Omakau School

Omakau School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within six months of the Education Review Office and Omakau 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 

Omakau School is a small, full-primary school in a rural area in Central Otago. A new principal was appointed to start in Term 3 of 2022. A major building project has added an extra classroom and upgraded the administration areas of the school. The school and the community share a swimming pool, a library and an assembly hall.

Omakau School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners align with those of their Dunstan Kāhui Ako which are to:

  • develop within the staff, culturally responsive teaching practices

  • build consistent assessment practices across the school and support students to know about and take appropriate responsibility for their learning

  • strengthen students’ achievement in aspects of mathematics.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how well culturally responsive teaching practices are engaging students and raising their achievement.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to:

  • acknowledge and better reflect New Zealand’s cultural heritage and for Māori students to feel their culture is valued

  • grow an awareness of the richness of Aotearoa New Zealand’s history within the school and local community

  • support consistent understandings of culturally responsive teaching practice and implement this across the school

  • grow students’ knowledge of how well they are learning, their next learning steps and what they need to do to consolidate their achievement, particularly in mathematics.

The school expects to see:

  • teachers and students with increased understanding of Te Ao Māori who are comfortable and confident to participate in tikanga Māori activities

  • students fully engaging in, and taking an increasing level of responsibility for their learning

  • improving achievement in mathematics.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to build culturally responsive teaching practices that are engaging students and raising their achievement.

  • The internal and external expertise that the school can draw on to support it in its goal to strengthen te reo and tikanga Māori.

  • Staff who are improvement focused, welcoming of new learning and who access professional development to grow their skills and support students’ outcomes.

  • Community support within the school to enhance the curriculum and support students’ learning.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • students, teachers and parents participating in on-line learning to support a greater understanding of Te Ao Māori

  • strengthening engagement with local Māori families so that learning partnerships are created to benefit tamariki

  • providing a cultural context within mathematics programmes to further engage all students and improve outcomes in aspects of mathematics.

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
Director Review and Improvement Services (Acting, Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini

29 March 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

Omakau School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2023 to 2026

As of February 2023, the Omakau 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 Omakau 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
Director Review and Improvement Services (Acting, Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini

29 March 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

Omakau School - 10/06/2019

School Context

Omakau School is a rural school for 68 students in Years 1 to 8.

The school’s vision is for students become confident individuals who experience satisfaction through positive relationships, personal achievement and by contributing to their school and community.

The valued outcomes for students are contained within that vision. The school values are for students to become respectful, responsible members of the community.

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

  • achievement across all areas of the curriculum
  • progress and achievement of students whose learning needs to accelerate
  • wellbeing.

Students learn in three multilevel classes. Since the 2015 ERO review, the roll has grown with students coming from diverse cultural backgrounds.

The school has a long-serving principal. There have been recent changes in staffing and trustees.

Leaders and teachers have received Ministry of Education resourcing for raising student achievement in writing (ALL). The board have continued to fund accelerated learning in mathematics (ALiM) and an additional ALL programme.

The school is a member of the Dunstan Kāhui Ako|Community of Learning.

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?

The school has variable success in achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all students.

Achievement information for 2018 shows that most students achieve at or above the school’s expectations in reading, writing and mathematics. However, there was disparity for boys in all three learning areas. This trend has been apparent in reading and writing over past years.

Almost all Māori students have achieved at or above the school’s expectations.

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

Leaders and teachers are accelerating the learning of those students who need it.

The school’s 2018 achievement data shows that sufficient levels of acceleration have been achieved in reading, writing and mathematics for those students who needed extra support to succeed in their learning.

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?

Students benefit from positive relationships with each other and their teachers in a caring, inclusive learning environment. They demonstrate tuakana teina by role modelling good behaviour, providing learning support for younger students and being inclusive of all their peers. Teachers work collegially to support each other’s practice and to enhance students’ learning and wellbeing outcomes. The school engages effectively with external agencies to identify and implement learning strategies to support students and their whānau.

Students with additional needs are quickly identified and responded to. Targeted interventions, such as teacher aide support and tailored programmes accelerate their learning and social development.

Students engage in broad, rich learning experiences. Teachers make good use of local learning contexts that link the school to their community well. The school is well supported by the community, including local businesses, parent expertise and involvement. This contributes to students’ access to a rich curriculum.

Students volunteer in the wider community in line with the school values to be respectful, responsible community members. Leaders and teachers carefully consider and act on community and student feedback about curriculum activities such as sports, creative arts and wellbeing. Senior students are given a range of leadership opportunities such as leading assemblies, physical activities during lunch breaks and anti-bullying initiatives.

The board, principal and teachers have a strong focus on supporting students to succeed. This is reflected in the strategic funding of specific programmes, teacher aides, extra teachers, and professional learning opportunities linked to students’ needs. The board’s ability to resource effectively is a result of being kept well informed about school operations and student progress and achievement. The appraisal process supports the upskilling of teachers and helps build consistency of practice across the school.

The principal and teachers have developed well planned strategies for students to make effective transitions into and out of the school. They have been proactive in engaging families/whānau with the school community and hosting a weekly playgroup. Effective programmes and strategies have been implemented to support positive behaviour and positive learning environments to increase students’ engagement in learning.

The principal is a strong professional leader. She is building consistency of expectations and practices across the school and is focused on creating and sustaining an environment conducive to 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 to school processes and practices include:

  • curriculum reviews need to have an increased evaluative focus

  • teachers providing students with information to help them understand how well they are achieving and how they can improve, so they can take more responsibility for their learning

  • continuing to increase the school-wide visibility and practice of te ao and te reo Māori

  • ensuring that the wording of targets focuses on accelerating the learning of those students who need extra support to succeed

  • ensuring strategic goals reflect the school’s current priorities such as the management of transient students and being culturally responsive as the diversity of the student population changes.

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 ERO’s Overall Judgement

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

ERO’s Framework: Overall School Performance is available on ERO’s website.

5 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

  • creating and fostering positive relationships in a caring, inclusive environment
  • teachers effectively identifying students who need extra support for learning or wellbeing and providing appropriate, needs-based support
  • the board’s ability to use data to inform resourcing decisions which are targeted and responsive to areas of need
  • professional leadership which focuses on ongoing improvement in teaching and learning.

Next steps

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

  • continuing to increase students’ knowledge of their learning to enable them to take greater responsibility for it
  • continuing to make bicultural practice more visible in all classrooms
  • reflecting current priorities in the strategic goals, including a focus on cohorts who will need extra support to accelerate their learning.

Alan Wynyard

Director Review and Improvement Services Southern

Southern Region

10 June 2019

About the school

Location

Central Otago

Ministry of Education profile number

3788

School type

Full primary (Years 1 to 8)

School roll

68

Gender composition

Girls 34, Boys 34

Ethnic composition

Māori 6
NZ European/Pākehā 57
Other ethnicities 5

Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS)

No

Provision of Māori medium education

No

Review team on site

April 2019

Date of this report

10 June 2019

Most recent ERO reports

Education Review September 2015
Education Review April 2012

Omakau School - 14/09/2015

Findings

Students enjoy their learning in the caring, respectful environment. They achieve very highly in reading, writing and mathematics in relation to the National Standards. Teachers use the local geographic and historical features to make learning interesting and relevant.

They plan well to ensure that ‘no student is left behind’ and all students are supported to succeed. The school is ably managed and governed.

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

1 Context

What are the important features of this school that have an impact on student learning?

Students enjoy their learning in the caring, respectful environment of Omakau School. They benefit from trusting relationships with their teachers and each other. The long-serving principal and teachers know the students and families, and members of the wider community very well. This is partly because students learn in multilevel classes with the same teachers for several years. Students from a wide geographic area attend the school and most travel by bus.

Omakau School is a rural school with well maintained, spacious grounds. The school is generously supported by the local community, both in practical ways and financially. In turn, the community benefits from close links with the school, for example the use of the school swimming pool. At times, students and teachers work with other neighbouring schools and nearby early childhood services.

The school has a growing roll and has recently increased to three teachers. In addition, the board of trustees funds a fourth part-time teacher to support students who need extra help to succeed in their learning. This is in line with the expectations of the board, staff and community for students to achieve to their full potential, enjoy their learning and grow as leaders. The school focuses on promoting the values of respect and responsibility within each student.

The school has successfully addressed three of the four recommendations from the 2012 review while one is still work in progress.

2 Learning

How well does this school use achievement information to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement?

The school uses achievement information very well to make positive changes to student's engagement, progress and achievement.

The 2014 student achievement information shows high levels of achievement in reading and mathematics (91% of students at or above). Writing achievement is at 85% in relation to the National Standards.

Specific targets are set to focus on the few students who are at risk of not reaching expectations. One-to-one support is provided for these students. School data shows that most students make significant progress in their first year at school in literacy and numeracy.

Teachers know their students well and share responsibility for the success of all students. Student achievement across all learning areas is assessed and monitored and reported to the board. Where students are not responding well to a particular support programme, the teachers quickly respond by trying something different. Students are involved in reporting to their parents about their learning.

Teachers use assessment information effectively to:

  • detect students’ learning needs, plan well to meet these and monitor progress
  • identify students who need extension or extra support
  • set targets and determine students’ next learning steps
  • support smooth transitions into, through and beyond the school
  • report to parents.

The principal uses assessment information well to:

  • analyse and identify trends and patterns
  • develop suitable interventions for students who need extra support or extension
  • review what is going well and what could be better
  • decide on targeted professional development
  • report to the board.

Trustees use assessment information for making strategic decisions such as resourcing of extra teachers, professional learning and development, initiatives and programmes.

Area for review and development

It is timely for teachers to review the level of understanding students have about how they learn and how well they are learning.

3 Curriculum

How effectively does this school’s curriculum promote and support student learning?

The school’s curriculum provides a wide range of experiences that effectively support and promote student learning.

Students are highly motivated and take some responsibility for their learning. ERO found that classes were calm and students were on task. Students value the way they are all different and are accepting and supportive of one another. The school-wide systems and practices the principal and teachers have developed help support the consistent implementation of effective teaching and school expectations. The teachers have high expectations and care for all students’ learning and well being.

Students’ interests are sought by teachers. The topics chosen are often based on these interests. 

Teachers plan well and talk together frequently to explore ways to ensure all students have the support they need to succeed. They welcome any opportunity for professional development to support their teaching. They engage in whole-school professional development usually over a sustained period so that the new learning becomes deeply embedded in their practice.

Teachers and students use the local businesses, and geographic and historical features to make learning interesting and relevant. The teachers invite outside experts in to extend students’ experiences and widen their opportunities for exploration and learning across the curriculum. The school is very responsive to parents’ feedback and students’ learning needs. They are currently extending the science programme and provide a wide range of choice for students wanting to try different sporting activities. Students are becoming confident, competent users of ICT across the learning areas.

A specialist teacher provides the students and teachers with regular te reo Māori lessons. Students learn waiata and the school now has a kapa haka group. Teachers have begun to integrate a Māori perspective into curriculum areas. This is work in progress.

Well-developed curriculum documents provide teachers with useful guidelines and support shared understandings. Teachers provide students with feedback/next steps. Students say they find these comments helpful for their learning.

There is a very strong emphasis on improving students’ oral language. Students are supported to become confident speakers and communicators within their learning across the curriculum. Teachers also provide a regular planned pre-school programme at the school. This aims to support pre-school children in their language development and involve parents in supporting this.

Area for review and development

The board, principal and teachers agree that the next steps for raising students’ awareness of New Zealand’s bicultural heritage are to:

  • access professional development to help more staff members become confident to further support students’ learning around things Māori
  • review the use, usefulness and impact of resources in promoting students’ learning of things Māori
  • more deliberately include Māori perspectives in planning across the curriculum.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

The school is well able to sustain its current performance and the high achievement of its students. Trustees attend regular training to support them in their roles and responsibilities.

The commitment of the board, principal and staff to maintaining high levels of student achievement and for students to be capable, confident citizens is clearly evident. Staffing has been stable over many years. The principal and staff work well as a team and feel well supported by the board. The strength of the relationships within the school and with its community has helped build a collaborative school culture.

The principal provides regular and detailed reports to the board giving well-analysed information about student achievement. She has robust systems to ensure every child’s learning and progress is carefully tracked. The board and principal closely monitor the impact of the additional work the teachers do for students at risk of not achieving. They are determined to ‘leave no one behind’ and are willing to try new strategies if the current ones do not have the desired effect.

Areas for review and development

The school has developed strategic and annual plans. These help guide the daily operations of the school. It may be more useful to focus the strategic plan on the key priorities for the school's future. Priorities might include preparing for a possible change in staffing or preparing to receive students with English as a second language as the community’s demographics change.

The board and teachers carry out policy and curriculum reviews in a planned way. Areas for improvement are identified and changes are made. It would be useful for the scope of reviews to be broadened to cover aspects such as, how well boys learn and what it is that makes the oral language programme so successful.

The current appraisal process helps teachers grow in their practice and shows a strong focus on improving outcomes for students who have particular needs. The appraisal guidelines need to be amended to reflect this good practice.

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.

The current practices for managing risks for excursions could be improved to ensure adults know what to do should an unexpected emergency arise.

Conclusion

Students enjoy their learning in the caring, respectful environment. They achieve very highly in reading, writing and mathematics in relation to the National Standards. Teachers use the local geographic and historical features to make learning interesting and relevant.

They plan well to ensure that ‘no student is left behind’ and all students are supported to succeed. The school is ably managed and governed.

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

Chris Rowe

Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern (Acting)

14 September 2015

About the School

Location

Omakau, Central Otago

Ministry of Education profile number

3788

School type

Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)

School roll

54

Gender composition

Girls: 28

Boys: 26

Ethnic composition

Pākehā 47

Māori 2

Others 5

Review team on site

August 2015

Date of this report

14 September 2015

Most recent ERO reports

Education Review April 2012

Education Review April 2009

Education Review February 2006