Russell School (Bay Of Islands)

The same report — the board assurance report of 27 September 2024 — also sets out actions for compliance: the non-compliance ERO identified during that process. This is that section of the report in full, in ERO’s words.

ERO has identified the following area of non-compliance during the board assurance process:

renew police vets for non-teaching staff every three years. [s 104 Education and Training Act 2020]

The board has since addressed the area of non-compliance identified.

Read this board assurance report on ero.govt.nz →

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 64 — 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. September 2016

   89

   Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 28 November 2016

2. June 2013

   96

   Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 2 August 2013

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 27 September 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

Russell School (Bay Of Islands) is located in the town of Russell and provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. Since the previous ERO report, the board appointed a new principal. The school’s core values of manaakitanga (be kind), whakamana (use your manners) and mahi ngātahi (work hard) are underpinned by Positive Behaviour for Learning expectations and practices.

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

Learner outcomes are increasingly equitable and excellent.

Almost all learners achieve at or above expected curriculum levels in mathematics, and most in reading and writing.

Learners have a strong sense of belonging and pride in their school that supports their wellbeing and engagement with learning.

The majority of learners attend school regularly; the school is not yet meeting the Ministry of Education’s target for regular attendance.

Conditions to support learner success

Leadership works strategically and collaboratively to improve outcomes for learners.

Leadership and the board use appropriate evidence, including student achievement information and community feedback, to set and implement relevant strategic goals.

The principal continually engages in professional knowledge building with teachers that enhances consistency and teaching effectiveness.

Well-established community partnerships provide students with an increasingly diverse range of learning experiences.

Learners experience a broad, localised curriculum within positive and inclusive learning environments.

Students’ learning environments have well-established routines; respectful relationships and clear expectations result in calm learning-focused classes.

Teachers use relevant reading, writing and mathematics programmes with explicit teaching approaches that enhance positive learning outcomes.

Teachers increasingly integrate tikanga Māori, te reo Māori and mātauranga Māori within localised learning contexts and in the wider life of the school.

Key conditions that underpin successful education are continuing to strengthen.

The board deliberately consult with iwi and the local community; information is analysed, reviewed and used well to inform decision making.

All staff implement and use an appropriate range of intentional strategies that support students’ wellbeing.

Staff have well-considered professional development opportunities that advance the progress of strategic goals.

The board and principal’s active engagement with mana whenua is strengthening their knowledge and understanding of the local area and aspirations for learners.

Part B: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to:

continue to prioritise strategies that increase the rate of regular attendance

continue to strengthen effective teaching, learning and assessment practices through collaborative inquiry to build students’ active participation in their learning.

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

Within six months:

undertake a community engagement process to develop and implement a collaborative plan to improve attendance

provide targeted professional development opportunities for teaching staff around curriculum initiatives in literacy and mathematics to strengthen teaching, learning and assessment practices.

Every six months:

monitor and review the rates of student attendance, progress and achievement to inform further planning and action

involve teaching staff in a collaborative review of their professional practice inquiries to promote students’ active participation in their learning.

Annually:

evaluate and report to the board on the impact initiatives have had on raising student attendance and achievement to inform next steps

review schoolwide planning, assessment and evaluation practices to ensure these support sustainable and ongoing improvement.

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

more students attending school regularly

effective use of student learning information by teaching staff to sustain student progress and achievement

increasingly confident learners that actively participate in the learning process and can explain what they are learning, why and their next steps.

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

27 September 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 →