School Context
Pongaroa School, catering for children in Years 1 to 8, is a rural school located sixty kilometres from Dannevirke, in the Tararua district. Of the 58 learners enrolled, 23 identify as Māori.
The school mission statement of ‘The Best I Can Be - Kei te kaharawa ahau’ is supported by the school’s vision to prepare confident learners for an every-changing world.
The school’s strategic aims are focused on strengthening and improving learning, teaching practices, community engagement and connecting to the local environment.
The school has established annual learning targets for 2018, focusing on increasing the number of students, particularly Māori and boys, achieving at their expected level in literacy and mathematics.
Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, schoolwide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:
- achievement in reading, writing and mathematics
- progress in targeted programmes
- progress and achievement for all learners at risk, and those who are identified as gifted and talented.
Since the December 2015 ERO report, there have been a significant number of changes to leadership and staff. A new principal was appointed in 2018. The board is made up of both long-standing and recently elected trustees.
The school is a member of the Tararua 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 has yet to achieve equity and excellence for all its students.
Achievement data from the end of 2017 shows that most students were achieving well in writing. The large majority of students achieved at expected curriculum levels in reading and mathematics.
There is however, significant disparity for Māori, who achieved below their peers in mathematics and literacy. The achievement of boys was below that of girls in literacy. This is well known by trustees, leaders and teachers and strategies are in place to address this.
Learners with additional needs are appropriately identified, their needs recognised and programmes of support are put in place. External expertise supports this provision.
1.2 How well is the school accelerating learning for those Māori and other students who need this?
2018 school data shows a significant number of students, including Māori, have made better than expected progress in reading and mathematics, as a result of targeted teaching and classroom programmes.
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?
During 2018, the new leadership team is working strategically and collaboratively to develop schoolwide practices and processes to promote equity and excellence for all students. A well-considered approach to developing shared understanding of the school’s vision for successful learners is evident. This contributes to ongoing curriculum design. There is a measured approach to establishing clear expectations for consistent practice, and improved quality of teaching.
A suitable range of systems, processes and strategies have been introduced to identify, track and monitor individual students at risk of not achieving at expected curriculum levels. Teachers have revised assessment practices and continue to explore ways to show rates of progress and acceleration. Opportunities are used to purposefully discuss effective teaching and share strategies for promoting learning.
The current leadership team is improvement-focused. They provide a range of purposeful professional learning opportunities to increase teacher capability and support learner success. The appraisal system has been strengthened to align with the school’s goals and targets for improved student outcomes. There is an ongoing focus on further building the evaluative capacity of staff to understand the impact of their teaching programmes on achievement through a process of inquiry. Support staff are highly valued and supported to build their capability to positively contribute to learner outcomes.
School staff establish positive relationships with students and families. Parents, whānau and the community are welcomed and involved in a range of school activities. Recent school initiatives to strengthen parents’ knowledge of their children’s learning are supporting the development of learning partnerships.
The board actively represents and serves the school and community in its stewardship role. Trustees bring a range of skills to the board. An increased focus on accelerating student achievement for those children who require this is evident. Trustees demonstrate a strong commitment to the ongoing promotion of the school and the long-term success of learners.
2.2 What further developments are needed in school processes and practices for achievement of equity and excellence, and acceleration of learning?
In response to a period of significant staffing and leadership changes, leaders, trustees and staff are working towards establishing effective systems and processes for sustainable, improvement-focused school operation.
Trustees and leaders have plans to consult the community to inform the school’s strategic direction. Robust analysis of responses should support the clear identification of valued outcomes for all groups of students to better meet their needs.
Deeper analysis of achievement data and improved reporting of progress and acceleration for all groups of students at risk of not achieving, is a next step. This should better support the appropriate provision of a responsive curriculum for all learners.
School leaders have identified the importance of an ongoing focus on growing capability and capacity to support a culturally responsive curriculum for Māori learners. A key next step is to develop a shared vision of success for Māori, informed by whānau and iwi aspirations.
As a new leader to the school, the principal is actively gathering a range of information to inform decisions for improvement. Further developing a shared understanding and use of internal evaluation is an ongoing focus. This should better inform trustees, leaders and teachers’ knowledge of what has the most significant impact on raising achievement, and support continued development.
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.
4 Going forward
Key strengths of the school
For sustained improvement and future learner success, the school can draw on existing strengths in:
- the appropriate vision of trustees and leaders that focuses on raising levels of achievement and school performance
- a leadership team that is focused on building consistent teaching and learning practices to promote positive outcomes for students
- a culture of collaboration among trustees and staff that supports a collective response to the needs of all learners.
Next steps
For sustained improvement and future learner success, priorities for further development are in:
- strengthening inquiry and analysis of achievement information, by trustees, leaders and teachers, to systematically address in-school disparities
- knowing the valued outcomes for Māori learners, as determined by parents and whānau, to better provide a culturally responsive curriculum
- building schoolwide inquiry and internal evaluation to better determine the effectiveness of programmes and actions on student outcomes.
[ERO will provide an internal evaluation workshop for trustees and senior leaders.]
ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing
ERO is likely to carry out the next external evaluation in three years.
Alan Wynyard
Director Review and Improvement Services
Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region
6 November 2018
About the school
| Location | Pongaroa |
| Ministry of Education profile number | 2962 |
| School type | Full Primary (Year 1 to 8) |
| School roll | 58 |
| Gender composition | Boys 34, Girls 24 |
| Ethnic composition | Māori 23
Pākehā 34
Other ethnic groups 1 |
| Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS) | Yes |
| Provision of Māori medium education | No |
| Review team on site | September 2018 |
| Date of this report | 6 November 2018 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Education Review December 2015
Education Review February 2013
Education Review February 2010 |