Avalon Intermediate

Findings

Students are provided with a broad curriculum designed to motivate, challenge and engage. Relationships are mutually respectful and positive. Transition into the school and to secondary education is well managed. School leaders acknowledge that the need to focus on improving achievement for Māori students is a priority.

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?

Avalon Intermediate School, in the Hutt Valley, caters for students in Years 7 and 8. The current roll is 220 students. Of these 37% identify as Māori and 31% as Pacific, the majority being Samoan. The roll has increased over the past three years. A significant number of changes to staff have been managed positively.

School values are evidenced through ‘AVALON: attend, value, aspire, learner/leader, our place, never give up’. These contribute to a strong positive culture across all aspects of the school community.

There is close collaboration among the secondary and contributing schools and the intermediate. This cluster approach, facilitated by senior leaders, involves professional discussion and consideration of challenges and solutions. Students’ smooth transition between schools is a priority. Collaboration has led to the creation of a Community of Learning (CoL).

Avalon Intermediate is the lead school of a Resource Teacher Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) Cluster, Te Awa Kairangi, comprising 51 schools in Lower Hutt. Partnerships with external community agencies and organisations support the school’s focus on promoting engagement in learning and student wellbeing.

2 Learning

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

School leaders and teachers use achievement information with increasing effectiveness to identify and respond to student needs, strengths and interests. A range of initiatives are in place that support and extend learning for identified groups of students.

Leaders collect an appropriate range of assessment information and provide robust guidelines that support teachers to monitor and track student progress. Teachers share data with students to assist them to set goals and next steps for learning. They are encouraging students to self-monitor their learning.

National Standards data from the end of 2015 shows:

• a significant percentage of students did not reach expected levels of achievement in reading, writing and mathematics
• a considerable increase in the percentage of Pacific students achieving at or above expectation
• Māori student achievement remains a concern.

School-wide and class achievement targets prioritise Māori learners who have been identified as underachieving. Teachers’ inquiries focus on accelerating the progress of target students. The school’s information shows that some target students had made accelerated progress by the end of Term 2.

Student achievement information is regularly reported to the board. Trustees increasingly discuss and question data to promote student learning. Leaders and teachers need to strengthen the use of achievement information to measure the impact and evaluate the effectiveness of strategies, programmes and initiatives.

Parents receive detailed information about their children’s needs, progress and achievement. A range of opportunities are provided for parents to discuss learning with their children and teachers.

3 Curriculum

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

Students experience a broad curriculum that supports their learning, including extensive specialist learning opportunities. An integrated approach across learning areas uses authentic contexts informed by student interest. The school appropriately prioritises literacy and mathematics. The school’s values, clearly aligned to The New Zealand Curriculum key competencies and principles, are highly evident across the school.

A Hutt City Council North Eastern Pathway Project, to improve student engagement and achievement, has been piloted in one classroom in 2015. External evaluation of this indicates that it is beginning to impact positively. The initiative is being extended schoolwide in 2016.

School leaders articulate clear expectations for effective teaching to promote learning. Teachers support students to understand about and take increasing responsibility for their own learning. Using models of good practice to build consistency of practice across the school is a next step.

A positive school culture promotes a strong sense of belonging and connectedness across all levels of the school community. Student language, culture and identity are recognised and valued. Student leadership is fostered across a wide range of authentic activities. High levels of collegiality across the school support teachers and leaders to work collaboratively to reflect on their practice to enhance learning for all students.

English language learners and learners with complex needs receive appropriate support through well-coordinated programmes. Positive relationships across cluster schools support transition of students to the school and onto secondary education.

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

The school has begun to address the issues identified in the previous ERO report related to Māori student achievement through:

• consultation with whānau
• strengthening staff understanding and capability in te reo me ngā tikanga Māori
• developing a Māori Achievement Plan.

ERO and school leaders identify that there is an urgent need to strategically implement and evaluate initiatives to raise Māori student achievement, supported by:

• greater engagement with and response to whānau
• purposeful data gathering
• prioritising actions
• continuing to build staff capability
• internal evaluation and knowledge building to assist decision-making.

4 Sustainable Performance

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

Trustees and school leaders are well placed to build capability to sustain and improve performance. A number of new trustees have been elected or co-opted to the board. They are accessing training to further understand their governance roles and responsibilities.

School leaders work collaboratively to build staff capability. They deliberately include team leaders in planning and decision-making. Teachers are encouraged and assisted to take leadership roles, in relation to their strengths and interests. An effective appraisal and support system impacts positively on promoting teacher practice. It is informed by a range of appropriate processes, including constructive and critical feedback.

A variety of professional learning and development (PLD) opportunities, including ongoing school wide mathematics PLD, continues to support teachers to inquire into the effectiveness of their practice to promote acceleration of learning and progress for identified students. Teachers also access PLD in response to their individual needs and interests.

School leaders and trustees should:

• use data evidence to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of strategies in place to accelerate student learning
• identify priorities for action to address underachievement, particularly for Māori learners
• develop plans that clearly address these priorities
• closely monitor the implementation of these plans.

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

Students are provided with a broad curriculum designed to motivate, challenge and engage. Relationships are mutually respectful and positive. Transition into the school and to secondary education is well managed. School leaders acknowledge that the need to focus on improving achievement for Māori students is a priority.

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

Joyce Gebbie

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central

20 September 2016

About the School