Hobsonville Point Primary School

Hobsonville Point Primary School - 13/03/2018

School Context

Hobsonville Point Primary School, Auckland, caters for students from Years 1 to 8. Nine percent of learners are Māori, and six percent have Pacific heritage, with Samoan being the largest group. Chinese students make up 17 percent of the roll. Since the school opened in 2013, the roll has doubled each year as families have moved into new housing in the surrounding area. The percentage of children who are learning English as an additional language has increased significantly.

The school was the first Public Private Partnership (PPP) facility to be built. It is designed for approximately 700 children. One board governs both the primary school and Hobsonville Point Secondary School.

The school’s mission is to develop lifelong learners who, through authentic learning opportunities, build on their strengths and areas for growth. The curriculum is designed to nurture the attitudes and behaviours that are likely to support children in achieving this. The flexible learning spaces called ‘learning commons’ promote collaborative teaching and learning practices. Groups of children of similar class levels learn together in these spaces.

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

  • achievement in reading, writing and mathematics including learning outcomes for students with special or additional learning needs

  • overall school achievement in relation to school targets and national targets

  • opportunities and progress in curriculum learning areas including children’s development of learning dispositions.

Staff participate in professional learning and development designed to support the school’s vision for education. Senior leaders establish clear expectations with new teaching staff to ensure they implement the school’s curriculum to realise this shared vision. Middle leaders participate in programmes to build their capability to coach others.

Since the 2014 ERO report, an elected board has replaced the appointed Establishment Board of Trustees (Ebot).The school roll continues to grow as high density housing becomes available. The school is part of the Whiria Te Tangata Kāhui Ako|Community of Learning (CoL).

Evaluation Findings

1 Equity and excellence – valued outcomes for students

1.1 How well is the school achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all its students?

The school is effective in achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all its students.

School data shows consistent achievement for students. The majority of students achieve at and above expectations in reading, writing and mathematics. Different groups of children achieve at similar levels across these three learning areas, with Pacific achieving better in mathematics. Senior leaders have plans in place to address emerging disparities for boys in reading and writing.

Senior leaders note that overall school achievement data is not yet revealing significant or reliable trends. This is because of very rapid and significant roll growth and high numbers of students, new to the school, who speak English as an additional language. Once the school is through this period of rapid roll growth senior leaders will be well placed to identify trends and patterns in overall achievement.

Children achieve very well in relation to the school’s broader valued outcomes. They are confident, reflective learners who are well engaged in their learning. Children actively collaborate with their teachers and peers in authentic learning opportunities.

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

The school is effective in responding to those Māori, Pacific and other students whose learning and achievement need acceleration.

The school’s charter targets appropriately focus on groups of children who are working below, or well below expectations. Teachers develop individual learning plans for these children. They also establish goals focused on accelerating progress with parents. Children who need further support participate in additional in-school programs. School leaders and the board regularly monitor progress towards charter targets.

School leaders analyze data closely and compare the achievement of different groups of children. This assists teachers to target programs and be responsive to children’s learning needs. Systems to track and monitor the achievement of all children are effective. Teachers identify and share information about children who need to achieve better. They collaboratively design their responses to cater for each child’s learning needs.

2 School conditions for equity and excellence

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

The school’s vision for teaching and learning is embedded and promotes equity and excellence. Senior leaders and the establishment board considered the work of a variety of theorists and researchers when developing the vision.

A key principle that underpins all school operations is to provide children with an innovative education through personalised learning, powerful partnerships and challenging inquiry-learning programmes. Many parents consider these approaches will benefit their children.

Trustees are capable and bring significant experience and expertise to their roles. They demonstrate a keen understanding of, and commitment to the school’s vision. The board has positive relationships with the principal, teachers and parents/whanau and provides both support and scrutiny.

School leadership is very effective. Senior leaders provide professional leadership and guidance within the school more broadly. They work well together to ensure teachers and parents have a shared understandings of the school’s curriculum and approaches to teaching and learning. Senior leaders are visible in the school and familiar to students.

The school’s curriculum is distinctive and tailored to realise the school vision. It prioritises the development of students’ attitudes, dispositions and behaviours that are conducive to learning. Children have opportunities to develop and extend these while learning through major concepts. The school is exploring ways to measure the effectiveness of this approach.

Children are actively engaged in their learning. Frameworks and systems are in place and used well by children to manage their time and commitments. Children plan opportunities to teach others about their passions and interests. Those children who spoke with ERO find this way of working to be engaging.

The settled and purposeful atmosphere in the ‘learning commons’ are evidence of the positive school culture. Respectful relationships are evident between teachers and children. Senior leaders and teachers model expected behaviours and attributes for children. Displays of work in the flexible learning spaces celebrate and promote children’s thinking and collaboration.

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

Leaders agree that the following next steps will support ongoing improvement in the school:

  • implementing the Māori and Pacific strategic plans to promote children’s identity, language and culture

  • promoting the bicultural perspectives of Aotearoa New Zealand for all children

  • continuing to build teachers’ use of achievement information to further personalise learning for children

  • formalising internal evaluation processes.

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.

Provision for international students

The school is a signatory to theCode of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students(the Code) established undersection 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 no international students were attending the school.

4 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

  • governance and leadership that is committed to the enactment of the vision for equitable outcomes for all children

  • curriculum design and implementation that promotes self-managing and lifelong learners

  • the learning culture that values collaboration.

Next steps

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

  • promoting cultural responsiveness and biculturalism

  • further personalising learning for children

  • strengthening internal evaluation.

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

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

Julie Foley

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)

Te Tai Raki - Northern Region

13 March 2018

About the school

Hobsonville Point

Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

6788

School type

Full primary (Years 1 to 8)

School roll

354

Gender composition

Girls 53% Boys 47%

Ethnic composition

Māori 9%

Pākehā 39%

Chinese 17%

Indian 5%

Southeast Asian 5%

Samoan 3%

African 2%

South American 2%

other European 10%

other Pacific 3%

other Asian 3%

other ethnicities 2%

Provision of Māori medium education

No

Review team on site

November 2017

Date of this report

13 March 2018

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review 2014

Hobsonville Point Primary School - 16/10/2014

Findings

The establishment phase of this new school has been well managed. Teachers and students work collaboratively in flexible, modern environments that complement the school’s learner-centred curriculum. Students are supported to be self-managing learners and active participants in designing their personalised learning programmes. Strong partnerships with families are recognised as key to students’ learning.

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?

Hobsonville Point Primary School, located in Hobsonville Point, Auckland, provides education for students from Years 1 to 8. The school opened in February 2013 with a roll of 36 students and has since increased to over 90 students. This is the first Education Review report for the school.

The school, along with the recently opened Hobsonville Point Secondary School, is the first school in New Zealand to be established under a Private Public Partnership (PPP) model. Both schools are governed by one board. The establishment board (e-board) has effectively managed the first phase of school development, and is now preparing for transition to an elected board.

The Hobsonville Point area is the site of an old New Zealand Air Force base. Extensive housing development is planned. The school has been built to accommodate significant predicted roll growth. The board and school leaders are aware of the need to manage ongoing growth and change.

The school’s vision provides a strong guiding foundation for the school. Clearly defined teaching and learning values underpin decision making and practices. The principal and leadership team are effectively developing a shared understanding and implementation of the vision and values with teachers. Students contribute significantly to the design of learning processes and opportunities.

The school’s learning environment is designed to complement its modern learning pedagogy. There are currently three learning spaces known as commons operating, for junior, middle and senior students. Within each common, students learn in various flexible groups based on ability, interests or age.

2 Learning

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

The school currently uses available achievement information very well to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement.

School leaders are developing comprehensive systems for monitoring student participation, engagement, progress and achievement. They place a strong focus on individual student’s achievement information and have set goals to raise overall student achievement. They are developing good systems to enable them to track and analyse the progress and achievement of groups of students over time, and to use this information to set more specific targets to help attain school goals.

Students speak very positively about the school. They appreciate the opportunities for choice and ownership in their learning, and involvement in decision-making about school programmes and events. There is a settled tone in the commons, and students are highly engaged in their learning. They talk confidently about their learning processes, current focuses and next learning steps.

Teachers work collaboratively to provide flexible and personalised learning programmes to meet students’ needs and interests. They monitor the progress and achievement of individual students closely, and support them well to understand and manage their own learning. Student ownership of learning will continue to be a focus for development as staff explore ways in which they can realise the potential of this approach.

Strong home-school learning partnerships are evident in the frequent exchange of information about students’ learning. Student progress and achievement information is shared formally at Individual Education Meetings (IEMs) that take place every term. Written reports to parents provide clear information about how well students are achieving and progressing in relation to the National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. School leaders have sought parent feedback as part of ongoing review and development of written reports.

Collaborative teaching practices support ongoing moderation to increase the reliability of assessments. School achievement data indicates that most students achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics, in relation to the National Standards. The progress and achievement of priority groups of learners, including Māori and Pacific students is well monitored. The school is on track to meet the Better Public Service goal of eighty-five percent of students achieving at or above the National Standards by 2017.

3 Curriculum

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

The school’s curriculum very effectively promotes and supports student learning.

The school vision and teaching and learning values are clearly reflected in curriculum design and practices. The curriculum is strongly learner-centred. A focus on dispositions for learning supports students to understand how they can learn. Students have many opportunities for participation and leadership in a range of contexts.

The connected curriculum model integrates subject areas in meaningful ways. The school is developing good connections with the local community and learning partnerships with the secondary school to resource and enhance learning programmes.

The modern learning environment promotes collaborative practices and flexible use of shared teaching areas and resources. Students use information and communication technologies (ICT) in purposeful ways to improve learning.

The school curriculum design is informed by current educational research and theory, and is clearly aligned with The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC). School leaders are continuing to strengthen shared understanding of the school’s teaching and learning philosophy. They are developing clear expectations and support structures to ensure consistency in teaching practice. Curriculum documentation is being developed gradually to allow for considered pace and a collaborative approach.

ERO and school leaders agree that the next steps in curriculum development should include:

  • developing systems to ensure the integrity and quality of teaching and learning in all learning areas of the NZC, including assessment across the curriculum, and ongoing review of learning resources
  • building staff confidence and capability to further develop bicultural practices throughout the school.
How effectively does the school promote educational success for Māori, as Māori?

The school has established some good foundations to promote educational success for Māori, as Māori.

The school promotes academic success for Māori students effectively. Most achieve at or above the National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics.

Māori students participate and experience success in a range of extra-curricular activities, particularly sports. They enjoy participating in kapa haka and powhiri, and appreciate the leadership opportunities these provide. Opportunities for some students to learn te reo Māori are being initiated through liaison with the secondary school.

Tuakana-teina relationships are fostered through teaching and learning approaches. School leaders have referred to Ministry of Education resources such as Ka Hikitia: Managing for Success and Tātaiako: Cultural Competencies for Teachers of Māori Learners to guide the school’s initial development in this area, including an action plan for Māori success. School leaders agree that this initial documentation could now be reviewed to better reflect the school context.

Partnerships with parents/whānau are a strength in the school. Trustees and school leaders have consulted with whānau and the wider community, including consultation with local iwi during the school’s establishment phase. They continue to explore different ways of seeking whānau perspectives and responding to suggestions and preferences.

Next steps for the board and school leaders should include:

  • increasing whānau contribution to strategic goals aimed at the promotion of Māori students’ success
  • increasing staff confidence and capability in te reo me ōna tikanga Māori to further promote the language, culture and identity of Maori students.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

The school is well placed to sustain and improve its performance.

The principal provides effective leadership guided by the school vision and strategic direction. The leadership team works well together to promote best teaching practice, aligned with the school vision and informed by educational theory and research. They reflect the values of the school in their leadership style, modelling professionalism, collaboration, and reflective practice. They seek external support and challenge in developing their leadership skills.

School leaders promote a culture of shared teacher responsibility and accountability and are building leadership capacity across the school. They are developing good processes for teacher appraisal and professional learning and development. A current review of induction processes is informing plans for subsequent staff appointments.

The e-board has a good understanding of the context of a new school and of the PPP model. Trustees have kept the vision for the school at the centre of their governance decisions. They have worked closely with the principal and senior leaders in the establishment phase of development, and have provided good support in promoting the school’s identity and philosophy in the community.

The board and principal recognise that the school is now moving into a new phase of development. A key change will be the transition from the school’s establishment board to an elected board. Useful documentation is in place to support governance processes and the e-board is considering ways to provide induction and ongoing training for new elected trustees.

The e-board and ERO agree that it would be timely for the new board, once elected, to undertake a review of policies and procedures. This should include ensuring the alignment of all policies and procedures with current practice.

The school culture is one of reflective practice with a focus on continual improvement. School leaders and trustees are promoting meaningful partnerships with many groups within the school community. They use information from parents, whānau, staff and students to inform decisions. Trustees and leaders agree that they could now further strengthen strategic review processes by formalising some aspects of self review. More formal processes and frameworks would provide useful support for the elected board.

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

The establishment phase of this new school has been well managed. Teachers and students work collaboratively in flexible, modern environments that complement the school’s learner-centred curriculum. Students are supported to be self-managing learners and active participants in designing their personalised learning programmes. Strong partnerships with families are recognised as key to students’ learning.

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

Hobsonville Point, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

6788

School type

Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)

School roll

95

Gender composition

Girls 50 Boys 45

Ethnic composition

Māori

NZ European/Pākehā

Korean

British

other

21%

52%

5%

4%

18%

Review team on site

July 2014

Date of this report

16 October 2014

Most recent ERO report(s)

No previous ERO reports