The Gardens School

Education institution number:
6947
School type:
Full Primary
School gender:
Co-Educational
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
618
Telephone:
Address:

101 Charles Prevost Drive, The Gardens, Manukau

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The Gardens 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 

The Gardens School ​is situated in Manurewa, Auckland and provides education for learners in Years 1 to 8.  The school environment is designed to accommodate integration of the values programme with 21st century knowledge, skills and competencies, and prepare students for the next phase of their learning journey. The school has a satellite unit from Rosehill School and is a member of the Alfriston Kāhui Ako.

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, make good progress and achieve very well. 
  • The large majority of learners achieve at or above expected curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics, with some inequity for Māori and Pacific learners.
  • Targeted learners that receive additional support make accelerated progress with the majority reaching expected curriculum levels by Year 8.
  • Students are purposefully engaged at school and the Ministry of Education target for regular attendance has been met due to the use of effective strategies and approaches. 

Conditions to support learner success

School leadership effectively builds high quality systems and processes for teaching and learning in an innovative learning environment.
  • Leaders and teachers align their vision and strategic direction with a curriculum that is broad, future focused and relevant to learners. 
  • School leaders provide positive guidance and support to facilitate ongoing innovation, improvement and development of teacher capabilities for improved outcomes for learners.
  • Leaders set targets and use evidence-based interventions to accelerate progress that meets the individual strengths and needs of learners.
Teachers collaborate well and consistently use agreed teaching strategies to support the diverse needs of learners. 
  • Students have opportunities to learn in different ways targeted to individual learners, with a consistent focus on supporting learners to gain sound foundation, literacy and mathematics skills.
  • Teachers create collaborative learning environments that foster inclusive participation and positive, mutually respectful teacher-learner relationships.
  • Learners access a localised curriculum that fosters 21st century knowledge, skills and key competencies.
Key conditions that underpin successful schooling are embedded and well-aligned. 
  • Learners are confident in their identities and show a strong sense of belonging and pride in their school. 
  • Effective communication between the board, leaders and teachers supports collaboration and contributes to professional agency across all levels of the school. 
  • The school gives effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi through partnerships with Māori and mana whenua, providing learners with opportunities for active participation in te reo Māori and tikanga Māori.
  • Leaders and teachers use a variety of strategies to connect with parents and whānau, creating shared understandings and enabling active support for their child’s learning.

Part B: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

  • use a range of purposeful teaching strategies to accelerate progress and raise student achievement, particularly for Māori and Pacific learners
  • continue to mentor and develop teachers new to the school in the context of the innovative learning environment 
  • continue to build processes to collect whānau and community input to guide strategic direction and curriculum development, and strengthen te ao Māori
  • review and refine strategic planning to ensure clarity and coherence.

The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.

Every six months:

  • teachers and leaders will continue to implement interventions for learners who are not yet at expected achievement levels
  • leaders will support professional capability through observations, use of data, and feedback 
  • leaders and teachers will continue to review the provision of te ao Māori to ensure there is ongoing improvement.

Annually:

  • leaders and teachers will review and evaluate progress of use of te ao Māori and te reo Māori and identify next steps using Poutama Reo
  • leaders will analyse and incorporate whānau and community voice and incorporate this into annual planning. 

Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:

  • improved student achievement outcomes for Māori, Pacific and other identified groups of learners
  • consistent and cohesive teaching practices that reflect best practice for the innovative learning environment
  • increased use of te reo Māori and te ao Māori concepts across the school 
  • coherent strategic planning that is reflective of the wishes of the school community. 

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

6 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

The Gardens School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2024 to 2027

As of May 2024, The Gardens 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

Further Information

For further information please contact The Gardens 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

6 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

The Gardens School

School Context

The Gardens School provides education for students from Years 1 to 8. Thirty percent of students are Indian. The roll also includes smaller numbers of Māori and Pacific students and others from diverse ethnic backgrounds. There are a high number of English language learners and students with additional learning needs. A satellite class of Rosehill Special School operates in the school grounds.

Since ERO’s 2014 evaluation, the school has been rebuilt on the existing site. The new building, opened in 2018, provides innovative learning environments. Teachers have participated in professional development to build the skills and knowledge of adaptive teaching approaches required to maximise student learning in this new environment.

The school’s vision is to provide “education that prepares learners for their future and challenges them to continually strive”. Developing independent learners through student-driven learning is supported by the school’s core values of wonder, innovate, nurture, grow and succeed (WINGS).

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

  • achievement in reading, writing and mathematics
  • outcomes for students with additional learning needs
  • progress and achievement in relation to school targets for reading and writing
  • outcomes related to student wellbeing.

The Gardens School is a member of the Alfriston Kāhui Ako | Community of Learning (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 is continuing to work towards achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for children.

School achievement data indicate that over the last three years the majority of students achieved at or above expected national curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics. The majority of Māori students achieve well. Students who attend the school for most of their learning make very good progress over time.

Students with English as an additional language receive regular and appropriate support. Home languages and cultural diversity are recognised and celebrated within the school’s curriculum.

Students achieve well in relation to the school’s broader valued outcomes. They develop learning dispositions and show persistence and resilience. Students interact positively with each other and with adults. They can talk about what helps them to learn and can make decisions about what and how they learn.

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

Leaders and teachers are continuing to work towards achieving parity for students who need to make accelerated progress.

Most children in their first three years of learning make accelerated progress. The achievement data indicates ongoing in-school disparity for boys in literacy and for Pacific students in literacy and mathematics. Since 2016, half of Pacific students have achieved at or above curriculum expectations.

Over the past three years the school has implemented a range of approaches and strategies which have resulted in some students making accelerated progress. Achievement data for 2018 indicate that small groups of Māori and Pacific students made progress in reading and mathematics.

Teachers use appropriate strategies to increase parity in achievement. They engage in collaborative professional conversations to track and monitor rates of progress and identify next steps for learning.

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?

Key school conditions that enable equity and excellence include quality leadership, a responsive curriculum, a teaching culture of collaboration and inquiry, and learning-centred partnerships with families. Leaders and teachers have a shared responsibility for student learning and wellbeing.

Leaders enacted high quality change management processes during the significant property redevelopment. They continue to provide progressive professional leadership and a clear direction for improvement.

Leaders effectively support the ongoing development of teachers’ individual and collective capability. They maintain high levels of relational trust across the school community.

Leaders and teachers create an environment that successfully promotes students’ ownership of their learning. Students enthusiastically participate in learning opportunities that promote creativity, collaboration, initiative and leadership.

The broad, responsive curriculum builds students’ oral language and vocabulary. Digital technologies are well integrated. Teachers inquire into the effectiveness of their teaching practice. Professional learning is deliberately focused on adapting teaching approaches to maximise student learning.

A coherent approach helps students with additional learning needs to make progress in relation to their individual goals. These students feel accepted, enjoy positive relationships with their peers and teachers, and are active, visible members of the learning community. Students build social and emotional competencies to help them to be successful learners.

Parents and whānau have meaningful opportunities to contribute to and participate in many aspects of school life. Parents, and increasingly students, have access to learning and achievement information through a digital platform. This ongoing communication and consultation are supporting learning-centred relationships.

The board supports the vision and future strategic direction of the school very well. They are committed to supporting positive outcomes for students and staff. Trustees bring a range of expertise and experience to their roles. The board makes well-informed resourcing decisions and seeks external expertise where appropriate.

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

Leaders are committed to gaining greater parity to achieve equity and excellence for all students. This could include teacher appraisal processes having a stronger focus on culturally responsive teaching practices.

Strengthening internal evaluation systems could assist leaders and trustees to monitor improvements through focused strategic planning. This includes:

  • developing the school’s strategic direction for Māori success using Hautū (Māori Cultural Responsiveness tool) to strengthen the board’s understanding of ways to promote success for Māori learners
  • continuing to focus on the rate and sufficiency of acceleration to achieve equitable outcomes, particularly for Pacific students and boys.

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 The Gardens School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Well placed

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:

  • leadership that supports a professional culture of improvement
  • teacher capability and collective responsibility for student wellbeing and achievement
  • a responsive curriculum that supports the development of student-directed learning
  • reciprocal learning-focused relationships with parents and whānua.

Next steps

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

  • continuing to focus on the rate of acceleration to achieve equitable outcomes, particularly for Pacific students and boys
  • increasing the focus on culturally responsive practices in the appraisal process
  • leaders and trustees evaluating the impact of school improvements through focused strategic planning.

To improve current practice, the board of trustees need to strengthen their procedures for when the public should be excluded from a board meeting.

Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region

24 January 2020

About the school

LocationAuckland
Ministry of Education profile number6947
School typeFull Primary (Years 1-8)
School roll588
Gender compositionGirls 51% Boys 49%
Ethnic composition

Māori 14%

NZ European/Pākehā 19%

Indian 30%

Chinese 10%

Samoan 5%

South East Asian 4%

other Pacific 5%

other Asian 4%

other ethnic groups 9%

Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS)Yes
Provision of Māori medium educationNo
Review team on siteAugust 2019
Date of this report24 January 2020
Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review December 2014

Education Review October 2011

Education Review October 2008