved compliance practice

To improve current practice, the board of trustees should:

• ensure policies and procedures are comprehensive and reviewed in a timely manner.

4 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

• systems for gathering, sharing and using information about students’ learning that supports their progress

• a curriculum that promotes meaningful participation and learning

• a community of learners that fosters innovation and improvement.

Next steps

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

• systematic integration of actions to promote success as Māori through a strategic approach to development, leadership and improvement to promote meaningful participation of whānau

• appraisal and teacher inquiry to promote consistency and improvement

• continuing to develop internal evaluation processes and practices.

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

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

Alan Wynyard

Director Review & Improvement Services Central

Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region

19 September 2018

About the school

1 Context

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

Island Bay School caters for 500 students in Years 1 to 6 in the southern suburbs of Wellington. The increasingly diverse student population includes 69 students who identify as Māori and a smaller number of Indian, Pacific and other ethnic groups.

Continuity in strong professional leadership contributes to further embedding a student-centred approach to integrated teaching and learning. A recent review of special needs provisions resulted in improved processes for identifying and catering for learners' needs. Students have extensive opportunities to experience personalised learning.

A recent significant property development is a modern, centralised learning hub around the school library. This provides a focal point for ongoing improvements in student use of information and communication technologies (ICT).

The school has a sustained positive reporting history with ERO.

2 Learning

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

Teachers, syndicate leaders and school leaders use student achievement information effectively to monitor each learner’s progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Well-considered indicators and assessment tools assist teachers to understand what students know and what they need to do next in relation to the National Standards.

The majority of students achieve particularly well in reading. Māori learners experience similar high levels of success in reading. Staff are highly aware that progress in writing and mathematics should be further accelerated, particular for Māori boys. A schoolwide focus on writing has increased teachers' assessment knowledge and practices. The writing moderation process is robust and practices are developing well for reading and mathematics. There is a carefully considered and evidence-based approach to making National Standards’ assessment decisions.

Teachers focus on accelerating the progress of priority learners. Robust professional discussions and sharing of effective teaching strategies occurs regularly. External expertise is well used to grow teachers’ knowledge and assessment practices. Students requiring additional learning support are well identified, tracked and monitored.

Parents receive informative written reports twice a year, with supporting evidence about individual progress in literacy, mathematics and other curriculum areas. Regular opportunities to visit classrooms and for students to share and celebrate their learning experiences through inquiry learning, strengthen partnership between families, children and staff.

School improvement targets are becoming more responsive to the needs of students, including Māori and Pacific learners. The board is well informed about special education programmes and the resources it allocates to this area. It is timely for trustees to receive reports on the impact of special programmes and specific provisions for students’ progress and achievement.

3 Curriculum

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

The Island Bay School curriculum is a carefully and thoughtfully developed framework. It is strongly based on inquiry learning to reflect individual interests, and motivates students to learn. The New Zealand Curriculum and supporting research-based theories, require students to think more deeply about their emerging knowledge, skills and competencies. Exploring and experimenting with new learning are highly evident and understood as important aspects of the school curriculum.

Students are confident, enthusiastic and self-directed learners. Teachers consistently use effective literacy and mathematics teaching strategies. A flexible and responsive framework enables teachers to focus on meeting students’ learning needs, and individual students to make choices in their learning. Student engagement in learning is enhanced through regular use of ICT.

A recent review of special education provision reflects parents' wishes for their children. This resulted in the board providing carefully considered programmes matched to individual needs and some additional staffing. Teacher aides participate in useful training to assist them to capably support learners.

Students' transition to school at five years of age is supported through individualised approaches, matched to individual and family wishes.

It is timely for the board and staff to review how explicitly the school curriculum caters for and is culturally responsive to key groups of learners, including Māori, Pacific and other ethnic groups. This review should consider how effectively the curriculum actively affirms and supports the uniqueness of each culture, language and identity.

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

The board and staff are committed to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. Over the past eight years, school kawa for pōwhiri, karakia, waiata and poroporoaki have become embedded. A large kapa haka group, open to all senior students, provides leadership opportunities for students. Students are encouraged to investigate their culture and identity through their individual learning inquiries.

Two lead teachers continue to provide support for staff to confidently use te reo Māori in classroom programmes. Many teachers are involved in ongoing education in this area. A large number of students participate in an extension programme in te reo Māori. A next step is for the school curriculum to provide students at all year levels with planned te reo Māori programmes.

The whānau group numbers have recently grown to include a large numbers attending noho marae. This group provides ongoing support for developing the school’s bicultural education and suggested strategies that encourage Māori learners to experience more success as Māori.

The board, senior leadership and staff should continue to build on the positive developments from the whānau group. This should strengthen their contribution to strategic planning and resourcing decisions.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

The school is very well placed to continue to improve student learning outcomes. Effective monitoring of each student’s progress, and in-depth school self-review processes, underpin school operations. These practices fully involve staff, student views and parent views in key areas.

The board robustly scrutinises the effectiveness of its governance practices. Trustees use their collective knowledge and appropriate external expertise to inform policy reviews in key areas of school operation. They focus on strengthening their governance practices to enable students to participate in high quality experiences that improve learning outcomes.

Strong, collaborative school leadership provides a cohesive and clear direction to successfully implement the curriculum. Teachers undertake carefully considered and targeted professional learning and development linked to strategic goals and individual needs. Effective appraisal practices build teachers' critical reflection and understanding of effective teaching. Teachers new to the profession are provided with thorough induction and mentoring. The growth of professional practice and leadership is well supported by robust systems.

It is timely for school leaders and trustees to set more specific annual improvement targets in relation to priority learners and to receive regular progress reports to successfully support students to achieve the National Standards.

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.

To improve current practice, the board should:

• complete its current review of personnel policies and procedures, including staff appointments
• ensure board meeting minutes and supporting documentation are readily available for public access.

When is ERO likely to review the school again?

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

Joyce Gebbie

National Manager Review Services

Central Region (Acting)

26 February 2014

About the School