Te Kura o Ōhinetahi - Governors Bay

Te Kura o Ōhinetahi - Governors Bay

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

Te Kura o Ōhinetahi - Governors Bay is located at the head of Whakaraupō | Lyttelton Harbour and provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. The school values of ahau-grow with curiosity and kindness, ko mātou-connect with others through kotahitanga and ko tātou-create change in the world as kaitiaki underpins teaching, learning and the community focus.

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, including any education in Rumaki/bilingual settings.

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

Part A: Previous Improvement Goals

Since the previous ERO report in May 2023, the school and ERO have worked together to evaluate how effectively the school has raised student achievement in mathematics.

Expected Improvements and Findings

The school expected to see:

Improved equity in outcomes for all students in mathematics.

  • A significant improvement in mathematics outcomes for all students is evident, particularly for Māori students.
  • Equity between groups of students including Māori students and girls in mathematics is continuously improving.

A cohesive whole school approach to the teaching and learning of mathematics.

  • A consistent and cohesive approach to teaching and learning in mathematics was developed by teachers and leaders following an in-depth evaluation of the mathematics curriculum.
  • Teachers worked collaboratively to refine the schoolwide approach and ensure evidence for progress and achievement was validated through a triangulation of evidence.

A strengthening of the capability of teachers to assess, plan and deliver effective teaching and learning in mathematics.

  • Teachers and leaders undertook effective professional development in the teaching of mathematics; robust conversations and the use of modelling and coaching strengthened teacher understanding and capability.

Other Findings

The greatest shift that occurred in response to the school’s action was the increased confidence of teachers to deliver a robust and responsive curriculum that impacted positively on student outcomes.

Part B: Current State

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

Learner Success and Wellbeing

The school is achieving increasingly equitable and excellent outcomes for most learners.
  • Almost all students achieve at or above curriculum expectations in reading and mathematics, most achieve this in writing; improving outcomes for boys in writing remains a priority.
  • Most Māori students achieve at or above expectations in reading, the majority achieve these expectations in writing and mathematics.
  • Significant improvement in outcomes for Māori students since 2020 is evident; improving equitable outcomes in writing and mathematics remains a priority for these students.
  • A small majority of students attend school regularly; the school is yet to achieve the Ministry of Education 2024 attendance target.

Conditions to support learner success

Strategic leadership works collaboratively to improve outcomes for learners.
  • Leaders, teachers and the school board gather and analyse a wide range of student achievement and wellbeing information; informative reports to the board strengthens goal setting and plans for ongoing improvement.
  • Teachers and leaders use deliberately planned consultation with students, parents and whānau to gather aspirations; they use these to inform improvement priorities.
  • Leaders plan and implement effective professional development that is aligned to improvement priorities; regular observations in classrooms and in-depth learner focused discussions amongst staff strengthens teaching practice.
Teachers collaborate well and consistently use agreed teaching strategies to support the different needs of learners.
  • Teachers and leaders know students well and implement learning programmes deliberately aligned to individual student needs and interests; this extends engagement in learning.
  • Teachers work collaboratively to develop and implement teaching and learning opportunities that are increasingly inclusive of students’ languages, cultures and identities; teaching and learning programmes increasingly include te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori.
  • Teachers and leaders collaborate with other education professionals to collectively inquire into their practices and share their understandings to strengthen teacher capability and inform next steps in teaching and learning.
Key organisational conditions are well embedded and support student outcomes.
  • Students with additional learning needs are well supported to access the breadth and depth of the curriculum; these learners benefit from well-considered plans and effective teaching strategies.
  • Teachers and leaders have meaningful partnerships with a wide range of external agencies, that support improved wellbeing and achievement outcomes for learners.
  • Parents, whānau, iwi and the wider community are consulted through well considered and embedded processes; the information gathered is used to inform improvement priorities.
  • Leaders use robust evaluation practices to inquire into the impact of initiatives and interventions on improved learning and wellbeing outcomes for students and effectively identify areas of strength and targets areas for ongoing improvement.

Part C: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to:

  • continue to strengthen teaching practice through strategically targeted professional development to improve equitable outcomes for Māori students' achievement in writing and mathematics and boys in writing
  • develop initiatives and implement strategies to improve attendance.

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

Within six months:

  • teachers undertake professional development in writing and numeracy to extend the range of strategies and approaches used to target learners at risk of underachievement
  • consult with students and parents to understand attendance issues and develop an improvement plan

Every six months:

  • review intentional strategies used to improve attendance, acknowledge what is working well and identify where to next
  • undertake evaluation of the impact of professional development on improving teacher practice and raising student outcomes to inform planning for continued improvements

Annually:

  • continue to use data to inform responsive decision making, and effective strategies for improving attendance, teaching and learning and report to the board on student wellbeing, engagement, progress and achievement
  • evaluate the effectiveness of strategies used to improve equitable outcomes in writing and mathematics and make changes where needed.

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

  • improved outcomes in writing and mathematics, particularly for Māori students and boys
  • increased student engagement in learning
  • more students attending regularly.

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

Sharon Kelly
Acting Director of Schools

14 March 2025

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

Te Kura o Ōhinetahi - Governors Bay

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2024 to 2027

As of May 2024, the Te Kura o Ōhinetahi - Governors Bay 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

Actions for Compliance

ERO and the board have identified the following area of non-compliance during the board assurance process:

  • ensure that the following documents are available to the school community the Guidelines on Physical Restraint.
    [s100 Education and Training Act 2020]

The board has since addressed the areas of non-compliance identified.

Further Information

For further information please contact Te Kura o Ōhinetahi - Governors Bay, 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.

Sharon Kelly
Acting Director of Schools

14 March 2025

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

Governors Bay School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within twenty months of the Education Review Office and Governors Bay 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

Context 

Governors Bay School, Te Kura o Ōhinetahi, is situated at the head of Whakaraupō, Lyttelton Harbour, in Banks Peninsula and caters for students in Years 1-8. The school promotes the values of - growing with curiosity and kindness, connecting with others with kotahitanga and creating change in the world as kaitiaki.

Governors Bay School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are that:

  • all students experience the positive feeling of progress and success at school

  • excellence in teaching practice is valued, encouraged, and supported

  • there is a meaningful and enduring connection between the school, learners, whānau, iwi and community.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Governors Bay School’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how effective the school is in raising student achievement in mathematics.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

  • most ākonga achieve at or above expected levels in literacy. However, leaders and teachers have noticed that progress and achievement in mathematics is lower

  • strategic aims include improving achievement in mathematics. Professional development for teachers is aligned to the strategic aim and is designed to ensure coherent pathways of progressions throughout the school

  • the school wants to ensure a consistent delivery and a shared understanding, with a common language, for the delivery of the mathematics programme. An important consideration for this school is developing learning programmes that are appropriate for each child and meets diverse needs.

The school expects to see:

  • a strengthening of the capability of kaiako to assess, plan and deliver effective teaching and learning in mathematics

  • improved parity in outcomes for all students and a cohesive whole school approach to the teaching and learning of mathematics. 

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to evaluate the effectiveness in raising student achievement in mathematics:

  • leadership have a systematic and strategic approach to improving outcomes for students

  • school values are well known and enacted and supports the wellbeing of all learners.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • supporting teachers to grow their confidence and capability in teaching mathematics to enrich the curriculum, to benefit all learners and enable equity and excellence in learning.

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.

Kathy Lye
Director Review and Improvement Services (Acting, Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini

16 February 2023 

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

Governors Bay School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2022 to 2025

As of November 2022, the Governors Bay School 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 Governors Bay School 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.

Kathy Lye
Director Review and Improvement Services (Acting Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini

16 February 2023 

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