Ngatimoti School

Summary

Ngatimoti School is a rural primary school near Motueka for children in Years 1 to 8. The school roll at the time of the review was 93 children.

School-wide achievement information shows that the majority of children achieve well in relation to the school’s valued outcomes and the National Standards. school-wide achievement information over the last four years shows children sustained good progress over time.

Leaders and teachers are actively engaged in the Motueka Kāhui Ako| Community of Learning (CoL). The principal is co-leader of the CoL and is contributing to the development of systems and sharing practice to support the wider educational community.

The school took part in a Ministry of Education literacy intervention in 2013-2016.

Since the February 2013 ERO review, the school has made good progress in addressing the areas for development. This includes:

• explicitly focusing on promoting and monitoring ongoing educational success for Māori as Māori

• effectively evaluating strategies used to accelerate student achievement and improve wellbeing.

How well is the school achieving equitable outcomes for all children?

The school is responding very effectively to children whose learning and achievement need acceleration.

This school has very effective systems, processes and practices for enabling the achievement of equitable and excellent outcomes for all children.

There are well-established internal evaluation processes that are effective in identifying areas for further improvement. Leaders and teachers use this information well to make positive changes.

To strengthen current practice, leaders need to extend reporting to the board to include analysis of rates of progress children make in their learning.

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

Equity and excellence

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

The school is responding very effectively to children whose learning and achievement need acceleration.

The school’s achievement information shows that most children achieve at and above the National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. There is some disparity for boys in writing. Leaders and teachers have developed useful systems and practices for identifying and responding to this disparity. Achievement information shows that most children make accelerated progress.

Trustees, leaders and teachers, in consultation with the community, have identified key valued outcomes for their children. These include; wellbeing, creativity, identity, literacy and numeracy. School information shows that children are well supported to achieve these outcomes. Teachers use learning and wellbeing information effectively to purposefully plan to improve the wellbeing, creativity, and confidence of those children who need it. Data shows these children make good progress in these areas.

Children with additional learning needs are well supported to make progress against personalised learning goals.

Leaders and teachers have developed robust assessment and moderation practices within the school and with other schools. These are supporting teachers to make reliable judgements about children’s achievement.

School conditions supporting equity and excellence

This school has very effective systems, processes and practices for enabling the achievement of equitable and excellent outcomes for all children.

What school processes are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence?

Children benefit from a broad, inclusive, and integrated curriculum that is responsive to their individual interests, needs and strengths for learning and wellbeing. Teachers effectively plan and implement a curriculum that enacts the school’s and the New Zealand curriculum’s vision of confident and lifelong learners, whilst making good use of their local environment. Teachers provide experiences that support all children to learn about their bicultural heritage. Children are well supported to develop and demonstrate the school’s values of being: respectful, positive, innovative, excellent and responsible.

Trustees actively represent and serve the community well. Trustees and leaders are implementing a clearly aligned strategic vision, values and priorities. These ensure there is an explicit focus on learning, wellbeing and achievement for all children. They scrutinise the effectiveness of the school programmes and practices in achieving valued outcomes.

School leaders have high expectations and well-developed systems, processes and planning to ensure the learning needs of all students are met. They:

• effectively implement systems and practices for internal evaluation and inquiry that leads to sustained improvements

• build relational trust and collaborative practice across the whole school community

• ensure there is effective planning, coordination and evaluation of the school’s curriculum.

Purposeful, authentic and positive learning relationships underpin children’s learning and wellbeing in this school. Children, families/whānau and teachers work together to identify children’s strengths, learning needs, set goals and plan responsive learning strategies. Children’s and their families’ perspectives are highly valued and actively responded to. Children play an active role in supporting each other’s learning in a range of contexts (an example of tuakana-teina). Teachers focus on building relationships is supporting Māori children to succeed as Māori. Teachers collaborate closely with each other and with teachers from other schools, to develop their understandings of effective practice and to promote positive outcomes for children. Leaders and teachers maintain close relationships with community organisations, early learning services and the local high school in order to enhance children’s learning and their transitions into and from school.

Effective, culturally responsive teaching supports and promotes children’s learning and wellbeing. Teachers make very good use of a wide range of assessment information to get to know children as learners and individuals, and to identify those children needing additional support. They plan and adapt their teaching practices and programmes to meet children’s needs. Leaders and teachers closely monitor children’s progress, achievement and wellbeing and evaluate the effectiveness of their teaching. Teachers are developing and using evidence-based, effective teaching strategies to engage children in learning and accelerate their progress. Teachers continue to build their professional skills through relevant, deep and evidence-based inquiries and professional development.

Teachers effectively plan and provide individual support for children with additional learning needs.

Sustainable development for equity and excellence

The school has many processes that are contributing to sustaining equity and excellence.

What further developments are needed in school processes to achieve equity and excellence?

In addition to student achievement, the school needs to analyse and report to the board on children’s rates of progress. This will enable the board to:

• be better assured all children are making sufficient progress

• better know the impact of targeted actions to accelerate children’s progress.

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

• 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.

Going forward

How well placed is the school to accelerate the achievement of all children who need it?

Learners are achieving excellent educational outcomes. School performance has been sustained over time through well-focused, embedded processes and practices. This school has successfully addressed in-school disparity in educational outcomes.

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

Dr Lesley Patterson

Deputy Chief Review Officer

Te Waipounamu - Southern Region

12 January 2018

About the school

1 Context

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

Ngatimoti School is a full primary located near the upper Motueka River and Kahurangi National Park, 20 kilometres south of Motueka. Since the October 2009 ERO report an increasing roll has led to the establishment of a fifth classroom for junior students. A new multipurpose learning and information centre has also been completed. Staffing changes led to the appointment of three new teachers during 2012.

The school caters for students from diverse cultural backgrounds from a widespread rural area. Its motto, ‘Te tapaepae o te rangi, Together we excel’, is underpinned by environmental and bicultural values and a vision for all children to become ‘R.I.V.E.R ‘students, ‘who are confident and able to navigate in a changing world’.

Active partnerships with the community are evident through a proactive board, supportive parents, marae visits, school based festivals, sports and educational excursions. A strong culture of self review supports continuous performance improvement. The school has a positive recent ERO reporting history.

2 Learning

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

School leaders and teachers use student information effectively to bring about improvements to learning, inform strategies to maintain high levels of engagement and to raise student achievement. Collated and analysed school data for 2012, shows that over 80% of students achieve at or above in relation to National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Māori learners achieve at levels similar to their peers.

Teachers gather a comprehensive range of information about learners from surveys, standardised tests, regular student feedback and observations. This information contributes to detailed class descriptions, student profiles and individual opportunity plans (IOPs) for priority learners who need additional support. Close monitoring and analysis of targeted interventions and IOPs by teachers show many students, including Pacific and Māori, make accelerated progress.

Since 2010, students overall have made significant progress in writing, reading and mathematics in relation to National Standards. Teachers use achievement information and student feedback to plan how best to cater for the identified needs of individuals and groups. They carefully match programmes, strategies and resourcing to achieve the required results.

Regular and comprehensive reports to trustees, by the principal, about progress and achievement, are used to plan for improved student outcomes. The board invests additional funds in staffing, resources and professional development to address identified additional learning needs.

A next step is for leaders and teachers to more deeply evaluate the overall impact of the various strategies used to improve targeted and priority students’ results.

Students take increased responsibility for their learning. They lead parent conferences, set goals and monitor their progress. Leaders and teachers know students very well and consider carefully the placing of high achieving students to maintain engagement and extend their learning.

3 Curriculum

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

Ngatimoti School Curriculum clearly reflects the charter, vision, values and learning priorities. An integrated approach provides direction, principles and guidelines for teaching and learning based on The New Zealand Curriculum. The curriculum is regularly reviewed, reflects current research, achievement results and considers regular feedback from the community. Students enjoy the diverse opportunities and experiences that support successful learning.

Carefully planned programmes and learning experiences are relevant and interesting. Student interests, teacher strengths and use of the local environment play a large part in designing and planning engaging topics and programmes.

Teachers use feedback and student suggestions to inform decisions about teaching approaches and programmes. They regularly evaluate the impact of their practice on students’ progress. They use a wide range of effective strategies that include:

• working in close collaboration with learners
• having students using self and peer assessment to reinforce learning against individual goals and to identify their next steps
• learners confidently using high quality e-learning tools and resources to challenge thinking, extend research and refine their writing at all levels
• providing rich and practical contexts for literacy and mathematics learning across the curriculum
• students using inquiry skills and problem solving strategies.

Recent initiatives have increased learners’ literacy skills and confidence. These initiatives and the Reading Together time with parents, whānau and aiga have contributed to improved student attitudes and engagement in reading and writing.

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

The school has clear expectations and provides increasing opportunities for all Māori learners to have success as Māori. Values, curriculum design and teacher practices support a wide range of opportunities for Māori students to affirm their identity, culture and language, as Māori. The school has developed, in association with whānau, strategic goals and action plans to promote tikanga Māori for students, staff, parents and whānau. Learning experiences include te ao Māori perspectives, resources and contexts. Leaders and teachers are strengthening their partnership with whānau through these activities and initiatives.

School leaders and staff are using resources such as Ka Hikitia - Managing for Success: The Māori Education Strategy 2008-2012 and Tātaiako: Cultural Competencies for Teachers of Māori Learners to inform practice. Further use should be made of these tools when, as a next step, trustees and leaders more explicitly define, monitor and evaluate how well the school promotes educational success for Māori as Māori.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

The school is very well placed to sustain and improve its performance. Self review and reflective practices are embedded across the school. Strategic plans, programmes and procedures are thoroughly reviewed and evaluated to improve learning outcomes for students.

Trustees govern well. The recently revised charter and strategic plan provide a clear direction and framework for high quality education, with a clear focus on improving outcomes for the different needs and abilities of learners. Trustees and teachers have productive partnerships and engagement with the community. They organise a range of functions and opportunities for parents, whānau and aiga to meet, discuss and contribute to school plans, students’ achievement, projects and events in the life of the school.

The principal provides effective leadership in promoting student achievement and focusing on school improvement. High expectations of staff and students are evident. School leaders model in-depth reflective practices in their work with staff and when reviewing their own professional performance.

The performance management system provides strong support and direction for teachers to continue to improve and learn. Leaders provide new staff with appropriate support and resources to ensure continuity in programmes and student progress. Appraisal processes are thorough and link closely to professional learning and development and teachers inquiring into their own practice.

The school reviews and evaluates its effectiveness by following up on the progress of former students at secondary school. This information indicates that many students do well in their next stage of education. This feedback is used for the review of programmes to promote lifelong learning skills.

A welcoming environment and strong emphasis on respectful relationships and celebrating achievement supports students to feel confident, proud and valued.

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.

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)

8 February 2013

About the School