Kirwee Model School

Kirwee Model School

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 

Kirwee Model School provides for learners from Years 1 to 6 in the mid-Canterbury, Selwyn District. Mana whenua have gifted the name, Te Kura Tītoki. The school’s vision focuses on growing meaningful relationships, positive choices and a connected community.

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 of September 2022, the school has been evaluating how students’ wellbeing and learning benefit from a focus on building educationally powerful connections and relationships. 

Expected Improvements and Findings

The school expected to see: 

Responsive teaching practices and enhanced connections with whānau and families that support equity in wellbeing and achievement, particularly for boys’ engagement in learning.

  • Most boys are now engaged well in learning; their achievement in reading has increased as a result.
  • A ‘knowing the learner’ focus increasingly guides teachers to provide engaging literacy learning contexts. 
  • Students regularly share their learning and achievements with their families via a digital platform. 
  • The result of targeted professional development for teachers is a structured approach to teaching and learning in reading and writing. 

Guiding documents that define and promote shared expectations for quality literacy practices, underpinned by current research and informed by staff, student, whānau and parent perspectives.

  • Leaders have continued to build clear connections between the curriculum and the school’s vision and values; the values have been unpacked collaboratively with staff to enrich a ‘discovery learning’ approach.
  • Leaders and staff maintain a strong focus on students’ developing literacy skills and knowledge and these are applied across the curriculum. 
  • Whānau and parent connection to curriculum development is well-considered, fostered via newsletters and meetings so that a shared language of learning can be used at home and at school.

Other Findings

During the course of the evaluation, data analysis identified opportunities to promote accelerated progress for boys’ writing.

The greatest shift that occurred in response to the school’s action is the introduction of wellbeing surveys to hear student feedback and include their perspectives into decision making. 

Part B: Current State

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

Learner Success and Wellbeing 

Most students confidently participate in learning, make sustained progress and achieve well.
  • By the end of Year 6, almost all students achieve at expected levels in mathematics and most achieve at expected levels in reading and writing.
  • Strengthened teaching practices have supported the majority of Māori students to now achieve at expectations for writing, and a larger majority to achieve in reading and mathematics; ongoing improvement in teaching practice is a strategic focus.
  • Wellbeing data shows students’ have a strong sense of belonging; they are taught specific strategies to manage their feelings and emotions, build resilience and enact the school values. 
  • Attendance data shows a small majority of students attend regularly; leaders identify there is more to do to further reduce absences and meet the Ministry of Education target for regular attendance.
Responsive leadership sets meaningful goals and targets and foster an improvement-focused culture.
  • Leaders have strengthened the school values through community consultation, that guide a positive school culture and help develop relational teaching approaches. 
  • The senior leadership team make good use of research to grow high quality teaching practices across the school, that formalises a consistent approach to teaching reading and writing.
  • Leaders have implemented focused observations of classroom practice and provide feedback to teachers that promote enhanced teaching and learning outcomes. 
Teaching approaches increasingly respond to students’ many different needs, interests and experiences.
  • Students benefit from collaborative teaching strategies that foster discovery learning, individualised planning and teaching assists learners with specific needs to successfully engage with the curriculum.
  • Targeted professional development supports successful implementation of new programmes and initiatives, focused on staff embedding explicit, affirming and responsive teaching practices. 
  • Leaders continue to adapt and refine the local curriculum in response to research and best practice models; they increasingly use data that incorporates student and whānau perspectives.
Proactive schoolwide processes of reflection and review sustain and grow effective practices.  
  • The strong alignment of the strategic vision, values, direction and goals provide a sound basis for guiding school improvement.
  • Trustees and leaders have set deliberate goals and actions to strengthen partnerships for learning with whānau and families, including with mana whenua.
  • Leaders’ evaluation capability in the school is growing and they are exploring ways to strengthen teachers use of data for responsive practice. 
  • The board continues to broaden their understanding of governance roles and responsibilities, including accessing training with external facilitators; further strengthening internal review processes is likely to support ongoing improvement. 

Part C: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

  • continue to review, refine and evolve the school’s curriculum with student and community input
  • explore additional strategies to promote regular attendance
  • prioritise accelerated progress for Māori students through enhanced teaching and learning practices, and partnership with whānau Māori 
  • further grow and embed explicit, structured teaching approaches to accelerate the progress of those students not yet achieving at expectations in reading, writing and mathematics.

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

Within three months:

  • observe and analyse teaching across the school, offering personalised feedback and next steps for staff
  • continue to engage with mana whenua to discuss and plan the developing curriculum
  • refine strategies for supporting regular attendance.

Every six months:

  • gather and discuss student feedback on teaching and learning to inform improved teaching practices 
  • continue to engage with whānau Māori and mana whenua to discuss curriculum development and partnership strategies that enhance equity in student outcomes
  • staff regularly collaborate to discuss improved practice and to analyse shifts in attendance and achievement data.

Annually:

  • engage with whānau and families, using their perspectives to enhance curriculum, teaching and learning, and in strategic decision-making
  • evaluate improvements in attendance and achievement to refine action planning
  • report to the community on schoolwide achievement and accelerated progress for groups of students.

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

  • improved attendance and achievement and equity in reading, writing and mathematics
  • teachers and leaders using data and feedback to collaboratively monitor, track and evaluate the impact of teaching adaptations on learning
  • a robust curriculum that guides effective teaching and learning, and upholds the school’s commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi
  • strong partnership with whānau and families, and mana whenua, to develop and enact the curriculum.

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

2 October 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

 

Kirwee Model School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2024 to 2027

As of July 2024, the Kirwee Model School 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 Kirwee Model 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 of Schools

2 October 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

Kirwee Model School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within twelve months of the Education Review Office and Kirwee Model 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 

Kirwee Model School caters for learners in Years 1 to 6 and is located in the Selwyn district of central Canterbury. The school is a member of Te Hū o Kākāpōtahi Kāhui Ako | Community of Learners.

Kirwee Model School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are for all to make:

  • positive choices

  • meaningful relationships

  • connected communities.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how students’ wellbeing and learning benefit from a focus on building educationally powerful connections and relationships.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

  • there is a strategic focus on growing culturally responsive relationships to enhance learner outcomes, and promote equity

  • the school’s data identifies that a particular focus on literacy, particularly for boys’ engagement, should add value to learning, engagement and wellbeing

  • the vision and strategic goals centre on re-establishing connections and relationships.

The school expects to see responsive teaching practices and enhanced connections with whānau and families, supporting equity in wellbeing and achievement. The focus will define and promote shared understandings and expectations of quality literacy practices. Pedagogy and practice will be coherent, underpinned by current research and informed by a variety of perspectives, including all staff, students and whānau.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to enhance wellbeing and learning:

  • staff share a commitment to know and understand each learner’s strengths, in partnership with whānau, to support success

  • embedded values and the Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) ethos underpin an evidence-based school culture and teaching practices

  • responsive professional development is supporting staff to implement strategies that foster learner engagement, self-regulation and relationship building.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • continuing to develop and refine a localised curriculum

  • identifying opportunities to further enhance literacy teaching and learning, which draws on student and whānau perspectives and staff expertise

  • formalising a coherent approach to leading and growing literacy practices that promotes wellbeing and success for all learners.

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

Kirwee Model School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2021 to 2024

As of December 2021, the Kirwee Model 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 Kirwee Model 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.

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

Kirwee Model School - 24/08/2018

School Context

Kirwee Model School (KMS) provides education for children from Years 1 to 6 in the rural town of Kirwee. At the time of this ERO review the roll was 141.

The school’s motto is ‘A model of excellence.’ Its mission statement is ‘KMS provides quality education in an innovative, dynamic and family-like learning environment where a Model of Excellence is implemented through all aspects of school life. This enables our students to be equipped with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and qualities for the future’.

The school’s key strategic goals are based on the theme of ‘Ourselves, Our People, Our Place’. The goals include:

  • nurture potential and excellence in learning and hauora
  • innovation in teaching and learning through reflective practice
  • building positive, reciprocal community partnerships
  • innovative and inclusive learning spaces.

In recent months, trustees and school leaders have consulted widely to update the school values to ensure these are relevant and meaningful for today’s students.

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

  • reading, writing and mathematics

  • progress towards annual targets.

Since ERO’s 2014 review, there have been many changes in staff and trustees. Only one current teacher was at the school at the time of the last review.

A limited statutory manager (LSM) was appointed in May 2016. She assumed all responsibility for the board’s functions, powers and duties as an employer and for all communications. The LSM worked with the board until the trustees reassumed these responsibilities in October 2017. All of the parent representatives on the board of trustees are new to the role in the past year. A new principal was appointed in September 2017.

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?

School leaders are successfully developing systems and processes to better promote equity and excellence. The school’s 2017 data shows:

  • most students, including almost all Māori students, are achieving at or above national expectations in reading
  • a significant group of boys did not achieve as well as girls in literacy
  • most students and almost all girls are achieving at or above national expectations in writing and in mathematics.

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

The school’s systems are beginning to show that teachers’ strategies to raise achievement are leading to success. In the first six months of 2018, data shows substantial positive progress and some accelerated progress for students who are at risk of not achieving.

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?

Recent improvements have resulted in effective systems and practices in stewardship, leadership and community connections, that are supporting the achievement of equity and excellence.

The board actively represents and serves the school and education community. Student learning, wellbeing, achievement and progress are the board’s core concerns. The trustees, while new to the role, have worked hard to develop effective systems and processes to guide their work. They are actively seeking to ensure their representation reflects the growing diversity of the community, and to plan for the recruitment and induction of new trustees in the future. Trustees are gaining confidence in the quality of progress and achievement data, as school leaders are developing more effective curriculum assessment and monitoring practices.

The new leadership team is building relational trust and effective collaboration at every level of the school community. The school’s strategic and annual planning is strategically focused and appropriately prioritised. Meeting the needs of all learners through high quality teaching and learning is the key focus of school leaders. Teachers are working together more effectively to focus on continuous improvement and building shared understandings as a new team. The current school-wide professional learning and development in mathematics is providing a focus for exploring useful innovations in teaching and learning. Leaders regularly seek feedback from teachers on how things are going, and what could be done better.

A range of appropriate and effective communication strategies is improving learning partnerships and community confidence. Building positive reciprocal relationships with the community is a key strategic priority. Trustees and school leaders take part in many community activities, and invite parents into the school in a variety of ways. Increasing use of technology is enabling parents to get regular up-to-date information about their children’s learning.

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

Further developments in curriculum and evaluation will support the school to move towards more consistently achieving equity and excellence.

Leaders have identified, and ERO agrees, that they need to continue to develop shared understandings of:

  • expectations for teaching and learning, and for what children will achieve at each level of the school
  • assessment, tracking and reporting of student progress and achievement
  • an appropriate, culturally responsive curriculum for Kirwee Model School.

Trustees, leaders and teachers need to further build their internal evaluation capabilities through:

  • developing teachers’ knowledge and ability to reflect on and inquire into their practice
  • the collection, analysis and use of a range of sources of data for continuous improvement
  • empowering trustees to make informed decisions based on careful scrutiny of reports from senior leaders.

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 Vulnerable Children Act 2014

4 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

  • dedicated stewardship that is effectively governing the school’s operations

  • strong leadership that provides a clear vision and pathway for continuous improvement

  • rebuilding community trust and relationships so that the school continues to be a hub of the community.

Next steps

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

  • the school’s local curriculum so that it is responsive to all students’ cultures, language and identity, and that students, parents and the community have a better understanding of how well students are progressing with their learning

  • internal evaluation that better identifies what is working well for students’ learning and where improvements need to be made.

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

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

Alan Wynyard

Director Review & Improvement Services Southern

For Chief Review Officer

24 August 2018

About the school 

Location

Kirwee, Canterbury

Ministry of Education profile number

3397

School type

Contributing (Years 1 to 6)

School roll

141

Gender composition

Boys:  60%

Girls:   40%

Ethnic composition

Māori:                    18%

Pākehā:                  80%

Other ethnicities:   2%

 

 

Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS)

Yes

Provision of Māori medium education

No

Review team on site

July 2018

Date of this report

24 August 2018

Most recent ERO reports

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

July 2014

May 2011

January 2008