Zayed College for Girls

School Context

Zayed College for Girls is a secondary school offering education for students in Years 7 to 13 in an Islamic environment. It is located in Mangere, South Auckland. The school roll has been stable at around 100 pupils for three years. Students from a range of cultural backgrounds attend the school.

The school’s mission statement is to provide a student-centric environment, allowing young women to achieve their personal potential and feel confident in their Islamic identity and citizenship. The key values of respect, integrity, diligence and equity underpin the vision of developing students with ‘beautiful character and fully realised academic potential’.

The board’s strategic goals focus on:

• integrating Islamic values throughout the school environment

• reaching high academic achievement

• building strong and sustainable governance and leadership

• strengthening learning partnerships between school parents and the wider community.

Key achievement targets are created at all year levels. This includes achievement targets for National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) in Years 11 to 13 for all students, including English Language Learner (ELL) students. Goals are also set for literacy and numeracy for students in Years 7 to 10.

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

• progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics

• achievement within the New Zealand Qualifications Framework

• school leaver qualifications and destinations

• wellbeing for success.

Since the 2015 ERO review, two new senior leaders have been appointed. Schoolwide professional learning and development has focused on the use of digital tools and linking this to staff appraisals. ERO’s 2015 report noted key next steps for the school that included the building of professional relationships across the school, establishing clearer expectations for staff in teaching and learning, building expertise in governance and leadership, promoting student achievement, and embedding the board’s operational and strategic plans. Good progress has been made in these areas.

The school is part of the Mangere East Community of Learning | 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?

The school continues to raise achievement levels for all students in NCEA. The school has high retention rates through to Year 13.

Roll based data indicate the majority of Year 11, and almost all Year 12 and 13 students are achieving well in their respective NCEA levels. These positive results have been sustained over the last three years. The Year 12 and 13 student achievement rate is consistently above national averages, while Year 11 achievement is comparable with similar schools.

University Entrance achievement rates are consistently above similar schools and national averages. Over the last three years there has been an increase in excellence endorsements across all NCEA levels.

Year 7 and 8 students’ achievement information shows less than half are achieving at curriculum expectations for reading, writing and mathematics. Higher levels of achievement in Years 9 and 10 are evident for some students. Longitudinal tracking shows the school is accelerating student achievement and increasing equitable outcomes for most students over their time at school.

School values are specifically taught as an integral aspect of the college’s curriculum. The students are confident in their language and identity as young Islamic women. They enjoy a sense of belonging and connection to the school, friends, faith and the wider community. Students take leadership roles and show respect to each other.

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

The school is becoming increasingly effective in responding to those students whose learning needs acceleration.

Students whose learning requires acceleration are clearly identified by the school. They are provided with programmes, such as English language lessons and the support of bilingual teacher aides, to assist their learning. Data show that Year 7 and 8 students require greater utilisation of these programmes, as they increase their English language skills.

Greater acceleration of learning is evident in Years 9 and 10 for some students. Leaders attribute this to the strong focus on vocabulary and literacy skills. The school’s digital focus has also supported this acceleration through student access to Google e-learning.

The school’s responsive approach to students in Years 11 to 13 students is very effective in supporting student success in NCEA. Targeted student programmes with individualised pathways are lifting student achievement, especially for those at risk of not achieving. A two year NCEA programme provides additional support for some students needing extra support.

Teachers have begun to share strategies that have a positive impact on student engagement.

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?

Effective stewardship, a responsive curriculum and pastoral care systems are key school conditions that enable learners to achieve equity and excellence.

The board’s effective stewardship positively influences equity and excellence for learners. A well-designed strategic plan supports progress towards a shared vision. It guides the board’s decision making about resourcing, personnel and professional development. The plan also assists leaders and staff to meet strategic goals and improve learning outcomes for students. The board regularly evaluates policies and procedures to ensure governance and leadership practices align and legal requirements are met.

The school’s responsive curriculum is actively promoting greater engagement in learning and improving outcomes for students. Learning opportunities have been broadened with the inclusion of external tutors teaching supplementary subjects and students undertaking activities within the community. Individualised pathways in the senior curriculum result in students achieving quality credits. This success has increased excellence endorsements. Schoolwide shared values and the focus on community service is helping build students’ sense of identity and confidence as learners.

Pastoral care systems are comprehensive and well-coordinated. There is effective liaison between leaders, the counsellor and teachers to support students’ wellbeing. Proactive programmes such as peer mediation and timely workshops that are relevant to the girls’ lives, are supported by the board-funded counsellor.

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

Continuing to progress teaching approaches that support acceleration of learning is a focus for the school. Leaders have identified key strategies that include developing digital pedagogy to increase student agency, personalising learning content, and encouraging self-management skills. The development of appraisal processes is ongoing. Leaders and teachers could embed teaching as inquiry to further support adaptive teaching practices and be more responsive to students’ interests and needs.

Deepening the school’s current internal evaluation processes will help further lead school improvement. Aspects of internal evaluation practice that need strengthening are:

• ensuring evaluation practices are built into school operations

• linking evaluation to student outcomes

• using the cycle of inquiry to ensure continuous improvement.

School leaders recognise the value of, and continue to work on, building a stronger professional culture. They are developing strategies to build collaborative practices, facilitate open-to-learning discussions, and support staff wellbeing.

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:

• sound governance that promotes strategic alignment and resourcing to support student success

• a responsive curriculum that promotes individualised pathways for student success

• comprehensive pastoral care system that supports wellbeing and responds to students’ needs.

Next steps

For sustained improvement and future learner success, the board and leaders agree that priorities for further development are in:

• continuing to develop teaching approaches that support the acceleration of learning

• expanding current internal evaluation practices to measure the impact and effectiveness of initiatives on improving student outcomes

• continuing to develop professional relationships that support an open-to-learning culture.

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

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

Violet Tu’uga Stevenson

Director Review and Improvement Services

Te Tai Raki - Northern Region

2 November 2018

About the school

Findings

Zayed College for Girls has made very good progress since 2013. Targeted support from the Ministry of Education has assisted the board and senior leaders to improve governance and leadership practices. Teaching and learning practices and the school’s curriculum design is increasingly fostering students’ academic performance and wellbeing.

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

1 Background and Context

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

Zayed College for Girls in Mangere, South Auckland, opened in 2001 as a private school offering education for girls from Years 7 to 15 in an Islamic environment.

In 2011, the college moved from having private school status to being a state integrated secondary school. The 2013 ERO report stated that the school was still in the process of transition and was having some difficulty managing its legal obligations as a newly integrated state school. This ERO report identified concerns about school governance, aspects of health and safety, and employment processes that were not meeting legislative requirements or good practice expectations. In addition, ERO identified concerns about school and curriculum leadership.

As a consequence of these concerns, ERO made the decision to conduct a longitudinal review of the school over the course of one-to-two years. Since August 2013, ERO has visited the school a number of times to evaluate the progress made in addressing the areas identified for improvement.

In October 2014 the board of trustees had further difficulties in meeting its governance obligations and responsibilities. In response, the Ministry of Education (MoE) requested that the board of trustees produce an action plan outlining how it intended to make improvements identified in the 2013 ERO report.

Since 2014 the board has accessed significant external support through the MoE to assist with school improvements. This support, that includes a specialist adviser to the board, a mentor for the principal and curriculum and assessment facilitators, has been used well by the school.

In August 2015 ERO returned to the school to evaluate the extent to which the priority areas identified in the board’s action plan for improvement had been addressed.

2 Review and Development

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

Priorities identified for review and development

The five key priority areas for the school included:

• implementing effective personnel systems and structures
• building governance capability to support on-going school improvement
• improving curriculum leadership, including teaching, learning and assessment
• promoting a safe and inclusive school culture
• engaging with parents and the community.

Progress

Personnel systems and structures

The board has developed a good policy framework that has helped it make important changes to personnel systems and structures. In addition, the board has made progress in building trust between members of the board, school leaders and teachers.

Governance and management roles are now more clearly defined. The principal has responded well to her mentor’s guidance and, as a consequence, communication between the principal and trustees, and senior leaders has improved. The principal's mentor has also been effective in helping to improve professional relationships and accountabilities within the leadership team. In particular, a new school leadership model is providing the principal and her senior team with clearer delegations so that they can manage their roles and provide appropriate leadership in the school.

The board and senior leaders agree that the following areas require ongoing and careful development:

• the building of professional and trusting relationships between senior leaders and staff, and between teachers
• the establishment of clearer expectations for staff in terms of teaching and learning.

Building governance capability

The board of trustees has made good progress in developing understanding of its legislative requirements with respect to the New Zealand National Education Goals and Administration Guidelines. Trustees have made effective use of external support and they are building sustainable governance practices. Trustees now have a clearer sense of their purpose and the importance of well aligned governance systems and structures.

The board is now receiving much clearer reports from senior leaders about student progress and achievement. Trustees are using this information to make relevant resourcing decisions and to improve learning opportunities for students. Trustees have also been proactive in consulting the community and in gathering information that will assist them in setting the school’s future direction.

Improving curriculum leadership

Senior leaders have established good systems to support the implementation of the Zayed College curriculum. It is now appropriately aligned to The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) as a key requirement for all state integrated schools. The school’s curriculum now provides a clear balance between its Islamic special character and the learning areas of the NZC.

The curriculum offers a broad range of subjects that provide students with pathways to further study or vocational pursuits. Students also have access to personalised programmes that support their transition through and beyond the school.

Awareness of Māori perspectives and contexts is evident across the curriculum. Teachers and curriculum leaders continue to work with the MoE facilitator to provide te reo Māori programmes at Years 7 and 8.

Senior leaders have developed clear guidelines to support the delivery of the curriculum and have improved their expectations of professional learning and teacher appraisal. Teachers are making better use of student achievement information to reflect on and improve their practice. Valid, reliable assessment data, combined with teachers’ knowledge of individual students, allows teachers to provide students with targeted, relevant learning opportunities.

Safe inclusive culture and engagement with parents and the community

A more positive school culture is evident at the college. A pastoral network is contributing well to promoting and supporting student wellbeing. Students report that school is now a more positive, learning focused environment.

The board and school leaders are becoming more proactive in communicating and consulting with their parent community. The board is responsive to information generated by external surveys.

The board now has the appropriate health and safety policies in place to support the physical and emotional safety of students. These policies include attendance, stand downs, suspensions expulsion and exclusion, teacher registration, performance management and staff appointments. Procedures have also been developed to ensure that policies are appropriately implemented.

3 Sustainable performance and self review

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

Zayed College is now well placed to continue improvements. The board of trustees and school leaders have made significant progress in each of the key priority areas. The board has taken deliberate steps to meet the goals identified in its 2014 action plan and has used external assistance constructively to improve governance and leadership in the school.

The board and senior leaders agree with ERO that continued use of external expertise is required for the school to sustain and further improve areas of governance and leadership, embed the board’s operational and strategic plans, and further promote student achievement.

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.

4 Recommendations

Recommendations, including any to other agencies for ongoing or additional support.

ERO recommends that the Ministry of Education continue to provide external expertise that supports the school to sustain and further improve in the areas of governance, leadership, and teaching and learning.

Conclusion

Zayed College for Girls has made very good progress since 2013. Targeted support from the Ministry of Education has assisted the board and senior leaders to improve governance and leadership practices. Teaching and learning practices and the school’s curriculum design is increasingly fostering students’ academic performance and wellbeing.

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

Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

About the School