Rapaura School

School Context

Rapaura School is a semi-rural Years 1 to 8 school, with a roll of 155 students.

The school is undergoing development and refurbishment, including new purpose-built classrooms for use as modern learning environments. It is well established in the local area and maintains some unique traditions and sense of belonging for whānau and community.

Since the last ERO review in 2014, a new principal and some new teachers have been appointed. The board is a mix of experienced and new trustees.

The school aims to provide a positive environment for learning, incorporating collaborative approaches to teaching and learning, and integrating digital technologies. It wants its students to be caring, well-rounded, self-managing and future-focused learners.

The school has been involved in a number of professional-learning initiatives. These include collaborative inquiry, mathematics, writing, GATE (provisions for gifted and talented students) and NPDL (new pedagogies for deeper learning). The school is part of the Piritahi Kāhui Ako | Community of Learning.

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

• trends, progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics

• outcomes in relation to student engagement, wellbeing and success

• outcomes in relation to students’ inquiry learning.

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 achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all students very well.

The school has maintained increasingly high levels of achievement in reading, writing and mathematics over time for all groups of students, including Māori students.

The school has a range of evidence that indicates students are well supported in developing the school’s valued outcomes, to be confident, articulate participants in their learning and life of the school.

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

The school responds very effectively to those Māori and other students whose learning and achievement need acceleration. For example, in 2016 it very successfully accelerated mathematics and reading achievement for most students in the target groups.

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 has a strong priority for ensuring the individual needs of all students, particularly those students whose achievement requires acceleration, are met. All students with identified needs have action plans which are closely monitored and regularly reviewed in consultation with parents and whānau. There is shared responsibility for students’ progress and achievement within and across teaching teams. The school works closely with local high schools to ensure transitions cater for individual student needs.

The positive school culture provides a safe and inclusive context for students’ learning. Students’ strengths, interests and needs are quickly identified and responded to. The school’s ‘REACH’ values are evident across interactions between adults and students. There is a strong trust between teachers and students, which encourages openness and preparedness to take risks in learning. Staff collaborative inquiries significantly contribute to teacher success in accelerating student achievement.

The school benefits from the strong professional leadership of the principal and senior staff. Teachers are enthusiastic about their teaching and students’ learning. These are supported by well-established structures and processes. Decisions for improvement made by teachers and school leaders are current and informed by a range of evidence, such as achievement information and survey data. The school’s internal evaluation and teacher development programme are closely linked to students’ learning and progress.

The vision for students to be at the centre of learning is highly evident. The school’s inquiry curriculum provides a significant platform for students to explore topics of learning that are meaningful to them. Students’ voice is sought to inform improvement to learning programmes. The expectations for learning and achievement are made known and visible. Students have many opportunities to develop their key skills, competencies and leadership. This includes opportunities for students to lead whole-school activities, to be involved in the community and to pursue initiatives the students have created. The school’s value for Māori language and culture is evident and being meaningfully integrated throughout the school. Māori students are supported to develop their language, culture and identity.

The school board of trustees has well-developed systems and processes for accountability and improvement. Trustees are well informed about student progress, achievement and engagement and use this to inform their decision making. The school engages well with parents, whānau and the school community. There are strong links between the school vision for student success, school strategic planning, and evaluations of effectiveness.

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

School leaders have identified, and ERO agrees, that leaders and teachers need to:

• strengthen and inquire more deeply into the effectiveness of targeted teaching

• develop the quality of evaluative thinking applied to teacher inquiries

• continue to build culturally responsive practice and pedagogy, including a shared understanding of/for success as Māori

• more clearly show students’ progress in developing their skills for deeper learning.

A next step for the board is to more closely align its planning and review processes to the cultural goals set for school development.

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.

4 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

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

• responsiveness to student needs

• its collaborative, collegial culture

• relational trust with and care for students and whānau

• strong professional and improvement-focused leadership.

Next steps

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

• inquiring more deeply into the impact of teaching and learning

• building school-wide capacity and capability for providing culturally responsive education for all students.

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

ERO is likely to carry out the next external evaluation in four-to-five years.

Dr Lesley Paterson

Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern

Te Waipounamu - Southern Region

21 February 2018

About the school

Findings

The school provides students with many rich and varied opportunities to succeed in their learning. The board, school leaders and staff work well together to build on the school’s considerable strengths and focus on making continued improvements for the benefit of students. A key next step is to strengthen the bicultural content of the curriculum and develop a shared understanding of Māori success with whānau.

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?

Rapaura School recently celebrated 150 years of providing education for students in a semi-rural area near Blenheim. Many families have retained a long association with the school and its traditions.

There has been significant roll growth since the July 2011 ERO review. An enrolment zone has been reinstated to manage student numbers.

The board is responsive to the increasing roll. An extra teaching position was created for 2014 to reduce the teaching load in one class during morning sessions in literacy and numeracy. Additional teacher aide support is provided for students not achieving as well as expected.

Shared expectations and values, outlined in the ‘Rapaura Way’ and ‘Working Together’ guidelines, help to promote positive relationships and communication with the school community.

Students have a key role in leading their own learning and developing independence. This reflects the board’s goals and vision and the wishes of the school’s community.

Parents actively support school programmes and successfully raise funds for extra resources.

The board, principal and staff have maintained and built on the many positive features of the school’s performance identified in the 2011 ERO review.

2 Learning

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

The school continues to strengthen the use of achievement information to promote students’ engagement, learning and progress.

School-wide achievement information is systematically gathered, analysed and reported. Achievement information about National Standards shows that:

• most students are maintaining good levels of achievement over time.
• Māori students are achieving very well
• achievement is higher in this school than regional and national levels in reading, writing and mathematics.

School leaders and teachers are making increased use of student achievement information to respond more effectively to students’ needs and strengths. Teachers use different ways to lift achievement for individuals and groups of students.

The board, school leaders and teachers set well-considered targets to lift the achievement of students who are not reaching the expected standards for their age. Additional learning support is provided for these learners. This support is well organised and managed. The work of experienced teacher aides is a key factor in the success of these programmes. An inclusive approach ensures that students learn with and alongside their peers. The board is kept well informed about this support and students’ progress.

Student engagement is well supported by having students regularly set goals, understand and monitor their own progress.

Students and parents get detailed and helpful reports on student progress and achievement in a range of ways.

Areas for development and review

Some aspects of assessment and reporting could be improved. This includes:

• making the annual targets more measurable and the actions more clearly focused on what teachers will do differently to raise the achievement of targeted students
• extending assessment and reporting in learning areas other than literacy and mathematics to students, parents and the board
• simplifying written reports to make them easier for students and parents to understand.

3 Curriculum

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

The school’s curriculum provides students with many rich and varied opportunities to succeed in their learning.

Caring and supportive relationships between teachers and students and amongst students create a climate that fosters learning.

Explicit expectations and guidelines exist for all learning areas. Teachers’ planning and practice are consistent with these expectations. Teachers regularly reflect on the way they teach and make changes in the best interests of students.

Other key features of the school’s curriculum include:

• students’ interests, strengths and needs being given priority in teachers’ planning
• student leadership, self management and contribution to school decision making being fostered in range of ways
• a wide range of relevant interactive experiences planned for and with students in and beyond the school
• specialist teachers of music, visual arts, and science extending students’ motivation and engagement.

Areas for development and review

The school’s curriculum does not yet give enough prominence to a bicultural perspective so that all students are made aware of their bicultural heritage.

Teachers inquiring into the effectiveness of New Zealand's teaching, continues to be an area for ongoing development.

The duplication of teachers’ documentation could be reduced by reviewing the expectations for some practices.

Aspects of gifted and talented education could be improved. The school does not yet have an agreed definition for identifying gifted and talented students; a register to show who these students are, or a policy to determine how these student will have their needs met.

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

The board, principal and staff have taken some positive steps to promote success for Māori students, as Māori.

All students learn te reo Māori weekly from a qualified teacher of Māori (kaiako). Teachers also learn alongside their students. The school includes tikanga Māori in assemblies, special events and celebrations.

Area for development and review

The school’s charter and future planning should more clearly show the board’s commitment to and intentions for promoting Māori students’ identity, language and culture in programmes and the environment.

The board, staff and Māori whānau need to develop a shared understanding about Māori success at this school.

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 leadership of the principal and other leaders has contributed strongly to the school’s focus on continual improvement. Leadership capability is actively supported through professional training and shared responsibilities. Well-considered teacher appointments have been made to extend the scope of teaching expertise.

Teachers are supportive of and work with school leaders to achieve the school’s vision and goals.

They make good use of teamwork and sharing with other schools to increase their knowledge. Well-targeted professional learning is also helping to extend teachers’ use of effective practices, particularly in literacy.

The school makes good use of self review to identify what’s going well and where improvements could be made.

Teacher appraisal has been developed further in 2014 to make it more effective in recognising good practice and building teaching capability.

The principal reports progress on the strategic and annual goals comprehensively and on a regular basis to the board.

An interested, highly engaged board, with a range of experience and skills, maintains an appropriate focus on student learning. Suitable resources and systems are in place to support effective governance.

The board has taken advantage of available training and external support to increase its capacity.

Areas for development and review

More regular consultation, in a variety of ways, is needed to gain the views of the learning community (students, parents, staff) about teaching, learning, and wellbeing. This would allow the board to confirm the positive aspects of the school’s performance and respond in a timely manner to any concerns or issues.

The board recognises the value of extending the review process to include an evaluation of its own effectiveness.

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 school provides students with many rich and varied opportunities to succeed in their learning. The board, school leaders and staff work well together to build on the school’s considerable strengths and focus on making continued improvements for the benefit of students. A key next step is to strengthen the bicultural content of the curriculum and develop a shared understanding of Māori success with whānau.

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

Graham Randell

National Manager Review Services Southern Region

3 September 2014

About the School