Tairua School Report 07/02/10

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Tairua School 07/02/2010

From: http://www.ero.govt.nz/Early-Childhood-School-Reports/School-Reports/Tairua-School-07-02-2010

ERO 2010

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Tairua School Education Review

About The School

The Education Review Office (ero) Evaluation

The Focus Of The Review

Areas Of National Interest

Board Assurance On Compliance Areas

Recommendation

Future Action

Community Page

Disclaimer

Individual ERO school and early childhood centre reports are public information and may be

copied or sent electronically. However, the Education Review Office can guarantee only the

authenticity of original documents which have been obtained in hard copy directly from either

the local ERO office or ERO Corporate Office in Wellington. Please consult your telephone

book, or see the ERO web page, http://www.ero.govt.nz, for ERO office addresses.

This report has been prepared in accordance with standard procedures approved by the Chief

Review Officer.


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Tairua School Education Review Report08/02/2010


ERO 2010

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The Education Review Office (ero) Evaluation

Tairua School is located in the township of Tairua, in the Coromandel Peninsula and caters

for students in Years 1 to 8. At the time of this review in November 2009 it had a roll of 95students, 21 of whom identify as Mori.

The board of trustees works effectively with the recently appointed principal to provide clear

direction for the school. The principal is providing well informed and enthusiastic professional

leadership and is focused on establishing positive relationships with the school community.

Students learn in attractively presented and stimulating environments. Classroom

environments strongly reflect the school's focus on literacy, numeracy and information and

communication technologies (ICT). A feature of the school is the use of the wider communityincluding the harbour and beaches to enrich contexts for learning. These environments

contribute to student enjoyment of learning.

The school demonstrates a strong commitment to students' learning and development.

Students have many additional learning opportunities in areas such as sport, surfing

academy, a water wise programme involving kayaking and sailing, and visual and performing

arts. There is a strong emphasis on the care and conservation of the local environment.

Teachers work well together as a team and regularly share ideas about students and theirlearning. Interactions between teachers and students are underpinned by positive and

mutually respectful relationships, which in conjunction with effective classroom practice,

contributes to success for students. The next steps for the school are to continue to focus on

teaching strategies that support student learning and the involvement of parents in their

children's education.

Overall student achievement indicates that most students in Years 3 to 8 are achieving at or

above age-related national expectations in reading comprehension, writing and numeracy.

Comparison with data gathered in February 2009 shows that, overall, students have made

progress during the year in these areas. Achievement targets set by the school have been

met in most areas. This progress has been more significant in writing and slightly less in

numeracy. The data also shows that Mori students are achieving at levels comparable to

other students.

Future Action

ERO is confident that the board of trustees can govern the school in the interest of the

students and the Crown and bring about the improvements outlined in this report. ERO is


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likely to carry out the next review in three years.


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The Focus Of The Review

Student Achievement Overall

ERO's education reviews focus on student achievement. What follows is a statement about

what the school knows about student achievement overall.

In February 2009, standardised assessment tools were used to gather and analyse

information about student achievement in aspects of literacy and numeracy and set

achievement targets. These assessments were repeated again in November 2009.

In Years 1 and 2 analysis of reading running records completed in November show that a

significant majority of students achieve at or above their chronological age. Assessment inrelation to national exemplars, show students in Years 1 to 3 in writing achieve at and above

their age level.

Information gathered in November indicates that most students in Years 3 to 8 are achieving

at or above age-related national expectations in reading comprehension, writing and

numeracy. Comparison with data gathered in February shows that, overall, students have

made good progress during the year in these areas. This progress has been more significant

in writing and slightly less in numeracy. Achievement targets set by the school have been met

in most areas. The data also shows that Mori students are achieving at levels comparable toother students.

The school offers a wide range of opportunities for students in academic, Education Outside

the Classroom (EOTC), sporting and cultural activities.

School Specific Priorities

Before the review, the board of Tairua School was invited to consider its priorities for review

using guidelines and resources provided by ERO. ERO also used documentation provided by

the school to contribute to the scope of the review.

The detailed priorities for review were then determined following a discussion between the

ERO review team and the board of trustees. This discussion focused on existing information

held by the school (including student achievement and selfreview information) and the extent

to which potential issues for review contributed to the achievement of the students at Tairua

School.

ERO and the board have agreed on the following focus area for the review:


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the influence of professional development and school initiatives on raising student

achievement.

ERO's findings in this area are set out below.

The Influence of Professional Development and School Initiatives on Raising Student

Achievement

Background

Since the previous Education Review in 2007, the school has been involved in a number of

professional development initiatives across a wide range of curriculum areas. These

programmes include information and communication technologies (ICT), literacydevelopment, and Project Energise. Teachers have undertaken reviews of these programmes

and how they have raised student achievement across the school. This focus area evaluates

how professional development and school-wide systems and practices support teaching and

learning and the impact of these on student achievement.

Student progress and achievement

The statement about student achievement overall outlined above also applies in this area.

Areas of good performanceBoard of trustees: The board works effectively with the principal to provide clear direction for

the school and is focused on raising student achievement. Trustees are receiving detailed

information about student achievement and using this to set targets for further improvement.

Achievement data is also used to inform ongoing self review and to guide decision making

about resourcing and professional development. Clear strategic direction is contributing to a

shared vision for school improvement and raising student achievement.

Leadership: The recently appointed principal is providing well-informed and enthusiastic

professional leadership for the school. In a short period of time he has established positiverelationships with the school community. He is reviewing and developing effective systems

and procedures for school operations including the collation, analysis and interpretation of

achievement data to inform decision making. Effective leadership is promoting a strong sense

of common purpose and focus on improving learning outcomes for students.

Professional development: The school is committed to professional development as a means

of improving the quality of teaching and learning. Teachers have been involved in

whole-school professional development in areas such as ICT, literacy and health and physical

education. They work well together as a team and engage in regular sharing of ideas and


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their practice. Professional development is supporting teachers to improve their knowledge

and skill and the programmes they provide.

Parent partnership: The principal and staff enjoy positive relationships with the parent

community who are actively involved in the life of the school. A hard working Parents and

Friends Association (PFA) helps provide opportunities for students and has a major role in

fundraising to provide additional resources for the school. In addition, parents have many

opportunities to be informed and consulted about aspects of the school. Parents spoken to

expressed appreciation of the school's open door approach and responsiveness to

themselves and their children.

Opportunities for students: The school demonstrates a strong commitment to students' holistic

learning and development. Students have access to a range of additional learning

opportunities such as sports, a surfing academy, a water wise programme involving kayaking

and sailing, and visual and performing arts. There is a strong emphasis on the care and

conservation of the local environment. Opportunities are also available to develop leadership

in the school. These experiences enrich learning and help to engage and motivate students in

the school.

Learning environments: Students learn in high quality, attractively presented and stimulating

environments. Classroom environments strongly reflect the school's focus on literacy,

numeracy and ICT. A feature of the school is the use of the wider community environment

including the harbour and beaches which enrich contexts for learning. These environments


Classroom practice: ERO observed teachers using a range of appropriate strategies to

engage students in learning. These include the use of ICT, formative assessment practices,

inquiry learning approaches and the integration of curriculum areas. Interactions between

teachers and students are underpinned by positive and mutually respectful relationships.

Effective classroom practice is helping to raise student achievement.

Support programmes: The school is committed to providing additional programmes forstudents with identified learning needs. The board actively funds programmes for literacy and

numeracy support and for extension in literacy, numeracy and art. Students involved in these

programmes are well supported in their learning.

Areas for improvement

Teaching strategies: An important next step for teachers is to strengthen the consistency and

range of strategies that extend students' learning. This should include using achievement data


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more precisely to identify strategies to meet the specific learning needs of individuals and

groups of students. Attention to this is likely to lead to more focused and deliberate acts of

teaching and assist students to understand what they need to do to succeed in their learning.

Parent education: Consideration should be given to assisting parents to further understand

current approaches to student learning. This could include a better understanding of

achievement information, methods of teaching and implications of the Tairua curriculum

document. Attention to parent education in these areas is likely to further strengthen the

partnership between the school and parents, and support student learning.


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Areas Of National Interest

Overview

ERO provides information about the education system as a whole to Government to be used

as the basis for long-term and systemic educational improvement. ERO also provides

information about the education sector for schools, parents and the community through its

national reports.

To do this ERO decides on topics and investigates them for a specific period in all applicable

schools nationally.

During the review of Tairua School ERO investigated and reported on the following areas ofnational interest. The findings are included in this report so that information about the school

is transparent and widely available.

Success for Mori Students: Progress

In this review, ERO evaluated the extent to which the school was familiar with the Mori

Education Strategy - Ka Hikitia: Managing for Success and progress made since the last

review in promoting success at school for Mori students.

The school reports it has taken Ka Hikitia into account when revising planning documents for

this year.

Area of progress

Progress for Mori: Since the last review the school has demonstrated its commitment to

strengthening the presence and success of its Mori students. The reviewed charter is

underpinned by principles that reflect values of Mori.

Initiatives and developments include:

collation and analysis of Mori student achievement;

a cultural arts programme;

leadership roles for students; and

whnau hui and consultation with Mori families.


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Success for Mori students is celebrated and valued. The school acknowledges Mori as

tangata whenua.

Preparing to Give Effect to the New Zealand Curriculum

Schools are currently working towards implementing The New Zealand Curriculum by

February 2010. During this review ERO investigated the progress Tairua School is making

towards giving full effect to the curriculum as part of its planning, organisation and teaching

practice.

ERO found that school leaders and teachers at Tairua School are making good progress

towards giving effect to The New Zealand Curriculum in their planning, organisation and

teaching.

Including Students with High Needs

During this review ERO investigated the extent to which the board and school leaders of

Tairua School provide an inclusive education for students with high needs. This included

collecting evidence about the school's policies, processes and practices to support the

enrolment and induction of students with high needs and to support their participation and

achievement at school. The information collected during this review will contribute to

information that will be reported in a national education evaluation report.

Prior to a review, a board of trustees and principal attest in the Board Assurance Statement

that they have taken all reasonable steps to meet their legal requirements including those

detailed in Ministry of Education circulars and other documents.

The board of Tairua School was asked to attest to whether it had 'ensured that teachers of

students with disabilities, and other contact staff, have a sound understanding of the learning

needs of students with disabilities and, where necessary, have put in place support systems

centred on each individual with disabilities.' The board was also asked to attest that 'policies

and procedures that relate to students who have special education needs are implemented

without discrimination'.

ERO's findings confirm these attestations.


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Board Assurance On Compliance Areas

Overview

Before the review, the board of trustees and principal of Tairua School completed an ERO

Board Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklist. 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; and

asset management.

During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high

impact on students' achievement:

emotional safety of students (including prevention of bullying and sexual harassment);

physical safety of students;

teacher registration;

stand-downs, suspensions, expulsions and exclusions; and

attendance.

Compliance

ERO's investigations did not identify any areas of concern.


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Recommendation

ERO and the board of trustees have developed the following recommendation:

6.1 that the principal and teachers continue to access professional development in formative

teaching practice.

Future Action




Dr Graham Stoop

Chief Review Officer

8 February 2010

8 February 2010

To the Parents and Community of Tairua School

These are the findings of the Education Review Office's latest report on Tairua School.


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Community Page

Tairua School is located in the township of Tairua, in the Coromandel Peninsula and caters

for students in Years 1 to 8. At the time of this review in November 2009 it had a roll of 95students, 21 of whom identify as Mori.

The board of trustees works effectively with the recently appointed principal to provide clear

direction for the school. The principal is providing well informed and enthusiastic professional

leadership and is focused on establishing positive relationships with the school community.

Students learn in attractively presented and stimulating environments. Classroom

environments strongly reflect the school's focus on literacy, numeracy and information and

communication technologies (ICT). A feature of the school is the use of the wider communityincluding the harbour and beaches to enrich contexts for learning. These environments


The school demonstrates a strong commitment to students' learning and development.

Students have many additional learning opportunities in areas such as sport, surfing

academy, a water wise programme involving kayaking and sailing, and visual and performing

arts. There is a strong emphasis on the care and conservation of the local environment.

Teachers work well together as a team and regularly share ideas about students and theirlearning. Interactions between teachers and students are underpinned by positive and

mutually respectful relationships, which in conjunction with effective classroom practice,

contributes to success for students. The next steps for the school are to continue to focus on

teaching strategies that support student learning and the involvement of parents in their

children's education.

Overall student achievement indicates that most students in Years 3 to 8 are achieving at or

above age-related national expectations in reading comprehension, writing and numeracy.

Comparison with data gathered in February 2009 shows that, overall, students have made

progress during the year in these areas. Achievement targets set by the school have been

met in most areas. This progress has been more significant in writing and slightly less in

numeracy. The data also shows that Mori students are achieving at levels comparable to

other students.

Future Action




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Review Coverage

ERO reviews do not cover every aspect of school performance and each ERO report may

cover different issues. The aim is to provide information on aspects that are central to student

achievement and useful to this school.

If you would like a copy of the full report, please contact the school or see the ERO website,

www.ero.govt.nz.

Dr Graham Stoop

Chief Review Officer

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT REVIEWS

About ERO

ERO is an independent, external evaluation agency that undertakes reviews of schools and

early childhood services throughout New Zealand.

About ERO Reviews

ERO follows a set of standard procedures to conduct reviews. The purpose of each review is

to:

improve educational achievement in schools; and

provide information to parents, communities and the Government.

Reviews are intended to focus on student achievement and build on each school's self review.

Review Focus

ERO's framework for reviewing and reporting is based on three review strands.

School Specific Priorities - the quality of education and the impact of school policies

and practices on student achievement.


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Areas of National Interest - information about how Government policies are working in

schools.

Compliance with Legal Requirements - assurance that this school has taken all

reasonable steps to meet legal requirements.

Review Coverage

ERO reviews do not cover every aspect of school performance and each ERO report may

cover different issues. The aim is to provide information on aspects that are central to student

achievement and useful to this school.

Review Recommendations

Most ERO reports include recommendations for improvement. A recommendation on a

particular issue does not necessarily mean that a school is performing poorly in relation to that

issue. There is no direct link between the number of recommendations in this report and the

overall performance of this school.

[1] Decile 1 schools draw their students from areas of greatest socio-economic disadvantage,

Decile 10 from areas of least socio-economic disadvantage.

Tairua School Report 07/02/10

Documents

Transcript of Tairua School Report 07/02/10