11 Montrose Street , Waiau
View on mapTēnā 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.
Waiau School is located in North Canterbury and provides education for learners in Years 1 to 6. The school has a strategic focus of being inclusive, progressive, connected and the school values are respect, responsibility and resilience. The school is a member of the Tipu Maia Community of Learning.
There are two parts to this report.
Part A: 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 B: The improvement actions prioritised for the school’s next evaluation cycle.
The following findings are to inform the school’s future priorities for improvement.
| Outcomes are improving for most learners. |
| Leaders are developing a culture committed to quality teaching and improved learner outcomes. |
| Leaders and teachers are taking steps to provide a responsive curriculum and consistently high-quality teaching practice. |
| Conditions to support learner success are being established. |
The agreed next steps for the school are to:
The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.
Within six months:
Every six months:
Annually:
Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:
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
6 December 2024
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
As of May 2024, the Waiau School Board has attested to the following regulatory and legislative requirements:
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
ERO has identified the following areas of non-compliance during the board assurance process:
The board has since taken steps to address the areas of non-compliance identified.
For further information please contact Waiau 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
6 December 2024
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
Waiau School has made sufficient progress in relation to the key next steps identified in ERO’s December 2019 report. The school will transition into ERO’s Evaluation for Improvement approach.
Waiau School in North Canterbury provides education for students in Years 1 to 6 from Waiau and surrounding rural areas. It has a roll of 35 students, 38% of whom identify as Māori. The school is an active member of Tipu Maia Kāhui Ako.
Since the school’s December 2019 ERO review, it has received support from a Ministry of Education Student Achievement Function practitioner and liaison manager, and targeted professional learning and development from programme providers. Over this time, the school’s leadership and teaching staff have remained stable.
The board of trustees has set strategic priorities focused on learning, relationships, environment and wellbeing. The school’s vision is Kia ū ki te ako (Learning for Life). The key values for realising this vision are: Community – Nō Ūkaipo; Growth – Te Kunengatanga; Success – Te Angitū; and Future – Me Tiro Ki Muri.
The December 2019 ERO report identified that improvements were required in:
Schoolwide achievement has improved, and the large majority of students are now achieving at or above curriculum expectations. Systems to identify, support and monitor the progress of all students have been established and are understood by teachers. Targeted support programmes are in place for students at risk of underachievement. Students identified for support in reading, writing and mathematics have made accelerated progress. Teachers and leaders are improving their ability to provide accurate achievement information to the board to support understanding, discussion and decision making.
The school’s curriculum framework has been further developed, and aligns with the New Zealand Curriculum and the school’s valued outcomes for student learning. The learning programmes include goals identified in consultation with the community. Programme planning includes local community links that provide opportunities for students to interact with the people, places and events that are important to them.
The quality of teaching and learning practices have improved. Teachers have created an orderly learning environment that promotes student wellbeing and learning. External facilitators have supported teachers to design learning programmes that, with guided support, encourage students to take an active role managing their own learning in appropriate ways. Teachers are taking individual and collective responsibility for improving the achievement and progress of students.
Teachers and leaders acknowledge the language, culture and identity of Māori students in culturally appropriate ways. They are committed to valuing and providing learning opportunities for all students in tikanga Māori and te ao Māori. They have prioritised student learning about te ao Māori themes as part of integrated units of learning. Links with manawhenua have begun to be developed to further build culturally responsive capabilities and strengthen local curriculum.
Clear and effective lines of communication have been established between school leaders and the community. Community aspirations are sought and parents/whānau are actively involved in discussions and decisions about school priorities for improvement. The board has made good use of external expertise and training to implement consistent policies, policy review and the prioritisation of improved student learning outcomes.
The school has adopted and implemented a useful model for schoolwide evaluations. Evaluations of school priority areas have supported the school’s understanding of what needs to change and enabled leaders and teachers to improve aspects of practice to achieve valued outcomes. Teachers engage in professional discussions and reflection to initiate ideas and generate solutions to challenges. They draw on research evidence to improve their teaching and learning practices.
Leaders and teachers need to consolidate and embed:
The school is well placed to sustain and continue to improve and review its performance. Progress towards embedding systems, processes and practices identified for improvement continues to be made.
Established systems are supporting leaders and teachers to improve schoolwide achievement and to report it accurately to the board. The local curriculum reflects the aspirations and input of families/whānau and provides opportunities for students to initiate and manage learning that meets their needs. The language, culture and identity of Māori students are being appropriately recognised and valued. Teacher planning is increasingly focusing on te ao Māori learning themes. The board has improved its communication about systems, policies and schoolwide practices so that the community is better informed about them. Trustees, leaders and teachers have adopted a useful model of evaluation to continue the process of schoolwide improvement for better student outcomes.
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:
Waiau School has made sufficient progress in relation to the key next steps identified in ERO’s December 2019 report. The school will transition into ERO’s Evaluation for Improvement approach.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region - Te Tai Tini
14 December 2021
Waiau School provides education for students in Years 1 to 6 from Waiau and surrounding rural areas. It has a roll of 37 students, 14 of whom identify as Māori.
The school’s vision is ‘Learning for Life’, and for its students to be confident lifelong learners who are respectful, responsible and resilient. To support the school’s vision and values, the strategic goals are for the provision of quality education and to enhance teaching and learning environments.
Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, schoolwide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:
Since the ERO 2017 review there have been ongoing changes in leadership including the recent appointment of a permanent principal. The school has continued to provide a range of support for children and families as they recover from the 2016 earthquake. A community pool has recently opened on the school site.
Waiau School is a member of Tipu Maia Kāhui Ako | Community of Learning.
In 2016 and 2017 outcomes for students were moving towards being equitable and excellent.
In 2018 achievement levels were significantly lower, with some emerging disparity in achievement for some groups, especially for some Māori children.
Over time, there has been a decline in achievement for all, including Māori children in reading, writing and mathematics.
The board is not confident that the achievement information it has received in recent years is reliable.
The school is unable to provide sound evidence of accelerating learning for those students who need this.
In 2018 and 2019 several teacher interventions were implemented to accelerate the literacy and numeracy learning of a group of students. Reporting to the board on these interventions did not evaluate the sufficiency of progress made by these students or the impact of the resourcing decisions.
Students learn in an environment that builds resilience through active play, inclusive relationships and community engagement. They enjoy a sense of belonging and build friendships at school. Senior students experience increasing levels of responsibility.
Parents are involved and informed about their children’s learning. Transitions into the school, and on to Year 7, are well managed. Community connections provide opportunities for students to become confident and connected and enhance their learning.
The board actively represents and serves the school and community in its governance role. Trustees have initiated the sharing of responsibilities, reviewing their own practice, and succession planning. They proactively access external support for relevant advice and resources as needed.
The new principal is well supported to effect change for equity and excellence. Having resolved recent property, financial and personnel priorities the board is now prepared to sharpen its focus on improving of learning outcomes for all students.
Trustees and the principal need to embed and sustain the school’s vision and values by implementing coherent organisational conditions that include:
using quality achievement information to inform the learning community about student progress and acceleration
setting explicit targets for groups of students whose learning needs acceleration, and reporting on the outcomes of these and any interventions
aligning curriculum development and delivery with community aspirations
developing guidelines for teachers that reflect high expectations for students’ learning and behaviour
building students’ knowledge and management of their own learning
ensuring the language, culture and identities of Māori students are valued and positively responded to in school-wide practice
developing clear and consistent systems, policies and practices that are widely understood by the school community through consultation and communication
building trustees’, principal’s and teachers’ capacity to undertake internal evaluation for improvement and to inform future decision making.
Trustees need to ensure policies and procedures are aligned to the school’s context and practices. While policies are in place and available to parents electronically, not all policies are consistently followed. Policies should be routinely reviewed by the board, with community consultation.
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:
During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student safety and wellbeing:
On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement of Waiau School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Needs development.
ERO will maintain an ongoing relationship with the school to build capacity and evaluate progress.
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.
For sustained improvement and future learner success, the school can draw on existing strengths in:
For sustained improvement and future learner success, priorities for further development are in embedding and sustaining the school’s vision and values by implementing coherent organisational conditions that include:
prioritising student achievement and acceleration through effective strategic planning
aligning curriculum development and delivery with community aspirations, high expectations for students, and learner agency
ensuring the language, culture and identities of Māori students are valued and positively responded to in school-wide practices
developing clear and consistent systems, policies, and practices that are widely understood by the school community
building trustees’, principal’s and teachers’ capacity to undertake internal evaluation for improvement, and to inform future decision making.
Trustees need to ensure policies and procedures are aligned to the school’s context and practice. Policies should be routinely reviewed by the board, with community consultation.
ERO identified non-compliance in relation to consulting with the school’s Māori community.
In order to address this, the board of trustees must:
ERO recommends that the school seek support from the New Zealand School Trustees Association in order to bring about improvement in its policies and procedures, particularly for aspects of governance and health and safety.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Te Tai Tini
Southern Region
3 December 2019
|
Location |
Waiau, North Canterbury |
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
3566 |
|
School type |
Contributing (Years 1-6) |
|
School roll |
37 |
|
Gender composition |
Male 20, Female 17 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 14 |
|
Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS) |
No |
|
Provision of Māori medium education |
No |
|
Review team on site |
October 2019 |
|
Date of this report |
3 December 2019 |
|
Most recent ERO reports |
Education Review August 2017 |