62 Dawson Road , Snells Beach
View on mapTēnā 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.
Snells Beach Primary School, north of Auckland, is located on the Mahurangi East Peninsula. The school provides education for learners in Years 1 to 6. The community is currently experiencing rapid development resulting in roll growth for the school.
There are three parts to this report.
Part A: A summary of the findings from the most recent Education Review Office (ERO) report and/or subsequent evaluation.
Part B: 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 C: The improvement actions prioritised for the school’s next evaluation cycle.
Since the last report ERO and the school have been working together to evaluate how well for all learners:
The school expected to see:
Te ao Māori, te reo Māori and tikanga Māori evidenced across all aspects of school life.
A strengthened reciprocal relationship with Ngāti Manuhiri.
A refined literacy plan that provides effective continuity of learning across the school.
Consistent and equitable opportunities for all learners to achieve excellent outcomes.
During the course of the evaluation, it was found that the achievement of Year 1 and 2 learners accelerated due to structured literacy teaching approaches. Teachers responded to this acceleration by adapting the learning programme for Year 3 learners who were able to apply this knowledge in a wider range of contexts.
The greatest shift that occurred in response to the school’s action of implementing a structured approach to literacy and mathematics is greater consistency in teaching and improved learner outcomes.
The following findings are to inform the school’s future priorities for improvement.
| Most learners are engaged, make good progress and achieve very well. |
| School leaders are highly effective and lead ongoing improvement. |
| Learner success is supported by a mutually respectful school culture and high-quality teaching. |
| The school has well aligned systems, practices and programmes that promote learners’ wellbeing and engagement for success. |
The agreed next steps for the school are to:
The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.
Every six months:
Annually:
Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:
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
24 October 2024
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
As of August 2024, the Snells Beach Primary School Board has attested to the following regulatory and legislative requirements:
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
For further information please contact Snells Beach Primary 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
24 October 2024
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
This Profile Report was written within 12 months of the Education Review Office and Snells Beach Primary School working in Te Ara Huarau, an improvement evaluation approach used in most English Medium State and State Integrated Schools. For more information about Te Ara Huarau see ERO’s website. www.ero.govt.nz
Snells Beach Primary School is in the township of Snells Beach on the Mahurangi East Peninsula. The school provides education for students in years 1 to 6. The area is currently experiencing a period of rapid development resulting in roll growth for the school.
Snells Beach Primary School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:
continue to develop our shared understanding, use of, and planning for, Te Ao Māori, tikanga Māori and te reo Māori, providing equitable opportunities for all learners
review, refine and implement a new school wide literacy plan, ensuring consistency across our growing school.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Snells Beach Primary School’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how well the:
school’s planning for implementing Te Ao Māori, tikanga Māori and te reo Māori are providing equitable opportunities for all learners.
refined literacy programme ensures continuity of learning across the school for all learners.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:
safeguarding the school culture during a period of rapid expansion
strengthening relationships with iwi and whānau to develop an understanding of Māori achieving success as Māori
building kaiako confidence in their teaching capability, knowledge and skills in Te Ao Māori, te reo Māori and tikanga Māori
ensuring the school curriculum reflects the bi-cultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand
learners experiencing continuity in their literacy programme as they progress through the school
to ensure all learners experience consistent and equitable opportunities to achieve excellent outcomes.
The school expects to see:
Te Ao Māori, te reo Māori and tikanga Māori evidenced across all aspects of school life
a strengthened reciprocal relationship with Ngāti Manuhiri
a refined literacy plan that provides effective continuity of learning across the school
consistent and equitable opportunities for all learners to achieve excellent outcomes.
The school can draw from the following strengths to support it, in its goals to evaluate how well Te Ao Māori and literacy programmes are providing equitable opportunities and improving progress and achievement for all learners. The school has:
school leadership who collaboratively enact and consistently communicate the school’s mission, vision, and values
leaders and teachers who nurture a culture of collaborative planning and professional learning
a continuing relationship with the Māori Achievement Collaborative, including professional learning and guidance for kaiako, tumuaki and the school board
a respectful relationship with Ngāti Manuhiri.
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
continuing to plan and meet the needs of a rapidly growing school roll
professional development to build capability, knowledge and skills in Te Ao Māori, te reo Māori and tikanga Māori
embedding teachers shared understanding and approach to teaching literacy across the school.
Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools
28 April 2023
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
As of July 2022, the Snells Beach Primary School Board has attested to the following regulatory and legislative requirements:
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
For further information please contact Snells Beach Primary 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
28 April 2023
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
Snells Beach Primary School is on the Mahurangi Peninsula, north of Auckland. Established in 2009, the school caters for children in Years 1 to 6 in a purpose-built, spacious and eco-friendly facility. The school is well planned to sustain and make best use of its local bush and beach environments. A new Principal and Associate Principal have been recently appointed, from within the school.
While the school’s roll is predominantly Pākehā, Māori make 18 percent of the roll and 15 percent are from Pacific backgrounds. Positive relationships with local iwi and hapū, and the wider community, enhance opportunities and outcomes for children and families. The school is a member of the Mahurangi Community of Learning l Kāhui Ako (CoL).
Achievement data show good progress for most children during their time at the school. They achieve well in the National Standards by the end of Year 6. The school has a focus on increasing equity in achievement for Māori children and for boys.
Effective school leadership, a relevant curriculum, and strengthened partnerships with whānau are supporting the achievement of equity and excellence. Specific action plans and internal evaluation systems are being developed, to set consistent expectations for practices that support children’s understanding and ownership of their achievement and next learning steps. Ongoing development is needed in these areas.
Learners are achieving well. The school demonstrates strong progress toward achieving equity in educational outcomes, supported by effective, sustainable processes and practices.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
The school fosters a strong sense of belonging and wellbeing for all. The school values are highly evident in practice. Classrooms are settled, purposeful environments. Children with additional learning needs are well supported and fully involved in the programme. Older children have opportunities to support their younger peers and to be of service in the school and local community. Affirming and nurturing relationships are modelled at all levels of the school.
Reading, writing and mathematics results show that most children make good progress during their time at the school, with over 85 percent successfully reaching National Standards by the end of
Year 6. Across the school, more children tend to achieve ‘above’ than ‘at’ the Standard in reading and mathematics. The school is considering ways to replicate this picture in its writing results.
Analysis of annual achievement data informs targets for improving learning outcomes for children in the key areas of literacy and mathematics. The board receives six-monthly data updates, enabling them to review and refine targets and planning.
Leaders and teachers use data to identify children requiring further support, and initiate various programmes to target their needs. Since the 2014 ERO review, the school’s Pacific improvement plan has contributed to positive outcomes for Pacific children, with examples of accelerated learning progress.
Leaders have identified that the programme has so far served Māori children less well than others in terms of raising achievement. There is also disparity for boys. Trustees and leaders are aware of the limited success of prior initiatives in improving outcomes for these groups, and are exploring ways to enhance the school’s strategic response in the future.
Since the 2014 ERO review, an appropriate and growing emphasis has been placed on supporting Māori children to experience success. A commitment to supporting people, place and environment is more evident in the curriculum and programme in action. The support and involvement of Ngāti Manuhiri and Ngāti Wai iwi representatives is welcomed by trustees and leaders. The school has prioritised further embedding of these partnerships in strategic decision making. A developing Māori strategy respectfully builds on whānau relationships.
The principal has implemented a collaborative leadership structure. Professional development is prioritised and increasingly aligned with school goals. Within the school, and via professional networks, staff are increasingly able to share strategies for supporting individuals and groups of learners. There is a focus on knowing children’s interests, strengths and needs, in order to plan more responsive programmes. Teacher aides and support staff work as an integral part of the teaching team to foster children’s potential.
The school’s curriculum integrates aspects of learning and meaningfully supports children’s developing knowledge and inquiry skills. In particular, there are authentic learning opportunities for children to explore their local area. Education outside the classroom makes best use of the natural surroundings and close proximity to bush and beach. The significance of the Mahurangi River and Kawau Bay in the history of Aotearoa New Zealand, provides a unique opportunity for children to develop bicultural understandings and perspectives. Strong community relationships support this focus. Iwi and hapū connections are increasingly woven through programmes, enhancing learning for all.
Trustees and leaders have a commitment to improving outcomes for all children. A key element of this focus is to further develop existing relationships with whānau and parents, to build stronger learning-focused partnerships.
While strategic goals identify the school’s valued outcomes, associated planning would benefit from clarification ofresponsibilities, actions and expectations. More specific action planning could help the board, leaders and staff to enhance the quality of provision across learning areas for target students.
The school is well placed to strengthen inquiry and internal evaluation practice, including more rigorous and regular scrutiny of achievement data. This would provide more opportunities for more closely monitoring and reviewing the impact of classroom programmes on children’s learning, engagement and achievement, including for Māori and for boys.
Opportunities for children to discuss their learning goals and next steps, when consistently integrated through classroom teaching and learning, serve as a further tool for strengthening engagement and achievement, and accelerating children’s progress. Clarity about expectations for promoting student agency could promote this consistency. It would also be worthwhile to align teachers’ goal setting and inquiry with shared expectations for teaching and learning.
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.
Learners are achieving well. The school demonstrates strong progress toward achieving equity in educational outcomes, supported by effective, sustainable processes and practices.
Agreed next steps are to:
establish more specific planning and clear expectations for promoting children’s understanding and ownership of their achievement and next learning steps
continue to explore and embed successful strategies that promote equitable outcomes for Māori children and boys
use internal evaluation more effectively to support continual improvement.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
Violet Tu’uga Stevenson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
6 September 2017
|
Location |
Snells Beach |
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
6759 |
|
School type |
Contributing Years 1 to 6 |
|
School roll |
222 |
|
Gender composition |
Boys 53% Girls 47% |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 18% |
|
Provision of Māori medium education |
No |
|
Review team on site |
June 2017 |
|
Date of this report |
6 September 2017 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review May 2014 |