Papanui Primary School

Papanui Primary School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within twelve months of the Education Review Office and Papanui Primary 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 

Papanui Primary School is a year 1 to 6 contributing school located in Christchurch. A new principal has recently been appointed.

Papanui Primary School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:

  • have high expectations and high levels of engagement to enhance progress and achievement for all learners through a broad local curriculum

  • develop an environment where learners are happy and healthy and experience positive relationships.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate to what extent the local curriculum and teaching practices promote equitable and excellent achievement outcomes for all students.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

  • the current curriculum is under review and a continued focus will better meet the needs of students, whānau and staff

  • reviewing the school’s local curriculum will ensure meaningful contexts for students.

The school expects to see a local curriculum that reflects the school’s local context and a coordinated and consistent approach to teaching and learning aligned to the national curriculum, that promotes improved outcomes for all learners.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to review the local curriculum and teaching practices:

  • the leadership team and teachers share high, clear, and equitable expectations for student progress, achievement, and wellbeing

  • internal evaluation practices support the gathering, analysis, and use of evidence of student outcomes to improve individual and collective practice.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • strengthening a local curriculum which is responsive to the needs, identity, language, culture, interests, strengths and aspirations of learners and their families

  • fostering ongoing collection of whānau and student perspectives on how well the curriculum supports all students' sense of belonging and engagement 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.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

17 October 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

Papanui Primary School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2023 to 2026

As of February 2023, the Papanui Primary 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 Papanui Primary 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.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

17 October 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

Papanui School - 19/11/2020

Findings

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

1 Background and Context

What is the background and context for this school’s review?

This report outlines Papanui School’s progress in addressing the areas for review and development that were identified in ERO’s 2018 Education Review report. That report identified the need to improve practices for the management and use of data, internal evaluation, strategic planning, and clarifying teaching and learning practices.

In the past 12 months the senior leadership team has consolidated its roles and responsibilities, and several new trustees have joined the board. Trustees, leaders and teachers have targeted and accessed a range of professional learning and development (PLD) opportunities that are aligned with strategic priorities for improvement. Leaders have also worked collaboratively with a Ministry of Education Student Achievement Facilitator (SAF) who has provided targeted development support for identified school improvement priorities.

This ERO review has found that the trustees, principal and teachers have made significant progress in the areas identified in ERO’s 2018 report.

2 Review and Development

How effectively is the school addressing its priorities for review and development?

Priorities identified for review and development

The 2018 ERO report identified that the school needed to strengthen the following areas:

  • management and use of data to inform school direction and improvement
  • internal evaluation to identify processes and practices that have the most impact on positive outcomes for students
  • strategic planning that is informed by quality information and prioritises actions within achievable timeframes
  • clarifying teaching and learning practices that best support learning.
Progress

School leaders have embedded effective school-wide management of assessment data and reporting practices, and there is now consistency of practice across the school. Teachers and leaders are collectively making informed use of learning information to develop action plans that support purposeful and intentional teaching and learning for individual students and groups. The board receives useful and focused reports that inform its strategic resourcing decisions.

School data for 2018 and 2019 indicate that most students are achieving at or above curriculum expectations in reading, writing and mathematics. Student achievement levels are now more consistent for different groups of students, including gender and ethnicity groups. Information is also held in relation to achievement and progress for science learning and wellbeing priorities. Leaders and teachers have a current focus on improving learning outcomes for English Language Learners (ELL). Progress information indicates variable rates of accelerated progress for targeted priority learners in reading, writing and mathematics. School leaders have identified the need to continue to refine assessment for learning practices so as to provide meaningful evidence of progress and achievement for all students, particularly target groups.

A consistent and collaborative approach to internal evaluation at all levels of the school is supporting growth in staff capability in evaluation, inquiry and knowledge building. Leaders and teachers are increasingly taking shared responsibility for schoolwide evaluation and recognise the importance of student and community consultation when setting priorities for school improvement. This is leading to wide ranging opportunities and more equitable outcomes for all students. Appropriate evaluation action plans, documentation and review frameworks support sense making and strategic decisions for improvement. A next step is for leaders and teachers to further develop the strategic use of internal evaluation and inquiry to confirm what makes the biggest difference for learners.

The strategic and annual plan goals provide clear direction for current schoolwide developments. Key priorities are aligned with the school’s vision and values and focus on identified actions to improve outcomes for students. Strategic goals are informed by good quality data and information analysis. School leaders have promoted schoolwide ownership of processes within strategic planning. They have enabled staff to collaboratively set and monitor strategic goals as part of their practice in working to achieve best outcomes for students.

School leaders and teachers have developed an orderly and responsive school environment that is conducive to learning and wellbeing. Students feel well cared for and included. Leaders and teachers value student feedback and are increasingly promoting opportunities for students to make choices and decisions about their learning. Targeted PLD for teachers has supported deeper understanding of strategies and approaches that promote student engagement in learning. The teacher appraisal system effectively encourages teachers to critically reflect on and improve their practice.

3 Sustainable performance and self review

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

The school is developing very effective processes and practices to sustain and continue to improve and review its performance.

The school has significantly developed its capacity to reflect, plan, act and report to its community using evidence which includes student achievement information from self review. Focused approaches to the improvement of teaching and learning are supporting most learners, including priority groups, to progress and achieve.

Leaders and teachers are building school-wide capability to sustain and continue to improve student achievement. They have developed the school’s capacity to respond effectively to current or emergent issues. This was demonstrated during the 2020 COVID 19 experiences.

Leaders and teachers have established a foundation of values, leadership, tone, climate and relationships that provide a strategic focus likely to sustain and improve student engagement, progress and achievement.

The next step is to continue to refine assessment for learning practices. This includes further developing the strategic use of internal evaluation and inquiry to support schoolwide improvement and better outcomes for learners.

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
  • school policies in relation to meeting the requirements of the Children’s Act 2014.

Conclusion

Papanui School is effectively addressing its priorities for improvement. The trustees, principal and teachers are working together to ensure positive outcomes for all students. Key school practices are successfully supporting an improvement focus. The school is working collaboratively on the identified strategic priority areas. A sustained focus on this work is likely to contribute to ongoing improvements in student progress and achievement.

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

ERO’s Framework: Overall Findings and Judgement Tool derived from School Evaluation Indicators: Effective Practice for Improvement and Learner Success is available on ERO’s website.

Dr Lesley Patterson

Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)

Southern Region - Te Tai Tini

19 November 2020

About the school

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement.