This ERO summary report focuses on how Kingslea School supports educational provision and positive ākonga outcomes at five Oranga Tamariki residences.
Background
Ākonga [1] in Oranga Tamariki residential care settings are highly vulnerable, have complex needs, and require pedagogical expertise and extra support.
Young people who are in the custody of the Chief Executive of Oranga Tamariki [2] can be placed in residential care, in protected living environments. Ākonga in residential care are under 19 years of age and are placed there by court order or at the discretion of Oranga Tamariki.
Oranga Tamariki can place young people who have offended in a Youth Justice residence or a remand home. Specifically, Oranga Tamariki can place young people if they are:
- detained in the custody of the Chief Executive of Oranga Tamariki after appearing in the Youth Court (‘on remand’)
- given a Supervision with Residence order by the Youth Court
- sentenced or remanded by the district court and they are under the age of 19.
Most of the young people in Youth Justice residences are on remand, with an average stay of around 40 days.
Oranga Tamariki can place children and young people in Care and Protection residences when they are deemed to be at significant risk of harm in the community.
The children and young people in residential care are mostly male. Eighty percent are Māori, some with limited connections to their whānau or cultural backgrounds. Addressing the rights of these ākonga to experience success as Māori is critical in planning the education programme within residences.
Specialised expertise is required in understanding and responding to the particular educational barriers that young people in residence often face. Challenges more likely to affect the learning of these students include: neurodevelopmental disorders, past trauma or attachment issues, concerns for their own safety, low self-esteem and challenges in self-regulation, along with behavioural, physical, mental health and learning difficulties.
Previous engagement with education has often been unsuccessful in bringing out their potential and promoting their achievement. These young people may have a negative view of school, teachers or themselves as learners, and patterns of infrequent attendance. Education staff working in Oranga Tamariki residences need pedagogical expertise and an understanding of the complexities of fostering educational success for these ākonga. Training in trauma-informed and culturally competent practices is necessary to maximise their potential.
This report is part of a suite of evaluation reports looking at educational provision in Oranga Tamariki residences
This summary report is part of a system evaluation looking at the educational provision for ākonga in Oranga Tamariki Care and Protection and Youth Justice residences.
The overall evaluation question was: How effective, coherent and aligned is the education provision in supporting positive outcomes for ākonga?
Findings from the system evaluation are presented in a companion report: Learning in residential care: ‘They knew I wanted to learn’.
In preparing this report, ERO gathered evidence to evaluate educational provision at each of the residential sites and at the organisational level. The review explored provision in relation to the following aspects (levers):
- collaboration for effective transitions and pathways
- support for students’ needs
- appropriate pedagogy and meaningful curriculum
- positive, nurturing relationships and environments
- educationally focused engagement of whānau and caregivers
- effective leadership and ongoing improvement.
Provision for ākonga Māori, including cultural practices and a curriculum that responds to their culture, language and identity, was a strong focus for the evaluation team and deliberately woven throughout each lever.
The levers are informed by research about effective pedagogy and curriculum, and developed in consultation with a group of experts who have significant experience and knowledge of this group of tamariki/rangatahi. These are aligned with ERO School Evaluation Indicators: Effective Practice for Improvement and Learner Success (2016) for promoting equity and excellence in student outcomes.
Judgements were made on a rubric for each indicator [see Appendix 1], then combined to form overall judgments for the levers. Following the field work, the team met several times to moderate and promote consistency of judgments across the sites. The moderation process included a strong focus on provision in relation to Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations and culturally responsive practice.
Recent changes to legislation and the Oranga Tamariki operating model are important contexts for this review.
Government has made a number of changes to legislation and practice that affect the ākonga in these residences. These include:
- amendments to the Children, Young Persons, and Their Families (Oranga Tamariki) Legislation Act 2017 (Article 7aa) to strengthen a practical commitment to the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi
- introduction of the National Care Standard Regulations that place additional education expectations on schools working with children in residences
- increasing the age of Youth Justice to include young people aged 17, leading to an increase in the ages of rangatahi in the Youth Justice facilities to 18 years
- encouraging alternative placements in community care and remand homes.
ERO visited the residential sites in October and November 2020, following national and regional lockdowns due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Most were operating with fewer young people than usual and some with considerably less than maximum capacity.
Kingslea School is a composite, specialist state school that provides education for ākonga in Oranga Tamariki care
The school’s vision is to help ākonga ‘rediscover the magic of learning’ through workforce development, research, dynamic leadership, evaluation and continuous improvement. The board of Kingslea School is made up of two Ministerial appointees, two Oranga Tamariki representatives, two co-opted members, a staff trustee and the school principal.
Kingslea School currently operates in five residences based across the country in Christchurch (Te Puna Wai o Tuhinapo, Youth Justice, and Te Oranga, Care and Protection), Dunedin (Puketai, Care and Protection), Auckland (Korowai Manaaki, Youth Justice) and Rotorua (Te Mahioha o Parekarangi, Youth Justice).
The school also manages and provides education in community-based settings for young people in non-residential care and a remand home. ERO visited two of these sites during the review. One community-based setting is Arahina ki Ōtautahi. Its aim is to engage 10 to 16 year olds in the care of Oranga Tamariki who are not in education, to successfully participate in education or training. The multi-agency service operates in Christchurch in collaboration with: Oranga Tamariki, Health (CDHB), Ministry of Education, Police and Te Runanga o Te Ngāi Tuahuriri. A developmental evaluation of this initiative has been undertaken in consultation with the Ministry of Education. As the children and young people attending are not in residence, ERO did not evaluate education provision at Arahina as part of this review.
A principal and deputy principal have the overview of all sites across the school. The appointment of the deputy principal was made in 2019 under ‘special reasons’ staffing allocated by the Ministry of Education to support the school’s development in response to the new Oranga Tamariki operating model. Assistant principals take responsibility for the leadership and management of the education provision at each site. Oranga Tamariki manages the properties and the full-time care of young people in the residences. The interplay between the care and education aspects provides a foundation for the wellbeing and sense of security for ākonga, essential for their readiness to learn.
Findings
Ākonga Success as Māori
Culturally responsive practice is critical in these residences where 80 percent of ākonga are Māori. ERO built into our assessment of each of the levers effectiveness for ākonga Māori, and for each lever we start with highlighting site-based practice for these tamariki/rangatahi.
Kingslea School demonstrates a purposeful approach to meaningfully implementing the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi across all levels of the school. Leaders have a strong focus on strengthening the school’s responsiveness to ākonga Māori and are developing the curriculum to better respond to their language, culture and identity. Staff with expertise, along with some culturally responsive practices and programmes, help to support and build capability of teachers in this area. Leaders are working to build and maintain their relationships with mana whenua, but this is in early stages at some sites.
While we found examples of good provision for Māori, educational provision that responds effectively to ākonga Māori is developing. Improving culturally responsive practice should continue to be a strategic priority including:
- continuing to build strong relationships with iwi, mana whenua and whānau to better support transitions and pathways for ākonga Māori
- implementing the newly developed curriculum and supporting and monitoring effective culturally responsive practice.
Lever 1: Collaboration for effective transitions and pathways
|
Location |
Judgement: Transitions in |
Judgement: Transitions out |
|---|---|---|
|
Care and Protection site: Te Oranga |
Well established |
Well established |
|
Care and Protection site: Puketai |
Well established |
Well established |
|
Youth Justice site: Te Maioha |
Developed |
Developing |
|
Youth Justice site: Korowai Manaaki |
Developed |
Developing |
|
Youth Justice site: Te Puna Wai |
Developed |
Developing |
Transition into the school is well managed. There are clear guidelines which are followed for ākonga transition into the residence
A focus on mana-enhancing practices helps to support ākonga Māori as they transition. In some cases, cultural protocols are incorporated into the transition that help them settle in and also sets the cultural tone of the residence. Embedding the Whakamana Tāngata [3] approach should support consistency of practices focused on improving outcomes for ākonga Māori.
On entry, Oranga Tamariki and school staff work well together to determine the overall needs of each ākonga at multi-agency meetings. This can be despite some ākonga in the Youth Justice residences arriving with little to no warning or indication of how long they will be in the residence. Prompt assessment means that teachers write education plans for ākonga in a timely manner. Oranga Tamariki case leaders interview the young person and develop an individual care plan for them that includes identification of risks and trauma triggers. This plan provides useful additional information for teachers when working with the young people.
Education staff make good use of any data available from the young person’s school or previous care institution. The data available is often incomplete, sometimes because the young person has not attended school for some time. Where possible, staff use ākonga literacy and numeracy levels to develop a learning plan.
Transitions out of the school are a challenge and ākonga outcomes after transition are not well tracked
Transition out of residences presents challenges for ākonga as they re-locate or return to their home or other regions. For some ākonga, particularly in Youth Justice residences, they are sometimes removed with little-to-no warning. Consequently, teachers and case leaders may not have been able to make plans to support the transition. When plans are made, the Oranga Tamariki staff and teachers’ recommendations are not always followed.
Teachers have limited information about outcomes after ākonga leave the residence. This impacts on teachers’ ability to identify what they have done to support effective transitions and how this could be improved. Oranga Tamariki and Kingslea School should consider ways they could work collaboratively to strengthen transitions out of residential care and enable some tracking of outcomes to better inform practice.
Lever 2: Support for student needs
|
Location |
Judgement |
|---|---|
|
Care and Protection site: Te Oranga |
Well established |
|
Care and Protection site: Puketai |
Well established |
|
Youth Justice site: Te Maioha |
Well established |
|
Youth Justice site: Korowai Manaaki |
Developed |
|
Youth Justice site: Te Puna Wai |
Well established |
Good efforts are made to provide coordinated support for ākonga learning
Multi‑agency team meetings held within the first two weeks on arrival, and sometimes during residence, are valuable. They bring together residential services, social workers and, where possible, whānau to share information. Health plans, care plans and education plans are discussed, and the ongoing needs for each young person is clearly mapped out, identifying what appointments should be made to attend to any health needs, further assessments or specialised support.
There are some good examples of collaboration between Oranga Tamariki staff and school staff, that supports the sharing of useful information. Where it is most effective, communication between the two groups occurs daily and across all levels. This contributes to carefully managed, settled environments for learning. Examples include: Team leader to teachers, Assistant Principal attending Oranga Tamariki shift meetings, shift to shift changes which teachers attend, case leaders talking with teachers, and care workers and teachers supporting each other in the classrooms.
Lever 3: Appropriate pedagogy and meaningful curriculum
|
Location |
Judgement |
|---|---|
|
Care and Protection site: Te Oranga |
Well established |
|
Care and Protection site: Puketai |
Well established |
|
Youth Justice site: Te Maioha |
Developed |
|
Youth Justice site: Korowai Manaaki |
Developed |
|
Youth Justice site: Te Puna Wai |
Well established |
Pedagogy and curriculum are informed by research, and work is underway to enrich, align and sustain effective practice
Development of the new curriculum framework is focused on strengthening Kaupapa Māori approaches to curriculum provision. It promotes te ao Māori values and concepts to promote a culture of care and contribute to pūmanatanga across the school. There is some evidence of the strengthening of the curriculum to incorporate these perspectives. Work in art, in particular, reflects te ao Māori and provides ākonga Māori with opportunities to develop understanding and explore the significance of their culture. Along with the schoolwide support network, improved curriculum approaches should be useful in promoting a more consistent approach to culturally responsive practice for improving outcomes for ākonga Māori.
Curriculum and pedagogy are clearly informed by research. Schoolwide communities of practice in curriculum and pastoral care work well to provide consistency of practice across all sites. The curriculum review should also help to better align the recent professional learning focus on trauma-informed pedagogy and culturally responsive curriculum, and provide useful guidelines for sustaining effective practice.
Literacy and numeracy are often the focus for learning, with evidence of some significant accelerated learning. Teachers plan opportunities for young people to gain National Certificates of Educational Achievement (NCEA) credits as they are ready to achieve them. Ākonga make good progress towards their goals. Teachers discuss progress regularly with them and note this clearly in the Individual Learning Profiles.
Promoting a rich and varied curriculum can present challenges for the Oranga Tamariki and teaching staff. There are constraints to developing the curriculum in the secure environments of the Youth Justice residences. When Oranga Tamariki and school staff work together to manage potential risks, this adds depth and breadth to the curriculum and learning pathways.
Teachers actively seek ways to provide ākonga with authentic learning opportunities. This has yet to extend across all learning areas. Authentic learning in art and technology supports ākonga engagement and gives them a sense of pride and achievement. These learning opportunities support ākonga to explore their interests and gain credits. Ākonga are sometimes able to showcase their learning success with whānau.
Adventure-based learning is a positive feature of the curriculum, particularly in Care and Protection and increasingly at Youth Justice sites. Participants in this programme report how they have developed confidence in themselves and trust in others as a result.
School leaders at all sites have a strong focus on providing opportunities for increasing ākonga learning and vocational pathways. This is an appropriate response to the older ākonga, whose placement is often longer than 40 days. The deputy principal has been instrumental in improving access to Secondary Tertiary Alignment Resource (STAR) funding and Gateway courses to provide ākonga with more relevant pathways. The expansion of the NCEA qualification opportunities has seen an increase in attainment across all sites, including several ākonga achieving at NCEA Level 3.
Ākonga are actively engaged in their learning. Teachers use a range of strategies appropriate to the goals and responsive to the immediate needs of the young people. Successes are well celebrated. Low numbers across all sites at the times of ERO’s visits meant that ratios were favourable and teachers were able to provide extensive and effective one‑on‑one support to ākonga, which was valued.
Ākonga who are accepted on Te Ara Tangata, a programme initiated by Oranga Tamariki, benefit from it. This programme provides ākonga with suitable support for their transition beyond the residence. They gradually transition from the residential unit to a separate unit where they develop life skills. Young people value learning practical work skills and demonstrate those by achieving relevant unit standards. Te Ara Tangata exemplifies an effective collaborative approach with the Oranga Tamariki tutor working through Kingslea School’s accreditation for Gateway and NCEA and, at times, providing evidence for the teachers to use towards numeracy credits for ākonga.
Lever 4: Positive, nurturing relationships and environments
|
Location |
Judgement: Physical environment |
Judgement: Emotional environment |
|---|---|---|
|
Care and Protection site: Te Oranga |
Well established |
Well established |
|
Care and Protection site: Puketai |
Well established |
Well established |
|
Youth Justice site: Te Maioha |
Developed |
Well established |
|
Youth Justice site: Korowai Manaaki |
Developed |
Well established |
|
Youth Justice site: Te Puna Wai |
Developed |
Well established |
Positive, nurturing relationships support learning
Teachers are working alongside Oranga Tamariki staff on the youth justice campuses to learn about the Whakamana Tāngata approach to restoring mana by balancing ākonga kawa and manaaki. This should help to promote consistency of practices and positive outcomes for ākonga Māori. The five guiding stars of the Oranga Tamariki Whakamana Tāngata align closely with the Kingslea School values. Kingslea School is working to integrate these two models of practice. This should help to develop a clear, shared focus on how Oranga Tamariki staff and teachers interact with ākonga, particularly in Youth Justice residences and for ākonga Māori.
Positive relationships built between ākonga and teachers are well established. They form the keystone to the trusting environment within which ākonga are able to learn.
Teachers have high expectations for ākonga. Together, these support and promote a positive strength-based view of ākonga. Consistent, well-known routines, along with Kingslea School’s values, guide expectations and practice for both teachers and ākonga.
The physical environments in Youth Justice and Care and Protection residences are suitable
There are suitable resources available to support learning. Provision of environments that reflect te ao Māori is improving. Learning areas in the Care and Protection sites are generally richer and include flexible learning spaces, attractive and well-equipped sensory rooms, free access to most resources, and spaces where ākonga can go to work quietly on their own. Ākonga in Youth Justice placements generally learn in a single classroom with limited flexibility to move around.
All classrooms are attractive with prompts on the walls and displays that celebrate ākonga achievement. Each classroom has a library that is well used. In Youth Justice facilities, resources are provided when needed by ākonga and as appropriate. Ākonga have access to digital devices to complete their work.
Lever 5: Educationally focused engagement of whānau and caregivers
|
Location |
Judgement |
|---|---|
|
Care and Protection site: Te Oranga |
Well established |
|
Care and Protection site: Puketai |
Well established |
|
Youth Justice site: Te Maioha |
Developed |
|
Youth Justice site: Korowai Manaaki |
Developing |
|
Youth Justice site: Te Puna Wai |
Developed |
Educationally focused engagement with whānau and caregivers is a challenge
While there is evidence of some good practices for building meaningful relationships with whānau to support learning, there are few opportunities for education staff to meaningfully share learning information with whānau and promote their educationally focused engagement. Multi-agency meetings on entry provide the main opportunity for engagement. For some ākonga, these also occur periodically throughout their stay and sometimes include ākonga, whānau and significant adults. At one of these sites we heard about limited direct engagement with whānau. However, recent events, such as Market days and connecting through students’ technology projects, is providing opportunities for strengthening learning relationships.
Teachers update ākonga Individual Learning Profiles every four weeks and these form reports which are shared with case leaders who act as intermediaries between school, social workers and whānau. There are plans to review the school management system to enable all stakeholders to be provided with information most relevant to them as efficiently as possible. This should help to improve the sharing of ākonga information between schools, and with Oranga Tamariki staff and whānau.
Kingslea School recognises the complexity of promoting and improving whānau involvement in this context, where many children and young people are disconnected from their families. Leadership is currently looking for ways to strengthen their engagement with whānau to ensure educational goals and successes are meaningfully shared. Providing more regular opportunities to discuss ākonga educational aspirations, goals, and learning successes with whānau is an important next step in promoting positive learning outcomes.
Lever 6: Effective leadership and ongoing improvement
|
Location |
Judgement: Leadership |
Judgement: Ongoing improvement |
|---|---|---|
|
Care and Protection site: Te Oranga |
Developed |
Developed |
|
Care and Protection site: Puketai |
Well established |
Developed |
|
Youth Justice site: Te Maioha |
Well established |
Developing |
|
Youth Justice site: Korowai Manaaki |
Developed |
Developing |
|
Youth Justice site: Te Puna Wai |
Well established |
Developing |
Effective leadership promotes ongoing improvement
Leaders make strategic staff appointments to match the needs of learners and capitalise on teachers’ expertise. They have a particular focus on developing understanding and appreciation of te ao Māori and developing teachers’ cultural competence and capability in te reo Māori.
Leadership provided by the principal, deputy principal, assistant principals and establishment manager is effective. There are many different opportunities that develop teachers’ and leaders’ capability. These include professional learning, sharing good practice across communities of practice in curriculum and pastoral care, literacy and numeracy groups, termly virtual meetings and the annual national Kingslea School conference.
Internal evaluation for ongoing improvement is in the early stages of development
Leaders and teachers regularly reflect on and refine their practice. Teachers effectively share their complementary skills and experience to enhance their pedagogy and curriculum planning for the benefit of ākonga. Views of ākonga and teachers are sought to inform strategic planning.
As is often the case in Youth Justice facilities, it is challenging to demonstrate positive impact for those ākonga who are in the residence for a short time. Educational progress is evident in most ākonga records sighted. However, the further use of data to determine patterns and trends in achievement could be improved. This would strengthen the evidence base for leaders and teachers to develop a systematic and robust approach to evaluating the impact of initiatives and changes in practice on student outcomes.
Summary of findings about the education provision
The following table outlines how Kingslea School rated on a descriptive scale against the six identified components (levers) [4] of effective educational provision.[5] Each lever is made of indicators of good practice [see Appendix 1]. Practice was judged from ‘Action Required’ to ‘Well Established’ from detailed descriptions for each of the four ratings. [6]
The table should be interpreted in the context of the insights about the educational provision characterised in the accompanying text above. These insights provide key information about what is working well, and areas for development.
|
|
Lever 1: Transitions in |
Lever 1: Transitions out |
Lever 2: Support for student needs |
Lever 3: Pedagogy and curriculum |
Lever 4: Physical environment |
Lever 4: Emotional environment |
Lever 5: Whānau engagement |
Lever 6: Leadership |
Lever 6: Ongoing improvement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Care and Protection site: Te Oranga |
Well established |
Well established |
Well established |
Well established |
Well established |
Well established |
Well established |
Developed |
Developed |
|
Care and Protection site: Puketai |
Well established |
Well established |
Well established |
Well established |
Well established |
Well established |
Well established |
Well established |
Developed |
|
Youth Justice site: Te Maioha |
Developed |
Developing |
Well established |
Developed |
Developed |
Well established |
Developed |
Well established |
Developing |
|
Youth Justice site: Korowai Manaaki |
Developed |
Developing |
Developed |
Developed |
Developed |
Well established |
Developing |
Developed |
Developing |
|
Youth Justice site: Te Puna Wai |
Developed |
Developing |
Well established |
Well established |
Developed |
Well established |
Developed |
Well established |
Developing |
Sustaining improvement
Kingslea School leaders and trustees have a clear vision and direction for the school to promote progress in priority areas. They provide a wide range of support for staff and ākonga, effectively advocating for improvement and positive outcomes for ākonga. Leaders promote a collaborative, focused approach to development of staff capability and learning support for ākonga. There are regular opportunities for sharing and building knowledge about effective practice for the ākonga they work with.
Recommendations
ERO recommends Kingslea School continues a cycle of three yearly ERO reviews.
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.
ERO identified an area of non-compliance in relation to bi-annual consultation with whānau in relation to the health curriculum.
- The school should adopt a statement on the delivery of the health curriculum, at least once every two years, after consultation with the school community [Section 608 Education Act 1989].
Jane Lee
Deputy Chief Executive Review and Improvement
June 2021
About the school
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement.
- Location: Auckland, Rotorua, Christchurch, Dunedin
- Ministry of Education profile number: 518, 5570, 650, 4931
- School type: Specialist, Residential
- School roll: 87
- Gender composition: Male 84%, Female 16 %
- Ethnic composition: Māori 62%, Pacific 6%, Pākehā 30%, Other ethnic groups 2%
- Special features: These residences are Youth Justice and Care and Protection sites. Satellite sites for educational provision include: Community-based sites: Arahina ki Ōtautahi, Kāhui Whetū, Harakeke (Puketai); Te Kohanga remand home (Te Maioha).
- Review team on site: October/November 2020
- Date of this report: March 2021
- Most recent ERO report(s): Education Review August 2016, Education Review June 2013
Appendix 1 - Identified components of effective educational provision for these ākonga
Components of effective provision: Lever 1 Collaboration for effective transitions and pathways
Quality indicators
Part a) Transitions in
- Effective processes and practices for sharing and using ākonga information
- Assessments appropriately identify the health, physical, emotional, cultural, and learning needs of each ākonga
- Ākonga are effectively supported to transition successfully into residence
Part b) Transitions out
- Ākonga are effectively supported to transition successfully out of residential care and on to meaningful pathways
Practice is ‘Well established’ when…
- communication between ākonga, school, whānau, social service agencies and specialist services occurs for each ākonga all of the time
- established protocols for sharing of relevant ākonga information are always used to inform decision-making for all ākonga
- the needs of each ākonga are comprehensively identified on entry through well-considered diagnostic assessments and processes
- staff have clear guidelines that are followed consistently and promote effective transition
- appropriate, mana enhancing induction processes are enacted consistently for all ākonga and likely to support effective transition
- cultural protocols and te ao Māori are always incorporated into transitions
- ākonga and whānau aspirations and valued cultural outcomes are consistently sought, respected, and appropriately responded to
- well-established connections and effective communication and collaboration between relevant groups support transitions for all ākonga
- clear and comprehensive information about future options for education, training, or work is tailored to each ākonga and they and their whānau are actively involved in decision-making.
Components of effective provision: Lever 2 Support for student needs
Quality indicators
- Individualised planning effectively responds to ākonga needs and aspirations and promotes their success
- Ākonga are knowledgeable about themselves as learners
- Staff and specialists demonstrate a coordinated, collaborative, and culturally appropriate approach to addressing the holistic needs of each child
Practice is ‘Well established’ when…
- assessment information and planning documents, are consistently accessed and effectively built on in planning for all ākonga
- relevant and achievable goals are consistently set in consultation with all ākonga, whānau and relevant parties
- planning always occurs in a timely manner
- strategies to achieve goals are well considered and consistently developed in collaboration with all ākonga, whānau, care staff, and relevant specialists or agencies
- review of individual learning plans shows how all ākonga are experiencing success and progress
- planning consistently uses needs and aspirations identified through assessment to build on learning for ākonga
- integrated care plans are consistently developed collaboratively
- all ākonga have access to appropriate health, wellbeing, and learning support.
Components of effective provision: Lever 3 Appropriate pedagogy and meaningful curriculum
Quality indicators
- Ākonga have rich, meaningful learning opportunities
- Teachers demonstrate effective teaching practice
- Development of responsive local curriculum
- The curriculum effectively promotes Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles, te āo Māori perspectives and aspirations for Māori learners
- Teachers’ development of effective practice
Practice is ‘Well established’ when…
- authentic learning opportunities happen consistently
- ākonga are engaged and motivated by the work
- ākonga prior learning is consistently built on and provides continuity of learning and progression
- teaching strategies and learning opportunities are consistently linked to individual learning plans
- ākonga agency, Key Competencies and pro-social capabilities are consistently fostered
- ākonga voice is regularly sought and acted on to inform teaching and learning
- there are frequent opportunities, and resources are prioritised for ākonga to learn in a variety of settings and ways
- teachers regularly express high expectations for the educational success of ākonga and consistently confront deficit theorising
- teaching strategies are consistently well-matched to complex needs of ākonga
- positive approaches to behaviour and learning management are embedded and highly evident
- teachers have a strong understanding of the significance of identity, belonging and connection and this is embedded in culturally responsive practice
- all teachers consistently use evidence to improve their practices and well-established organisational processes and systems to support this
- there is consistent focus on places, stories, and people of cultural significance to ākonga
- teachers always seek out knowledge of identities, language and culture, and use this to plan learning programmes for ākonga
- teachers have shared, deep understandings of key Māori values, practices and beliefs
- teachers consistently find opportunities to support akongā Māori connection to their culture, language and identity through their learning
- teachers regularly engage in professional learning
- research-informed practice is highly evident and well established and supports innovative school wide approaches
- teachers have strong, shared beliefs and common practices that are intentionally aligned with effective models of professional practice
- ākonga demonstrate a deep sense of ownership for their progress in learning and are clear about their next steps.
Components of effective provision: Lever 4 Positive, nurturing relationships and environments
Quality indicators
Part a) Physical environment
- The physical environment effectively supports learning for all ākonga
Part b) Emotional environment
- The emotional environment effectively supports wellbeing and learning for all ākonga
- Good relationships are prioritised and supported
- Practices are well implemented to support ākonga wellbeing and emotional safety
- Ākonga rights are effectively protected and promoted
Practice is ‘Well established’ when…
- the physical environment is highly effective (high quality) in supporting ākonga to self-regulate and engage in learning
- there are excellent resources and equipment for learning
- learning spaces ensure the cultures of ākonga and support for tikanga Māori practices are effectively reflected and supported
- boundaries are clearly known and understood by ākonga and guide behaviour
- teachers consistently demonstrate and promote a positive, strength-based view of ākonga
- building and sustaining whānau-like relationships is a constant priority for all staff
- individual needs are always thoroughly considered when developing and implementing strategies to minimise incidents and physical intervention
- ākonga consistently report having a sense of belonging
- all ākonga have clear understanding of expectations for their positive participation in learning
- staff consistently work together to promote an environment that effectively fosters a sense of security, safety and belonging
- responsive flexible routines are evident throughout
- restorative practices are consistently and effectively enacted
- ākonga are always treated with dignity and respect
- staff advocate effectively for ākonga
- support is consistently sensitive and responsive to ākonga identity.
Components of effective provision: Lever 5 Educationally focused engagement of whānau and caregivers
Quality indicators
- Teachers learn about significant adults in the lives of ākonga
- Learning Relationships between teachers and whānau, significant adults, including case workers and care staff, are effectively promoted and evident
Practice is ‘Well established’ when…
- staff have deep knowledge about significant adults of ākonga
- teachers consistently work collaboratively with whānau and significant adults to determine, implement, and monitor strategies to for supporting success in learning
- whānau and caregivers are very well informed about learning progress, challenges, next steps, and success for ākonga.
Components of effective provision: Lever 6 Effective leadership and ongoing improvement
Quality indicators
Part a) Leadership
- Leaders are well supported to build their capability and effectiveness
- Leaders promote effective practice for ākonga with complex needs and/or trauma experience
Part b) Ongoing improvement
- Inquiry and evaluation are effectively used to promote innovation and improvement
Practice is ‘Well established’ when…
- support is consistently provided for leaders to reflect, develop and improve their practice, including the provision of professional supervision
- there are highly consistent, shared understandings and clear articulation about what constitutes good practice for learning and teaching for ākonga
- leadership provides highly effective support for teachers’ ongoing development and effectiveness
- teachers have received well sustained, strategic and effective support to develop cultural competency
- improving outcomes for ākonga is central to planning for change at all levels
- there is compelling evidence of continuous and sustained improvement over time
- leaders and staff have a good understanding of their obligations in relation to Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles and consistently enact these in their context
- effective and meaningful working relationships with mana whenua as kaitiaki are well established and productive
- tikanga and kawa consistently reflects the mana and dignity of tamariki Māori and is consistently applied as guided by mana whenua
- knowledge of local sites of significance, key experiences, needs, expectations, and aspirations are continually sought and highly valued
- there are highly effective processes for monitoring and supporting the health and wellbeing of staff
- staff voice is routinely sought and responded to
- procedures and practices are well aligned to legislative requirements and regulatory requirements
- data is used very effectively to support decisions about sustaining or changing practices or interventions
- there is very good understanding and effective use of internal evaluation for improvement
- changes to transition practices and processes are well-informed by relevant data, and impact of changes are evaluated
- change is well monitored for impact and effectiveness
- strategic planning is well aligned to identified areas for improvement and monitors a range of relevant outcomes for ākonga
- there are robust well sustained systems for monitoring compliance and quality of provision.
End notes
[1] In this report we refer to the young people as ākonga to reflect our focus on learning. In ERO’s reports we use students, learners and children and young people. Oranga Tamariki refers to them also as tamariki, rangatahi and mokopuna Māori.
[2] Oranga Tamariki | Ministry for Children was established to build a child-centred approach to care, dedicated to supporting any child or young person in New Zealand whose wellbeing is at significant risk of harm as well as working with young people who may have offended.
[3] Whakamana Tāngata is a practice approach that facilitates the restoration of young people’s mana, promoting their wellbeing in holistic and culturally meaningful ways. It was developed based on te ao Māori concepts of wellbeing and restorative practices. The intent is that it forms a cornerstone for Youth Justice residential practice, providing the foundation to build a range of therapeutic, educational, health, and cultural interventions and supports, taking a restorative approach.
[4] Levers 1, 4 and 6 have been divided into two sections as there were clear differences within the levers.
[5] Rubrics, developed under the indicators, were designed specifically for this project to align with the levers identified for effective education provision for this group of learners. The indicators were informed by international and national literature and tested and adjusted with the expert group, the providers, the review team and other stakeholders.
[6] The ratings for each lever were made based on the distribution of evidence across the indicators using numerical and qualitative assessments, and moderation and quality assurance processes by ERO and the Te Ihuwaka evaluation team. Moderation occurred at each stage of the process to promote consistency and robustness of judgements.