Wyndham School

School Context

Wyndham School is a Year 1 to 6 contributing school in rural Southland. It has a roll of 99 children.

The school’s vision is to inspire children to want to succeed and aim high. The school aims to support children to be respectful, considerate and responsible – to develop self-belief, make the right choices, strive to be their best and to reach their goals.

In order to achieve these outcomes the school has the following strategic priorities:

• to accelerate the learning of those children not yet at expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics and to promote children’s engagement in learning
• to build 21^st Century skills – including digital literacy and self-management for learning
• to establish a safe and inclusive learning environment for all children
• to provide ongoing professional development for teachers.

To know about the school’s performance, the board receives regular school-wide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:

• achievement against New Zealand curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics
• progress and achievement outcomes for children participating in interventions to accelerate their learning
• aspects of student wellbeing and safety.

Since the school’s last ERO review in 2015, teachers have participated in Ministry of Education professional development programmes on how to accelerate children’s learning in writing and mathematics, and on building a positive learning culture.

The school is a member of the Lower Mataura Valley Kāhui Ako | Community of Learning (CoL), along with four other local schools.  As part of the CoL, teachers are participating in professional development on the greater integration of digital technology in teaching and learning.

The school has an experienced board of trustees with most members having served for the past four years.

The school has a high number of children with additional needs. Some children enrol in and leave the school throughout the year.

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 effectively progressing towards equitable and excellent outcomes for its students.

School information for the last three years shows that most children achieve at or above the school’s expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics.  These achievement levels have been well sustained over time. While there is some disparity in outcomes for Māori children in writing, and mathematics over time, this was reduced in 2017.

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

This school is effective in accelerating the learning for children who are below expected achievement levels in reading and writing. There is a strong focus on accelerating children’s progress in writing. This has resulted in teachers developing shared understandings of effective practice in writing across year levels.

Interventions to accelerate children’s learning in mathematics have had more variable results. There is evidence that a school initiative to accelerate children’s progress in oral language is successful.

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?

The school curriculum effectively reflects the vision and values of the school. The school’s values are highly visible and evident in curriculum planning and delivery. There is a positive learning environment where children feel valued and secure. Positive relationships between teachers and students are evident and senior students value the opportunity to be role models to younger students.

Children’s learning is supported by effective and responsive teaching and learning approaches. Teachers closely monitor individual children’s progress, achievement and development. They identify and respond quickly to children’s learning needs.

Children with additional needs are well catered for and supported to participate in learning alongside their peers. The school effectively works with external agencies to provide support for students who have identified needs. It works closely with the adjacent secondary school to plan for children’s transitions and to improve alignment of teaching and assessment practices.

Teachers are well supported by relevant and collaborative professional development. A school-wide focus on 21^st Century teaching is promoting greater collaboration for planning and teaching. Children have equitable access to digital learning tools and equipment to enhance their learning. The principal and teachers are involved in leadership roles in the local CoL. They are working collaboratively with other leaders and teachers on developing and sharing effective practice. The school has extended the way it involves parents and whānau in children’s learning, through the use of digital technology. 

School leadership ensures an orderly and supportive environment that effectively promotes student learning and well being. The principal has built relational trust at all levels of the school community. Leadership has high expectations for student achievement and behaviour. The principal has established clear systems and guidelines for teaching and learning and behaviour management to support these expectations.

Trustees have a well-developed strategic plan that effectively guides the direction of the school.  Parents’ views are regularly sought to inform the school’s direction and future planning. Trustees scrutinise the effectiveness of the school in achieving student outcomes. They make strategic resourcing decisions aimed at improving outcomes for all children. The school is well supported by the local and parent community. This is evident in the provision of resources and the development of school facilities. 

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

The board, leaders and teachers need to strengthen internal evaluation to ensure there is a systematic process for evaluating the quality and effectiveness of programmes, practices and policies.

Leaders needs to develop a system for monitoring the sufficiency of progress children make over time at a school-wide level. This will enable better tracking of trends and patterns for key groups of children.

Leaders and teachers need to extend and embed the new template for planning to accelerate the progress of individual children. This will provide assurance that all priority children are being planned for and will help leaders and teachers to know what works for whom.

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 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

• effective school-wide processes and practices that sustain a safe and inclusive learning environment for children
• useful collaborations that support learners and learning
• experienced and effective governance that guides the school.

Next steps

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

• systems for better school-wide monitoring and reporting about student progress to ensure sufficiency and rates of progress are clear
• making internal evaluation more systematic so that it best supports decision making.

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

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

Dr Lesley Patterson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern

Te Waipounamu - Southern Region

14 May 2018

About the school