Omapere Street , Waitangirua, Porirua
View on mapTēnā koutou e mau manawa rahi ki te kaupapa e aro ake nei, ko te tamaiti te pūtake o te kaupapa. Mā wai rā e kawe, mā tātau katoa.
We acknowledge the collective effort, responsibility and commitment by all to ensure that the child remains at the heart of the matter.
Tairangi School is a full primary school located in Porirua East, Porirua. It provides education for learners in Years 1 to 8. Learners are supported to prepare for a ‘future, united through culture’, through the values of caring, respect, determination, identity and connection.
There are two parts to this report.
Part A: An evaluative summary of learner success and school conditions to inform the school board’s future strategic direction, including any education in Rumaki/bilingual settings.
Part B: The improvement actions prioritised for the school’s next evaluation cycle.
The following findings are to inform the school’s future priorities for improvement.
| Outcomes for learners are increasingly equitable and excellent. |
| Leaders collaboratively develop and enact the schools’ strategic priorities focused on equitable outcomes. |
| Teachers are taking steps to provide responsive consistent teaching, learning and assessment practices. |
| Organisational conditions establish a culture of shared responsibility and strategic improvement. |
The agreed next steps for the school are to:
The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.
Within six months:
Every six months:
Annually:
Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:
ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a School Evaluation Report and is due within three years.
Me mahi tahi tonu tātau, kia whai oranga a tātau tamariki
Let’s continue to work together for the greater good of all children
Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools
3 September 2024
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
As of May 2024, the Tairangi School Board has attested to the following regulatory and legislative requirements:
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
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For further information please contact Tairangi School, School Board.
The next School Board assurance that it is meeting regulatory and legislative requirements will be reported, along with the Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report, within three years.
Information on ERO’s role and process in this review can be found on the Education Review Office website.
Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools
3 September 2024
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
Tairangi School has made positive progress in addressing the priorities identified for improvement. Assessment processes have been strengthened. The curriculum is underpinned by values and authentic cultural practices that promote student voice, agency and identity. Leaders, teachers and trustees are developing sound processes and practices to sustain and continue to improve outcomes for learners.
On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO‘s overall evaluation judgement of Tairangi School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Developing.
Tairangi School, in Porirua East, provides education for students Years 1 to 8. The current roll of 160 students includes 67% who are of Pacific heritage and 23% who are Māori.
The November 2017 ERO report identified areas for review and development relating to assessment, achievement, teaching, the curriculum, appraisal, policy development and internal evaluation.
In 2018 and 2019 a Student Achievement Function (SAF) Practitioner supported the school’s improvement journey. Staff have also worked with external facilitators in literacy, student wellbeing and behavioural education, and curriculum development. Increased budget allocation for professional learning and development (PLD) has enabled more learning opportunities for individual staff members.
The board of trustees has worked closely with The New Zealand School Trustees Association (NZSTA) since 2018, with emphasis on developing and using governance tools for ongoing school improvement.
The November 2017 ERO report identified areas requiring development. These were to:
Since the 2017 ERO report, there has been a strong focus on increasing the consistency and reliability of assessment judgements about progress and achievement, particularly in reading.
Since 2018, schoolwide achievement data shows variation. There has, however, been clear evidence of some target students making accelerated progress.
At the end of 2018, approximately one third of students were achieving at or above the expected level in reading. In writing and mathematics, it was approximately half. During 2018, 36% of target students made accelerated progress in reading.
At the end of 2019, two thirds of Year 4 to 8 students were reading and writing at or above curriculum expectations. Approximately one third achieved at or above in mathematics. During 2019, 27% of target students made accelerated progress in reading and 47% in mathematics.
In 2020, a literacy initiative for early literacy acquisition has resulted in almost all of the children involved making accelerated progress.
The consistency and reliability of assessment processes has improved significantly. Considerable work has been undertaken to use nationally-normed assessment tools consistently. Collaborative moderation processes have increased the reliability of teacher judgements about progress and achievement. Professional learning has built shared understanding of use of assessment tools, including reading running records. Leaders have identified that continuing to strengthen assessment processes is an area of ongoing emphasis.
Strong relationships between children and adults promote a positive wellbeing and learning environment. Tuakana teina relationships are encouraged and clearly evident.
Teachers have clear expectations. Children know the classroom routines well and participate enthusiastically in a range of learning activities. Teachers are beginning to promote increased student agency, working towards all children knowing about their learning, the purpose for it, and how well they have achieved their learning goals.
A well-documented localised curriculum has been developed and is being progressively implemented. It is based on Tairangi School’s community values that promote voice, agency and identity. These values underpin documented cultural practices that are inclusive and representative of the school’s community. Authentic cultural practices are evident across the curriculum. Students can relate their learning to their own experiences.
Useful guidelines for quality teaching and assessment have been shared and published in almost all curriculum areas. Indicators for high quality teaching and learning are continuing to be further developed.
A robust appraisal process has been developed and implemented. It is aligned with the Teaching Council’s requirements, with conduct and practice indicators that reflect the school’s context.
The school is making good progress in developing sound processes and practices to sustain and continue to improve its performance.
Leaders, trustees and teachers have identified through their strategic goals and annual plan, a well-considered pathway for ongoing development. Specific goals include continuing to:
Trustees have worked with NZSTA to develop and implement a regular cycle of policy review.
Teachers develop specific learning interventions for target students to increase their achievement. Those students who join the school during the year are part of this group. Leaders and teachers work collaboratively to evaluate their teaching practice and the effectiveness of these interventions using a ‘Puzzles of Practice’ process. An improved understanding of internal evaluation has been developed using this process.
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:
During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student achievement:
Tairangi School has made positive progress in addressing the priorities identified for improvement. Assessment processes have been strengthened. The curriculum is underpinned by values and authentic cultural practices that promote student voice, agency and identity. Leaders, teachers and trustees are developing sound processes and practices to sustain and continue to improve outcomes for learners.
On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO‘s overall evaluation judgement of Tairangi School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Developing.
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.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
18 February 2021
Tairangi School in Porirua East caters for 146 Years 1 to 8 students from diverse cultural backgrounds. Two-thirds of students identify as of Pacific heritage, with most being Samoan, and one-fifth Māori. For approximately 25% of students, English is a second language.
Students are welcoming and friendly. The multi-cultural nature of the school and its community is valued and celebrated. A range of opportunities is provided for Pacific and Māori students to explore and celebrate their unique culture, language and identity. Students frequently participate in musical and cultural performances that are a positive part of whole-school activities. Sport and fitness are emphasised.
Lack of continuity of leadership and staff changes over the last twelve months have impacted negatively on sustainability and improving outcomes for learners. A new senior leadership team, including the recently appointed principal, has been in place since the start of Term 3 2017. Most of the board of trustees are new since the 2016 mid-year election.
The school is a member of the Porirua East Community of Learning|Kāhui Ako and believe the collaboration is likely to contribute to improving student outcomes within the cluster.
The July 2014 ERO report, identified the need to make greater use of student achievement information to more deeply inquire into the impact of teaching on student learning. It also indicated teachers should provide greater opportunity for student leadership of their own learning. The school is still to respond effectively to these next steps.
Students whose progress requires acceleration need higher levels of targeted support. Processes in place supporting learning are likely to contribute to achievement and progress for some students. Further development is necessary to achieve improved outcomes for all students.
At the time of this review, this school was not well placed to provide conditions for learners to achieve educational excellence, or to address in-school disparities.
ERO intends to carry out a process of ongoing evaluation to support development over the course of one-to-two years.
Targeted actions need to more effectively address the identified needs of students requiring acceleration.
The school’s 2016 achievement information indicates approximately 50% of students achieve at in relation to National Standards in writing and mathematics. A higher percentage do so in reading. Pacific students achieve more successfully than other groups. Māori students overall achieve lower than their peers, particularly in literacy. Boys achieve significantly below girls in all National Standard areas.
School data indicates some target students, including English language learners, make accelerated progress. However there has been little progress made since the previous ERO review to improve achievement overall, or reduce the disparities between ethnic or gender groups. Raising achievement is a continuing priority.
It is necessary to increase the dependability of assessment decisions. Consistently implemented moderation processes and greater understanding and use of literacy and mathematics curriculum progressions are needed to enable better teacher judgements.The school recognises the quality and consistency of National Standard judgements need to improve.
A range of assessment tools are used to consider individual and group progress. Collated results are reported to the board and include useful commentary on overall patterns and trends. Analysis needs to include focused consideration of the impact of teaching on groups such as Māori, Pacific, boys and English language learners students.
Teachers identify individual students needing to have their progress accelerated. Planning and teaching are not sufficiently developed or focused to make a genuine difference for a number of these learners.
The new leadership team has identified assessment processes and target setting need improvement. ERO’s evaluation indicates greater use should be made of data to:
Some processes and practices currently in place positively contribute to improving the achievement and progress of students requiring acceleration.
Students have a positive attitude to learning and the opportunities available. Older learners are regularly involved in supporting those who are younger. Student voice is collected and valued.
Processes for supporting children with additional learning needs and those who are English language learners are being strengthened by the recently appointed Special Education Needs Coordinator (SENCO). Teachers are supported to identify specific teaching strategies likely to meet student needs and to monitor the progress these learners make.
The new board of trustees is representative of the community and bring valued skills and experience to their role. They access support to increase their knowledge of stewardship. A work plan has been developed to guide the board in meeting its responsibilities. It includes provision for reporting of student progress to assist decision making and regular review of processes.
The board is seeking support from New Zealand School Trustees Association to review its policies and procedures to ensure they meet current legislative expectations and good practice guidelines. Identified priorities include practices related to:
Reporting to parents includes well-attended conferences that encourage the sharing of information likely to promote student progress. The extension of links with the wider community and external agencies is promoting student wellbeing and engagement in learning.
Leadership recognises processes and practices that require further development to improve outcomes for all learners. Change management is well-considered and there is a deliberate focus on developing teacher and leadership capability. An initial focus is encouraging a culture of collaboration, support for student wellbeing, and learning focused inquiry. Teachers are building a shared understanding of teaching and learning beliefs, linked to further supporting improvement for learners.
Further development of some of the school’s processes and practices is necessary to achieve improved outcomes for students.
It is timely to refresh the Tairangi School localised curriculum, vision and values in collaboration with the school community. Increasing the responsiveness to learners should include:
The quality of teaching is variable. Improving classroom learning across the school is a priority. Areas of focus to promote achievement and progress include:
The current teacher appraisal process includes self-reflection on evidence linked to the Practising Teacher Criteria. However it lacks key components and suitably robust implementation to enable it to effectively contribute to teacher improvement. The school is developing a new appraisal process that includes the newly developed Standards for the Teaching Profession. The revised process should also include:
Trustees, leaders and teachers need to build their understanding of effective internal evaluation and use it to know which processes and practices work well and what they need to emphasise more or do differently to improve outcomes for all learners.
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:
During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student safety and wellbeing:
To improve current practice, the board of trustees should implement a programme of regular policy review to ensure current legislative expectations and good practice guidelines are appropriately reflected in school systems.
At the time of this review, this school was not well placed to provide conditions for learners to achieve educational excellence, or to address in-school disparities. The main areas of concern are:
Leaders and teachers:
ERO intends to carry out a process of ongoing evaluation to support development over the course of one-to-two years.
Patricia Davey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)
Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region
23 November 2017
| Location | Porirua East |
| Ministry of Education profile number | 3029 |
| School type | Full Primary (Year 1 - 8) |
| School roll | 146 |
| Gender composition | Male 53%, Female 47% |
| Ethnic composition | Māori 22% Samoan 39% Cook Island 11% Tokelauan 8% Pākehā 6% Other Pacific 8% Other ethnic groups 6% |
| Review team on site | September 2017 |
| Date of this report | 23 November 2017 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Education Review July 2014 Education Review July 2011 Education Review September 2008 |