Milton 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

Milton School is a contributing Year 1 to 6 primary school located in South Otago. The school’s vision is ‘together we grow in respect, responsibility, teamwork and confidence to strengthen our mana within Milton Primary School and our community.’

There are three parts to this report. 

Part A: A summary of the findings from the most recent Education Review Office (ERO) published report and subsequent evaluation.

Part B: An evaluative summary of learner outcomes and school conditions to inform the school board’s future strategic direction, including 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 report in August 2023, ERO and the school have worked together to evaluate the impact of effective teaching practices that support the development of learning-to-learn capabilities.           

Expected Improvements and Findings

The school expected to see: 

• A learner profile embedded across the school prioritising the equitable development of learning to learn capabilities for each child.
• Learners are increasingly developing resilience, perseverance, self-management and collaboration skills needed for successful learning as they move through the school.
• Teachers mentor each priority learner to increasingly ensure the skills needed to engage successfully in learning are developed.

A localised curriculum for learning and behaviour that supports the needs of the school’s diverse learners and includes indicators of progress and development.

• The school provides rich opportunities to learn across a broad, localised curriculum; progress indicators are linked to ‘The New Zealand Curriculum’.
• Learner engagement, progress and achievement in literacy and mathematics have increased through learning that increasingly reflecting local contexts.
• Student independence in learning is increasing; students across the school are improving their readiness for effective learning through their use of self-management tools.
• Learners gain a strong sense of connection to the school and surrounding environment through the integrated use of the local curriculum contexts; they are increasingly able to transfer knowledge across different curriculum areas.

Ongoing evaluation of assessment practices, to ensure that achievement information accurately reflects learner progress, and reports this in ways that are authentic, meaningful and hold value for whānau. 

• The school has implemented robust assessment and moderation practices to ensure accurate, consistent assessment and reporting to parents, whānau and board.
• The school monitors assessment information and initiates targeted interventions to accelerate learner progress and achievement.
• Leaders and teachers use assessment data to clearly identify and plan teaching of next steps for learners.

The greatest shift that occurred in response to the school’s actions is an ongoing commitment to use local contexts to build learners’ experiences, knowledge and understanding through involvement in and service to their local community; this has led to improved achievement outcomes in literacy and mathematics.

Part B: Current state

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

Learner Success and Wellbeing

• Achievement in literacy and mathematics has improved; most learners achieve at or above curriculum expectations in these areas.
• Māori achievement in literacy and mathematics is increasingly equitable; the use of cultural contexts connects and engages students in learning.
• Intervention plans increasingly improve the progress and achievement of priority learners still working towards achieving at expected levels in literacy and mathematics.
• Improving levels of regular attendance are approaching, but not yet at, the Ministry of Education’s national target; a large majority of learners attend regularly. 

Conditions to support learner success

• Leaders consult extensively with the community and establish clear strategic goals that anchor the schools’ practice and realise its vision for learners.
• Leadership development across the teaching staff is prioritised, with a focus on strength-based leadership roles collaboratively contributing to initiatives that improve student wellbeing and learning outcomes. 
• Leaders increasingly foster collective responsibility among staff and students to demonstrate the school’s values of respect, responsibility, confidence and teamwork, that supports high expectations for all learners’ achievement and contribution within the school and community.

• The school’s localised curriculum makes explicit the characteristics of being a successful learner that develop learners’ resilience, perseverance, self-management and collaborations skills. 
• Team teaching approaches improve teachers’ capabilities to collectively address all students’ learning needs, making a positive impact on priority learners’ progress in literacy and mathematics.
• Formalised reflection encourages learners to recognise their capabilities and apply them to support their progress.

• Leaders and teachers have formed meaningful partnerships with the community; together they draw on and contribute to community resources to increasingly support and improve student wellbeing, learning and engagement.
• Leaders and the board use data well to engage in a considered process that informs decision making and resourcing for school improvement.
• The leadership team continues to increasingly build staff capacity in teaching practices, curriculum designand self-review processes that further develop school improvement.

Part C: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to:

• further develop and embed teaching and learning practices within the context of The New Zealand Curriculum, to improve engagement and equitable outcomes for all learners
• review pastoral care systems to further improve and sustain learners’ wellbeing and attendance.

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

Within six months

• leaders develop an attendance strategy that builds on current practices to increase learner engagement.

Every six months

• leaders and teachers engage in professional development to further develop curriculum delivery that engages and challenges all learners
• leaders and teachers partner with parents, whānau and the community for feedback to continue to develop a sense of belonging and wellbeing for every learner.

Annually 

• leaders evaluate the effectiveness of the attendance strategy and partnerships with parents, whānau and the community to ensure that the strategy continues to meet all learners’ needs and is increasing learner engagement and attendance
• leaders evaluate the effectiveness of teaching and learning practices to ensure that learners have equitable learning opportunities and are continuing to gain sound foundation skills in literacy and mathematics.

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

• increased sense of belonging, engagement in learning and improved attendance
• improved inclusive teaching practice 
• equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners.

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

12 December 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

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2024 to 2027

As of June 2024, the Milton 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 Milton 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

12 December 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