Ardgowan Road , Oamaru
View on mapThis Profile Report was written within six months of the Education Review Office and Ardgowan 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
Ardgowan is a semi-rural Years 1 to 8 school on the outskirts of Oamaru in North Otago. The school’s values of Respect, Integrity, Love of Learning, Community Involvement, and Personal Excellence and Confidence underpin its vision for its learners. A new principal was appointed and began in March 2022.
Ardgowan School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:
to have strong community partnerships that will enhance the wellbeing of learners and the school environment
to develop a strong culturally sensitive environment supported by an authentic localised curriculum
that tikanga/practices are innovative, engaging, up-to-date and grounded in the school’s values.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Ardgowan School’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how well the school is honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi through culturally responsive curriculum and practices.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:
school leadership is leading and promoting school-wide tikanga Māori practices
partnerships with local experts, groups and runaka supporting Mātauranga Māori are being forged and strengthened
ongoing staff training in te reo me ona tikanga and Mātauranga Māori is strengthening giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi
staff are strongly committed to honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi and achieving equity for all learners.
The school expects to see:
learners working through established learning progressions in te reo Māori me ona tikanga and Mātauranga Māori across the school
Māori learners being and feeling well supported through the promotion of whānau partnerships
all learners with a strong sense of their culture and identity in classrooms and curriculum.
The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to have a culturally responsive curriculum.
A positive and culturally aware learning climate that promotes engagement, respectful relationships, and restorative practices.
Effective teaching and learning programmes that are responsive to and accelerate the progress of learners, including those with high and diverse needs.
Positive and caring relationships throughout the school, including tuakana-teina approaches, that promote wellbeing for all learners and staff.
Strong professional leadership that promotes the vision and values of the school alongside ongoing improvement and innovation.
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
establishing baseline learning progressions across the school that will give full and systematic effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi
enhancing partnerships with whānau including establishing regular whānau hui to collaborate, build trust and nurture respectful interactions
continuing to build teacher knowledge and capacity in te reo Māori me ona tikanga and Mātauranga Māori and for this to be strongly evident in classrooms.
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
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
3 March 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 February 2023, the Ardgowan School, 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:
consult with the community and adopt a statement on the delivery of the health curriculum at least once in every two years.
[Section 91 Education and Training Act 2020]
The board has since taken steps to address the area of non-compliance identified.
For further information please contact Ardgowan 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.
Kathy Lye
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
3 March 2023
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO ‘s overall evaluation judgement of Ardgowan School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Well placed.
Ardgowan School is a Year 1 to 8 school on the outskirts of Oamaru. This report evaluates the progress the school has made in addressing the areas for review and development identified in ERO’s June 2017 Education Review report.
Since the 2017 review, the school roll has grown and become more culturally and socially diverse. Over half of the teachers are new. Three trustees and the chairperson are experienced and two trustees are new.
The school has worked constructively with ERO and Ministry of Education advisors over the last two years. School leaders have made good progress in addressing ERO’s recommendations.
The 2017 ERO report identified the need for the school to:
reduce the disparity in achievement for some groups of students
better analyse, report and use progress and achievement information
improve aspects of assessment
ensure specific targets and action planning to reduce disparities for boys and Māori students are in place
strengthen aspects of internal evaluation to better know the effectiveness of actions taken to reduce disparity.
At the time of ERO’s Midway Progress review, growth and changes in the student roll were impacting on the school. The Midway Progress report to the board identified the need to:
improve school culture and some students’ engagement
deepen trustees’, leaders’ and teachers’ understanding of culturally-responsive practice
strengthen the integration of te ao and te reo Māori in day-to-day learning.
ERO’s 2018 progress review found that the school had made good progress in addressing most of the 2017 recommendations. Despite significant staff changes in 2019, leaders have maintained and built on this progress.
Trustees, leaders and teachers are appropriately prioritising the progress and achievement of children at risk with their learning. They are looking more deeply at student outcomes and reflecting on what has worked, what has not, and what needs changing. There are improved systems to monitor the rates and sufficiency of progress of individual children and cohorts of concern. Leaders have strengthened their analysis and reporting of school-wide achievement and progress data.
Other improvements that have been sustained and built on include:
better assessment systems and practices, resulting in more robust teacher judgements
effective systems to assure leaders that schoolwide expectations for teaching and learning are implemented, and responsive mentoring and support given when needed
an appraisal process, including teachers’ inquiries, that has a stronger focus on children who are at risk with their learning
a focus on building teacher capability and school-wide consistency of teaching practices.
Improvements in relation to the additional next steps in the Midway Progress report to the board are also evident. Deliberate actions have been taken to improve school culture. Steps taken include: the review of behaviour management procedures and practices, and the implementation of a range of initiatives to promote positive behaviours. These have resulted in a more positive school culture and improved behaviour and engagement. However, further work is needed to build on and embed these improvements.
Leaders have begun to work constructively with external experts as to how the school will implement more culturally responsive practices. The school has made constructive steps towards better valuing te reo and te ao Māori. Core Māori concepts are now part of the Ardgowan learner vision and tikanga Māori is more visible. Leaders recognise this as an area of ongoing development.
ERO and school leaders agree that the school needs to continue to:
reduce disparities in achievement for different groups in the school, especially Māori
build trustees’, leaders’ and teachers’ understanding of culturally responsive practice
strengthen meaningful integration of te reo and te ao Māori in day-to-day learning.
Aspects of reporting to the board of trustees need improving. The board needs to receive:
better information about the rates and sufficiency of progress for students, especially subgroups identified in charter targets
regular and specific reports about student engagement and attendance.
The school is well placed to sustain and continue to improve and review its performance. Trustees have a sound understanding of their governance role. They prioritise discussions about student progress and achievement and make sound resourcing decisions. School leaders are reflective and improvement focused. They are working constructively towards better meeting the needs of all students.
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:
On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO ‘s overall evaluation judgement of Ardgowan 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
21 November 2019
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Location |
Oamaru |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
3704 |
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School type |
Full Primary (Years 1 to 8) |
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School roll |
162 |
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Gender composition |
Female 50%, Male 50% |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
10% |
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Review team on site |
September 2019 |
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Date of this report |
21 November 2019 |
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Most recent ERO reports |
Education Review |
June 2017 |