Pine Hill School (Dunedin)

Pine Hill School (Dunedin)

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within two years of the Education Review Office and Pine Hill School (Dunedin) 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 

Pine Hill School is a year 1-6 contributing school located in North Dunedin. Students come from a diverse range of backgrounds, including those who have English as a second language (ELL). The values of respect, responsibility, aiming high and caring are reflected throughout all aspects of the school.

Pine Hill School (Dunedin)’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

  • for all learners to progress and achieve as part of a community of learners

  • to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi

  • to have active and open community participation.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Pine Hill School (Dunedin)’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the ongoing impact of a school-wide structured literacy approach to improve outcomes for all learners and to raise teachers’ pedagogical skills and knowledge.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is that the school:

  • has noticed a decline in literacy achievement and the staff want to respond to ensure equity and excellence for all learners

  • has identified the need to build strong foundational literacy skills, particularly in the junior school

  • wants to ensure that gender and cultural background are not limiting factors in literacy success

  • is introducing structured literacy as the main approach to teaching literacy and wants this to be implemented consistently throughout the school.

The school expects to see:

  • consistent implementation of literacy programmes across the school

  • an improvement in literacy achievement for learners

  • an evaluation of existing and new practices with ongoing monitoring of improvement actions.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to evaluate the ongoing impact of a school-wide structured literacy approach to improve outcomes for all learners and raise teachers’ pedagogical skills and knowledge:

  • a well-considered professional development programme that supports quality teaching and learning

  • a collaborative approach to learning across the school

  • a clear understanding by all staff of the diverse needs of students.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • continuing the implementation and understanding of a structured literacy approach

  • strengthening teacher practice in literacy

  • a focus on internal evaluation that aligns with the school’s strategic direction to ensure equity and excellence for all.

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

8 June 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

Pine Hill School (Dunedin)

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2023 to 2026

As of March 2023, the Pine Hill 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 Pine Hill 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

8 June 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

Pine Hill School (Dunedin) - 30/09/2020

Findings

On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO ‘s overall evaluation judgement of Pine Hill School (Dunedin)’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Developing.

1 Background and Context

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

Pine Hill School (Dunedin) provides education for children in Years 1 to 6. The roll of 46 students includes children from diverse backgrounds, many of whom have English as a second language. The school’s vision is to be a community of learners where students, teachers, family and whānau actively participate in learning together.

At the time of the 2018 ERO review a new principal had just begun and there were some new board members. The review highlighted a number of areas of concern. These included the learning culture of the school, student achievement levels, and assessment and evaluation practices. The school roll had declined.

Since that review there has been a change of board chair and a change in the teaching staff. The roll is increasing.

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

2 Review and Development

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

Priorities identified for review and development
  • the learning environment
  • student achievement and assessment
  • governance and sustainability (reported in section 3 of this report).

The board, principal and staff have made significant progress against all the priorities identified in the 2018 review, and have effectively addressed all areas for improvement. 

Progress
Learning environment

Since the 2018 ERO review there has been a positive shift in learning culture to help achieve equity and excellence for all students The school values of Respect, Responsibility, Caring and Aiming High are clearly evident across both classrooms and through decision making processes within the school.

Teachers collaboratively provide high quality learning and teaching in both classrooms, with good levels of engagement shown by children from a diverse range of cultures. Teachers are effectively meeting the needs of these learners within an inclusive environment. Clear expectations for learning and behaviour are consistently applied across the school. ERO observed calm, settled and focused classrooms. Students told ERO they enjoy being at the school.

Leaders and teachers know the students and their whānau/families’ cultures and backgrounds very well. Children benefit from behaviour management strategies that are aligned to a positive reward system. The localised, authentic curriculum is consistent across both classes. The curriculum and systematic processes to reinforce and support behaviour have led to a positive school culture in the classroom and playground.

All students and whānau/families have easy access to a wide range of technologies for ongoing communication that supports children’s learning and progress in and beyond the classroom. An inclusive approach to the use of technology supports equity in learning.

A strategic approach to learning support includes very good use of in-class external expertise to support children’s learning and well being. This includes education outside the classroom programmes that are linked to the local curriculum.

Leaders and teachers have developed strong home-school partnerships that are learning focused and that supported children and their whānau/families well during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Student achievement and assessment.

Student achievement is on a positive trajectory. There is clear evidence to show many students are making accelerated progress in mathematics, reading and writing. Priority groups are identified early through comprehensive systems that monitor and track students closely. Reporting of these students’ achievement is based on valid and reliable assessment data that supports leaders and trustees to implement next learning steps for all students.

Leaders and teachers are reflective and review progress to inform teachers’ planning and resourcing for ongoing improvements. They regularly review children’s progress to develop teaching strategies to meet children’s needs and interests. A comprehensive student-needs register is regularly reviewed to make sure children are making progress and to ensure those who need extension are being provided for. Teachers share information and take responsibility for all children’s learning and progress through pastoral care programmes, key online documents and regular meetings focused on students’ achievement and well being.

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 well placed to continue to improve and review its performance.

Governance and sustainability

The principal leads the school well. Clear direction is set by comprehensive strategic and annual plans, the school charter and sustainability plan. Detailed data on student achievement informs the board’s setting of clear targets that are relentlessly focused on improving outcomes for all children. These documents are consistently monitored, evaluated and reviewed at all levels of the school.

Trustees are confident and capable in their board functions. They know their roles and responsibilities and have undertaken a wide range of training through the New Zealand School Trustees Association. The board chair provides good leadership and works collaboratively with the principal to evaluate progress against school goals and targets. The board receives a range of information about learning and well being that helps trustees make informed decisions that are focused on improving outcomes for all children.

The principal, strongly supported by all staff, has enabled children’s learning and well being to be extended by strong relationships with wider community groups. Parents and whānau feel welcome in the school, and school events are very well attended.

Key next steps

Trustees and school leaders could consider further refining planning throughout the school so it is explicit about prioritising actions and making ongoing evaluation more manageable.

The principal and teachers have identified further development in:

  • the localised curriculum to provide more learning opportunities for all children to have success and access across the whole curriculum
  • continuing to focus on Māori and Pacific achievement
  • the student management system so it provides timely information that will inform future teaching and moderation practices. 

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

On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO ‘s overall evaluation judgement of Pine Hill School (Dunedin)’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Developing. 

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

30 September 2020

About the school

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

Pine Hill School (Dunedin) - 01/06/2018

School Context

Pine Hill School (Dunedin) provides education for children in Years 1 to 6. The school has a roll of 39 children.

The school’s vision is to be a community of learners where students, teachers, family and whānau actively participate in learning together. School documents state that the school aims to support students to achieve and progress academically and socially, and to ensure all children have a sense of belonging and wellbeing.

To support these outcomes, the school’s current strategic goals are to support student achievement and progress in the breadth of the New Zealand curriculum (NZC), provide a balanced curriculum and to support children to succeed with pride in their unique cultures and identities.

To know about the school’s performance against these goals, leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, schoolwide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:

  • achievement in reading, writing and mathematics

  • achievement in other learning areas in relation to the levels of the New Zealand curriculum

  • progress reports in relation to school achievement targets

  • whole school trends and patterns in attendance over time.

Over the last three years, the school has experienced both roll drop and roll growth. It went down to one classroom for the majority of 2017, but has since expanded again to two classes. Children attending the school come from many different ethnic backgrounds and include a number of children who are English language learners.

A new principal started at the school at the end of 2017. At the time of this education review two teachers were new to the school and there were a number of new trustees.

The school has been a participant in a Ministry of Education initiative focused on promoting positive behaviours for learning and is a member of the Dunedin North Kāhui Ako|COL.

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?

Raising achievement is a current priority for trustees, the new principal and teaching team. The school is not yet achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all its children in all learning areas. The achievement and progress of children has not been well sustained.

School information for the last three years shows:

  • the majority of students achieved at or above expected levels in reading and mathematics

  • in two of the last three years, around half of the children achieved at expected levels in writing

  • in 2017, the proportion of children achieving at expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics decreased.

The school needs to explicitly evaluate how effectively actions to accelerate learning and raise achievement are working for specific groups of learners.

A high proportion of children are achieving at expected levels in some other learning areas, including technology, science and the arts.

The board receives reporting on interventions to support children with high and complex needs. This needs to be extended to include reporting on the progress these children make. This will help trustees to know how effective interventions have been.

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

The school has had variable success over time in accelerating the learning for those children who need to make additional progress to be at expected levels. The board currently receives reporting on the progress made by children targeted to have their learning accelerated. This needs to be extended to include all children not yet at expected levels. The board could receive clearer reporting on the progress children learning English make against language learning progressions.

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?

A strength of the school over time has been a deliberate focus on building meaningful connections with children’s families and whānau. This enables teachers to build their knowledge of children’s strengths and interests and to link learning to their lives beyond school. Parents told ERO they value the regular, useful opportunities they have to discuss their children’s learning and development with teachers and to learn about ways to support their children’s learning at home. Home school partnerships are well supported by clear plans, useful systems and effective communication.

The board of trustees has responded well to recent roll growth by funding additional teaching hours. This funding has enabled the school to reduce teacher-to-student ratios in the junior area of the school and to provide more individualised support for children in this classroom. It is also used to release the new principal to establish school-wide systems and practices.

2.2 What further developments are needed in school processes and practices for achievement of equity and excellence, and acceleration of learning?

Some processes and practices have not been well sustained over time. The new principal and teaching staff are in the process of working together to strengthen systems and practices to better support positive outcomes for children.

The new school leadership and teaching team need to continue to work together to:

  • establish clear, shared expectations for effective teaching practice (including for the establishment of positive behaviours for learning)

  • build rigorous practices for the analysis of learning information to know about all children’s learning needs, rates of progress and the effectiveness of teaching

  • strengthen planning for, and evaluation of, specific actions to accelerate the learning of children at risk of not achieving at expected levels.

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.

Areas for improved compliance practice

To improve current practice, the board of trustees should:

  • ensure policies and procedures for making appointments are adhered to

  • strengthen documented guidelines for staff on responding to and deescalating challenging behaviour.

4 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

  • effective communication and relationships with parents and whānau that are focused on supporting children’s learning, engagement and development

  • additional teaching resource to provide more individualised support for children in the junior school.

Next steps

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

  • promoting a school-wide culture of positive behaviour that provides all children with the opportunity to progress and achieve in their learning

  • strengthening planning to accelerate the learning of children needing support to achieve at expected levels

  • strengthening the quality and rigour of internal evaluation practices to know about the difference teaching is making to children’s progress and achievement.

Recommendations to other agencies

ERO recommends that the Ministry of Education consider providing additional support for the school in order to bring about improvement in:

  • establishing a positive environment and conditions for children to progress and achieve in their learning.

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

ERO intends to carry out a process of ongoing external evaluation to support development over the course of one-to-two years.

Dr Lesley Patterson

Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern

Te Waipounamu - Southern Region

1 June 2018

About the school

Location

Dunedin

Ministry of Education profile number

3801

School type

Contributing

School roll

39

Gender composition

Girls: 17

Boys: 22

Ethnic composition

Māori: 10
Pākeha: 11
Pacific: 8
Other: 10

Provision of Māori medium education

No

Review team on site

February 2018

Date of this report

1 June 2018

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review: March 2015

Education Review: February 2012

Education Review: September 2008