Ngutuawa School

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Education institution number:
3288
School type:
Full Primary
School gender:
Co-Educational
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
149
Website:
http://bamford.school.nz
Telephone:
03 982 0206
Address:

10 Gould Crescent, Woolston, Christchurch

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School Context

Bamford School is situated in Woolston, Christchurch, and provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. At the time of this review, the school’s roll was 133 students.

The school states that its vision is ‘to strive for meaningful, respectful, positive relationships so that children feel valued, cared for and safe’. The school values are Respect/Whakaute, Responsibility/Takohanga and Kindness/Atawhai.

The school’s current strategic priorities are:

  • accelerating student achievement in mathematics, reading and writing
  • accelerating the rate of progress for students in Years 3, 5 and 7 who are not able to fully access the curriculum at the appropriate level.

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

  • student achievement and progress in reading, writing and mathematics
  • outcomes related to engagement and wellbeing for success
  • outcomes for students with additional learning needs.

Recent professional learning and development has been undertaken across the school in the areas of literacy, numeracy, restorative practices, wellbeing and engagement.

The school had a limited statutory manager in place from June 2015 to January 2017, and had Ministry of Education support by way of a student achievement function practitioner (SAF) for 2017 to 2019. ERO has had an ongoing relationship with the school since the last report in April 2015.

Since the last education review in 2015 a new principal and a significant number of new teachers have been appointed.

Bamford School is part of the Tamai 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?

Leaders and teachers are working towards equitable outcomes for all students. However, ERO was unable to fully evaluate the school’s progress as early achievement data needs further analysis to better identify student outcomes.

Student achievement data from 2016, 2018 and early 2019 shows that the majority of students are achieving at or above expected curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics. However a major priority for the school is to continue to raise the achievement of all students.

A recent survey showed that most students responded positively about how their wellbeing is supported at the school. Leaders are aware of and are responding to the areas identified by students that need improvement.

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

Achievement information provided by the school shows that learning is being effectively accelerated for those Māori and other students who need this.

Data on the progress of priority students in 2018 shows that the majority of priority learners, including Māori and Pacific learners, are making accelerated progress in reading, writing 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 participate in caring and inclusive learning environments where relationships are respectful and productive. A relevant and responsive local curriculum engages students and provides opportunities for them to interact with their community. Students are increasingly able to identify their own learning needs, set goals and discuss their learning.

Parents and whānau are welcomed and involved in school activities. There has been a deliberate focus on building effective collaborative relationships at all levels of the school and in the wider educational community. Parents and whānau receive information on, and have opportunities to participate constructively in, their children’s learning.

School leaders have established an orderly and supportive environment with consistently high expectations for student learning and wellbeing. To meet the identified valued outcomes for students, a well-considered strategic vision supports a coherent and consistent approach to schoolwide improvement.

The redevelopment of the school curriculum is providing clear guidelines to inform teaching and learning programmes and practices. Leaders and teachers are increasingly using evidence of student learning and progress as a catalyst for ongoing collaborative dialogue on improving student outcomes. Opportunities for professional learning respond to the identified learning needs of students, challenge assumptions and beliefs about teaching and learning, and support the realisation of the school’s vision, values and goals.

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

School leaders have identified, and ERO agrees, that the board of trustees needs to improve the effectiveness of governance by:

  • establishing robust processes for measuring its own effectiveness to better identify how effectively initiatives are supporting improved student outcomes
  • improving induction processes for new trustees to sustain understanding of the school’s current priorities and future direction
  • ensuring all trustees have relevant and ongoing training opportunities about their roles and responsibilities to individually and collectively promote high quality school governance.

Leaders and teachers must ensure that they maintain a significant focus on improving learning outcomes for students. The board and ERO have agreed that robust information about student progress and achievement is a priority for informing decision making. This includes:

  • teachers and leaders continuing to set and pursue goals and targets to accelerate the learning, progress and achievement of all students
  • leaders regularly reporting to the board about progress in relation to these goals and targets to ensure that any disparity in outcomes is identified and addressed.

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 Children’s Act 2014.

4 ERO’s Overall Judgement

On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement of Bamford School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Developing.

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

5 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

  • collaborative and improvement focused leadership
  • a collaborative school culture that is focused on continuing to improve outcomes for learners
  • a welcoming, positive and inclusive environment that values students’ culture, language and identity.

Next steps

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

  • continuing to improve the progress and achievement of all students, especially those whose learning is at risk
  • improving the quality and effectiveness of school governance, including regular reporting to the board about student progress over time
  • continue to build data capability and expertise across all levels of the school.

Actions for compliance

ERO identified non-compliance in relation to:

  • consultation with the Māori community

In order to address this, the board of trustees must:

  • In consultation with the school’s Māori community, develop and make known to the school’s community policies, plans and targets for improving the progress and achievement of Māori students.
    [NAG 1(e)]

Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services Te Tai Tini
Southern Region
25 September 2019

About the school

Location

Christchurch

Ministry of Education profile number

3288

School type

Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)

School roll

133

Gender composition

Boys 61%

Girls 39%

Ethnic composition

Māori 29%

NZ European/Pākehā 47%

Pacific 8%

Asian 12%

Other ethnicities 5%

Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS)

Yes

Provision of Māori medium education

No

Review team on site

July 2019

Date of this report

25 September 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review April 2015

Education Review April 2012

Findings

The principal and teachers are welcoming to students and their families. The school values are well understood and used effectively to guide students’ social behaviour and engagement in learning. The board now need to give a priority to lifting student achievement and resolving some relationship and communication issues. ERO will work alongside the board over a period of one-to-two years to help build its capability and capacity.

ERO intends to carry out another review over the course of one-to-two years.

1 Context

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

The principal and teachers are welcoming to students and their families. The school roll has increased over the last few years. Students benefit from the multi cultural make-up of the school.

The attractive, well-maintained grounds provide a purposeful learning environment for students.

The school is well regarded in the community and increasing community involvement is evident in a number of ways. An after school care and holiday programme has been established in response to community needs.

The principal has useful connections to local pre schools to assist students and their families to become familiar with the new entrant and school routines.

Some recommendations in the May 2011 ERO report have been addressed. However, there are a number of areas for improvement in that report that still need to be actioned.

2 Learning

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

Information, available to the public, shows that a high proportion of students, including Māori, are achieving below and well below the National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. The board is actively seeking new ways to improve student achievement across the school. Trustees have had support from the Ministry of Education since 2011. This support has not led to any long-term improvements in student outcomes.

A useful range of assessments is being used by teachers to collect information about student learning in numeracy and literacy at classroom level. However, better use and school-wide analysis could be made of this achievement information to further improve students’ learning.

There is increasing student ownership of learning including the setting of useful goals and student-led learning conferences with parents. At the classroom level, teachers are developing their reflective practices to identify where they might improve teaching effectiveness. They provide a range of support to students with additional learning needs.

Teachers are sensitive to students’ wellbeing and are responsive to their identified learning needs. They know students well and are readily available to talk to parents.

Areas for review and development

The board and principal identified that there is now a need to focus on raising student achievement and helping students make faster progress. This will be helped by:

  • improving the measurability of annual achievement targets
  • establishing more in-depth and regular analysis of student progress to identify the most effective teaching strategies for lifting achievement
  • establishing stronger links between teacher appraisal and student achievement targets.

3 Curriculum

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

The board, principal and teachers have identified that the current curriculum needs reviewing and updating. They now need to develop a localised curriculum to more effectively meet the needs, and interests, and recognise the cultures of all students.

The school values are well understood by students and used effectively in classes to guide students’ social behaviour and engagement in learning. Students learn in a supportive environment. Good relationships between teachers and students and among students help to create a family-like learning environment.

Teachers have had numerous professional development opportunities in mathematics and the use of technologies to support learning. This has helped most teachers to broaden their skills and assist students to engage well in their learning. Some teachers help to engage students by taking into account their interests when planning activities. Students are given opportunities to explore and understand their local environment.

The tone in classrooms is pleasant, with friendly and frequent interactions between students and teachers.

Area for review and development

The board, principal and teachers are undertaking a planned curriculum review. In order to complete this effectively the board should:

  • develop a framework and timeframe for the review
  • ensure that students are at the centre
  • include clear guidelines and expectations for learning and teaching
  • consult widely with the students, parents, whānau, iwi and wider community.

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

Positive steps have been taken to promote success for Māori students as Māori.

The principal has consulted Māori students and their families. The next step for the school is to use the information gained from this consultation to continue to change teaching and learning practices. A strong kapa haka group has been established. Students have some experiences with te reo Māori.

Areas for review and development

The connections with Māori whānau could be enhanced with the development of an action plan showing how the school intends to respond to community consultation.

Teachers acknowledge that they now need to extend their skills and use of te reo Māori in teaching programmes.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

The school will be better placed to sustain and improve its performance when the areas for development and review in this report are addressed. Since the onsite stage of the review, the board have been proactive in dealing with some of the issues.

The principal is maintaining relationships with local schools. This should assist the school in establishing a supportive network for teachers and senior managers as they move to introduce modern learning environments extend technology programmes and improve the accuracy of judgements about students’ learning.

The principal’s reports to the board provide good information on school programmes and activities. Summarised achievement information helps the board decide where to provide additional support.

Trustees are committed to supporting the school and would welcome further opportunities for training in their governance roles.

A revised appraisal process has been trialled in 2014 and is improving teacher reflection on their practice, particularly for priority students.

Areas for review and development

Strategic and annual planning needs to be strengthened so that it:

  • more clearly identifies the priorities for development that will impact on improving outcomes for students
  • determines what successful outcomes will look like so that they can be more effectively measured. This should lead to more specific reporting against the school targets
  • includes robust self-review processes with clear guidelines and purposes stated for conducting self review.

Changes made to the appraisal process for teachers should be evaluated for their effectiveness. The principal needs to strengthen critical feedback to teachers on how they can change their teaching practices to meet the learning needs of their students and therefore improve student achievement.

Information provided to ERO during the review indicates that there are issues of poor staff cohesion and communication at many levels of the school. Some teachers reported that they have limited opportunities for informal discussions. The board is aware of the issues and is looking at ways to resolve these.

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.

The school has been providing the Ministry of Education with National Standards achievement information in three categories instead of four. Students achieving well below the standards have been included with those achieving below the standard. This is giving an incorrect picture of the school’s achievement profile.

Action

The board needs to report student achievement information to the Ministry of Education on the numbers and proportions of students achieving at, above, below and well below the National Standards.[NAG 2A (c)]

Recommendations to other agencies

To assist the school to address the issues raised in this report:

ERO recommends that the Secretary for Education consider an external intervention under Part 7A of the Education Act 1989.

And, the School Trustees' Association supports the board with further training in its governance role.

Conclusion

The principal and teachers are welcoming to students and their families. The school values are well understood and used effectively to guide students’ social behaviour and engagement in learning. The board now need to give a priority to lifting student achievement and resolving some relationship and communication issues. ERO will work alongside the board over a period of one-to-two years to help build its capability and capacity.

ERO intends to carry out another review over the course of one-to-two years.

Graham Randell,

National Manager Review Services Southern Region,

1 April 2015

About the School

Location

Woolston, Christchurch

Ministry of Education profile number

3288

School type

Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)

School roll

125

Gender composition

Boys 54%

Girls 46%

Ethnic composition

Pākehā

Māori

Pacific

Indian

Other Ethnicities

58%

22%

7%

5%

8%

Review team on site

November 2014

Date of this report

1 April 2015

Most recent ERO reports

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

April 2013

May 2011

November 2007