Birkdale North School

The roll ERO recorded, and when

ERO writes a roll into each report it publishes: a count taken for that report, on the day shown, by the review team that was there. The Ministry of Education’s current roll for this school is 142 — the figure at the top of this page, and the one to use for how big the school is now. These are a different measurement by a different body, so they will rarely agree, and a difference between them is not a change in the school.

1. November 2018

   200

   Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 28 February 2019

2. October 2014

   158

   Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 15 December 2014

We draw no line between these. Each was counted for its own report, years apart, by a different review team, and a roll moves between reviews for reasons none of these figures record — so the difference between any two of them measures nothing.

What ERO wrote in its latest report

This is ERO’s report of 18 November 2024 — “School Evaluation Report” — section by section, under ERO’s own headings, in ERO’s own order. Nothing is summarised, shortened or reordered.

School Evaluation Report

Tēnā koutou e mau manawa rahi ki te kaupapa e aro ake nei, ko te tamaiti te pūtake o te kaupapa. Mā wai rā e kawe, mā tātau katoa.

We acknowledge the collective effort, responsibility and commitment by all to ensure that the child remains at the heart of the matter.

Context

Birkdale North School is on the North Shore, Auckland and provides education for learners in Years 1 to 6. The school’s vision is to help students be proud, unique, creative, passionate and critical learners. A feature of the school is its French bilingual unit: I’Étoile du Nord . The school hosts a satellite class from Wairau Valley Special School.

There are two parts to this report.

Part A: An evaluative summary of learner success and school conditions to inform the school board’s future strategic direction, including any education in Rumaki /bilingual settings.

Part B: The improvement actions prioritised for the school’s next evaluation cycle.

Part A: Current State

The following findings are to inform the school’s future priorities for improvement.

Learner Success and Wellbeing

Most learners are engaged and make good progress.

Most students achieve at or above expected curriculum levels in reading and mathematics and the large majority in writing.

Most Māori and Pacific learners achieve the expected levels in reading; however, they achieve significantly lower than other groups in writing and mathematics.

Students express a strong sense of belonging and pride in their school.

The large majority of students attend school regularly; the school is working towards meeting the Ministry of Education’s target for regular attendance.

Conditions to support learner success

Leadership works collaboratively and strategically to create a learning environment with high expectations and continuous improvement.

Leaders foster a culture of high relational trust among staff that supports a shared understanding of quality teaching and learning.

Leadership carefully sets and implements relevant strategic goals that promote continuous improvement and increasingly benefit all learners.

Distributed leadership enables all teachers to lead projects that enhance collaboration throughout the school community and supports learners’ increased engagement.

Teaching and learning opportunities increasingly reflect the local context and interests of all learners.

Learners participate in a wide range of experiences that engage them in learning across the breadth of the curriculum.

Teachers have well-considered professional development opportunities that advance strategic goals and enhance teaching practice.

Teachers continually reflect on teaching and learning initiatives; this increasingly supports students to progress in their learning.

Key conditions that underpin successful education are strengthening.

Students experience inclusive learning environments where their identities, languages and cultures are valued and celebrated among the school community.

Parents and whānau actively participate in school events; teachers are strengthening learning partnerships with parents to improve outcomes for all learners.

Teachers are increasingly providing responsive learning opportunities, particularly for Māori learners, through engaging with the Māori Achievement Collaborative.

Part B: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to:

increase the progress and achievement of Māori and Pacific learners, particularly in writing and mathematics

actively strengthen teacher engagement in parent partnerships to better understand learners’ needs

continue to implement te reo Māori and tikanga Māori in teaching and learning so that staff and students develop confidence in their understanding of Aotearoa New Zealand

continue to improve students’ regular attendance.

The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.

Every six months:

track and monitor the attendance, progress and achievement of Māori and Pacific learners, with leaders and teachers using this information to inquire into and adapt teaching practice to improve learner outcomes

collect, analyse and review information about the impact of learning partnerships with parents to inform actions and next steps

monitor the progress of integrating te reo Māori and tikanga Māori in teaching and learning.

Annually:

evaluate and report to the board on student attendance, progress and achievement, with a lens on Māori and Pacific learners to set priorities for the following year

review the progress of the integration of te reo Māori and tikanga Māori and the impact on learners and teachers.

Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:

improved regular student attendance, progress and achievement, particularly for Māori and Pacific learners

teachers and parents report that partnerships have a positive impact on learner progress and outcomes

teachers and students express increased confidence in the use of te reo Māori and tikanga Māori.

ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a School Evaluation Report and is due within three years.

Me mahi tahi tonu tātau, kia whai oranga a tātau tamariki Let’s continue to work together for the greater good of all children

Shelley Booysen Director of Schools

18 November 2024

About the School

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home

Read this report on ero.govt.nz →