Papatoetoe High School

Papatoetoe High School - 27/09/2018

School Context

Papatoetoe High School is a co-educational school catering for students in Years 9 to 13. Sixteen percent of students are Māori and 28 percent have Pacific heritages. Indian students comprise 37 percent of the roll. The Richards Centre for physically disabled students is an integral part of the school.

The school’s aim is for all students to become fully participating members of the community through living the values of the school. Three behavioural expectations to ‘be respectful, responsible and a learner’, are at the heart of the school’s culture of ‘Whaitake’.

The annual goals for improving student learning outcomes identified in the school’s strategic plan are to:

  • improve student achievement for identified target groups

  • promote student and staff welfare and support

  • promote the highest levels of staff performance and accountability.

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

  • achievement within the New Zealand Qualifications Framework

  • progress and achievement across learning areas in relation to the levels of the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC)

  • accelerated progress in reading, writing and mathematics for Years 9 and 10, and for Māori and Pacific students

  • progress and achievement in relation to school literacy and numeracy targets across learning areas.

Since the 2015 ERO review, a new principal and two new senior leaders have been appointed.

The school is part of the Papatoetoe Community of Learning | Kāhui Ako.

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?

Papatoetoe High School is making good progress towards achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all students.

Data over the last three years show a continued increase in achievement levels for students in National Certificates of Educational Achievement (NCEA) across Levels 1 and 2. Māori and Pacific students have made significant progress at Levels 1 and 2 and boys at Level 1.

Achievement levels at NCEA Level 3 and University Entrance have remained relatively static. However, many students in Years 12 and 13 are gaining meaningful qualifications through a wide range of vocational pathways. Leavers’ data show that approximately 80 percent of students leave school with a Level 2 or higher qualification.

Year 9 students have their literacy and mathematics knowledge and skills tested on entry, and progress tracked and monitored across Years 9 and 10. Most students make good progress in literacy and numeracy as a result of the schoolwide focus on these skills.

Learners achieve very well across the school’s broader valued outcomes. Students show a strong sense of belonging and contribute to the wider life of the school through sports, cultural activities, leadership and service.

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

The school is effective in responding to many students whose learning progress needs to be accelerated.

A range of robust and transparent processes ensures early identification of students’ needs, appropriate interventions, and ongoing monitoring and reporting. This is supported by effective use of data and a sense of collective responsibility for lifting the achievement of students whose learning is at risk.

School data show that target students make accelerated progress in literacy and mathematics in Years 9 and 10. This enables them to access the curriculum at NCEA Level 1.

The school has a range of effective and responsive initiatives aimed at improving learning outcomes for Māori and Pacific students. Early identification, consistent tracking and monitoring, and academic mentoring of identified students are key components of these responses and initiatives. There is an expectation that all teacher inquiries are focused on improving outcomes for target learners. Highly organised reporting practices ensure ongoing scrutiny of target students’ progress.

Leaders and teachers work closely with students, whānau and a diverse range of agencies to ensure learning needs are met and outcomes maximised. The school works with external providers to design relevant learning programmes for students. School information shows that students are staying longer at school and are transitioning to meaningful career training and employment.

Learning support is very effectively coordinated and personalised. Students with additional learning needs are very well supported to progress and achieve their personal goals.

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?

The broad curriculum is responsive to students’ needs and aspirations and reflects the community within which they live. Students have opportunities to develop skills and understandings across a range of relevant, local teaching and learning contexts.

Leaders and teachers have a strong, well supported commitment to, and understanding of, culturally responsive practices. This embedded schoolwide focus ensures that students and their families feel welcomed and valued, and that their culture and strengths are not only recognised, but reflected in programmes and practices.

Middle leaders are playing a key role in maintaining the focus on student learning and acceleration. This has required them to provide more frequent reports regarding student progress. They acknowledge this effort has given them a more holistic picture of students’ progress overall, and as a result they are able to provide more timely support for students.

Students are well supported in their learning and wellbeing by an extensive pastoral care system. Leaders and staff access a wide range of outside agencies and programmes to support students to achieve positive learning and wellbeing outcomes. Staff as a whole take collective responsibility for student outcomes.

Students at Papatoetoe High School are encouraged to have a sense of ownership of their learning and their school. Their opinions are sought and acted on. Respectful relationships between staff and students underpin the culture of the school. There is an emphasis on ako, on everyone being learners together and valuing learning. Students are encouraged and supported to take leadership opportunities and to be involved in school activities such as sport, music, cultural pursuits and service to others.

Leaders and teachers purposefully seek and establish relationships and partnerships beyond the school to support students. Curriculum and co-curricular programmes are enriched by these partnerships. Extensive and productive partnerships with tertiary institutions, industry and commerce enable individual students to access meaningful pathways within and beyond the school.

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

Senior leaders are committed to continuing the school’s focus on accelerating learning to increase parity of achievement for target students. They want to ensure that all students leave the school with worthwhile academic qualifications for their tertiary or career pathways.

One of the board’s strategic targets is to promote student and staff welfare and support. Developing a more cohesive and planned approach to this will require:

  • the board being more proactive and overt with regard to gathering and using evaluative information about staff wellbeing

  • senior leaders identifying measurable outcomes for a planned approach to student wellbeing.

The board has strategic planning systems and processes to guide school operations. Trustees would benefit from further board training to develop internal evaluation. This should assist them to evaluate the effectiveness of the board’s performance in its governance and stewardship role.

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 the Education (Pastoral Care of International Students) Code of Practice 2016 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 41 international students attending the school.

ERO’s investigations confirm that the school’s internal evaluation process for international students is thorough. The school provides its international students with a good standard of education and students make good progress overall while at the school. Students benefit from strong pastoral care systems and the inclusive relationships evident throughout the school. They enjoy many opportunities to participate in school activities.

4 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

  • a localised curriculum that reflects the community’s strengths, aspirations and needs

  • a strongly inclusive learning culture that values and embraces diverse perspectives

  • cohesive and well aligned systems and processes that set and maintain high expectations for teaching and learning across the school.

Next steps

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

  • developing a more cohesive and evaluative plan for promoting student and staff wellbeing

  • broadening the range of curriculum outcomes reported on to reflect the key competencies of the New Zealand Curriculum and other valued student outcomes.

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

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

Violet Tu’uga Stevenson

Director Review and Improvement Services

Te Tai Raki - Northern Region

27 September 2018

About the school

Location

Papatoetoe, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

95

School type

Secondary (Years 9-15)

School roll

1396

Gender composition

Boys 52% Girls 48%

Ethnic composition

Māori 16%

Pākehā 3%

Indian 37%

Samoan 13%

Southeast Asian 9%

Tongan 7%

Chinese 5%

Cook Island Māori 4%

other Pacific 3%

other ethnic groups 3%

Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS)

Yes

Provision of Māori medium education

No

Review team on site

August 2018

Date of this report

27 September 2018

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review October 2015

Education Review October 2012

Education Review February 2010

Papatoetoe High School - 22/10/2015

Findings

Papatoetoe High School values the cultural diversity of its students and community. Students access an interesting and varied curriculum and are able to access relevant qualifications and opportunities. School leaders and teachers are improvement focused and employ useful strategies to improve students’ progress and achievement, and support their sporting, cultural and creative successes.

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?

Papatoetoe High School in South Auckland continues to celebrate its culturally diverse school community within a settled and positive school environment. Twenty five percent of the students are of Pacific heritage, mainly Samoan, and 16 percent are Māori. Indian students make up 36 percent of the school roll. The school caters well for the significant number of students in the school who speak English as an additional language.

Students continue to enjoy the variety of academic, sporting and cultural opportunities the school provides. Good relationships between teachers and their students are highly evident. Students participate and learn in caring, inclusive learning communities. The Richards’ Centre for physically disabled students, a valued part of the school, demonstrates the school’s positive attitude to inclusivity and equity of opportunity.

The experienced principal and his leadership team have recently re-allocated roles and responsibilities with the team. The board of trustees is very supportive of school staff and the school vision.

Several of the recommendations from the 2012 ERO report have been addressed and a particular focus has been placed on the learning and achievement of students in Years 9 and 10. The school’s documented Māori education strategy, underpinned by Kia Eke Panuku – Building on Success, is aimed at Māori students enjoying and achieving educational success as Māori.

The school is justifiably proud of its new maths block and refurbished learning environments. Digital technologies are becoming an important part of the school’s learning programmes, and are being used to further engage parents, whānau and aiga as partners in their children’s learning. 

2 Learning

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

Student achievement information is well used to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement.

School leaders use well analysed achievement information to monitor student progress and achievement and provide specific learner support. They set relevant school targets and place a strong emphasis on teachers knowing their learners and supporting their wellbeing.

In response, teachers are continuing to strengthen their use of achievement data and other information to plan and deliver learning programmes that meet students’ interests, strengths and needs. They are also continuing to improve how they assess and report achievement for students in Years 9 and 10 across all learning areas of The New Zealand Curriculum.

A weekly mentoring initiative is further supporting all students from Years 9 to 15 to understand themselves as learners and to track their progress and achievement. Most students remain at school to Year 13, and high numbers of senior students achieve tertiary certificate diplomas that provide a good base for future study and career pathways. In addition, the number of merit and excellence endorsements in National Certificates of Educational Achievement (NCEA) has increased over the past three years.

Leaders are continuing to investigate ways of improving student results in NCEA. They aim for students to achieve at least NCEA Level 2 before they leave school but this area continues to be a challenge for the school, particularly with Māori students and boys. Senior leaders identify that raising achievement in all three NCEA levels and in University Entrance remains a priority.

Senior leaders and ERO also identify other key next steps that include:

  • evaluating and documenting the impact of programmes on improving student achievement
  • reporting regular and evaluative information to the board about student engagement, progress and achievement to inform the board’s strategic decision making and resourcing.

3 Curriculum

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

The school’s curriculum is effective in promoting and supporting student learning. It is broad and varied, and provides well for students’ interests, talents and career pathways. Senior students have significant choice to learn in flexible cross-curricular and multi-levelling NCEA courses. The curriculum promotes high levels of success for students within all learning areas, and in regional and national sporting events, and academic and sporting competitions. Teachers design and deliver a curriculum that increasingly responds to the interests and aspirations of students and their whānau.

The school’s pastoral system is designed as a wrap around service to promote students’ health and wellbeing. The pastoral focus includes good learning support for students to complete NCEA courses over periods of time and that are suited to individual needs and abilities. Leaders and the board are now keen to conduct regular student wellbeing surveys to further support students in their learning.

Overall there is good teaching practice, including examples of innovative practices that are especially engaging students in learning. The school’s commitment to resourcing and using digital technologies is having a positive and significant impact on teaching and learning. Teachers promote positive learning relationships with students, and are continuing to develop culturally responsive teaching and learning practices. This commitment is supported by the school’s more recent work with Kia Eke Panuku: Building on Success to promote positive outcomes for Māori students.

School leaders recognise that it would now be useful to evaluate the impact of changes made to the curriculum on promoting student success, and identify future directions. In particular, school leaders need to ensure that success for Pacific students is clearly understood and supported school wide, and report self-review information regularly to the board. Leaders could also consider reviewing the extent to which their curriculum reflects the principles of The New Zealand Curriculum.

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

Māori students comprise sixteen percent of students at Papatoetoe High School. Māori students and their whānau value the school’s commitment to supporting their success as Māori.

The school’s prominent waharoa and whare nui complex, Whakatongia te Kakano, continue to strengthen Māori students’ sense of belonging. It promotes a school-wide appreciation of tikanga Māori and recognises a bicultural Aotearoa/New Zealand.

Māori students benefit from supportive ngā kaiako. Rautoetoe whānau classes at all year levels promote good opportunities for students to participate in and lead wero, karanga, whaikorero and waiata. Māori students’ language, culture and identity are further enhanced with the provision of te reo Māori from Year 9 to 13. Māori students ably fulfil leadership roles in kapa haka, the house haka competition and teachers’ professional learning.

Senior leaders and teachers are committed to strategically supporting and enhancing Māori students’ success as Māori. They set specific targets to improve Māori student achievement. A recent school-wide initiative, Kia Eke Panuku is formally encouraging culturally responsive teaching strategies aimed at strengthening Māori students’ engagement and success. The school is continuing to develop a culture that acknowledges and celebrates mana Māori.

Māori students who stay at school to Year 13 feature in overall student success. Teachers closely monitor Māori students’ progress and achievement, and individual students are mentored and supported to achieve. However the school is aware that more could be done to support Māori students to stay at school and to achieve in NCEA at levels similar to other groups.

To further strengthen Māori student success, senior leaders recognise that it would be useful to:

  • continue developing whole-school understanding of success for Māori, as Māori, and evaluate the impact of school-wide initiatives on promoting positive outcomes for students
  • analyse, evaluate and report Māori students’ involvement and success in key areas throughout the school and across year levels.

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.

Students and staff throughout the school benefit from purposeful relationships for learning. This focus includes relevant and appropriate professional learning for staff aimed at improving outcomes for students. School leaders provide good opportunities for teachers to be leaders in different ways throughout the school. Trustees are committed to the school vision and endorse leadership development across the school.

The senior leadership team is ably led by the school’s experienced principal and is currently in a transitional phase. They agree that reviewing their leadership roles and responsibilities could help them to evaluate their effectiveness as a leadership team. The board acknowledges that that it could encourage more professional support for the principal by reviewing its policy and practice around the principal’s appraisal. The board and principal recognise the need to review and strengthen the teacher appraisal process so that it meets the requirements of the Education Council. Trustees are also keen to inquire into their effectiveness in their stewardship role, using available research and resources.

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. ERO’s investigations confirmed that the school’s self-review processes for international students are thorough and effective.

 At the time of this review there were 17 international students attending the school, predominantly from Vietnam, Cambodia, China and India. Their wellbeing is supported by effective pastoral systems. The director of international students and her team closely monitor international student welfare and accommodation.

Well documented systems guide educational programmes for international students. Students’ progress and achievement in English language learning and across the curriculum is tracked and reported regularly to the board of trustees. The principal leads academic mentoring for international students. They are well integrated into the wider life of the school.

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.

During the review, the school notified ERO of an area of non-compliance. In order to address this matter, the board must comply with the requirement to adopt a statement on the delivery of the health curriculum, at least once in every two years, after consultation with the school community.

[Section 60B Education Act 1989]

In order to improve current practice the board and principal should ensure:

  • reports are provided to the board that include well analysed information about the school’s pastoral care and health and safety systems, including the management of hazards
  • that all support staff have current police vetting status.

Conclusion

Papatoetoe High School values the cultural diversity of its students and community. Students access an interesting and varied curriculum and are able to access relevant qualifications and opportunities. School leaders and teachers are improvement focused and employ useful strategies to improve students’ progress and achievement, and support their sporting, cultural and creative successes.

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

Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

22 October 2015

School Statistics

Location

Papatoetoe, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

95

School type

Secondary (Years 9 to 15)

School roll

1515

Number of international students

17

Gender composition

Boys      54%
Girls       46%

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Indian
South East Asian
Samoan
Tongan
Chinese
Cook Island Māori
Niue
African
Fijian
Middle Eastern

16%
  5%
36%
10%
12%
  7%
  5%
  4%
  2%
  1%
  1%
  1%

Special Features

Satellite Unit: Richards’ Centre for Physically Disabled Students

Review team on site

September 2015

Date of this report

22 October 2015

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review
Education Review
Education Review

October 2012
February 2010
August 2006