Hikurangi School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 12 months of the Education Review Office and Hikurangi 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

Hikurangi School is a full primary school catering for students in Years 1 to 8 in Hikurangi, Northland.

A special feature of the school is Nga Whetu Kohikohiko o Te Rangi a Year 1 to 8 class. This immersion setting provides bilingual education for whānau who want this opportunity for their tamariki. The school appointed a new principal in 2023.

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

• Ako - create opportunities for all learners to realise their potential through engaging and innovative curriculum
• Pedagogy – growing future capability and culture
• Tikanga – recognise the unique status and importance of tangata whenua and celebrate our diversity, strengthen connections within and beyond our school community
• Hauora - encompasses the physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual dimensions of health.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how effectively relational teaching and formative assessment practices are impacting on equitable learning outcomes for all ākonga.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

• lifting student achievement to attain equitable and excellent outcomes for all ākonga
• developing teachers’ capability in teaching numeracy, literacy and using formative assessment
• accelerating and sustaining the progress over time of all ākonga.

The school expects to see:

• consistent school wide formative assessment practices
• acceleration of progress and achievement in literacy and numeracy for all ākonga
• leaders and teachers using relationships first and culturally responsive practices and contexts that are meaningful and relevant to Hikurangi learners.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to use relational teaching and formative assessment practices to achieve equitable learning outcomes for all ākonga.

• leadership focused on improving teaching practice and improving equitable outcomes for all ākonga
• a broad understanding of Te reo Māori, me ōna tikanga, mātauranga Maōri and te ao Māori
• significant historical links to mana whenua, could assist the school further develop and embed their local curriculum that connects to ākonga’ language, culture and identities.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

• continuing to build the collective capability and practice of teachers through relevant on-going professional learning and development
• further strengthening assessment practices to inform teaching practices and school direction
• building learner focused relationships with whānau enabling them to become active partners in the learning of their tamariki.

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
8 March 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