Poroutawhao School

School Context

Poroutawhao School has 134 students in Years 1 to 8 and 22% of learners identify as Māori. The school is located on State Highway 1, north of Levin.

Since the November 2015 ERO report, the school has undergone significant staffing changes, including a new principal, leadership team and teaching staff.

The school’s mission statement, ‘To provide opportunities for all students to develop attitudes, skills and knowledge to be life-long learners’ and values of ‘Mauri mahi, mauri ora, work well, live well’ underpin teaching and school life.

The school states that its key aims and goals for 2018 as:

• ongoing review and development of the localised future-focused curriculum
• eliminating disparity in literacy and mathematics for priority groups of students
• improving practices that respond to children with identified additional needs
• building the school’s capacity to better track the progress of students identified as needing accelerated learning and achievement.

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

• reading, writing and mathematics against curriculum expectations
• attendance.

The school is a 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?

Leaders and teachers continue to develop practices and processes to consistently achieve equitable achievement outcomes for all students.

The school’s student achievement data analysed at the end of 2017 show most students, including Māori, achieve at school expectations in reading, and the majority of students in writing and mathematics. There is a slight disparity in literacy for boys. Māori achieve higher than their peers in mathematics.

Students with additional needs are identified. Strategies in place to support this group include their needs well known to staff, a focus on developing positive relationships and their active engagement in learning.

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

Data at the end of 2017 show that some Māori and other students made accelerated progress in literacy 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 experience a broad responsive curriculum through which they develop attributes and attitudes conducive to student-led learning. Te ao Māori is a meaningful and integral part of the school’s localised curriculum.

Leaders and staff promote an inclusive school culture. Parents and whānau have plentiful opportunities to be involved in their children’s schooling and strong community connections are established. A positive environment and respectful relationships promote wellbeing, engagement and student-centred learning.

School processes promote collaborative practice. Leaders and teachers are reflective practitioners. They undertake professional development and learning to build their understanding of current education practices aligned to the school’s strategic direction. Teachers use a range of strategies and deliberate actions to engage students in learning.

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

The principal is strengthening practices to clearly identify where disparity in outcomes occur and to better track the progress of at risk learners. Leaders and teachers need to ensure the practices aimed at achieving equity of outcomes for those learners whose progress and learning require acceleration are fully implemented. This includes improving the monitoring of target learners progress at the class and team level, to provide timely information to the principal and more regular reporting to trustees.

Leaders and teachers need to build their collective understanding, and use, of effective internal evaluation practice to:

• know what is working well and any limitations with curriculum initiatives and programmes
• know how well practices for building teacher capability impact on improving outcomes for learners
• monitor progress in achieving the school’s strategic aims and goals and to inform future decision making.

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 positive organisational culture, broad curriculum and inclusive practice that supports children’s wellbeing and learning
• the collaborative practice by leaders and teachers focused on improving outcomes for all children.

Next steps

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

• continuing to build capacity for implementing effective internal evaluation practice
  [ERO will provide an internal evaluation workshop for trustees and senior leaders]
• strengthening teaching as inquiry linked to appraisal
• further developing actions to accelerate learning and regularly monitor these.

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 Central

Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region

17 October 2018

About the school 

Findings

Poroutawhao School is inclusive and bicultural. Most students, including Māori, achieve well across an enriched, locally-responsive curriculum. Writing is an area for further development. The school is well led and governed. Leaders are collaborative. Teachers’ professional learning impacts positively on student learning. Internal evaluation for school improvement is developing.

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

1 Context

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

Poroutawhao School is a full primary located on State Highway 1, north of Levin. It is a community focused, whānau based, rural school.

Students enjoy spacious grounds and attractive classroom environments. The school is in the process of remodelling to enable increased use of technologies and modern learning practices to take place.

The school has a positive reporting history with ERO. Aspects identified for improvement in the previous ERO report have been progressed and practices strengthened.

2 Learning

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

Leaders, teachers and trustees use achievement information well to promote improved engagement, progress and achievement for students. Findings from data analysis underpin decisionmaking at all levels of school operation.

School achievement data for 2014 shows that most students achieve well in relation to the National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. There has been a focus on raising student achievement in writing. Writing for boys remains an area requiring attention.

Leaders make good use of information to identify individuals and groups of students in need of additional support. Programmes and resources are put in place to assist, regularly track progress and accelerate learning.

School achievement information is well used to identify areas for staff development and schoolwide improvement. The school has identified achievement of boys and of all students in writing, as areas of concern. These areas were priorities for planned school and teacher development in 2015.

Trustees are well informed about student achievement through principal reports. These provide useful information and progress updates in relation to school goals, annual plans, targets and overall student achievement. This information informs their decision-making about resourcing of learning support, budget and staffing.

Parents receive informative reports about the learning, progress and achievement of their child. Evidential portfolios are well used to supplement written reporting.

3 Curriculum

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

Students experience an extensive curriculum which makes good use of wider learning opportunities outside of the classroom. Local and cultural contexts are well integrated.

Developments have been driven by the school's strategic planning which is focused on improving conditions for student learning. This includes further developing student's independence, changed classroom physical environments and development of related teacher practices.

The school climate and culture provide a sound foundation for improving student learning. Since the July 2012 ERO report there has been a thorough review and redevelopment of the curriculum through a consultative process. During this, the school’s Tuakana metaphor for success has been developed to express the desired attributes of each child as they leave the school. The school values: Consideration, Collaboration and Creativity, underpin teaching and school life.

Learning centred relationships effectively support student engagement and learning. Teachers use a diverse range of strategies to engage students in meaningful learning. They are responsive to the needs of students, plan collaboratively and take joint responsibility for the learning of all students.

Students have regular opportunities, in classroom programmes to develop their oral language skills including public speaking. Teachers recognise the importance of developing this further to enhance their literacy skills and build student confidence.

Strengthening assessment practices through consistently implemented approaches is a next step. This should provide better evidence of students' progress within target groups as a result of more focused teaching and changes to classroom practices.

Students' wellbeing and engagement are actively promoted. High levels of student interest, motivation and engagement are evident across all groups of students. They confidently manage their own learning and support the learning of others. Students with diverse needs are well supported to participate at school.

School improvement is the result of carefully considered and timely professional development. A collaborative approach to inquiring into the effectiveness of teaching has been developed. Supporting teachers to systematically scrutinise their teaching practices to identify and implement targeted teaching strategies should support further improvements to student achievement. Formalising and documenting this process is a next step.

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

Poroutawhao School has progressed its curriculum to be responsive to Māori learners and inclusive of Māori culture. Māori student achievement levels are similar to those of their non-Māori classmates. There is a range of authentic opportunities for Māori students to take leadership. A Māori action plan guides school developments.

Positive relationships give students a sense of belonging to Ngāti Huia. Students are supported to feel safe and comfortable to celebrate to ao Māori within the school environment. The school’s engagement with whānau of Māori learners and iwi is strong. Close connections with Ngāti Huia enable whānau to have regular interactions and make valuable contributions to the curriculum and school decision making.

The Ministry of Education documents, Ka Hikitia - Accelerating Success 2013 - 2017 andTātaiako: Cultural Competencies for Teachers of Māori Learners, have been used to support the development of teachers understanding and inform a considered approach to supporting Māori learners to achieve success. Leaders acknowledge the need to continue to develop teachers’ confidence in, and understanding of, te reo me ngā tikanga Māori. ERO agrees.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

Poroutawhao School is very well placed to sustain and improve its performance.

Trustees demonstrate capable stewardship. The charter and annual plan clearly establish the school’s vision and direction. This is supported through well-considered documentation and regular policy and procedure review. Documented guidelines clearly establish trustees’ roles and responsibilities, routines and meeting procedures.

School staff and trustees show a commitment to improving the educational success of all students. Relationships between whānau and the school are reciprocal and respectful, providing a positive platform for students’ holistic development.

Capable leadership facilitates ongoing improvement. Suitable systems to support school function have been developed. Knowledge and decisions are shared in a manner that fosters a climate of trust and integrity. A collaborative approach supports the growth of other teachers.

Continuing to develop internal review processes that evaluate how well teaching and learning supports student achievement and engagement requires further development.

Strong community support is provided for the smooth day-to-day running of the school.

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.

Conclusion

Poroutawhao School is inclusive and bicultural. Most students, including Māori, achieve well across an enriched, locally-responsive curriculum. Writing is an area for further development. The school is well led and governed. Leaders are collaborative. Teachers’ professional learning impacts positively on student learning. Internal evaluation for school improvement is developing.

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

Joyce Gebbie

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central

9 November 2015

School Statistics