Te Tipua School

School Context

Te Tipua School is a small rural school offering education for students in Years 1 to 8. The school has a roll of 24 students, about a quarter of whom identify as Māori. Students learn together in two or three multilevel classes. Years 7 and 8 students participate in regular technology education at a nearby intermediate school.

The school’s vision for students is that they will be confident, caring learners who strive for excellence. This is expressed in the school’s whakatauki: whaia te taumata (pursue the highest peak). Students are encouraged to develop and demonstrate the values of respect, responsibility, kindness and honesty.

To achieve these outcomes the board of trustees has strategic goals focused on delivering a ‘student-centred, local and culturally-relevant curriculum’ that empowers students to ‘live the school vision and values. Also, a caring learning environment and the acceleration of learning for any students not yet achieving at expected curriculum levels.

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

• achievement against New Zealand Curriculum levels in reading, writing, mathematics and other learning areas
• student wellbeing and engagement.

The school is a member of both the Eastern Southland Kāhui Ako|community of learning and the Country Schools Cluster.

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 is mostly effective in achieving excellent outcomes for its students and is working toward equitable outcomes for all groups.

The small size of the school and impact of some students joining and leaving the school during the school year makes analysis of trends and patterns in achievement difficult. However, school information for the last three years shows that a large majority of students achieve at curriculum expectations in mathematics, reading and writing. Recent curriculum reports show that most students achieve at expected levels in science and a majority achieve at these levels in Health and Physical Education. Almost all students report their physical and emotional wellbeing is well supported.

A greater proportion of girls, than boys, achieve at expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics. There is parity in the achievement of Māori students in relation to their NZ European/ Pākehā peers in mathematics over time. However, there remains some disparity in the achievement of Māori students in literacy.

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

The school is mostly effective in accelerating the learning for those students who require this. School information shows this is most effective for those needing to accelerate their learning in reading. Recent approaches to accelerating boys’ learning in writing have shown success in the short-term and the school is yet to evaluate how well these gains are sustained over time.

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?

Trustees and the principal have clear and high expectations that all students will be supported to achieve success. Trustees have set specific achievement targets focused on ensuring any students not yet at expected levels will have their learning accelerated. To support this goal, they are resourcing additional teaching time and supporting teachers to access relevant professional learning. The principal has ensured that all school systems are well focused on planning for, monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of strategies to accelerate learning. She is fostering collaboration across the school community and promoting a culture of robust inquiry and reflection into what works to improve outcomes for students.

Teachers plan purposefully to accelerate the learning of students needing this. They use a range of learning information, including parent perspectives, to get to know students well as individuals and learners. They develop specific, individualised teaching and learning plans and goals. Teachers communicate regularly with parents about plans and strategies to accelerate their children’s learning. They are involving students more in knowing about their learning, achievement and progress and in contributing to their next learning steps.

Students’ learning and wellbeing is well supported through the school’s curriculum which effectively enacts the community’s vision for its learners. The school’s values are explicitly taught and modelled. There are increased opportunities for all students to learn Māori language, tikanga, knowledge and history. This has been achieved through improved consultation and partnership with Māori whānau and is supporting the wellbeing and confidence of Māori students. Good use is made of local community resources and people to provide authentic contexts for learning that link to students’ lives.

Senior students benefit from opportunities to perform valued leadership roles and to support the learning of younger students. They have regular opportunities to build friendships with peers in other rural primary schools.

The school has a range of well-considered, thorough review and evaluation practices that effectively support ongoing improvement. These make very good use of community and student perspectives on what is important to them. The principal and teachers regularly review and analyse student achievement and progress information to identify what is working to accelerate learning and identify areas for improvement.

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

Trustees and the principal have identified, and ERO agrees, it is timely to review the school’s curriculum to ensure it:

• maximises student engagement through the provision of authentic, relevant contexts and purposes for learning and greater coherence across learning areas

• continues to foster student ownership and involvement in their learning, including student’s self-assessment capabilities

• reflects and sustains shared understandings about what works to accelerate learning.

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 Children’s Act 2014.

4 ERO’s Overall Judgement

On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement of Te Tipua 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.

5 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

• effective governance and leadership that set high expectations that all students will experience success
• teaching that responds to the specific needs of individual students and is focused on accelerating the learning of those students who need this
• robust self-review practices that sustain improvement and effective practice.

Next steps

For sustained improvement and future learner success, the priority for further development is in:

• ongoing curriculum review to maximise student engagement in learning.

Lesley Patterson

Director Review and Improvement Services Te Tai Tini

Southern Region

3 December 2019

About the school