285 O'Roarkes Road , Fernside, Rangiora
View on mapThis Profile Report was written within 12 months of the Education Review Office and Fernside School 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
Fernside School is a full primary school located in rural North Canterbury which provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. The school’s vision is for students to: work together to grow together. The school values are GROW: gratitude, respect and kindness, optimism, working together. These values underpin the school’s planning and programmes. An experienced principal joined the school in Term 4 of 2021.
Fernside School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:
relevant and purposeful learning for all
creating meaningful connections
providing a safe and fun learning environment.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Fernside School’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the impact of strengthening the school’s approach to expected positive behaviours on student engagement, behaviour, and culture.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:
leaders and teachers have noticed that there are inconsistencies in expectations for desired behaviours and in using restorative practices
to help students to demonstrate the GROW values by making meaningful connections and positive behaviour choices.
The school expects to see:
improved positive behaviour choices and engagement by students
students better able to articulate and demonstrate the GROW values
increased teacher knowledge, skills, and consistency of practice.
The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to evaluate the impact of strengthening the school’s approach to expected positive behaviours on student engagement, behaviour, and culture.
A wide range of assessment and evaluation tools are used to determine students’ progress and next steps for learning.
Purposeful analysis of engagement and behaviour data to measure trends and identify areas for improvement.
A well-established learning culture, aligned to the school’s GROW values, and focused on the learning and wellbeing of each learner.
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
explicit teaching and recognition of desired behaviours to increase meaningful connections and positive behaviour choices
measuring and evaluating the impact of their approach to positive behaviour expectations.
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.
Shelley Booysen
Director Schools
28 April 2023
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
As of June 2022, the Fernside School Board has attested to the following regulatory and legislative requirements:
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
ERO has identified the following area of non-compliance during the board assurance process:
the school needs to check a primary identity document and a secondary identity document, required for safety checking of workforce [Children’s Act 2014].
The board has since addressed the areas of non-compliance identified.
For further information please contact Fernside 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 Schools
28 April 2023
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
Fernside School is a full primary school near Rangiora in North Canterbury. It has a roll of 280 children, 30 of whom identify as Māori and 10 as Pacific.
Since ERO’s 2013 external evaluation, the school has sustained its high performance. School-wide achievement information shows that the majority of children achieve the National Standards. Most Māori children achieve at similar levels to their peers.
Leaders and teachers actively contribute to the Puketeraki Kāhui Ako|Community of Learning (CoL). The principal is lead principal and two within-school teachers support staff to achieve the priorities of the CoL.
The school has made good progress in addressing the recommendation outlined in the 2013 ERO report. Children have more meaningful opportunities to become familiar with New Zealand’s bicultural heritage.
The school continues to be well supported by its community.
The school is very effectively achieving equitable outcomes for all children.
Leaders and teachers have developed highly efficient systems to monitor, track and support children’s progress and achievement. They have high expectations for children’s learning and ongoing progress. Teachers effectively use interventions and strategies that support children’s learning, achievement and wellbeing.
The curriculum provides a wide range of learning experiences in and beyond the school. Moderation processes and practices strongly support the consistency of teachers’ overall judgements about children’s learning within and across schools in the CoL.
At the time of this review, Māori children were achieving at similar levels to their peers.
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.
Agreed next steps are to:
strengthen internal evaluation by making inquiries more evaluative in nature
extend internal evaluation to include how effectively the board is fulfilling its stewardship role.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in four-to-five years.
The school is highly effective in responding to Māori and other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration.
Most children, including Māori children, have maintained high levels of achievement in the National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Māori children make the same rates of progress in reading, writing and mathematics as other groups of children. Achievement information shows that some children make accelerated progress while others achieve steady progress over time.
Many quality practices in assessment, moderation and teacher inquiries heighten the focus on all children’s learning and achievement. Highly effective moderation practices within and beyond the school assure leaders and teachers of the consistency of teacher judgements.
School processes are highly effective in enabling the achievement of equity and excellence.
School leaders set high expectations for equitable and excellent outcomes for all children. This is consistently demonstrated through:
building relational trust at every level of the school community
relentlessly focusing on accelerating students at risk of underachieving
building teacher capacity in internal evaluation through a culture of critical reflection
strengthening learning pathways by using educational networks and collaborative practice within the school and across the wider community.
Children experience a broad curriculum that is responsive to their individual strengths, interests and needs. Teachers identify, track, monitor and plan for priority and targeted learners. Teachers ensure learners are well supported to achieve the valued outcomes of the school. Teachers explicitly focus on building student agency so children understand, engage and know about their learning. Children are actively developing their capabilities to reflect and monitor their individual learning pathway.
Leaders and teachers appropriately focus on ensuring all children continue to make ongoing progress. Teachers actively support children to make accelerated progress towards the National Standards. They effectively plan and provide support to children with additional learning needs. Highly experienced learning assistants ably provide targeted support for children with additional needs.
Leaders and teachers are building educationally powerful connections and relationships with families. Through these relationships Māori learners are well supported to achieve and succeed as Māori. Teachers are continuing to develop their culturally responsive practice, particularly in the use of te reo Māori.
Trustees actively represent and serve their community well. They maintain a strong focus on students’ learning, wellbeing and achievement. Trustees regularly seek the views of all members of the school community and effectively use these to develop well-considered goals and plans to improve outcomes for children.
The school has good quality processes for addressing equity and excellence that have been sustained over time.
School leaders and teachers regularly review school practices and procedures. Reporting the impact of changes to teaching practice as a result of internal evaluation is likely to further strengthen the quality of teaching.
Trustees use their various skills and management experience to carry out their roles and responsibilities. They identify evaluating the effectiveness of the management of these roles and responsibilities in meeting the school’s priorities as a next step.
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.
Fernside School is very well placed 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.
Agreed next steps are to:
strengthen internal evaluation by making inquiries more evaluative in nature
extend internal evaluation to include how effectively the board is fulfilling its stewardship role.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in four-to-five years.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern
20 September 2017
|
Location |
Rangiora |
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
3340 |
|
School type |
Full Primary (Year 1 to Year 8). |
|
School roll |
280 |
|
Gender composition |
Girls 53% Boys 47% |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 11% Pākehā 78% Pacific 4% Asian 1% Other ethnicities 6% |
|
Review team on site |
August 2017 |
|
Date of this report |
20 September 2017 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review May 2013 Education Review October 2009 Supplementary Review October 2006 |
Fernside School is a rural school in the North Canterbury region. The school is well resourced with a range of outdoor sporting facilities and learning spaces used by the community. A welcoming school culture helps teachers in building and maintaining strong relationships with parents and the community.
Students told ERO the school is a very safe place. They appreciate the many and varied leadership and learning opportunities they have during their time at the school.
The school has made significant progress in addressing the recommendations from the 2009 ERO review. The development of a set of shared values has strengthened professional relationships and communication.
The principal has extended leadership by developing the capacity of staff to lead student progress and achievement.
The board has responded positively to the wishes of parents and community to provide more extensive sporting and music experiences in school programmes.
Students are well engaged in their learning and in their participation in the wider life of the school.
Most students are achieving at or above the National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Māori student achievement over time is at similar levels to whole-school achievement.
Factors contributing to these high levels of engagement and achievement include:
There are well-developed systems and processes in place to support students not achieving or at risk of not achieving. Teachers make good use of achievement information to identify these students and to monitor their progress. There is a good level of communication between the school and parents to set and review learning goals. Plans for learning support are provided for different levels of need, including for gifted and highly able students.
The board receives regular and informative reports about student progress and achievement. These reports help trustees to make informed decisions about learning programmes and resources.
The school curriculum very effectively promotes and extends student learning.
The curriculum has been developed and reviewed through extensive consultation with staff, parents and the community. There are strong links between the New Zealand Curriculum, the school curriculum and key planning documents.
The curriculum includes:
Students’ learning benefits from very good quality teaching, which includes specialist teachers of music and physical education. Teachers take part in a thorough process of appraisal for improving the quality of teaching. This process is well linked to appropriate training opportunities, including a very effective peer-coaching programme. These activities have helped teachers to develop shared understanding of good teaching strategies, and a strong culture of teachers working well together.
Students learn in attractive well-maintained classrooms. Teachers’ management of classrooms is learning-focused.
The curriculum is well managed and monitored by syndicate leaders and teachers. The organisation of the syndicate groups supports the management of interesting, varied and appropriate learning programmes for students.
The school is developing increased effectiveness in promoting educational success for Māori, as Māori. Key features of the developments include:
The next step is for teachers and leaders is to give even greater prominence to te reo and tikanga Māori and New Zealand’s bicultural heritage in the school.
The school is very well placed to sustain and improve its performance.
Strong and effective leadership at all levels provides a planned direction for continued improvement.
Features of leadership include:
Self Review
Leaders, teachers and trustees show a high level of reflective thinking. This is evident in review processes that include:
The school’s review process has identified a number of key priorities for further development. ERO supports the school’s identified future goals that include:
Trustees have a wide range of skills and experience. They have had external support to help them in developing the school charter. There are good procedures and guidelines for governing. The board is confident it has the capacity to sustain improvement and has already discussed succession planning.
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:
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in four-to-five years.
Graham Randell
National Manager Review Services Southern Region
10 May 2013
|
Location |
Fernside |
|
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
3340 |
|
|
School type |
Full Primary (Years 1 to 8) |
|
|
School roll |
252 |
|
|
Gender composition |
Boys 51%; Girls 49% |
|
|
Ethnic composition |
NZ European/Pākehā Māori European Asian |
83% 7% 9% 1% |
|
Review team on site |
March 2013 |
|
|
Date of this report |
10 May 2013 |
|
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review Supplementary Review Education Review |
October 2009 October 2006 December 2005 |