School Context
Raumati Beach School on the Kapiti Coast has students in Years 1 to 8. Of the 630 students on the roll, 10% are Māori.
The school’s vision, ‘Learning for life’ and its RICH values, ‘Respect, Responsibility, Resilience, Involvement, Curiosity and Having Fun’, are known throughout the school. The school is organized in four teams, Wharemauku iti, Wharemauku, Te Moana and Kapiti, to reflect each student’s learning journey.These names are derived from the local context and were developed with students, staff and the community.
School targets for 2018 are based on promoting student improvement in writing and mathematics for Years 2 and 3.
Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, schoolwide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:
- achievement in reading, writing and mathematics, mid and end of year, in relation to the levels of The New Zealand Curriculum
- wellbeing
- attendance.
Staff have been involved in professional learning in mathematics with an external provider during 2017 and into 2018.
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?
Achievement data shows that most students achieve at or above curriculum expectations in reading, writing and mathematics. Reading is a strength. Pacific students achieve highly in reading and mathematics. Rates of achievement for Māori are below their peers in writing and mathematics.
Writing is an area of concern, with declining achievement for all students. Growing disparity in this area is evident between boys and girls and Māori and their peers. The school is using the Progress and Consistency Tool (PaCT) for writing to support teachers in identifying areas of need for students, teaching and moderating writing.
Year 8 outcomes indicate most students leave school achieving at or above curriculum expectation.
1.2 How well is the school accelerating learning for those Māori and other students who need this?
The school is developing its effectiveness in responding to Māori and other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration. Data used by staff does not clearly indicate the extent of progress or allow for analysis of acceleration of students’ learning.
The school identifies students with more complex needs and supports their wellbeing and progress with a range of appropriate programmes and internal and external interventions.
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?
Students are engaged within settled environments where instructional organisation promotes active learning. Their learning communities are characterised by respect, cooperation and teamwork. The curriculum design is responsive to the learning behaviours of students. A deliberate approach to developing their key competencies, combines with deepening understanding of school values. Connections involving the school and wider community provide opportunities to extend and enrich student learning. Their voice contributes to decisions about the broad curriculum.
Teachers have many opportunities to develop their professional practice and these are relevant and aligned to school priorities. The Kaitiaki (leadership) Team has a strategic plan that aligns school charter goals with teachers’ inquiries and appraisal, and is supported by appropriate professional development provision. A focused approach to develop middle managers as leaders provides them with a range of opportunities to lead learning and teaching.
Trustees are committed to ongoing school improvement. They seek relevant advice and resources to support them in their role.
2.2 What further developments are needed in school processes and practices for achievement of equity and excellence, and acceleration of learning?
The priority is to build on current strengths and achieve equity and excellence for all students. Leaders should clearly identify, focus on and monitor all students at risk of not achieving.
Target students are identified by teachers in reading, writing and mathematics and school information indicates some progress for these students. Further understanding of measures for progress and acceleration and more consistent monitoring of target students’ progress should strengthen school processes and improve outcomes for these learners.
Equity and excellence is likely to be achieved by maintaining the focus on all students at risk of not achieving and supported by:
- developing greater understanding and use of data to identify and measure progress and acceleration, and using evidence to evaluate of the impact of teaching on learner outcomes
- strengthening internal evaluation, to support leaders, trustees and teachers to know what is working well and what needs to change to improve outcomes for all children.
Te ao Māori is authentically reflected through the students’ participation in schoolwide practices. Leaders have identified, and ERO’s evaluation confirms, that a next step in association with whānau, hapū and iwi, is further development of te ao Māori within the curriculum.
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:
- inclusive school and classroom environments that promote the purposeful engagement of students in learning
- a curriculum that provides a wide range of learning experiences for students
- strategic priority and practices that focus on developing teacher capabilities.
Next steps
For sustained improvement and future learner success, priorities for further development are in:
- targeted planning to accelerate learning
[ERO will monitor and discuss progress with the school] - internal evaluation processes and practices.
[ERO will provide an internal evaluation workshop for trustees and senior leaders]
ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing
ERO is likely to carry out the next external evaluation in three years.
Alan Wynyard
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)
Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region
2 August 2018
About the school
| Location | Raumati Beach |
| Ministry of Education profile number | 2974 |
| School type | Years 1 to 8 |
| School roll | 639 |
| Gender composition | Female 52%, Male 48% |
| Ethnic composition | Māori 10%
Pākehā 85%
Pacific 1%
Asian 4% |
| Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS) | Yes |
| Provision of Māori medium education | No |
| Review team on site | June 2018 |
| Date of this report | 2 August 2018 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Education Review June 2015
Education Review July 2011
Education Review June 2008 |