Homai School

What ERO wrote in its latest report

This is ERO’s report of 23 July 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

Homai School is a primary school in Manurewa Auckland providing education for Year 1 to 6 students. The school offers Māori bilingual education in Te Moana Nui a Kiwa and Samoan bilingual education in Tapasa o le Folauga Fou. The school’s vision is Kotahi te moemoea, Kotahi te haerenga, Kotahi te iwi : one vision, one journey, one people. Homai School is a member of Te Kaahui Ako o Manurewa.

There are three parts to this report.

Part A: A summary of the findings from the most recent Education Review Office (ERO) report and/or subsequent evaluation.

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

Part A: Previous Improvement Goals

Since 2022, ERO and the school have been working together to evaluate the extent to which Homai School’s local curriculum, based on relationship-based learning, leads to improved outcomes for all learners.

Expected Improvements and Findings

The school expected to see:

Localised curriculum which is culturally responsive and reflects the values of whānau .

Curriculum development has been strengthened by professional learning and development and a commitment to bilingual education in te reo Māori and Gagana Samoa.

Leaders and teachers have made meaningful educational connections with local iwi to enrich the curriculum.

Teachers are embedding responsive teaching practices which value the culture, language and identity of their learners.

Active engagement with whānau in learning partnerships.

Teachers and leaders effectively engaged Māori and Pacific learners and their whānau in culturally rich learning opportunities.

Leaders increasingly involve parents, whānau and iwi in decision making in the school.

Four classrooms, the Samoan bilingual unit, Tapasa o le Folauga Fou have been established in response to community interest.

Other Findings

During the course of the evaluation, it was found that the curriculum, based on the principles of relationships and whānau , has expanded to provide more structured approaches in reading, writing and mathematics.

The greatest shift that occurred in response to the school’s action has been the improved reliability and consistency of achievement information to inform quality teaching and learning.

Part B: Current State

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

Learner Success and Wellbeing

Outcomes for learners are increasingly equitable and excellent.

The majority of learners, including Māori and Pacific learners, achieve at expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics and make sustained progress; there is some disparity for Pacific learners, especially boys in writing.

Learners have a strong sense of belonging and are becoming increasingly confident in their language, culture and identity.

Learners benefit from school practices and actions that are inclusive and cater well for learning and wellbeing needs, including a specific focus on Māori and Pacific learners.

Attendance information from 2023 shows less than half of learners attend school regularly time; leaders have implemented initiatives to improve the attendance of learners.

Conditions to support learner success

School leadership is improvement focused.

A new leadership team is establishing a collaborative culture that is committed to quality teaching and improving outcome for learners.

Leaders support and develop the capability of teachers to improve teaching and learning.

Leaders are beginning to involve parents, whānau and iwi in decision making to promote engagement and improve attendance.

Teachers create an orderly and increasingly collaborative learning environment.

Teachers are more deliberate in their teaching approaches to effectively meet the needs of learners.

The curriculum increasingly reflects local contexts so that learners can see themselves, their identity and culture in authentic learning opportunities.

Teachers in Tapasa o le Folauga Fou build effective relationships with learners to support and develop their skills and confidence in using Gagana Samoa .

Leaders and teachers increasingly use effective strategies to reduce barriers to education and support access to learning for all.

Learners needing additional support are identified and provided with relevant and increasingly effective support for their learning.

Leaders and teachers gather, analyse and act on learners’ wellbeing data to build responsive teacher practice.

The community is strongly connected to the school; teachers and leaders see parents and whānau as respected partners in their child’s learning.

Governance and leadership are committed to sustaining quality bilingual education in te reo Māori and Gagana Samoa to meet community aspirations.

Rumaki /Bilingual Outcomes and Conditions to Support Learner Success

Leadership prioritises ongoing professional development, to ensure staff have relevant expertise and capabilities to effectively support the learning of all students in Te Moana Nui a Kiwa . Tamariki actively participate in learning that is delivered through te ao Māori contexts.

Learner success and wellbeing

Tamariki confidently demonstrate their knowledge through the practice of karakia, mihi whakatau, waiata, and pepeha, showcasing both cultural competence and personal growth.

Kaiako demonstrate dedication to identifying individual learning needs and aspirations.

The learning programme incorporates hapū connections and narratives.

Conditions to support learner success

Kaiako engage whānau by actively involving them in learner-centred relationships. This supports a sense of trust and connection, as whānau feel understood and valued by leadership and kaiako .

The intentional collaborative approach positively impacts tamariki development in cultural and academic outcomes.

Part C: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to:

work with local iwi to develop a Māori Education plan to: support all learners to learn and use te reo Māori; strengthen kaiako teaching techniques and practices to extend the te reo progression of Te Moana Nui a Kiwa learners

strengthen bilingual teaching practices to develop the Gagana Samoa curriculum and support teachers in Tapasa o le Folauga Fou

deepen analysis of achievement and attendance information to evaluate the impact of initiatives, gather information about different groups of learners and review the local curriculum

continue to work with the school community including local iwi to develop the school’s vision, values, strategic direction and improvement priorities.

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

Within three months:

connect with local iwi to begin the development of a Māori Education Plan

develop an action plan for improvement to build kaiako teaching techniques and practices that supports the reo progression of Te Moana Nui a Kiwa learners

introduce systems to analyse achievement and attendance data across English medium and bilingual settings.

Every six months:

monitor the attendance, progress and achievement of learners within English medium and bilingual units to evaluate the impact of teaching and learning programmes

evaluate the impact of professional development initiatives on improving and accelerating achievement in reading, writing and mathematics

review the progress made against the action plan related to kaiako capability building in Te Moana Nui a Kiwa

monitor success of attendance initiatives to improve regular attendance.

Annually:

use achievement and attendance information to report to the board and the community and work together to make decisions about improvement priorities

review the local curriculum to ensure this guidance reflects recent professional development in reading, writing and mathematics

evaluate and report on Te Moana Nui a Kiwa action plan in relation to leaners’ outcomes

review the effectiveness of teacher professional development, including induction and support for teachers new to the school to ensure school values are understood and promoted consistently across the school.

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

achievement in writing, particularly for Pacific boys, shows accelerated progress to meet expected levels of achievement

the majority of Homai School learners regularly attend school

all learners confidently use te reo Māori and engage in tikanga Māori , with the learners in Te Moana Nui a Kiwa showing increased fluency in their te Reo Māori

bilingual teaching practices in Tapasa o le Folauga Fou strengthened to support learners

consistency and coherence in teaching practice across the school.

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

23 July 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 →