6 Howard Street, Carterton
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Ponatahi Christian School
School Evaluation Report
Tēnā koutou e mau manawa rahi ki te kaupapa e aro ake nei, ko te tamaiti te pūtake o te kaupapa. Mā wai rā e kawe, mā tātau katoa.
We acknowledge the collective effort, responsibility and commitment by all to ensure that the child remains at the heart of the matter.
Context
Ponatahi Christian School is based in Carterton, Wairarapa. It provides education for students in Years 1 to 13, in a special character environment. An acting principal was appointed at the start of 2024 to lead the school, together with the senior leadership team members, while the board carry out a recruitment and appointment process for a new principal.
There are two parts to this report.
Part A: An evaluative summary of learner success and school conditions to inform the school board’s future strategic direction, including any education in Rumaki/bilingual settings.
Part B: The improvement actions prioritised for the school’s next evaluation cycle.
Part A: Current State
The following findings are to inform the school’s future priorities for improvement.
Learner Success and Wellbeing
Most students are engaged and make good progress with their learning. |
- Most senior students achieve well in National Certificate of Education Achievement (NCEA) Levels 2 and 3 (Level 1 NCEA is not offered); lifting engagement and achievement in external achievement standards is a priority.
- Most learners in Years 1 to 8 achieve at or above expected curriculum levels in literacy and mathematics; for Years 9 and 10, progress and achievement information is limited and not fully used.
- Leaders have developed and implemented a ‘Positive Behaviour Framework’ and this is beginning to have a beneficial impact on learner wellbeing and engagement.
- Regular attendance is higher than the Ministry of Education 2024 target.
Conditions to support learner success
Leaders are beginning to establish systems and processes to foster a culture committed to high quality teaching and improved learner outcomes. |
- Leaders are beginning to set evidence-informed improvement goals and targets and action to improve student outcomes.
- Leaders are starting to develop a more structured and coordinated curriculum, including clearly understood expectations for high-quality teaching.
- Leaders are beginning to build educationally-focused relationships with other education providers to support learner transitions and increase opportunities for learning and success.
The school is working towards providing a responsive curriculum and consistently high-quality teaching practice. |
- Learners have opportunities to learn across the breadth and depth of The New Zealand Curriculum.
- The curriculum is beginning to reflect local contexts so that learners see themselves in their learning.
- Appropriate assessment information is beginning to be used to plan for, adapt teaching practice and report the progress and achievement of each learner.
The school is taking steps to develop and align systems, structures and practices to bring about improved student achievement and progress over time. |
- Leaders are beginning to use relevant internal and external expertise, including networking with other schools, to support capability building, improvement and innovation.
- Leaders and teachers are strengthening programmes and practices to promote learners’ wellbeing and engagement in learning.
- The board represents, serves, and works with the school community to develop the school’s vision, values, strategic direction, improvement priorities and goals related to learner wellbeing, achievement and progress.
- Leaders and teachers are beginning to understand their commitment to tangata whenuatanga and Te Tiriti o Waitangi partnership.
Part B: Where to next?
The agreed next steps for the school are to:
- decide on and use assessment information for Years 9 and 10, that will give learners and their families an accurate picture of how well students progress and achieve and that they are set up for success in national qualifications
- develop a curriculum and strengthen teaching and learning to motivate, engage and meet the learning needs of all students; and that improves learner achievement and progress in literacy and numeracy, particularly those learners identified as at risk of underachievement
- raise the level of teachers’ and students’ expectations for attainment in external achievement standards in NCEA Levels 2 and 3
- continue to engage in learning about positive behaviour for learning, to ensure clarity about expected student behaviour, and build teacher and student confidence in restorative and relational responses to behaviour.
The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.
Within six months:
- begin a review of Years 9 to 13 curriculum so that it provides a breadth of learning pathways aligned with learners' talents, interests and learning needs; Year 9 and 10 curriculum and assessment review will have an immediate focus on literacy and numeracy
- school leaders and teachers carry out closer analysis of attendance, literacy, mathematics, NCEA achievement and progress data, and use information to plan actions for groups of students who are at risk of underachievement
- develop and introduce structured, and regular opportunities, for learners to provide feedback to school leaders about teaching and learning, curriculum and wellbeing
- with staff and students, clarify the role of the wellbeing leader and develop and use a tailored student wellbeing survey that is relevant to their Years 1 to 13 school.
Within a year:
- Years 9 and 10 literacy and numeracy assessments in place and yielding information that informs: responsive planning for targeted learning; students and parents about progress and achievement; reporting to the board for informed resource decision making
- Years 11 – 13 curriculum reflects changes made to meet the needs of all students, engage them and encourage them to aim for academic excellence
- gauge the shift in engagement and lifted aspirations that staff and the senior students have, for realising learners’ potential and personal excellence within the qualifications they gain
- teachers and students consistently use positive behaviour for learning strategies to foster positive learning relationships that demonstrate the core values of respect, diligence, integrity, fellowship and kindness.
Annually:
- analyse and use for all year levels, attendance, literacy, mathematics, NCEA achievement and progress data, and use the information to plan actions for groups of students, with attention to those at risk of underachievement
- analyse and use student feedback about teaching and learning, curriculum and wellbeing to inform next steps for addressing student wellbeing and learning, responding to learner goals
- analyse wellbeing and behavioural data, and other evidence, to know the impact of initiatives (behaviour framework, curriculum developments) and professional learning on learner outcomes and to know what is working and for who and make adjustments
- gather teacher voice about the quality of the professional learning and the impact on teaching practice; use this evidence to clearly identify next steps to enhance teacher confidence and practice.
Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:
- a broadened curriculum that motivates, engages and meets the learning needs of all students
- improved learner outcomes at all levels, with an increased percentage of learners gaining better results in NCEA external achievement standards, an increased percentage of students achieving at or above curriculum expectation in reading, writing and mathematics, and accelerated progress for students at risk of underachievement
- an embedded and sustained ‘Positive Behaviour Framework’, underpinned by well-aligned systems, structures and practices that supports improved wellbeing and achievement outcomes for learners.
ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a School Evaluation Report and is due within three years.
Me mahi tahi tonu tātau, kia whai oranga a tātau tamariki
Let’s continue to work together for the greater good of all children.
Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools
13 August 2024
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
Ponatahi Christian School
Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2024 to 2027
As of February 2024, the Ponatahi Christian 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
Actions for Compliance
ERO has identified the following areas of non-compliance during the board assurance process:
- that from 7 February 2024 teachers and authorised staff have completed the online module on the content of the Guidelines issued under section 101 of the Act
[Education Physical Restraint Rules, 2023, (MOE] - has documents showing that suitable human resource management practices are implemented, including work force safety checking, original or certified documents are properly sighted.
[Education and Training Act 2020; Children’s Act 2014]
The board has since taken steps to address the areas of non-compliance identified.
Further Information
For further information please contact Ponatahi Christian 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
13 August 2024
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
Ponatahi Christian School - 11/05/2020
School Context
Ponatahi Christian School in Carterton caters for students from Years 1 to 13. At the time of this review the roll was 124 students.
The overarching vision is for students to be confident, connected, actively involved lifelong learners. The school’s desired outcomes are based firmly in Christian beliefs and the key values of the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC).
Strategic goals focus on curriculum review and development, professional learning for teachers and community consultation. New trustees were elected to the board in 2019.
Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, schoolwide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:
- achievement in reading, writing and mathematics in relation to the NZC for Years 1 to 9
- National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) Levels 1 to 3 for Years 11 to 13.
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 consistently achieves excellent and equitable results for most students. Since the December 2016 ERO report, most senior students have achieved NCEA at Levels 1, 2 and 3, and gained university entrance qualifications. Most primary school aged children achieved in reading, writing and mathematics against school expectations in relation to the NZC.
Students with additional learning needs show good progress in relation to goals in their Individual Education Plans.
1.2 How well is the school accelerating learning for those Māori and other students who need this?
The school has had variable impact on accelerating the progress of those students who need it. Leaders have identified this is an area that needs to be improved.
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 leaders have a clear vision for the development of teaching and learning that reflects the school’s special character. The Christian ethos is strongly evident and provides a foundation for building ongoing relationships and support within the school community. It underpins all aspects of school life.
Students experience positive learning environments and respectful relationships. This promotes their sense of identity and belonging.
The school curriculum effectively promotes students’ engagement in learning. Senior students experience flexible programmes responsive to their interests and needs and are well supported by external providers. There are opportunities for students to be extended academically, and clear school expectations for inclusion of te reo Māori throughout the school.
2.2 What further developments are needed in school processes and practices for achievement of equity and excellence, and acceleration of learning?
Leaders and teachers use an appropriate range of nationally-referenced and school-developed tools to establish baseline data in literacy and numeracy. Developing more effective systems to monitor the rate of students’ progress should enhance the use of achievement information. Establishing a rigorous moderation process to ensure accuracy and dependability of teacher’s judgements against curriculum expectations and developing a shared understanding of acceleration are key next steps. This should enable the school to more clearly show the progress and achievement of all students and promote acceleration for those students who need it.
Leaders and teachers are appropriately supported to grow their practice through professional learning and development opportunities. The newly-refined appraisal processes are improvement focused. It has the potential to support growing teacher capability. A refocused teacher inquiry process is likely to contribute to improved outcomes for students.
Trustees and leaders have identified the need to strengthen School-wide strategic planning.targets need to include those students at risk of underachieving.
Developing a clear framework for internal evaluation with indicators of expected outcomes for achievement should enable trustees, leaders and teachers to better evaluate the impact of programmes and initiatives and improve outcomes for all students.
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 Ponatahi Christian School’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.
5 Going forward
Key strengths of the school
For sustained improvement and future learner success, the school can draw on existing strengths in:
- a school curriculum that fosters student engagement in learning
- trustees and leaders clearly focused on promoting special character.
Next steps
For sustained improvement and future learner success, priorities for further development are in:
- enhancing achievement practices that promote equitable and excellent outcomes for all students, particularly those at risk of underachieving
- strengthening school wide strategic planning and internal evaluation that better enables trustees, leaders and teachers to evaluate the impact of programmes and initiatives and improve outcomes for students.
Actions for compliance
ERO identified non-compliance in relation to police vetting of all workers prior to having unsupervised access to children.
In order to address this, the board of trustees must:
- adhere to the provisions of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014, and regulations 5-8 of the Vulnerable Children (Requirements for Safety Checks of Children’s Workers) Regulations 2015.
Areas for improved compliance practice
To improve current practice, the board of trustees should ensure practice follows their agreed polices particularly in relation to, appointments, Education outside the Classroom and administration of medication.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services Te Tai Tini
Southern Region
11 May 2020
About the school
Location | Carterton |
Ministry of Education profile number | 528 |
School type | State Integrated (Years 1 to 13) |
School roll | 124 |
Gender composition | Boys 54%, Girls 46% |
Ethnic composition | NZ European/Pākehā 82% Other ethnicities 18% |
Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS) | Yes |
Provision of Māori medium education | No |
Review team on site | December 2019 |
Date of this report | 11 May 2020 |
Most recent ERO report(s) | Education Review December 2016 Education Review December 2013 Education Review February 2010 |