We maintain a regular review programme to evaluate and report on the education and care of young people in schools.
We are in the process of shifting from event-based external reviews to supporting each school in a process of continuous improvement.
There may be delays between reviews for some schools and kura due to Covid-19 and while we transition to our new way of reviewing.
Read more about our new processes and why we changed the way we review schools and kura.
Sunderland Street, Waitahuna
View on mapWaitahuna School is a rural school which provides education for children from Years 1 to 6. There are currently 25 students on the roll. Students are grouped into two rooms according to year levels. The majority of students travel by bus from surrounding areas. The school has had stable staffing for a number of years.
The school’s vision is for students to be successful, and confident life-long learners. This is underpinned by the philosophy ‘e tu kahikatea‘, which the school defines as ‘standing together and supporting each other ’. The strategic goals extend the vision by including the need to build student resiliency, and equipping students with skills to ‘value themselves and each other’ and ‘solve challenges’. The school values are respect and responsibility.
To know about the school’s performance against these goals and the school vision, the principal regularly reports to the board school-wide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:
achievement in reading, writing and mathematics
other valued outcomes in other areas of the local curriculum as defined by the school.
Waitahuna School is an active member of the Tokomairiro Kāhui AkolCommunity of Learning (CoL).
Waitahuna School is effective in achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for most students. Over the last three years most students have achieved at or above expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics. School information for the end of 2017 shows that, while still achieving well, there is some disparity for boys in all three areas.
Waitahuna School is effective in accelerating learning for those students who need extra support to succeed in their learning. All students who needed support to achieve, are tracked and monitored in terms of their achievement and progress at a school-wide level.
All students receiving support accelerated their learning appropriately.
Students participate and learn in a caring, collaborative, and inclusive learning environment. This has been developed and managed by the principal and teacher in ways that encourage and support student engagement and agency in their learning. The students benefit from supportive relationships which are strongly based on:
tuakana-teina, where more confident students support students who are not as confident
ako, where the learner is sometimes the teacher and the teacher is sometimes the learner.
Students are well supported in their learning. They work collaboratively with their teacher and set personal goals that are realistic and challenging. Teachers track and monitor all students’ achievement and progress and students know how well they are progressing against their goals. Teachers use a variety of teaching strategies to keep students engaged in their learning. Parents, whānau and the community are welcomed and involved in school activities as respected and valued partners in children’s learning.
Students learn through a broad curriculum which is responsive to their aspirations and those of their parents and whānau, and inclusive of New Zealand’s bicultural heritage. Leaders and teachers work together to plan curriculum design tasks and activities. They ensure children’s learning is enhanced by the integration of community and cultural resources into relevant aspects of the curriculum. The board is proactive in establishing networks that extend and enrich learning opportunities for students.
Waitahuna School leadership has built relational trust and effective collaboration at every level of the school community. Teachers use a range of ways to engage with parents, whānau and community. They provide many opportunities and ideas that enable parents to constructively support their children’s learning.
Effective communication between the principal and board enables strategic resourcing decisions, aimed at improving student outcomes.
Trustees, leaders and teachers need to more formally evaluate the effectiveness of school programmes and practices to:
find out what is going well and contributing to success
identify what needs improving and what practices should be continued.
The school currently has effective systems, processes and practices for achieving equity and excellence, and acceleration of learning. Leaders and teachers now need to extend current assessment practices to include all curriculum learning areas.
The board needs to continue to develop, refine and review its policies and procedures.
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.
For sustained improvement and future learner success, the school can draw on existing strengths in:
caring, respectful relationships between teachers and students
students learning through a broad curriculum that increases their learning opportunities
strong connection with parents, whānau and community that benefits students
inclusion of te reo and tikanga Māori in day-to-day learning.
For sustained improvement and future learner success, priorities for further development are in:
developing a better understanding of and embedding internal evaluation processes and practices
extending assessment practices beyond reading, writing and mathematics.
ERO is likely to carry out the next external evaluation in three years.
Alan Wynyard
Director Review & Improvement Services Southern
16 November 2018
|
Location |
Waitahuna |
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
3855 |
|
School type |
Contributing (Years 1 to 6) |
|
School roll |
25 |
|
Gender composition |
Boys: 16 Girls: 9 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori: 6 Pākehā: 18 Pacific: 1 |
|
Review team on site |
September 2018 |
|
Date of this report |
16 November 2018 |
|
Most recent ERO reports |
Education Review: August 2015 Education Review: April 2012 Education Review: October 2008 |
Students enjoy rich opportunities for learning that build their confidence and competence as learners. Students learn in mixed-aged classrooms. The low student numbers enable teachers to frequently attend to each student’s learning. Students benefit from the positive relationships between adults and students. The school is led and governed well.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
Waitahuna School is a small rural school in South Otago. Students benefit from the attractive, well-resourced environments for physical exploration and play. Most students travel by bus from the surrounding farms.
Students learn in two mixed-aged classrooms. The low student numbers enable teachers to frequently attend to individuals’ learning needs.
The school fosters a positive, caring family-oriented environment for learning. Adults and students get to know each other well.
Students confidently demonstrate the school’s vision of standing together ‘e tu kahikatea’. Their learning and successes are widely acknowledged and celebrated.
Teachers and trustees are highly committed to achieving success for every student and to maintaining close relationships between the school and local community. This includes providing partial funding for a second teacher and allowing the community to use the swimming pool.
Since the last ERO review in 2012, a new principal and teacher have been appointed. Teachers and trustees have made very good progress in developing the priorities identified in the ERO report. This includes revising the charter and aspects of the curriculum.
Overall, students achieve very well in reading, writing and mathematics in relation to the National Standards.
Students use assessment information well, particularly in writing to know:
Teachers closely monitor each student’s learning, progress and achievement. They know students well and use assessment information to inform:
The principal uses achievement information well to:
The board is well informed about student achievement and uses information to:
Teachers should extend opportunities:
The school’s curriculum effectively promotes and supports students’ learning.
Students experience rich opportunities and environments for learning that build their confidence to take risks in their learning. They receive high levels of individual attention that supports them to make accelerated progress.
The school’s vision and values are highly evident in students’ attitudes and behaviour. Students are encouraged to ask questions and be curious. They have a strong sense of self and actively take responsibility for maintaining positive relationships with their peers.
Teachers model high expectations for learning and behaviour. They ensure each student learns at his/her level of comfort and challenge. They make very good use of the local environment to make learning engaging and relevant to the students’ lives.
Students learn from each other. Students appreciate being able to apply core learning in other learning areas. Teachers provide a range of experiences outside the classroom to ensure that students have fun and breadth in their learning.
Teachers use ICT in useful ways to engage students and parents in students’ learning and the wider life of the school. This includes teachers and students using ICT in innovative ways to extend their skills in literacy and mathematics.
All students learn aspects of te reo and tikanga Māori through their classroom programmes. Their teachers have increased the ways in which Māori language and culture are integrated into the life of the school. This includes learning a range of waiata, welcoming visitors and preparing to participate in the local school celebration, Polyfest. Teachers show a desire to increase their own competence in using te reo. It is timely for school leaders to plan how this ongoing progress may be sustained.
Teachers receive useful support for developing their teaching practices. The principal and ERO agree that teachers should continue to:
The school is well placed to sustain and improve its performance. The board and principal are leading and governing the school well.
The principal, trustees and teachers have a strong focus on achieving the school’s vision. They effectively seek the views and involvement of parents and the community to help achieve the valued outcomes for students.
School leaders and teachers have high expectations for quality teaching and learning. This includes increasing students’ success in learning through partial funding of a second teacher.
The school has well-established systems for building school improvement and planning for sustainable practice. The school charter, strategic and annual plans are well aligned and linked to curriculum delivery.
The new principal is leading the school well. She works collaboratively with staff. Trustees have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities as stewards (caretakers) of the school. They are well-informed about student progress and achievement and the difference teachers are making to students’ learning. School leaders should continue to develop self-review practices.
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:
Students enjoy rich opportunities for learning that build their confidence and competence as learners. Students learn in mixed-aged classrooms. The low student numbers enable teachers to frequently attend to each student’s learning. Students benefit from the positive relationships between adults and students. The school is led and governed well.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
Chris Rowe
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern (Acting)
28 August 2015
|
Location |
Waitahuna, Otago |
|
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
3855 |
|
|
School type |
Contributing (Years 1 to 6) |
|
|
School roll |
21 |
|
|
Gender composition |
Girls: 11 |
|
|
Ethnic composition |
Pākehā |
21 |
|
Review team on site |
July 2015 |
|
|
Date of this report |
28 August 2015 |
|
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
April 2012 |