Te Horo School (Whangarei)

The same report — the board assurance report of 30 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 and the board have identified the following areas of non-compliance during the board assurance process:

the board must ensure that all procedures and practices relating to stand downs are implemented in relation to legislative requirements. (s 78-89 of the Education and Training Act, 2020)

the board must ensure that an emergency plan is developed in preparation for evacuations, lockdowns or emergency preparedness and that appropriate signage is visible throughout the school. (s 14 (1) Health and Safety at Work Regulations 2016)

the board must ensure that relevant documentation and policies for physical restraint are in place, implemented and shared with the community including staff training of ‘authorised staff members’. (s 99(4) of the Education and Training Act, 2020)

the board must ensure that robust documentation shows that police vetting for non-teaching positions, background checks and work history checks are completed as part of the recruitment process. (s 104, Schedule 4, s 599) of the Education and Training Act, 2020)

The board has not yet 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 44 — 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. August 2017

   40

   Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 27 October 2017

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 30 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

Te Horo School ( Whangarei ) is a small, rural school and provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. The roll is predominantly made up of Māori students from Ngāti Hine, Ngāpuhi and Te Orewai hapū . The school’s values include manaakitanga, whakaute and whanaungatanga . The principal appointed at the beginning of 2024, has previously led the 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

Outcomes for learning are improving for some learners.

A large majority of learners achieve at expected curriculum levels in mathematics; a small majority of learners achieve at expected levels in writing; about half of all learners achieve at expected levels in reading.

Students with additional learning needs are identified, close monitoring of learner outcomes informs the specific support they receive to help them learn and progress at an appropriate pace.

Learners are beginning to develop confidence in their identity, language and culture that supports their sense of belonging and wellbeing.

Attendance rates do not yet meet the Ministry of Education targets; continuing to use strategies to ensure regular attendance is a school priority.

Conditions to support learner success

Leadership is taking steps to improve school systems and processes.

The board and the principal are in the early stages of reviewing the school goals and strategies to improve learner success, attendance, achievement and wellbeing.

The principal is beginning to develop school assessment processes to improve the consistency and reliability of achievement information and inform teaching and learning.

The board and the principal are working towards developing relational trust and greater collaboration opportunities with whānau, hapū and iwi to improve learner success.

Teachers are taking steps to provide meaningful learning opportunities to support student engagement.

Teachers are working towards building positive relationships with learners to promote calm and orderly classroom environments.

Teachers are beginning to implement programmes focused on explicit teaching in literacy and mathematics to improve student engagement and achievement.

Teachers are taking steps to use achievement information more frequently to monitor the progress of learners and report to parents.

The school is improving systems, structures and practices to bring about success for all learners.

The board is taking steps to monitor the strategic and annual goals to ensure that they are better informed about ongoing improvements in students’ progress and achievement.

The principal, board and staff are working towards improving the provision of a physically and emotionally safe environment for all learners.

Teachers are beginning to engage in professional development to improve learner progress, achievement and wellbeing.

Staff identify and draw on community resources, including support agencies, to improve learner outcomes.

Part B: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to:

prioritise developing a positive school culture and learning partnerships with whānau to improve attendance, engagement, progress, and achievement of all learners

build teachers’ capability to assess and accelerate learner progress and achievement in literacy and mathematics

effectively use achievement information to track, monitor and report the progress of learners to parents and the board in reading, writing and mathematics.

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

Within six months:

set clear annual improvement targets and actions that focus on promoting a positive school culture and improving attendance

develop and document a shared understanding of effective teaching and learning practices that accelerate progress and achievement

access professional learning and development to support staff to establish clear assessment processes that inform programme planning for the teaching of reading, writing and mathematics.

Every six months:

monitor and report the rates of student attendance, progress and achievement to inform further planning and next steps

involve whānau in home and school learning partnerships to discuss their child’s strengths, learning needs and next steps

evaluate teaching and assessment strategies that support accelerated learning in reading, writing and mathematics.

Annually:

review, evaluate and report to the board the impact of strategies used to improve attendance and student engagement

analyse achievement information and evaluate the impact of effective teaching and learning on accelerating learner progress and achievement and share this with teachers, parents and the board.

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

improved progress, achievement, attendance, and engagement for all learners

strengthened learning partnerships between school and whānau

more effective and consistent teaching and learning practices that promote accelerated progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

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

30 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 →