Waiheke High School

Education institution number:

530

School type:

Secondary (Year 7-15)

School gender:

Co-Educational

Definition:

Not Applicable

Total roll:

424

Website:

http://www.waihekehigh.school.nz

Telephone:

09 371 9000

Address:

11 Donald Bruce Road, Waiheke Island

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Waiheke High School - 19/10/2017

19 Oct 2017

Summary

Waiheke High School is a co-educational secondary school, catering for students from Year 7 to 15. The student roll has remained stable over the past three years. Approximately 17 percent of learners are Māori.

Since ERO’s evaluation in 2014 the school has continued to lift student achievement in the National Certificates for Educational Achievement (NCEA) at Levels 1, 2 and 3. This success is shared equitably by all student groups, including Maōri and Pacific learners.

Senior and middle leaders have continued to emphasise the analysis of NCEA achievement information to improve student success. Feedback from analysed achievement information has also contributed to additional curriculum provision. A continuing focus is placed on relevant, purposeful pathways that lead to tertiary courses, further training or employment, particularly for students at risk of not achieving.

Over the last three years, school leaders have prioritised more subject development within the curriculum to support learners’ preferences. In this regard the principal and board have recruited well to extend staff capacity and capability.

Waiheke High School is a member of the Waiheke Kahui Ako/Community of Learning (CoL) which includes the two primary schools on the island. Achievement challenges have been set for the CoL and are part of the strategic thinking for Waiheke High School’s future. The schools in the CoL are supported by Piritahi Marae, the local community marae.

How well is the school achieving equitable outcomes for all children?

The school has developed a more positive culture to support and improve student outcomes. Classrooms generally are settled with productive learning environments. Affirmingrelationships between students and their teachers support learner engagement.

The school responds in various ways to Māori, Pacific and other learners whose learning and achievement needs acceleration. At senior level, teachers and deans focus on the tracking and monitoring of NCEA credit performance and respond appropriately when additional support for learners is needed.

More acceleration focus is required by teachers and students at Year 7 and 8 to ensure that all learners have the skills to access the expected curriculum level in the eight learning areas when they enter Year 9. Literacy and mathematics is tested regularly in the middle school, but further assessment evidence needs to be gathered by teachers from all subjects across the middle school’s curriculum. This additional information would help teachers form more reliable judgements and support students to learn more confidently in all learning areas.

Processes that are likely to improve equitable outcomes for all students in the next phase of school development include:

urgent evaluation and revision of the school’s current strategic planning
collaborating productively with Māori whānau and the wider parent community
ensuring decision-making processes are informed by multiple voices during the school’s evaluation processes
continuing to increase the levels of student voice within the curriculum and democratic school processes

strengthening assessment practices in National Standards at Year 7 and 8.

The school has the capacity and capability to accelerate learning for all learners. However, variable disparity in achievement remains for boys compared to girls in Year 7 and Year 8.

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

Equity and excellence

How effectively does this school respond to Māori and other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration?

In a variety of ways the school responds to Māori and other young people whose learning and achievement needs acceleration. However some disparities have persisted over the past three years.

Publicly reported school data for National Standards show that students, including Māori learners, are achieving at or above the standard in reading, writing and mathematics. School leaders should develop assessment and moderation practices at Year 7 and 8 to ensure the school’s publicly reported data is dependable and gathered from multiple evidence across the curriculum.

The National Standards results overall have remained static for a three year period and there have been no significant shifts in writing achievement for three years. Girls continue to outperform boys in writing during this period of time. At NCEA Level 1 there is continuing gender disparity where girls outperform boys.

Generally NCEA achievement is above the national average and above percentages for similar schools. Endorsement levels for NCEA show that Level 1 students are achieving above national percentages for Merit Endorsement, and at NCEA Level 2 and 3 students are achieving Excellence endorsement in numbers that are above national results. Approximately 85 percent of students are leaving school with NCEA Level 2 or above.

Some students are counselled to pathway into university, tertiary training, or employment on the island which is well supported by local businesses and stake-holders. The local economy provides some good opportunities to engage learners in contextualised learning, project work and enterprising creative ideas.

A stronger focus for all students having access to pathways is now necessary to ensure subject provision and subject choice is aligned with student and family aspirations. Development of pathways exploration fosters student commitment and motivation for future decision-making. Ongoing discussion in regard to pathways is already a documented focus for the Waiheke CoL.

The community, board of trustees and school leaders could consider deepening their focus on valued student outcomes to further strengthen the attributes and dispositions required for 21^stcentury learning and entry into tertiary training and/or the workplace.

School conditions supporting equity and excellence

What school processes are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence?

Waiheke High School has a small secondary roll and constantly re-evaluates how the curriculum structure can provide subject preferences for students. On-line learning is supporting senior subject choices. It may be timely for more consideration to be given to an innovative timetable structure that accommodates other learning opportunities. Some departments are offering a range of authentic experiences and contexts outside the classroom that offer further NCEA credits to support students’ engagement with learning.

The school has a relationships-based learning culture. A wrap-around approach to pastoral care and the use of restorative practices promote student wellbeing and achievement. Students with additional learning needs are supported in flexible ways to learn through personalised opportunities.

Teachers participate in professional development to build their capacity. Some departments promote problem solving and collaborative inquiry processes well, and all departments should aim to provide this to improve learning outcomes for students. Teachers’ use of digital technology is increasing. A digital vision for all learners that provides equitable inclusion is a planned outcome of the school’s current internal evaluation programme.

Sustainable development for equity and excellence

What further developments are needed in school processes to achieve equity and excellence?

Some of Waiheke High School’s systems and processes need to be more effective to enable the achievement of valued student outcomes, equity and excellence.

A key item underpinning change should be the evaluation and revision of the current strategic plan to include:

board and senior leaders working with a reduced set of strategic goals that are accountable and measurable
enactment of the school’s Treaty of Waitangi policy for Māori learners and shared bicultural understandings for all learners
a strategic goal to ensure the choice of te reo me ōna tikanga Māori as an essential senior school pathway
a productive partnership with Māori whānau and community
continuing development of school-wide leadership of curriculum and pedagogy
more powerful connections and relationships with parent community
continuing development of student agency within the curriculum and school decision-making.

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
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.

Provision for international students

The school is a signatory to the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students (the Code) established under section 238F of the Education Act 1989. The school has attested it complies with all aspects of the Code.

At the time of the review there were 27 international students attending the school.

Waiheke High School has good systems to maintain the quality of both education and pastoral care for international students. Their progress towards achievement is well monitored and student course selections continue to be considered and personalised. Students are well integrated into the school’s educational community and cultural experiences. Evaluation processes are in place to ensure systems continue to develop and improve.

Going forward

How well placed is the school to accelerate the achievement of all children who need it?

The school has capacity and capability to accelerate learning for all learners. However, disparity in achievement for boys compared to girls remains within Year 7 and Year 8. The following are areas for continued development.

Leaders and teachers:

need to develop and implement approaches that effectively meet the needs of each learner
should improve the school conditions that support the acceleration of learners’ progress and achievement
need to build teacher capability to accelerate learners’ progress and achievement

The school agrees to:

develop more targeted planning to accelerate progress for learners
monitor targeted planning, improved teaching, and learners’ progress
discuss the school’s progress with ERO.

ERO will:

provide feedback and resources to support the development of more targeted planning
provide an internal workshop to support the school to develop effective planning and monitoring processes to support equity and excellence for all learners.

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

Recommendations

ERO recommends that the board of trustees and principal develop a revised, well considered and targeted strategic plan to work towards school improvement.

ERO recommends that the Ministry of Education and the New Zealand School Trustees Association provide support for the school in order to bring about the following improvements:

strategic planning for measurable and accountable goals
a revised Māori Education Plan based on the school’s Treaty of Waitangi policy
a continuing improvement in powerful school relationships with both the Māori community and the parent community
acceleration approaches that will focus on improving achievement for Year 7 and Year 8 students.

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

Te Tai Raki - Northern Region

19 October 2017

About the school

Location	Waiheke Island, Auckland
Ministry of Education profile number	530
School type	Secondary Years 7-15
School roll	518
Gender composition	Boys 53% Girls 47%
Ethnic composition	Pākehā Māori Pacific Asian	75% 17% 3% 5%
Provision of Māori medium education	No
Review team on site	August 2017
Date of this report	19 October 2017
Most recent ERO report(s)	Education Review Education Review Education Review	2014 2011 2008

Waiheke High School - 16/10/2014

16 Oct 2014

Findings

Waiheke High School provides good quality education for students from Years 7 to 13 in a unique island setting. Students are friendly and respectful. They make good progress and achieve well. The board, principal and staff are now preparing to collaborate with students, staff and whānau to modernise the learning environment and teaching and learning programmes.

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

1 Context

What are the important features of this school that have an impact on student learning?

Waiheke High School is situated on Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf, a 35 minute ferry ride from Auckland’s city centre. It is the island’s only secondary school and offers education for students from Years 7 to 13. The school serves a diverse and close knit community who are proud of the island’s distinct identity. The island setting provides students with locally-based learning opportunities that include sea sports, viticulture and tourism.

The school has highly inclusive practices for students with special educational needs and continues to attract good numbers of international students. Staff and students celebrate the richness that the school’s cultural diversity brings. Nineteen percent of students are Māori. These students and their whānau affiliate to various iwi throughout New Zealand.

Although about a third of the school’s teaching team is new to New Zealand, most live and work on the island, are part of the local community and know students and their families well. Some staff have worked at the school for many years, and have historical and generational connections to the island and current students. These features, combined with the school’s small size (517 students) contribute to students’ sense of belonging and support their learning.

The 2011 ERO report noted the school’s strong focus on raising student achievement. Most students throughout the school were achieving well. However, the report highlighted that the school’s rigid streaming practices were not promoting good learning relationships for students and teachers. It also noted that some teachers were focused on managing student behaviour rather than providing effective learning programmes.

The previous principal left in 2013 and a new principal arrived at the start of 2014. She leads a newly extended leadership team and is supported by a new board of trustees. Together they are planning to redesign the school curriculum and modernise teaching and learning approaches. School leaders are currently awaiting confirmation from the Ministry of Education that the school will be rebuilt as a modern learning environment.

2 Learning

How well does this school use achievement information to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement?

The school’s student achievement information is used increasingly well by senior and curriculum leaders and teachers to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement.

Students achieve well at Waiheke High School. Data shows that the very good progress students make from Year 7 to Year 10 supports their success in the senior school. Most students in Years 7 and 8 achieve at and above the National Standards in reading, writing and maths.

Students also achieve well in National Certificates of Educational Achievement (NCEA) at Levels 1, 2 and 3. They are receiving increasing numbers of merit and excellence endorsed certificates. Apart from a decline in Level 2 NCEA results in 2013, the school’s National Standards and NCEA results are similar to, or better than, other schools throughout the country.

A senior leader is responsible for tracking and monitoring the achievement of students throughout the school to measure and support their success. She works in collaboration with the principal, curriculum leaders and teachers to design approaches that meet students’ individual learning needs. One current initiative is focused on accelerating writing achievement across the school. This initiative is having a positive impact on increasing students’ motivation and confidence.

Year 11, 12 and 13 students now have opportunities to work alongside their teachers and parents to reflect on their progress and achievement, to set and evaluate learning goals and to consider their future pathways. A more restorative approach to student behaviour management has significantly reduced the number of students being stood-down, suspended and excluded from the school. The principal plans to introduce and embed these good student-centred practices at all year levels and especially in Years 7 to 10. This next step, in conjunction with the development of a refocused curriculum and improved pastoral care programmes is likely to result in positive outcomes for students.

School leaders identify that key next steps to improve the use of achievement information include:

promoting greater use of data as the basis for teachers’ reflection and inquiry into the impact of their practice
collecting and analysing destination data to show students’ ongoing success in tertiary study and/or work
deepening their evaluation of student engagement and participation data.

3 Curriculum

How effectively does this school’s curriculum promote and support student learning?

The school’s curriculum is becoming increasingly effective at promoting and supporting student learning. Some teaching and learning programmes throughout the school are based on the local Waiheke Island context. Gradually, more of the curriculum is catering for students’ interests, strengths, needs and future pathways.

Students are friendly and confident, and interact positively with each other and their teachers. They are highly engaged in learning within focused and settled classrooms. There are some good examples of effective teaching practice. In these classrooms students experience interesting learning opportunities which involve high levels of challenge and critical thinking. They are given opportunities to make decisions about what and how they learn. They also receive and provide useful feedback about how to further improve their learning.

Effective teachers plan programmes that promote learning from a Māori cultural perspective and that link to wider, global issues. These good practices should now be consistently available to all students. Teachers are being actively supported to move away from more traditional approaches and expectations towards more responsive teaching practices. Changes are underway to raise the quality of teaching throughout the school. Staff, parents and students are supportive of the principal’s vision for redesigning and developing the school’s curriculum.

How effectively does the school promote educational success for Māori, as Māori?

The school promotes educational success for Māori, as Māori effectively.

Māori students transition to Waiheke High School from both bilingual and mainstream classes. Their achievement and progress is monitored and tracked carefully over time. Māori students achieve well with most achieving at or above the National Standards in reading, writing and maths. Senior students also achieve very well with many Māori students achieving better than their non-Māori peers at NCEA Levels 1 and 2.

Piringākau, the school’s Māori department, promotes opportunities for students to have pride in their Māori language, culture and identity. It offers te reo Māori options for students in Years 7, 8 and 9, and tikanga-based programmes for students in Year 10 and in the senior school.

Senior Māori students affirm how strongly Māori tikanga is acknowledged by staff and students throughout the school. They appreciate teachers who are keen to learn te reo Māori me ōna tikanga and about Māori contexts. The school has an increasingly strong partnership with Piritahi Marae. The principal is forging positive connections at marae hui. She is sharing Māori student achievement information and finding out about the aspirations that whānau have for their tamariki.

A key next step for the school is to identify what accelerated success looks like for Māori students at Waiheke High School. The board and school leaders agree that it would be useful to explore this concept from the perspectives of whānau, the board, senior leadership team, students and teachers. This approach would support a school wide understanding of and responsibility for further promotion of Māori student identity and success, especially for the majority of students in mainstream classrooms. It could also support the whānau vision for high quality te reo Māori being available at every year level and for Māori learning contexts and perspectives to be evident in all teaching and learning programmes.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

The board of trustees and the principal are committed to promoting sustainable improvement throughout the school. This commitment means the school is well placed to continue improving its performance.

Trustees bring varied professional backgrounds, experiences and skills to the board. They are increasingly confident and knowledgeable about their governance roles. Trustees provide good support for the principal and are committed to promoting ongoing school improvement. The board is highly responsive to tangata whenua. Māori representation on the board is strong with the board committing to representation from trustees who champion the aspirations of Waiheke's Piritahi Marae.

The principal is collaborative and consultative. She is enabling and empowering staff to be innovative, and is promoting an environment where it is safe for students and teachers to take risks in their learning. The use of staff and student voice to inform decision making is a significant and appropriate aspect of the principal’s leadership approach and style.

The board and principal are now planning for widespread community input to promote shared ownership of the school vision and values. In addition, the principal is planning to develop a meaningful and well aligned teacher appraisal system. This system is part of the plan to build a school-wide culture of critical reflection and inquiry and to promote opportunities for teachers’ professional learning, challenge and growth.

In addition, ERO, the board, principal and senior leadership team agree that to promote ongoing sustainability other next steps are required. These next steps should support the principal in managing change and improvement and include:

having the senior leadership team work with an external facilitator to promote a shared understanding of effective leadership practice
accessing an external appraiser to conduct performance management appraisals for the deputy principals
having senior leaders working together to develop the school’s strategic plan and to realise and promote a shared vision for the school
further strengthening the way self review throughout the school is conducted, used and documented.

Provision for international students

The school is a signatory to the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students (the Code) established under section 238F of the Education Act 1989. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code.

At the time of this review there were 26 international students attending the school, mainly from Germany, other European countries, Japan and South America.

Most international students are in Years 11, 12 and 13 and enjoy the experience of living and learning on an island and in particular the school’s sea-based programmes and activities. They also have good opportunities to visit tourist attractions and have experiences in other parts of New Zealand. International students are well known throughout the school and receive very good pastoral care from the director of international students and classroom teachers. They meet regularly as a group, and individually with the director.

Students receive good quality education, including good opportunities to improve their English language. The director has good processes and systems for administering and managing the international students’ programme, including effective self review to promote ongoing improvements.

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.

Conclusion

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

Dale Bailey

National Manager Review Services Northern Region

16 October 2014

About the School

Location	Waiheke Island, Auckland
Ministry of Education profile number	530
School type	Secondary (Years 7 to 13)
School roll	517
Number of international students	26
Gender composition	Boys 51% Girls 49%
Ethnic composition	Māori NZ European/Pākehā Asian Pacific other	19% 73% 3% 3% 2%
Review team on site	September 2014
Date of this report	16 October 2014
Most recent ERO report(s)	Education Review Education Review Education Review	November 2011 November 2008 September 2005