Tauranga Special School

The same report — the board assurance report of 15 April 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 and the board have identified the following area of non-compliance during the board assurance process:

Completion of a risk assessment as part of a workforce staff safety check [ Children’s Act 2014 - Safety Checking of Workforce].

The board has since addressed the areas 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 129 — 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. June 2019

   91

   Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 12 September 2019

This is one count taken for one report. It says what the roll was on that day, and nothing about how the roll has moved.

What ERO wrote in its latest report

This is ERO’s report of 15 April 2024 — “Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report” — section by section, under ERO’s own headings, in ERO’s own order. Nothing is summarised, shortened or reordered.

Background

This Profile Report was written within 6 months of the Education Review Office and Tauranga Special working in Te Ara Huarau , an improvement evaluation approach used in most English Medium State and State Integrated Schools. For more information about Te Ara Huarau see ERO’s website. www.ero.govt.nz

This report is part of a nationally coordinated evaluation of 27-day specialist schools during the second half of 2023. This included the development of day specialist school evaluation indicators by ERO with significant input from principals, staff and the Special Education Principals’ Association of New Zealand (SEPAnz).

Context

Tauranga Special School caters for students aged between 5 to 21 years of age eligible for Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS) funding. The school provides a specialised curriculum to meet the unique characteristics of students. These students learn across a range of settings, including four classes at the base school, two off site community campuses, and satellite classes in four local host schools.

A specialist therapy services support students’ wellbeing and access to learning through a transdisciplinary approach. A specialist teacher outreach service supports ORS funded students enrolled in their local school.

The school continues to navigate and manage roll growth pressures along with the employment and property demands associated with this.

The school’s vision is to provide opportunities for each student to access learning at their level and develop to their full potential as learners and members of their community in New Zealand. This is supported by the following values:

achievement – supporting students to be the best possible versions of themselves

celebration – acknowledging all progress no matter how small

whakawhanaungatanga – healthy relationships, a sense of interconnection and belonging

manaakitanga – enhancing the mana and sense of self-worth of people, care and respect and hospitality

wellbeing – enabling and empowering students to thrive

innovation, inquiry and curiosity ( ako ) – reciprocal learning relationship, new knowledge and understanding growing out of shared experiences

inclusive community – including everyone and seeking to be included in the community.

Tauranga Special School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

to provide opportunities for each student to access learning at their level to develop to their potential as learners and as members of their community in New Zealand

for the curriculum to be responsive to the needs of each student

for students to have a sense that the culture that they bring to the school is valued and a part of school life

to provide opportunities for students to communicate their own educational goals and be the centre of their education.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Tauranga Special School’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how effectively the school’s systems, processes and practices can be cohesively strengthened to promote holistic growth for unique learners.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

school leaders have identified the need to rationalise, simplify and consolidate current approaches, to bring greater clarity about school practice that promote positive learning outcomes for all.

The school expects to see:

streamlined approaches that promote student readiness for learning

well managed staff workload that supports consistency of practice across all sites

students more engaged in their learning

increased positive outcomes for students.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to evaluate how effectively the school’s systems, processes and practices can be cohesively strengthened to promote holistic growth for its unique learners:

Effective systems and processes that clearly identify, plan for, and evaluate strategies that promote wellbeing and positive behaviours.

Leadership implements well established systems and actively responds to the school’s complex environment, including distributed leadership, conditions for innovation and consistently high levels of staff understanding around good practice.

Whānau and learner voice is effectively gathered to support planning for learners.

Transdisciplinary knowledge of the learner informs individual and class curriculum, which is highly adapted to each student.

Staff express and enact high expectations for all learners to experience success.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

the completion of a stocktake of school systems and processes currently in place that guide teacher practice

a system change to strengthen staff’s shared understanding and response to the complex and unique needs of students

the revision and development of the school’s strategic plan, underpinned by Te Whare Tapa Whā .

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

Shelley Booysen Director of Schools

15 April 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 →