Waimea Intermediate

Waimea Intermediate

School Evaluation Report

Tēnā 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. 

Context  

​​Waimea Intermediate​ provides for learners in Years 7 and 8 in Richmond, Nelson. The school’s vision is Hīkina te mānuka, kia tutuki, kia tipu / Challenge to achieve and grow. The school is a member of Kāhui Ako ki Waimea. 

There are three parts to this report. 

Part A: A summary of the findings from the most recent Education Review Office (ERO) report and/or subsequent evaluation. 

Part B: An evaluative summary of learner success and school conditions to inform the school board’s future strategic direction.  

Part C: The improvement actions prioritised for the school’s next evaluation cycle.  

Part A: Previous Improvement Goals 

Since the previous ERO report of September 2022, ERO and the school have worked together to evaluate leadership of a learner-focused curriculum and teaching approaches that promote learner success in reading. 

Expected Improvements and Findings 

The school expected to see: 

High levels of engagement, confidence and achievement in reading. 

  • The school’s analysis of achievement data shows strong evidence of sufficient or accelerated progress for almost all learners in reading. 
  • A purposeful wellbeing focus has supported greater numbers of learners to experience a sense of  
    self-esteem in relation to their progress. 

A localised curriculum that is relevant, differentiated and responsive to learner needs. 

  • Leaders reviewed existing approaches for teaching reading, and through targeted professional development have created coherent guidelines and shared expectations for high quality literacy practices. 

Learner and whānau perspectives will be sought by teachers and leaders to make improvements in practice, and to strengthen home-school partnerships.  

  • Deliberate hui, survey and school events have been initiated that provide a variety of opportunities for leaders and teachers to invite and receive feedback on reading developments.  
  • Feedback and ideas from the parent and whānau community increasingly inform review and curriculum development. 

Other Findings 

The greatest shift that occurred in response to the school’s actions has been in establishing a designated literacy leadership team. This has strengthened consistency in the quality of teaching practices for reading. Evaluation of teaching and learning in reading has been thorough and shows outcomes for learners have improved. Senior leaders now plan to replicate this approach to review and enhance teaching and learning in mathematics. 

Part B: Current State 

The following findings are to inform the school’s future priorities for improvement. 

Learner Success and Wellbeing

Learners are enthusiastic, engaged and most progress well.
  • By the end of Year 8, most learners achieve at or above expected curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics, showing strong patterns of progress over the two years. 
  • Students have a strong sense of belonging; they understand and enact the R.I.S.E. values of respect, integrity, self-management and empathy within an inclusive culture.  
  • Wellbeing surveys show positive responses, particularly regarding learners’ relationships with teachers; action plans are initiated proactively in response to areas requiring improvement. 
  • A majority of students attend regularly, school strategies have successfully improved attendance rates; however, the school is not yet meeting the Ministry of Education target for regular attendance.  

Conditions to support learner success

A collaborative and distributed leadership approach purposefully builds teacher capability focused on improved teaching and learning outcomes.
  • Leaders analyse and use achievement data to set well-considered schoolwide goals and targets focusing on improving outcomes for learners.  
  • Teaching teams regularly discuss student achievement data; consequently, teachers adapt their teaching practice and use responsive strategies to further promote learner successes.  
  • A professional learning culture of observations, feedback and personalised support assists all staff to connect to the school’s vision and goals, growing a consistent understanding of high quality practice.
Refined curriculum and teaching approaches increasingly respond to students’ diverse strengths, needs and interests.
  • Students benefit from the school’s investment in explicit professional development and coaching for teachers; more consistent teaching across the school aligns with revised curriculum guidelines. 
  • Students experience a broad and engaging curriculum; the explicit use of key competencies focus on curiosity, innovation and inquiry. 
  • Students share their learning blogs for science, technology and the arts with their families using a digital platform; this celebrates learning and enhances meaningful partnerships.
Proactive review fosters a cohesive and collaborative staff culture, focused on achieving shared goals in partnership with the community.
  • Leaders have brought about well-considered changes to classroom and teaching team structures; this is informed by robust evidence of what works best for intermediate learners, and improves learner transition into, through and beyond the school.  
  • Regular communication with the community celebrates success, shares innovations, and seeks parent and whānau feedback about teaching and learning, individual learner’s reports clear progress and achievement information.  
  • Emerging cultural leadership is deliberately growing tikanga Māori and te reo Māori across the school; this is strengthening partnerships for learning with whānau Māori and mana whenua. 
  • Learners with additional needs benefit from personalised programmes in a dedicated learning hub; learning programmes are well-considered with strong family involvement in planning and reviewing personalised goals.  

Part C: Where to next? 

The agreed next steps for the school are to:  

  • continue to embed and refine the peer coaching approach so that teachers continue to analyse the impact of their adapted teaching practices on outcomes for learners, sustaining reading gains 
  • evaluate current teaching practices and achievement data for mathematics, including learner feedback, to identify professional development needs and new approaches for staff  
  • build on existing whānau Māori and mana whenua connections to refine the localised curriculum and engage in a learning partnership that supports Māori learners enjoy and achieve education success, as Māori 
  • further strengthen assessment practices and guidelines, including weaving new Kāhui Ako Transition Action Plan (KTAP) information through current teaching and learning planning and practices. 

The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows. 

Within six months: 

  • evaluate current mathematics teaching and learning practices for quality and consistency, and identify next steps 
  • cultural leaders ensure the iwi education plan, Ngā Kawatau me ngā Tūmanakotanga o Te Tauihu, is explicitly woven through strategic, annual and curriculum planning. 

Every six months: 

  • teachers have regular opportunities to grow their knowledge and use of assessment tools 
  • senior and team leaders use achievement, engagement and wellbeing data, including feedback from learners, whānau and families, to monitor progress toward annual targets and goals  
  • team leaders meet formally with teachers to discuss the impact of coaching and professional development on learner progress and achievement 
  • whānau hui promotes regular home-school engagement in curriculum, teaching and learning conversations, improving attendance and supporting progress toward goals for learner success. 

Annually: 

  • leaders report to the board and communities on learner attendance, wellbeing and achievement to support responsive decision making 
  • leaders evaluate the impact of staff professional development on learner outcomes to inform further improvements in teaching practices 
  • leaders gather and use learner, whānau and family, and iwi aspirations to inform strategic, annual and curriculum planning. 

Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in: 

  • sustained improvements in reading and mathematics teaching and equitable learner outcomes as the result of clear guidelines and consistent assessment, planning and teaching practices  
  • strong relationships with iwi and whānau Māori promote partnership in decision making, for learner success 
  • a succinct summary of achievement and progress for the whole school, groups of learners, including for ethnicity and gender  
  • learner attendance rates meet the Ministry of Education target for regular attendance. 

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 

​​18 November 2024​ 

About the School 

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement.  educationcounts.govt.nz/home 

Waimea Intermediate

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report ​2024​ to ​2027​

As of ​August 2024​, the ​Waimea Intermediate​ Board has attested to the following regulatory and legislative requirements: 

Board Administration 

​​Yes​ 

Curriculum 

​​Yes​ 

Management of Health, Safety and Welfare 

​​Yes​ 

Personnel Management 

​​Yes​ 

Finance 

​​Yes​ 

Assets 

​​Yes​ 

Further Information 

For further information please contact ​Waimea Intermediate​, 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 

​​18 November 2024​ 

About the School  

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home

Waimea Intermediate

Provision for International Students Report

Background 

The Education Review Office reviews schools that are signatories to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020. 

Findings 

The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code. 

No international students were enrolled at the time of the ERO review. 

Shelley Booysen 
Director of Schools 

​​18 November 2024​ 

About the School 

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home

Waimea Intermediate

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within twelve months of the Education Review Office and Waimea Intermediate working in Te Ara Huarau, an improvement evaluation approach used in most English Medium State and State Integrated Schools. For more information about Te Ara Huarau see ERO’s website. www.ero.govt.nz

Context 

Waimea Intermediate is located in Richmond, Nelson and caters for learners in Years 7 and 8. The school is a member of the Waimea Kāhui Ako | Community of Learners.

Waimea Intermediate’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:

  • deliver a learner-focused curriculum

  • develop strong learner-focused relationships

  • strengthen hauora/wellbeing for all.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Waimea Intermediate’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate leadership of a learner-focused curriculum and teaching approaches that promote learner success in reading. The school is targeting teachers’ enhanced practices in 2022 through external professional development, alongside internal school expertise. These new skills will support learners to experience greater success across the breadth and depth of the curriculum.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

  • stakeholder voice and achievement data show scope for enhanced teaching practices to support learner success in reading

  • the school’s strategic goals prioritise strengthening a responsive curriculum, powerful learning relationships and hauora/wellbeing for all

  • leaders plan to grow staff capability in reading through planned professional development.

The school expects to see a localised curriculum that is relevant, differentiated and responsive to learner needs. This will be evident through high levels of engagement, confidence and achievement in reading. Learner perspectives, and of whānau, will be sought by teachers and leaders to make improvements in practice and strengthen home-school partnerships.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to evaluate leadership of a learner-focused curriculum and teaching approaches that promote learner success in reading:

  • use of information to identify and address learner needs

  • proactive staff, committed to the goal of collaboratively developing teaching and learning in reading through inquiry

  • planned engagement with external expertise, and drawing on internal capabilities, to further develop teacher pedagogy and practices.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • strengthening use of assessments and achievement data to inform and evaluate improvement in reading

  • engagement with whānau to support decision making, and to review the effectiveness of the changes

  • strengthened teacher practice, including culturally responsive relationships for learner success.

ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. ERO will support the school in reporting their progress to the community. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report and is due within three years.

Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini

12 September 2022 

About the School

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement.  educationcounts.govt.nz/home

Waimea Intermediate

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2021 to 2024

As of November 2021, the Waimea Intermediate Board of Trustees has attested to the following regulatory and legislative requirements:

Board Administration

Yes

Curriculum

Yes

Management of Health, Safety and Welfare

Yes

Personnel Management

Yes

Finance

Yes

Assets

Yes

Further Information

For further information please contact Waimea Intermediate Board of Trustees.

The next Board of Trustees 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.

Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini

12 September 2022 

About the School

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home

Waimea Intermediate

Provision for International Students Report

Background

The Education Review Office reviews schools that are signatories to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020.

Findings

The school, Waimea Intermediate, has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code.

No international students were enrolled at the time of the ERO review.

With the Principal’s oversight, the school’s policy, procedure, and process provide coherent support for learners and their families to engage with the curriculum, and in school and community events. There is an emphasis on building good relationships. English language learning is prioritised, and there are many opportunities for learners to experience a varied and interesting intermediate curriculum programme.

Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini

12 September 2022 

About the School

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home

Waimea Intermediate - 05/10/2017

Summary

The school has a roll of 642 children, 74 of whom identify as Māori.

School leaders have addressed several of the next steps identified in the 2013 ERO report. Teachers are more effectively inquiring into their practice. The board has reviewed its policy structure. Strategies are in place to more closely monitor children’s progress and achievement. Assessment practices and internal evaluation are areas for continued development.

Since the previous ERO review, a new principal, deputy principal and several new trustees have been appointed. The school is involved in literacy professional development and is an active member of the Waimea Community of Learning|Kāhui Ako ki Waimea.

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

The school is responding well to Māori and other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration. School leaders and teachers are being proactive in their response to low National Standards achievement data for literacy and mathematics. A positive rate of improvement began in 2016.

Leaders and teachers have put in place many useful processes to more effectively enable the achievement of equity and excellence. Children’s wellbeing is a highly valued outcome and is prioritised in resourcing decisions by the board.

Leadership is highly effective in planning and managing change within a culture of trust and collaboration. Parents and the wider community are actively involved in many aspects of school life and children’s learning. Children engage in challenging and purposeful learning programmes.

To further improve equity and excellence for all learners, school leaders and teachers need to continue to build their knowledge and use of progress and achievement information. A systematic approach to internal evaluation also needs to be developed.

The school has capacity and capability to accelerate learning for all learners. However, disparity in achievement for Māori and/or other learners remains.

Leaders and teachers know the learners whose progress and achievement need to be accelerated. Leaders and teachers:

  • continue to develop and implement approaches that effectively meet the needs of each learner

  • need to improve the school conditions that support the acceleration of learners’ progress and achievement

  • continue to build teacher capability to accelerate learners’ progress and achievement.

The school agrees to:

  • develop more targeted planning to accelerate progress for learners

  • monitor targeted planning, improved teaching, and learners’ progress

  • discuss the school’s progress with ERO.

ERO will:

  • provide feedback and resources to support the development of more targeted planning.

ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three 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 well to Māori and other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration. Leaders are improving the effectiveness of processes, practices and partnerships to meet the needs of children whose learning needs accelerating.

Since 2016, children’s achievement in relation to National Standards has improved considerably. More improvement is needed, particularly in writing and mathematics.

The improvement in school-wide National Standards achievement has identified a growing disparity for boys and for Māori children in writing.

Many children are achieving well in reading. Involvement in a Ministry of Education literacy intervention for reading shows very good levels of acceleration for those children involved.

Teachers are building their capacity to moderate assessment decisions, particularly in writing. Leaders and teachers need to continue to strengthen teachers’ understanding of assessment against the National Standards to ensure that judgements about children’s learning are reliable and consistent.

The school has improved its systems and practices and the way it works with parents in responding to children with additional needs. It is now in a better position to support these children and ably report on their progress, achievement and wellbeing.

School conditions supporting equity and excellence

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

Many useful processes have recently been introduced to effectively enable the achievement of equity and excellence.

Children engage in challenging and purposeful learning programmes that relate to real-life contexts, issues and experiences. Parents, children and staff contribute to a curriculum that reflects agreed values, incorporates bicultural perspectives and is inclusive. Parents and the wider community are involved in many aspects of school life and the curriculum.

School leaders have built a culture of trust and collaboration. Children have many opportunities to learn and make choices in well-resourced environments. Students’ voice is actively sought and acted upon, enabling school leadership and teachers to be informed about their views on a range of matters. A positive school culture is evident. Māori and other children surveyed commented that they feel they are listened and responded to, and respected.

Leadership and management of change is highly effective. Priorities that impact on children’s learning and wellbeing are continuously promoted, resulting in well-considered actions. Teachers’ leadership is being actively promoted and strengthened. The pace of change is strategic. It is well supported by cohesive organisational processes and practices that assist teachers to support children whose learning needs accelerating. Teachers are increasingly reflective about the best ways to assist children to accelerate their progress. There are examples of highly evaluative thinking demonstrated by leaders and teachers.

High priority is placed on children’s wellbeing. A team approach to meeting children’s needs is building collaboration among staff. Several useful initiatives are in place, including board funding for extra teaching release and the employment of a social worker.

Teachers’ professional learning and development is purposeful and is helping to build teachers’ capability to enable equity and excellence for children. Teachers are working together to inquire more deeply into the effectiveness of their practice and make improvements to their teaching.

The board is responsive and has significantly increased resourcing to better meet children’s learning and wellbeing needs.

Sustainable development for equity and excellence

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

To further improve equity and excellence for all learners, the school needs to continue building their understanding and use of progress and achievement information. School improvement priorities include:

  • extending teachers’ understandings and consistency in National Standards’ judgements about children’s learning
  • reporting more clearly to parents about National Standards’ achievement
  • trustees scrutinising progress and achievement reports more closely.

The board and school leaders need to place a more deliberate and strategic focus on targeted planning and teaching practices to promote acceleration and reduce the disparity for Māori children.

School leaders need to strengthen internal evaluation so that it is more systematic and consistent across the school.

The board and school leaders need to continue to build staff and children’s digital capability to better manage information and increase children’s understanding and ownership of their learning.

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.

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 was one international student attending the school and no exchange students.

The school has reviewed and updated its policies and procedures in line with the new Code. The school is closely monitoring and supporting the pastoral care, integration and learning for its international student.

Actions required

The school’s appraisal process is compliant. To further improve practice, the school should keep a summative overview showing whether expectations have been met for all staff.

Going forward

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

The school has capacity and capability to accelerate learning for all learners. However, disparity in achievement for Māori and/or other learners remains.

Leaders and teachers know the learners whose progress and achievement need to be accelerated. Leaders and teachers:

  • continue to develop and implement approaches that effectively meet the needs of each learner

  • need to improve the school conditions that support the acceleration of learners’ progress and achievement

  • continue to build teacher capability to accelerate learners’ progress and achievement.

The school agrees to:

  • develop more targeted planning to accelerate progress for learners

  • monitor targeted planning, improved teaching, and learners’ progress

  • discuss the school’s progress with ERO.

ERO will:

  • provide feedback and resources to support the development of more targeted planning.

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

Recommendations

ERO recommends that the school seek further support from the New Zealand School Trustees Association to bring about sustainable improvements in the board’s stewardship role of scrutinising progress and achievement information in relation to the National Standards.

Dr Lesley Patterson

Deputy Chief Review Officer - Southern (Te Waipounamu)

5 October 2017

About the school

Location

Richmond

Ministry of Education profile number

3233

School type

Intermediate

School roll

642

Gender composition

Girls 51%: Boys 49%

Ethnic composition

Pākehā 81%

Māori 12%

Pacific 1%

Other 6%

Provision of Māori medium education

No

Review team on site

August 2017

Date of this report

5 October 2017

Most recent ERO reports

Education Review February 2008

Education Review March 2011

Education Review December 2013