St Benedict's School (Khandallah)

School Context

St Benedict’s School, Khandallah provides a Catholic education for students in Years 1 to 8. At the time of the review 289 students were enrolled, 4% of whom identify as Māori.

The school’s vision is ‘Developing our children’s minds, guiding our children’s hearts’. Its values of Empathy, Perseverance, Integrity and Creativity (EPIC) link to those of the school’s Brigidine founding order and The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC).

Valued outcomes for students are to live the school’s EPIC values, grow as life-long learners and well-rounded citizens, and develop as thinkers who take increasing responsibility for their learning as they explore issues in real-life contexts.

Its current goals are for students to become autonomous learners, develop understanding of te ao Māori and to achieve at the NZC level relevant to their ability. Targets for improvement in student outcomes are set in reading, writing, mathematics and wellbeing.

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

• student progress and achievement in religious education, reading, writing and mathematics.

There have been several changes of staff since the August 2016 ERO report including the appointment of a new principal at the beginning of 2018 and new teaching staff due to recent roll growth. Schoolwide professional development in 2019 is focused on culturally responsive practices, digital technology and Catholic character.

The school is a member of the Wellington Catholic Kāhui Ako |Community of Learning.

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?

In 2018, almost all students achieved at or above the expected curriculum level in reading and writing. Most achieved the expected level in mathematics. A significant number of students achieve above expectations in all three areas.

Measures have been taken to raise overall achievement and reduce the small disparity for Māori students in mathematics identified at the time of the last ERO review.

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

The acceleration for target students is not yet clearly established. Most students make expected progress. Interventions in place to support some students show a positive impact on students’ learning to date.

Students who are at the risk of underachievement are identified and provided with additional support.

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, localised curriculum and are well supported in their learning. Their interests, strengths, needs and cultural identities are well known. Strong relationships support a sense of belonging in a caring, supportive environment that reflects the school’s special character. A wide range of leadership opportunities are available to older students. A well-considered programme successfully supports students to transition into their new learning environments.

There are high expectations for participation and achievement. Student success is valued and celebrated. Increased moderation of assessment practices has supported consistency in judgements about achievement. Leaders and teachers have reviewed the range of assessment tools used to show achievement and progress in literacy and mathematics.

Students with additional needs are provided with appropriate opportunities to participate in programmes that support and challenge their learning. Additional support for students is provided within individual programmes and classrooms. Staff work collaboratively with parents of students with high and complex needs and specialist staff to provide appropriate support for these students.

The school continues to work to implement and refine effective practices and processes to ensure equity of outcomes for all learners. This is reflected through their deliberate actions, targets and strategic goals that focus on ongoing improvement. There is useful tracking of Māori student progress in 2019, both as individuals and as a group.

Leaders and trustees maintain a positive relationship with the wider school community. Parents, whānau and the community are welcomed and involved as valued participants and contributors. Teachers draw on parent and community expertise to resource and enrich learning opportunities for students. Trustees are highly active in supporting school-community partnerships.

Leaders are focused on positive student outcomes and success. They provide holistic support and pastoral care that is deliberate and intentional. They work collaboratively and operate with clear and complementary roles and responsibilities. Good processes have been developed to provide a systematic overview of school operations and performance.

Trustees demonstrate a clear understanding of their governance role and ensure they have the expertise to operate strategically. A range of systems and guidelines supports effective stewardship. The board receive useful information on student wellbeing and achievement. They work well with the school and Catholic communities to promote the school’s values, direction and special character.

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

Leaders are improvement focused. They spontaneously consider hunches and new initiatives. A systematic self-review process is in place for policy review and to reflect on current practice and inform change. Leaders should work to grow schoolwide understanding of the process and importance of internal evaluation to inform decision making and ongoing improvement.

A purposeful action plan to promote Māori success, developed with whānau input, is currently in the implementation stage. It provides guidelines for operations and outlines schoolwide expectations for culturally responsive practices. Expertise is well used to implement initiatives, deliver programmes and to develop teachers’ cultural understanding and responsiveness. Teachers should continue to develop their capacity to integrate te ao Māori into classroom programmes.

There is an ongoing focus on growing teacher capability. Professional development for teachers is well funded with clear expectations for the sharing of new learning. A sound appraisal process and performance management system is in place. It involves all staff and has the potential to support improved practice. An appropriate teacher inquiry framework is in place to support teachers to share and inquire into the impact of their practice on selected learners. Leaders should support teachers to further develop their understanding of these processes and ensure consistency of implementation.

There is a need to develop and clearly document all curriculum expectations and guidelines for the implementation of a local curriculum. This should include teacher practices which promote higher levels of student agency to allow students to have greater leadership and ownership of their learning.

3 Other Matters

Provision for international students:

The school is a signatory to theEducation (Pastoral Care of International Students) Code of Practice 2016(the Code) established under section 238F of the Education Act 1989. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code.

At the time of this review there were four international students attending the school. All students reside with and are cared for by their families. Their progress is well monitored and they participate fully in school activities.

4 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.

5 ERO’s Overall Judgement

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

ERO’s Framework: Overall School Performance is available on ERO’s website.

6 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

• stewardship that is strategic and collaborative
• strong relationships with family and community that enhance curriculum resourcing and delivery
• teaching and learning that supports students to achieve at consistently high levels.

Next steps

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

• strengthening understanding and implementation of internal evaluation, appraisal and teacher inquiry to better identify the impact of teaching and initiatives on student outcomes
• continuing to increase teacher capacity to integrate te ao Māori into classroom programmes
• reviewing and documenting curriculum expectations to guide curriculum content and delivery.

Dr Lesley Patterson

Director Review and Improvement Services Te Tai Tini

Southern Region

10 October 2019

About the school

1 Context

St Benedict's School is a primary school in Khandallah, Wellington. It caters for students in Years 1 to 8, and provides education with a Catholic character. Roll numbers are stable. The current roll comprises 69% Pākehā and 6% Māori. The remainder of students are from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds. Many staff have long associations with the school.

The June 2013 ERO report identified a number of areas requiring improvement, including: curriculum review and development; integration of te ao Māori and culturally responsive practices; consultation with the parent community; teacher inquiry; and alignment of systems and processes to support effective evaluation. Whilst there has been some progress towards addressing these areas, further work is required to develop and embed practice.

2 Equity and excellence

The vision and valued outcomes defined by the school are 'developing our children's minds, guiding our children's hearts'. The vision is supported through the gospel values of Empathy, Perseverance, Integrity and Creativity (EPIC), established by the Brigidine Sisters.

The school’s achievement information shows that nearly all students continue to achieve at or above in relation to National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. High numbers of students achieve above the standard, particularly girls in reading and boys in mathematics. Most Māori and Pacific students achieve well, with minimal disparity in achievement evident between groups for literacy.

Strategic targets are set to raise student achievement in reading, writing and mathematics. Next development steps for the school are to make expectations for accelerated learning progress more specific for students at risk of not achieving and regularly monitor their progress towards goals.

In-school moderation, particularly for writing, occurs in syndicate meetings and through informal discussions between teachers. A more rigorous and systematic approach to moderation is required to ensure schoolwide practices for making overall teacher judgments in relation to National Standards are robust and consistent. This should include leaders ensuring there are clear processes for making judgments, and regular internal and external moderation.

Since the previous ERO evaluation, the school has undertaken mathematics professional learning and development (PLD) and participated in an Accelerated Learning in Mathematics project (ALIM) to support some students working below National Standards. Currently, a Curriculum and Achievement Plan is being developed to provide a framework for supporting students with learning needs. Written reports to parents have been reviewed to provide improved information. Teachers have recently begun to look at culturally responsive practices through the document Tātaiako: Cultural Competencies for Teachers of Māori learners. 

3 Accelerating achievement

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

Māori students are identified in schoolwide and classroom data. Their achievement is reported to and shared with whānau Māori. Recent 2015 data, shows these students achieve as well as their peers in writing and reading. There is a small group achieving below the standard in mathematics.

The school has begun to explore ways its curriculum can further reflect te ao Māori. To strengthen curriculum provision for Māori students, and support excellence and success for them as Māori, the school should develop and implement a strategic plan which:

• develops the cultural understandings, competence and capacity of leaders, teachers and trustees
• effectively gathers and responds to the aspirations of whānau Māori
• sets out clear expectations for teachers’ cultural responsiveness
• evaluates actions taken and the effectiveness of curriculum and teachers’ practice in promoting the language, culture and identities of these students as they learn.

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

Students who achieve below, in relation to National Standards, are identified for additional support through focused class teaching or working with teacher aides. Some are provided with additional learning opportunities through ALIM sessions. Outcomes reported by the school, for these students, include more positive attitudes and some improved skills and strategies. The school should develop a schoolwide focus on accelerating the progress of students at risk in their learning. This should include establishing systems for measuring these students’ rates of accelerated progress against clearly defined learning goals.

Students with specific, additional needs are identified on enrolment and a range of strategies and resources are put in place. Plans are underway to review the effectiveness of provision for these students. This is timely and should seek to improve:

• regular, responsive two-way communication with all involved in each child's learning and care
• processes and systems for assessing, action planning, reporting and evaluating of support provided.

The school is currently developing a process for identifying and implementing support for students at risk in their learning. This process should also include:

• expectations for communicating with families and building learning partnerships with parents and students
• clear individual goals and expectations for students' accelerated progress
• regular monitoring and reporting in relation to goals
• identification of successful strategies and next steps for improvement.

Pacific students are achieving well. Specific strategies to support their language, culture and identity through learning should be further explored.

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 vision and special character are clearly articulated in the charter. Students are well supported to contribute positively to school life and be successful. A positive tone and relationships are evident. Further improvement of systems and processes is required across the school. This should assist in the enactment of goals and priorities and support innovation and improvement.

Students are well supported to manage their learning and resources through clear expectations and organised environments. Good levels of student collaboration are evident. Inclusive practices are demonstrated. Teachers provide focused, supportive teaching for groups of learners and foster good learning relationships with students.

Curriculum review is underway. As development continues, consideration should be given to providing clear expectations about how teachers:

• respond to learners at risk of poor educational outcomes
• support the languages, cultures and identities of students as they learn
• promote meaningful, authentic learning and students as informed, enabled learners
• foster learning partnerships with families.

The board monitors progress towards the school’s strategic goals. Surveys undertaken with parents provide useful information that can be further explored to guide school practices and direction. Plans are in place for wide-ranging consultation to develop the new strategic plan. To improve their focus on equity and excellence for all learners, trustees need to ensure targets for accelerating students' progress are specific and measurable.

Consideration should also be given to using the New Zealand School Trustees Association resource, 
Hautū - Maori cultural responsiveness self review tool for boards of trustees, to evaluate the board's stewardship. A cycle is in place for reviewing policies and procedures. Some key policies are under further review to ensure they are up to date with recent legislative and sector changes.

Syndicate leaders work to support teachers to reflect on and improve their practice. Some guidelines are in place to guide the senior leadership team. These should be further developed and implemented to support:

• clear expectations of their roles in promoting desired student outcomes
• effective communication
• development of leadership capacity
• evaluation of the effectiveness of practices in relation to expectations and outcomes. 

The appraisal process has begun to be improved in response to recent PLD. Further development should assist with:

• updating the appraisal policy and procedures to align with changes to practice
• ensuring all leaders and teachers develop and monitor progress towards relevant goals that are focused on accelerating student achievement
• consistent implementation of the process
• the use of valid evidence to attest teachers' competence in relation to the Practising Teacher Criteria.

Teacher inquiry is supporting teachers' learning about identified student needs. This should be further strengthened through the use of focused evaluative questions and specific measures to gauge the impact of their strategies on improved outcomes for students.

Internal evaluation requires strengthening. Leaders recognise the need to develop a clear framework to enable school actions, strategies and interventions to be evaluated for effectiveness and impact. A robust process should strengthen decision-making.

5 Going forward

How well placed is the school to achieve and sustain equitable and excellent outcomes for all children?

Leaders and teachers:

• know the children whose learning and achievement need to be accelerated
• need approaches that effectively meet the needs of each child
• need to ensure the school is well placed to achieve and sustain equitable and excellent outcomes for all children.

There is a positive school tone and established teaching practices which support most learners to engage and succeed. Further development of processes and systems is required to more effectively respond to learners at risk, their cultural identities and need for accelerated progress.  Learning partnerships with parents and families and evaluation of interventions, practices and actions require strengthening.  

Action: The board, principal and teachers should participate in an internal evaluation workshop. They should use this workshop, ERO exemplars of good practice and the School Evaluation Indicators to address the findings of this evaluation and develop a Raising Achievement Plan that includes a schoolwide focus on building teacher capability to accelerate learning and achievement.

As part of this review ERO will continue to monitor the school’s Raising Achievement Plan and the progress the school makes. ERO is likely to carry out the next full 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

Trustees need to ensure that they:

• meet new requirements under the Vulnerable Children Act 2014 and review and strengthen their child protection policies.
  [Vulnerable Children Act 2014; Vulnerable Children (Requirements for Safety Checks of Children’s Workers) Regulations 2015]

To improve current practice, the board of trustees should ensure key policies and procedures are regularly reviewed and updated, including performance management and complaints policies and procedures.

7 Recommendation

The school should further develop its response to learners and their families through reviewing the curriculum and strengthening learning partnerships.   

Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central

11 August 2016

About the school