Ahipara School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 18 months of the Education Review Office and Ahipara School 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

Context 

Ahipara School is located in Ahipara, Northland. It provides education for students in years 0 to 8. During the Covid pandemic and due to other contributing factors, school leadership and management have undergone significant change during 2021 through to 2023.

The school as an active member of the Te Manaiakalani cluster and the Kāhui Tai Kura o Te Hiku Kā hui Ako.

Ahipara School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

• students’ learning- all students can access the New Zealand curriculum as evidenced by progress and achievement
• student engagement- to increase student engagement with their learning
• school organisation and structures- an ongoing focus on improving our facilities, resources, and systems
• whanau and community engagement - positive learning relationships with whānau
• personnel- teachers as leaders and learners provide students with highly effective educators whose primary focus is developing them as successful learners. Teachers supported to improve pedagogy, teaching, and learning and assessment practice which will lead to increases in student progress and achievement
• school finance and property- financial and property management focused on enhancing teaching and learning
• health and safety- health and safety practices to ensure the wellbeing of the Ahipara School community.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how well the school is building schoolwide effective teaching and learning assessment pedagogy and practice informed by relevant and reliable assessment data.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to:

• the school has had several new staff, as a result they are working towards schoolwide consistent approaches for teaching and learning
• cater for students who need to make accelerated progress and achievement
• increase learner agency to support students knowing their learning and to identify their next steps
• build cultural assessment competencies through professional development in formative assessment, supported by best practice teaching and learning strategies.

The school expects to see assessment for learning practices explicitly evident in classroom environments and, teachers confidently and consistently using appropriate assessment to inform individual student’s learning, progress, and achievement requirements. This will be supported by:

• teacher’s and student’s developing a shared understanding of the use of learning progressions
• clear guidelines and processes to support the learning and achievement of all students
• teachers working collaboratively through an inquiry focus on assessment strategies, including culturally responsive assessment practices with a focus for Māori learners, who need additional support
• professional development in effective use of assessment strategies, including a focus for those students with diverse learning requirements.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to evaluate how well the school is building schoolwide effective teaching and learning assessment pedagogy and practice informed by relevant and reliable assessment data:

• students participate and learn in caring, collaborative, inclusive learning environments
• leadership builds effective collaboration at all school community levels
• staff collaboratively promotes and enacts the school vision and values
• the school uses internal and external expertise focused on continuous improvement and equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

• collecting student voice to identify where they are in their learning and their next steps
• using appropriate assessment teaching and learning strategies that inform individual student’s learning progress and achievement requirements
• develop rubrics to support teacher’s pedagogical teaching and learning in effective assessment practices.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

22 September 2023 

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